Stark Desert Landscapes In Tehuacán

November 12, 2021 (continued)

To break up the drive to Oaxaca, Laura and I overnighted in the city of Tehuacán. As is my modus operandi, I scoured eBird prior to visiting to arrange a plan of attack. There was not much in the way of eBird hotspots in the area apart from a large protected reserve to the southwest called Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán. There did not appear to be any trails in this reserve, the only access being roadside, but it seemed like our best bet.

Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

We had a few hours free upon our mid-afternoon arrival in Tehuacán. We drove southwest on Highway 125 and watched the landscape change with the kilometres driven. By the time that we entered the reserve area, tall columnar cacti dotted the hills as far as the eye could see. It was a beautiful yet stark setting. 

Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

Bird diversity in a landscape like this is relatively low, with the highest number of species found in river valleys (dry at this time of year), or in small towns where they are more likely to find artificial sources of food and water.  We only noted 8 species of birds during our brief afternoon visit. 

Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

One of the few eBird hotspots in the area is a botanical garden in the town of Zapotitlán Salinas, though Google Maps informed us that it was closed. We drove by it just to be sure, and it was. We continued to search for a suitable dirt track that left the busy paved road in hopes of getting away from the traffic and into the desert. 

Success! We found one such track, leaving the main road at 18.371786,-97.432987. It was a little bumpy and steep but it should be navigable by a small car with no clearance. 

Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

Some twittering call notes in the low scrub drew my attention. It was the first sign of a bird we had had in the five minutes since leaving the car; the moderate wind was not helping matters. The birds responded to my pishing - Bridled Sparrows! 

Bridled Sparrow - Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

This handsome species prefers oak or cactus scrub in its limited range in southern Mexico. I was pleased to see my first.  

The final new species for the day was a sharp Gray-breasted Woodpecker on top of one of the cacti, exactly how the field guides illustrate. This was my 17th life bird for the day following a very birdy morning in San Andrés de la Cal. Meanwhile, I had only managed 19 new species in six weeks in Panama, despite seeing nearly every one of my targets. Birding in a new country is fun!

Gray-breasted Woodpecker - Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

November 13, 2021

I searched online for additional areas to explore without much success and so we returned to the same dirt road. We enjoyed a sleep-in this morning. The next four nights would be in the city of Oaxaca where I had a long list of target birds and sleep there would be at a premium. I figured that it would be smart to conserve our energy here in Tehuacán. 

As expected, the morning was cool but brightly lit with a clear blue sky. On the drive down we passed two Black-vented Orioles perched on top of cacti, a good omen.

Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

Laura and I parked near the beginning of the same gravel road and walked down a ways. We quickly tallied a few species - Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Bridled Sparrow, Turkey Vulture. Wait a minute! That's not a Turkey Vulture, but its doppelgänger: a Zone-tailed Hawk.

Zone-tailed Hawk - Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

The gorgeous bird soared right overhead, easily the best views we've had. It may not look like a Turkey Vulture with this view, but from a distance the size and colouration, two-toned wings, and lilting flight are remarkably similar to a Turkey Vulture. 

Zone-tailed Hawk - Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

We walked a little further down the slope, slapping away at mosquitoes. It was some of the worst mosquitoes that we have seen since leaving Canada in September, and in a dry desert environment, no less! Though, these were still far more tolerable than "our" mosquitoes back home...

The next bird to make an appearance was a sharp Ash-throated Flycatcher. Down here, Ash-throated Flycatchers overwinter next to the resident Nutting's Flycatcher, an extremely similar looking species. The paler breast and grayer face help to identify this as Ash-throated, but its call notes really gave it away. 

Ash-throated Flycatcher - Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

We retrieved the truck and followed the bumpy road down and around the side of the mountain, aiming for the bottomlands near a dry riverbed. 

 Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

 Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

Bird activity was much higher down here. We noted Northern Mockingbird, Gray-breasted Woodpecker, Warbling Vireo, Phainopepla, Rock Wren and several others in the first few minutes. 

Rock Wren - Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

Phainopepla - Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

The Gray-breasted Woodpeckers were rather active, flying between the cacti and calling frequently. Much better views than the one yesterday!

Gray-breasted Woodpecker - Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

Gray-breasted Woodpecker - Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

Upon returning to our vehicle we noticed a middle-aged man watching us. We walked over to him, expecting him to be one of the workers from the nearby salinas (salt pans) that populate the bottom of this river valley. He was indeed a worker (named Felipe), but he just wanted to chat and see what we were up to. We told him that we were birdwatchers from Canada and asked for permission to bird this area, which he said was no problem. Felipe than proceeded to show us his salinas and explained the whole process of how he extracts salt from the saline water that flows from the rocks. He mentioned that his parents used to live here and had the same profession. At the moment it is just a two man operation - Felipe, and a friend of his. 

Salinas - Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

One of the highlights of our impromptu tour was a series of caverns dug out under a sandstone overhang. The largest room functioned as a chapel, complete with artwork on the ceilings and walls. 

Chapel entrance - Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

Mestra amymone - Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

We thanked Felipe for his time and continued on with our morning. The sun was high in the sky and despite the high altitude here, the temperatures had risen considerably. We noted several fence lizards along a stone wall, and I briefly saw a Green Ratsnake - our first snake in Mexico - but it escaped into a hole in the wall before I could apprehend it. 

Sceloporus gadoviae - Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

Sceloporus gadoviae - Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

Just before departing, we found our one and only hummingbird for this region. It was, as expected, a Dusky Hummingbird. This species is restricted to dry, scrubby habitats in southern Mexico. 

Dusky Hummingbird - Reserva de la Biósfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico

We left the Tehuacán region behind and finished the drive to Oaxaca. Despite its relatively low diversity, some key species and the stunning scenery made the stop very much worthwhile.