As I’ve written earlier than on this web site, I think about even a foul day birding to nonetheless be an incredible stroll within the woods. And this Monday was not a spectacular birding day. I had stayed up too late on Sunday evening doing church accounting, so I received a late begin on Monday morning. (The truth that Mexico just lately deserted daylight saving time has made this downside extra critical.) It was drizzling on and off all morning, and by no means sunny, so the birds weren’t lively in any respect. That drizzle, and one bout of rain, made nice pictures each unlikely, in addition to considerably dangerous.
However I promised to not complain about any ranges of rain on this rags-to-riches yr, and I’m not. Since our summer time monsoon season lastly started, we have now had 31 days with rain, and solely 7 with out. Streams are lastly flowing once more, and our bodies of water are slowly coming again to life. I like to see the brand new progress on our dozens of oak species. It’s like a northern autumn, however down south, and in July:
Mushrooms have been additionally in every single place:
Most vegetation are nonetheless of their vegetative phrase, however one little plant gave the impression to be in a giant hurry to bloom. It’s three or 4 leaves, after which a few hundred flowers! The second plant captivated me with its ornamental leaves.
As so typically occurs once I go birding, I used to be adopted by a few native canines. I’m now their new bestie. As so typically occurs.
Canines are way more affected person with the stop-and-go rhythm of my birding walks, than my spouse is.
And some birds did reward me some images. The Mexican race of Bushtits at all times look rakish with their black masks.
A short blended flock expertise included this Grace’s Warbler, which is one among our comparatively few resident warblers down right here. (In distinction, we obtain many winter migrant species.)
A household of endemic juvenile Noticed Wrens actually knew tips on how to exhibit their heat brown colours. The adults sport extra somber shades of grey.
The perfect sighting of the day, though experimenting with a digital camera I’ve but to dominate didn’t give me my finest picture for the day, was a feminine Mountain Trogon. Trogons are at all times simpler to listen to than they’re to see, so I used to be glad to get a photograph (any picture) of this chicken.
Since no spot supplied a large number of birds, I went forward and visited a number of websites of curiosity to me: Three spots uphill of San Miguel del Monte, a reforesting nursery downhill of the identical, and a close-by reservoir which as soon as once more has some water in it. So this was not the best day of birding I’ve ever had. But it surely was nonetheless an incredible stroll within the woods.