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crecent-chested warbler - chipe cejas blancas

there is something about witnessing warblers endemic to méxico that is different from experiencing any other birds. as a mexican-american, and as a mexican who lived many years over there, i enjoy of the migratory species here while they pass through in the spring and fall.

but when i visit anywhere in méxico, im greeted by not only the familiar migratory friends, but the many endemics who don’t migrate and stay right where they are.

to me, the feeling of witnessing warblers here is much like being with close family and friends here in the states, who migrated here to support themselves and their families and are working very hard to persist. witnessing mexican warblers to me is like visiting extended family in méxico who stayed right at home, sometimes longing for their kin who, at times, are in perilous journeys abroad.

perhaps not alone in this sentiment, drawing this connection gives me a very special and dire need to appreciate them, protect them, and share this view. because though these moments of interaction may be plentiful now, there exists pressures in our current world that directly or indirectly seeks to snuff out, push, or otherwise displace these loved ones. whether i’m talking about warblers or immigrants, i’ll let you choose.

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redpoll - pardillo sizerín

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common yellowthroat - mascarita común

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marbled godwit - picopando canelo

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sandhill crane - grulla gris

coming soon to a local wetland near you !

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northern flicker - carpintero de pechera común

as you may infer, in spanish, some kinds of woodpeckers are called “carpinteros” which literally means carpenters!

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winter wren - saltapared cholino del este

names, names, names…

sorry ! some of the common names in spanish are so cool…! wrens in spanish are sometimes known as “saltaparedes”. its sort of a made-up compound word between “salta (jump)” and “paredes (walls)”. so, at least in the version of spanish i speak, we call these little guys walljumpers !! if you’ve ever had the chance to sit and watch a wren, you’d know why!

“cholino”, not be to be confused with chalino, is a diminutive version of the word “cholo” as per the few sources i could find on it. you may have heard the word cholo used before by homies and foos, but its original definition refers to peeps who are mestizo. that is, peeps who are a mix between amerindian and european ancestry! i wonder how this common name got to here …

taking another look, the first part of the scientific name (their genus) for this little guy and other close relatives is Troglodytes, which has a definition that includes words like “reclusive” or “hermit”, and again, if you’ve ever stopped and looked at a wren, you’d know why!!

with all that being said, can anyone inform me more on where the word “wren” comes from??? i’d love to learn more …

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yellow-rumped warbler - chipe rabadilla amarilla

fall, a farewell to our migratory friends. i took this shot in the early spring, and decided to post it today. it’s a good time now to think about all the little guys we got to encounter all throughout the productive times of spring and early fall.

my birding morale always plummets this time of year, but i cannot stress just how grateful i am for the awesome birding moments i’ve gathered throughout! these moments wouldn’t have been the same without my awesome birding friends as well who simply make each outing much more fun.

i’m wishing our migratory friends an awesome journey as we too grow and learn more!

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loggerhead shrike - verdugo americano

a love letter to san luis potosí. my most recent trip home wasn’t as full of action as i would’ve liked, but if anything, that just fuels my need to go back and share with you what this unique state has to show! stay tuned!!

¡ te amo san luis potosí !

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red legged honeycreeper - mielero patas rojas

just take the shot. just take the glance. if the view or picture comes out poor then it’s whatever; but if the view or picture come out stellar, then you’ll keep a priceless memory of each bird!

while exploring oaxaca’s coast; the red legged honeycreepers were prancing all over the tree tops. just anecdotally, they were really common, yet hard to get a good view of. these pictures i present to you (and pretty much all of the ones here on instagram) is one of the dozens i took of this species. this is a hand-picked and completely catered selection to show you the best of the best.

but the reality with birding is that you don’t always get a stellar view. if anything, a stellar view is uncommon! but it shouldn’t deter you from stopping and taking the glance; maybe the way your body adjusts with the binoculars/camera reveals an awesome view! the infrequency of money shots lets me know that i’m birding ethically and it helps me garner a stronger love for those sweet sweet moments when the stars align for true gems like this red legged honeycreeper who posed up all nice for me!

if you wanna see what 90% of birding looks like, go ahead and check out my inaturalist observations. that’s where the real stuff goes down. link in my bio!