Birding West Mexico Endemics

Wednesday, January 24: San Pancho
Hotel Casa San Pancho

Follow the La Lancha Surfa Café trail to Playa La Lancha surfing beach, take a boat trip from Punta de Mita to Islas Marietas, bird road by Mexican Restaurant in Higuera Blanca

BIRD of the DAY: Blue-footed Booby

The sun was shining and we were off for a day by the water. Bill enjoyed another cup of Luis’s hot coffee as we loaded into our van. We followed the highway south towards our boat ride to Islas Marietas.



At a gas stop enroute, we crossed the road, greeted by San Blas Jays and a family of Rufous-bellied Chachalacas. Soon were on a hiking trail to La Lancha surfing beach. After some diligent searching for a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl who calling nearby, Chris spotted it high up on a tree branch, moving his head from side to side. We all got good views. As we continued along the path, stopping to bird along the way, several surfers passed through and they were in the water when we got to the beach.



We happily birded along the beach- the birds did not seem shy of the surfers. We walked along to a large lagoon.

Luis unpacked his backpack at the lagoon and brought out some tasty breakfast empenadas and snacks. As we were enjoying our breakfast, a large American crocodile swam by and landed on the far shore.



We hiked back along the beach and onto our trail, as usual keeping our eyes and ears alert.



Soon we were back in the van and jeep and off to our boating adventure.



We arrived at Punta de Mita late morning and soon we were in our 2 boats and were off a very memorable two-and-a-half-hour ride. We were crossing a bay used by Humpback Whales for calving and training their young.



Bill was on the front seat of our boat and got amazing photos of a breaching mother Humpback Whale and calf. These sightings were definitely a trip highlight for us.



The Islas Marietas brought more impressive sightings. The islands have spectacular rock faces, inlets and caves. Some snorkeling groups were swimming in the shallow areas. A major birding sighting was the Blue-footed Boobies. When we first saw them above us on the rocks, fellow biders exclaimed “I see their blue legs! I see their blue legs!” Also, we could observe some interesting courtship behavior. Wherever we looked we saw impressive rock faces, caves, seabirds overhead and shorebirds. Wow!



What a super day. Next we would drive to the roadside Mexican Restaurant in Higuera Blanca. Here we had a good Mexican lunch/beer on an upstairs terrace and birded while we ate.

After lunch, when Barbara spotted a Citreoline Trogon beside the parking lot, we decided to bird along a nearby road before heading back to San Pancho. As we had noticed, there are horses as well as birds along back roads.



Luis suggested a “sunset stop” at the San Pancho beach. Beautiful.



When it became too dark for photos, we enjoyed a Mexican dinner and listing together at a beach restaurant.

January 24 Birds
Higuera Blanca, Nayarit, MX
Jan 24, 2018
Protocol: Incidental
37 species (+2 other taxa)

Magnificent Frigatebird 10
Black Vulture 10
Turkey Vulture 20
Gray Hawk 1
Zone-tailed Hawk 1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 8
Eurasian Collared-Dove 5
Inca Dove 1
Common/Ruddy Ground-Dove 2
Broad-billed Hummingbird 1
Citreoline Trogon 1
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker 1
Orange-fronted Parakeet 1
Least Flycatcher 1
Pacific-slope/Cordilleran Flycatcher (Western Flycatcher) 2
Brown-crested Flycatcher 1
Social Flycatcher 1
Tropical Kingbird 4
Thick-billed Kingbird 1
Masked Tityra 1
Rose-throated Becard 1 Female
Bell's Vireo 2
Warbling Vireo 5
Black-throated Magpie-Jay 7
Happy Wren 1
Sinaloa Wren 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3
Swainson's Thrush 1
Rufous-backed Robin 1
Orange-crowned Warbler 2
Nashville Warbler 5
Yellow Warbler 3
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1
Blue Bunting 1
Varied Bunting 1
Yellow-winged Cacique 2
Hooded Oriole 1
Streak-backed Oriole 2
Great-tailed Grackle 5

Playa La Lancha, Nayarit, MX
Jan 24, 2018 8:02 AM
Protocol: Incidental
49 species (+1 other taxa)

Rufous-bellied Chachalaca 3
Magnificent Frigatebird 4
Blue-footed Booby 10
Neotropic Cormorant 5
Brown Pelican 13
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 1
Green Heron 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 2
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 9
Turkey Vulture 5
Snail Kite 1
Semipalmated Plover 1
Killdeer 2
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Willet 1
Heermann's Gull 6
Royal Tern 2
Eurasian Collared-Dove 1
Inca Dove 1
White-winged Dove 1
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl 1
Broad-billed Hummingbird 2
Cinnamon Hummingbird 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker 1
Lineated Woodpecker 1
Orange-fronted Parakeet 3
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 1
Pacific-slope/Cordilleran Flycatcher (Western Flycatcher) 2
Great Kiskadee 1
Social Flycatcher 1
Tropical Kingbird 3
Bell's Vireo 1
Warbling Vireo 2
San Blas Jay 10
Gray-breasted Martin 5
Barn Swallow 7
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4
Northern Waterthrush 2
Orange-crowned Warbler 2
Nashville Warbler 1
MacGillivray's Warbler 1
Tropical Parula 1
Yellow Warbler 3
Black-throated Gray Warbler 2
Wilson's Warbler 1
Hooded Oriole 1
Streak-backed Oriole 2
Great-tailed Grackle 1

PN Islas Marietas, Nayarit, MX
Jan 24, 2018 10:30 AM
Protocol: Incidental
14 species

Magnificent Frigatebird 50
Blue-footed Booby 125
Brown Booby 25
Brandt's Cormorant 1
Brown Pelican 3
Great Blue Heron 3
Snowy Egret 4
Black Vulture 4
Turkey Vulture 14
Zone-tailed Hawk 1
Wandering Tattler 1 Inside a sea cave.
Heermann's Gull 4
Royal Tern 2
Peregrine Falcon 3

Laguna San Pancho, Nayarit, MX
Jan 24, 2018 6:21 PM
Protocol: Incidental
23 species

Blue-footed Booby 4
Neotropic Cormorant 2
Anhinga 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 1
Little Blue Heron 2
Cattle Egret 1
Green Heron 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 10
Black Vulture 4
American Coot 2
Black-necked Stilt 2
Northern Jacana 1
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Willet 2
Eurasian Collared-Dove 2
Social Flycatcher 1
Tropical Kingbird 13
Sinaloa Crow 25
White-collared Seedeater 50
Orchard Oriole 1
Great-tailed Grackle 10