Veracruz Hawkwatch

Bird of prey migrations begin in Veracruz Mexico August 18th 2011

2011-08-19T07:43:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, August 18, 2011 I spent 5 hours hawkwatching here in Paso de Ovejas Veracruz. For over a week now I have been paying attention to the reports and comments of the good people of the Corpus Christi Texas hawkwatch The sighting there are a good indication as to when we will begin to see raptor migration here in Veracruz. Yesterday I had my first sightings of the 2011 Raptor migration season here in Veracruz.

At 2:30 pm I spotted a "kettle"(very high) with 7 Swallow-tailed Kites.
To one side in the same "kettle" I observed Mississippi kite migration as they began to stream I counted 216 Mississippi kites.

We are off to a great start with this years migration here in Veracruz! I hope to be able to share with you some of my observations here on the blog. We still have openings for the hawkwatch tours during the peak of the migration Sept 26- Oct. 3 and Oct. 3 - 10. Tour information is available through Simon Thompson with Ventures Birding Tours

Yesterday I spent a total of 5 hours observing here is a list of the birds of prey observed.

Gray Hawk, Black Vulture, Short-tailed hawk, Roadside hawk, Swallow-tailed Kite, Mississippi kite, Laughing falcon

in addition to birds of prey I observed Northern rough-winged swallows, black-bellied whistling duck, great kiskadee, boat-billed flycatcher, social flycatcher, altamira oriole, green heron, squirrel cuckoo, melodious blackbird, rufous-naped wren, golden-fronted woodpecker, ladder-backed woodpecker, yellow-winged tanager, blue-black grassquit, brown jay, black-crowned tityra, rose-throated becard, great-tailed grackle, buff-bellied hummingbird..........

The Swainson's Hawk and their long migratory journey.

2011-07-28T14:39:00.000-05:00

The Swainson's Hawk - Buteo Swainsoni has the longest migratory journey of any North American raptor. Some Swainson's hawk will make a migratory journey of 14,000 miles (22,400 km). This migration takes up to two months to complete, so in a year the Swainson's hawk will spend 4 months migrating.

I like birds (Hawks)!

2011-07-20T21:29:00.000-05:00

Summer is moving along and the Veracruz raptor migrations are near. Inviting birders everywhere to participate. Every year I promote, plead, cajole and lure birders to what has to be one of natures premier events.... Bird of prey migrations in Veracruz Mexico. Millions of raptors, one location.
Sept. 26 -Oct. 3
Oct. 3 - Oct.10
Don't miss the migration. Sign up with Simon Thompson today.
http://www.birdventures.com/
See hawks like you have never seen them!

Some birding fun at the Veracruz Hawkwatch 2011

2011-07-07T12:58:00.000-05:00

Sept 26 - October 3

October 3 - October 10

Tour dates for the bird of prey migrations in Central Veracruz.

Contact David McCauley hawkwatch@gmail.com

Simon Thompson www.birdventures.com

Why I love the hawkwatch

2011-06-23T08:46:00.000-05:00

I have been watching hawks and migrating birds of prey for about 14 years. Observing hawks in migration never gets old for me. I was living in Veracruz Mexico when I observed my first swirling kettle filled with thousands of Broad-winged hawks. This migratory experience captured my imagination, it was and still is magical to observe. Every year for the past 14 years, I participate two times a year (spring and fall) in the "ritual"of the hawkwatch.
The dynamic of observing migrating raptors is constantly changing. One moment you can be observing distant "raptor specks" as they navigate their migration and the next capture a fantastic view of a low flying hungry juvenile Cooper's hawk in search of food. The visuals of the bird of prey migrations are constantly changing. I have been fortunate enough to lead birding tours over the past years to share this phenomena with many people.
For the past few years I have teamed up with Simon Thompson of Ventures Birding Tours to conduct a fall tour of the peak of the raptor migrations in Veracruz. Going birding with Simon is a lot of FUN. His knowledge and passion for birding is top notch. This year both Simon and myself want to invite birders everywhere to experience the Veracruz Hawkwatch tour. The date for the first tour is September 26- Oct.3 and the second tour is Oct. 3- Oct 10. For information http://www.birdventures.com/

http://www.birdventures.com/

Two dates for the fall Hawkwatch tour in Veracruz 2011

2011-06-12T15:37:00.001-05:00

Migration observations March 8, 2011

2011-03-08T19:14:00.001-06:00

Paso de Ovejas Veracruz. Wish you were here. I have been observing raptor migrations for about a week now. No heavy movements so far...mainly TV's. Yesterday I spotted 120 high flying Mississippi kites. Today I had my first accipiter, a Cooper's hawk. Have seen several Ospreys. As for migrating aquatics...... beautiful swirling clouds of Anhinga.

I have been going out early for general birding (I got 55 species in two hours the other day.

Here a a few pics of species that I have photographed recently.

Masked Tityra

I will be keeping you updated here as the migration continues. Twitter @mexicohawkwatch

Good birding All.

David

Laughing falcon Herpetotheres cachinnans

2011-02-12T15:05:00.000-06:00

The Laughing falcon can be found in Veracruz Mexico.... this Falcon has a far carrrying laugh and as one gets close.... its head bobs. The falcon does not soar in thermals, and is most often seen perched. Its primary diet is snakes. here a a few pics that I have taken of the Laughing Falcon.

Spring Hawkwatch tour...Veracruz April 12-21

mexicohawkwatch@gmail.com contact me for details.

Eyes to the sky,

David McCauley

For birders, is visiting Mexico dangerous? Or are we being HYPED?

2011-02-12T10:22:00.000-06:00

In 2010 60 Americans were killed in the country of Mexico.
In 2010 Mexico recieved over 23 MILLION tourists.
The odds of something terrible happening to a person visiting Mexico are not great..
consider this:
There were 450 + homicides in New York City in 2010, does that make NYC a dangerous place?
Perhaps the State Department will issue a global warning about the dangers of visiting New York City...... that will NEVER happen.
Shit happens in life.... its a reality. Getting out of bed in the morning (whereever we live) can be percieved as dangerous if that becomes our neurotic focus.
This is my blog and my RANT, if my views make some feel uncomfortable, sobeit. In my opinion it seem to be popular to smear Mexico right now...a few years back we had the big "Swine Flu fiasco" and now its... lets paint Mexico to be the scariest fucking place to visit on the planet. It pisses me off but thats the way it is. I would invite all to rational thought.....REASON.

With that being said, I continue with my plans for the Spring Hawkwatch here in Veracruz, I've got some cool stuff lined up and invite all reasoning birders and hawkwatchers to participate. Veracruz is great place to visit, the people, the food, the hawks and the margaritas! Hope to see you soon.
Eyes to the sky,
David McCauley

HAWKWATCH - Learn the basics of the hawkwatch in Veracruz - Spring 2011

Imagine thousands of migrating hawks swirling in "kettles" above you. This spring I am inviting birders on a tour that teaches the basics of the "hawk watch". The tour is 10 days and 9 nights. April 12 to April 21. The tour will begin and end at the airport in Veracruz. During the tour you will learn to identify and recognize flight profiles for Broad winged hawks, Swainson's Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, Osprey, Mississippi Kites, Coopers hawk, Sharp shinned hawks, Merlins, American Kestrels, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed hawks, Turkey vultures, Black vultures, Roadside hawks, Bat faclons, Aplomado falcons, Short tailed hawks, Hooked billed kites, Zone tailed hawks, Northern Caracara and Gray hawks..... thats 21 species in one location!

Gray Hawk in flight

I have picked out some cool locations to observe the migrations. We will spent three days of the tour observing migrating raptors at Quiahuiztlan Archaeological Ruins, Veracruz, Mexico:

Quiahuiztlan (key-ah-wheez-tlahn) is one of the Toltecs most beautiful sites on the Veracruz Coast. It's highest period of occupation was during the Early Postclassic (900 - 1200 A.D.) when it shows Totonic influences into the Late Postclassic (1200 - 1519 A.D.) time in which Quiahuiztlan was influenced by the Mexica. It is located on a large hill that rises up from the beach area called "Hill Of The Metates" or "Cerro de los Metates."

Basalt formation of Quiahuitztlan Veracruz

Spring Hawkwatch Veracruz April 12- 21

cost: $1,400 USD per person

Includes: Ground transportation, accomodations, meals and drinks.

please contact me David McCauley for complete itinerary.

email: mexicohawkwatch@gmail.com

twitter: @mexicohawkwatch

HAWKWATCH - Learn the basics of the hawkwatch in Veracruz - Spring 2011

2011-01-26T12:21:00.001-06:00

Gray Hawk in flight

I have picked out some cool locations to observe the migrations. We will spent three days of the tour observing migrating raptors at Quiahuiztlan Archaeological Ruins, Veracruz, Mexico:

Basalt formation of Quiahuitztlan Veracruz

Spring Hawkwatch Veracruz April 12- 21

cost: $1,400 USD per person

Includes: Ground transportation, accomodations, meals and drinks.

please contact me David McCauley for complete itinerary.

email: mexicohawkwatch@gmail.com

twitter: @mexicohawkwatch

A "blizzard" of migrating raptors.

2010-10-07T07:59:00.002-05:00

October fifth and I am standing on a ridge looking to the north in Paso de Ovejas Veracruz.

As i scan with the binoculars I spot broken limbs and downed trees everywhere. All the damage being the aftermath of Hurricane Karl. The area of La Antigua, Cardel, Paso de Ovejas, Chichicaxtle, Salmoral....... suffer one hell of a beating. Winds over 200 kilometers per hour. The winds, flooding and general destruction have left the people stunned..... just now they are beginning to regroup and put the pieces together. I spend a lot of time in the field and the scope of the destruction is massive.

The raptor migration continues

From the kettle to the kettles.. my first (of the season) Broad-winged hawk sighting in Veracruz

2010-09-22T15:17:00.000-05:00

The date: September 20th
Location: Tamalinillo, Veracruz Mexico
Hurricane Karl left us with a lot of moisture here in Veracruz.

The rains ceased on the 20th, the heat and humidity was crazy. The small rural community of Tamalinillo Veracruz was preparing for the festival of Saint Matthew. Early in the morning on the 20th a hog was butchered, by the time I got up the fire was going strong with a big kettle of boiling lard.
The pork fat and rinds were cooked up first and later, meat was added until all was cooked.

You take this fried pork (while its still hot) and chop it up a bit with a knife put a couple of chunks on a fresh corn tortilla add some home made salsa, and you have some fine dining. Wash down five or six of these tacos with some cold Tecates and life is indeed good!
I had just finished eating, it was about 2pm and I spot some movement in the sky to the other side of the valley....a "kettle" of Broad-winged hawks - Buteo platypterus. These are my first BW's of this season here in Veracruz. I feel the rush of adrenaline as a race to get the camera. Below is a view of the hawks in a thermal or "kettle". A "kettle" is a column of rising warm air, when the raptors enter the column of rising warm air they soar in spirals to gain altitude to continue their migration. This soaring spiral of hawks, in great numbers, gives the effect of water boiling in a kettle.

Here is another view as the Broad-winged hawks as they leave the "kettle". The wing shape changes to glide and the appearance is one of uniformity, another name for this gliding flight pattern is called a "stream" or a "line".

I counted approximately 1,800 Broad-winged hawks in about an hour.

Their coming.... & and you know you are a hawkwatcher when....

2010-09-19T11:57:00.000-05:00

I love to open my e-mail and see all the reports from the hawkwatch sites from around the country [BIRDHAWK]

The hawks are on their way! I can feel the excitement building as the hundreds of hawk-watch sites throughout the country post their numbers and observations.

With all of the recent rains here in Veracruz things have slowed down a bit. In the next few days we will begin to see more activity.
As a side note I have been working hard on practical ecology/conservation based project to thwart the continued de-forestation here in Mexico. I has to do with an improved strain of pasture grass that is 3 to 4 times as effective as normal pasture growth... I will be making posts here in the very near future with more details.
It's still no to late to sign up for the three dates for the hawk watch/birding tours. I would love to have more people here to experience the worlds most concentrated raptor migrations.

Hurricane Karl reaches Veracruz

2010-09-17T07:20:00.001-05:00

Its 6:30 am here in Cerro Azul (northern Veracruz) and the rain falls steadily outside the window. Some 280 kilometers to the south is the port City of Veracruz where they are feeling the effects of the approaching hurricane Karl.

As seen above the "eye" of the hurricane is offshore and will make landfall later today. The areas of central and southern Veracruz have already experienced rampant flooding in the past two weeks. Hurricane Karl is packing a huge amount of moisture and will no doubt inflict more damage to fragile central and southern Veracruz. What happens to the raptor migrations when there are heavy rains? Simply put, most birds of prey will just sit it out further north until the weather conditions are right. Raptors migrate primarily using "thermals"(warm currents of rising air) to conserve energy.

One of the exceptions to raptors not flying much in the rain are Ospreys which don't seem to be bothered by the rain.I still have opening for the fall raptor migration tours. Contact me for more information.

New to the twitter thing and trying to sort it out.

