West Mexico Photo Safari
by Rick Bowers
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with Kim Risen & Rick Bowers
Spotted Rail near San Blas. Photo by Rick Bowers.
I’ve just returned from our premier West Mexico Photo Safari. A fantastic photography adventure that greatly exceeded our expectations! This year’s Photo Safari covered Cerro de San Juan and San Blas in the state of Nayarit. Our list of birds was long and we shot images of the majority of them. We were so successful that after nearly 40 trips to San Blas I got a Life Bird – Spotted Rail. As you can see above, the entire group got wonderful images of this widespread, but difficult to see species. Usually skulkers, two colorful adult Spotted Rails walked right up to us in beautiful evening light and showed off for nearly half-an-hour, feeding and strutting around like they owned the place!
In addition to the rail, we saw AND photographed two other mega-ticks—Eared Poorwill and Sinaloa Martin—both endemic to western Mexico. Eared Poorwill inhabits the western chain of mountains running down Mexico’s Pacific coast from Chihuahua to southern Oaxaca. On Cerro de San Juan it’s an often heard species but usually difficult to see. On two different nights the same male used a series of roadside perches situated just above eye level to sing for us. An individual so cooperative that everyone in our small group enjoyed spectacular views and obtained all the photos they wanted. It doesn’t happen often, but he was still singing as we walked away!
Eared Poorwill male. Photo by Rick Bowers.
One of the many highlights of a photography and birding trip to San Blas area is the multiple boat trips that are possible. The Río San Cristóbal empties into the Pacific at San Blas. It’s a beautiful, calm river that provides a stable platform for photography in our 23 foot pangas. Most birds are completely habituated to the boat traffic and pretty much ignore us as we shoot lots of images. Wood Stork, Anhinga, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, all the North American herons and egrets, Boat-billed Heron, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Osprey, Common Black-Hawk, Snail Kite, Short-tailed Hawk, Mangrove Cuckoo, Belted & Green Kingfisher and Purplish-backed Jay were all photographed in just one morning. We particularly enjoyed our repeated views of the notoriously difficult to see Rufous-necked Wood-Rail.
Our evening boat trip to the spring at La Tovara is the climax of our San Blas portion of this adventure. Leaving the dock during the mid afternoon heat, we negotiate a tributary to the Río San Cristóbal. Our expert boatman, Chencho, maneuvered us down a winding green tunnel through thick mangroves, then out into riverine forest and finally grasslands lining the shore before reaching the spring. After a restroom break, we retrace our route through the newly arrived tropical darkness. Our main targets on our return were Pauraque and Northern Potoo. Again this boat trip abounds with habituated birds that let us pull up next to them to shoot. Normally shy Green Kingfishers allowed close approach for super photos. No fewer than ten Northern Potoo showed well and a number posed low over the water for photos. Herons, egrets and ibis were numerous and posed wonderfully. It was a magnificent relaxed evening full of photo ops, spectacular scenery and very enjoyable company!
We finished our trip with a bang. Our last morning we explored another mountain site on the Cabo Corrientes south of Puerto Vallarta. After working on a Mountain Trogon for ten minutes, I turned and saw two martins landing on metal beams of an old building. I assumed they would be Gray-breasted Martins but when I raised my bins they were purple with white bellies–Sinaloa Martins! Their gleaming white bellies provided their old name of Snowy-bellied Martin. I was surprised to see them at this time of year but have since learned that they return sometime in February to their breeding grounds in West Mexico. We watched and photographed them for half an hour as they circled, dove and performed aerial acrobatics above us. Following flying martins with long, heavy lenses can be a challenge. Luckily for us they repeatedly returned to perch on the buildings many exposed beams giving our tired arms a bit of rest. Quite an ending to our bird-rich Photo Safari!
Sinaloa Martin male. Phot by Rick Bowers.
I could go on and on about great encounters we had with beautiful birds, but even better than my narrative would be for you to experience this adventure yourself. Next year’s West Mexico Photo Safari visits the scenic, bird-filled volcanos of Colima and Jalisco. Pack your tropical clothing, cameras, binoculars and passports to experience the truly spectacular birds that call this region home.