8 - 15 March 1998
by Robin Carter
To celebrate our thirtieth wedding anniversary my wife Caroline Eastman and I spent a week at the Costa Azul Adventure Resort (www.costaazul.com) in San Francisco (San Pancho), Nayarit, Mexico from 8 to 15 March, 1998. This resort is on the Pacific, about 50 km northwest of Puerto Vallarta, about 2 km from the village in an area of fancy beach homes, surrounded by Sinaloa thorn scrub, Colima palm forest, and farm lands, as well as the Pacific Ocean, with both sandy and rocky shoreline, and a small freshwater estero at the mouth of a small river at the village. We did not rent a car, but took a taxi to and from the resort, and went on several day trips organized by the resort. The weather was the same each day -- cool at night; clear and hot during the day, with temperatures ranging between 18 degrees C. (65 degrees F.) and 35 degrees C. (95 degrees F.) All of our visit was at or near sea level.
Sunday, 8 March 1998.
This day was characterized by a hectic international flight from Atlanta to Mexico City, and a very stressful change of planes in Mexico City. We arrived at Puerto Vallarta late in the afternoon, went through customs (for the second time, since we had also done so in Mexico City), and got a cab from the airport to the resort, very late in the day. In fact we arrived after sunset. From the cab we noticed the following birds --
(state of Jalisco)
Snowy Egret
2
Cattle Egret
25
Great-tailed Grackle
250
House Sparrow
4
Monday, 9 March 1998.
Today we explored the resort area on foot. Early in the morning we walked along the beach to the freshwater estuary at the village, and then returned from the village via the unpaved road to the resort, which goes through excellent thorn scrub. After lunch we hiked up the mountain inland from the resort on a 3 km trail through a palm forest (very rough). At dusk we returned to the estuary along the beach, and then back via the road through the thorn scrub. Here is our day list (state of Nayarit):
Blue-footed Booby
10
Brown Booby
100
Brown Pelican
200
Neotropic Cormorant
200
Magnificent Frigatebird
30
Great Blue Heron
2
Great Egret
20
Snowy Egret
50
Tricolored Heron
4
Green Heron
3
Black-crowned Night-Heron
2
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
12
White Ibis
50
White-faced Ibis
2
Black Vulture
50
Turkey Vulture
100
Blue-winged Teal
10
Osprey
1
Cooper's Hawk
1
Gray Hawk
2
American Kestrel
3
American Coot
25
Wilson's Plover
2
Killdeer
6
Northern Jacana
4
Willet
5
Spotted Sandpiper
3
Whimbrel
1
Heermann's Gull
500
Herring Gull
1
Royal Tern
8
Elegant Tern
3
Red-billed Pigeon
2
Inca Dove
8
Ruddy Ground-Dove
5
Orange-fronted Parakeet
20
Military Macaw
2 (in a garden; tame?)
Groove-billed Ani
10
Belted Kingfisher
2
Green Kingfisher
2
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker
8
Ivory-billed Woodcreeper
1
Vermilion Flycatcher
2
Nutting's Flycatcher
2 (I.D. by call)
Great Kiskadee
6
Social Flycatcher
4
Tropical Kingbird
6
Thick-billed Kingbird
3
Masked Tityra
4
Plumbeous Vireo
1
Golden Vireo
4
Warbling Vireo
2
Mangrove Swallow
4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
30
Barn Swallow
3
Sinaloa Wren
8
Happy Wren
3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
12
Black-capped Gnatcatcher
1
Northern Mockingbird
3
Yellow Warbler
2
MacGillivray's Warbler
3
Wilson's Warbler
10
Yellow-breasted Chat
1
White-collared Seedeater
1
Stripe-headed Sparrow
4
Yellow Grosbeak
3
Blue Grosbeak
4
Indigo Bunting
2
Painted Bunting
1
Great-tailed Grackle
25
Bronzed Cowbird
2
Hooded Oriole
3
Yellow-winged Cacique
8
Tuesday, 10 March 1998
Today we continued our exploration on foot of the area around the resort. In the morning we walked a road through the thorn scrub out to some farm lands about 4 km from the resort. In the afternoon we walked a shady road through some nice Colima palm forest, even though it was quite hot and there was not much bird activity.