2010-09-14T10:51:00.000-05:00

Twitter. Twireless drwivel or twiny trweasures? I have a twitter account I am @mexicohawkwatch
I started twitter to call attention to my passion. The observation of migratory birds of prey in central Veracruz. I have written 51 tweets. Between this blog, twitter and photosharing, I have invested a considerable amount of my time. I know people are reading my blog and my friggin tweets but nobody RESPONDS.
I put together a short list of possible reasons:
1. my blog really sucks
2. nobody really gives a damn about migrating raptors
3. the "jaded birder" (The terrible BEEN THERE, DONE THAT and SEEN THAT syndrome.)
4.Americans perceive Mexico and all things Mexican as something to be avoided.(too dangerous)
5.We have become inundated with too much noise. (media in general)
So this is my quandry. I am open to any ideas or suggestions.

As I observe tweets and twitters I see a lot energy is spent in the RT or retweet (re-sharing somebody else s stuff) In a lot of cases the stuff does not deserve to be re-shared. The only thing I can think is that there is a lot of ass smooching going on to RT everything everyone that you follow tweets. (You share my shit and I'll share yours.)
Trends on twitter are a complete trip...... trends are the most popular themes. Yesterday it was Lady Gaga's "real meat" dress from the MTV video music awards... WOW...now thats a friggin showstopper! LOL Hundreds of thousands of people focusing tweets on meat shop fashionista! (viva matambre) All I gotta say is there are a lot of BV's (black vultures) and TV's (Turkey vultures) smackin their beaks for a piece of that!
Time to get back in the field. The best is yet to come for this years migration! By tweet or blog I hope to stumble through this and share this wonderful raptor migration with ALL.
Good birding all.

34,000 + Mississippi Kites - MK counted Sept.8th in Veracruz Mexico

2010-09-09T15:18:00.000-05:00

The migration continues. Yesterday over 34,000 Mississippi Kites MK were counted in Veracruz. With a total of 236,000 MK counted thus far in 2010 (source Hawkcount.Org) Mississippi kites are graceful in flight and can often be seen grabbing a dragonfly for a in flight snack. Once again I am extending an invitation to all to "come on down" and experience the Veracruz bird of prey migrations first hand.
Eyes to the sky,
David

When I grow up I wanna be a Peregrine Falcon....ohhh yeaah!

2010-09-08T16:27:00.001-05:00

When you're standing on a ridge and a migrating Peregrine falcon -Falco peregrinus comes by in full "glide" and you can manage to get a pic, thats good...real good. Join the party...there's a HAWK WATCH goin on! http://veracruzhawkwatch.blogspot.com

Posted via email from veracruzhawkwatch

It's official... Hawk Watch party in Veracruz!

2010-09-08T14:10:00.001-05:00

Nobody said that it would be easy, but getting folks to come down to Veracruz for the Raptor Migrations has proven to be a bit difficult this year.
Honestly, Mexico has gotten a lot of shitty press lately. Yes, there has been drug related violence near the border. That's never good news but realistically unless you are planning a trip to Mexico to stake your claim on some of the "drug action" you are probably as safe visiting Mexico as a tourist as you would be at home in the US.
A while back we had the the big swine flu fiasco (that was a real kick in the balls to Mexico's tourism industry).
I would invite all reading to give some rational consideration for a visit to Veracruz Mexico to witness what IMHO has to be one of natures most spectacular events, the fall bird of prey migrations from Canada and the US to Central and South America. What makes Veracruz so damn special is that there is a geographic bottleneck that concentrates the migration in central Veracruz (specifically the areas surrounding Cardel, Chichicaxtle and my beloved Paso de Ovejas) The visual of thousands and thousands of swirling hawks is one that you will never forget.
Soooooo I have decided to see if I can get birders down here to Veracruz using the excuse that we are going to have a really cool party! (That's right ply them with fantastic birding and alcohol! .... as in free cold beer and margaritas with each evening meal during the tour.)
To sweeten the deal.... I am offering a 8 day tour with birding/hawk watch, meeting and dropping people off at the Veracruz airport, hotel, meals and ground transportation. (airfare not included) for $1,100 USD per person (thats 138 bucks per day...not bad!)
here are the available dates:
Sept. 25- October 2     *over 620,000 raptors counted during these dates last year
October 2-9th               *over one MILLION raptor counted during these dates last year
October 16-24              *over one MILLION raptor counted during these dates last year

So lets get this party started!

More info, questions? You can contact me: David McCauley
hawkwatch@gmail.com
twitter: @mexicohawkwatch

Raptor migrations off to a good start........

2010-09-03T19:24:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Cerro Azul, Veracruz. This is shaping up to be one of the best hawk watch seasons ever! Sept. 3.... and as far as observations of migrating raptors I am not in the optimum location at the moment. (38 kilometers inland from the gulf of Mexico in Northern Veracruz) Thus far nothing great in the raptor migration sitings ( 1 HK -Hooked-billed Kite and about 70 MK - Mississippi Kites, mostly juvies.) The movements are passing closer to the gulf and out of my range of view. Thanks to HAWKCOUNT.ORG I am able to get my daily raptor "fix" with the help of the Corpus Christi Gang (Libby, Dane, Kevin,Patti, Bill.....and all the rest)
to the North.
To the South,"River of Raptors Veracruz" aka Hawk-watch Mecca (mecca n. A place that is regarded as the center of an activity or interest.)

I send "saludos y tequilazos" to the hardworking River of Raptors team in Cardel y Chichicaxtle
Habacuc, Rigo, Citlali, Irving,James, Oscar, Rene, Roberto y Otros PRONATURA
Here is a data summary as of Sept.2:Corpus Christi
Data summary for Veracruz ROR Sept2: River of Raptors

Torrential rains to the south in Veracruz with many flooded communities including "my beloved" Tlacotalpan. FLOOD 2010
My best wishes for ALL
All for the moment....be well and remember "eyes to the sky" and "solo Vera Cruz es bello"
David McCauley

,

Somebody's watching me......visit from a praying mantis and a hook-billed kite.

2010-08-20T12:22:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I climbed a ridge in Piedra Labrada, Veracruz, with a panoramic view northward to see if I could spot some of the first migrating raptors. After scanning the sky for several hours I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. I had a praying mantis perched on my spotting telescope and it was watching me looking for hawks! (or so it seemed :-) ) It reminded me of a blast from the past, a Rockwell song "Somebody's Watching Me. Below is a youtube video thats spoofs the song and I couldn't help bus chuckle when I saw it.

I got these pics of the praying mantis with my Canon EOS 40D and 60mm ESF 2.8 (macro)
So back to my raptor observations, after scanning for about 5 hours I had seen roaming resident BV's black vultures as well as a handful of resident TV's turkey vultures. In addition to this I could observe that there was a significant dragonfly and butterfly migration underway, with thousands skimming by each hour.
Around 4pm, I got that glimpse that every hawk-watcher and birder wants..... headed my way I could see a distinct raptor profile with some ragged plumage. I had a Hook-billed Kite Chonroheirax unicinatus!! I scrambled for the camera, Canon Rebel T1i with Canon 400mm 5.6 lens and was able to get off about 22 shots as it passed by.

This shot in flight is a male hook-billed kite (gray and white barring on the belly) Hook-billed kites lack a surpra-orbital ridge which gives the head the look of a "monster pigeon on steroids" while in flight.
What a thrill to observe and photograph this bird! I will be continuing to post my raptor migration observations from Veracruz Mexico.
Good birding All and Eyes to the Sky.
David

David McCauley
hawkwatch@gmail.com
twitter: @ mexicohawk

Starting August 15 2010 - I will be observing migration here in Veracruz

2010-08-14T19:48:00.002-05:00

Birders and Hawkwatchers everywhere, welcome to my blog Veracruz Hawk Watch.
Tomorrow I will begin to search the skies for early signs of migration of raptor, birds, butterfly and dragonflies. This is indeed one of the most exciting times of the year for me. There is something magical about the visuals of the migration. Imagine swirling clouds and V-shaped lines of thousands American White pelicans, Anhinga or Wood storks. CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO MAKE IT LARGER

In addition to these migrants it is possible to observe significant numbers of scissor-tailed flycatchers and white-winged doves as they migrate south.

The migrations of millions of butterflies and dragonflies is also quite awesome!

My favorite migration visual are the birds of prey. The raptor migrations are the show stoppers of the Veracruz migrations. Swirling "kettles" (thermals) and "lines" of Turkey Vultures, Swainson's Hawks, Broad-winged Hawks, Mississippi kites. Millions of these species are counted each fall as the migrate south to Central and South America.

Also it is possible to see Swallow-tailed kites, Hooked-billed Kites, Peregrine falcons, Merlins, Sharp-shinned hawks, Coopers hawks, Osprey, Red-tailed hawks, Red-shouldered hawks, Aplomado Falcons, Great Black Hawk, American Kestrels, Crested Caracara, Bat falcon, Short-tailed hawks...... the list goes on.
We still have space for the tours to witness these migrations, the information is posted below:
Good birding all! See you in Veracruz. CLICK ON THE GIF BELOW

David McCauley

For the fall 2010 Veracruz Hawkwatch Tours I will once again be teaming up with Simon Thompson of Ventures Birding Tours- "Putting the fun back into birding!" We have a fine team of guides this year, Simon Thompson, Frank Gallo, Bill Thompson (Birdwatchers Digest) and David McCauley.
We have selected 4 dates for the Veracruz hawkwatch tours:
Tour #1.   September 25th -October 2nd
Tour #2    October 2nd-9th
Tour #3.   October 9th-16th
Tour #4.   October16th-23rd
**each tour is 7 days and begins and ends on a Saturday.
For the tour specifics please visit The Ventures Birding Tours website
or you can contact me David McCauley veracruz.hawkwatch@gmail.com

Old bird book (pdf) (public domain)

2010-08-13T19:23:00.001-05:00

I found this cool public domain book A bird guide from 1913. below is the link if you are interesed in downloading a copy.
http://www.archive.org/details/birdbookillustra00reedrich

Posted via email from veracruzhawkwatch

The magnificent Great Black Hawk - Buteo urubitinga ridgwayi

2010-07-29T18:18:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics that I shot of the Great Black Hawk, a resident raptor that is found in Veracruz Mexico.

I love all things raptor! The great black hawk is a marvelous raptor that can be found foraging for food, on the ground in wet marshy areas.
Visit us this late summer and early fall to witness the worlds most concentrated bird of prey migration.
Veracruz raptor migrations are with out parallel. For more information please contact me David McCauley veracruz.hawkwatch@gmail.com.
Good birding All!

2010-07-25T19:40:00.000-05:00

August 15th in Veracruz the worlds largest bird of prey migration begins. During last week in September and first three weeks of October it is possible to see tens of thousands of migrating birds of prey each day. Each year between 4.5 to 6 million raptors are counted, representing 15 different species. Species include, Broad-winged hawks, Swainson's hawks, Mississippi kites, Turkey Vultures, Peregrine Falcons, Red-tailed hawks, Coopers hawks, Sharp-shinned hawks, Osprey, Swallow-tailed hawks, Merlins.......
I am hooked on the migration and would love to share the experience with you. We have four tour dates this year to share the raptor migrations with you.
Good birding,
birdingbuzz@gmail.com
David McCauley
hawkwatch@gmail.com

Migrating raptor mix from Veracruz Mx Simple ID quiz

2010-07-19T19:47:00.001-05:00

Posted via email from veracruzhawkwatch

Putting fun back in the Hawkwatch!

2010-05-19T21:10:00.001-05:00

Here's a special invitation to birders and hawk watchers to witness the bird of prey migrations in Veracruz Mexico, fall 2010. Veracruz is one of the best seats on the planet to observe migrating birds of prey and resident raptors.
Veracruz hawk watch is raptor observation on a grand scale.
Come on down this fall and sit back with a cold drink and see hawk watch like you have never seen it before! We have scouted out the best views, great food and birding sites. Join us.

For the fall 2010 Veracruz Hawkwatch Tours I will once again be teaming up with Simon Thompson of Verntures Birding Tours- "Putting the fun back into birding!" We have a fine team of guides this year, Simon Thompson, Frank Gallo, Bill Thompson and David McCauley.
We have selected 4 dates for the Veracruz hawkwatch tours:
Tour #1.   September 25th -October 2nd
Tour #2    October 2nd-9th
Tour #3.   October 9th-16th
Tour #4.   October16th-23rd
**each tour is 7 days and begins and ends on a Saturday.
For the tour specifics please visit The Ventures Birding Tours website

What is HAWKWATCH?

