The week started with the typical non-birder bird, the female House Sparrow, that to most looks like a completely different species of bird. A little backstory on this in my life. My mom loves to watch the birds out of her kitchen window but she isn't very well-versed in the bird identification part of the hobby, seeing as she always had a son to tell her what was what. She knew the basics like Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch, and Blue Jay, but most sparrows baffled her (like all new birders or amateur birders), so the female House Sparrow always made her question the species. Throughout the years I've always been called to the kitchen and asked the looming question "what bird is that?" and I would always reply with the "its a female House Sparrow." Not one word of a lie this has probably happened at least 100 times in my life, and it still happens after I've moved out.
More towards the middle of the week I receive a text message from my dad with a picture of something a little more intriguing, he is much more well-versed and has gone on many birding trips with me including my trip to Point Pelee NP in May of last year. Now this bird is one we don't see in Southern Ontario, a female Gila Woodpecker. This is the moment in the story where I start kicking myself wanting to be where they are instead of the cold, arid landscape which is Ontario in January. That bird would have been a lifer for me personally.
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| Gila Woodpecker - Baja California Sur, Mexico |
By Thursday I've gotten told a lot of gulls and Brown Pelican have been hanging around their hotel which is fairly typical for coastal Cabo San Lucas, and they also seen a Great Egret. These were enticing since it's been a very long time since I myself have seen pelican and all of the western gull species they could have as well speak lifer to me. However, what really pushed my jealousy of their trip (other than the 25°C weather compared to just above 0°C here) was the sighting of a beautiful male Hooded Oriole. Even to just see a picture makes me long to go and see that bird. The striking orange that trails all the way to the base of the beak with their typical black mask. I've always had a little place in my heart for orioles of all species and have only been able to get my bins on the two common Ontario species Orchard and Baltimore. This makes my week even without seeing it myself, maybe in years to come I'll be able to take a little trip down to see my very own lifer birds on Mexico's west coast!
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| Hooded Oriole - Baja California Sur, Mexico |
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| Hooded Oriole - Baja California Sur, Mexico |
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