Mexico

Days 1-2
FLY TO OAXACA
Our birdwatching tour to the Mexican State of Oaxaca begins with an overnight direct flight from London to Mexico City, followed by an internal flight to Oaxaca City. Here, we will meet our Limosa guide and subject to flight times, there should be time for some afternoon local birding with the chance to look for our first endemics which could include species such as West Mexican Chachalaca, Rufous-backed Robin, Dwarf Vireo and Blue Mockingbird before we head to our comfortable hotel for a three night stay. Night Oaxaca City

Days 3-4
BIRDING SITES AROUND OAXACA CITY – PRESA PIEDRA AZUL, BENITO JUAREZ, YAGUL, LA CUMBRE IXTEPEJI AND HACIENDA ARANJUEZ
We have two full days to explore the wide variety of habitats which can found within a relatively short distance of Oaxaca City which include pine-oak forests, cloud forest, riparian/water-edge habitats and semi-arid areas. Throughout the tour, our main emphasis will be on seeing as many as possible of the 70+ Mexican endemics which can be found in Oaxaca State and we may well start our exploration with a visit to Presa Piedra Azul (Blue Rock Dam) where White-throated Towhee, Boucard’s Wren, Grey-breasted Woodpecker, Bridled Sparrow, Oaxaca Sparrow, Slaty Vireo and Dusky Hummingbird could be amongst the first endemics.

Continuing on to the village of Benito Juárez for lunch, we will begin the afternoon by birding some nearby pine-oak forests, which are home to one of the country’s most stunning endemics, the gorgeous Red Warbler.  Other endemics we hope to find here are Dwarf Jay, Collared Towhee, Rufous Nightingale-Thrush and Rufous-capped Brushfinch along with two impressive hummingbirds – White-eared Hummingbird and the equally appropriately named Garnet-throated Hummingbird.

The day may conclude with time at the Yagul Archaelogical Site which is one of only four ‘Natural Monuments’ in Mexico.  The area is one of the most important archeological locations near to Oaxaca City, however, it is surrounded by xerophytic scrub which is interspersed with cacti and small trees and is home to a variety of species which are restricted to this habitat.  Amongst those we hope to see are Grey-breasted Woodpecker, Boucard’s Wren and Beautiful Hummingbird (all endemic) along with Rufous-capped Warbler which has a somewhat larger, but still restricted, distribution.

On our second full day birding out of Oaxaca City, we intend to head northwest to La Cumbre Ixtepeji which is located in the Sierra Norte. Here, there are areas of pine-oak forest and cloud forest and we hope to find Bumblebee Hummingbird, Mountain Trogon and Aztec Thrush. Early mornings in the cloud forest can be surprisingly cool with mist swirling around the trees but this area remains an important location to visit with localised endemics such as Dwarf Vireo and Grey-barred Wren, as well as somewhat more widespread specialities such as Mexican Violetear, Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem and Coppery-tailed Trogon.

We plan to conclude the day with a visit to Hacienda Aranjuez where the semi-arid landscapes and cultivated fields provide the opportunity to look for various open country birds such as Rufous-backed Robin, Oaxaca Sparrow and White-collared Seedeater. Two further nights Oaxaca City

Day 5
CABANAS PUESTA DEL SOL
After breakfast, we will head south for approximately 3.5 hours to Cabañas Puesta del Sol. This lodge is located at approximately 2,500 metres in the Sierra Sur with comfortable cabins surrounded by forest and with views down to the Pacific Ocean.

It is a perfect base to look for more specialities and we hope to arrive in the early afternoon which will provide the opportunity to spend the latter part of the day exploring the gardens and nearby birding sites where the possibilities include Northern Pygmy-Owl, Bumblebee Hummingbird and Mexican Chickadee.  Night Cabañas Puesta del Sol

Day 6
SAN JOSÉ DEL PACÍFICO, PLUMA DE ORO AND FINCA DON GABRIEL
We plan to begin the day with further exploration around the lodge’s grounds and may also visit nearby El Manzanal which is an area of pine-oak forest. Both locations provide excellent birding opportunities and this will be another chance to look for the appropriately named Red Warbler. This striking bird which is gleaming red with a grey auricular patch has a disjunct distribution in the mountains of Mexico, with three separate and isolated populations. It only breeds in pine-oak forests between 2,900-3,500m, however, birds move to lower elevations during the winter months and it is during this period that we expect to see it at Cabañas Puesta del Sol.

