Roadside hawk, Buteo magnirostris griseocauda
I was able to take these photos yesterday in San José Papaloapan. They are not the sharpest as I took them with my digital camera placed against the eyepiece of my binocular, "binoscoping"
But you get the idea of this beautiful tropical buteo. The species is quite abundant here in the tropical lowlands of central Veracruz. A small buteo (13 to 16 inches), the tail is fairly long with even, broad bands, the adult has mottled brown vertical streaks on the throat where as the rusty colored breast and belly feathers present the form of horizontal banding. The eyes are a soft "straw" yellow. The most common call while perched is a fairly long drawn out complaining scream.....reeeeeaaw.....repeated.

My encounter with a Northern Jacana Jacana s. spinosa
I was headed out to the market, it had just rained alot. Steps from my front door (on the ground) I came upon this immature Northern Jacana. It was a tangle of wet feathers and legs...at first I thought that it was dead, but as I crouched closer and picked it up it moved. Very weak I took the bird into the house and gave it a superficial check, no broken wings, legs or neck.
It could not stand on its own, its eyes were open. I dried it off a bit, wrapped it gently in an old dry sock, that seemed to soothe the bird a bit.
I sent the neighbor kid out to the marsh to get some small minnows.
I was able to feed it about 15 small minnows.
After four hours in the house, I noted that it could stand on its own.
Taking advantage of the daylight, I took the Jacana to the edge of the marsh and released it in the shade some 2 meters from the edge of the marsh. I watched it for a while, it seemed to be alert and was taking a few steps.
I left it there with the hope that it would fit in to it´s new surroundings. Jacana young are precocial (able to move about and feed soon after hatching),
this individual I estimate to be 8 to 9 months old.
The mystery is how it got into town, in 8 years I have yet to see a Northern Jacana in flight over the town.
Good birding,
David McCauley
I was able get some closeup pics of this bird,
click on the thumbnail pics below to see the larger image.

100,000 plus Raptors and an Eastern Coral snake.
Oct.28, 2005
Below is visual that show the southward movement yesterday of raptors here in the river basin of the Papaloapan river in central Veracruz, Mexico.
There was massive movement with steady "lines" of raptors (primarily Turkey Vultures) from San Jeronimo to San José Paploapan. As I observed from the bus fromTlacotalpan enroute to San José I observed (conservatively 80,000 plus raptors in six (15 to 20 wide) "streams")
Absolutely Veracruz River of Raptors awesome!
In San José Papaloapan I observed 50,000 + raptors between 14:00 to 15:15
in addition to the TV´s, I spotted Swainson´s hawks, Cooper´s hawks, Sharp-shinned hawks, Am. Kestrels


I was able to get some pics of a juvenile Eastern Coral snake that was captured in the back yard of one of the neighboring houses in San José Paploapan.
The heavy rains this year have forced many snakes to head for higher ground which happens to be where most of the houses are built.
It was a bit of an adrenelain rush to photograph this marvelous venomous snake. Micrurus F. Fulvius.
Click on the image to see a larger version, note the faint yellow rings that are beginning to develop.
'If red touches yellow, it can kill a fellow' (coral snake)
'If red touches black, it is a friend of Jack' (scarlet kingsnake or scarlet snake)
Link showing the difference between Coral snakes and non-venomous "mimics"


















Click here for another view

Oct. 21, 2005 420 Raptors counted San Jose Papaloapan, Veracruz Mexico
Things slowed down a bit today.




I was able to collect about 40 seeds from this tree....I don´t know the name of it yet.
The fruit attracts all kinds of birds. I am going to see if I can get some of the seeds to sprout so that I can replant them in the field.

