The first couple weeks of 2016 were spent with a lovely cast of characters in Mexico including old friends Seagull Steve and Dipper Dan, plus new friends Caroline aka Stilt and Frank aka Hank aka Dad. Trust me when I say that these people are the shit.
These are Bat Falcons, the first birds I took my camera out for on the trip. It was the morning of January 3rd and we had spent the night in a motel in Lo de Marcos in Nayarit, recovering from the horrors of the Puerto Vallarta Airport customs line the evening before. It was warming up, iguanas were sunning themselves on palm trees, frigatebirds were soaring, folks were sweeping, dogs were running around, and I was kind of dazzled by it all. Dazzled.
We spent several hours walking around this town, stumbling upon random jaw-dropping birds left and right.
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Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
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Black-throated Magpie-Jay
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Russet-crowned Motmot
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Cinnamon-bellied Saltator (formerly Grayish Saltator)
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Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
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Hooded Oriole
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Magnificent Frigatebirds
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Squirrel Cuckoo |
This walk around town netted me 26 lifers. Ridiculous.
From Lo de Marcos we headed north to San Blas where we spent about a week at the Hotel Bucanero, home of Campana the wonder dog.
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Best dog of the trip
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The town partied in the square every night with this jolly flashing tree and Christmas music blaring:
Our first morning there we drove inland to bird Camino Singayta where again I was pummeled with life birds nonstop with mostly poor photos to show for it.
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Crane Hawk
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Mexican Parrotlets look like leaves |
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Citreoline Trogon |
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Elegant Trogon |
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Pale-billed Woodpecker |
Butterflies were extremely distracting here.
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Red postman
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Banded peacock
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White peacock
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On the way back to San Blas for lunch we stopped at this lake overlook where birds were not plentiful but crocodiles were lounging.
There it is, the beginning. My brain reels at how much more there is to come from this trip. Till next time, enjoy this other sweet Bucanero wanderer while you sign
this petition to support Malheur. I wish I had not still felt delirious from traveling yesterday so I could have attended the Portland rally.
Juicy! Just as I suspected!
ReplyDeleteIt will only get juicier, you might need napkins.
DeleteWhoa! How did I forget that Bat Falcons exist! I want to go to there...
ReplyDeleteNever forget! You guys need to get a trip sponsored by that digi-scope thing.
DeleteWow! That's all.
ReplyDeleteThat's enough.
DeleteOMG how much love can one girl get in a life time? I stopped reading and just kept scrolling and then went back to read!! Im signing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sondra, so much more to come!
DeleteI suspected you were heavily dazzled, but your dazzlement was undetectable. Glad to confirm dazzle.
ReplyDeleteI conceal dazzlement well. You know this.
Delete