BIRDWATCH

2006-08-05T17:51:00.000-05:00

VERACRUZ RAPTOR MIGRATION 2006

I have picked three dates this year to observe raptor migrations here in Veracruz Mexico.
The dates are:

September 25-October 2 (**874,287)

October 3-10 (**1,570,119)

October 11-18 (**1,385,214)

(**The number of migrating raptors counted last year during these dates.)

I am trying something new this year. The focus of each tour is the MIGRATING RAPTORS. I am limiting the size of each group to six (6) birders.
We will do a 2.5 to 3 hours of general birding each morning.
Every afternoon will be dedicated to observation of the raptor migration.

The raptor migrations of Veracruz are unique in that the represent the most concentrated movements of migratory birds of prey to be found on the planet!
Each fall between 5-6.5 MILLION raptors are counted during the migration season.
If you have never seen it, you are missing one of natures greatest spectacles.

Most tours that come to Veracruz in the fall spend a good deal of time visiting other birding sites in Veracruz and the emphasis on raptors is only limited to two or three days at the most. It is easy to miss a "big day" or a heavy push of raptors if you are not focused on the hawkwatch.
In my tour this year we will spend the afternoons, in shaded areas, in chairs with plenty of cold drinks on hand.
Each day is a show. From the locations that I have selected you will have vantage points that few birders in the world have ever witnessed of this incredible migration.
This trip is not about "listing", it is good solid "hawwatch".
The amount of walking and light hiking is limited to the few hours of morning birding.
The rest of the day is to relax and enjoy the migration.

The cost of the 7 night-8 day trip is $1,400 US dollars (based on double occupancy)
add $200 US dollars if you are travelling alone and desire a single room.

This price includes meeting and returning you to the airport in Veracruz, ground transportation, lodging, meals and guide fees.
The trip is based in Paso de Ovejas Veracruz and is situated strategically in the center of the raptor migration flow.
Lodging:
The hotel is clean and has air conditioning. There is also a nice observation deck and swimming pool at the hotel. (in past years birders have enjoyed the hawk migrations from the comfort of the pool at the hotel!)
Food:
Doña Isabel is the cook for the group and she whips up some excellent mexican dishes (all spicy seasonings are on the side) Dinners include beer, red wine or margaritas. Good food is important to me and we make it a focus of the tour.

This is not a fancy luxury tour...I use the restaurant, hotel, taxis and people of the community to help make this tour work. This is community ecology based tourism in action.This is an opportunity to have some real FUN while seeing thousands and thousands of migrating raptors.
My name is David McCauley. I have lived in Veracruz for many years. I am a nature photographer. I am concerned about bird conservation and education projects here in Mexico.
Your participation in these tours will benefit these efforts of mine.
I hope that if you choose to participate in these groups that you will consider it a cultural exchange. Bring a good attitude and it will be reflected back to you many times.

This is a great opportunity to share your knowledge of birds of prey with others, or learn in an environment that is negative attitude free.

If you have more questions please send me an e-mail.:
hawkwatch@gmail.com
I look forward to hearing from you and will be most happy to help you with your trip preparations.
Good birding,

David McCauley

2005-12-31T13:28:00.000-06:00

Greetings Birders:
Wishing all a happy holiday season from Veracruz, Mexico.

2005-10-31T09:14:00.000-06:00

My encounter with a Northern Jacana Jacana s. spinosa
I was headed out to the market, it had just rained alot. Steps from my front door (on the ground) I came upon this immature Northern Jacana. It was a tangle of wet feathers and legs...at first I thought that it was dead, but as I crouched closer and picked it up it moved. Very weak I took the bird into the house and gave it a superficial check, no broken wings, legs or neck.
It could not stand on its own, its eyes were open. I dried it off a bit, wrapped it gently in an old dry sock, that seemed to soothe the bird a bit.
I sent the neighbor kid out to the marsh to get some small minnows.
I was able to feed it about 15 small minnows.
After four hours in the house, I noted that it could stand on its own.
Taking advantage of the daylight, I took the Jacana to the edge of the marsh and released it in the shade some 2 meters from the edge of the marsh. I watched it for a while, it seemed to be alert and was taking a few steps.
I left it there with the hope that it would fit in to it´s new surroundings. Jacana young are precocial (able to move about and feed soon after hatching),
this individual I estimate to be 8 to 9 months old.
The mystery is how it got into town, in 8 years I have yet to see a Northern Jacana in flight over the town.
Good birding,
David McCauley
I was able get some closeup pics of this bird,
click on the thumbnail pics below to see the larger image.

