10 March 2009

Punk-haired Jays in Playa Zipolite…(Oaxaca, Mexico): 7 March 2009



After our disappointing morning in the mountains, the afternoon in the thorn scrub backing onto the coast near Playa Zipolite, just outside Puerto Angel, was much better. A late afternoon visit armed with a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl tape worked well, as many different species came into to mob the ‘fictional’ owl. Among the mobbing parties were several gorgeous male Orange-breasted Buntings, along with a few navy-colored male Blue Buntings. Hummingbirds were quickly agitated with the owl tape, and both Cinnamon and Broad-billed (of the Doubleday’s form) Hummers came into to vent their anger. Also in the area were three or more Citreoline Trogons, and a triplet of new wrens (for me anyway) – Happy, Rufous-naped and Banded Wrens all in the same scrubby stand of thorn ‘forest’. Also in this busy birding area was a Golden-cheeked Woodpecker trying his luck on a concrete telegraph pole, and a few Yellow-winged Caciques. However, best of all was a pair of White-throated Magpie-jays, complete with punk hairdos, a really impressive, and striking bird. Eventually a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl itself decided to check out our owl tape too.

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