Day 2 - Birding, Weaving and Food

The day began at breakfast at 6:15 am.  The stars were still out and it was chilly on the roof terrace, but hot coffee and a Mexican breakfast of fresh bread, hard-boiled egg and fresh fruit nourished us.  It was the first time we met as a group and it looks to be a group that will get along well.  It was a 45 minute drive to our first stop - a grassy hillside in the foothills above the valley that Oaxaca is in.  Along the way, we were oriented by our guide, Mark, about the biogeography of the region and the various habitats we’ll visit.  Getting out of the van, we all had our bins, Bob had his big camera and we set out to see what we could see.  After the first ten minutes I was high, doing what I love, exploring nature.  I loved spotting a castor bean bush with leaf-footed bugs congregating and doing what congregating bugs do.  We saw many birds ( vermillion flycatcher, endemic gray breasted woodpecker, lark sparrow, Inca dove, curved billed thrasher and more) and learned about the cactus and trees growing in the area.  We learned about which birds eat what and where and when to expect them (when their food source is ripe or there).  After a couple of hours, we drove to a small creek spotting a variety of birds there - lots of flycatchers, including a pair of vermillion flycatchers  and warblers.  The morning held yet another habitat - a small lake behind a dam.  There I spotted a berylline hummingbird (emerald green hood and rusty wings and back) on a tree tobacco and many of the usual suspects for lakes (egrets, coots, sandpipers, killdeer, least grebes).  We drove into town - Teotitlán Del Valle - a small thriving Zapotec community where many weavers live and work and had lunch.  We chose from a menu of local foods - Mole negro, Mole coloralitos, hulaypo (Oaxacan pizza - a big flat toasted corn tortilla spread with spicy black beans and topped with stringy cheese and slices of avocado and tomato).  After a relaxed lunch (birders never hurry at lunch), we went to a local weaver and had a fabulous demonstration of natural dyeing and spinning and weaving.  As we sat in the shade in their courtyard, we were given a cup of a local drink - Atole - which is made from roasted corn ground into a very powder and diluted with water.  All the local food has left me queasy, with an upset tummy.  Bob couldn’t resist and bought of their beautiful rugs.  The day ended with a stop at the Biggest Tree on Earth - a Montezuma cypress which is 2000 years old.  In the 19th century Alexander von Humboldt came all the way from Germany just to see this tree, it’s that famous.  It’s huge and a spot many Mexican tourists visit.  I loved to see all the families there.  Afterwards, we had a Nieve - a Mexican sorbet or snow cone.  They come in lots of flavors, Bob and I

chose to share a Mamey, a local fruit that tasted like persimmon to me.  Another flavor that looked interesting was Mango with Chili.  After a 45 minute ride back to the hotel, we quickly refreshened up and walked to dinner at a lovely restaurant.   It was a great first day and we are very tired and happy.