2005-09-26T16:37:00.000-05:00

Raptors in flight......poetry in motion.
Today was one of those days that I live for.
Over the past six years the last weeks of September and the first two weeks of October I travel to the northwest of the Port of Veracruz to Cardel/Chichicaxtle and Paso de Ovejas to observe the raptor migrations.
This year I decided to stay put here in Tlacotalpan and surrounding areas (55 miles to the south of Veracruz) and see if I could sort out the hawk migration as it passes through the vast tropical wetlands of central Veracruz.
For the past 20 days I have been going different spots along the the road between Tlacotalpan and Cosamaloapan (see map)
Up until Sunday Sept. 25th, I have made observations at 5 different locations and the results have been rather lackluster (by Veracruz standards). I did see nice movements of Mississippi Kites and the beginnings of the Broad-winged migration.
On saturday I was here in Tlacotalpan and not able to get out for the observation.
Saturday evening a friend here asked me if I had seen the hawks that came by. I started to ask some questions and he told me that he had seen several large groups come by. My curiosity was piqued.
I got up early on Sunday and decided to spend the bulk of the day observing right here in Tlacotalpan.
I walk 2 blocks from my house to the Hotel Reforma and walk up 4 flights of stairs to the rooftop. Here are some views View 1 View2 View3 View4
My first raptor sighting of the day was a resident Bat falcon perched on the radio atena atop the municipal building.
I watched with a keen fascination as the Bat falcon flew out from its perch 5 times in search of food. The bat falcons aerial abilities are awesome!
I expected to see the bat falcon come back with a swallow, to my surprise with each return to the perch it had captured a dragonfly. I knew that dragonflies were the mainstay for Missippi Kites but I had never seen a bat falcon "chow down" on dragonflies before.
I got settled down in my plastic chair (in the only patch of shade that I could find on the rooftop) and I scanned the sky from 9a.m. until 12:30.
I saw some small groups of "early lift" Broad-winged hawks in addition, groups of migrating anhinga, a Zone-tailed hawk, 10 Osprey, a resident Aplomado falcon, and several Lesser, Yellow-headed Savannah vultures (residents), a high flying female Snail kite and 1 White-tailed Kite.
From 9am until 12:30 p.m., I observed around 300 migrating raptors (274 BW)
At 12:30 I left the (then shadeless rooftop of the hotel) and headed two blocks away to my house located in front of plaza Doña Marta,
(for those of you who follow my ramblings here on the weblog, you will recognize Plaza Doña Marta as the home for my spring hawkwatch (114,000+ counted this year during the month of April)
OK, I rush home (I always rush when there are raptors in movement .....LOL!) get my self a nice cold coke and hunker down in the shade of that big tree you see in the photo of Plaza Doña Marta.
At approximately 12:55 I come across a forming "kettle" of Broad-winged hawks, I do a quick scan and see that this forming "kettle" is being fed by a massive line of Broad-winged hawks with a few Anhinga thrown in. The "kettle" that I had just spotted swells into a swirling mass of Broad-winged hawks!

In order to count the hawks in the field of view of my binocular I put the image in Photshop and blow it up 300 percent there I place a yellow dot on each hawk. SEE PHOTO**Note on the photos: most of the above photos where taken using a technique called "binoscoping" I hand hold my digital camera (Sony Mavica 250CD to the eyepiece of my 8X42 binocular) its not an easy trick , and the results are far from crystal clear, but it gives you and idea as to what I am seeing.

Over the next 10 minutes, I count 36,800 Broad-winged hawks. (For those of you with some counting experience, the breadth (wingtip to wingtip) of the "line" or "stream" as the leave the "kettle" ranged from 20 to 200, I estimated an average of 75 to be on the conservative side. I registered 492 clicks in an 8 to 10 min. period.
491 X 75 = 36,825 This first big push (36,800+) was followed by four smaller "pushes" (10,338 -- 9,700--1,250--600), 58,688 raptors counted between 12:55 p.m and 14:00 !

Here is a summary of my observations for the day:
9:00a.m to 15:30 observation time

Broad-winged hawks....58, 962

Swainson´s hawks......2

Mississippi kites....6

Osprey ....10

Turkey Vultures.......14

Cooper´s hawk......3

Sharp-shinned hawk.....2

Merlin.......1

Peregrine falcon......2

American kestrel.....1

Northern harrier....1

Zone-tailed hawk....1

Total .......59,005

Well, thats it for the moment, I hope that I was able to communicate adequeately some of the hawkwatch from Tlacotalpan.

I want to add a special note of appreciation to Patty Waites Beasley and Crew of the Corpus Cristi hawkwatch....I appreciate all of your time and efforts..you are my closest point of reference as to migrations from up north. I am glad to hear that you escaped hurricane Rita. Its a bummer that your festival had to be cancelled.

Keep up the good work and eyes to the sky!

And to Libby and Brock....Plaza Doña Marta says "Hi"

2005-09-25T22:58:00.000-05:00

Veracruz Fall 2005 Raptor Migrations - Info- Dates

2005-05-06T08:53:00.000-05:00

August 15th the official count for River of Raptors begins here in Veracruz......I still have openings for my 2005 River of Raptors tours, you can contact me at veracruz.hawkwatch@gmail.com
to reserve your space.
There is an outline of the tour below;

Dates and information on the Fall 2005 Raptor Migrations.

Greetings Birders:
I have set three dates for the 2005 Fall Raptor Migrations
here in Veracruz.

Sept. 26 - October 3
(In 2004 1,156,036 migrating raptors were counted during these dates)

October 4 - 11
(In 2004 1,123,203 migrating raptors were counted during these dates)

October 12 - 19
(In 2004 1,556,772 migrating raptors were counted during these dates)

The combined total of migrating raptors counted last year, for the three dates thatI have selected was ...........3,836,011

Let me give you the basics of my fall Hawkwatch/Birding Tour:
8 Day/Seven Night Tour
$1,200 US dollars per person (based on double occupancy)
Add $200 USD for Single supplement.

