2 - 7 November, 1998
by David Powell
While this was not primarily a birding trip, I did enough birding to justify a trip report. We flew to Mazatlan on Alaska Airlines, and rented a car from Hertz. I got all the insurance, so the car was quite expensive ($80/day). I had no problems with the car, either renting or returning, and had no problems driving. Because I exchanged a time share to go to Mazatlan, we stayed in one of the large resorts on the north side of town. There are plenty of inexpensive places to stay though. I found the town quite confusing to drive in, and made wrong turns a couple of times. It wasn't too difficult to unravel where we were, but I don't know that I would want to do it in the dark. We had heard lots of stories about banditos and muggings, but we had no problems what so ever. I was cautious, as you should be when in cities, and with the exception of traveling early one morning, didn't drive at night, except to a restaurant in town.
Locations:
Lowlands (Mazatlan area) - 2 areas of dry scrub/thorn forest just north of town.
Bicycle Path - To reach the area go north along the beach front road past the major tourist hotels and resorts to the last traffic circle and go east about 200 yards. There is a small track across from the water park, where you can pull a car into and park off the road in an open gravel area. The bicycle path is a 4 km loop through decent dry scrub, including a small hill.
Farm Road - To reach this area continue east from the water park for a couple of kilometers to a small dirt road on the left angling off to the north. If you reach the toll road, you have gone past it. The road runs for a couple of kilometers through decent dry scrub and grass. A good place to park would be at the far end of this road, just before it goes under the toll road, where a unused paved road leads off to the right (east) up a hill, which also has good habitat.
Durango Highway - 2 areas in the highlands, both well known.
Barranca Rancho Libre - At KM201 on the Durango Hwy (MEX 40). There is a small comedor here where you can park, also a small picnic area where you can park. Others have indicated that it is best to park at the comedor and ask the woman there to watch your car. I arrived too early, and could not park there, as I would have blocked their vehicles, so I parked at the picnic spot. This is a location that had problems with birders being mugged in the 80's, but I saw no one, and had no troubles at all.
There is a logging road just beyond the comedor that goes uphill to the left following a creek. Go up this road, keeping the creek on your left. There are a couple of old cross roads, resist taking those. After a half mile or so the road will turn to the right, and go up hill with another road going straight. Take the road going straight. After a little while, you will cross the creek at a little pump house (need to climb over some pipes). You will eventually come to another logging road. Go right on this one, and you will go by a small open area (used to be an orchard), and come out at a saddle on the edge of the barranca(canyon). There is a track to the left which descends into the barranca, as well as a small track going to the right. There is also a logging road about a half kilometer before this (west) that I think probably goes to the same place. The good birding starts immediately after you leave the road, and continues to and into the barranca.
La Pateca Road - At about KM221, just after the small town of Potrerillos, is a well signed road to La Pateca going off to the right. About 1 km down this road is a small ford, with another small ford maybe a half km beyond that. There is a small pulloff beyond the second ford to park. This whole area is worth exploring.
Itinerary:
Nov 3, 6:30-8:30 AM - Farm Road
Nov 4, 7-11 AM - Farm Road
Nov 5, left Mazatlan at 3:50 AM, arriving at 6:15 - 11 AM - Barranca Rancho
Libre, 11:30-1:00 La Pateca Road
Nov 7, 6-9 AM, Bicycle Path
General comments: I used a tape of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl extensively in the lowlands to attract birds (owls too) with considerable success. As I am a compulsive spisher, I spished regularly as well, with varying success. My success seemed similar to that I achieve in California, with usually some response, sometimes no response, and sometimes wonderful response.
