Here are some comments from Don and Chris
with a short lead up to their El Cielo experience in their own words.
December 2007 my son Chris had to attend a conference in San Antonio. We decided to take a few extra days and go birding before the conference.
On the internet we decided to see the King Ranch on one of their birding tours and then continue to Brownsville.
On the net we also found a great birding guide who had a RV park and also a B&B in a beautiful Laguna Madre home with a view and birds. Lee Zieger and his wife Alma host a magnificent clean and beautiful B&B in their house. She prepares snacks and breakfast that is delicious nutritious. It is one of the most comfortable and well kept places we have ever stayed. Lee took us out in his jeep and he knew exactly where to go and he spared neither gasoline nor miles to take us. We saw Green Jays, Chachalacas, Grey Hawks, Long-billed Curlews, White-tailed Hawks, Sora Rails, and Rosette Spoonbills out back of Lee’s house. Lee has you up early (if you want to) and back late. He also knows the history of the area and it was always interesting no matter the place nor the subject. It was a wonderful trip and we each got 52 new birds.
We had wanted to see a Green Kingfisher and missed the Aplomado Falcon.
Lee mentioned trips to Mexico that he arranges and leads and we tucked that thought away until 2009. He mentioned that Green Kingfishers were plentiful on that trip.
So this spring we contacted Lee and asked about seeing some birds in Texas. After a few talks with my son I convinced him to go to Mexico instead.
My argument was why to go to Texas and search far and wide to maybe see the birds we wanted to see when in Mexico they are all around and plentiful.
We booked a one stop flight to Brownsville Airport. We arrived at 10:30.
Lee picked us up in his jeep and we headed direct for the border. Lee got us our visas and 6 hours later we were in Gomez Farias. It is a small sleepy town of about 180 people. Casa de Piedras is a quiet beautiful small hotel (B & B) overlooking the valley and distant mountains. Lee immediately looked up his friend and local guide Ricardo and we went birding with only about 3 hours left of the day.
Within that time we had a boat ride and saw 19 new birds. Including Hooded Oriole, Altamira Oriole, Roadside Hawk, Social Flycatcher, Groove Billed Ani, Masked Tityra, Sun grebe, Green Kingfisher, Ringed Kingfisher, Melodious blackbird, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Blue-Crowned Motmot, Wild Muscovy Duck, Red- billed Pigeon. Brown Jay, yellow Winged Tanager, Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Boat-billed Heron, Elegant Trogon and last but not least a Bat Falcon. Back to Casa de Piedras for a nice home cooked Mexican dinner (homemade and delicious)
Up at 7 for a great Mexican Breakfast then Ricardo arrived and we headed up the mountain to the next town 5 kilometers away. In the Jeep we could go about 5 miles per hour. So with stops, it took us all day to do the round trip.
But can you believe 45 new species. Ricardo seemed to have x-ray vision and ultra sonic hearing and Lee is amazing with his camera. We saw and Lee got a picture of a Bumblebee Hummingbird (picture on Web) and also a great shot of a Rare Blue Mockingbird. By evening we were in the lower valley and saw about 30 Northern Jacanas, an Altamira Yellowthroat, and Amazon Kingfisher. We stopped and opened the sun roof and looked up to see the Tamaulipas Pygmy Owl looking out of an old woodpecker hole and Lee got another great shot (see it on this site). The very next tree had several mostly grown Lineated woodpeckers. All together we had seen at his point 45 new species including two Mountain Trogons.
Remember Chris and I only wanted to see Trogons and 3 Kingfishers.
We ate lunch in a small Mountain town (Alta Cima) of about 50 people and it was another very home-style and delicious meal.
Day 3 was a repeat of breakfast and Ricardo and a Jeep ride and Catfish for lunch in another small restaurant at Boca Toma II. Add 20 more species including the rare White-bellied Wren. And a White Crowned Parrot eating a mango (both pictures are on this web site) the weather was beautiful and we saw numerous Elegant Trogons and several Squirrel Cuckoos. Numerous hummingbirds and Lee also pointed out many butterflies. I can’t tell you how exciting and interesting this trip was and I’ve been on the hunt for the Ivory Billed Woodpecker with Cornell Univ.
Day 5 we were up early and heading back to Texas. Almost to Lee’s house and we find 4 Aplomado Falcons, a White-throated swift and a Cassin’s Sparrow.
Our last night was with a quiet dinner and evening at Lee’s house and a good night of sleep.
Day 6, time to go home and Lee was taking us to the airport. And Lee never quits birding so we stopped on the way and got our last lifer number 89 a Botteri’s sparrow.
Lee had quoted a price for the trip so much per day and he supplied everything. It was worth every penny. He is extremely generous and you will get more that your monies worth. He has all the equipment and bird books and plenty of knowledge about the birds and the area. Gracious as ever Lee even shared his pictures of various birds and places by email.
We missed probably 100 more birds especially the Pale-billed Woodpecker due to the short trip but if we had gone alone we probably would have missed 10 birds for each one that we would be looking up.
I’m going back as soon as I can for another try for the Pale-billed Woodpecker and will probable get the other 100 along the way.
Thank You - Lee, Alma and Ricardo.
Don and Chris Eyre |
