After a good night’s sleep at El Cielito, it was time to start our last day. When I made the first flight reservations for the trip I had great non-stops both ways and the departure was pretty late on that last day giving us enough time for lots of birding. Unfortunately when I had to reschedule, the nonstop departing flight was not available. Instead I would have to leave several hours earlier and fly to LAX in Los Angeles and then stay overnight with an early flight back to Seattle early the next morning — the joys of international travel. But that was for later, first we headed to El Tuito and the Rancho Primavera.

The Rancho Primavera was in some ways the highlight of the trip. I have copied a description of this beautiful place from its website http://ranchoprimaveramexico.com/ with a couple of modifications to update it: 

“Rancho Primavera is a quiet retreat just 1 hour south of Puerto Vallarta, but feels world’s away from the city life. Here, you’ll be treated like family by the owner Bonnie – a full time resident of the ranch who enjoys entertaining and cooking for guests. She is a bilingual American who has lived in Mexico for decades. Her family purchased  this former mango and cattle ranch and proceeded to heal its overgrazed lands by planting over 5000 native trees on the 200 acres and were quickly rewarded by a return of the native birds and wildlife. Nowadays, it’s a top destination for bird-watching groups and nature lovers…Rancho Primavera is a bird-watcher’s paradise, with its restored woodlands, meadows, creeks and riparian areas supporting over 265 species of birds, including parrots, trogons, cuckoos and 16 types of hummingbirds! Birding tour groups regularly visit and cherish Rancho Primavera for its birdlife and solitude…Over 300 species of birds can be found in this region of Mexico including over 19 regional endemics such as the Citreoline Trogon, Orange-breasted Bunting, Lilac-crowned Parrot and the Mexican Woodnymph.”

We did not stay at the Rancho, but there are three homes available to rent. Were I to return to the area, I would seriously consider renting one for a week and using it as a base of operations to explore and enjoy the area. Greg had called ahead to let Bonnie know we were coming and she graciously delayed stocking the feeders until we were scheduled to arrive. We made ourselves comfortable and watched the show. And what a great show it was. We spent most of the time at the feeders by the main house with a short visit to the large pond on the property. During our two hours there, we had 44 species. Had this been the first place we visited on our trip, 40 of them would have been new year birds, and 12 would have been lifers. I don’t know how many would have been world life photos, but many would have been and beyond that the quality was extremely high. However, since we had already had 5 days of super birding, there were fewer new species, but the quality remained unmatched. There were just 3 new species for both the trip list and my year list and only 2 lifers.

Without question the most spectacular visitors to the feeders were the Magpie-jays. I had had only a brief view of a distant Black-throated Magpie-jay. This was very different with these magnificent birds very close by. So close, that with their magnificent long tails, it was at times difficult to get the whole bird in the viewfinder/photo. In Oaxaca in 2021 I had seen White-throated Magpie-jays. Adding this species was a top priority. An unexpected bonus was that there was a hybrid Black-throated/White Throated Magpie-jay among the visitors to the feeders.

Two species that had been seen before but without photos appearing in earlier blog posts were the Streak-backed Oriole and Broad-billed Hummingbird. I had seen both in Arizona, the former quite rare and the latter quite common. Another species mentioned in earlier posts without a photo was the Cinnamon-bellied Saltator. We had wonderful views of this somewhat plain but attractive bird frequently on and around the feeders.

Similarly we had great views and photo ops for other species seen previously with some photos in earlier blogs: Cinnamon Hummingbird, Yellow Grosbeak, White-throated Thrush, Rufous-backed Robin and Golden-cheeked Woodpecker. 

The birds and photo ops just kept on coming. Not new for the trip or any lists, but such treats to see and photograph were the Groove-billed Ani, White-winged and White-tipped Doves, and Masked Tityra, the latter a species I associate with tropical birding as I have seen them previously in Mexico, in Brazil, Peru, Belize, Costa Rica and Ecuador. I had missed a photo of one earlier, just nice to have one of an “old friend” again.

If we had not had such great intersections with the Military Macaws at the Sanctuary, this would have been at the top of the list. More than a half dozen visited us and gave us again spectacular views. The photo of the back shows the color mix so well. Truly awesome birds. We also had Orange Fronted Parakeets and Lilac-crowned Parrots fly over.

And then there were the lifers – rewarding and frustrating. First the frustration. In November 2020, I made a quick trip to Arizona chasing several world and/or ABA lifers or life photos. The most important was an Eared Quetzal that was being seen at Cave Creek Canyon. Other targets were a life photo of a Northern Jacana, an ABA Lifer Ruddy Ground Dove, an ABA Lifer White-eared Hummingbird and a barely possible Plain-capped Starthroat. The Jacana was easy but thrilling because I had seen only one in the ABA area before – in 1978 at Maner Lake in Texas where they were regular at the time. After that, however, they essentially disappeared from the ABA area, so this was exciting. Much harder to find was the Ruddy Ground Dove. I failed at several places where they had been seen in this incursion year and then finally got one at Fort Lowell Park in Tucson. [Interestingly we had a Ruddy Ground Dove just before getting to Rancho Primavera and the picture although REALLY poor was the only one I had of it this trip.] The Eared Quetzal was also pretty easy as I found other birders looking at it along he main road into Cave Creek. Ah, then there were the hummingbirds. A White-eared Hummingbird had been seen regularly the previous couple of weeks coming to a feeder in Ramsey Canyon. Unfortunately the regularity had declined by the time I got to Arizona. A Plain-capped Starthroat was seen there as well, but not in the last few days before I arrived. 

