WE WORKED UP AN APPETITE SATURDAY with a successful morning of birding above Union Juarez that netted us Black-creasted Coquette, Blue-throated Motmot, Green-throated Mountain Gem, Grey-collared Becard, Mexican Yellow Grosbeak and White-winged Tanager. After picking up our luggage at La Fazenda we stopped at Donde Morayma to settle our tab, have a bite and say Adios to our hostess.
Black-crested Coquette
Blue-throated Motmot
Green-throated Mountain Gem
Grey-collared Becard
Mexican Yellow Grosbeak
White-Winged Tanager
It seems that the cabins in El Porbenir at the end of the road from Motozintla where Eric next planned to stay is closed to visitors so he’s executing Plan B, Hotel Jardin Real in Huixtla. We arrived about 2PM and opted out of the offered local birding. There is nothing of note around and we needed some downtime to catch up on photos and journals. Well, the wifi worked only in the restaurant and heavy storms knocked out the power overnight. Even so, I managed to add a couple of entries to this journal before we crashed at 8:30.
Rufous-collared Thrush
We had to leave at at 5:00 this morning to reach the pine-oak forest where Black-throated Jays, Pink-headed Warblers and Rufous-collared Robins can be found. The weather went from clouds to rain to heavy fog as we climbed higher into the Sierra Madre de Chiapas. The robin—more correctly the Rufous-collared Thrush—was our first victim at only 7000 feet. Half a mile farther and two hundred feet higher along the road, Eric heard the raspy call of the Black-throated Jays. I managed to take a couple of photos in the shadows at about 100 meters away and I, quite rightfully, bristled when Connie said they weren’t sharp. Giveth me a break.
Black-throated Jay
Eric drove to another ridge, this one at 8500 feet where he heard the Pink-headed Warblers call. His hearing is amazing and not only can he actually identify the bird by its call he can imitate many of them. I am deaf to high pitch squeeks and sometimes think he and Connie are putting me on when they listen and point. But not this time. We got good photos of the warblers—both male and female Eric thinks—although only the birds can tell which is which.
Pink-headed Warbler
We spent the rest of the day driving to Comitan de Dominguez where we are spending the night at City Express, a real hotel next to a mall! BK Whoppers for dinner and all is well with the world.
