MEXICO 
SOUTHERM MEXICO 
WATERFOWL THROUGH 
BLACKBIRDS 
An ad. Snow Goose 2 & 4 Nov sw. of La Ven- 
ta furnished a first record for Oaxaca (ph. AM, 
JM, KSH); all records in this section are from 
the state of Oaxaca. Rare ducks at Piedra Azul 
dam, Teotitlan del Valle included 11 Ring- 
Following unusyally strong winds, this Prairie Falcon ap- 
peared near La ¥enta, Oaxaca 28 October 2008, furnishing 
the first documented Oaxaca record of the species. Photo- 
§mph byJsrge Msntejo. 
necked Ducks 26-29 Nov and 5 Lesser Scaup 
26 Nov (JMF). Two Ring-necked Ducks were 
present 28 Oct-8 Nov sw. of La Venta (AM, 
JM, KSH). An ad. Pinnated Bittern just w. of 
La Ventosa on 9 Aug provided the 3rd known 
state record for the species (AM, JM ph). A 
subad. Jabiru was feeding on a small pond 16, 
24, & 26 Oct w. of Union Hidalgo (AM, ph. 
JM, KSH). An ad. Killdeer observed 9 Aug s. of 
La Ventosa was probably an early migrant. An 
ad. Aplomado Falcon was seen just e. of 
Union Hidalgo 21 Oct (AM, JM). A Prairie 
Falcon sw. of La Venta 28 Oct provided a first 
record for Oaxaca (ph. JM) 
A White-throated Swift was at the Santo 
Domingo Botanical Garden, Oaxaca, Oax. 6 
Oct (MG); the species is rarely observed in the 
Valley but is relatively common in surrounding 
higher elevations. An imm. male Violet 
Sabrewing was mist-netted near Ixtepec 2 Nov 
in an unusual habitat for the species: low de- 
ciduous forest edge next to an irrigation chan- 
nel (AR, ph. RR). An Eastern Phoebe, very un- 
common in the Valley, was just e. of Teotitlan 
del Valle 26 Nov QMF). A Yellow-bellied Fly- 
catcher was at the Santo Domingo Botanical 
Garden 5 Oct (MG). Two Marsh Wrens were 
just e. of Teotitlan del Valle 26 Nov (JMF). An 
ad. Red-throated Pipit sw. of La Venta 2 & 4 
Nov (ph. AM) provided a first state record 
(AM, JM, KSH) and one of few for Mexico away 
from the Baja California Peninsula. A Gray Cat- 
bird was mist-netted in San Bias Atempa 27 Oct 
(AR, RR); and singles were mist-netted near 
Cazaderos 4 & 12 Nov (AR, RR). 
A Prothonotary Warbler discovered 3 Nov 
sw. of Union Hidalgo provided at least a 2nd 
state record (AM ph., JM, KSH). Two male 
Townsend’s Warblers were mist-netted near 
San Bias Atempa 16 & 29 Sep, and 2 more 
were mist-netted near Ixtepec 20 Sep & 30 
Sep (AR, ph. RR), both localities are in the 
lowlands. A Western Palm Warbler was mist- 
netted 10 Nov at Cazadero in low deciduous 
forest edge at an elevation of 32 m (AR, ph. 
RR). A Dickcissel seen 9 Aug just w. of La 
Ventosa was an early migrant. An ad. female 
Yellow-headed Blackbird was seen 8 Nov sw. 
of La Venta (AM, ph. JM, KSH). A Hooded 
Oriole was at the Santo Domingo Botanical 
Garden 6 Oct (MG). 
Contributors: John M. Forcey, Manuel Grosse- 
let, Amy McAndrews, Jorge Montejo, Rafael 
Rueda, Angelina Ruiz, Karlo Soto Huerta. 
YUCATAN PENINSULA 
The only report of nocturnal migration enter- 
ing the coast this fall came from Celestiin on 
27 September, when birds came in over the 
town all night long and evidently continued 
inland, as few were seen the next day in the 
village. Sightings of a Baird’s Sandpiper in Ce- 
lestun and a Brewster’s Warbler on Cozumel 
mark the third report for each in the subre- 
gion, while the Gray Gull and Snow Goose re- 
ported last winter are still present in Celestun. 
In addition, new distributional information 
came to light on several species that previous- 
ly were only known in the state of Yucatan 
near its southern and northeastern borders 
with Quintana Roo. 
WATERFOWL THROUGH TERNS 
The Snow Goose reported last winter in Ce- 
lestun, Yuc. appears to have spent the past 
year there, as it was seen at the inner end of 
the estuary 28 Nov (FC). Three Green- 
winged Teal, a species in the rarely reported in 
the subregion, were spotted in a tidal pond s. 
of Celestun 22 Oct (MC, DS). One group of 
local birders had the good fortune to follow 
individuals of meandering Ocellated Turkeys 
along dirt roads leading off Hwy. 261 between 
Uxmal and Santa Elena, Q. Roo 1 Nov (BM, 
RM, AM, RP). A Black-crowned Night-Heron, 
a regular but uncommon migrant to the sub- 
region, was in the mangroves at Progreso, 
Yuc. 3 Aug (RM, AM), while a very late mi- 
grant Swallow-tailed Kite was passing 
through on its way south 1 Nov at the en- 
trance to the road from Chemax, Yuc. to 
Coba, Q. Roo (DB, GT). 
Four ad. Piping Plovers, one with a band 
on leg, were seen on the beach s. of Celestun 
23 Oct (MC, DS). A flock of 80 American Av- 
ocets was in the coastal lagoon behind Pro- 
greso 3 Aug (BM, RM, AM, BS), while 1 1 were 
at Dzilam Bravo, Yuc. 9 Nov (LK, BM, BS). 
The presence of this species along the n. coast 
has become more conspicuous in recent 
years. There were 15 Marbled Godwits in the 
lagoon behind Progreso 3 Aug, an early date 
for this migrant (RM, AM), and a single Red 
Knot, rare in the subregion, was seen on the 
beach s. of Celestun 23 Oct (MC, DS). Three 
Semipalmated Sandpipers, a species often 
confused with 'Western Sandpiper, were in a 
shallow coastal lagoon at Dzilam Bravo 29 
Oct (LK, BM, BS). Sixty early Western Sand- 
Rio Lagartos 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 1 
165 