With another birder, I staked out feeders at the Ramsey Canyon Inn hoping for the Starthroat and White-eared Hummers.. There were lots of birds. While being essentially stationary, I had 27 species and interestingly that list included 14 species that would have been 2023 Year birds had I not gone to Mexico and 10 of the others would be additional year birds even after this trip. Back to the hummers. There were several Rivoli’s Hummingbirds, a Rufous Hummingbird and at least a half dozen Anna’s Hummingbirds, and they were the problem. Every time a hummer came to the feeder, one of the Anna’s would aggressively chase it off. This continued for the 4 hours that we were there. Lasting no more than 2 seconds, a White-eared Hummingbird came in to one of the feeders and was immediately chased off. Not a chance to get a photo. It happened once more with an even quicker assault by the Anna’s contingent. Did the Plain-capped Starthroat visit? I didn’t see it if it did. The other birder there thought maybe he had, but I think it was mind over matter and wishful thinking. In any event, that species was now on my – “I really want to see one” target list.

After maybe an hour at the Rancho Primavera feeders, Greg called out “Plain-capped Starthroat” – unfortunately, I looked for it at the closest hummingbird feeder and it had been seen – very briefly at the back feeder. Still no lifer Starthroat but now I knew where to look. There were two problems: the first was that the hummer was at best a very infrequent visitor and the second was that there were so many other birds coming in that it was impossible to watch only that feeder. Almost at the end of our stay, I exclaimed that I had the Starthroat as it perched briefly on that rear feeder at a time when I was watching it. Had I been birding through my camera which I often do, I could have gotten a photo. But I wasn’t, so I had to be happy with a really good if quick view that even showed the “star” throat – but no photo. The one below is from someone else who was either luckier or more skilled than me. But that is not the end of the story.

Being so close but not getting a photo of the Starthroat would have felt like a bad ending to what otherwise was an incredible visit to Rancho Primavera and that feeling would have been compounded by missing the one bird we were most looking for at this location. A Blue Mockingbird had been coming in to these feeders regularly. It would be a world lifer for me. When Bonnie met us as we arrived, she said it had been seen. There was no sign of it while we waited for almost 2 hours, and we were preparing to leave after missing the Starthroat photo, when – drumroll please – it finally made an appearance. The joy of seeing and photographing it quickly overcame any disappointment about the Starthroat which is now just a good story. I had looked forward to seeing this species the whole trip, knowing it was only likely at this spot. It was a great moment and the bird stayed and posed for quite a while.

There was one last stop at Rancho Primavera before we moved on. At the beautiful pond on the property we finally saw a Least Grebe, which we had surprisingly had missed at several perfect habitat locations previously. It was not a lifer as I have seen it in Texas many times and in Oaxaca in 2021 and it would be the next to last new bird for the year.

There would be two more stops before getting back to Puerto Vallarta for my return flight. The first was forested area along the Camino Sierra Paraiso and the second was back near the Military Macaw sanctuary. We tried hard but unsuccessfully to bring in a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl for a visual and tried very hard and again unsuccessfully to find a Collared Becard. Ironically, the Becard was being seen in Texas, I think an ABA first, and further ironically two species that were supposedly “guaranteed” on this trip but missed were also being seen as mega-rarities there. The two were Bare Throated Tiger Heron and Roadside Hawk. It wasn’t new for the trip but I finally got a decent photo of a Sinaloa Wren. I had seen and got the world’s worst picture of one in Arizona in February 2018. This one was much better and greatly appreciated. We also added a Common Raven to our trip list.

Our final official stop in the area near the Sanctuary produced the final two birds for the trip, and another year bird and world lifer and some good photos including one of a species that was on our trip list but looking back I was not sure I had actually heard.

The new trip birds were a lifer Black Headed Siskin and a Chipping Sparrow. I was really disappointed that I missed what would of course have been a life photo of the Siskin. A small flock flew in directly overhead and I got my camera on one of the birds in the flock. Unfortunately it was a Black-throated Gray Warbler and not a Siskin. The Siskins flew off as quickly as they came in and that was that. The photo I got that made sure that the bird was really on my list was of a Russet-crowned Motmot. The best thing about this photo was that I actually saw the bird at all. In Indonesia earlier in the year I was really frustrated not being able to see many birds seen by others – especially in foliage. I simply could not focus with or without binoculars. It turned out that a film had developed on the lens implanted in cataract surgery a number of years ago. I visited an ophthalmologist who found the problem and removed it with laser surgery. The difference was immediate and positive both actually in what I could see and also emotionally as I had lost confidence in my abilities. I picked the Motmot out of pretty heavy foliage across a ravine and at least 70 yards away and was able to get the very satisfying life photo. Yes it was a colorful bird, but before the corrective surgery, there is zero chance I would have seen it.