2010-05-16T19:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I took some time out here in NYC to visit MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) I had a great time viewing many of the great masterpieces of of contemporary art. As a photographer and lover of art, the visit to the museum brought me special pleasure as I visually soaked in my favorite artists, Francis Bacon, Matisse, Picasso, Modigliani, Giacometti, Dubuffet...... I came across a painting by the artist John Baldessari entitled "What is Painting"

As I pondered the words of the painting I thought how fitting they were to describe not just painting but what is the essence of the hawkwatch.
Here goes my version:
WHAT IS HAWKWATCH?
DO YOU SENSE HOW ALL THE VISUAL ELEMENTS OF HAWKWATCH ARE CONNECTED? HAWKWATCH IS A CREATION FOR THE EYE AND CAN ONLY BE HINTED AT WITH WORDS.
As a nature photographer and birding guide I have struggled to capture visually and describe in words the hawkwatch, its not an easy thing to do. The "hawkwatch" is GRAND in its scale, a panorama of migration.
In Veracruz where I live the migration of raptors(15 species) is coupled with migrations of butterflies, dragonflies, Anhinga, American white pelicans, Woodstorks, scissor-tailed flycatchers.....(the list goes on)

Here is a photo that I took that expresses one dimension of the hawkwatch. (...... a mix of Turkey vultures, Swainson's hawks and a Broad-winged hawk, all in migration.

Looking to the fall hawkwatch 2010 in Veracruz

2010-05-12T22:34:00.002-05:00

Greetings to All! At the moment I am in NYC. I arrived a week ago after spending several months in Veracruz. I still have the thrill "buzz" after witnessing this years spring raptor migrations in Veracruz. This is my tenth year of observing the birds of prey migrations in Veracruz. I am still in the process of editing thousands of images that I took of this years spring migration. Over the next few months I will be sharing some of these photos here on the Veracruz hawkwatch blog.
For the fall 2010 Veracruz Hawkwatch Tours I will once again be teaming up with Simon Thompson of Verntures Birding Tours- "Putting the fun back into birding!" We have a fine team of guides this year, Simon Thompson, Frank Gallo, Bill Thompson and David McCauley.
We have selected 4 dates for the Veracruz hawkwatch tours:
Tour #1.   September 25th -October 2nd
Tour #2    October 2nd-9thTour #3.   October 9th-16th
Tour #4.   October16th-23rd
**each tour is 7 days and begins and ends on a Saturday.
For the tour specifics please visit The Ventures Birding Tours website

Population of Aplomado Falcon threatened in the Chihuahuan Desert

2007-06-29T11:40:00.000-05:00

Please take a moment to read the following. I consider Angel Montoya to be a friend and a hard-working scientist for the Peregrine Fund. The following deserves our attention.
-David McCauley
Tlacotalpan, Veracruz

Friends and colleagues,*
**
*Over the years you have all either been directly involved with
or interested in the Aplomado Falcons of Chihuahua, Mexico. I am now writing
because although you may not know it there is currently a clear and imminent
threat to the grasslands, grassland birds, pronghorn, and Aplomado Falcon in
Chihuahua as we know them today. Unfortunately, the aforementioned threat is
happening at an alarming rate and there does not seem to be an end to it.*
**
*Please read the attached article by Duarte, Rodriguez, Montoya, Cade, and
Hunt on the destruction of Chihuahuan Desert grasslands and its consequences
to the survival of the last known Aplomado Falcon population in the
Chihuahuan Desert. As you all know this not only affects Aplomado Falcons
but other species ( pronghorn, grassland birds, etc..) as well. Please feel
free to forward this information to others. For more information or
suggestions you may either contact Grainger Hunt at
grainger@peregrinefund.org, Alberto Macias at maciasduarte@yahoo.com.mx, Tom
Cade at tcade@peregrinefund.org, Roberto Rodriguez at
beto2rodr1@gmail.com or myself Angle Montoya at
abmontoya@zianet.com . For additional articles on the Aplomado Falcons in
Chihuahua please visit the website:
http://www.peregrinefund.org/aplomado_articles.asp . You may also post this
on any list servers you see as appropriate. *
**
*If you respond please do so individually. Thanks and I apologize if you
have received this in duplicate.*
**
*Angel Montoya*
*The Peregrine Fund*
*100 East Hadley Ave.*
*Las Cruces, NM 88001

Here is the text of the pdf. file
*

FARMING ON GRASSLANDS POSES EXTIRPATION RISK TO APLOMADO
FALCONS IN CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO
Alberto Macías-Duarte, Roberto Rodríguez-Salazar, Angel Montoya, Tom Cade,
and Grainger
Hunt
The last known desert-dwelling Aplomado Falcon population (Falco femoralis
septentrionalis) in North America may be extirpated within the near future.
We have studied and worked to
conserve this relict population in Chihuahua for the last fifteen years, and
we feel a responsibility
to inform the international community of the recent and ongoing destruction
of the falcon's
breeding habitat through the plowing of native grasslands.

The Aplomado Falcon is a strikingly beautiful, endangered species that once
occurred throughout
the grasslands of the Chihuahuan Desert. In the 1800s, the population
extended northward into
the southwestern United States, but it disappeared there entirely by the
1950s and has since been
reintroduced in Texas. This is one of only two areas in Mexico where this
endangered species is
known to breed, one along the eastern coastal savannas from southern
Tamaulipas southward and
the other in the desert grasslands of Chihuahua. The distance between those
populations is about
one thousand kilometers.

When we began studying the Chihuahua population in 1992, there were
thirty-five known pairs, but the long drought of the 1990s and early 2000s
reduced the population to about twenty-five
pairs. At that time, we identified grassland desertification as the major
threat to the long-term
survival of the species (Macias-Duarte et al. 2004. The Auk 121:1081-1093).
We could not
foresee, however, that in the next few years, the species would face the
destruction of its breeding
habitat by the sudden conversion of desert grassland into croplands.

Native grasslands in Tarabillas valley

Just as the remnant falcon population in Chihuahua began to respond to the
recent increase in
rainfall, Mennonite farmers began buying the grassland portions of the
ranches inhabited by
falcons within Tarabillas valley, north and east of Sierra El Gallego, in
the municipality of
Ahumada. At a recent meeting with government authorities, we discussed the
loss of seven
Aplomado Falcon breeding territories to plowing. Officials informed us that
farmers are buying
"…every available hectare of native grassland in the area," including
additional known
Aplomado Falcon territories. The farmers continue negotiations with
landowners to buy all the
grasslands within that valley including communal lands (ejidos), and if left
unchecked they will
eventually own and farm the entire Tarabillas valley. These purchases are
facilitated by the fact
that most grasslands are in poor condition following the drought and its
consequences on
livestock production, tempting many landowners to sell their land to
farmers.

The Mexican Institute of Water Technology measured aquifer recharge rates at
37 million
m3/year from which CONAGUA (the agency responsible for
monitoring/controlling water
utilization) determined that ground water pumping could support 5,300
hectares of crop
production in the Tarabillas Valley on a sustainable basis. About 10,200 ha
are already under
ground-water irrigated crop production, and 20,400 hectares have been
ploughed in preparation
for crop production. In all, 59,900 hectares of grassland have been sold for
conversion to crop
production in just the last four years. Ground water pumping at current and
projected rates is
clearly not sustainable. Meanwhile, a substantial portion of the last
remnants of desert grasslands
known to support Aplomado Falcons in Chihuahua are being destroyed for
short-term profit from
unsustainable agriculture.

Today we know of only 18 Aplomado Falcon pairs remaining in Chihuahua, a
trend that suggests
the possibility of extirpation within a few years unless immediate action is
taken to stop the rapid
conversion of native grassland to cropland. In the last year alone, the
breeding territories of seven
pairs have been lost to the plow. We have found no evidence of Aplomado
Falcons in other
regions of Chihuahua, and surveys in Durango and Coahuilla have also been
unsuccessful.

The Aplomado Falcon is not the only species risking extirpation from this
portion of Mexico. The
endangered Mexican pronghorn (Antilocapra americana mexicana) lives only in
native
Chihuahuan grasslands and will share the same fate as the Aplomado Falcon if
farmland
conversion continues in Tarabillas valley during the coming months. Both
Aplomado Falcons
and Mexican pronghorns are closely associated with open grassland.
Pronghorns move along
grassland corridors, and the farming of these grasslands will further
fragment their already
diminished populations. Tarabillas valley is an internationally important
wintering ground for
migratory grassland birds from the northern United States and Canada; the
density of grassland
birds during the winter far exceeds that observed in other grasslands in
Chihuahua (Mendez-
Gonzalez 2000, Master's Thesis, Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua).

Farms in the northern half of Tarabillas Valley have thus far destroyed
seven Aplomado Falcon
breeding territories.

Pronghorn antelope in native Chihuahua grassland

For further information, contact Alberto Macias-Duarte
(maciasdua...@yahoo.com.mx );
see
www.peregrinefund.org/aplomado_articles.asp for details about the Aplomado
Falcon population
in Chihuahua. Directors of the Mexican federal agencies involved in
environmental protection
include Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada, Secretary of Environment and Natural
Resources
(c.secretario@semarnat.gob.mx ) and Ignacio Loyola Vera, Federal Attorney
for Environmental
Protection (iloyola@profepa.gob.mx).

--

Video of Great Black hawk and Aplomado falcon

2007-04-11T01:43:00.001-05:00

On April 10, I went out digiscoping in the morning and was able to capture some photos and a couple of short video clips. The first raptor is the Great Black Hawk - Buteo urubitinga ridgwayi. The photos and short video clip were taken with my Nikon Coolpix P1 handheld to my Nikon Fieldscope II 82mm with 30X wide angle eyepiece and Slik tripod. (Digiscoping)

The second raptor that I was able to photograph was the Aplomado falcon - Falco femoralis
I love Aplomado falcons! This is like the coolest raptor that I have ever observed! I came upon this female Aplomado falcon that had just caught a field mouse.
(the photo is a bit blurry but you can make out the the furry shape of the mouse in the Aplomados´s talons.) The video shows the Aplomado cleaning its bill.

2006-05-19T17:58:00.000-05:00

A story of an Aplomado falcon family in Veracruz.
Here goes.....I finally have some information and photos to share with you.
I live in Tlacotalpan Veracruz (the tropical lownds/wetlands of central Veracruz)
Here is a timeline to the Aplomado nesting activities.
First spotted
I spotted/digiscoped the female Aplomado falcon on April 3, 2006

Eggs laid
As close as I can tell the eggs were laid on or around April 6, 2006

First Aplomado "chick" hatched
On May 8, 2006 the first Aplomado falcon chick hatched

Nest discovered
the nest was discovered by Angel Montoya field biologist with the Aplomado Project -The Peregrine Fund and myself on April 24, 2006

Second Aplomado chick hatches
The second "chick" hatches May 11, 2006
in addition eggshell samples were taken from the nest and the nest was photographed by field biologists from The Peregrine Fund.

Observations begin
Since May 13, 2006 (time allowing) I try to get out to the site and observe the nest and Aplomado falcon behaviours twice a day, 1.5 hours in the morning and 1.5 hours in the afternoon.

Now for the photos. (just click on the highlighted links below to see photos) Note with regard to photos:
Unless otherwise noted ( see the Peregrine Fund photos),
these are my photos and may be copied for personal/educational use. Commercial use of my photos requires my permission.
David McCauley
hawkwatch@gmail.com

The power of "digiscoping". This PHOTO shows the magnification possibilities of "digiscoping" (a digital camera coupled with a spotting scope)
Without the "digiscoping" setup I would never attempt to photograph the nest.
Here are some images of the "lay of the land" and where I am in relation to the nest and observation perches of the Aplomados.
VIEW1
VIEW2

Some ID observations on the Aplomado falcons
Here are some photo charts that help show some of the field marks and differences between the male and female Aplomado falcons.
FEMALE APLOMADO
MALE APLOMADO
M/F Size Comparison

Meeting the Aplomados
Since I am in Mexico I have named the pair of Aplomados after the Maya dieties "Itzamna" and "Ixchel" SEE PHOTO

The NEST is either that of a Brown Jay, Roadside Hawk or possibly a Northern caracara, Aplomado falcons do not build nests but instead depend upon the nest building skills of others.

The nest photographed.
Here are photos of the nest with one "chick" hatched (approximately 3 days old) and the second "chick" is just breaking its way out of the egg. The reason for climbing up to the nest,(hence the photo) is a joint project of The Pergrine Fund and USGS with the end of collecting eggshell fragments and infertile eggs for testing of pesticide/herbicide levels. This is a good thing, field biology at work, a proactive approach to study unregulated pesticide use in Latin America. (DDT is still sold here in Mexico and is in no way regulated.) Hmm.
These photos were taken by a field biologist of The Peregrine Fund and have been used here with their permission. (These images are property of The Peregrine Fund and may NOT be copied or reproduced without their permission.) I am most grateful to The Peregrine Fund for the use of the photo on my weblog. Plese keep in mind that the photos taken is a result of a field study. Please, it should go without saying but- DO NOT CLIMB TREES OR USE MIRRORS ON POLES in order to photograph nesting chicks or egg clutches.
PHOTO 1
PHOTO2
PHOTO3

Ixchel and Itzamna on the nest.
IXCHEL (female)
ITZAMNA (male)

The feeding of the Aplomado Chicks.
PHOTO1
PHOTO2
PHOTO3
PHOTO4
PHOTO5
PHOTO6

So there you have the basics of the family of Aplomado falcons in Tlacotalpan Veracruz Mexico. I will as time allow continue to post photos of the progress of the young and share with you some of my field notes/observations.
The Aplomado falcon population was nearly eliminated in the US due to loss of habitat and pesticide contamination.
Thanks to the ongoing efforts of The Peregrine Fund with their Aplomado Falcon Project, the species in now being successfully re-introduced into its former breeding habitats.
I would encourage all who can, to actively support this ongoing project.

