Rise and shine. Those mountain birds get up early and so will we!

Birding in Mexico (BIM) will cheerfully pick you up at either your hotel or a prearranged meeting point—usually the Walmart / Sam’s Club parking lot off of Francisco Medina Ascencio—near the Liverpool Galleria across from the cruise ship terminal, if you’re in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, or The Home Depot parking lot at the intersection of Highway 200 and the 544 turnoff for Las Palmas at Las Juntas, if you’re staying in Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit—then we’ll whisk you away to high adventure as you begin your full day of wonderful Sierra Madrean birding in paradise.

*Timings are approximate. Please be punctual. Casual window birding en route between each destination. We may vary the order of places visited, add or omit parts of this itinerary, depending on seasonality, tips from our regional birding friends and exciting discoveries from recent BIM Avian Treasures of the Sierra Madre excursions.

we will very likely stop at one or two strategic birding hotspots en route, so the drive may be completed in intervals, and that may take a little longer:

After your private pickup utilizing a modern, high quality, air conditioned vehicle, we will follow coastal Highway #200 north through Vallarta, or Highway 544 east from Nueva Vallarta (at Las Juntas), traveling through the southern periphery of the still largely agricultural Valley de Banderas to reach Las Palmas de Arriba before ascending through a beautiful array of still largely intact montane habitats—ranging from tropical montane forest to encinal (pine-oak woodland), and finally coniferous forest in order to reach the historic silver mining town of San Sebastian del Oeste — founded in 1605, during the early Spanish Colonial Period—which is still surrounded by it’s original bird-rich encinal (Pine-Oak Woodland) and Coniferous forest habitats.

Upon arrival we will catch our first impressive sight of the distinctive 2484 m / 8,805’ high profile of Cerro La Bufa as we enjoy complimentary breakfast snacks to boost our energy levels while concurrently scanning the surrounding forests for birds upon arrival this morning.

Usually this “continental breakfast” consists of yogurt, fruit, juices, granola bars and other nutritious options. Cold, bottled fresh water and a nice selection of soft drinks — including diet alternatives—are also readily on tap. Supplies are limited. We apologize if your preferred flavor is not available.

From winter to early spring the gorgeous pine-oak and coniferous forests cloaking the highlands above and surrounding San Sebastian are home to lively, migratory warbler & vireo flocks, and the colorful flower banks here often attract flurries of montane hummingbirds — particularly White-eared, Rivoli’s and endemic Bumblebee varieties.

Bumblebee Hummingbirds, one of the smallest birds on the planet, nest in the area but only during the wet season — July through December — when blooming is at its zenith.

BIM keeps track of their traditional territories to insure that our clients have the greatest chances of sighting of this colorful, uncommon Mexican mountain fairy, in season.

While ethically using the recorded calls of the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl to attract myriad small songbirds—including hummingbirds—into view, it is not unusual for one of these owls to make an “in-person appearance” while “investigating” what it perceives as an intruder entering its territory… trailed by a constellation of smaller songbirds and hummingbirds.…

This behavior, called mobbing, is a natural phenomenon and we hope to witness it in person for all three species of pygmy-owls potentially encountered during today’s excursion.

Vallarta’s Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls, typically a “lowland” inhabitant, reaches their highest elevational distribution in the vicinity of San Sebastian Del Oeste, locally.

Restrooms are available at the Pemex Station in La Estancia, our first comfort stop, approximately 9.2 kms / 20 mins before arriving at San Sebastian del Oeste proper.

*Timing is approximate and which route we take or in which order may vary due to seasonality, weather, trail conditions and previous BIM experiences in the region; we also reserve the right to alter the stated program for the better in the event that we learn of a special nearby birding opportunity or rarity.

For a full list of birds recorded at San Sebastian del Oeste please press here

On the second leg of our highland excursion, lucky BIM participants will take to the intermediate elevations above San Sebastian to seek out mixed-species flocks of resident and neotropical migrants, in season, many of which have winged their way south from northern breeding grounds in the Continental US, Canada and Alaska to winter in the highlands of Mexico’s largest mountain range, the Sierra Madre Occidental.

Here they form mixed bands, often including resident specialties like Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo, Audubon’s (Dicky’s) Oriole and Flame-colored Tanager in addition to flurries of migratory songbirds, particularly hummingbirds, flycatchers, thrushes, warblers, tanagers, vireos, orioles and seed-eating finches, all usually abundant at all altitudes.

A priority species inhabiting the mixed pine and oak woodlands between 1500 m / 5,000’ and 2100 m / 7,000’ here is the fairly recently described, endemic, Transvolcanic Jay, which was split from the more northerly Mexican Jay more than a decade ago. These interesting powder blue jays form lively and vocal social flocks, each seeking out large green katydids and other invertebrates in their daily rovings through the coniferous forest canopy on the middle to upper elevational slopes above San Sebastian del Oeste but below Cerro La Bufa.