The tour cost includes lodging, meals, ground transportation, trip to the mangroves and visit to the Museum of Anthropology in Xalapa.
Activities:
We will go birding in the mornings and the afternoons will be spent observing the raptor migrations. (You may expect to observe between 150 to 200+ bird species during your trip.)

For more information please contact me:
David McCauley
Birding Veracruz
veracruz.hawkwatch@gmail.com

A map of the area of "River of Raptors" The three Birding/Hawkwatch trips that I have organized this year will be based in Paso de Ovejas, Veracruz.

Observe migrating raptors from the shaded elevated deck. The pool below provides a nice break from the heat.

One of the thrills of the Veracruz River of Raptors is to observe the sheer numbers of migrating raptors. The geographical features of central Veracruz create a "funnel-like" concentration of southward bound birds of prey. Central Veracruz provides the highest concentrations of migrating raptors to be found on the entire planet.

The grace in flight of the Mississippi Kite is an awesome sight. In 2004 the season tally for Mississippi Kites was 177,088

In the distance, the town of Paso de Ovejas. The town is situated in a low valley like setting near the Atiylac River. I have scouted locations to observe raptors on the high ridges to the north and south of the town

I have selected several locations on the ridges which provide spectacular panoramic views (with shade). This view facing to the north provides a "front row seat" to amazing "kettles" and "streams" of migrating raptors.

2005-02-11T05:16:00.000-06:00

Yahoo! News - Genetic Barcodes Will Identify World's Species: "Genetic Barcodes Will Identify World's Species

Science - Reuters

By Patricia Reaney

LONDON (Reuters) - A team of international scientists launched an ambitious project on Thursday to genetically identify, or provide a barcode for, every plant and animal species on the planet.

By taking a snippet of DNA from all the known species on Earth and linking them to photographs, descriptions and scientific information, the researchers plan to build the largest database of its kind.

'We have discovered that it is quite possible to have a short DNA sequence that can characterize just about every form of life on the planet,' Dr Richard Lane, director of science at the Natural History Museum in London, told a news conference.

Less than a fifth of the Earth's estimated 10 million species of plants and animals have been named. Researchers working on the Barcode of Life Initiative hope that genetically identifying all of them in a standardized way on a global scale will speed up the discovery of new ones.

Current techniques used to identify minute differences between species are complicated, time consuming and require specialist knowledge.

'What we are looking at is a new method which will allow just about anyone, in any part of the world, to recognize organisms without recourse to a particular specialist,' said Lane.

SCIENTIFIC TOOL

The initiative was launched at the International Conference for the Barcoding of Life in London by a consortium of museums, zoos, government agencies and organizations around the globe that study biodiversity.

'Our mission is to develop DNA barcoding as a scientific tool for rapid identification of species and to put that tool to"

2005-02-07T08:24:00.000-06:00

A big thanks to hawkwatch volunteers world wide!

(excerpt from the Iowa Missouri Valley Times)
Governor Tom Vilsack presented the Volunteer Award to the Hitchcock HawkWatch last Oct. 22. Accepting the award on behalf of the HawkWatch volunteers were Clem Klaphake, Phylisha Eshelman, Chad Graeve, Sue Mattix and Jim Meyer.

November 2 of last year, an adult Red-tailed Hawk soared high above the Hitchcock Nature Center viewing deck at the Pottawattamie County Conservation park near Honey Creek. The sight of this raptor brought more excitement than those that had previously flown overhead. This raptor officially broke the 10,000 mark, a long awaited HawkWatch goal.
For the complete story in The Missouri Valley Times Iowa

It is nice to see these volunteers get the recognition that they deserve. Thanks to these dedicated volunteers, they have aided ornithologists and field biologist across North America by providing valueable information regarding raptor migrations.

2005-01-26T01:42:00.000-06:00

Birding Babylon
Here is a link to a weblog from one of the US troops stationed in Iraq who has been making birding reports and observations.

2005-01-25T17:37:00.000-06:00

These tyrant flycatchers like it spicy!
The other day on my patio here in Tlacotalpan Veracruz Mexico where I
live I heard the shrill chwittering of the Social Flycatcher, Myiozetetes similis. I approached the window of my room to see this social flycatcher dip down to grab in its bill a tiny hot red pepper that here we call chilpaya and fly up. I observed this action repeated during the day. Later I here the familiar sound of kis-k-dee and move to the window to observe the same action, this time performed by the Great Kiskadee, Pitangus sulphuratus. This is the first time that I have observed this particular feeding behavior, I wonder if the extreme spicy nature of these chiles serves a specific biological function, perhaps to clear their system of parasites.
But then again maybe they just like it HOT!
Good birding,
David

2004-08-21T10:38:00.000-05:00

Raptor-Rapture!
Paso de Ovejas, Veracruz
The fall 2004 raptor migrations have begun. From the roof top and balcony of my rented apartment here is Paso de Ovejas, (MAP) I may have the best seat in the house for the observation of migrating raptors. On the 8-17 and 8-18 I observed over 140 Mississippi Kites and 10 Swallow-tailed kites in five hours of viewing.
In one “stream” I counted 40 Mississippi kites and 5 Swallow-tailed Kites.
From my rooftop, I have a virtually uninterrupted 360 degree view. (Sunrise Paso de Ovejas)

Photo 1

Photo2

Photo3

It’s great to read the HAWKCOUNT reports from all the hard working teams in the US.
I love the names, Cranberry Marsh, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Allegheny Front, Wildcat Ridge, Waggoner's Gap, Bake Oven Knob, Second Mountain. I try to imagine what the hawkwatch sites must look like.
I also read with great interest the hawkwatch reports of Patty Waits Beasley from Corpus Christi, TX (Chocolate anyone?)
Corpus Christi movements provide me with a good ideas of possible raptor flows with two to three days anticipation.

