1 - 5 March 1997
by Richard D. Palmer
Trip report for Gomez Farias, Tamaulipas, Ciudad de Mante, Tamaulipas and El Naranjo, San Luis Potosi. March 1 through March 5th, 1997. Submitted by Richard D. Palmer, 370 South Avenida De Las Sabinas, Green Valley, Arizona 85614-4701 Phone (520) 648-6735 Additional information available upon request.
This was a short trip taken by Richard A. Stevick, Mechanicsburg, PA, John H. Groff, Gordonville, PA and myself Richard D. Palmer of Green Valley, AZ.
It would not have gone as well as it did without the help, suggestions and comments from Marty Michener, Nick M. Jackson, Jeff R. Wilson, David O. Matson, Sam and Barbara House, Sergio E. Aviles, Nancy Flood and Bill Kossack. I thank them greatly for their help!
March 1st:
Drove from Laredo, Texas to Ciudad de Mante, 415 miles. Arrived at the customs point of entry at 6:00 AM. Took about 2 hours to register the car and pick up tourist permits. The first port of entry only examines the car contents. About a mile down the road is the building for obtaining car permits and tourist permits. Arrived in Cuidad de Mante around 5:00 PM. Stayed at the Hotel Mante on Business 85 near downtown. Cost around $40 USD per night for 3 persons. Birding was good around the hotel for a downtown place. They have a locked garage and a good restaurant. Pleasant place to stay.
March 2nd:
Arrived at daylight to bird Gomez Farias and vicinity. We parked the car and birded up the mountain road to Alta Cima until around noon. In the afternoon we birded the road from downtown El Encino to the Rio Sabinas. We also walked the river about 1 mile in each direction from the concrete ford. Todays birding took us from 450' elevation at El Encino to about 2300' elevation at Alta Cima. Never a lack of birds to look at, good birding. Stayed at the Hotel Mante.
March 3rd:
Daylight found us on the road to Nacemeinto. This is a wonderful birding spot along a channalized river on the west side of Mante. Spent most of the morning driving south along the canal until we reached the nacemeinto or birthplace of the river. Afternoon found us packing up and heading for El Naranjo. We checked into the Hotel del Valle in El Naranjo. (Cost about the same as the hotel in Mante.) Excellent place to stay, the people are very friendly. Parking in front of the hotel on the street. They have a small restaurant in the hotel. Best hotel in town, in fact I think the only one. In the afternoon we birded the road to El Salto, the Rio Del Salto and the falls area. Not the best time to bird the area but a few species were found. This area is worth the effort if only to see the falls.
March 4th:
Arrived at Santa Barbarita on Highway 80 west of El Naranjo around daylight to try for the Military Macaw which has been seen near here many times. No luck today. The residents say they are still around but not seen daily at this time of year. They apparently move in later in the month to coincide with a fruiting tree that they feed on. In the morning we birded the road from Agua Zarca on Highway 80 to Papagayos. A totally different open habitat than what we had seen before on the rest of the trip. There were many birds along this road and we were kept busy identifying them. The afternoon found us birding the road south of El Naranjo to El Estribo. Birding was not good for the most part due to the afternoon heat, lots of people, and quite a bit of farming. A good area was found near El Estribo on the Rio del Salto where a concrete bridge crosses the river. Walking along the river bank was easy in this area. Stayed in El Naranjo.
March 5th:
Daylight found us at the firetower along Highway 80 just west of El Platanito trying for the Military Macaw (no luck again). Many other birds were present however in this dry oak habitat. The highlight of the trip was the 5 foot, 3 inch around Diamonback Rattlesnake which a group of Green Jays found for us. I came to within 4 foot of stepping on the reptile so I will not soon forget it. There are many Chiggers around the firetower so take proper precautions. Around 9:00 AM we started the trip back to Laredo returning by the back door along Highway 57. About the same distance as the trip down. We crossed the border at Laredo around 7:00 PM.
If I had it to do over again I would allow one more day birding the Gomez Farias area. Gasoline prices have risen since last year so for your budget allow for a price of 2.97 pesos per liter of Magna Sin (unleaded) gas. This converts to about $1.43 USD per gallon of gas at 8.0 pesos per USD.
