Manzanillo, MX - 04 Mar 2006

0700 Hrs. We are approaching Manzanillo, our first port. As we approach the coast the seabirds are beginning to appear off the ship’s bow. With the coast to the port side and our cabin on the starboard side I see small flocks of 4-8 birds at a time fly off to the distance on our right. I grab the scope, binoculars and camera and head to the 7th deck. 

At the front of the ship, on the port side I set up and began to scope the approaching shoreline. First recognizable birds are Brown Boobies! These have white heads, though, so they must the subspecies brewsteri. As several groups fly by toward the ship’s bow I manage a few flight shots but its tough, as the early morning light and wind make it difficult to get sharp images.

Just as I finish taking a burst of shots, a ‘white’ Tropicbird sp. appears like a lightning bolt over the top of the ship and dive bombs into the ocean about 50 meters from the rail. I quickly turn and try getting flight shots of it as it flies off. Not sure whether it’s a Red-billed Tropicbird (which is more common and expected in this area) or a White-tailed Tropicbird. The bird in question had a bright red bill, and no discernible markings on the back, so I initially guessed WTT, but after reviewing my only good image, I conclude that it’s a Red-billed Tropicbird by the black primaries and black primary coverts. 

A search of tropicbird id got me this information: 

“Forget the tail for i.d. purposes! Young Red-tailed Tropicbirds have white tails (see upper right hand bird). Every Red-tailed that I've seen at sea (dozens in the eastern tropical Pacific) had a white or (at most) a pale pinkish tail. Only adults on the breeding grounds have obvious red tails. Further, tail color can be hard to determine against a bright blue sky. So forget about the tails (the other two species have white tails but even these can look pinkish when backlit, and some populations of White-tailed actually have a pinkish or yellowish cast to the tail at times). 

Forget the bill color for i.d. purposes! Both Red-billed and Red-tailed have red bills as adults, and even typically yellow-billed adult White-tailed can appear orange to orange-red in some lights and angles. Young birds of any species can have dingy or darkish bills. Young Red-tails go through a sequence from dark to two-tone bills, to quite yellowish and then orange, before they become red. 

Upper wing patterns are diagnostic. At all ages, Red-tailed Tropicbird has virtually all-white remiges (primaries and secondaries) so they look essentially "white-winged" in the field. This works both on quite young birds (upper left) and older individuals (upper right) up through adults. This is easy! [In the photos later on of young birds you will see that the outer primaries on some Red-tails have black shaft streaks, and some tertials have black centers, but these are very fine points. All Red-tails appear essentially white-winged in the field.] 

Only White-tailed Tropicbird has a black "carpal bar" [=ulnar bar] forming black braces on the sides of the body, and it has the base of the outer four primaries black. The extent of black in the primaries varies geographically (and has accounted for the naming of several races; Orta 1992). A key point, though, is that the black outer primaries contrast with the white primary coverts. 

Only Red-billed Tropicbird has both black outer primaries and black primary coverts. Note how different this pattern is from White-tailed. Yes, Red-billed also has much barring on the back, but so do juvenal plumages of all species, so I would de-emphasize that character. Only Red-billed Tropicbird has a black nuchal collar that connects the black face patches around the nape. All tropicbirds have black patches around their eyes, but only the Red-billed connects around the collar.” 

Red-billed Tropicbird it is! 

0900-1030 Hrs. As we neared Manzanillo I could see Laughing Gulls, more Brown Boobies, possible Black Petrels (unsure, though), Magnificent Frigatebirds, Turkey Vultures, Neotropic Cormorants, a single Willet, Great Blue Heron, Caspian Tern, and another Brown Booby flying by while trying to toss a fish into the air and catch it! 

As we slowed into port we were greeted by Mexican authorities driving a gun boat! Fully armored! I felt a bit nervous watching them pull alongside us in full military garb with a soldier manning the big gun. With me standing on the balcony with a scope, binoculars and camera with long-lens, I wondered if I was gonna get shot at if I pointed the camera their way. Only one way to find out, I guess… Click! They drove off with a wave. I had to go change my under britches.

1100 Hrs. Sitting here in the cabin eating an orange and (3) Magnificent Frigatebirds are soaring right outside our balcony. I frantically grabbed the camera and fired off several shots as they soared by. Neat! 

Our shore excursion had been cancelled, so we opted to go ashore and walk around town. It was crowded with cars and people and tourists, and a multitude of tiny shops and stores. After a short walk through town, we headed back to the ship for lunch. It was sunny and hot, and temps were supposed to reach 100ºF. 

As we waited for our bus, I observed the following: Black Vultures (white primary patches in flight), 

Turkey Vultures, Neotropic Cormorants, Laughing Gulls, Great-tailed Grackles, 

Magnificent Frigatebirds, Rock Pigeons, and Cattle Egrets. 

1400 Hrs. Back in our cabin, I  watched the Brown Boobies flying low over the water and feeding. Fascinating study watching them fly just above the water and dive just below the surface without so much as a pause in wingbeat. 

Both brown-faced Sula leucogaster and white-faced S.l. brewsteri Brown Boobies are here in Manzanillo. Brown and White Pelicans are also about, fishing and roosting near the boats and flying overhead in the mountains along the shoreline. 

Port of Manzanillo, Manzanillo, Colima, MX
Mar 4, 2006 7:00 AM
Protocol: Incidental
Checklist Comments:     Cruise ship observations as we approach port.
15 species (+1 other taxa)

Willet (Tringa semipalmata)  1
Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)  2
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  1
Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus)  1
Black Storm-Petrel (Hydrobates melania)  1
Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens)  3
Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster)  6     Both brown-faced Sula leucogaster and white-faced S.l. brewsteri Brown Boobies are here in Manzanillo.
Brown Booby (Brewster's) (Sula leucogaster brewsteri)  6     These have white heads, though, so they must the subspecies brewsteri.  As several groups fly by toward the ship’s bow I manage a few flight shots (1), (2), but its tough, as the early morning light and wind make it difficult to get sharp images.
Neotropic Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum)  2
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)  2
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)  2
Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)  4
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)  2
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  2
Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)  1     massively long tail compared to Boat-tailed Grackle

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S41852385

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)