David McCauley
hawkwatch@gmail.com

2006-05-16T18:28:00.000-05:00

The Aplomado falcon nest is discovered!
On April 23, 2006 I am sitting out on the porch conducting the spring hawkwatch here in Tlacotalpan and I am approached by a group of people that look like birders... My guests are Angel Montoya, his wife Jennifer and son Woodrow together with Angel's sister and brother in law. Angel tells me that he and his family are here on vaction and that he works for the Peregrine Fund and his wife Jennifer works for the World Wildlife Federation.
Instant camaradeire.
Anyone who gives a damn about nature is a friend of mine.
As I talk more with Angel he tells me that he is a field biologist with Peregrine Fund working on the Aplomado falcon restoration project in the US. How cool is that?
I am the captive audience with a thousand questions!
That afternoon Angel and myself sat on the porch, drank a couple cold beers and counted migrating raptors 5,248.....among them 5,010 Mississippi kites, 16 Peregrine falcons, 13 Turkey vultures, 4 Ospreys, 1 late Swallow/tailed kite, 196 Broad/winged hawks, 6 Swainsons hawks, 1 American kestrel and a Partridge in a pear tree!
In the course of the conversation I mentioned that I had been "digiscoping" Aplomados nearby and asked him if he wanted to go birding the next morning. Angel agreed and early the next morning we headed out to my local patch to bird.
Note. I live in central Veracruz in the tropical lowlands.
The next morning Angel showed up on time, and we headed out to bird. When we got to the area where I had been photographing Aplomado falcons, I scanned the fence line and we found the Aplomado nest!

I was really excited, this is the first time in my life that I had ever seen a nesting Aplomado falcon!

2006-05-16T15:08:00.000-05:00

The Aplomado falcon family and sharing them with the world.
It is after careful consideration that I start this series on the Aplomado falcon on my weblog.
It was two years ago here in Veracruz, that I had a memorable encounter with a pair of Aplomado falcons. I was out birding/digiscoping and I heard a commotion, it was two Aplomado falcons giving a good "get the hell out of my territory" message to a Roadside hawk. Unforgettable. The Roadside hawk retreated to more hospitable terrain. I observed the pair of Aplomado's in my binocular and was able to "digiscope" with my rather rustic setup of a basic Nikon spotting scope and my 2 megapixel Sony Mavica 250CD.(after vingetting I was lucky to get a good 4X6!)
Suddenly one of the Aplomado falcons shot off of the branch where it had been perched, almost immediately the second Aplomado falcon followed. I saw it all in my binocular.
The first Aplomado was in rapid pursuit of prey, the prey headed for the nearest leafy tree.
As the prey entered the safety of the tree the first Aplomado shot up into the air and hovered/"kited" above the tree.
The second Aplomado, (which was not far behind) went directly into the tree pursuing prey.
An Aplomado falcon is an undisputed master of airspace for its aerial acrobatics, but put them into a tangle of branches and they do not do well! So I observe this Aplomado foundering in a tangle of branches....the prey (a juvenile Eastern Meadowlark) seeing its attacker clumsily flapping in the branches sensed the opportunity to escape and flies from the refuge of the tree. BIG MISTAKE.
The first Aplomado falcon which had been hovering above the tree, saw the escaping flight of the juvenile Eastern Meadowlark and deeply swooped to make a definitve "kill".
I had just witnessed what must surely be one of nature´s greatest "dramas"....the cooperative hunt of the Aplomado falcon!
This colorful, long-tailed falcon had made unforgettable impresion on me. I was hooked!
I began to study all the material that I could find on this amazing bird of prey.
I recently crossed paths with a family of Aplomado falcons here in Tlacotalpan Veracruz, Mexico where I live. What I hope to do over the next several weeks is share with you images as well as information regarding Falco femoralis - The Aplomado Falcon.

Here is the image a provoked a renewed interest in the Aplomado falcon. While conducting my annual spring hawkwatch here in Tlacotalpan, I had Dane Ferell (of the Corpus Christi Texas Hawkwatch) here with me helping me with my spring raptor migration count. One morning (April 3, 2006) we were out birding before the hawkwatch and we came across this female Aplomado. I digiscoped a few pictures. (For those who may not know "digiscoping" is a is a photography technique that couples a digital camera with a spotting telescope. In the birding world the late Laurence Poh is considered to be the "father of digiscoping". Laurence eagerly shared with many his techniques, which have revolutionized nature/bird photography. Thanks to this recent technology, it is now possible to photograph most birds from a considerable distance and still capture their behavior and visual characteristics without "stressing" the bird.
Unless otherwise noted my photographs of the Aplomado falcon have been "digiscoped" using a Nikon Coolpix P1 (8megapixels) camera handheld to a Nikon Fieldscope 82mmED with a 30XWide Angle eyepiece, with either a Slik or Gitzo tripod.
So the journey begins of the Aplomado falcon family in the spring of 2006 in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz Mexico.
David McCauley
hawkwatch@gmail.com

2006-05-04T09:17:00.000-05:00

2006-04-27T04:17:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon here in Tlacotalpan Veracruz in a three hour period, I was able to count 5,675 Broad-winged hawks. There had been a bit of a lull in the movement of Broad-winged hawks here at the count but today they made a good showing.

In the morning yesterday I was able to "digiscope" this cool Yellow-headed Savannah Vulture (lesser)
The Savannah vulture is a resident here in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz. In flight they resemble a Turkey vulture.

-David McCauley

2006-04-27T03:47:00.000-05:00

On April 25, 2006 Twenty-three Peregrine falcons flew over the spring hawkwatch in Tlacotalpan Veracruz.

I love to watch Peregrine falcons! Perched or in flight this is one damn impressive raptor! In recent days they have been migrating through in fairly large numbers. We have observed and counted 65 Peregrine falcons in the last seven days. So far this spring we have counted 136 Peregrines.
On April 25, in the afternoon, this beautiful Peregrine falcon landed on a radio antenna (two blocks from the hawkwatch site) I left Rafael and José Luis counting, grabbed my scope and digital camera, and was able to get a few photos of this Peregrine falcon at rest.
Enjoy.
David McCauley
hawkwatch@gmail.com

2006-04-25T06:08:00.000-05:00

(photo of a Roadside Hawk that I "digiscoped" yesterday in Veracruz)

Yesterday we passed the 200,000 mark for raptors counted at the spring hawkwatch here in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz. It has been an amazing spring. See HAWKCOUNT
We have logged 207 hours and seen 19 migratory raptor species. Really good stuff!
This year I have had more help scanning and counting and that has made all of the difference. Mississippi kites are still coming through in good numbers.
David McCauley

2006-04-21T08:50:00.000-05:00

15,255 Mississippi kites and a Great Black Hawk

Yesterday I was out in the morning before the hawkwatch and was able to "digiscope" this beautiful adult Great black Hawk - Buteo urubitinga ridgwayi
Nikon Coolpix P1 handheld to Nikon Fieldscope 82 ED 30XWA eyepiece - Slik tripod

Once again the raptors here at spring hawkwatch in Tlacotalpan put on a magnificent showing. Today the Mississippi kites were in the spotlight. We counted 15,255 Mississippi kites in a 4 hour span. There were three large groups of 1,500 plus Mississippi kites.
The total count for the day was 16,351
The count for April so far is .......160,114 (133 hours of observation)
The total count this far for the Tlacotalpan Spring hawk watch is...190,832 (186 hours of observation)

Me, on the porch of the house in front of Plaza Doña Marta, sitting in my favourite "hawkwatch rocking chair" Its a tough job...but somebody's got to do it..LOL
Having the time of my life and happy to share it with the world.
Eyes to the sky,
David McCauley
hawkwatch@gmail.com

2006-04-18T09:54:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Veracruz - I was out early yesterday and was able to digiscope this adult Roadside hawk.
The winds persisted from the south and there was no apparent raptor movement. At 14:30 the winds shifted from the SSE and the floodgates opened!
For the next three hours the sky was filled with raptor migration! There were no massive groups of raptors, the largest "stream" was about 500 raptors (mississippi kites). Fairly low flight provide excellent views.
Below are some photos that I took through my binocular to give you a sense of what was happening. (click on all of the photos for the enlargement).
David McCauley
hawkwatch@gmail.com

2006-04-17T06:46:00.000-05:00

It was quite an amazing day here at the hawkwatch in Tlacotalpan. The afternoon brought low flying mixes of Swainson's hawks and Broad-winged hawks.

2006-04-16T07:02:00.000-05:00

I logged a little over 7.5 hours here yesterday in hawkwatch. I observed 16 species of birds of prey (including resident raptors) and counted 2,382 northward bound raptors.
The bulk of the days movement occurred between 3 and 5 pm.
The afternoon sun illuminates the low flying raptors as the gracefully swirl overhead. Broad-winged hawks, Swainson´s hawks, Missippi kites, Peregrine falcons, Osprey, Sharp-shinned hawks, Cooper´s hawks........hawkwatch bliss.
With two weeks of April counting done we have counted 97,093 migrating raptors and the total spring count including some days in March is 127,811.
HAWKCOUNT

2006-04-15T04:11:00.000-05:00

Spring hawkwatch 2006 Tlacotalpan Veracruz. Here is a brief report of the Tlacotalpan Spring hawkwatch so far. With 149 hours of observation time we have counted 125,429 migrating raptors (18 migrating raptor species observed and 9 species of resident raptors for a total of 27 species of raptors observed.) I don´t know of any other hawkwatch site that can equal this type of raptor diversity.
This year I had more help with the hawkwatch observation and it is reflected in the numbers. I want to thank all those who have helped out so far this season.
I still have two weeks of observation left for the month of April. For a report of this and previous year´s counts here in Tlacotalpan Veracruz, you can visit the HAWKCOUNT site.
I have not made regular posts to my weblog as I have been very occupied with visitors, early morning birding / "digiscoping" and cooking.
For these last two weeks I plan to post on my weblog some of my hawkwatch observations and share with you a little of this marvelous hawkwatch experience.

2006-03-03T06:08:00.000-06:00

My first day on the spring hawkwatch. March 2nd I was able to spend 3 hours on the hawkwatch. I have a new counting location this year about a half a block away from the house. I am on the rooftop of a 3 story building with a nice clear view. The added height will allow me to see things that I missed last year. I have still have to fix up a small area with some shade. Early next week I should have my new digiscoping equipment.
I am pretty excited to try it out.
As for my observations...I counted 15 Turkey vultures. As of March 20th I plan to put in 8 hours a day on the hawkwatck until April 30th.
I could use some counting help if anyone can come down. I also need a couple new clickers.
contact me hawkwatch@gmail.com
A couple of days ago I was able to get out and photograph a juvenile Snail kite

and a Northern Caracara gathering nesting material

2006-01-07T16:29:00.000-06:00

Spring Hawkwatch 2006
Attention birders and hawkwatch enthusiasts I warmly invite you to make some plans for the spring bird of prey migration here in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz....... March 20th through April 8th I will be offering a birding/raptor migration tour here in Tlacotalpan Veracruz that will feature the spring raptor migration, general birding, some mexican cooking classes and an overall good time.
Last year during these dates I counted 74,629 raptors!
This year is going to be great! You can sit on my front porch in the afternoon and watch raptors fly overhead by the hundreds and thousands. It´s fantastic stuff!

I want people to come down this year.
The trips are flexible, decide the amount of days that you want to stay from March 20 through April 8th. The cost is $75.00 USD per day based on either single or double occupancy and includes;
1. early moring birding (6:30am til 9am) afternoons will be dedicated to the hawkwatch.
2. Basic accomodations (clean rooms with ceiling or floor fans) AC would be additional.
3. breakfast, lunch and dinner
4. if you so desire, you can pick up some tips on preparing some great mexican dishes.
5. purified drinking water
(not included, between meal snacks, alcoholic beverages )
If you want someone to meet you at the airport in Veracruz and accompany you to Tlacotalpan r/t add on $50.00 USD

You can contact me for more information David McCauley, my e-mail is hawkwatch@gmail.com

Good birding,
David

2005-11-01T07:48:00.000-06:00

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.

2005-10-31T08:20:00.000-06:00

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.

2005-10-29T03:39:00.000-05:00

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

2005-10-22T07:09:00.000-05:00

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.

2005-10-21T08:25:00.000-05:00

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.

2005-10-19T21:15:00.000-05:00

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

2005-10-18T21:30:00.000-05:00

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.

2005-10-17T21:29:00.000-05:00

Greetings All:
Here´s the day............

Green-breasted mangos are hummingbirds

The dark clouds tell the story...lots of sprinkles....

Some pics to give you a feel of the people here in Veracruz.....a lot of fun loving people here and I love to share the "hawkwatch experience " with them.