In July I was able to photograph a juvenile Northern Potoo located a short distance from Paso de Ovejas. Here are some of the photos:
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Well, this is it for the moment,

Good birding

David

2004-07-12T10:36:00.000-05:00

I have taken a hiatus from the birdwatch weblog, but I am back. A little over a month ago, I rented a small apartment in Paso de Ovejas. Paso de Ovejas is located about forty minutes from the port city of Veracruz ( to the northwest), on the old highway that goes to Xalapa. I am here in preparation for the fall raptor migrations, River of Raptors .
For those who don’t know, I am a struggling nature photographer and birding guide and for most of the year I live in Tlacotlapan Veracruz ( a nice expanse of tropical wetlands located about two hours to the south of Veracruz)
I will be dividing my time between four weblogs, Birdwatch, Veracruz Hawk watch, Adventures in bird digiscoping and River of Raptors Veracruz. I will share photos, birding observations and try to give you some insight as to my daily life here in Mexico. I appreciate comments and feed back. I do this because I love it. I am currently involved in preparing bird conservation lesson plan material in Spanish. The first step to conservation is education.

Paso de Ovejas
My first apartment experience here was fraught with errors. My idea was to rent a small basic little space, that I could use as a temporary base for the fall hawk watch tours. What I ended up renting was a small solar heated asbestos roofed sauna/oven! I lived there for two weeks. The price was right $35 dollars a month. During the day it was so hot that even the bugs had to step out to cool off. During the day I was out birding., when I returned in the afternoon I had to “psych up” just to walk in the apartment. In the early morning things would cool off to a low of 85F (this is with 3 fans going full blast)
One evening 7:00p.m. with the temp 92F while sitting in front of the blank computer screen in only my underwear , I experienced an epiphany, a still small voice in my head spoke “You cannot live here anymore, IDIOT, what in the hell were you thinking?”
A room with a view.

The next day while walking in town, I glanced up and notices a “for rent” sign in a second story apartment. In four days time I was living in the new space. Two bedrooms, dining room, kitchen, two balconies, excellent lighting, BREEZE. The price was a budget breaking 100 dollars a month. I will figure it out. The greatest feature of the apartment is the roof. I am located on a hillside have a virtually unimpaired 360 degree view of a sky that in the fall will provide spectacular views of the fall raptor migrations! I am located precisely in the middle of the stream of “River of Raptors”.

2004-06-05T20:34:00.000-05:00

I came across an interesting article where some cities and businesses are turning off the lights at night to help migrating birds. ARTICLE

2004-05-26T05:23:00.000-05:00

I keep casting glances at the satellite communications tower hoping that I will see the peregrine falcon, the tower has been empty for almost two months.
As is the case with the Peregrine falcon most of our winter neotropic migrants have gone north, the cycle continues..........

I pick up my bicycle from the repair shop (the valve had broken off of the inner tube so they replaced the tube) I don't have a car here in Mexico. I bird by foot or with my trusty bicycle. It keeps me closer to nature. One thing I have noticed about some of birders in the States is that they bird from their cars.
I don't get it.
Birding from a car is like having sex with all your clothes on. I like to sense my surroundings while birding, sights, smells, feel the heat or the breeze and listen for the sounds.

So I head out for a bit of birding in the afternoon, I want to see whats left after the migration. The birds are focused on reproduction, building nests and rearing nestlings. I must have seen 50 or more nests in three hours. Common Tody Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Altimira Oriole, Great Kiskadee, Great-tailed grackle.

A particular nest caught my eye, that of the Lineated Woodpecker. I spotted the nest high in the dead palm from the persistent calls of two nestlings making it know that they were hungry. I got them in the spotting scope, they both had their heads, necks extended out of the nest hole. Note: I was standing some 50 meters from the tree and my presence was minimal. I am very reluctant to photograph nestlings, in this case the young had nearly attained juvenile plumage and are close to fledging, I made an exception.

Shortly the male Lineated Woodpecker, with red moustache mark, (females have a black moustache) flew directly to the dead palm, made a quick hop around the palm trunk, keeping an eye out for predators and proceeded to the nest hole where the two nestlings were eagerly awaiting their meal. The male placed its bill deep into the gaping mouth of the nestling and in a rapid "jackhammer" fashion regurgitated food from its crop directly into the throat of the nestling (5-8 second feeding).The process was repeated with the other nestling. I observed three feedings from the male on one visit, so one of the nestlings got seconds. After the feeding the male Lineated Woodpecker flew to a live tree immediately behind the the nest hole, preened for about 10 minutes and resumed the task of foraging. Thanks to the spotting scope I was able to observe this remarkable feeding behavior.

