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Spring 2003 Ecotour Log Rancho Los Ebanos, Tamaulipas, Mexico What an incredible week! Our spring trip to Rancho Los Ebanos, a 5000-acre cattle ranch situated on the Gulf Coast of Mexico, was a fantastic experience. We escaped snow storms and airport closings in Canada and across the US, met in Mc Allen, Texas and headed south into Mexico. As soon as we arrived at the ranch, we dropped our luggage, quickly changed, and hiked out toward the Gulf shore. Our first sighting was the fireball species, the Vermilion Flycatcher putting on an insect catching show, darting out and returning to its original perch. Each day we saw LOTS of birds, including the three sympatric Amazona species of the area, Amazona oratrix (Yellow-headed), A. autumnalis (Red-lored or Yellow-cheeked) at the northernmost limit of its range, and A. viridigenalis (Mexican Red-headed or Green-cheeked) which has the most limited ranged of the three and is the most at risk of extinction. We also got a great view of a small flock of Green Parakeets, Aratinga holochlora (Green Conures in the pet trade). It's such a thrill to see and hear these species flying high and free, having their first look at this season's possible nest sites and eating Ebano Tree seeds, small figs from the Strangler Fig and other just-ripened native fruits. Listening to their songs and wonderful wild calls, especially the duets, is nature's music. Learning the calls of each species is exhilarating! Amazons can be heard far in the distance. Although the first day started out cooler than usual (okay, it was surprisingly cold!) the week warmed and we and the turtles came out each afternoon to bask in the sun. Hammocks were strung across the palapa, and Coronas were on ice! We made excursions through the ranch by open truck (with some hikes) and every day were treated to many excellent views of Amazons. We also enjoyed observing several other coexisting neo-tropical species. By knowing them, we develop a more holistic understanding of life in nature for Amazons. We watched one morning as a pair of Aplomado falcons mated in a tree right next to a pair of Red-heads who were considering their nest site and checking the entrance. Once we stopped to listen to A. oratrix calling and then saw an incredible flurry of wonderful (and not often seen) birds moving about in the area in all directions. It was a rush trying to catch a good view of many of them, such as the Ivory-billed Woodcreeper, Masked Tityra, Green Jay, Melodious Blackbird, Groove-billed Ani, Elegant Trogon, Squirrel Cuckoo and the Rose-throated Becard. Wow! What a palette of feather color and sweet song! It was an incredible morning, with several more sightings of A. oratrix and very close-up views of a couple of Roadside Hawks, all before breakfast! We were even fortunate enough to be included in the mating call of the tiny Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, right in the courtyard. He called back and forth to us, perched just a few feet overhead. We spent a couple of afternoons at the beach where we saw several shorebirds... Sandpipers, Plovers, Willets, Terns, Cormorants and Pelicans. (And great shells!) Another afternoon was spent boating on the manmade lake in front of our cabins and winding our way through a passage to the tributary where we were greeted by Painted Turtles and the chirping croaks of the resident frogs. We had exceptional views of Ibis, Snowy Egret, Mottled Duck, American Stilt, Tricolored Heron and the beautiful Bare-throated Tiger Heron. Other outings brought close-up views of Black Hawks, Gray Hawks, Crested Caracaras, Turkey and Black Vultures, groups of Wild Turkeys that looked Jurassic as they ran off, and other inhabitants such as Armadillos, Coati Mundis, and the wild Javelinas. Anteaters, Ocelots and Jaguarundis also inhabit the site and are subjects of ongoing research there. Parrot habitat in Mexico is subject to extreme and rapid degradation. Most Amazon species are 90% compromised or more, all in the last 50 years, due to population expansion, resort development and cattle production. Bringing eco-tourism enthusiasm and dollars into an area with limited financial resources encourages local people to value their wildlife and habitat and preserve them. All totaled, we saw over a 100 different bird species. Observations in the wild bring new meaning to being a companion bird owner and influence the handling and management of our pet birds. I have resisted making comments about the food to this point, but that was a struggle! We savored an incredible abundance of fine traditional Mexican fare, fruits fresh from the trees and vines, juices and ohhhh, the flan! Please... get me out for a long hike! :>) Comment by one participant: "I can't imagine not including at least one trip a year for as long as I'm able." – KG, Calgary, Alberta, Canada I am planning another trip to this site in November with a side trip to El Cielo Nature Preserve, a cloud forest biodiversity haven, where we may see the Maroon-fronted parrot and the Military macaw. There are plans for streamlining travel for the upcoming trip too, making a little more time for seeing all the incredible sights! Kathleen brought a digital camera and her laptop, so we got to see current photos after dinner each day…click here to have a look. Join us for the next eco-tour to Mexico!
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