2005-10-17T09:18:00.000-05:00

It is nice to see that Pronatura Veracruz has begun to make posts on Hawkcount of their migration totals. Although I have had some good days this year in raptor observation here in the tropical wet/lowlands, nothing compares with the visuals of of Cardel, Chichicaxtle and the higher ridges of Paso de Ovejas.

2005-10-16T18:09:00.000-05:00

After more rain in the morning the sun finally came out and I headed to San José Papaloapan to observe.
I was able to observe for 0ne hour (13:00-14:00) When I arrived I saw Swainson´s hawks and Turkey vultures just beginning to come up and form "kettles" All movements were slow
Here´s my count for the hour:
Swainson´s hawk...................467
Turkey Vulture......................233
Broad-winged hawk.................56
Sharp-shinned hawk..................3
Osprey..........................................1
American Kestrel........................1
Total............................................761
**Note that after one hour of observation the rain started in again. I stayed around for another hour looking for a break and then headed back to Tlacotalpan.

2005-10-15T09:34:00.000-05:00

Now for today´s weather.....I woke up to a downpour, took advantage of a letup of the rain and ventured out to take a few pictures.

If this moisture in the Gulf of Mexico gets to us I would not be surprised to see a bit of flooding here in the next 24 to 36 hours. As I write this the sun is shining, so who knows?
This has been one crazy year weather wise.
It will be nice to see some raptors.....I promise, there are still some out there!

Areas that I would normally bird this time of year (in hiking boots) are presently only accesible with a good horse...or canoe.
Good birding,
David

2005-10-14T18:30:00.000-05:00

Forty days and forty nights..........looking for wood to build the ark.....how many cubits?

Believe it or not....more rain...steady all day....... much more of this and I am changing the name of the blog from Veracruz Hawk Watch to Veracruz Weather Report......(laughs)
I did catch a glimpse of a Peregrine falcon on the telecommunications tower here in Tlacotalpan....that will have to do for the moment.
David

2005-10-13T18:29:00.000-05:00

I am taking a "break" today...the combination of heat, humidity and sun communicated to my body that I needed to sit this one out. Below is a photo that I took yesterday at San José Papaloapan Veracruz. (CLICK for a larger view)

The fall migration is incredible. Yesterday as I was watching for migrating raptors here in Veracruz, I was able to note the energy of the southward flow of the non- raptors.
There was not a single moment that there was not some type of migratory movement.
V´s of white and white faced ibis flying low over the fields of sugar cane with a backdrop of crystal blue skies and a dollop here and there of white puffy clouds.
As the breeze comes in gently from the NNE it offers a little relief fron the heat and humidity of the tropics.
Waves of swallows pass............ Barn, Cliff, Northern rough-winged and Tree swallows, at times I witness countless thousands pass by in a single day.
I love to watch the groups of white collared swifts, on the far horizon, when they gather in a thermal they can be sometimes mistaken for raptors.
Wood storks a treat........their grace in flight, the striking contrast of white, black and the dazzling blue background of the sky.....as they enter a thermal they all circle in unison, at times the group seems to dissapear as they slowly turn, then as if by magic they reappear in bright white flashes of reflected sunlight off their wings.
The Wood storks and American white pelicans move slowly and relaxed, they easily zigzag off of the north to south line of the compass.
The distinctive shape of the Anhinga and it´s movement in unison as they enter thermal is another visual pleasure.

The flapping wings and flashing of pink of the Scissor-tailed flycatcher as the move south in search of an abundant food source. (I have seen hundreds in a single day)
I consider myself most fortunate.......I only counted 17 birds of prey yesterday but it was offset by the scenic beauty and movement in the sky of birds on the move....... southward.

Good birding All,

David

2005-10-12T20:17:00.000-05:00

Things a bit slow here today (I was in San José Paploapan, Veracruz).....after yesterdays count of 10,327 migrating raptors, I counted 17 in four hours. (10am til 14:00) I wasn´t able to dedicate the whole day to the count, but I doubt that much more happened after I left.

2005-10-11T19:35:00.000-05:00

Excellent day! 14 kilometers to the southwest of Tlacotalpan........San José Papaloapan
10,327 raptors counted.
Yesterdays count here in Tlacotalpan........47 raptors. Today I rode the bus to San José Papaloapan (14 kilometers to the southwest) and was able to observe 10,327 raptors (12 species)........in hawkwatch terms...it was a good solid day.
Eight days ago here in Tlacotalpan we were looking into the barrel of tropical storm/hurricane "Stan"........we lucked out, as the storm touched land to the south between Roca Partida and Montepio.
I have been on the hawkwacth nearly every day, yesterday with clear skies I only observed 47 raptors here in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, so today I headed to San José Papaloapan , 14 km to the SW of Tlacotalpan. I have been there before and made some observations. As I got off the bus and began to walk to the observation location, people came out of their houses to say "David, yesterday many thousands of hawks passed by!" It was a good feeling, to know that in some small way my presence there had awakened an interest in looking to the skies for raptors.

Please click on the photos to see larger image.

The spot that I chose to observe is a little bird watchers paradise. In the surrounding trees and water there are easily 70 species of birds and this doesn´t include the passing birds of prey.......pretty nice!

Below is a satellite image (Google Maps) that gives you an idea where Tlacotalpan is in relation to San José Papaloapan

Todays report:
October 11, 2005 San José Papaloapan, Veracruz MX
Skies with scattered clouds...mostly clear. Hi temp of 34C
Light winds from the SW.
Observation time 10 am til 18:00
Broad-winged hawks.........................5,239
Turkey Vultures................................2,636
Swainson´s hawks.............................2,177
Osprey......................................................12
Peregrine falcon.........................................3
Sharp-shinned hawk...............................33
Cooper´s hawk........................................17
American Kestrel....................................19
Merlin.........................................................3
Northern Harrier.....................................2
Mississippi Kite.......................................188
Zone-tailed Hawk......................................1
Total.....................................................10,327

Raptors Non migratory........Black vulture, Snail kite, Black-collared hawk, Northern Caracara, Roadside hawk, Laughing falcon, Lesser yellow_headed savannah vulture,

Others:
Hundreds of wood storks
hundreds of Scissor-tailed flycatchers

Life is indeed good! Good birding and back atcha tomorrow.
David McCauley

2005-10-11T08:20:00.000-05:00

Monday Oct. 10, 2005
Click on the images to see larger view

(above) the Papaloapan River full, and overflowing.......massive amounts of water passing through the river. This is the wetest fall in a many years. So far no serious flooding here in Tlacotalpan

An ID collage of photos that I took here on Monday Oct 10,

Sunny all day...the afternoon, HOT 38 C max.
The wind was from the south (all day) not a favorable wind for raptor migration
Today´s observation report:
9:00am til18:00
Broad-winged hawks..................2
Swainson´s hawk........................2
Turkey Vultures........................25
Osprey........................................9
Peregrine falcon..........................4
Sharp-shinned hawk...................2
Cooper´s hawk.............................1
American Kestrel.........................2
TOTAL.........................................47

Tuesday I am going to San José Papaloapan ( 14 kilometers from Tlacotalpan on the road towards Cosamaloapan) I want to see what things look like there.........

David

2005-10-10T22:10:00.000-05:00

Sunday, October 9, 2005
"Big Sit"
(more to come.....)

The "big sit" team...Tlacobirders

2005-10-09T00:32:00.000-05:00

I woke up to more rain on Saturday October 8, 2005
For a few hours in the afternoon we got a break in the clouds.....it feels like a sauna.
I kept scanning for raptors as I made preparations in the afternoon for Sunday´s
event the "Big Sit".
I did see 1 Peregrine falcon.
On Sunday 6am, our "Big Sit" team "Tlaco-birders" (10 of us) will head out" rain or shine" to see how many species of birds we can observe from our circle.
I am excited, we have a great group of high school students (all very enthusiastic) who are making the "Big Sit" into a project for their tourism class.
I will post some photos along with highlights tomorrow.
I would love to see bunches of migrating raptors during Sunday´s observation event.

Good birding All!

David McCauley
Tlacotalpan, Veracruz Mexico

2005-10-07T18:46:00.000-05:00

Finally a break in the weather....... at 11:30 am the sun finally broke through we had light winds from the NNW and ended the day with clear blue skies.

Here is my report for the day:
Oct 7, 2005
Tlacotalpan, Veracruz Mexico
observation 11:30am to 16:30
Broad-winged hawk .........2
Swainson´s hawk...............1
Osprey.................................3
Peregrine falcon................ 2
Merlin.................................1 (harassing two Black Vultures)
TOTAL...............................9
I saw my first Scissor-tailed flycatcher in migration today.
I got some nice views of our resident Bat falcon circling in the afternoon. So things have started to move again. I will keep you posted.

With the river swollen, these small fish have begun to leave the lagoons and tributaries....the edge of the river is filled with these small fish. The fisherman simply drop a flat circular net attached to a rope............. let it set for a minute and pull it to the surface, sometimes with hundreds of these small fish in each lift.
The females are harvested for their egg sac in spanish it is called "hueva de naca". The egg sac is cooked and it is a delicacy here, I have eaten the dish its pretty tasty.

Does anyone know the scientific name for this fish? I would like to know.
you can email: hawkwatch@gmail.com

2005-10-06T18:57:00.000-05:00

It ain´t over till it´s over! Looks like some flooding still may be possible. The damage reports continue to come in from tropical storm/hurricane Stan.....Mexican president Vicente Fox has been travelling the country and surveying the damage. On a national level , funds to the tune of 462 million dollars have been allocated for disaster relief.
Thus far in the state of Veracruz 140,000 people have been displaced fron their homes with 160 municipalities being affected. In just the state of Veracruz 15 rivers have overflown their banks.......and the moisture is still with us. In the state of Chiapas damages are still waiting to be assesed.

Greetings All:
Damn, I wish I could be telling you about migrating birds of prey and the numbers that are passing by.... but not yet.
When this weather breaks we should have one "whoopteedoo" push of raptors!
I can´t wait! Meanwhile.....please bear with me, and now for David´s weather report......

Water vapor satellite imagery as of 19:00 Oct. 6, 2005
This damn rain just won´t clear out!
It drizzled all of last night and sprinkled during the day. The drainage basin of the Papaloapan river is immense....the fact that this moisture fron "Stan" is not moving out is creating conditions for flooding here.

No wind, the river is calm and rising............Tlacotalpan, has been flooded on numerous occasions....1969 being the last major flood.....This was prior to the construction of the Miguel Aleman dam.....near Tuxtepec Oaxaca.

The marker shows that the river Papaloapan is to the brink......I think that there is a possibility that we may get some flooding.....only time will tell. The photo below was the marker on October 3, 2005

That´s it for the moment....just kickin back.........

2005-10-05T16:17:00.000-05:00

All calm............I went out early on my bicycle to do a survey of the sorrounding areas. As a result of tropical storm/hurricane Stan we had a few trees blown over, I noticed some branches broken off.....overall not much damage here considering what it could have been.

"Stan" continued to inflict damage as it moved south with 125 flood related deaths being reported, 6 in Chiapas and the rest in Guatemala and El Salvador.

Birding was good today (72 species observed in 5 hours ) My bird of the day was was a Golden-winged wabler Verimora chrysoptera LINK TO PHOTO....this is a very unusual transient, they winter from Guatemala south to Venezuela....I was able to get some nice views. I am wondering if this could fallout from "Stan"
Will I was out birding I kept glancing skyward for raptor traces.......nothing, no one single migrating raptor spotted today. Still lots of moisture around WaterVapor IMAGE I can´t wait to get back into raptor migration mode!

This Sunday October 9th is the 13 annual "Big Sit" I have picked out our "Cirlce" already here in Tlacotalpan and have been putting the team together. (This year it will be some of the students at the local CBETIS (high school with a vocational focus) these students are studying tourism. Hopefully the activity will awaken some interest in the students in ecotourism.

This sunday is the 13th annual "Big Sit". For those of you have never heard of it, it is a barrel of fun! It has been dubbed "birding´s most sendentary event"......here is the gist of it. You pick a location and in a circle 17 ft in diameter and you count all of the birds that you can see or hear for a 24 hour period, Starting at 12am Sunday October 9 til midnight. The rules, registration and general information can be found at the following link:

http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/funbirds/bigsit/bigsit.aspx

I have participated for the last 4 years and it is a "kick"! You can approach it in ernest, or take a more laid back approach. The cool thing about the "big sit" is that it brings people together and makes them aware of just how many birds there are around them. The people at Birdwatchers Digest are doing a great job of sponsoring the event...the idea originated with the New Haven CT Birding Club.

This a worldwide event. Got for it! you can register you circle at the above link, and you might just have a good time doing it.