Here are some additional images of the male Lineated Woodpecker:

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Views of nestling Lineated Woodpeckers:

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Not a bad birding afternoon. I observed a total of 60 species, among observations of note, Mangrove Cuckoo, Bare-throated throated Tiger Heron, Rufous-breasted Spinetail, Red-billed Pigeon, Scrub Euphonia, Yellow-headed parrot (unusual)

2004-05-23T07:57:00.000-05:00

Excerpt on abinism and other plumage abnormalities. www.birdwatchireland.ie

A number of other plumage abnormalities occur, but much less
commonly than albinism. These are:
• Melanism Melanistic birds have an abnormal amount of dark
pigmentation. Several species have very rare dark phases, e.g. Buzzard
and Woodcock and others occasionally show signs of melanism (though
beware of oil-stained seabirds!). Pheasants seem to be the most
susceptible to melanism.
Erythrism Birds with erythrism have an excess of red pigmentation,
the best known example probably being the rare ‘hepatic’ phase of the
female Cuckoo.
Xanthochroism involves the loss of darker pigments and abnormal
retention of yellow pigment, and it has been recorded in
Wood Warbler and Yellow Wagtail.

Leucism Leucistic or ‘dilute’ birds are abnormally pale or ‘washed out’
looking. This plumage aberration is perhaps more frequent than any
except albinism, though still very unusual.

2004-05-20T05:41:00.000-05:00

RARITY: Vermilion flycatcher (male) leucistic.

Normal plumage for vermilion flycatcher.

On May 17th I went out on the "savannah" here in Tlacotalpan Veracruz to do some bird digiscoping. (digiscoping is a digital camera taking a photograph through a spotting scope)
As I was walking back home after three hours of photographing, I caught some flight movement that got my attention. I observed something small, white and red flying away from me, it settled into some low growth across a canal some 250 meters from where I was standing. I have spent countless hours birding here on the savannah and and this was something different, I was getting "birders rush" with the anticipation of a new find.
I started scanning the far side of the canal with the scope to see if I could spot my mystery bird. I stood perfectly still and scanned for a good ten minutes....yellow warbler, great-tailed grackle, white collared seedeater, northern jacana, ringed kingfisher, neotropic cormorant, forked-tailed flycatcher, great egret, bare-throated tiger heron, common tody-flycatcher.....no luck.
Suddenly I spot it, white wings and red body flying back across the canal toward me, it settled down in some thorn scrub about 75 meters from where I was standing. I move the scope to focus in...a male Vermilion flycatcher with pinkish/white mask,wings and emerging tail feathers, leucistic!
I slowly raise my digital Sony Mavica 250 CD camera to the eyepiece of my Nikon 80 spotting scope with the hopes that I can get at least one fairly clear picture. Good fortune was with me, over the next twenty minutes I was able to take around 100 photos of this unusal partial albinic vermilion flycatcher. As typical of the vermilion flycatcher, it swooped from its thorny perch to catch an insect in flight looping to return to its original perch.
In the minutes that followed, time disappeared as the small vermilion flycatcher flew in closer to where I was standing, providing me with ever closer views. The following are images that I was able to capture;
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Here are two photos that give you a comparison view of plumages of the vermilion flycatchers
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I am quite excited to have been able to experience this observation and happy to share it with you. I have seen many hundreds of Vermilion flycatchers here in Veracruz over the past six years, but this is the first that I have ever seen one displaying these particular traits.

You may copy any of the images and share them for educational or non-commercial use. Please leave the text intact.

Good birding,
David McCauley
Tlacotalpan Veracruz MEXICO

2004-05-12T19:07:00.000-05:00

Dusted off the kayak today.
Heat was the name of the game today 95F (35C) I grew up in Washington state and it would get up into the 90's in the summer, but the tropics heat is a different beast. It's the humidity. 95 F here in Tlacotalpan is a heat that lays siege on your mind, it messes with your head. My way of dealing with the heat is prioritize, I ask myself do I really need to do it? If the answer is no then it goes on the "manaña" shelf.
I fooled around in the morning with the new layout on the weblogs. (I like what they have done.)
Around 1:00p.m. I deal with the urge to 'hawkwatch' (Any hawk watch addicts out there know what I am talking about.) Having just spent a month (200+hours) observing migrating raptors,(you can see a photo/journal account of the spring hawk watch at my weblog http://veracruzhawkwatch.blogspot.com you can't just stop 'cold turkey'.
Seeing the flight profiles of migrating raptors is a pleasantly addictive experience. So I have to "wean" myself gradually, TODAY...two hours of hawk watch. I counted a total of 53 raptors in blue hazy skies...Turkey vulture, Swainson's hawk, Broad-winged hawk, Mississippi Kite, Osprey.
The afternoon breeze had few cooling properities as it felt more like a blast furnace. I decided that it might be a good idea to dust off the kayak. It has been a year since I last used the kayak. I have a professional style inflateable kayak, the brand is Aire. It is not swift in the water but it is stable (self bailing) and very easy to transport. The Papaloapan river is located a mere block and a half from the house, so after inflating the kayak, donning my binoculars and vest, I balance the kayak and paddle on my head and move out for cooler domains. I spent the remainder of the afternoon on the water. The breeze had created some nice swells on the river. I crossed the river and entered a small tributaries of the river that connects with several lagoons.
I had a great birding afternoon, in two hours I observed 47 species of birds and 2 brown basilisk "Jesus Christ lizards"

