Mexico: Oaxaca Christmas Dec 20—29, 2011
Posted by Héctor Gómez de Silva
Héctor Gómez de Silva
Héctor Gómez de Silva began birding at age eight in New York City. He published his first article about birds at age 15 while in Kenya, where he lived for six...Related Trips
The city of Oaxaca (pronounced "Wa-Haca") is like a hub for birders in this birdiest state of Mexico. Different ecosystems are to be found to the north, east, west, and south of the city. Consequently, a few hundred bird species, many of them endemic to Mexico (or even to just a small part of the country), are readily encountered in short to moderate length day-trips from the city. The city is also one of the most culturally interesting parts of Mexico, and Christmas is one of the most culturally interesting times to visit. And the food is varied and tasty. All of these ingredients make this, as a rule, an outstanding tour. Our 2011 tour was no exception, with a small group of amiable birders participating.
One increasingly common phenomenon of winter in Oaxaca that often surprises visitors from the north is that we also often get a few quite cold mornings (in the high forties or fifties). This winter in Oaxaca, however, was milder than the last few.
On the first full day of the tour we took in the spectacular ruins of Monte Albán and the special Oaxacan brunch buffet close to our hotel. In the afternoon we went to see Monte Alban's treasures that are held in the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca (which has windows overlooking the birdy Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens), as well as the ornate Santo Domingo church.
We started the following day with a 1-hour drive up the mountains northwest of the city of Oaxaca, but just before reaching our destination of Arroyo Guacamaya, a small group of Long-tailed Wood-Partridges on the roadside forced us to stop the van. Every participant was able to have great views of this normally very elusive species, as a few had crossed the road in front of the van and the rest wanted to follow, but were hesitating to cross, standing right on the bank on one side of the road! The main attraction of Arroyo Guacamaya is the delightful bit of birding in the apple orchards in the village of La Guacamaya where we saw Steller's Jays of the "very different-looking" Oaxaca race, Blue Mockingbird, Collared Towhee, Elegant Euphonia, Black-capped Siskin, Rufous-capped Brush-Finch, and Red Crossbill. The pine forest beyond the village was also birdy, with Red, Olive, and Crescent-chested warblers, Mountain Trogons, and others. After lunch in the "trout cabins" in the mountains, we descended to the Valley of Oaxaca and spent the afternoon between the village of San Antonio Arrazola, where fanciful carved animals called alebrijes (pronounced "allay-breehess") are made, and the village of San Bartolo Coyotepec, famous for its beautiful black pottery.
The next morning we visited the Tule Tree and the cactus grove and archaeological site of Yagul, followed by stops at a nearby mezcal factory, the Mitla archaeological site, and downtown Oaxaca where the unique radish contest is held every 23rd of December.
On the 24th we visited the montane forest of La Cumbre, where highlights included a Northern (Mountain) Pygmy-Owl, Dwarf Jays, Strong-billed Woodcreepers, and many species of hummingbirds. In the morning of the 26th we visited the lower slopes of the mountains north of Oaxaca City, finally seeing Slaty and Dwarf vireos, and an Ocellated Thrasher after much effort.
The next day we explored a completely different biotic region, the tropical dry forest of the Pacific drainage to the southeast of the city, where we saw many birds that we had not seen in the Valley of Oaxaca, such as Green-fronted Hummingbird, Varied and Orange-breasted buntings, White-lored Gnatcatcher, Rufous-naped Wren, Russet-crowned Motmot, and even Cinnamon-tailed Sparrow (though we had to drive very far for that last-mentioned Mexican endemic).
The next day we visited yet another biotic region, the Sierra Madre del Sur. Highlights here were Bumblebee Hummingbird, Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo, and Flame-colored and Red-headed tanagers.
Our last birding morning was spent in several habitats near Teotitlán del Valle, where the rug-weavers of Teotitlán del Valle demonstrated their ancient weaving and dyeing techniques.
All of these ornithological and cultural wonders were accompanied every day by special meals of typical Oaxacan or Mexican cuisine, including mole sauce made of many ingredients (one of which is dark chocolate), fried grasshoppers, strips of prickly pear stems, arrachera steak, and hot chocolate (which is a Mexican invention, actually). So, do come to Oaxaca to see birds, cultural traditions, and enjoy rich typical foods.