2005-10-04T15:10:00.000-05:00

The winds have begun to subside, the rain continues on and off........I was just out walking around for about an hour. The water levels here on the Papaloapan river have remained constant (I understand that they are controlling flow somewhat from the Miguel Aleman dam which is located not too far from Tuxtepec, Oaxaca.
As I understand it the Hurricane Stan (category I) touched land near Roca partida/Montepio just to the north of the Tuxtlas Mtns., supposedly the volcanic geography of theTuxtlas helped take some of the "kick" out of the winds of the hurricane.
The next 24 to 36 hours will be interesting to observe.......although the winds seem to be dissapating, we have recieved alot of moisture and more is still out in the Gulf headed this way.
here is a link to the lastest water vapor imagery as of 15:30 Oct 4, 2005
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assets/public/compliance/monops/data/satellite/GOES/GULF/wv/latest.jpeg

2005-10-04T04:16:00.000-05:00

Make a new plan "Stan"............well, it may be too late for that.
Well I won´t be watching for raptors today........ photo below taken
6:30am Oct, 4, 2005

Water vapor image as of 9:30 a.m. Oct. 4

It´s official, as of 5am we are now looking at Hurricane "Stan" category 1 excerpt:
here is the latest from the national hurricane center

Here´s the latest from the National Hurricane Center
I am trying to get things boarded up a bit. Lets hope for the best.
Projected rainfall of 10 to 15 inches.
Tlacotalpan´s last hurricane was in 1955......not a usual occurence.
Possible areas of flash flooding here in Veracruz are being evacuated.

2005-10-03T17:33:00.000-05:00

Trouble on the horizon? ...Tropical storm Stan headed our way.......
I observed for about an hour in the morning today,
Osprey........4
Peregrine falcon........3
Amercian kestrels......2 (flapping like hell to get out of here.....LOL)
25 30 MPH winds from the NNW with intermitent showers.

I have been watching this moisture build up for the past two days......now we have a tropical storm "Stan" and it is moving to the west at about 10 mph it could reach us by Tues pm or early Wed.. as of this moment flooding will be the big concern. Looks like my hawk watch observations will be put on hold for a couple of days, as I make some preparations.........I am taking this one seriously. According to my GPS, here in Tlacotalpan, we are 26 ft. above sea level, and located on the banks of the Papaloapan river. The surrounding area is a vast expanse of tropical lowlands/wetlands........the ground is already super staturated because of the rainy season, I am hoping for the best. Here is a link to a Google satellite image of Tlacotalpan LINK it gives you and idea of the surrounding wetlands.....

Any one with comments or advice?
hawkwatch@gmail.com

2005-10-02T17:25:00.000-05:00

197 Broad-winged hawks and an afternoon in a Mexican cantina.......

The pictures pretty much tell the story.....a washout for the hawkwatch, opening a window for a beer in a favorite watering hole......

Each year that I live here in Mexico and experience a spring or fall raptor migration I ask myself.....why am I essentially alone in observing what must be among the greatest raptor migrations to be seen on the planet?
There are supposedly millions of dedicated birders in the US and Canada, they travel all over the US to see a rare bird, but the line seemes to stop at the Texas /Mexico border.
Mexico..........fraught with danger, you´ll surely get diarreah if you drink the water, you´ll be robbed.....who knows? Stereotypes at their worst..........
Americans (many) seem to be OK with Mexicans, as long as the relationship doesn´t extend beyond them mowing their lawns, pruning their trees, washing their dishes in their favorite restaurant or a myriad of underpaid tasks..............
Just a note to anyone who might read this........birders, let´s give Mexico a chance.......Mexico is a developing country (as once was the United States) her people are for the most part hospitable, warm and caring, the country provides great birding opportunities, and an opportunity to see life as it is.
I issue a challenge to birders in the US.....visit Mexico to bird.
If you are a bigoted, elitist, "let me fill my list with endemic specialties at any cost" birder please stay at home....we don´t need it.
I have had my fill of "fat cat"/"its all about me and my comfort birders".
Having spent the last 7 years as a birding guide here in Veracruz, I have seen and heard it all.

I can tell you that birding here is wonderful, the food is great and the opportunity exists to share your birding passion with people who are less fortunate.
OK, enough already,........ I love Mexico and I love my country, USA- I know that good "regular people" birders would have the time of their life down here birding....you are all invited.

My report:
Oct. 2, 2005
Tlacotalpan Ver.
9:30-11:30
Day started out somewhat overcast turning into rains for most of the day, I was able to observe 197 Broad-winged hawks zipping through in front of the dark storm clouds.
Broad-winged hawks..........197
TV.............................................3
Osprey.....................................2
Peregrine falcon......................2
American kestrel....................2

Total......................................206

2005-10-02T06:01:00.000-05:00

Tlacotlapan, Ver, MX Oct.1, 2005 3,857 raptors counted

Greeetings All:
Observation Oct.1, 2005
Tlacotalpan, Veracruz
Mostly clear blue skies, high temp. 35C , light breeze from the NNE
I only observed from 11:00 am til 14:30
The combination of clear blue skies and very high flying Broad-winged hawks made viewing a real challenge.
Hawks were coming in fast and HIGH (without a binocular you would never even pick them up)
Report:
Broad-winged hawks....................3,830
Turkey vultures......................

...........9
Osprey...........................................11
Peregrine falcon................................2
American kestrel...............................1
Sharp-shinned hawk..........................2
Cooper´s hawk..................................1
Merlin...............................................1

TOTAL........................................3,857

I am sure that I missed more than I counted today....the sun and heat took its toll on me today....I´ll get some needed rest and be back at it tomorrow.

2005-09-30T18:17:00.000-05:00

After two very slow days here at the hawkwatch in Tlacotalpan Veracruz we finally get some action. Below I show a satellite image from Google Maps
(this interative satellite image site of Google is phenomenal!!)
I worked up a crude map to show you the direction of the migrating raptors as they flow over Tlacotalpan (where I am currently monitoring the raptor migration) I don´t suggest that all the raptors are flying over Tlacotalpan......but enough to make it worth watching.

The morning was slow raptor wise......I was able to "digiscope" a couple of birds here in Plaza Doña Marta. (Below is a fledgling Green heron, there are two of them, I am able to see their antics on an off during the day.

Tropical Kingbird that I was able to digiscope today. These guys are always hanging around during the day.

At 13:30 a slow moving group (25) of Turkey Vultures appear over the Plaza.

Finally! After two days of famine....a nice snack! (laughs)
Between 13:45 and 14:45 I got some Broad-winged hawk movement. (Yesterday here was zip for BW´s) Some nice lines/kettles overhead.
Today, the biggest line of Broad-winged hawks was 1,560.
In one hour´s time I am able to comfortably count 4,218 Broad-winged hawks.

Broad-winged hawks were quite high today. Photo below shows the classic
flight profile of Broad-winged hawks in glide

Today´s report
Tlacotalpan, Veracruz Mexico
Sept. 30, 2005
Count conducted from 10 am til 16:00
light winds from the NNE, hot and humid (rained most of last night) with high of 33C

Broad-winged hawks...........4,218
Turkey Vultures........................87
Osprey..........................................7
Peregrine falcon.........................11
Sharp-shinned hawk...................1
Cooper´s hawk.............................3
American kestrel..........................2

TOTAL..................................4,329

Resident raptors spotted...Black vulture, Lesser (yelow-headed) Savannah vulture, Northern caracara, Snail kite, Roadside hawk, Great Black hawk (sub-adult).

A solid day albeit a bit slow.........tomorrow should be better.

David McCauley
hawkwatch@gmail.com

2005-09-30T02:40:00.000-05:00

Slow day here at the hawkwatch Sept. 29, 2005
Here is a satellite view at 16:00 We are kind of boxed in with some moisture to the north and south.
Tlacotalpan Veracruz
Sept. 29, 2005
Observation time 10:00a.m. til 4p.m. Hot 34C muggy, light breeze from NNE
first migratory raptor of the day appeared 12:11 pm (7) Mississippi kites)

Mississippi kites.........7
Cooper´s hawk............1
Peregrine falcon..........2
Zone-tailed hawk........1
Turkey Vulture...........4

TOTAL......................15

There you have it.
Two slow days now.
I am hoping for some movement tomorrow.

--
David McCauley

2005-09-28T16:42:00.000-05:00

Rita´s effects felt here today.
September 28, 2005
Plaza Doña Marta
Tlacotlapan, Veracruz
I get up ready for hawkwatch. The imprints of yesterday´s migration are with me and I am ready for more of the same. I check the most current satellite image....things look good.

I start observation at 9:30 am, The skies are mostly clear and conditions weatherwise are seem to be ideal for raptor migration.

I stopped observation at 16:00....the results?

Broad-winged hawks........60
Turkey Vultures................15
Osprey..................................7
Cooper´s hawk....................4
American kestrel................5
Peregrine falcon.................3
Hooked-billed kite.............1
Merlin.................................2

TOTAL.............................97
After yesterday´s flood of raptors, 84,579..... (it was the most density I have ever witnessed and I have spent last 5 migration seasons in the Cardel/Chichicaxtle/Paso de Ovejas area)
Today was a pause...I surmise that it is the effect from hurricane Rita in Texas and Louisiana.
It would be nice to see a report from PRONATURA VERACRUZ as to what their counts were like.
But for some reason, for the past couple of years they share their data in December.
If anyone from Pronatura reads this, just remember....its nice to share.....in a timely fashion.
So thats it for today.
I was able to digiscope a Groove-billed ani that was here in the Plaza Doña Marta today as well as a dragonfly and a photo detail of a red tiled roof. Enjoy.
I look forward to tomorrow´s watch.
David McCauley
hawkwatch@gmail.com

2005-09-27T18:14:00.000-05:00

I must admit I am a little nervous about making this post.....after a record day counting raptors here in Tlacotalpan on Sunday September 25, 2005 (59,005)
Yesterday was a rain day...it rained steady most all day and most of the night.
I got up early and looked at satellite images and tried to see if conditions would be right to observe raptors. I headed for the hotel Reforma and set up shop and observed
from 10:30a.m. til 12:00p.m.
Things were slow......I scanned the sky for all I was worth...I had only observed 9 Broad-winged hawks.....1 Mississippi kite......6 Osprey........3 Turkey vultures, 1 Amercian kestrel and 1 Peregrine falcon.
By noon the sun was beating down pretty hard and having no shade I left the rooftop of the hotel and headed back to the Plaza Doña Marta (in front of my house which was 2 blocks away).
I scanned from 12:00p.m to 13:00 and nothing....I noticed that some dark clouds were beginning to move in from the northwest and thought that rain was reason things were so slow.
At 13:00 I pick up a forming "kettle" of Broad-wings, the flow coming into the "kettle" is 10 raptors wide, I count it easy 765. I resisted the temptation to take some photos as I wanted to give priority to the count.
I do a quick scan and pick up (what for me) is a monster line coming in from the NNW, ( I take a deep breath and tell myself...."you can do this".....) the breadth of the incoming line is at least 200! I get off 30 clicks on the line (6,000) I make a notation get back to business and spot another equal width line coming in behind the one that I had just counted. 200 wide....35 clicks and the line ends... 7,000 counted. I make the notation.
By this time the two groups had joined into a dark swirling cloud, as much as I wanted to watch the migratory magic I got back to business and scanned the sky.
I pick up a new incoming line 100 raptors wide....I scan the line to the horizon and the line has no end! I glance at my watch 13:20, get back to the front of the line and start to count ( the speed that they are moving is awesome! I am making a click about every 1.5 seconds, I constantly monitor the width of the line and it remains consistent.
The Broad-winged hawks are coming in quite low...I am able to see better without the aid of the binocular and continue the count without a break.......at this point the BW´s fill the sky......people walking on the street begin to make note and are shouting and pointing to the sky. Meanwhile the wind is moving the line I am counting further to the west......I walk to the west ( I continue counting) to keep the line clearly in sight.
Finally a break in the line.......the flow of raptors has stopped. I glance quickly at my watch 13:40.

I had been clicking for 20 minutes without interruption! My clicker registered 813, even though I estimated the width of the twenty minute flow to be 100 raptors wide, I have chosen to use 85 wide just to be on the conservative side.
813 clicks X 85 = 69,105 raptors counted in a 20 minute period.
I get back to scanning the sky ......I pick up another line moving directly over the river Papaloapan...much smaller line 10 wide....163 clicks later I make a notation of 1,635 Broad-winged hawks...

The tempest has passed.....I pick up 37 more laggers/slackers.
The interesting thing is that I am so focused on the count that the numbers counted don´t register with me until later.
The sky is empty of Broad-winged hawks...................................in a 40 minute period I have counted 84,542 southward bound Broad-winged hawks!
The curious thing is that after the fierce flow of raptors today...it was as if someone had shut off the spigot.......the sky was nearly devoid of migratory birds for the rest of the day ( I picked up 16 more raptors from 14:00 to 16:30) I only saw a handful of swallows in the last 2.5 hours....very unusual! (Could this be the break created by hurricane Rita?)
Wow! The migration day is over, the dust has settled and I still have to pinch myself to believe it really happened.
As I mentioned at the beginning of the post I am a little nervous as I know there will be some naysayers and people with alot more counting experience than I have who may doubt my findings.......sobeit.
I only wish that there could have been hundreds of birders/hawkwatch enthusiasts here today to experience this marvel of nature!