2004-05-12T13:13:00.000-05:00

Is birding your favorite outdoor activity?I came across this article by Paul Smith in the Wisconsin The Journal Times Online.
According to a survey conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), there are an estimated 46 million "birdwatchers or birders, 16 years of age or older" in the U.S. Of these, the vast majority (88 percent) bird at home, while 40 percent take at least an occasional trip a mile or more from home to watch birds. Early May is prime time for Wisconsin bird watchers as many migratory species pass through the area. In recognition of this fact, as well as the plight of many neotropical migrants that rely on diminishing habitat at both ends of their yearly flight, Saturday, May 8 has been designated International Migratory Bird Day

2004-05-07T06:56:00.000-05:00

Neotropic (Olivaceous) cormorant
Phalacrocorax brasilianus
The neotropic cormorant is a resident here in Tlacotalpan, inhabitaing the many lagoons and marshes that are found here. The NT cormorant can often be seen perched on fence posts with its wings outspread. I have observed that the neotropic cormorants are colonial nesters and will share the trees of the nesting rookery with great egrets and cattle egrets. Here are some photos taken recently of the Neotropic cormorant.
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VIEW4
VIEW5
Photos digiscoped=Sony Mavica 250CD camera hand held to Nikon spotting scope/Slik tripod

For those of you who have been following my weblog of the spring hawk watch here in Tlacotalpan http://veracruzhawkwatch.blogspot.com
I will conduct a full day count today (for the past 5 days we have had rain, high winds, thunderstorms, none of these conditions being condusive to raptor migrations) I am expecting to see a faily good 'push' of raptors today.
Good birding all.
David McCauley
Tlacotalpan Veracruz Mexico

2004-05-06T06:35:00.000-05:00

The magnificent Bare-throated Tiger Heron
Tigrisoma Mexicanum
(Spanish) Garza-tigre gorjinuda

Everytime that I see a Bare-throated Tiger Heron I experiece a bit of that "birders rush". The Bare-throated tiger heron is just a "cool" bird. The Bare-throated Tiger Heron is approximately 30 inches tall (78cm)
Black crown, eyes are yellow, the throat has a naked yellow patch, the bill is long and heavy, the neck vermiculated dark brown and buff, foreneck has a dark narrow stripe with white borders, dark olive brown upperparts vermiculated buff, underparts are cinnamon colored with gray thighs and the legs are short.
(For a more complete description see)
A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Central America
Steve N.G. Howell and Sophie Webb
Oxford University Press
The Bare-throated Tiger Heron can be found in fresh water/ mangrove habitats from Mexico to Hounduras. Here are a series of photos that I took recently of of this magnificent bird
View 1 View 2 View 3 View 4 View 5 View 6 View 7 View 8 View 9 View 10

PHOTOS by David McCauley. Photos may be copied for non commercial use. (Photo technique-"digiscoping" Sony Mavica 250CD hand held to eyepiece of Nikon 80 Spotting Scope, Slik tripod)
Photos taken May 2004
Habitat: Wetland/Savannah
Tlacotalpan Veracruz Mexico

For updates on the Spring Hawk Watch here in Tlacotalpan;
http://veracruzhawkwatch.blogspot.com
Good Birding All
David McCauley
Birding Veracruz
Tlacotalpan Veracruz Mexico

2004-05-02T17:58:00.000-05:00

Here we are in the midst of spring and birders are out in greater numbers to enjoy the new sights that spring offers. Peolpe want to share their sightings with others> In wandering around the web recently I have come across pictures of nests, chicks and eggs, I must admit that I find these images a bit discomforting.
When birds are nesting and caring for young it is an especially delicate time for avifauna. Birds in these situations don't need intrusions, even from well meaning birders. Let's exercise caution about what we photograph, especially when it involves nests, chicks and eggs.
Good birding
David McCauley
Tlacotalpan Veracruz

American Birding Association's
PRINCIPLES OF BIRDING ETHICS
Everyone who enjoys birds and birding must always respect wildlife, its environment, and the rights of others. In any conflict of interest between birds and birders, the welfare of the birds and their environment comes first.

CODE OF BIRDING ETHICS
1. Promote the welfare of birds and their environment.
1(a) Support the protection of important bird habitat.

1(b) To avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger, exercise restraint and caution during observation, photography, sound recording, or filming.

Limit the use of recordings and other methods of attracting birds, and never use such methods in heavily birded areas, or for attracting any species that is Threatened, Endangered, or of Special Concern, or is rare in your local area;

Keep well back from nests and nesting colonies, roosts, display areas, and important feeding sites. In such sensitive areas, if there is a need for extended observation, photography, filming, or recording, try to use a blind or hide, and take advantage of natural cover.

Use artificial light sparingly for filming or photography, especially for close-ups.

1(c) Before advertising the presence of a rare bird, evaluate the potential for disturbance to the bird, its surroundings, and other people in the area, and proceed only if access can be controlled, disturbance minimized, and permission has been obtained from private land-owners. The sites of rare nesting birds should be divulged only to the proper conservation authorities.

1(d) Stay on roads, trails, and paths where they exist; otherwise keep habitat disturbance to a minimum.

2. Respect the law, and the rights of others.
2(a) Do not enter private property without the owner's explicit permission.

2(b) Follow all laws, rules, and regulations governing use of roads and public areas, both at home and abroad.

2(c) Practise common courtesy in contacts with other people. Your exemplary behavior will generate goodwill with birders and non-birders alike.

