Just lately, I wrote about my many and lucky interactions with biologist buddies in 2021. I discussed taking an ornithologist good friend to the close by property of a botanist good friend, by which he was capable of see his first Grass Wrens. I additionally included a photograph of a beautiful male Summer season Tanager seen on this October outing.
Nevertheless, a quick evaluation of this journey’s listing jogged my memory that there was nonetheless extra to jot down about it. Among the many causes:
- We noticed 51 species…
- in lower than three hours…
- on 1/20 of a sq. mile…
- on the sting of Morelia’s city space!
I all the time respect the chance to see and examine a number of members of a single genus and household on the similar time. And the orioles have been definitely the belles of this explicit ball. Not solely that, however all of them allowed pictures.
The oriole parade started with a single immature male Orchard Oriole. I might have loved seeing an grownup male, as I like their distinctive chestnut coloring, however this immature male did give me some somewhat atmospheric photographs.
Subsequent it was the flip of our resident, and semi-endemic, Black-vented Orioles. We noticed 4 of those. Like many tropical orioles, they haven’t any wing bars, and the men and women look virtually an identical. (I assume these have been a pair.)
Migratory Bullock’s Orioles have been significantly ample, with seven people.
Our resident and totally endemic Black-backed Orioles may simply be confused with the above Bullock’s Orioles. However the male Bullock’s black cap and eye line develop into an virtually full black hood on the male Black-backed Oriole. Females of the 2 species are far more troublesome to differentiate. We noticed 5 of those.
And at last, 4 migratory Hooded Orioles turned as much as full our cavalcade of orioles.
All of those add as much as 21 orioles… in three hours… on 14 hectares (34.5 acres).
They’re not orioles, however the three Chihuahuan Meadowlarks we noticed are in the identical Icterid household. Till just lately, these have been thought-about Jap Meadowlarks, and plenty of of my Mexican biologist buddies aren’t but satisfied by the break up. However for geographical causes, I’m now required to register these as Chihuahuans. Both approach, I get pleasure from seeing them… at the least, that a part of them which they permit me to see.
There was additionally an excellent variety of different birds with coloring much like my orioles. For instance, yellow, orange, and black Western Tanagers have been particularly ample (in addition to two Summer season Tanagers).
Males…
and a feminine
The Rufous-capped Warbler additionally shares a sure oriole-like coloration palate.
Ultimately, we determined we had seen all we may see in such a small space, and headed off to the close by city of Laurelito. There we noticed these pretty flowers of the aptly-named orchid Laelia autumnalis. This flower has the somewhat morbid widespread identify right here of Flor de Muerto (Flower of the Useless), as a result of it blooms across the dates of the Day of the Useless, and is usually used to adorn altars to the pricey departed.
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