How a Mother and Daughter Discovered the Joys of Birding in San Blas Debbie Olsen - Calgary Herald
go to original January 14, 2013

There are no big resorts in San Blas and ecotourism is the main attraction with birdwatching, ecotours, whale watching, surfing, hiking, waterfalls and beaches being main attractions. Here, a family enjoys a birdwatching tour. (Photo Source: Debbie Olsen, Freelance)

It is a sunny afternoon in Mexico's Riviera Nayarit, but as our tiny boat makes its way along the Rio Tovara near the town of San Blas, the channel slowly narrows and the route becomes dark and shady.

Tangled roots of countless mangroves line the water’s edge and my teenage daughter and I watch as a startled yellow-eared slider turtle slips off a submerged log and disappears in the inky water.

Moments later, we hear a bird call, but it isn't coming from the jungle. Our guide, Mark Stackhouse is making a distinct hooting sound in the back of the boat.

Our boat driver Chenko cuts the engine and a few seconds later we hear an answering call coming from somewhere deep inside the tangled vegetation.

"That's the sound of a Pygmy owl letting us know we are invading his territory," Stackhouse explains. "Sometimes you simply need to hear a bird to identify the species."

Stackhouse knows a great deal about identifying birds; he holds the current "Big Day" record for Mexico and for the state of Utah. To achieve a Big Day record, a birder must identify as many species of birds as possible by sight and sound in a 24-hour period. It is the crowning achievement for any competitive birder to hold A Big Day or A Big Year record and ornithologists take the sport very seriously.

"Birding is a fabulous way to get to know a destination, because you visit places tourists typically don't go," Stackhouse says.

"San Blas has a vast array of wildlife to see and it's not unusual to identify 300 different bird species in a week in this area — if you plan well."

As we continue up the channel, Stackhouse explains the importance of the four different species of native mangroves to the ecology of this part of Mexico and points out different species of birds both by sight and sound.

Our driver also has an uncanny ability to spot wildlife, but as we go deeper into the jungle we start to get better at spying birds and wildlife without assistance. As our boat passes through a mangrove tree tunnel, my daughter spots a furry dark creature in the branches directly above us and learns that it is a white-nosed coati, a mammal that is commonly found in the mangrove swamps of this part of Mexico.

We pass a couple of crocodiles sunning themselves along the muddy shore of the channel and our driver stops the boat long enough for me to take a picture of my daughter with a crocodile in the background.

The abundance and variety of wildlife is so amazing that my 15-year-old is captivated by this unique eco-adventure. Besides that, she is pretty sure her friends will be impressed when she uploads the crocodile photo to Facebook.

As we head further up the river, we notice a change in the flora and fauna as the level of salt in the water decreases. White spider lilies, red bromeliads, numerous orchids and giant ferns line the shore. We spot a large green iguana hidden in the leafy branches of a bush near the water's edge and encounter different species of birds than those we saw earlier in the trip.

"This area of Mexico has some of the best birdwatching in the world," Stackhouse explains as we get off the boat to explore near La Tovara Springs. "If I don't identify 100 bird species by noon, it's a slow day."

I can't help thinking that even though our birding tour will not be recorded in the record books, it will always be remembered as a Big Day.

Debbie Olsen is an Alberta-based freelance writer.

If You Go:

San Blas is a small city located on the Pacific Coast of Mexico between Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan in Riviera Nayarit. It is renowned as one of the top spots for birding in North America and the current Big Day record for Mexico was set at 220 species identified in a single day in the San Blas area. Peak birding season takes place from November through March. There are no big resorts in the town and ecotourism is the main attraction with ecotours, whale watching, surfing, hiking, waterfalls and beaches being main attractions.

Most people who visit San Blas fly into Puerto Vallarta and either visit on a day tour or plan a longer stay. From Puerto Vallarta, you can hire a cab to San Blas for about $120 one-way, arrange a private transfer or take a bus. A half-day birding tour in the San Blas area will cost about $50 per person if you have four people in a boat. Multi-day birding tours can also be arranged. To arrange a guided birding tour with Mark Stackhouse, visit westwings.com or check out his blog.

For information on San Blas, visit the official website of the Mexican Conventions & Visitors Bureau or check out this local website.

  Learn about San Pancho Bird Observatory

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