Agave Honey – 10,000 Birds

As I discussed final week, upon my return final month from California, the place I had birded a few hours every day, I used to be prepared for a little bit of a break. Oh, no, I did not cease birding totally. That will be completely loopy. However I did choose simpler targets throughout the first two weeks.

My first post-trip outing was my least bold: I went to the pure space that begins simply on the opposite aspect of the neighborhood during which we stay, Los Filtros Viejos canyons. It was not a revelatory outing, however the species and photographs have been surprisingly good. My second outing was a bit farther afield — it took about twenty minutes to drive to my place to begin. However, in a way, I used to be going to the identical place, as I used to be approaching the identical canyon from its different, uphill, finish.

This strategy begins with a small reservoir, however, for essentially the most half, there was nothing extraordinary to point out from there (though the infant American Coots and Pied-billed Grebes have been lovable). Then I work my means downhill in the direction of some good pine-oak forest, passing first by an space of scattered massive properties.

It was among the many final of these properties that I discovered a kind of uncommon one-plant hen explosions. A feminine Broad-billed Hummingbirdto my left, urged what was in retailer.

Then, to my proper, I noticed an unlimited flowering agave plant. Agaves are these spiny non-cactus rosette vegetation one is prone to see in Western films. They’re additionally from the household liable for mezcal and tequila. They finish their life cycle by producing a single flower stalk, which might generally develop thirty or forty ft tall. This one was a minimum of within the thirty-foot class, and it was buzzing with hummingbirds. (Amongst different critters — extra on that later.)

First, I noticed Berylline Hummingbirds.

Then some male Broad-billed Hummingbirds jumped into the fray.

Broad-billed Hummingbirds actually dive into their work.

However the Beryllines refused to surrender their floor (or, on this case, their inflorescence).

And on the final second, a Violet-crowned Hummingbird accomplished our triumvirate of most-common hummers.

There’s that violet crown.

You could have already observed the good variety of bugs feeding together with these hummers. The reddish insect within the heart of this photograph is a Tarantula Wasp. They’re reputed to have the second-most painful sting of all bugs, however are, luckily, not aggressive. The sensible inexperienced bugs at every finish are Jewel Scarabs, of which Michoacán has many. The bees are, properly, bees. Precisely what did you assume I used to be going to say about these?

I spent fairly a little bit of time at my agave having fun with the present. It was undoubtedly a spotlight for the day. However I used to be solely half-way on my route, so I finally moved on. Listed below are among the remaining highlights:

Chipping Sparrows are removed from uncommon down right here, however today, they appear to be in all places. So right here is one out of many:

I used to be a bit stunned to see this pretty Grace’s Warbler transfer out of its pine-tree consolation zone.

I’ve a deep appreciation for Mexico’s endemic Buff-breasted Flycatchers, as they’re our solely Empidonax that I by no means confuse with our different 9. (Sure, you heard me: 9. Weep for me.)