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 Mexico: Oaxaca at Christmastime
December 21-31, 2010, in partnership with WINGS
A note from Peg: We have wanted to offer Oaxaca for many years and this is just a great itinerary. We are sharing the departure with another birding company that we know and trust to do a great job. This is a Birding and Wildlife trip with extensive time in the field, but also time to enjoy the great food of the region and the amenities of this beautiful Mexican city known for its architecture and handicrafts. They even promise siesta time!! What an amazing place to celebrate the holidays. We suggest you arrive a few days early to enjoy the cultural aspects of Oaxaca as well. This is easy to do on your own and we can help with ideas and arrangements.
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 The city of Oaxaca lies in an arid valley ringed by mountains in south-central Mexico. The site has been occupied for centuries, as evidenced by the old architecture and nearby pre-Columbian ruins, but the city remains rather small and retains a vibrant atmosphere. And although Oaxacan handicrafts offered in the colorful markets have lured travelers from all over the world, the visitors have not changed the town’s unique flavor. When Oaxaca celebrates the holidays, it is perhaps the most Mexican of all cities. The area has also acquired a reputation among birdwatchers, for in the immediate surroundings of the city one can find a variety of habitats, from desert and oak thorn-scrub to pine and cloud forest. Birds of at least three distinct faunal regions occur here, among them many of Mexico’s most notable endemic species. This trip departs somewhat from the normal pattern of our tours: mornings and many afternoons will be spent birdwatching, but some afternoons will be devoted to looking around Oaxaca City, exploring the  marketplaces, visiting museums, or simply relaxing. The trip is designed for the person wanting to take a Christmas vacation, experience the holidays in the surroundings of a different culture, and see a number of Mexico’s rare endemic birds.
Day 1: The tour begins at 6:00 pm in Oaxaca City. Our comfortable hotel is perched on a hillside with a splendid view of Oaxaca City. A good restaurant, shuttle service to downtown, and a pool round out the important amenities. Night in Oaxaca City.
 Days 2-10: Our explorations will begin the morning of day 2. Each of our forays afield will concentrate on a particular habitat, with ample time to observe the common birds and seek out the rare or more retiring ones. Visiting thorn-scrub and arid oak forest north and southeast of town, we expect to see Dusky Hummingbird, Gray-breasted Woodpecker, Boucard’s Wren, Rufous-capped Warbler, White-throated Towhee, Bridled Sparrow, and perhaps the very local Oaxaca Sparrow. Exploring the higher elevations on Cerro San Felipe north of town, with stops in pine-oak, fir, and cloud forests, we’ll look for Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo, Mountain Trogon, Tufted Flycatcher, Gray-barred Wren, Gray Silky-flycatcher, Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer, Collared Towhee, and Rufous-capped Brush-Finch. Warbler flocks should include migrant species from the north mingling with the local Crescent-chested and Red Warblers and Slate-throated Redstart. And of course we’ll search for Dwarf Jay, the specialty of Cerro San Felipe.
 During our stay, we’ll make a four-day, three-night side trip to Tuxtepec in the Gulf of Mexico lowlands. The distance to Tuxtepec is only 130 miles, but because of the winding mountain road and several birding stops along the way, we’ll reach our hotel in the late afternoon. The forest above Valle Nacional is rich in birds, virtually none of which can be found in the Oaxaca Valley. Here we may see White Hawk, Montezuma Oropendola, Slate-colored Solitaire, Azure-hooded and Unicolored Jays, Emerald-chinned Hummingbird, and many others characteristic of this more humid forest. Nearer Tuxtepec, we’ll look for Band-backed and Sumichrast’s Wrens, Yellow-tailed and Black-cowled Orioles, Keel-billed Toucan, Rufous-breasted Spinetail, and many other tropical specialties more typical of the lower elevations.
With the exception of our travel days to Tuxtepec, most afternoon birding forays are optional, and participants are free to honor the Mexican tradition of the early afternoon siesta, examine local handicrafts in the open-air markets, look at the city’s old buildings, visit the nearby ruins, or simply walk around town absorbing the festive spirit of the season.
Day 11: The tour concludes this morning in Oaxaca City.
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Cost
of the Journey
Cost of the journey is $3690.00; Single supplement is $740.00.
