Site Report: Temescaltepec, Mexico

Rufous-capped Warbler (Basileuterus rufifrons)

Hermit Warbler (Dendroica occidentalis)

Mexican Jay (Aphelocoma ultramarina)

Mexican Violetear (Colibri thalassinus)

Brown-backed Solitaire (Myadestes occidentalis)

Tufted Flycatcher (Mitrephanes phaeocercus)

Bumblebee Hummingbird (Atthis heloisa)

Hammond's Flycatcher (Empidonax hammondii)

Temescaltepec is one of the areas featured in Howell's A Bird Finding Guide To Mexico as a good place to see swifts. In addition, it is a gateway to some forested areas accessed by dirt roads. Howell downplays the hotel situation, but we found an excellent family-run hotel in the El Baral area called Hotel la Cascada.

Visits

2010-02-20: We arrived late in the afternoon and found the waterfalls at Hotel la Cascasda raging. Several hundred swifts were flying overhead in the late afternoon, and we enjoyed chile rellenos for dinner and good conversation with the hotel owners. We left in the morning (after being awakened by the call of the Brown-backed solitaire) before birding really picked up to visit the nearby El Polvarin Loop (described in the book) After the village of La Mesa, the road became quite impassible, but the hiking in the pine forests was excellent.

Species Seen

Kingdom: Animals (50 records)

Phylum: Chordates (50 records)

Class: Birds (50 records)

Order: Doves and Pigeons (1 record)
- Family: Pigeons and Doves
- Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)

Order: Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies (1 record)
- Family: Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

Order: Hummingbirds and Swifts (6 records)
- Family: Swifts
- Vaux's Swift (Chaetura vauxi)
- White-naped Swift (Streptoprocne semicollaris)

Order: Perching Birds (38 records)
- Family: American Blackbirds and Orioles
- Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
- Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus)
- Family: Bushtits
- Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus)
- Family: Cardinals and Allies
- Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus)
- Varied Bunting (Passerina versicolor)
- Family: Cardueline Finches and Allies
- House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)
- Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
- Family: Chickadees and Titmice
- Bridled Titmouse (Baeolophus wollweberi)
- Family: Gnatwrens
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)
- Family: Jays and Crows
- Transvolcanic Jay (Aphelocoma ultramarina)
- Family: Kinglets
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)
- Family: Mockingbirds, Thrashers, and Allies
- Blue Mockingbird (Melanotis caerulescens)
- Family: New World Sparrows
- Canyon Towhee (Melozone fusca)
- Family: Old World Buntings
- Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)
- Rusty Sparrow (Aimophila rufescens)
- Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
- Yellow-eyed Junco (Junco phaeonotus)
- Family: Old World Sparrows
- House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
- Family: Silky-flycatchers
- Gray Silky-flycatcher (Ptiliogonys cinereus)
- Family: Swallows
- Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)
- Family: Tanagers and Allies
- Hepatic Tanager (Piranga flava)
- Family: Thrushes and Allies
- Brown-backed Solitaire (Myadestes occidentalis)
- Family: Vireos
- Hutton's Vireo (Vireo huttoni)
- Western Warbling Vireo (Vireo swainsoni)

Order: Vultures (2 records)
- Family: New World Vultures
- Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
- Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

Order: Woodpeckers, Barbets, Toucans, and Honeyguides (2 records)
- Family: Piculets and Woodpeckers
- Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)
- Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris)

Lifelists

Trips

No trip reports available.