I am sitting back with a cold beer, reflecting on what has been one of the most special days of my life, the magnitude of the migratory energy has made me feel small and above all, grateful to have been a witness and participant in this incredible migration story.

(this Sol is for you Chris Camberlain....next year!)

Here is my report:
September 27, 2005
Tlacotalpan, Veracruz Mexico
10:30 am to 16:30 observation
Raptors coming in fron the NNW
Light winds from the NNE Temp. around 32 C
Broad-winged hawks.............84,551
Mississippi kite.............1
Osprey.............9
Turkey Vulture..........10
Sharp-shinned hawk........1
American Kestrel.........4
Peregrine falcon......3
Total for the day............84,579
Non-migrating raptor species observed Black vulture, Northen caracara, Snail kite, Lesser (yellow-headed) savannah vulture.

Keep your eyes to the sky,

David McCauley
hawkwatch@gmail.com

2005-09-27T09:41:00.000-05:00

Rain hampers raptor migration.
Monday September 26, it rained here in Tlacotlapan most of the day.

Tues. Sept. 27, it rained most of early morning, am hoping it will clear up a bit in the afternoon.

2005-09-26T07:54:00.000-05:00

Raptors in flight......poetry in motion.
Today was one of those days that I live for.
Over the past six years the last weeks of September and the first two weeks of October I travel to the northwest of the Port of Veracruz to Cardel/Chichicaxtle and Paso de Ovejas to observe the raptor migrations.
This year I decided to stay put here in Tlacotalpan and surrounding areas (55 miles to the south of Veracruz) and see if I could sort out the hawk migration as it passes through the vast tropical wetlands of central Veracruz.
For the past 20 days I have been going different spots along the the road between Tlacotalpan and Cosamaloapan (see map)
Up until Sunday Sept. 25th, I have made observations at 5 different locations and the results have been rather lackluster (by Veracruz standards). I did see nice movements of Mississippi Kites and the beginnings of the Broad-winged migration.
On saturday I was here in Tlacotalpan and not able to get out for the observation.
Saturday evening a friend here asked me if I had seen the hawks that came by. I started to ask some questions and he told me that he had seen several large groups come by. My curiosity was piqued.
I got up early on Sunday and decided to spend the bulk of the day observing right here in Tlacotalpan.
I walk 2 blocks from my house to the Hotel Reforma and walk up 4 flights of stairs to the rooftop. Here are some views View 1 View2 View3 View4
My first raptor sighting of the day was a resident Bat falcon perched on the radio atena atop the municipal building.
I watched with a keen fascination as the Bat falcon flew out from its perch 5 times in search of food. The bat falcons aerial abilities are awesome!
I expected to see the bat falcon come back with a swallow, to my surprise with each return to the perch it had captured a dragonfly. I knew that dragonflies were the mainstay for Missippi Kites but I had never seen a bat falcon "chow down" on dragonflies before.
I got settled down in my plastic chair (in the only patch of shade that I could find on the rooftop) and I scanned the sky from 9a.m. until 12:30.
I saw some small groups of "early lift" Broad-winged hawks in addition, groups of migrating anhinga, a Zone-tailed hawk, 10 Osprey, a resident Aplomado falcon, and several Lesser, Yellow-headed Savannah vultures (residents), a high flying female Snail kite and 1 White-tailed Kite.
From 9am until 12:30 p.m., I observed around 300 migrating raptors (274 BW)
At 12:30 I left the (then shadeless rooftop of the hotel) and headed two blocks away to my house located in front of plaza Doña Marta,
(for those of you who follow my ramblings here on the weblog, you will recognize Plaza Doña Marta as the home for my spring hawkwatch (114,000+ counted this year during the month of April)
OK, I rush home (I always rush when there are raptors in movement .....LOL!) get my self a nice cold coke and hunker down in the shade of that big tree you see in the photo of Plaza Doña Marta.
At approximately 12:55 I come across a forming "kettle" of Broad-winged hawks, I do a quick scan and see that this forming "kettle" is being fed by a massive line of Broad-winged hawks with a few Anhinga thrown in. The "kettle" that I had just spotted swells into a swirling mass of Broad-winged hawks!

In order to count the hawks in the field of view of my binocular I put the image in Photshop and blow it up 300 percent there I place a yellow dot on each hawk. SEE PHOTO**Note on the photos: most of the above photos where taken using a technique called "binoscoping" I hand hold my digital camera (Sony Mavica 250CD to the eyepiece of my 8X42 binocular) its not an easy trick , and the results are far from crystal clear, but it gives you and idea as to what I am seeing.

Over the next 10 minutes, I count 36,800 Broad-winged hawks. (For those of you with some counting experience, the breadth (wingtip to wingtip) of the "line" or "stream" as the leave the "kettle" ranged from 20 to 200, I estimated an average of 75 to be on the conservative side. I registered 492 clicks in an 8 to 10 min. period.
491 X 75 = 36,825 This first big push (36,800+) was followed by four smaller "pushes" (10,338 -- 9,700--1,250--600), 58,688 raptors counted between 12:55 p.m and 14:00 !

Here is a summary of my observations for the day:
9:00a.m to 15:30 observation time

Broad-winged hawks....58, 962

Swainson´s hawks......2

Mississippi kites....6

Osprey ....10

Turkey Vultures.......14

Cooper´s hawk......3

Sharp-shinned hawk.....2

Merlin.......1

Peregrine falcon......2

American kestrel.....1

Northern harrier....1

Zone-tailed hawk....1

Total .......59,005

Well, thats it for the moment, I hope that I was able to communicate adequeately some of the hawkwatch from Tlacotalpan.

I want to add a special note of appreciation to Patty Waites Beasley and Crew of the Corpus Cristi hawkwatch....I appreciate all of your time and efforts..you are my closest point of reference as to migrations from up north. I am glad to hear that you escaped hurricane Rita. Its a bummer that your festival had to be cancelled.

Keep up the good work and eyes to the sky!

And to Libby and Brock....Plaza Doña Marta says "Hi"

2005-09-23T07:23:00.000-05:00

This is the point where I observed from yesterday (Sept.22) I am shaded by a huge mango tree. The light winds from the NNW create a rustling sound as it passes through the sugar cane. It is hot 32C - 90 F.
The raptor migration numbers were not high yesterday (235 counted in 5 hours) but the diversity of birds of prey (16 species) was well worth the time spent. Migratory raptors observed: Broad-winged hawk(79), Mississippi kite(136), Osprey (8), Turkey Vulture (11) Swainson´s hawk (1)
Non migratory raptors:
Black vulture, Roadside hawk, Northern Caracara, Snail kite, Great black hawk, White-tailed kite, Laughing falcon, Aplomado falcon, Lesser yellow-headed savannah vulture, Common black hawk and Black collared hawk. Its always a treat to see this type of diversity.

In addition to raptors observed I was able to observe 35 bird species in the patch of trees behind me. Great kiskadee, blue-gray tanager, yellow-winged tanager, Rufous-naped wren, vermilion flycatcher, melodious blackbird, wood stork, anhinga, eastern kingbird, buff-bellied hummingbird, aztec parakeet, white collared swift, social flycatcher, rufous-tailed hummingbird, ringed kingfisher, whit ibis, Ruddy ground-dove, plain chachalaca, groove-billed ani...........

A couple of men chopping wood nearby stopped to chat when they were done working and shared their "find " with me a scorpion that was underneath the bark of the dead tree that they were cutting up for firewood. (They had clipped the stinger off the point of the tail)
You never know what you are going to see on a hawk watch!

2005-09-22T07:26:00.000-05:00

Greetings to All from central Veracruz, Mexico:
The 2005 hawkwatch is underway with the heaviest flows of migrating birds of prey yet to come. The Swallow-tailed kites and Mississippi kites have essentially moved through although MK continue to pass through.
This year I have had no takers on my fall raptor tours, so I am going to make the best of the situation and share with you some of my sightings, observations and notes as to raptor movements here in the tropical lowlands.

MAP

Photo of Broad-winged hawks

2005-09-01T07:16:00.000-05:00

Mississippi Kites in Veracruz:

Veracruz Fall 2005 Raptor Migrations - Info- Dates

2005-05-06T08:53:00.000-05:00

August 15th the official count or River of Raptors begins here in Veracruz......I still have openings for my 2005 River of Raptors tours, you can contact me at veracruz.hawkwatch@gmail.com
to reserve your space.
There is an outline of the tour below;

Dates and information on the Fall 2005 Raptor Migrations.

Greetings Birders:
I have set three dates for the 2005 Fall Raptor Migrations
here in Veracruz.

Sept. 26 - October 3
(In 2004 1,156,036 migrating raptors were counted during these dates)

October 4 - 11
(In 2004 1,123,203 migrating raptors were counted during these dates)

October 12 - 19
(In 2004 1,556,772 migrating raptors were counted during these dates)

The combined total of migrating raptors counted last year, for the three dates thatI have selected was ...........3,836,011

Let me give you the basics of my fall Hawkwatch/Birding Tour:
8 Day/Seven Night Tour
$1,200 US dollars per person (based on double occupancy)
Add $200 USD for Single supplement.

The tour cost includes lodging, meals, ground transportation, trip to the mangroves and visit to the Museum of Anthropology in Xalapa.
Activities:
We will go birding in the mornings and the afternoons will be spent observing the raptor migrations. (You may expect to observe between 150 to 200+ bird species during your trip.)

For more information please contact me:
David McCauley
Birding Veracruz
veracruz.hawkwatch@gmail.com

A map of the area of "River of Raptors" The three Birding/Hawkwatch trips that I have organized this year will be based in Paso de Ovejas, Veracruz.

Observe migrating raptors from the shaded elevated deck. The pool below provides a nice break from the heat.

One of the thrills of the Veracruz River of Raptors is to observe the sheer numbers of migrating raptors. The geographical features of central Veracruz create a "funnel-like" concentration of southward bound birds of prey. Central Veracruz provides the highest concentrations of migrating raptors to be found on the entire planet.

The grace in flight of the Mississippi Kite is an awesome sight. In 2004 the season tally for Mississippi Kites was 177,088

In the distance, the town of Paso de Ovejas. The town is situated in a low valley like setting near the Atiylac River. I have scouted locations to observe raptors on the high ridges to the north and south of the town

I have selected several locations on the ridges which provide spectacular panoramic views (with shade). This view facing to the north provides a "front row seat" to amazing "kettles" and "streams" of migrating raptors.

Broad-winged Hawks Rule the Day 19,642 Counted!

2005-04-06T04:52:00.000-05:00

The Broad-winged Hawks are passing over Tlacotalpan.

19,642 were counted today, April 5, 2005

Here are some links that you may find useful for infortmation on the Broad-winged Hawk

Peregrine Fund

Peterson
You can find additional information on this and other hawkwatches at:

HAWKCOUNT

This

is my photo blog on the spring hawkwatch here in Tlacotalpan. I began

the count on March 21 and as of April 5th I have counted 75,685

migrating raptors in 11 different species. I want to share with you

some of this marvelous migration that I am able to witness. I you are

reading this I would like for you to drop me a line,

hawkwatch@gmail.com It is fun to know who is visiting my

photo weblog. David McCauley.

Physical setting for the spring hawkwatch, my front porch.

Artist rendition of the famous Posadas print "La Katrina" Painted by Tlacotalpan Painter Rafael Aguilera

Tlacotalpan is a UNESCO world heritage site. The town was founded by the Spanish in 1590.

Tally board here in Plaza Doña Marta for April 2.

Broad-winged Hawks kettle of the Plaza Doña Marta in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz

March 29, 05 Spring Hawkwatch Tlacotalpan Veracruz

2005-03-29T22:23:00.000-06:00

12,187 Raptors tallied today

Click here for larger view

Click here for larger view

Click here for larger view

Spring Hawkwatch 05 in Tlacotalpan Veracruz

2005-03-26T07:35:00.000-06:00

Greetings:
The spring raptor migration here is Veracruz is underway.
I counted 4,626 migrating raptors yesterday (March 25) and we have a total of 9,127 as of March 21 when I began to count. CLICK HERE to see yesterdays report on HAWKCOUNT
I wanted to share with you some images of the setting of the hawkwatch.