I will close out the last birding part of the trip and the stop with three final bird photos and one short story. The three photos are of a Boat Billed Flycatcher with a large insect in that large bill, a Gray Crowned Woodpecker and another Rose Breasted Becard.

The story is about the Rose-throated Becard. As I have said repeatedly throughout my blog posts, Greg Homel was a fantastic guide and birding companion. He knew everything the about the area, the birds, habitats, calls, notes, songs, behaviors etc. He was great company with fun stories and informed views on subjects ornithological and otherwise. He was also phenomenal at locating birds and helping me to get on them. And then there was the photography. He is an exceptional photographer and not only took care to line up shots when we could but also in teaching me much about photography and my equipment. I hope and expect to engage his services again and look forward to his company and to birding with him. There was this one slip-up however, a tiny one, but magnified only because it would have been really great if it had not happened. The picture above of the Rose-throated Becard is the best one I have. The other two are a horrible distant shot from Arizona and the one from the previous day in the evening of a female or young bird in poor light. When I shot that photo, the bird was fairly distant and somewhat hidden and behind some foliage. Just as the bird came completely into the open and in great light and I was about to get what “obviously” would have been a phenomenal photo of it, Greg barely brushed my arm and by the time I recovered – not even a second, the bird was gone. If you can spend six intense days with someone and that is the sole complaint/transgression, NO BIG DEAL!!

We made it back to Puerto Vallarta in plenty of time for my flight. My last photo was of a pretty large Crocodile at a spot near the airport where they hang out. It doesn’t make it on to my list. Here are my final numbers for the marvelous trip. Species for the trip 216; new species for the year 150 to get to 1082; new lifers 29 to get to 3273; and lots of new photos to get to get 1990ish (“ish” because my list and Ebird don’t exactly match and it is just way too much work to figure it out given how Ebird shows photo totals.).

Postscript: I got back home on December 11th. If I had no commitments for the rest of the year, I would have looked at my numbers and said – “Wow, with another 18 species I could get to 1100 for the year – not as “special” as 1000, but doubting I would ever be close to that number again, 1100 is another nice round number so why not?” And seeing a photo total of 1990 or so, I would have said – “Wow, only 10 more photos to get to a really nice number, 2000”. Well, first of all I did have lots of commitments (including relieving Cindy of dog and other responsibilities that she had shouldered alone while I was gone” and 18 more species was maybe a lot but not impossible with well planned trips, time and luck. Ten new life photos was out of the question without another foreign trip and that was out of the question. But what about 1100? Well there were commitments and I should just call it a year and tend to other matters. And that’s what I did for 10 days – happy to have gotten my thousand plus.

But on the 11th day – December 21st – I took a look at my actual list for Washington for the year and realized that there were a fair number of birds that I had just assumed I had seen, because they are so easy, but I had not. And there were some rarities still around – the itch to list and count – wanted to be scratched. I made a target list that was a little stretch and would need good luck – but was possible over on the Olympic Peninsula. The target list was Lesser Black-backed Gull (returning to the farm in Sequim where it has been seen the past 2 winters), Harlequin and Long Tailed Ducks (the first a given and the second maybe 50/50); Common Murre, and both Marbled and Ancient Murrelets (all for sure at the right place), Red Throated and Yellow-billed Loons (the first probable and the second a long shot), Herring Gull (probable with the Lesser Black-backed), White Winged Scoter (how could I have missed one this year), and American Dipper (strong possibility in Sequim, but it has been a nemesis this year, missed in several likely spots). I figured if I could get at least 10 of these 11 targets, then with one long (overnight) and one all day trip to Eastern Washington and/or maybe also a long trip to Neah Bay, I could have a chance at another 10 species – so count on 8 and Voila – 1100. (Of course my indebtedness to Cindy would grow – deal with that later.)

Not to draw out the story, I only found 7 of the targets, missing both loons, the Long Tailed Duck and yet again the damn Dipper. I swallowed my pride, recognized that it was better to be very happy with more than 1000 rather than be disappointed missing a less charismatic 1100 and quit. Four days passed and a Yellow-billed Loon was discovered about 2 miles from my home. It was very rare for the County and would be a great last bird for the year – better than a White-winged Scoter. If it was seen again the next day, I would give it a go. It was so I went the next morning and got it – a new county bird for me and everyone else who saw it )lots of people) and species 1090 for the wonderful year of 2023. I am writing this on New Year’s Day morning – so the chapter for Year 2023 is done. Time to start a new list. If the Yellow Billed Loon remains, I will go to see it. But travel this year while birdy, will be far less birdy. If it even comes close to as much fun, it will be a wonderful year.

Happy New year!!