Birding West Mexico Endemics

Thursday, January 25: San Blas
Hotel Garza Canela

Travel to San Blas with a stop at a lagoon, an evening boat cruise on the San Cristobal River

BIRD of the DAY: Golden-cheeked Woodpecker

Today was a travel day – north from San Pancho to San Blas. Barbara decided to do some hotel birding early in the morning at San Pancho. Margaret had seen two chacalchas in front of her room with a balcony on the second floor. There was also a good view over a neighbouring park. We had more time this morning as we would have breakfast at our hotel, starting at 9am. Here are a few sightings from our hotel:



We enjoyed our leisurely breakfast.



Then we were on the road again. We made a gas and bathroom stop where we picked up a hummer and a few warblers (of course we birded at gas stops).



Our first official birding stop was a lagoon on our way to San Blas. It was very active this afternoon; unfortunately, the no-seeums were also active here. We also met some local politicians who had stopped and they were interested that we were Canadians. They were pleased to get some of Barbara’s Canada pencils. We also birded at gas stops. Birds were everywhere.



We checked into the large Hotel Garza Canela in San Blas late afternoon and had a short break before our evening boat cruise.




Soon we were on our way to the San Cristobal River at La Tovara for our late afternoon/evening cruise. It wasn’t long before we were getting into our panga boat for this very special 3 hour adventure. There were a great variety of waterbirds to discover in the reeds and on branches. When it got dark, a real highlight was a sighting by flashlight of three Northern Potoos perched on overhead branches.



In the van, Bill noticed he had lost a hearing aid – he decided to look for it the next day. It was time for a late supper at our hotel.

January 25 Birds
Avenida Revolución, Compostela MX-NAY (21.2034,-105.1571), Nayarit, MX
Jan 25, 2018 9:26 AM
Protocol: Incidental
17 species (+3 other taxa)

White-tailed Kite 1
Gray Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 50
Eurasian Collared-Dove 25
Inca Dove 4
Common/Ruddy Ground-Dove 1
Groove-billed Ani 1
Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird 1
American Kestrel 2
Great Kiskadee 2
Social Flycatcher 2
Tropical Kingbird 12
Thick-billed Kingbird 1
Black-throated Magpie-Jay 3
Sinaloa Crow 10
Northern Mockingbird 2
Western/Eastern Meadowlark 2
Yellow-winged Cacique 1
House Sparrow 10

Humedales de San Blas, Nayarit, MX
Jan 25, 2018 1:21 PM
Protocol: Incidental
23 species

Blue-winged Teal 3
Northern Shoveler 1
Wood Stork 35
Neotropic Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 200
Snowy Egret 15
Little Blue Heron 5
Tricolored Heron 4
White Ibis 6
Roseate Spoonbill 25
Great Black Hawk 1
Rufous-necked Wood-Rail 1
Sora 1
Black-necked Stilt 10
Semipalmated Plover 15
Whimbrel 3
Stilt Sandpiper 1
Western Sandpiper 7
Long-billed Dowitcher 20
Lesser Yellowlegs 5
American Redstart 1
Yellow Warbler 1

Rio La Tovara, Nayarit, MX
Jan 25, 2018 4:08 PM
Protocol: Incidental
50 species (+1 other taxa)

Wood Stork 1
Magnificent Frigatebird 10
Neotropic Cormorant 3
Anhinga 7
Bare-throated Tiger-Heron 1
Great Blue Heron 4
Great Egret 30
Snowy Egret 4
Little Blue Heron 5
Tricolored Heron 2
Green Heron 7
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 5
Boat-billed Heron 3
White Ibis 2
Roseate Spoonbill 2
Black Vulture 75
Snail Kite 1
Spotted Rail 1 Heard
Purple Gallinule 2
Common Gallinule 1
Limpkin 1
Black-necked Stilt 1
Willet 2
Red-billed Pigeon 4
White-winged Dove 1
Lesser Nighthawk 3
Northern Potoo 4
Belted Kingfisher 7
Green Kingfisher 4
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker 1
Lineated Woodpecker 1
Crested Caracara 1
Orange-fronted Parakeet 7
Ivory-billed Woodcreeper 1
Dusky-capped Flycatcher 1
Great Kiskadee 10
Social Flycatcher 6
Tropical Kingbird 35
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Mangrove Swallow 8
Northern Waterthrush 2
Louisiana/Northern Waterthrush 2
Common Yellowthroat 2
American Redstart 10
Tropical Parula 1
Yellow Warbler (Mangrove) 1
Wilson's Warbler 2
Yellow-winged Cacique 2
Streak-backed Oriole 1
Great-tailed Grackle 12