The following are the restults of this year's birding event called "The Big Sit"

Team Name: TLACO-BIRDERS
Circle Captain: David McCauley
Circle Location: Tlacotalpan, Veracruz MX
Participants: David McCauley - Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, Jorge Montejo - Xalapa, Veracruz, Corrie Borgman - New Mexico, Helene Cavior - California, Sandy Plate - California
Comments: Weather: Sunny, hot and humid with light breeze in the afternoon
Time spent in the Big Sit 7a.m.- 2:30 pm + 5:00p.m.-5:30p.m. Total = 8 hours
This year, tropical storm Larry brought much moisture to the savannah/tropical wetlands of Tlacotalpan. The viewing and hearing area of our Big Sit circle was filled with a smorgasbord of avifauna. This years team was a great mix of enthusiasm and birding skill. Sandy Plate and Helene Cavior, (California) who were visiting the Veracruz River of Raptors came decked out in the official Bird Watchers Digest ìBig Sitî T-shirts. Corrie Borgman (New Mexico)(one of this years offical counters from Veracruz River of Raptors) helped us out with raptor Ids.
Jorge Montejo , Veracruz working biologist, birding guide and pioneer of the Veracruz River of Raptors. Jorge displayed his amazing birding skills and was a key player on the team. (Jorge is one of the best birders that I have known)
David McCauley, photographer and birding guide. This is the third year that I have had the fun of participating in The Big Sit. Last year our Circle team Tlaco Birders earned bragging rights as The Big Sit champions with 119 species. To commence the 2003 Big Sit we arrived at the circle around 7 a.m. and got right into the counting flow. In our first hour in the circle we identified 68 species, the second hour 33 species, third hour 10 species and the fourth hour 11 species. In the first 4hours we were able to identify 122 species! In the remaining 4 hours that we counted we were able to ID 34 additional species for a total of 156 species! This years count definitely exceeded our expecations. We all felt privileged to have been witnesses to theavian wealth of the tropical wetlands of Tlacotalpan Veracruz. Nature is Grand!
Some of the special species of note of the day are as follows, American bittern, Muscovy duck, Lesser yellow-headed savannah vulture, Black-collared hawk, Snail kite, Zone-tailed hawk, White-tailed hawk, Laughing falcon, Squirrel cuckoo, Long-tailed hermit (hummingbird),
Green-breasted mango(hummingbird), Black-headed trogon, Amazon kingfisher, Lineated woodpecker, Rufous-breasted spinetail, Rose-throated becard, Masked tityra, Clay-colored thrush, Yellow-throated euphonia, Montezuma's oropendola.
All in all we the Tlaco Birder team send thanks to the beneficent gods of ancient Mexico for providing us with the special location, the sun, the moisture and birds a plenty, and a Big Sit 2003 that none of us will soon forget!