3. Ensure that feeders, nest structures, and other artificial bird environments are safe.
3(a) Keep dispensers, water, and food clean, and free of decay or disease. It is important to feed birds continually during harsh weather.

3(b) Maintain and clean nest structures regularly.

3(c) If you are attracting birds to an area, ensure the birds are not exposed to predation from cats and other domestic animals, or dangers posed by artificial hazards.

4. Group birding, whether organized or impromptu, requires special care.
Each individual in the group, in addition to the obligations spelled out in Items #1 and #2, has responsibilities as a Group Member.

4(a) Respect the interests, rights, and skills of fellow birders, as well as people participating in other legitimate outdoor activities. Freely share your knowledge and experience, except where code 1(c) applies. Be especially helpful to beginning birders.

4(b) If you witness unethical birding behavior, assess the situation, and intervene if you think it prudent. When interceding, inform the person(s) of the inappropriate action, and attempt, within reason, to have it stopped. If the behavior continues, document it, and notify appropriate individuals or organizations.

Group Leader Responsibilities [amateur and professional trips and tours].

4(c) Be an exemplary ethical role model for the group. Teach through word and example.

4(d) Keep groups to a size that limits impact on the environment, and does not interfere with others using the same area.

4(e) Ensure everyone in the group knows of and practises this code.

4(f) Learn and inform the group of any special circumstances applicable to the areas being visited (e.g. no tape recorders allowed).

4(g) Acknowledge that professional tour companies bear a special responsibility to place the welfare of birds and the benefits of public knowledge ahead of the company's commercial interests. Ideally, leaders should keep track of tour sightings, document unusual occurrences, and submit records to appropriate organizations.

2004-02-19T18:55:00.000-06:00

A male painted bunting kind of day!
I love to be out in nature, if I am birding or digiscoping it is even better. Here in Tlacotalpan veracruz where I live, we had a beautiful sunshine filled day with temps in the mid-70's. I was able to get our for a few hours in the morning to "bird" and take some pics. I came across the male painted bunting - passerina ciris munching on some seeds. I was able to get some "digiscoped pics" (digital camera hand held to spotting telescope) I hope that you enjoy the pictures.
1 2 3 4 5 6

2004-02-18T07:38:00.000-06:00

Tuesday February 17 Tlacotalpan, Veracruz Mexico
I was able to go out birding on the savannah/wetland here in Tlacotalpan. The day was overcast with a slight winds coming from the north. I birded from 12:00p.m. till 4:00p.m.

I was able to observe 81 species in the four hours and photograph 31 of those species. I use a technique called digiscoping whis is simply a digital camera hand held to a spotting scope mounted on a tripod. Sony Mavica 250CD+Nikon 80 scope.

Here are some of the results; Bare-throated tiger heron one two, hooded warbler one two three, Great kiskadee one two , Northern Jacana, adult juvenile, flying "V" formation of roseate spoonbills, northern caracara, common black hawk juvenile.

2004-02-12T18:03:00.000-06:00

In November of 2003 I was asked by the magazine Voices of Mexico to write an article along with some of my photos on the Ecology of the Tuxtlas Mountains. I had spent a good many hours birding and photographing in the region but researching for the article gave me an even greater appreciation for the special bioshpere of the Tuxtlas. Of special concern to me was to observe first hand how a tree nest cavity of a parrot was cut open and the nest was robbedThe illegal traffic of parrots from Mexico to the U.S. is a serous problem. Much remains to be done to protect these small remaining fragments in the Tuxtlas. I am grateful to the UNAM for asking me to write on the subject. HERE is the text and photos from the article that I have posted on my website.

2004-02-12T11:23:00.000-06:00

Vermilion Flycatcher Male

2004-02-11T19:43:00.000-06:00

It's time for the Great Backyard Bird Count
It is February 13-16 2004.
This site is fill with info on this gigantic birding science project. Last year 47,000 bird list were submitted for the count.

2004-02-11T19:15:00.000-06:00

There is an interesting forum on the web for birders to interact it is is called Birding, Birdwatching and Wild Birds at About.com http://birding.about.com/

I am a member of the forum and I must say it is a friendly group. All are welcome, in this forum there are birders of all different skill levels and all are willing to add a positive comment and help out where needed.
One of the refreshing things about the site is that I get no sense of birding elitism in the posts. That I have witnessed in other birding fourms and it puts me off big time. Check it out, you can enter the forum as a guest. The posts are varied and the forum leader Christine Tarski has done alot of work to provide links on almost any imaginable birding subject.

2004-02-11T10:11:00.000-06:00

Aplomado Falcon

2004-01-21T16:31:00.000-06:00

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!

2003-09-06T16:37:00.000-05:00

Thursday and Friday (Sept 4 and 5th) I visited the River of Raptors hawk watch in Cardel and Chichicaxtle. I have been keeping a lookout for migrating raptors here in Tlacotalpan and so far nothing, so I decided to head on up to Cardel where I knew that I would see some movement. I was not dissapointed. I arrived around noon in Chichicaxtle and from noon to 5p.m. was privileged to view 12,000 + Mississippi kites passing overhead. The movement was spectacular and extremely high. Since the 20th of August when the hawkwatch count began in Veracruz they have tallied 96,000 + raptors, the majority being Mississippi Kites. On Friday they counted 3,000+ migrating Eastern kingbirds in Cardel. The River of raptors hawkwatch is definitely off to a great start.