David McCauley
hawkwatch@gmail.com

2005-03-21T18:35:00.000-06:00

Greetings All:
Spring is officially here and this was my first full day of hawkwatch here in Tlacotalpan. We´re off to a nice start with 618 raptors observed among 8 species.
hawkcount daily report
The good news for all of you hawk watch enthusiats in the US and Canada,
THE RAPTORS ARE HEADED NORTH AND SOON TO BE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD!.
We had a wind from the south for most of the day, (which is not favorable for raptor migration). We shall see what "mañana" brings.
Good birding,

2005-02-16T12:09:00.000-06:00

Spring Hawkwatch 2005
I'm getting ready to conduct another hawkwatch from Tlacotalpan Veracruz.
Last year as some of you know I conducted a hawkwatch for the month of April and was able to count over 100,000 northward migrating raptors! This year I want to get started earlier with the count, I will keep you posted............
David
hawkwatch@gmail.com

2004-09-04T11:56:00.000-05:00

Now to the really good stuff!
The raptor migrations have begun here in Veracruz! If you’ve never experienced it is pretty mind boggling. Last year Pronatura Veracruz counted over 5.5 MILLION migrating raptors. The folks at Pronatura are one of the few groups doing anything about conservation and education here in Veracruz, I applaud their efforts.
(As a side note, three years ago when Tim Smart was here as a hawk watch counter he posted the daily results of the Veracruz count. I for one, really miss those daily reports on HAWKCOUNT/BIRDHAWK. The reports helped to give a true sense of the migratory marvel. I have mentioned it to both Norma Ferris and Rafael Rodriquez of Pronatura but so far the daily reports have not appeared. One of the mission goals of Pronatura is “environmental education” and the daily reports certainly contain migratory information.
If others out there miss the reports, I would encourage you to contact Pronatura Veracruz and see if they will share the information with the world.
pvecotours@infosel.net.mx

I have set up house here in Paso de Ovejas Veracruz SEE MAP. From the rooftop of my small apartment I have set up a hawk watch observation post. I have been able to determine that most of the raptor migrations from the Chichicaxtle count site pass directly over Paso de Ovejas. I will make an attempt to share with you via this weblog observation highlights as well as photos.

MISSISSIPPI KITES ANYONE???
Yesterday, September 3, 2004 provides some of the best views of Mississippi kites of the season. Approximately 38,000 Mississippi Kites were counted by PRONATURA between Cardel 16,000 and Chichicaxtle 22,000
Here are some photos that I took from my rooftop viewing area here in Paso de Ovejas.
I observed a heavy “push” from 13:00 to14:00 with up to three lines moving through at the same time. Around 20,000 Mississippi kites passed overhead in the course of an hour!
Here are some photos. Enjoy!
Photo 1
Photo 2
Photo 3
Photo 4
Photo 5
Photo 6

2004-09-04T11:42:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Veracruz:
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m David McCauley. I have lived in Veracruz for the last 12 years and began birding 6 years ago. I run a small birding tour business here in Veracruz, Birding Veracruz. I love Mexico. It is a wonderful country and its people are (for the most part) warm and friendly. It is of great concern to me the rapid loss of habitat here in Mexico. With over 115 species of migratory birds, (which either pass through or winter here in Mexico) concern over habitat destruction in Mexico and Latin America should be of interest to birders.
I note with some interest that a great number of birders in the U.S. have developed a “list fixation” and that issues such as habitat loss seems to be of very little concern. In many birding message boards conservation or environmental concerns are dismissed or banned.
Hmmmmm?
I don’t consider myself an environmental activist. Having grown up on a farm in central Washington and based on my observations here in Mexico, this farm boy thinks that it time to plant some trees south of the Texas border.
I am not much of a believer in causes and clubs or organizations. My goal in what remains of my life (I’m 51) is to purchase several small parcels (15 to 30 acres, each) of land in a variety of habitats here in Mexico and restore the original habitat. Its not much, but I believe that is a small step in the right direction.
The other project that I am working on here in Mexico are short presentations in the schools focusing attention on birds and their importance.
Small steps. I am optimistic that much can be accomplished here.

2004-08-21T09:45:00.000-05:00

Raptor-Rapture!
Paso de Ovejas, Veracruz
The fall 2004 raptor migrations have begun. From the roof top and balcony of my rented apartment here is Paso de Ovejas, (MAP) I may have the best seat in the house for the observation of migrating raptors. On the 8-17 and 8-18 I observed over 140 Mississippi Kites and 10 Swallow-tailed kites in five hours of viewing.
In one “stream” I counted 40 Mississippi kites and 5 Swallow-tailed Kites.
From my rooftop, I have a virtually uninterrupted 360 degree view. (Sunrise Paso de Ovejas)

Photo 1

Photo2

Photo3

It’s great to read the HAWKCOUNT reports from all the hard working teams in the US.
I love the names, Cranberry Marsh, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Allegheny Front, Wildcat Ridge, Waggoner's Gap, Bake Oven Knob, Second Mountain. I try to imagine what the hawkwatch sites must look like.
I also read with great interest the hawkwatch reports of Patty Waits Beasley from Corpus Christi, TX (Chocolate anyone?)
Corpus Christi movements provide me with a good ideas of possible raptor flows with two to three days anticipation.

In July I was able to photograph a juvenile Northern Potoo located a short distance from Paso de Ovejas. Here are some of the photos:
View 1
View 2
View 3
View 4
View 5

Well, this is it for the moment,

Good birding

David

2004-07-14T11:53:00.002-05:00

The Art of the Hawk Watch. Hawk Watch in Veracruz – River of Raptors
Birding is filled with a myriad of experiences that reward, that enrich us. Among these experiences, in my opinion, none are as satisfying as the often overlooked “Art of the Hawk Watch”
Each spring and fall a select group of birders drop everything to enter the realm of the hawk watch. First impressions can be deceiving, the hawk watch may appear boring, too difficult or too demanding from the exposure to the physical elements (heat/cold/winds) .
For many their first experience at a hawk watch is to spend many hours in the heat or cold and be rewarded by someone pointing out a distant speck and being informed that it was a Cooper’s hawk. After minutes of fruitless searching with the binocular you see something, it turns out to be the bread crumb from your ham sandwich that somehow got stuck on your binocular. When you do finally see something, it turns out to be a gull.
At the end of the hawk watch day (6 hours) you have see 17 birds of prey; 9 Broad-winged hawks , 2 Cooper’s Hawks, 3 Sharp-shinned hawks and 3 Turkey vultures, at least that is what the official counter says. The only good clear view that you got was a low flying Turkey vulture. You think to yourself, hawk watch? Whoopee! Great fun! Next weekend I think I will stay home and count nose hairs in the mirror. This is point where “been there, seen that, done that” can really take it’s toll.
If any of this sounds familiar, I have good news for you, not all hawk watches are the created equal.
I have the excellent fortune of living in the heart of what is probably the greatest migratory flyway for raptors on the face of the earth!
Last year over 5 million raptors, representing some 24 species were counted.

A little over a month ago, I rented a small apartment in Paso de Ovejas. Paso de Ovejas is located about forty minutes from the port city of Veracruz ( to the northwest), on the old highway that goes to Xalapa. I am here in preparation for the fall raptor migrations, River of Raptors .
For those who don’t know, I am a struggling nature photographer and birding guide and for most of the year I live in Tlacotlapan Veracruz ( a nice expanse of tropical wetlands located about two hours to the south of Veracruz)
I will be dividing my time between four weblogs, Birdwatch, Veracruz Hawk watch, Adventures in bird digiscoping and River of Raptors Veracruz. I will share photos, birding observations and try to give you some insight as to my daily life here in Mexico. I appreciate comments and feed back.

2004-05-24T19:47:00.000-05:00

Lineated woodpecker

2004-05-12T20:04:00.000-05:00

Dusted off the kayak today. (excerpt from birdwatch weblog)

2004-05-09T08:52:00.000-05:00

Updates:
Last time I posted I was waiting for the weather to give us a bit of a break so that raptors could pass through.
On May 7, the day started out clear but soon clouded over with skies to the south/southeast looking quite dark.
The days count 119...........
BW...67
MK...26

May 8, 2004
Good hawkwatch conditions today.
Here is a summary of the days report at HAWKCOUNT

2004-05-07T07:46:00.000-05:00

After five days of a combination of rain, strong winds and thunder storms, I have observed very little raptor movement.
Today we have sunshine so I will put in a full day observing and hopefully will see some nice 'pushes'.
Eyes to the sky,
David McCauley
Tlacotalpan Veracruz Mexico
PS, I posted some photo links of the Neotropic cormorant on my other weblog:
http://birdwatch.blogspot.com

2004-05-05T12:12:00.000-05:00

May 2nd-4th 2004
Spring hawk watch
Tlacotalpan Veracruz Mexico

Rain, strong winds " Veracruz norte" on the 2nd and third. No raptor movement. May fourth, no migratory movement. I went out digiscoping and found plenty of Turkey Vultures roosting in the trees, many were soaring but not headed anywhere fast. I think raptors are waiting for more optimum migration conditions.

I got some good bird photos yesterday, some nice views of the
Bare-throated Tigerheron
Tigrisoma m.mexicanum
This evening I plan to make a post of the photos on my other weblog:
www.birdwatch.blogspot.com
Good birding All.
David McCauley

2004-05-05T12:01:00.000-05:00

May 1, 2004
Spring Hawk Watch
Tlacotalpan Veracruz Mexico

I conducted a count in the afternoon from 14:00 to 17:00.
894 Migrating raptors counted.
TV Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)....50

OS Osprey (Pandion haliaeetus)......9

MK Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis)....193

BW Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus).....591

SW Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)...39

PG Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)....12

Total.....894

2004-05-02T09:11:00.000-05:00

April 30, 2004
Spring hawk watch
Tlacotalpan Veracruz
This is the last day of April and unfortunately the last full day that I will dedicate to the spring hawk watch. I will still be scanning the skies and making posts.
Here is a bit of a recap.
Today's total.....952
The bulk of movement today; Mississippi kites 796.

Here is the summary of the months activity:
TV Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)......1,138

OS Osprey (Pandion haliaeetus)......314

ST Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus)......1

WK White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus).....0

MK Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis)......26,910

HK Hook-billed Kite (Chondrohierax uncinatus).....1

PK Plumbeous Kite (Ictinia plumbea).........0

NH Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus).......16

SS Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)......82

CH Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperi)........86

GH Gray Hawk (Buteo nitidus).....0

BH Common Black Hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus)......10 views (resident)

HH Harris's Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus).....0

RS Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus).......3

BW Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus)......72,040

SW Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni).....798

ZT Zone-tailed Hawk (Buteo albonotus)......3

RT Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)....0

RH Roadside Hawk (Buteo magnirostris)...numerous views (resident)

AK American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)...167

ML Merlin (Falco columbarius)....12

PG Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)....117

UR Unknown ()......327

Total for APRIL........102,015

2004-04-30T05:24:00.000-05:00

April 29, 2004
Spring Hawk Watch 2004
Tlacotalpan Veracruz

Some four hundred and fifteen years ago in the small Plaza that is now called Plaza Doña Marta, the documents were signed designating Tlacotalpan a pueblo.
Tlacotalpan means "land between sky and water"
The Mexican writer Elena Poniatowska once remarked "When I want to smile, I remember Tlacotalpan; when you pronounce the word Tla-co-tal-pan, it's as though you wash your face and laughter comes in."
There is alot of history here in in Tlacotalpan. Today another small bit of history was added. In the course of the afternoon, thousands of Mississippi kites streamed over the Plaza Doña Marta (6,333 Mississippi kites were counted today), it was during that time (when a group of tourists from Germany wandered through the plaza)) that we passed the 100,000 mark for the number of raptors counted in in 28 consecutive days here at the spring hawk watch.
As I reflect on the events of this month, I indeed feel fortunate to live in this special place and to have been witness to this spring raptor migration phenomenon.
I doubt that there are few spring hawk watch sites that offer this diversity, 17 species of migrating raptor species have been observed. In addition, 8 local resident raptor species were observed; Gray-headed kite, Black vulture, Snail kite, Common black hawk, Great black hawk, Crested caracara, Aplomado Falcon, Roadside hawk.
This adds up to a total of 25 raptor species in 28 days!

Today's Report:
TV Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)......34

OS Osprey (Pandion haliaeetus).....9

MK Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis).....6,333

NH Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)....1

SS Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus).....5

CH Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperi)......3

BW Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus).....835

SW Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni).....33

AK American Kestrel (Falco sparverius).....1

ML Merlin (Falco columbarius).......0

PG Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus).......28

Day Total........7,282
MONTH TOTAL.....101,063From Tlacotalpan, Veracruz
Good birding
David McCauley

2004-04-29T08:25:00.000-05:00

April 28, 2004

Spring Hawk Watch 2004
Tlacotalpan Veracruz
Daily report
TV Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura).....21

OS Osprey (Pandion haliaeetus).....4

MK Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis).....9

SS Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus).....1

CH Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperi)......4

BW Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus).....153

SW Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)....4

AK American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)....4

ML Merlin (Falco columbarius)......2

PG Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus).....28

Day Total....230

2004-04-27T07:21:00.000-05:00

Tuesday April 27, 2004
APPARENTLY THE MIGRATING RAPTORS SENSED THE INCOMING STORM YESTERDAY. Seven twenty-four a.m. winds from the North and rain. Here is the satellite imagery

2004-04-27T04:24:00.000-05:00

April 26, 2004
Things slowed down today at the hawk watch , I have a feeling that something is up on the weather front, I wish I had a barometer.
Day's Total 133.
I did not observed one single Mississippi kite today.
One of the local traditions is the making and launching of small hot air ballons, today someone lauched one of these small hot air ballons.
Here are some more photos for the day,
GREAT BLACK HAWK
Turkey Vulture
Peregrine Falcon
Osprey
Thus far on the hawk watch I have spent 190 hours observing with a total of 93,551 raptors counted.