Here is our day list (state of Nayarit):
Blue-footed Booby
5
Brown Booby
15
Brown Pelican
50
Neotropic Cormorant
50
Magnificent Frigatebird
20
Snowy Egret
3
Cattle Egret
8
Black Vulture
30
Turkey Vulture
50
Gray Hawk
2
Roadside Hawk
1
Zone-tailed Hawk
2
Collared Forest-Falcon
1
Willet
3
Laughing Gull
5
Heermann's Gull
1000
Caspian Tern
1
Royal Tern
10
Elegant Tern
2
Red-billed Pigeon
4
Inca Dove
10
Ruddy Ground-Dove
5
White-tipped Dove
3
Ruddy Quail-Dove
1
Orange-fronted Parakeet
30
Yellow-headed Parrot
1
Groove-billed Ani
8
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
5 (one seen well)
Elegant Trogon
4
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker
10
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
2
Gray Flycatcher
1
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
1 (I.D. by call)
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
3
Nutting's Flycatcher
1
Brown-crested Flycatcher
1
Great Kiskadee
4
Social Flycatcher
4
Tropical Kingbird
10
Thick-billed Kingbird
1
Gray-collared Becard
1
Masked Tityra
5
Bell's Vireo
2
Golden Vireo
2
Warbling Vireo
1
Black-throated Magpie-Jay
12 (one flock)
Mangrove Swallow
1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
10
Sinaloa Wren
5
Happy Wren
4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
15
Northern Mockingbird
1
Orange-crowned Warbler
1
Virginia's Warbler
2
Yellow Warbler
1
Black-throated Gray Warbler
3
Black-and-white Warbler
1
MacGillivray's Warbler
2
Wilson's Warbler
12
Yellow-breasted Chat
1
Red-crowned Ant-Tanager
1
Summer Tanager
1
White-collared Seedeater
10
Olive Sparrow
5
Stripe-headed Sparrow
10
Grayish Saltator
2
Blue Grosbeak
6
Indigo Bunting
3
Orange-breasted Bunting
1 (female plumaged)
Painted Bunting
1
Hooded Oriole
1
Yellow-winged Cacique
12
Wednesday, 11 March 1998.
Today we hiked along the road into the palm forest northwest of the resort, and we went on one of the "adventure trips", a boat trip to the Islas Marietas, rocky islands a few kilometers from shore, combined with a shore picnic at Punta Mita before returning to our "port", the village of Sayulita, which is 4 km south of San Pancho. The islands were quite interesting, since they were covered with nesting boobies and gulls. We also got in a little bit of snorkeling.
Here is our day list (state of Nayarit):
Blue-footed Booby
50
Brown Booby
250
Brown Pelican
200
Neotropic Cormorant
150
Magnificent Frigatebird
100
Great Blue Heron
2
Great Egret
20
Snowy Egret
10
Little Blue Heron
2
Tricolored Heron
4
Cattle Egret
20
White-faced Ibis
1
Black Vulture
100
Turkey Vulture
50
Osprey
1
Common Black-Hawk
2
Red-tailed Hawk
1
Sanderling
1
Red Phalarope
12
Laughing Gull
100
Heermann's Gull
2000
Royal Tern
4
Elegant Tern
2
Red-billed Pigeon
4
Inca Dove
10
Ruddy Quail-Dove
1
Orange-fronted Parakeet
50
Squirrel Cuckoo
1
Groove-billed Ani
5
Elegant Trogon
3
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker
5
Pale-billed Woodpecker
1
Ivory-billed Woodcreeper
1
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
4
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
5
Nutting's Flycatcher
1
Masked Tityra
2
Golden Vireo
2
San Blas Jay
2
Common Raven
1 (Punta Mita)
Sinaloa Wren
4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
12
Black-throated Gray Warbler
1
Wilson's Warbler
3
Lark Sparrow
2 (Punta Mita)
Blue Bunting
1
Great-tailed Grackle
25
House Sparrow
10
Thursday, 12 March 1998.