2003-09-01T19:25:00.000-05:00

I went out birding this morning. I loaded up my bicycle with my tripod and with camera and binoculars headed out in search of visual adventure. I am a convert to "digiscoping" digital camera+spotting telecope+computer. It has changed the way that I look at the world and has made me a better birder.

As far as I know the "father" of bird digiscoping is Laurence Poh, he developed the concept a few years back and now many people have taken up digiscoping. There are some breathtaking images of birds out there on the web thanks to this technique. I describe myself as a mediocre digiscoper, (my equiptment is basic Sony Mavica CD250 digital cam and a Nikon spotting scope 80mm 20X60 zoom and a good sturdy tripod [that is a must] I use a gitzo studex tripod w/a manfrotto head-----the total cost around 1,600 dollars) as for results if the photo is good enough to get an ID or capture an interesting behaviour I am a happy camper. There are some dyed-in-the-wool digiscopers who spend hours ind the field painstakingly taking the pics and then more hours in photoshop tweeking their pics. The results are incredible, I just don't have the patience. I am a "focus-point and shoot " digiscoper. I don't have an adapter which holds my camera steady to my scope. I simply hand hold it to the eyepiece and click. To be sure I have plenty of blurry shots but when one get close to mark it is great fun.

OK lets see, I headed out birding. Today I got a late start 9:00am. (Under normal conditions the best birding is at the crack of dawn until about 10:30)
I had splashed on some mosquito repellant ,for my own peace of mind, because for the mosquitos it doesn't seem to make a damned bit of difference, they are just hungry.
As I am riding my bike out into the countryside I am watching and making mental notes as to what I am seeing. Mosquitos and heat aside it was not a bad morning, I was back at the house by 11:30a.m. I had observed 41 species, not too bad for this time of year. Our fall migrants here in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz are just beginning to arrive (100+ species will either pass through or winter here). Here are some ot the highlight of today's trip Vermilion flycatcher, Limpkin, Black-bellied whistling duck, white ibis, Great kiskadee, Couch's Kingbird, Tropical kingbird, Groove-billed Ani, Crested caracara, Snail kite, Dusky-capped flycatcher, Anhinga, Northern Jacana, Neo tropical cormorant , Mangrove swallow, Northern rough winged swallow, Grayish saltator, white-collared seedeater, Eastern meadowlark..... Not a bad morning.

In the afternoon I turned to the skies over the house to see if I could catch a glimpse of my first migrating raptor of the season. No luck. Lots of soaring black vultures with a turkey vulture here and there, a resident crested caracara, a common black hawk and a soaring solo "Jonathan Livingston" Great Egret that loves to ride the thermals.

The hawk watches in Corpus Christi TX and Veracruz are already in full swing. Corpus Christi reporting 5,000 plus raptors( I really enjoy reading Patty Waits Beasley's reports from Corpus Christi, she adds her own touch of humor to the hawkwatch) and Veracruz has counted over 15,000 migrating raptors so far this season. Last year the "River of Raptors Hawkwatch in Veracruz counted over 6 million migrating raptors

2003-08-19T17:42:00.000-05:00

I live in Mexico, Tlacotalpan Veracruz to be precise. I got bit by the birding bug about 6 years ago and it has pretty much become a major focus in my life. There is something about seeing a bird through binoculars for the first time that can stimulate a natural desire to learn more about nature and birds in particular. I recently read a rather light hearted article in the Boston Globe by Agnieszka Biskup entitled Confessions of a birdaholic
It brought a smile to my face.

2003-08-10T17:51:00.000-05:00

Lineated Woodpecker
Photo: David McCauley

2003-08-09T09:31:00.000-05:00

Cooper's hawk Accipiter cooperii
I came across a nice article by Paul Smith in the Racine Wisconsin The Journal Times. He talks about the Cooper's Hawk.
The Coopers Hawk, which is a medium sized accipiter(latin for "true hawk"). Cooper's Hawks have almost identical plumage to the Sharp-shinned Hawk, however they are larger than the Sharp-shinned hawk. Coopers Hawks are quick and extremely agile. Passerines or songbirds end up being dinner for the Coopers hawk.
For more information on the Cooper's Hawk

2003-08-08T12:14:00.000-05:00

Crested Caracara

2003-08-08T08:28:00.000-05:00

RAPTORS ON MY MIND
On August 1st I read the first post of the 2003 North American hawkwatch season on BIRDHAWK
The report comes from Waggoner's Gap Penn with Dave Grove being the official counter.
Total observation time: 5 hours Official Counter: Dave Grove Observers: Craig Houston, Don Orris, Gene Wagner, Joe Lavella Weather: The 2003 fall season began with rain and fog in the morning. The afternoon was overcast with a moderate S wind. Observations: TV and BV circulated in the PM
Just reading the report made my day. It didn't matter that they did not see anything other than circling black and turkey vultures. The folks were there, "eyes to the sky" eager to catch a glimpse of the first migrating raptors. Those are my kind of people.
If you have never experienced a "hawkwatch", give it a try. You can check with your local birding organizations or HMANA.

2003-08-06T23:51:00.000-05:00

Birdwatch, it's about wild birds, and the people who love to watch them.