The quavering calls of Mountain Trogons spur us ever upslope on our quest to see a representative sample of interesting montane birds before reaching the summit of Cerro La Bufa.

We will also listen for and attempt to call in the endemic Colima Pygmy-Owl, which is a resident inhabitant of forests at this intermediate elevation.

The call of this species may, in turn, elicit the interest of small songbirds and hummingbirds, which frequently come into close view in their search for the phantom avian predator they think they’re hearing.

Colima Pygmy-Owls replace Ferruginous and Northern pygmy-owls on the intermediate slopes between San Sebastian del Oeste and Cerro La Bufa.

A festive picnic with refreshments is served atop Cerro La Bufa, as we spike our blood sugar with treats while simultaneously admiring the intact coniferous forest and searching for soaring birds, now utilizing rising thermals of warm air as the mid-morning temperatures rise.

Other than Turkey Vultures, Zone-tailed and Red-Tailed hawks are the two most commonly encountered species that soar over Cerro La Bufa and surrounding peaks.

Atop Cerro La Bufa we will encounter birds preferring the highest elevations of the Sierra Madre Occidental: Mexican Violet-ear, Olive and Grace’s warblers; Cinnamon-bellied Flower-Piercer; Collared Towhee (endemic); Black-capped Siskin (endemic) and soaring raptors that may possibly include a Golden Eagle — the National Bird of Mexico.

Usually, we are able to ethically call in a Northern (Mountain) Pygmy-Owl or two during our explorations atop Cerro La Bufa, as well. When one does respond and make an appearance, as with the Ferruginous and Colima pygmy-owls inhabiting forests below us, it’s not unusual for an entertaining tag team of small songbirds and hummingbirds to follow and mob the small predator, creating quite a spectacle (much to the delight of BIM participants:-)!

A 1-kilometer trail leads to a dramatic promontory here that affords a welcome combination of great birding and breathtaking views of San Sebastian Del Oeste and the areas we previously birded on our ascent this morning. On clear days it’s even possible to resolve the outline of Puerto Vallarta’s tourist hotels and the sweeping coastline of Banderas Bay (including Laguna Quelele) from this vantage point.

Of course, we will scan for raptors, swallows and swifts from this exciting vantage, before heading back to San Sebastian, our appetites whetted from a very full morning of birding among the pines between San Sebastian and Cerro La Bufa.

For a full list of birds recorded atop Cerro La Bufa please press here

With activity waning under the mid-day sun, we will backtrack, paying attention for any surprise birding activity along the route, arriving at San Sebastian for a late lunch at around 2:00p.m.

While enjoying lunch at this garden restaurant, we’ll compile our checklists for the day before working our way back to Puerto Vallarta or, for those opting to participated in the overnight excursion, we will check into our very nice hotel after lunch.

Please inquire for availability if you’re interested in BIM’s overnight option at San Sebastian del Oeste.

Overnight accommodation is at one of the following, very fine and comfortable hotels: Hacienda Matel, La Mansion Real or Hotel Boutique Villa Nogal.

Whichever one we choose, all our hotels offer first rate, comfortable accommodation and food service, tremendous birding opportunities within walking distance of their lovely gardens, and the tiled roofs of the town center often play host to singing Canyon Wrens year round.

Upon completion of todays Birding in Mexico adventure, each participant will be cordially returned to their original pickup point, with pleasure, and it is our sincere hope that you’ll return to that point very pleased and richer for today’s Birding in Mexico experience where you will have discovered the true treasure of the Sierra Madre—It’s Birds!

*For guests opting for the BIM’S overnight trip please see the following tab for our continuing schedule of additional birding events to follow.

We will checkin to our hotel and settle into our comfortable rooms, while relaxing in style ahead of a light dinner, and an optional nocturnal spotlighting birding expedition, following.

Overnight clients will have a special treat in store for them as we continue BIM’s exciting montane birding odyssey after dark in the Sierra Madre Occidental, by offering an optional nocturnal birding outing in pursuit of mysterious, resident Whiskered Screech-Owls (both the common gray morph and uncommon rufous morph are possibilities tonight) and summering Mexican Whip-Poor-wills (March-September), before turning in for the night.

Upon return to the hotel we bid you a good night with pleasant visions of this day’s exciting montane birding adventure dancing in your heads.

We will overnight at one of three very fine and comfortable hotels at San Sebastian Del Oeste—the Hacienda Matel, La Mansion Real or Hotel Boutique Villa Nogal.

Good night!