Other endemics we hope to see in the morning include Grey-barred Wren, Golden Vireo and White-throated Towhee, before we make the roughly two-hour transfer to Finca Don Gabriel. We intend to stop for lunch at another excellent birding site where potential endemics include species such as West Mexican Chachalaca, Red-headed Tanager and Happy Wren, before continuing on to Finca Don Gabriel for the night.

After checking in, there should be time to visit nearby Pluma de Oro. Amongst the possibilities here are five hummingbirds which are endemic to Mexico – Mexican Hermit, Golden-crowned Emerald, Bumblebee Hummingbird, Blue-capped Hummingbird and Green-fronted Hummingbird – some of which have very small ranges.

With the poorly known Long-tailed Wood-Partridge amongst the other birds to look for, along with Middle American Screech-Owl, Mexican Whip-poor-will and Russet-crowned Motmot, it should be another very productive afternoon. Night Finca Don Gabriel

Day 7
PLUMA DE ORO AND JUCHITAN DE ZARAGOZA
Once again, we will head out early and are likely to make a return visit to explore further at Pluma de Oro. This highland site which is dominated by pine-oak forests offers excellent birding and as well as the species listed above, other possibilities include Grey-crowned Woodpecker, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Blue Mockingbird, Happy Wren, Golden Vireo, Golden-crowned Warbler, Red-headed Tanager and Rufous-capped Brushfinch.

We will then continue our journey to the lowlands and are likely to spend the rest of the day birding at Laguna Superior and Santa Maria Xadani. The lagoon is on the coast and surrounded by mangrove forests so is very different to any of the habitats we have already explored so far and, as a result, has a completely different suite of birds. Here, our main focus will be waterbirds and the possibilities include Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Roseate Spoonbill, American White Pelican and Northern Jacana, with a selection of waders also possible.

We plan to conclude the day at Santa Maria Xadani which is an area of tropical deciduous forest and mangrove. Birds such as Citreoline Trogon, White-throated Magpie-Jay and Altamira Oriole are possible in the forest areas, whilst the mangroves are home to Mangrove (Yellow) Warbler and the mudflats support a diverse variety of shorebirds with Snowy Plover, Greater Yellowlegs and Least Sandpiper all possible, along with White Ibis, Tricoloured Heron and Reddish Egret. Night Ixtepec

Day 8
TOLISTOQUE OJO DE AGUA, CANAL TANGOLUNDA AND HUATULCO
It will take about an hour to reach our first birding destination of the day, Tolistoque Ojo de Agua, which is a mix of a riparian and semi-arid environments located about 10 miles or so from the coast. This area hosts a number of interesting species and those we hope to find include Cinnamon-tailed Sparrow, Colima Pygmy-Owl and Rose-bellied Bunting, as well as Orange-fronted Parakeet, White-lored Gnatcatcher, Blue Grosbeak and Yellow-throated Warbler.

Our next stop is likely to be at Canal Tangolunda, where the surrounding tropical dry forests support Cinnamon Hummingbird, Golden-cheeked Woodpecker, Rufous-naped Wren, White-fronted Parakeet and a good selection of other species which are typical of lowland tropical habitats.  Night Huatulco

Day 9
PELAGIC TRIP AND HUATULCO NATIONAL PARK
After an early morning breakfast, we will make the short transfer to the wharf in Huatulco for a five-hour pelagic. The continental shelf edge is relatively close to the shore and less than seven miles off the coast, the water is already over 1,000m deep, thereby providing the opportunity to look for a mixture of coastal and deep water seabirds.