2,373 Raptors counted San José Papaloapan Oct.20, 2005
Good solid day of raptor observations.
Time: 10:30 am til 18:30
Breeze from NNE, with periods of absolute stillness. 32C Temp.
Skies mostly sunny.
Turkey Vulture.....................1,547
Swainson´s hawk.....................679
Osprey...........................................5
Sharp-shinned hawk..................34
Cooper´s hawk............................45
American Kestrel........................61
Peregrine falcon............................1
Northern Harrier..........................1
TOTAL.....................................2,373

8 species of non-migratory raptors observed......Black vulture, Aplomado falcon, Laughing falcon, Northern Caracara, Snail kite, Black-collared hawk, Roadside hawk, Great black hawk.

16 species of raptors observed here today.

The "good stuff". 13,794 raptors counted in San José Paploapan Vercruz October 19, 2005.
(Click on the image below to see the larger image)














Click on the image below for larger image












I got to the site and got settled by 11:00 am....things were "dead". At 12:30 p.m. I begin to count Sharpies , Coop´s and American Kestrels.
At 13:00 I spotted my first turkey Vulture for the day.......the beginning of the "river of raptors" for the day. For the next 22 minutes I am able to photograph and count a constant "stream" of some 13,000 raptors.
At one moment I had three lines in my view......slow moving "potpurri" of aquatics and raptors.......American white pelican(600+), Anhinga(375) , Wood storks (1,550+) Swainson´s hawks, Turkey Vultures, Broad-winged hawks, Osprey, Sharp-shinned hawks, Cooper´s hawks, Merlin, Perigrine falcon, Northern Harrier, American kestrel.......
What a wonderful mix........it doesn´t matter how many times I see it, I am in awe, and grateful to witness one of natures greatest spectacles.
Enjoy the photos...this is the "good stuff".......

































Click on the image below to see the larger image























Today´s Report:
San José Papaloapan
Oct. 19, 2005
11:00 a.m. til 17:00 (6 hrs.)
Breeze from the NNW....mixed clouds.
Swainson´s hawks..............5,805
Turkey vultures.................6,884
Broad-winged hawks............916
Osprey.........................................4
Sharp-shinned hawk...............74
Cooper´s hawk.........................46
Merlin..........................................3
American kestrel.......................55
Peregrine Falcon..........................6
Northern harrier..........................1
Total.....................................13,794

Non migrating raptors observed:
Black vulture, Northern Caracara, Roadside hawk, Laughing falcon, Snail kite, Great black hawk,
Aplomado falcon, Black-collared hawk.

I want to thank all of the men and women of San José Papaloapan for sharing their knowledge of this migration with me, they told me that "lots" came overhead, I believed them and it paid off today.
Good birding,
David

Lackluster raptor day.....I "digiscope" a Green-breasted mango hummingbird and photograph a Northern Cat-eyed snake.
Today was the first morning that it has not rained in over a week.....I got on the bus and headed for San José Paploapan looking forward to seeing lots of raptors.
todays results:
Observation time 10:00am to 16:30
Perfect conditions for raptor migration......somebody should have told the raptors!
Turkey Vulture............14
SW...................................0
BW...................................0
Osprey.............................1
Sharp-shinned hawk. .11
Cooper´s hawk...............8
Am. Kestrel.....................8
Merlin..............................2
Total..............................44

Today provided another oportunity.......I had the scope with me and I was able to "digiscope"(digital camera attached to a spotting scope) some Green-breasted mango hummingbirds. What a treat! The pics below.....


Immature green breasted mango (note cinnamon sides of neck)


Imm.


Imm.


Imm.


Imm.


Male Green-breasted Mango

Imm.




feeding on a bird of paradise flower















The patch of Bird of Paradise was filled with hummingbird movement, I also observed Buff-bellied hummingbirds and Rufous-tailed hummingbirds.

In the afternoon some kids came by we talked about birds a bit, (I gave them a copy of my photo booklet "Birds of Veracruz" That I use here when I make presentations in the schools.
They asked me if I wanted to see the snake that they just caught.
And I did.
Here are the photos.... it appears to be a Northern Cat-eyed snake Leptodeira septentrionalis










Click HERE for a large view.