Species (Taxonomy and English names from Howell and Webb, endemics
noted with a *):
| SPECIES | WHERE OBSERVED |
| Common Loon | one flying over the bicycle path |
| Brown Pelican | seen regularly along the coast |
| Neotropic Cormorant | several in wet areas along the beach road north of the main hotel areas. |
| Magnificent Frigatebird | seen regularly along the coast. |
| Egrets and Herons, etc.: | Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, White-faced Ibis, and Wood Stork were seen flying over. I didn't explore the wet areas particularly, as I didn't need any of the waterbirds, and all the mangroves have been removed as part of the development of the area. There are mangroves to the south of Mazatlan, but I didn't have time to explore them (at some point, I will go to San Blas, so it was unnecessary). |
| Black and Turkey Vulures | very common in the lowlands. |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | seen in highlands and lowlands. |
| Cooper's Hawk | one along the bicycle path |
| Grey Hawk | one along the bicycle path |
| Red-tailed Hawk | seen in highlands and lowlands |
| Crested Caracara | a couple in the lowlands |
| American Kestrel | common in the lowlands |
| Bat Falcon | one seen at the top of the paved road leading off the farm road. |
| *Rufous-bellied Chachalaca | one at first light in the top of a bush along the bicycle path |
| American Coot | one apparently sick bird on the beach among the hotels |
| Black-necked Stilt | several in a wet area along the beach road |
| Rock Dove | seen |
| Red-billed Pigeon | several birds that were probably this species were seen flying high overhead in the lowlands |
| Band-tailed Pigeon | several at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| White-winged Dove | common in the lowlands |
| Mourning Dove | seen in highlands and lowlands |
| Common Ground-Dove | common in lowlands |
| Military Macaw | 2 or 3 seen above the second ford on the La Pateca Road |
| Mangrove Cuckoo | one along the bicycle path |
| Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl | apparently extremely common in the lowlands. While using a tape for other birds, at least 4 seen along the farm road, one along the bicycle path, and at least 3 others heard between the 2 sites. |
| White-throated Swift | several at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Hummingbirds | extremely disappointing. There were almost no feeding flowers, and almost no hummers were seen in the highlands. |
| Broad-billed Hummingbird | very common in the lowlands, particularly along the farm road |
| White-eared Hummingbird | 6-8 at Barranca Rancho Libre, a couple along the La Pateca Road |
| *Berylline Hummingbird | one at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Cinnamon Hummingbird | about 10 along the farm road, one along the bicycle path |
| Violet-crowned Hummingbird | common along the farm road, a couple along the bicycle path |
| *Mountain Trogan | 3 at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| *Golden-cheeked Woodpecker | 3 or 4 along the farm road |
| Gila Woodpecker | fairly common in the lowlands |
| Red-naped Sapsucker | one at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Williamson's Sapsucker | one at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Ladder-backed Woodpecker | one along the bicycle path |
| Lineated Woodpecker | one along the farm road |
| *White-striped Woodcreeper | one at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Northern Beardless Tyrannulet | one along the bicycle path |
| Tufted Flycatcher | several at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Greater Pewee | one along the La Pateca road |
| Hammond's Flycatcher | common at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Grey Flycatcher | one along the farm road |
| *Pine Flycatcher | at least 2 at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Pacific Slope Flycatcher | several along the farm road |
| Black Phoebe | one along the bicycle path |
| Vermilion Flycatcher | several, all female plumaged, in the lowlands |
| Dusky-capped Flycatcher | a couple along the farm road |
| Nutting's Flycatcher | several along the bicycle path |
| Brown-crested Flycatcher | a couple along the bicycle path |
| Great Kiskadee | several in the lowlands |
| Social Flycatcher | common in the lowlands |
| Tropical Kingbird | common in the lowlands |
| Thick-billed Kingbird | several along the farm road |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | very common in lowlands |
| Steller's Jay | 10+ in highlands along route 40 |
| *Black-throated Magpie-Jay | seen twice in the lowlands, a couple of birds along the road between the water park and the farm road, and about 8 seen the next day along the farm road |
| *Tufted Jay | about 8 of these spectacular jays seen in response to the tape at Barranca Rancho Libre, essentially the only species that responded to a tape of its call. This was about one quarter mile up the trail from hwy 40 |
| *Purplish-backed Jay | two groups of about 6, one each day on the farm road |