As we head out to sea, we are likely to find both Nazca and Cocos Boobies, the latter being a recent split from the widespread Brown Booby. Both Wedge-tailed and Galapagos Shearwaters should also be possible and as we reach deeper water, we hope to find more pelagic species with Tahiti Petrel and Red-necked Phalarope amongst the possibilities. Indeed, given the results of recent tracking programmes, it is possible that any phalaropes we see could conceivably be birds from Europe, as it has now been shown that the birds from the Shetland population spend part of the winter off the western coast of South America undertaking a totally unexpected migration !!

After lunch back ashore, we plan to begin our exploration of the Huatulco National Park which is one of the most biodiverse regions on Mexico’s Pacific coast combining a rich mixture of tropical dry forests and mangroves. Well over 200 species have been recorded at this reserve including a good variety of endemics and near endemics and those we hope to see include Turquoise-crowned Hummingbird, Flammulated Flycatcher, Russet-crowned Motmot, Rufous-backed Robin and Mexican Squirrel-Cuckoo. Second night Huatulco

Day 10
HUATULCO NATIONAL PARK AND RETURN TO OAXACA CITY
We have a final morning of birding in Huatulco National Park and plan to concentrate on looking for any species we have not yet found or would like better views of. White-throated Magpie-Jay, Citreoline Trogon, Rufous-backed Thrush, Red-breasted Chat, Banded Wren and Russet-crowned Motmot are all known from the areas we plan to visit so it should be a very productive final morning in the lowlands before we return to our hotel to check out and then drive back to Oaxaca City, a journey which is likely to take about 4.5 hours. Night Oaxaca City

Day 11
MONTE ALBAN. DEPART FOR UK VIA MEXICO CITY
For our final morning in Mexico, we plan to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Monte Alban where trails through the dry forests and shrublands provide a last chance to look for more Mexican and Oaxaca specialities with Ocellated Thrasher, Blue Mockingbird, Pileated Flycatcher, Slaty Vireo and Elegant Euphonia amongst the species we will hope to see. We will then return to the hotel to pack and freshen up before heading to Oaxaca airport for flights back to the UK via Mexico City.

Day 12
ARRIVE UK
We should arrive back in the UK by the early afternoon, where our birding tour to Oaxaca concludes.

WHAT TO EXPECT
Our tour to the Mexican state of Oaxaca will introduce you to this fantastic region which is rich in endemic birds and regional specialities.

Mexico is home to over 120 species which are found nowhere else and of these, over seventy can be found in the state of Oaxaca, with some being either endemic or near endemic to the state.  There are also a host of Central American specialities and over the course of the holiday we hope to see a good range of these.

By visiting in the late winter, we will also have the opportunity to look for migrants from North America and can, for example, expect to find a good selection of North American warblers and waders.

The photographic opportunities on this tour are generally good to excellent.

Overall, this is not a particularly strenuous tour with a couple of occasions when we spend two or more nights in the same accommodation, however, there are some moderate drives of three or more hours although on most occasions, the distance between our accommodation is less than this.

You should be prepared for moderately early starts as the daylight hours are relatively short and bird activity is generally at its peak early and late but often dies away during the middle of the day. In early February, sunrise in Huatulco, for example, is around 07:00am with sunset at approximately 6:20pm.

We will spend most of the time walking on level ground, birding from paved or unpaved roads or tracks, and on some forest trails with occasional steep sections, but these are quite short.

Daytime temperatures will vary markedly during the holiday and mornings in the cloud forest are likely to be cool to chilly, whereas in Oaxaca City, for example, temperatures are likely to be ranging between 12-29C.

Conditions are likely to generally be sunny and pleasant with this period being the ‘dry season’ although rain remains possible.

BIRDS
250-280 species

ACCOMMODATION
11 nights’ accommodation in Oaxaca staying at range of good quality hotels and lodges. All rooms have private facilities.

MEALS
All main meals are included in the tour price (and with drinking water provided during the day), commencing with lunch in Oaxaca City on Day 2 and concluding with breakfast on Day 11.

Lunches will either be picnics or taken at a convenient restaurant along the way, according to local availability and whichever arrangement best suits our daily plan.

WALKING
We will generally be birding along paved or unpaved roads or tracks, the majority of which are flat.

GROUND TRANSPORT
By minibus or other suitable vehicle depending on the group size.