PACE OF THE TOUR
As with all tours in the tropics, we will try to be in the field at dawn. Mercifully, this does not entail a 4:30 departure as in some other regions. Most birding sites are about 30 to 60 minutes from the hotels, except the drive to and from Tuxtepec, which is a day-long trip (with birding stops) on a not especially well-maintained road. Breakfasts will be picnic-style in the field. Some lunches will be picnic and some will be in restaurants. With the exception of one or possibly two picnic dinners, all dinners will be in restaurants. Birding in and around the Valley of Oaxaca is from 5,000 to 6,000 feet in elevation, and other than uneven ground, and a narrow, scrubby, thorny trail at Monte Alban (where skirts and dresses are not recommended), the walking presents no particular problem. The sun can be intense, so have a hat and sunblock lotion. On Cerro San Felipe above Oaxaca City, we will be birding on dirt roads at about 9,000-9,900 feet. Of course, we will be walking slowly, and any steepness would present a problem only for those with bad knees or hips.
CLIMATE
We will encounter a variety of climates. Near Oaxaca City early morning temperatures may be in the 30s (F), although by an hour or two after sunrise the temperatures usually become quite comfortable. Midday temperatures usually are warm to hot. We rarely encounter heavy rain, but light rain or mist is possible in some areas, especially on our trip to Tuxtepec. At the higher elevations, it can remain cold, damp and windy all day if a powerful cold front is moving through.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Two hotels are used during the tour. Our hotel in Oaxaca City is a large, modern, multi-story facility with a good restaurant. There are amenities including functional elevators, room service, and a small swimming pool. From the hotel, it takes about 15-20 minutes to walk to the square and shopping areas. As in many Mexican hotels, the rooms are connected by ceiling ducts and you may hear children, music, etc., from guests some distance down the hall. Our hotel in Tuxtepec is smaller but comfortable. Rooms have air conditioners.
FOOD
Breakfasts will be picnic-style in the field, generally consisting of standard cold fare, with yoghurt, cereal, fruit, etc. Most lunches will be picnics in the field consisting of sandwiches, fruit, snacks, and cold drinks, although some will be in restaurants. All dinners will be in local restaurants, with the exception of one picnic dinner. In general, the food in Oaxaca is excellent, and is often regarded as the pinnacle of Mexican cuisine. Rich sauces, or moles, and local vegetables and side dishes are consistently raved about during the tour.
GUIDE
Gavin Bieber was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He developed a very early interest in birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles and has steadily pursued these interests while growing up in British Columbia, Virginia Beach, Great Britain and Denmark. One of his earliest birding memories occurred at age 8 when he spotted a male Painted Bunting from a speeding car while on a family vacation in Texas. Gavin graduated from the University of Victoria with a degree in Biology and a minor in Environmental Studies. He studied for one year at the University of Southern Mississippi where he collaborated with their Migratory Bird Study Group. While still in university he taught waterfowl, shorebird and passerine identification workshops for the Victoria Natural History Society and led fieldtrips for the university’s ornithology classes. Since graduating, Gavin has worked as a field assistant on a variety of ornithological research projects including studies of the wintering ecology of Henslow’s Sparrows, the breeding biology of Interior Least Terns, and the stopover ecology of Swainson’s Thrushes and Gray Catbirds. In addition he conducted point counts for the National Park Service in Arizona and New Mexico and assisted in setting up a riparian bird survey for the University of Arizona. He has traveled extensively through Western Europe, North and West Africa, Bolivia, Peru, Panama, Mexico, the U.S., Canada, and Alaska. Recently his interests have shifted to the neotropics, and he is very excited by the potential offered by his newly constructed tour to Panama. He also serves as the director and lead guide for St. Paul Island Tours (in the Pribilof Islands, Alaska) and has enjoyed working on that island from 2002-2007. Gavin enjoys sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm of the natural world with others, and welcomes the chance to meet new people and travel throughout the New World.
Naturalist Journeys, LLC is an equal opportunity service provider and committed to the goal of ensuring equal opportunity for all in employment and program delivery.
Photo Credits:
Bridled Sparrow, Pileated Flycatcher and Ruins at Mitla, Rich Hoyer; Oaxaca crafts - dyed corn husk figures, Main cathedral in Oaxaca, Zapotec rugs and View from La Cumbre, Gavin Bieber; Female Collared Trogon and Slaty Vireo, Garrison Doctor.
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