|
QUAIL-1
Gambel's Quail-Callipepla gambelii
Fairly common resident. Usually found outside of town often in the area around the Old Sewage Pond and at Playa Encanto. Numbers vary from year to year depending on winter rain and food supply. A morning or evening walk of the Old Sewage Ponds should produce Gambel's Quail. They don't seem to make it into town as they do in the states. This might be due to large number of feral dogs all over the perimeter of town.
LOONS-3
Red-throated Loon-Gavia stellata
This species is a rare migrant and wintering species. Red-throated Loons are found between late November and early April. There is a record from 3-12-88 and a record of two birds that were found on 3-21-78 off of Puerto Penasco. A late spring bird was still around on 4-19-86. A very late spring bird was seen on 5-3-96 behind the fish market and may have been the same bird that was seen there in December. The bird was still in basic plumage and may have attempted to summer. There is a very rare record of an adult in alternate plumage at Puerto Penasco on 7-24-79. That bird could have been an early fall migrant. More recent records are from 12-15-90 at Cholla Bay, on 12-15 thru 12-17 1995 just outside the harbor mouth at Puerto Penasco [Photo] and on 12-22-96 in Cholla Bay.
Pacific Loon-Gavia pacifica
This species is common in winter. Some years it is even more common than the Common Loon. The bulk of the birds don't arrive until November and late birds are around until mid April. On the 1981 C.B.C., a boat was taken out and 1,746 Pacific Loons were estimated. Over 500 were estimated on 11-19-77. There were two late spring birds in basic plumage found on 4-28-94 and a few were around on 4-25-95. An alternate plumaged bird was found at Station Beach, Puerto Penasco on 7-26-79. This was probably an early fall migrant. There was a basic plumaged bird at Cholla Bay on 7-26-94 and that bird could have been a summering. There was another early fall record off of Pelican Point on 8-21-95. About 10 were found 8-24-98. [RP] There is an early June record for El Golfo de Santa Clara and that bird may have never left.
Common Loon-Gavia immer
This species is very common in winter. Some individual loons can be found from late July into October but the bulk of the Common Loons are around from November until early April. Three birds in alternate plumage were found on 4-12-92. One late spring bird was seen on 5-3-96 and was in alternate plumage. There is another record for 5-18-74. There are a few summer records that include a basic plumaged bird off Puerto Penasco on 7-2-76. At least six were off Puerto Penasco on 7-25-79, four of which were in alternate plumage. There were three basic plumage birds just outside the harbor on 8-20-95 and were probably early fall birds. Over 2,000 migrants were estimated on 11-19-77. It is very hard to get a clear idea of just how many loons are in this part of the gulf. There are times when you look out to sea with a scope and loons are almost continually flying through your field of view going in the same direction. One Common Loon tagged with a radio collar in Montana, left that area around November 8th and arrived in water around Puerto Penasco on November 12th. The loon continued on into southern Sonora.
GREBES-6
Pied-billed Grebe-Podilymbus podiceps
This species is a rare migrant and a rare winter visitor. The habitat is limited for this species in the area and the Sewage Ponds or deeper Shrimp Pond are the best locations. There was one found at the Sewage Pond on 11-25-93 and it was seen again on 12-19-93. Two were recorded on the 1981 C.B.C. at the Sewage Pond and there were four migrants at the Sewage pond on 4-25-95. [NB] One was found on 12-15-95 in a small overflow pond just outside the Sewage pond and was still there on 12-17-95. Three were found at the Shrimp Pond on 12-21-96, the most ever and on 1-10-94 there was one seen. [SH] One was at the New Sewage Ponds on 10-3-98 and 2 were at the Shrimp Pond 9-16-00 but could not be found on 10-13-00. [SG]
Horned Grebe-Podiceps auritus
Rare in winter. Horned Grebe has been recorded only a few times in the Puerto Penasco area. One was observed on 12-22-96 just outside the harbor. There were higher than normal concentrations of both Eared Grebes and Western Grebes at the time. Also in December of 1997 there was one just outside the harbor. Two were just outside Cholla Bay near Pelican Point on 3-8-98. One was found on 11-22-99. On 1-15-00 there were five Horned Grebes together just north of Pelican Point. [SG]
Red-necked Grebe-Podiceps grisegena
Accidental. Red-necked Grebe is not listed in most books as a species recorded in Mexico. A well-described bird was in Puerto Penasco on 12-22-96. [TC] There had been strong on-shore winds for two days and there were higher than normal numbers of Western Grebes at the time but no photo was taken. Another record was from off shore in December of 2001 but could not be found the next day. On January 24, 2007 a Red-necked Grebe was found in the harbor of Puerto Penasco and this bird was well photographed. (SS,RW). The bird remained at least until 2-2-07 when it was still in the same area of the harbor.
Eared Grebe-Podiceps nigricollis
Common most of the year. They are most often found in small flocks just off shore. About 95 were found on 3-26-77. Fifteen were noted on 4-1-73 and ten were there 4-12-92. Many are still around in late April and early May, in fact this species has been found every month of the year. Three birds were at Puerto Penasco 7-24-79 and there was one at the Sewage Pond on 7-26-94. On 8-24-98 there were 36 Eared Grebes found. Winter numbers have been building with 850 birds found on the 1989 C.B.C. and 2000 birds found in both 1997 and 1998. However in 1999 on the C.B.C. the number had dropped to only 146. The two years with the highest numbers were also the two years with the strongest winds. There were still 200 at the New Sewage Ponds on May 21, 2001. (SG)
|
|