Today we went with a group from the hotel by bus to the Tovara Springs boat ride near San Blas. After a stop at the crocodile farm and lunch at the restaurant at the spring, we returned by small boat to our bus, where we continued into San Blas for a little sightseeing at the fort overlooking the city and near the plaza. The bus ride from the resort took about 3 hours each way.
Here is our day list (state of Nayarit):
Least Grebe
1
Blue-footed Booby
5
Brown Booby
20
Brown Pelican
100
Neotropic Cormorant
500
Anhinga
4
Magnificent Frigatebird
150
Great Blue Heron
3
Great Egret
50
Snowy Egret
20
Little Blue Heron
3
Tricolored Heron
5
Cattle Egret
100
Green Heron
5
White Ibis
50
Wood Stork
1
Black Vulture
200
Turkey Vulture
200
Blue-winged Teal
20
Northern Shoveler
2
Gray Hawk
4
Great Black-Hawk
1
Red-tailed Hawk
1
American Kestrel
15
American Coot
25
Black-necked Stilt
12
Greater Yellowlegs
1
Willet
1
Whimbrel
2
Stilt Sandpiper
1
Long-billed Dowitcher
10
Laughing Gull
20
Heermann's Gull
100
Rock Dove
50
Mourning Dove
3
Inca Dove
15
Ruddy Ground-Dove
20
Orange-fronted Parakeet
15
Groove-billed Ani
10
Ringed Kingfisher
1
Belted Kingfisher
6
Green Kingfisher
4
Vermilion Flycatcher
2
Great Kiskadee
10
Social Flycatcher
4
Tropical Kingbird
30
Thick-billed Kingbird
2
Loggerhead Shrike
2
Black-throated Magpie-Jay
1
Sinaloa Crow
250
Mangrove Swallow
1
Barn Swallow
4
Sinaloa Wren
5
Common Yellowthroat
3
Great-tailed Grackle
500
Yellow-winged Cacique
5
House Sparrow
25
Friday, 13 March 1998.
Today we again explored near the hotel. At dawn we walked northwest along the road into a beautiful palm forest. In the afternoon and at dusk we explored the thorn forest along the road to the village.
Here is our day list for Friday (state of Nayarit):
Blue-footed Booby
20
Brown Booby
35
Brown Pelican
100
Magnificent Frigatebird
50
Cattle Egret
20
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
1
Black Vulture
100
Turkey Vulture
100
Collared Forest-Falcon
2
American Kestrel
1
Bat Falcon
1
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
30
Heermann's Gull
100
Red-billed Pigeon
6
Inca Dove
10
Ruddy Ground-Dove
10
Orange-fronted Parakeet
35
Mexican Parrotlet
50
Squirrel Cuckoo
1
Groove-billed Ani
20
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
1
Broad-billed Hummingbird
1
Cinnamon Hummingbird
1
Citreoline Trogon
1
Elegant Trogon
6
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker
5
Lineated Woodpecker
1
Pale-billed Woodpecker
1
Ivory-billed Woodcreeper
1
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
6
Greenish Elaenia
1
Willow Flycatcher
1 (I.D. by call note)
Bright-rumped Attila
1
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
5
Nutting's Flycatcher
1
Flammulated Flycatcher
2
Great Kiskadee
10
Boat-billed Flycatcher
2
Social Flycatcher
3
Tropical Kingbird
8
Cassin's Kingbird
1
Masked Tityra
6
Golden Vireo
3
Warbling Vireo
1
Mangrove Swallow
1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
2
Sinaloa Wren
2
Happy Wren
6
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
15
Rufous-backed Robin
2
Nashville Warbler
1
Northern Parula
1
Tropical Parula
1
Black-throated Gray Warbler
2
MacGillivray's Warbler
1
Common Yellowthroat
1
Wilson's Warbler
4
Summer Tanager
1
Western Tanager
2
Olive Sparrow
1
Stripe-headed Sparrow
3
Grayish Saltator
2
Indigo Bunting
2
Streak-backed Oriole
1
Saturday, 14 March 1998.
Today we explored the thorn forest near the resort in the morning. Late in the day we boarded a van to Puerto Vallarta, where we had a sunset sail on the Bay of Banderas before returning to our hotel.