Birds seen:
| # and COMMON NAME | SCIENTIFIC NAME & Comments |
| 8-Thicket Tinamou | Crypturellus cinnamomeus (heard only) |
| 3-Least Grebe | Tachybaptus dominicus |
| 45-Pied-billed Grebe | Podilymbus podiceps |
| 4-Eared Grebe | Podiceps nigricollis |
| 20-Double-crested Cormorant | Phalacrocorax auritus |
| 65-Neotropical Cormorant | Phalacrocorax brasilianus |
| 1-Great blue Heron | Ardea herodias |
| 5-Great Egret | Ardea alba |
| 25-Snowy Egret | Egretta thula |
| 1-Little Blue Heron | Egretta caerulea |
| 250-Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis |
| 35-White-faced Ibis | Plegadis chihi |
| 1-Wood Stork | Mycteria americana |
| 6-Black-bellied Whistling-duck | Dendrocygna autumnalis |
| 8-Muscovy Duck | Cairina moschata |
| 18-Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos diazi |
| 10-Gadwall | Anas strepera |
| 10-American Wigeon | Anas americana |
| 1-Ring-necked Duck | Aythya collaris |
| 4-Lesser Scaup | Aythya affinis |
| 55-Ruddy Duck | Oxyura jamaicensis |
| 250-Black Vulture | Coragyps atratus |
| 500-Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura |
| 4-White-tailed Kite | Elanus caeruleus |
| 2-Northern Harrier | Circus cyaneus |
| 1-Sharp-shinned Hawk | Accipiter striatus |
| 1-Cooper's Hawk | Accipiter cooperii |
| 6-Harris' Hawk | Parabuteo unicinctus |
| 2-Gray Hawk | Buteo nitidus |
| 7-Roadside Hawk | Buteo magnirostris |
| 1-Swainson's Hawk | Buteo swainsoni |
| 2-White-tailed Hawk | Buteo albicaudatus |
| 19-Red-tailed Hawk | Buteo jamaicensis |
| 1-Ferruginous Hawk | Buteo regalis (seen near Monterrey, NL) |
| 12-Crested Caracara | Caracara plancus |
| 75-American Kestrel | Falco sparverius |
| 12-Plain Chachalaca | Ortalis vetula (heard only) |
| 6-Northern Bobwhite | Colinus virginianus |
| 1-Sora | Porzana carolina |
| 1-Purple Gallinule | Porphyrula martinica |
| 30-Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus |
| 150-American Coot | Fulica americana |
| 25-Sandhill Crane | Grus canadensis (seen near Sabinas Hildalgo, NL) |
| 1-Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus |
| 4-Northern Jacana | Jacana spinosa |
| 8-Spotted Sandpiper | Actitis macularia |
| 80-Rock Dove | Columba livia |
| 17-Red-billed Pigeon | Columba flavirostris |
| 15-White-winged Dove | Zenaida asiatica |
| 20-Mourning Dove | Zenaida macroura |
| 100-Inca Dove | Columbina inca |
| 20-Common Ground-Dove | Columbina passerina |
| 6-Ruddy Gound-Dove | Columbina talpacoti |
| 4-White-tipped Dove | Leptotila verreauxi |
| 20-Red-crowned Parrot | Amazona viridigenalis |
| 25-Yellow-headed Parrot | Amazona oratrix |
| 4-Squirrel Cuckoo | Piaya cayana |
| 1-Greater Roadrunner | Geococcyx californianus |
| 16-Groove-billed Ani | Crotophaga sulcirostris |
| 4-Great Horned Owl | Bubo virginianus |
| 1-Pauraque | Nyctidromus albicollis |
| 100-Vaux's Swift | Chaetura vauxi |
| 1-Wedge-tailed Sabrewing | Campylopterus curvipennis |
| 2-Broad-billed Hummingbird | Cynanthus latirostris |
| 8-Mountain Trogon | Trogon mexicanus |
| 2-Elegant Trogon | Trogon elegans |
| 1-Blue-crowned Motmot | Momotus momota |
| 4-Belted Kingfisher | Ceryle alcyon |
| 2-Amazon Kingfisher | Chloroceryle amazona |
| 2-Green Kingfisher | Chloroceryle americana |
| 1-Acorn Woodpecker | Melanerpes formicivorus |
| 35-Golden-fronted Woodpecker | Melanerpes aurifrons |
| 6-Ladder-backed Woodpecker | Picoides scalaris |
| 2-Golden-olive Woodpecker | Piculus rubiginosus aeruginosus |
| 4-Ivory-billed Woodcreeper | Xiphorhynchus flavigaster |
| 1-Greater Pewee | Contopus pertinax |
| 1-Black Phoebe | Sayornis nigricans |
| 1-Eastern Phoebe | Sayornis phoebe |
| 1-Say's Phoebe | Sayornis saya |
| 12-Vermilion Flycatcher | Pyrocephalus rubinus |
| 8-Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Myiarchus tuberculifer |
| 1-Brown-crested Flycatcher | Myiarchus tyrannulus |
| 4-Great Kiskadee | Pitangus sulphuratus |
| 25-Boat-billed Flycatcher | Megarynchus pitangua |
| 100-Social Flycatcher | Myiozetetes similis |
| 4-Tropical Kingbird | Tyrannus melancholicus |
| 12-Cassin's Kingbird | Tyrannus vociferans |
| 3-Gray-collared Becard | Pachyramphus major |
