Gray-crowned Woodpecker, Mexican Hermit, Butterflies And More

 November 18, 2021 (continued)

That afternoon, Laura and I checked into our hotel on the outskirts of Pluma Hidalgo, a place called Finca Don Gabriel. We headed out north of town just before dark to search for a few night birds. Eared Poorwill has been found in the area on a few occasions. This Mexican endemic is more common further west in the country, but we were keen to give it a shot here. 

Unfortunately, the Eared Poorwills remained silent. We did not know the exact area to check and I did not have a good quality recording of this species. Perhaps, if I was more prepared we would have been successful. The night was not a waste, however. We found several Mexican Whip-poor-wills (including one that hovered mere feet from our faces!), Mottled Owls, Middle American Screech-Owls and one unidentified owl whose voice I recorded. 

Mexican Whip-poor-will - north of Pluma Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Mexico

November 19, 2021

We enjoyed a leisurely morning, sleeping in all the way until 6:30. You see, the next few mornings would require an early alarm as we would be in the lowlands. Laura tells me that I am only allowed so many early mornings in a row, so I have to choose them wisely!

Sunrise at Finca Don Gabriel, Pluma Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Mexico

We returned to the site of the previous evening's escapades, this time to walk the road in the daylight. There were a few birds that I hoped to see, tops among them being the Gray-crowned Woodpecker. This would be our final chance at this west Mexican endemic species. 

The roadside birding was quite good with a nice selection of wintering warblers alongside orioles, wrens, flycatchers and more. One of the first birds was a sharp male Red-headed Tanager; our second sighting in two days. 

Dahlia imperialis - north of Pluma Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Mexico

A bend in the road gave way to an incredible mirador that was worth lingering at. We noticed a few birds chipping below which slowly morphed into a mixed flock. I encouraged the action by playing a pygmy-owl song. Pandemonium ensued. 

Bullock's Oriole - north of Pluma Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Mexico

During the frenzied action of a mixed flock, I rarely manage good photos since I am so focused on observing every species in the flock. This situation was no different. Standouts included Blue-capped Hummingbird, Hammond's and Dusky Flycatchers, numerous Bullock's Orioles, a Blue Bunting, several Rose-throated Becards and a single Gray-collared Becard. Even a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl responded far below us in the valley, though it did not feel like flying up the mountainside to check us out. 

Gray-collared Becard - north of Pluma Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Mexico

We were nearing the point where we considered turning around and I was still without a Gray-crowned Woodpecker. The habitat had consisted of mature forest on a steep slope, whereas the woodpecker prefers woodland, coffee plantation and other more open environments. We passed a homestead and a small plantation. Sure enough, a Gray-crowned Woodpecker was around!

Gray-crowned Woodpecker - north of Pluma Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Mexico

Gray-crowned Woodpecker - north of Pluma Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Mexico

We walked back to where we had parked. The birding had slowed somewhat, though we added several new species to the checklist like White-collared Swift and Blue Mockingbird. The butterflies came out of the woodwork as the sun crested the mountainside and shone its rays on our path. 

Crimson Patch (Chlosyne janais) - north of Pluma Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Mexico

Pteronymia artena praedicta (tentative) - north of Pluma Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Mexico

My favourite was a White Morpho, appearing almost like a piece of tissue paper floating by on the breeze. Waiting for one of these to land is hopeless; I managed an identifiable flight shot instead. 

White Morpho (Morpho polyphemus) - north of Pluma Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Mexico

We stopped one more time at the mirador. The mixed flock had moved on but the views were just as nice as earlier, though with slightly harsher light. 

North of Pluma Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Mexico

We checked out of the hotel and continued to the south along the winding mountain road. Landslides are frequent here; road crews were busy, working away to clear some from previous months. Luckily, it is currently a dry time of year and so we did not worry too much about the possibilities of active landslides. 

Another bird that we had not crossed paths with was the Mexican Hermit. This spectacular hummingbird is endemic to a narrow strip in the lowlands and foothills from west Mexico to our location in Oaxaca. They love heliconia flowers and I had found just the spot on eBird: a botanical garden called Hagia Sofia. Situated at only 300 m in elevation, the air was quite hot during our midday visit. Note to others who wish to visit: the actual location of the gardens is around 15.869329, -96.365602, several kilometres along a gravel road north of the location shown on Google Maps and the eBird hotspot.

We walked around the gardens for a little bit. No wonder why this has become a stakeout spot for Mexican Hermits - nearly every type of heliconia you could imagine was growing here. The gardens were well maintained and this is definitely a place worth spending more time at. A single Mexican Hermit announced its presence with chip notes and hovered only a couple of metres from me, seemingly checking me out. About five seconds later it zipped off into the forest. I was struck by how large this species was, even for a hermit. 

Urbanus sp. - Parque Botánico Hagia Sofia, Oaxaca, Mexico

We spent some time beside a small creek where it crosses under the gravel road. A large fruiting tree had attracted numerous birds. We watched at least four Citreoline Trogons, a pair of Scrub Euphonias, White-throated Magpie-Jays, a half-dozen Rufous-backed Robins and a Spot-breasted Oriole among several other species. The butterflying along the creek was excellent as well. Here are a few of the standouts. 

Many-banded Daggerwing (Marpesia chiron) - Parque Botánico Hagia Sofia, Oaxaca, Mexico

White-dotted Crescent (Castilia ofella) - Parque Botánico Hagia Sofia, Oaxaca, Mexico

Orange Banner (Temenis laothoe) - Parque Botánico Hagia Sofia, Oaxaca, Mexico

Pyrrhogyra neaerea hypsenor - Parque Botánico Hagia Sofia, Oaxaca, Mexico

Apricot Sulphur (Phoebis argante) - Parque Botánico Hagia Sofia, Oaxaca, Mexico

The electric blue of this next butterfly was dazzling; you really needed to see it to believe it!

Lasaia agesilas callaina - Parque Botánico Hagia Sofia, Oaxaca, Mexico

We finished the rest of the drive into the dry coastal lowlands. Our base for the next two nights was the town of La Crucecita, located on the edge of Parque Nacional Huatulco. Here, dry forest and desert scrub is home to a new suite of birds, while beautiful sand beaches and rocky cliffs disappear into crystal clear waters. That evening, we watched the sun set over the Pacific while sipping mezcal and watching the last frigatebird of the day over the open water.