24 August 1998

by Dick Palmer

This is a summary of a trip taken on August 22nd and 23rd, 1998 to the seaside town of Puerto Penasco at the northeast corner of the Gulf of Califonia in Sonora, Mexico.  There were three of us who went down this year, Brian McKnight, David Morrison and myself, Richard Palmer.

Major areas visited during the 2 day trip included Sonoyta, (just across from Lukeville, AZ) Cholla Bay, Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) and the various sites accessed from the main road towards Caborca.  See last years trip report (dated 26 September 97) for more detailed directions and additional information to the sites.  Copies are available upon request.

The large-billed form of the Savannah Sparrow had a good year this year.  They were very easy to find in the tidal basin at Cholla Bay.  Blue-footed Boobies and Brown Boobies were numerous and easy to find also indicating a good year for them.  Perhaps the most surprising birds were the numerous Sooty Shearwaters feeding very close to shore and easy to observe with a scope.  Many of them rested on the water close to shore at Cholla Bay on the south side of town.  The Sooty Shearwaters were flying by at the rate of about 10 per minute indicating a major passing of the species with 600 per hour estimated.  Also noted were good looks at Black-vented Shearwater and scope looks at Black Storm-Petrel.  Who says you have to go on a pelagic trip to see sea birds?

I had always thought of Black Tern as being primarily a fresh water species but the 4000 plus feeding along the salt water beaches and estuaries has definitely changed my mind on this species.

The rarest bird of the trip would have to be the Northern Waterthrush which allowed careful scope looks for an extended length of time at the Puerto Penasco sewage basins east of town.

Also nice to find, especially for me, was a single Bank Swallow migrating south at Cholla Bay.  This species had eluded me in Mexico for 25 years.  (Probably due to the timing of my trips to Mexico more than anything else.) I was pleased to add it as number 747 to my Mexican list.

Next month the species list will be quite different if one were to go again.  Missing were many migrants yet to arrive.  Several species of shorebirds, grebes, loons, gulls and ducks are yet to arrive.  I look forward to doing another trip sometime later in the year.
 

12,100 birds of 109 species noted in the 16 hours of birding the area.

Species List:
 
 

12,100 birds,   109 species

Dick Palmer
370 South Avenida de las Sabinas
Green Valley, Arizona  85614-4701  USA
PalmerRD@aol.com