Barranca del Cobre Oct 05—13, 2007
Posted by Brian Gibbons
Brian Gibbons
Brian Gibbons was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He took an interest in all things wild at a young age, but has specialized in birds since age 10. Brian graduated from S...Related Trips
We started out in the hot coastal plain in Los Mochis. Slowly, as we proceeded into the mountains, the weather became more pleasant. The birds were stunning, from the steamy lowlands to the cool, pine forests in the Sierra Madre Occidental. We drank, dined, toured, and birded our way from sea level to 8,400 feet in the mountains around Creel.
In Los Mochis we had a very productive morning. We visited Parque Sinaloa right in the middle of a bustling Los Mochis. A Verdin greeted us before we made it into the park. Once inside we found plenty to keep our eyes busy. A Green Kingfisher lurked around the canals. Broad-billed and Violet-crowned hummingbirds zipped around frenetically. Mexican Parrotlets sat still long enough for a scope view for all. A Happy Wren was scolding from the hedge rows. One of my favorite west Mexican birds, Black-throated Magpie-Jay, held still long enough for everyone to see. As the morning wore on and warmed up, we had to leave this great urban oasis.
Next we were off to El Fuerte, a colonial town dating from 1546, the birthplace of Zorro. We enjoyed great dining and birding for the next couple of days. The Rio El Fuerte was the centerpiece of all our birding. The woodlands around the river hosted numerous North American migrants and plenty of Mexican birds too. Rufous-backed Robin, Black-vented Oriole, Streak-backed Oriole, Vermilion Flycatchers, and Sinaloa and Happy wrens were all part of the show. Another crowd pleaser was the Russet-crowned Motmot, pajaro reloj, the clock bird. It wagged its tail back and forth for us despite the fact that we would later completely forget about it in our trip favorites countdown. Bare-throated Tiger-Herons stalked unfortunate frogs along the river. We were rewarded with a small group of Purplish-backed Jays in the thorn forest, including some juveniles still with their yellow bills. Our crowning achievement in the hot lowlands had to be the Elegant Quail, spotted by Linda Serrett, sitting serenely on a fence post as we backed up for everyone to enjoy. Finally, to bid us farewell, a male Painted Bunting sat still long enough for everyone to get a look just before we departed aboard the famous Chihuahua al Pacifico train to Bahuichivo.
Our journey featured spectacular pink cliffs, enormous spans, tunnels, and rushing rivers as we climbed into the Sierra Madre. We arrived in Bahuichivo for a late lunch below the grinning bear at Paraiso del Oso. The courtyard revealed a Berylline Hummingbird at the feeders. The next morning we drove out, birding along the way, to Cerro Gallegos and a spectacular vista and beef arrachera lunch. We stopped a few times along the way. Most notably, a pajaro bandera showed up nicely for us. The male Mountain Trogon is so named for its green, white, and red pattern resembling the Mexican flag. The birds were hard to see today, but we heard one of the most striking North American bird songs, the tinkling cascade of fluted notes offered by the Brown-backed Solitaire.
The next morning we found birds behind the Paraiso del Oso in the Arroyo Ranchito. Painted Redstarts never ended their “round the cypress” chase. Slate-throated Redstart and other warblers brightened up the day.
Now we were ready for another change of venue; higher still we would go. We waited patiently at the Bahuichivo station for the train to Creel. Then we were whisked off. This section of the trip featured waterfalls, a 270-degree tunnel, a loop (one of just three in North America), and a view at Divisidero of Copper Canyon’s namesake, Barranca del Cobre. We arrived at Creel to do a little shopping; meanwhile the men found a busy Red-naped Sapsucker excavating sap-wells in the town square. In the same tree we had some finch drama. A fledgling Lesser Goldfinch was so aggressively begging from its papa that it landed on his head. When papa flew off, the youngster was cast into a freefall. Somehow it pulled out of it and made a landing on a low branch before scampering back up in the tree.
Now we were off to our electric-free lodge near Cascada Cusarare, Cabanas Canon del Cobre. This charming little place was at the head of the canyon where the falls were located, right in the middle of Tarahumara country. Early the next morning, before the sun was even in the canyon, we were hunting for the gem that would be the hands-down bird-of-the-trip, the Eared Quetzal. We quickly found aural success, but the bird would not come out for us. I crossed a little stream to scout up a little side canyon and found the squealing beast, a male Eared Quetzal. I came back down and said, succinctly, “We gotta go up there!” So some folks rock-hopped over, some crashed right through, and the rest took their shoes and socks in hand to get across the stream. Soon we were reshod and headed up the side canyon. The bird, which was so easy to find 14 minutes earlier, was heard distantly a few times, but nowhere in sight. Finally, after a frighteningly long silence, he sounded off with the whistled call and a few “weee chuks.” Now within earshot of my calls, he came in a couple of times, sitting beautifully right in front of us. Grinning ear to ear we all retraced our steps down to the bridge Gerardo had just constructed.
We continued down to the sparkling Cascada Cusarare where we ate our simple snack lunch, sharing with a cute Tarahumara girl. Our Quetzal success allowed us to take the rest of the afternoon for leisure. Some of us returned in the evening, finding not only three calling Eared Quetzals, but a male Mountain Trogon as well. After a great chili relleno dinner we called it a day.
The following morning we departed early. The Vuelta Chihuahua bike race would close the only highway to Chihuahua. We stopped in the small roadside community, Choguita, to get a look at another Mexican endemic (our tenth), the Striped Sparrow. Later in the day we visited the Pancho Villa Museum in Chihuahua, our last outing for this amazing tour.