Here is our list of land birds (near the hotel and along the road to Puerto Vallarta, state of Nayarit):
Blue-footed Booby
25
Brown Booby
10
Brown Pelican
35
Neotropic Cormorant
5
Magnificent Frigatebird
30
Great Egret
3
Cattle Egret
15
Black Vulture
50
Turkey Vulture
50
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
100 (along MX 200)
American Kestrel
2
Laughing Gull
5
Heermann's Gull
100
Elegant Tern
3
Rock Dove
25
Inca Dove
5
Ruddy Ground-Dove
2
White-tipped Dove
1
Orange-fronted Parakeet
30
Mexican Parrotlet
20
Groove-billed Ani
4
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
1
Cinnamon Hummingbird
1
Citreoline Trogon
2
Elegant Trogon
1
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker
4
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
2
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
1
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
3
Nutting's Flycatcher
1 (I.D. by voice)
Flammulated Flycatcher
2
Great Kiskadee
10
Social Flycatcher
5
Tropical Kingbird
10
Thick-billed Kingbird
2
Rose-throated Becard
1
Masked Tityra
4
Bell's Vireo
2
Plumbeous Vireo
1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
3
Happy Wren
3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
10
Northern Mockingbird
1
Orange-crowned Warbler
1
Yellow Warbler
1
Black-throated Gray Warbler
3
Black-and-white Warbler
1
Gray-crowned Yellowthroat
1
Wilson's Warbler
6
Yellow-breasted Chat
2
Stripe-headed Sparrow
12
Blue Grosbeak
2
Painted Bunting
1
Great-tailed Grackle
30
Streak-backed Oriole
1
Yellow-winged Cacique
5
Here is our list from the city of Puerto Vallarta and the sailing trip on the Bay of Banderas (state of Jalisco):
Blue-footed Booby
25
Brown Booby
100
Brown Pelican
50
Magnificent Frigatebird
50
White Ibis
1
Black Vulture
20
Turkey Vulture
30
Sanderling
1
Laughing Gull
200
Heermann's Gull
500
Black Tern
12
Mangrove Swallow
1
Barn Swallow
5
Great-tailed Grackle
20
Sunday, 15 March 1998.
This was our last day at the resort. We had time for one last dawn walk in the thorn forest, and then took a taxi to the Puerto Vallarta airport for the flight home.
Here is our list for the walk near the resort and the road to the airport (state of Nayarit only):
Blue-footed Booby
6
Brown Pelican
10
Anhinga
1
Magnificent Frigatebird
5
Great Blue Heron
1
Great Egret
2
Black Vulture
25
Turkey Vulture
15
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
100
Laughing Falcon
1
American Kestrel
1
Willet
1
Heermann's Gull
50
Elegant Tern
4
Rock Dove
10
Inca Dove
5
Ruddy Ground-Dove
2
White-tipped Dove
1
Citreoline Trogon
2
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker
5
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
1
Willow Flycatcher
1 (I.D. by call)
Bright-rumped Attila
1
Ash-throated Flycatcher
2 (I.D. by call)
Great Kiskadee
6
Tropical Kingbird
12
Masked Tityra
2
Bell's Vireo
1
Sinaloa Wren
4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
15
Rufous-backed Robin
2
Orange-crowned Warbler
3
Black-throated Gray Warbler
3
Wilson's Warbler
8
White-collared Seedeater
1 (Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater)
Stripe-headed Sparrow
12
Blue Grosbeak
3
Indigo Bunting
4
Painted Bunting
1
Great-tailed Grackle
20
Streak-backed Oriole
1
Yellow-winged Cacique
10
As we waited for our flight we found these last birds at the Puerto Vallarta airport (state of Jalisco):
Magnificent Frigatebird
1
Great Egret
1
Tricolored Heron
1
Black Vulture
10
Turkey Vulture
10
Great Kiskadee
1
Tropical Kingbird
5
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
5
Great-tailed Grackle
10
---- end of report ----
Robin Carter
4165 East Buchanan Drive
Columbia, SC 29206
rcarter@sc.rr.com