The Sierra Madre Jan 22—25, 2010
Posted by Brian Gibbons
Brian Gibbons
Brian Gibbons grew up in suburban Dallas where he began exploring the wild world in local creeks and parks. Chasing butterflies and any animal that was unfortunate eno...Related Trips
Heading up into the mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental and San Sebastian del Oeste is like going back in time. If it weren't for the pickups and power lines you could easily think it was more than 200 years ago. Narrow cobbled streets with chickens and donkeys are not your typical twenty-first century scene. We enjoyed the quaint colonial town and its wonderful dining. Pipian sauce, mole, enchiladas, grilled panela cheese, chiles rellenos, and some amazing Italian food kept our energy level up for walking in the mountains. This wonderful setting inspired Ron to propose to Leonie in the gazebo in the town square; we wish them the best.
The birds during our first afternoon were fantastic. We got great looks at a Laughing Falcon before we made it to town. A sizeable flock moved along and we followed. Many of our target birds were there, as were many amazing warblers. Red-headed Tanagers, Red-faced Warbler, Hermit Warbler, Flame-colored Tanager, and Crescent-chested Warbler were all seen, and we got our first looks at Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo. A male Mountain Trogon sat long enough for a great view. As the flock faded over the hill, Ron spotted a female Amethyst-throated Hummingbird.
Our first great bird the next morning was a lethargic Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo that was trying to shake the morning chill; it obliged for scope views until we walked away. A male Bumblebee Hummingbird was busy feeding at a flowering shrub and showed off for us. Also in the mountains we found Blue Mockingbird, Collared Towhee, Golden-browed Warbler, Gray-crowned Woodpecker, White-striped Woodcreeper, and Brown-backed Solitaire. The "red" warblers bear special mention; we were enthralled by Red-faced Warblers, Slate-throated Redstarts, Painted Redstarts, and a Red Warbler. Not to be outdone, the Flame-colored Tanager pair showed off. Very rewarding was a cooperative pair of Green-striped Brush-Finches. Part of a nice flock was a Rufous-capped Brush-Finch that investigated an intruder's voice. White-eared Hummingbirds weren't the only ones visiting the flowers. The Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer steals nectar by nipping a little hole at the base of a flower. This gives them access to the nectar that the short-billed bird couldn't get to. The flower loses, as this circumvents the nectar reward granted to the good guys, hummers, for pollination.
Our final morning took us to the Hacienda Jalisco, the central building of the former boom-town mining operations in the Sierra. Now surrounded by poinsettia and coffee plants, the birding was great. Buff-breasted Flycatcher was a great find, and we never tired of the Gray Silky-flycatchers feeding on mistletoe berries. On the main cobbled street out of town a flock of Yellow Grosbeaks delayed our departure. Before we had to leave we added Spotted Wren (Ron), Tennessee Warbler (Ron), Lesser Roadrunner (Ron), Black-headed Grosbeak, and many other flock birds. In three days in the mountains we saw 117 species, which included 13 Mexican endemics and another 5 regional endemics.