COPPER CANYON BIRD LIST

NT&P trip, October 18 - 26, 2008             Leader:  Larry Liese
Species Notes
1 Pied-billed Grebe Seen on float trip day
2 Neotropic Cormorant Seen on float trip day
3 Great Blue Heron Seen fairly ofter, sometimes away from large water bodies
4 Great Egret On float trip and drive to airport on last day
5 Green Heron Along Rio Fuerte and Rio Batopilas
6 Black-crowned Night-Heron Along Rio Fuerte and in tree from porch of Rio Vista Hotel
7 Mallard On float trip day
8 Lesser Scaup On Rio Fuerte
9 Black Vulture Common
10 Turkey Vulture Common
11 Osprey Fun bird to see, seen two days
12 Cooper's Hawk One seen high up in sky on walk up Arroyo Camuchin
13 Crane Hawk Lucky find (I'm envious!).  Seen on float trip day on land.
14 Common Black-Hawk Seen 3 days.  I liked the one Debra saw from the van landing.
15 Red-tailed Hawk Seen four days
16 Crested Caracara Cool bird!  Many seen on drive back to airport
17 American Kestrel Seen fairly often
18 Merlin Seen on float trip day
19 Peregrine Falcon Flyby seen from train if I'm remembering right (!)
20 Rufous-bellied Chachalaca Good find on float trip day
21 American Coot These count too!
22 Northern Jacana On float trip day - expanding their range I'm told
23 Spotted Sandpiper One seen zipping down Rio Batopilas from Aqueduct Trail
24 Least Sandpiper Float trip sighting
25 Rock Pigeon Common near towns
26 White-winged Dove Most common dove
27 Mourning Dove A few seen
28 Inca Dove Fairly common
29 Common Ground-Dove Two nice views
30 Mexican Parrotlet Great sighting!  Not often seen.  Large batch flew by on Rio.
31 Groove-billed Ani Another good one from float trip day
32 White-throated Swift Not often seen on the trip - at Divisidero and near La Bufa
33 Broad-billed Hummingbird Most common hummingbird
34 Violet-crowned Hummingbird Pretty common in lowlands
35 Eared Quetzal Wow, Wow, Wow!  Voted # 1 sighting. First "song" for Larry.
36 Belted Kingfisher Fairly common along rivers
37 Acorn Woodpecker At Divisadero in their usual spot on poles
38 Gila Woodpecker More seen than usual
39 Ladder-backed Woodpecker A few seen
40 Northern Flicker One seen on waterfall walk
41 Greater Pewee One that Eldon wanted!  A young one and an adult seen.
42 Western Wood-Pewee One seen on walk to Satevo
43 Gray Flycatcher The flycatcher that dips its tail down
44 Cordilleran Flycatcher The flycatcher with the pointy white eye-ring
45 Black Phoebe Very common on this trip
46 Vermilion Flycatcher Some seen in lowlands - pretty bird!
47 Nutting's Flycatcher One seen well, like an Ash-throated but more yellow
48 Great Kiskadee Voted # 3 sighting!  Colorful bird - from float trip.
49 Social Flycatcher In lowlands, small version of previous species
50 Tropical Kingbird A couple seen, more than usual
51 Northern Rough-winged Swallow On float trip
52 Steller's Jay Common around Sierra Lodge
53 Sinaloa Crow Common in lowlands, often in flocks
54 Common Raven A few seen
55 Mexican Chickadee Nice views around Sierra Lodge
56 Verdin In desert scrub habitats, seen fairly often
57 Rock Wren Seen twice, once a pair in front of Sierra Lodge
58 Canyon Wren Heard fairly often, seen a few times
59 Happy Wren A known skulker!  Good find on float trip day.
60 American Dipper Great views from Cusarare Creek
61 Ruby-crowned Kinglet One pair seen nicely on walk to waterfall
62 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher On float trip day
63 Black-capped Gnatcatcher Seen fairly often in desert scrub
64 Western Bluebird One seen from train in San Rafael while stopped
65 Brown-backed Solitaire Only heard once while far up Aqueduct Trail
66 Rufous-backed Robin One in tree above Rio Vista driveway on final morning
67 Northern Mockingbird A couple of these seen
68 Curve-billed Thrasher One seen nicely at Sierra Lodge
69 Loggerhead Shrike Nice treetop scope views in Arroyo Revote (Batopilas)
70 Cassin's Vireo One seen briefly in birdy spot on walk to Satevo
71 Plumbeous Vireo The spectacle bird, seen a couple of times
72 Warbling Vireo Seen on Aqueduct Trail
73 Yellow Warbler From float trip
74 Yellow-rumped Warbler Was this one from back porch of Rio Vista?
75 Black-and-white Warbler Seen on float trip day
76 Wilson's Warbler One of the few birds seen at km 43 near La Bufa
77 Painted Redstart Nice views on Aqueduct Trail and km 43
78 Rufous-capped Warbler A group of them came in to a recording on the Aqueduct Trail
79 Northern Cardinal Relatively common
80 Canyon Towhee Easy to see around Sierra Lodge
81 Five-striped Sparrow From float trip
82 Yellow-eyed Junco Around Sierra Lodge
83 Red-winged Blackbird At Rio Fuerte
84 Great-tailed Grackle Common in towns
85 Hooded Oriole Seen three days
86 Black-vented Oriole Voted # 2 sighting!  Nice views in treetop in Arroyo Revote.
87 Streak-backed Oriole Nice bird, though males only swept by us not perching
88 House Finch Seen a couple of times
89 House Sparrow In towns

Areas visited:
Day  
1 Flight to Los Mochis from Tucson, taxi ride to El Fuerte.  Lodging at Rio Vista Hotel.
2 Float trip on Rio Fuerte.  Included birding in Rio floodplain, floating down Rio, and walk to Petroglyph site. Late afternoon walk along river on CdLA (Camino de Las Aves).  Lodging at Rio Vista Hotel.
3 Taxi ride to train depot.  Wonderful train ride from El Fuerte to Creel with short stop at Divisadero.  Lodging at Sierra Lodge near Cusarare with a stop en route at Lago de Arareko.
4 Morning hike down Cusarare waterfall trail, followed by van ride to Batopilas.  Spectacular scenery!  Lunch in forest.  Stops for short walk at Mirador de La Bufa (Shrine of Guadalupe), at La Bufa, and km 43 drainage (Arroyo Bacuseachic).  Lodging at Hotel Real de Minas in Batopilas.
5 Morning birding walk on Aqueduct Trail, followed by tour of Hacienda San Miguel once owned by Sheppard, the silver baron.  Lunch in town, then free time in Batopilas.  Lodging again at Hotel Real de Minas.
6 Morning walk to Satevo Mission.  Lunch in town.  Afternoon hike up Arroyo Camuchin.  Lodging at Hotel Real de Minas
7 Breakfast in town, followed by short hike up Arroyo Santiago.  Return van ride up Batopilas Canyon.  Short walk to Painted Cave area.  Lodging at Sierra Lodge.
8 Drive to Creel for shopping in town.  Train ride from Creel back down to El Fuerte with stop at Divisadero.  Lodging at Rio Vista Hotel.
9 Early morning taxi ride to airport and flights home.