1st SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH: On June 7th there will be an informal birding walk along the Allen Lloyd Trail. Meet up at 8am with local and visiting birders in this very accessible location. Expect to see Blue Mockingbird, Happy Wren, and sometimes a Russet-crowned Motmot or Squirrel Cuckoo.

How to get to the trail head: Drive up the Libramiento a half mile (1 km) from the traffic light at Walmart, then turn left (carefully) as you would for the hospital (Ribera Medical Center). Double back and drive up the left side of the hospital. Keep going uphill another half mile, and park on the only street to your left. Here is a pindrop.  (Note: after parking, we'll walk up the road past the construction. The trail is more a dirt road now - the birding is still good).

On Thursday, June 18th, meet team leader Cheshta Buckley at 8:00am at the “Sculpture” (see pindrop). It’s at the only traffic light in La Floresta, opposite Restaurant Pranzo). We will depart immediately for the Rosa Amarilla Loop on the south side of the lake (60 minutes drive). Expect to see a variety of grassland birds and possibly a White-tailed Hawk. Bring refreshments for the morning and sandwiches for the 12.30 lunch stop. We will be back about 3.00 pm.

You must reserve at least 4 days ahead with Cheshta at [email protected] indicating if you can bring a vehicle and can take others, or if you would like to be a passenger. No surprise guests please. There will be a maximum of 3 cars and 12 people. Each passenger pays their driver $200 pesos to cover gas/tolls.

On Thursday, June 25th, meet up with trip leaders Kate and Carl Anderson at this hidden little valley "Del Rodeo" between Ixtlahuacán de Membrillos and Atequiza. We have seen many special birds here including the Squirrel Cuckoo, Euphonia, and MotMot. We will meet under some trees and walk first to a balcony to get an overview. Then back into the wee valley. Be prepared to walk on uneven ground. We will gauge how far we go by the group. We could walk up to 2 miles with steep gradients. Bring water and a snack.

You must reserve at least a week in advance in case transportation is needed. Please email Kate and Carl at [email protected] indicating if you can bring a vehicle and can take others, or if you would like to be a passenger. Each passenger pays the driver $100 pesos to cover gas/tolls.

How to get there: Link with directions from google maps

From Walmart it is 14.5 km. Drive up the libramiento towards Ixtlahuacán. After approx 2km, right after you go under the walking bridge across the highway. Once you make the right off the highway, turn right onto Acueducto/JAL 166. Then turn left onto Av. Santiago. It has a round, green “RV “sign high on a signpost. You are on the correct road when you see the cemetery on your left. Continue up the hill. Once you get near the top of the hill turn left onto Del Rodeo.  CAUTION: watch for traffic coming down the hill on your right as you turn left. You know you have missed this turn if the road turns to asphalt. Once you have made the left turn go about 180 metres down the hill. Park on the left near a tall white wall under a big tree. Here is a pindrop.

Bird Trip Summaries for May by Trip Leaders

On Sunday, May 3rd, a group of 8 people enjoyed excellent weather and early morning clear blue skies for a most enjoyable walk up the Allen Lloyd Canyon. 37 species were observed. Some regular favorites showed up, including Warbling and Golden Vireos, 3 species of Wrens and a pair of our favorite Squirrel Cuckoos. In addition we observed 3 Red-Tailed Hawks (1 dark Morph) and 2 Turkey Vultures still lingering in the area… see full list with images. Report offered by Cheshta Buckley.

On Tuesday, May 12th, a group of 8 joined team leader Cheshta Buckley at San Antonio Tlayacapan Malecón. They got to enjoy a relatively cooler morning with overcast skies and clear views across the lake. 38 species were observed including very active Great Egrets on their tree top nest sites, together with a variety of Orioles, Flycatchers and water birds. 2 newly hatched Gallinules in sub adult plumage provided us with the ID quiz of the day and the relief that they had survived predation from hungry Night Herons. For a full list  See full list here.  

On Tuesday, May 19^th, a group of 7 birders were led by team leader Gerd DeBeer to La Manzanilla de la Paz. Despite the growth in the ravine being very dense, they were rewarded with quality sightings of 30 species. Unfortunately the presa had no shore birds except for 3 domestic white ducks with some chicks. The highlight of the day was the sighting of a pair of Elegant Euphonia foraging on a tree no more than 10 feet away from the group. Elva Johnson captured a video on her iPhone video which you can view in the full ebird checklist link below. Second to this was the sighting of several White-throated thrush, a lifer for many of the group. Other quality sightings were Brown-backed Solitaire, Acorn Woodpecker, Blue Mockingbird, Orange-billed nightingale thrush, and Gray silky-flycatcher. See full checklist.