Fresh Juice, Hot Coffee or Tea in advance of our Second Day of Birding Exploration of the majestic Coniferous Forests cloaking the Madrean highlands above San Sebastian del Oeste. 

Following breakfast we will checkout of our hotel to begin where we left off the day before, by making a direct, 45-minute, vehicular ascent—a “bee line” of sorts—to reach the summit of Cerro La Bufa to witness the dramatic sunrise and to search for crepuscular birds—punctuated by the endemic Collared Towhee — by sunrise.

As the first stop in a very interesting loop that will lead us over the top of Cerro La Bufa, we’ll assess a remote bird-rich wilderness on a rugged wilderness track, before reaching the paved Mascota Highway, and shortly thereafter reaching the colloquial montane community of La Estancia which we traversed en route between Las Palmas and San Sebastian the previous morning.

More specifically, where birding is concerned:

Our first goal is to witness the hitherto unseen activities of four primarily crepuscular birds—the Northern (Mountain) Pygmy-Owl, endemic Collared Towhee, recently recognized Mexican Violet-ear and the northernmost flowerpiercer species on the planet — Cinnamon-bellied Flower-Piercer.

All of these birds are most easily seen during the first two hours of daylight, in season, and we will do our best to see as many of them as we can, in addition to other interesting high altitude species, as we greet the dawn of our second day in the Sierra Madrean highlands above San Sebastian del Oeste.

Depending on seasonality, we may substitute our usual visit to the summit of La Bufa with an exploration of a cismontane meadow and two heavily wooded nearby canyons adorned in a heavy climax-community growth of pines and firs, to search for endemic Red Warbler (White-eared form), resident Golden-browed Warbler and wintering Hermit and Townsend’s warblers, resident Mountain Trogon, flocks of dainty Gray Silky-Flycatchers, rare, endemic Aztec Thrush and more common, endemic, Russet Nightingale-Thrush, resident Olive Warbler and colorful Elegant Euphonia, etc.

Lucky birders have even encountered the rare endemic Eared Quetzal, a vagrant to this region, and both Alex and Greg are very familiar with their vocals, so are always keenly aware of background vocalizations, as they listen for these and other exciting rarities, much to the benefit of BIM clients!

*Hot tea and coffee will be available to warm your body during our early morning visit to Cerro La Bufa and other highland peaks in the area. As always, snacks and refreshments will be in abundance and available on demand throughout the morning.

*There is a simple restroom available at the summit for visitors’ use, and none in the “La Bufa Wilderness Silent Zone.” We will have paper available in the event none is present here during our visit.

A new BIM offering offers lucky participants who opt for the overnight excursion at San Sebastian del Oeste, to enter what has been affectionately dubbed the “La Bufa Wilderness Silent Zone.”

As the name implies, the remote southwestern slopes of the Sierra Madre Occidental here, especially those between Cerro La Bufa and the colloquial mountain hamlet of La Estancia, shelter an exceptionally natural, steep-sided, remote, and bird-rich wilderness few birders have ever been privileged to see or “hear!”

For more than a decade Greg Homel made pioneering explorations to this wild region—day and night—to discover its treasure-trove of birding opportunities and secrets (culminating in the discovery of a reliable location where Bumblebee Hummingbirds sing and display in season, October-April), made even more special by that fact that other than soothing birdsong and gentle breezes whispering through the coniferous highlands here—human caused sounds fade to a distant memory in this amazingly “silent” wilderness area!

After visiting Cerro La Bufa we will spend the remainder of our second exciting morning exploration by vehicle and on foot the stratified birdlife found at differing elevational levels as we make our descent through the “La Bufa Wilderness Silent Zone” on a rugged but passible “road,” where we have our best chances of hearing and sometimes seeing endemic Long-tailed Wood-Partridge, especially from March-May.

Eventually this road intersects with Carretera 544—the by now familiar Las Palmas-Mascota Highway—where we will enjoy lunch at a delicious grill restaurant at La Estancia.

For a full list of birds to expect please see the San Sebastian del Oeste eBird list by pressing here

Following lunch, we’ll leisurely work our way back to Puerto Vallarta, and if time allows, partake in some bonus birding opportunities at varying descending elevations, while reaching Puerto Vallarta before day’s end.

Upon completion of todays Birding in Mexico adventure, each participant will be cordially returned to their original pickup point, with pleasure, and it is our sincere hope that you’ll return to that point very pleased and richer for your BIM experiences while seeking out the true treasure of the Sierra Madre—its birds!

*Timings are approximate. We may vary the order of places visited or omit one during this itinerary, depending on seasonality, tips from our regional birding friends and exciting discoveries from recent BIM Avian Treasures of the Sierra Madre excursions.