Chronicles of a Birders Life Listing
Over the previous 40 years I’ve had the nice fortune to photographically doc 85% of the fowl species added to my “Life Listing.” This weblog sequence showcases the pictures and anecdotal accounts that doc these “Lifer” sightings and a little bit in regards to the surroundings and tradition of the world. This Lifer weblog sequence begins with the primary LIFER outdoors of the US, Lifer #624 and proceeds chronologically ahead from there.
A Reflections of the Pure World Weblog Put up Sequence by Jim Acquire
Lesser Roadrunner (Geococcyx velox) > Cuculidae > Cuculiformes
IDENTIFICATION: Barely smaller model of the acquainted cartoon Better Roadrunner, however often the 2 species don’t happen in the identical locations. Favors dry brushy woodland and overgrown weedy fields in tropical lowlands and foothills. Could be very elusive, however at different instances runs out within the highway or sits quietly sunning itself on a fence put up or bush prime within the early morning. Word that the middle of the throat and breast are plain wealthy buffy, with out the dense darkish streaking of Better Roadrunner.
FIRST “LIFER” OBSERVATION:
Birding with: Miguel Amar Uribe, Claudio Gomez, and Santiago Contreras from Mexico Kan Excursions
Date: 10 Jan 2022 @ Carretera El Tajo, Yucatan, MX
Carrt. El Tajo, Yucatán, MX (21.395, -88.565) | MX-YUC
SPECIES GLOBAL eBIRD DISTRIBUTION MAP
Yellow Star signifies the placement of my Lifer sighting
DETAILS ABOUT SIGHTING: We had been driving roads via the scrublands in northern Yucatan in all the suitable habitats searching for this species. Lastly, after over 2 hours we noticed a technique forward of us on the facet of the highway. It didn’t permit us to get any nearer and the three photographs I took was all it supplied.
PHOTOS TAKEN: Picture @ Carretera El Tajo, Yucatan, MX
ABOUT THE AREA: The northern areas of the State of Yucatan are composed of Yucatan Dry Forests the place the local weather is tropical subhumid with an extended dry season. The common annual rainfall on this ecoregion doesn’t exceed 1,200 mm per 12 months. Dominant vegetative species within the central portion of the area embody wild tamarind and Jamaican dogwood timber. They’re usually intermixed with different tree species resembling Spanish cedar, gumbo-limbo, dryer’s mulberry, and Spanish elm. Within the northern a part of the ecoregion, close to the coast, cacti develop into extra considerable. The dry forests of Yucatán represent a novel island of vegetation within the Gulf of Mexico area. They’re remoted from different dry forests by the ocean and by an enormous extension of moist forests within the Maya area.
Miguel Amar Uribe, Claudio Lopez, Santiago Contreras and I spent the morning and early afternoon in the hunt for a number of of the Yucatan specialty birds that may happen in these dry forests; resembling Yucatan Poorwill, Yucatan Wren, Yucatan Woodpecker, Yucatan Flycatcher, Yucatan Vireo, Mexican Sheartail, Yucatan Gnatcatcher and Orange Oriole. Over the course of the subsequent 7 hours we’d discover 15 new “Lifers” for me.
Earlier 3 posts in my LIFER Weblog Sequence.
