Sixteen Birds at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens

Besides the lush landscape, what initially struck me at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens were the butterflies. It was early November, past the rainy season along the Mexican State of Jalisco's Pacific coast, and the fluttering insects were everywhere. I wondered whether they were the most - both in variety and numbers - I'd ever seen gathered in one place.

Of course I knew most people visited the Vallarta Botanical Gardens for the plants. Several acres showcased both native and exotic species of flora growing along paths and tended in greenhouses and assorted settings. The most renowned specimens were probably the wide variety of orchids.

But I was actually visiting the garden for the birds. And fortunately for wildlife lovers, most of the gardens were protected as a vast forest preserve covering over seventy acres just a short drive from busy Puerto Vallarta.

The first bird I encountered was a golden-cheeked woodpecker. I wasn't fast enough to photograph a pair of macaws, most likely military, that passed far overhead. However I was ready with the camera when a cinnamon hummingbird sipped nectar from tropical blooms beyond my pathway. I soon spied a warbler navigating the higher branches of a tree, later identifying the bird as a black-throated gray. Meanwhile, intimidating-looking orb-weaver spiders studied me as I passed under webs that spanned many of the trails.

Except for the macaws, the birds were all familiar to me from previous trips to the area and, in the case of the warbler, as a migratory species to Arizona. However I soon entered unfamiliar territory as I descended the pathway to the Rio los Horcones flowing heavily with seasonal rainfall. Green jays and San Blas jays, starkly contrasting in their scintillating colors, were easy to photograph even in the shadowy tree canopy. Just as colorful were yellow-winged caciques, birds in a family with orioles. I had never heard of a saltator, but I photographed one, specifically a northern gray. Two thrushes were on the trail: a white-throated and a cinnamon-backed robin. Close to the river were a rose-throated becard and a social flycatcher. Alas, trogons, if there were any in the area, eluded me.

The garden's restaurant was situated immediately above the trail to the river and it was during lunch that I discovered one reason for my morning birding luck: a well-stocked fresh-fruit feeding station. In addition to the jays and the thrushes, West Mexican chachalacas, grackles, and a lone yellow grosbeak were eager imbibers.

After dining, I encountered more cinnamon hummingbirds and a great kiskadee, the latter bringing my bird species identifications to sixteen for the visit. Eleven birds on the list were actually brand new species for me! In addition to the beachgoing throngs and active nightlife, I had discovered Puerto Vallarta had another wild side.