| 1-Rose-throated Becard | Pachyramphus aglaiae |
| 150-N. Rough-winged Swallow | Stelgidopteryx serripennis |
| 20-Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica |
| 20-Green Jay | Cyanocorax yncas |
| 25-Brown Jay | Cyanocorax morio |
| 75-Mexican Crow (Tamaulipas) | Corvus imparatus |
| 250-Chihuahuan Raven | Corvus cryptoleucus |
| 12-Common Raven | Corvus corax |
| 2-Tufted Titmouse | Parus bicolor atricristatus (Black-crested form) |
| 2-Verdin | Auriparus flaviceps |
| 1-White-breasted Nuthatch | Sitta carolinensis |
| 6-Spotted Wren | Campylorhynchus gularis |
| 2-Cactus Wren | Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus |
| 1-Rock Wren | Salpinctes obsoletus |
| 10-Spot-breasted Wren | Thryothorus maculipectus |
| 1-Bewick's Wren | Thryomanes bewickii |
| 4-House Wren | Troglodytes aedon |
| 1-Gray-breasted Wood-Wren | Henicorhina leucophrys |
| 2-Ruby-crowned Kinglet | Regulus calendula |
| 8-Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | Polioptila caerulea |
| 2-Black-tailed Gnatcatcher | Polioptila melanura |
| 12-Eastern Bluebird | Sialia sialis |
| 2-Western Bluebird | Sialia mexicana |
| 3-Brown-backed Solitaire | Myadestes occidentalis |
| 35-Clay-colored Robin | Turdus grayi |
| 9-Northern Mockingbird | Mimus polyglottos |
| 2-Long-billed Thrasher | Toxostoma longirostre |
| 600-Cedar Waxwing | Bombycilla cedrorum |
| 4-Gray Silky-Flycatcher | Ptilogonys cinereus |
| 10-Loggerhead Shrike | Lanius ludovicianus |
| 6-White-eyed Vireo | Vireo griseus |
| 6-Solitary Vireo | Vireo solitarius solitarius |
| 1-Yellow-green Vireo | Vireo flavoviridis |
| 3-Rufous-browed Peppershrike | Cyclarhis gujanensis |
| 3-Orange-crowned Warbler | Vermivora celata |
| 6-Nashville Warbler | Vermivora ruficapilla |
| 10-Tropical Parula | Parula pitiayumi |
| 12-Yellow-rumped Warbler | Dendroica coronata |
| 16-Black-throated Green Warbler | Dendroica virens |
| 4-Black-and-white Warbler | Mniotilta varia |
| 2-Northern Waterthrush | Seiurus noveboracensis |
| 2-Common Yellowthroat | Geothlypis trichas |
| 1-Altamira Yellowthroat | Geothlypis flavovelata |
| 2-Hooded Yellowthroat | Geothlypis nelsoni |
| 1-Gray-crowned Yellowthroat | Geothlypis poliocephala |
| 35-Wilson's Warbler | Wilsonia pusilla |
| 25-Golden-crowned Warbler | Basileuterus culicivorus |
| 6-Rufous-capped Warbler | Basileuterus rufifrons |
| 10-Blue-gray Tanager | Thraupis episcopus |
| 8-Yellow-winged Tanager | Thraupis avvas |
| 2-Scrub Euphonia | Euphonia affinis |
| 2-Yellow-throated Euphonia | Euphonia hirundinacea |
| 2-Blue-hooded Euphonia | Euphonia elegantissima |
| 1-Summer Tanager | Piranga rubra |
| 6-Black-headed Saltator | Saltator atriceps |
| 1-Crimson-collared Grosbeak | Rhodothraupis celaeno |
| 2-Northern Cardinal | Cardinalis cardinalis |
| 5-Black-headed Grosbeak | Pheucticus melanocephalus |
| 6-Blue Bunting | Cyanocompsa parellina |
| 25-Indigo Bunting | Passerina cyanea |
| 2-Rufous-capped Brush-Finch | Atlapetes pileatus |
| 6-Olive Sparrow | Arremonops rufivirgatus |
| 1-Blue-black Grassquit | Volatinia jacarina |
| 6-White-collared Seedeater | Sporophila torqueola |
| 2-Yellow-faced Grassquit | Tiaris olivacea |
| 6-Chipping Sparrow | Spizella passerina |
| 1-Vesper Sparrow | Pooecetes gramineus |
| 10-Lark Sparrow | Chondestes grammacus |
| 40-Lark Bunting | Calamospiza melanocorys (seen near Monterrey) |
| 12-Savannah Sparrow | Passerculus sandwichensis |
| 12-Lincoln's Sparrow | Melospiza lincolnii |
| 1-Red-winged Blackbird | Agelaius phoeniceus |
| 6-Eastern Meadowlark | Sturnella magna |
| 2-Western Meadowlark | Sturnella neglecta |
| 150-Melodious Blackbird | Dives dives |
| 25-Brewer's Blackbird | Euphagus cyanocephalus |
| 1000-Great-tailed Grackle | Quiscalus mexicanus |
| 15-Bronzed Cowbird | Molothrus aeneus |
| 2-Brown-headed Cowbird | Molothrus ater |
| 1-Orchard Oriole | Icterus spurius |
| 15-Hooded Oriole | Icterus cucullatus |
| 4-Altamira Oriole | Icterus gularis |
| 6-Audubon's Oriole | Icterus graduacauda |
| 5-Baltimore Oriole | Icterus galbula |
| 10-Lesser Goldfinch | Carduelis psaltria |
| 50-House Sparrow | Passer domesticus |
Richard D. Palmer
PalmerRD@aol.com
Green Valley, AZ