| *Sinaloa Crow | hundreds seen in the lowlands. Particularly common along hwy 15 between Mazatlan and the airport, near what appeared to be a prison. Even seen in town among the resort hotels |
| Northern Raven | a few at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Mexican Chickadee | 10+ at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Bridled Titmouse | one at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Brown Creeper | about 5 at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Canyon Wren | heard along the road to La Pateca |
| *Happy Wren | a group of about 4 along the paved road leading off the farm road adjacent to the power line crossing |
| *Sinaloa Wren | one seen and another heard along the farm road just past the paved road |
| House Wren (Northern House Wren) | several seen in the lowlands |
| House Wren (Brown-throated Wren) | several seen at Barranca Rancho Libre, and along the road to La Pateca |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | very common in the highlands, common in the lowlands |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | common in the lowlands |
| *Black-capped Gnatcatcher | at least 2 along the farm road and one on the bicycle path. Much harder at this time of year, as they lack the black cap and look very much like Blue-gray Gnatcatchers |
| *Brown-backed Solitaire | a couple at Barranca Rancho Libre, plus a couple more along hwy 40, and more heard |
| *Russet Nightingale-Thrush | one at a seep at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Hermit Thrush | one at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| White-throated Thrush (Robin) | about 8 at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| *Rufous-backed Thrush (Robin) | 10+ in the lowlands |
| American Robin | a few at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| *Blue Mockingbird | two at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Northern Mockingbird | a few in the lowlands |
| Loggerhead Shrike | a couple in the lowlands |
| Bell's Vireo | a couple on the bicycle path |
| Cassin's Vireo | seen on the farm road, bicycle path, and in the highlands |
| Plumbeous Vireo | a couple along the farm road |
| Warbling Vireo | several in the lowlands |
| Orange-crowned Warbler | very common in the lowlands, a few in the highlands |
| Nashville Warbler | common in the lowlands, a few in the highlands |
| Lucy's Warbler | a few along the farm road |
| *Crescent-chested Warbler | a couple at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Tropical Parula | one at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Yellow Warbler | a couple in the lowlands |
| Black-throated Grey Warbler | one at Barranca Rancho Libre, a couple on the bicycle path |
| Townsend's Warbler | fairly common at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Hermit Warbler | a couple at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Grace's Warbler | one at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Black-and-white Warbler | a couple at Barranca Rancho Libre, fairly common in the lowlands |
| Ovenbird | one along the farm road |
| MacGillivray's Warbler | common in the lowlands, a couple in the highlands |
| Wilson's Warbler | common everywhere |
| Red-faced Warbler | a couple at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| *Red Warbler | two at Barranca Rancho Libre along the trail down into the Barranca |
| Painted Redstart | two along the road to La Pateca |
| Slate-throated Redstart | several at Barranca Rancho Libre, one along the road to La Pateca |
| *Rufous-capped Warbler | one along the road to La Pateca |
| *Golden-browed Warbler | 3 at Barranca Rancho Libre, along the path down into the Barranca |
| Yellow-breasted Chat | a couple on the farm road, one on the bicycle path |
| Olive Warbler | two at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Hepatic Tanager | 15+ at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Summer Tanager | a couple along the farm road |
| *Red-headed Tanager | 20+ at Barranca Rancho Libre, both along the main road about a quarter mile up, and along the path down into the Barranca |
| Greyish Saltator | 2 on the bicycle path |
| *Yellow Grosbeak | one on the farm road |
| Black-headed Grosbeak | one on the bicycle path |
| *Rufous-capped Brushfinch | on along the path down into the Barranca at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Olive Sparrow | one along the farm road (endemic subspecies) |
| *Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow | one along the road to La Pateca |
| Spotted Towhee | 2 at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Lark Sparrow | several along the farm road |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | a couple along the road to La Pateca |
| Yellow-eyed Junco | common at Barranca Rancho Libre |
| Great-tailed Grackle | common in the lowlands |
| Streak-backed Oriole | several along the farm road, one on the bicycle path |
| *Yellow-winged Cacique | a couple of large 10+ groups seen on the farm road, a couple seen on the bicycle path |
| Lesser Goldfinch | one along the road to La Pateca |
David Powell
Half Moon Bay, CA
vireo@gene.com