Month: February 2025 (Page 1 of 2)

Grupos uno y dos/Groups 1+2: Mica Mae, Ciara, Alexia, Elyse, Amyre, Bailey

Hello from Chamela, day 4!

This morning was quiet, with many of us sleeping right up until breakfast at 7:30 am, after which our first full day of data collection began. Over the past few days, each group has created their own ecological hypothesis that is testable based on resources here at Chamela. The data we collect will be used to create our final research reports for this class. Some subjects of research include lizards, birds, and cacti.

In Group 1, we are testing how the different environments (dry top land vs arroyo) affects leaf morphology, specifically testing the length and width of the leaves of the species Bonellia Macrocarpa. In Group 2, we are testing the hypothesis that water availability fundamentally changes forest structures, altering both tree density and trunk diameter. Our data collection involved marking off 5 by 5 meter quadrats in the forest, and counting and measuring stems.

Though our projects were quite different, they both led us to the same place at the same time; we met up at the arroyo, mid-morning, and spotted some coatis watching us from overhead. We joined forces to make the hike back to campus. A few of us recovered from the journey with a much needed nap.

By 12:30 pm the temperature was at its peak, about 30 degrees C, and we were ready for a break in the AC. We gathered into the classroom to listen to Clarisa and Alexia present their seminars on Mesoamerican crops, and wetland diversity, respectively.

After that, we enjoyed some lunch, and had some down time until the temperature got cooler. Most of us headed back out on the trails around 5-6pm to collect more data. Just before heading out, Ciara spotted a wonderful photoshoot in progress: Steve, Javier, and David all posing in matching cowboy hats.

At 7pm we gathered once again, this time to listen to some species presentations. Jade and Bailey did a fantastic job, but the real highlight of the evening was Steve announcing that tomorrow will be a beach day! After a lot of hard work in the heat, we are ready to relax in the sun.

As one final treat before bed, David spotted a Mexican Burrowing Python. A couple of us got to hold him, and many of us got pictures. It was really special since this was the first time this species of snake had been spotted on this course!

And with that, it’s bedtime. Adios!

Grupo 5/Group 5. Anna, Claire, Naida, Jade

Chamela is H-O-T-T-O-G-O Buenas noches from Anna, Naida, Claire and Jade!

Many of us are struggling to acclimate to the heat here at Chamela (and is the ‘cool season, only attaining daytime temperatures of low 30s), but our projects are underway!

The main task today has been collecting pilot data for our research projects so we can refine our hypotheses and design feasible studies. Groups ventured out into the brush to get some preliminary data. After spending the morning collecting pilot data, we took some time mid-day before lunch to research with the Spanish books, reports and articles available in the air-conditioned library. Some of us also had a little siesta since we were feeling a bit fatigued after having spent a few hours in the hot sun. After a morning of fieldwork, we had lunch which consisted of chicken and rice with hibiscus juice! After lunch, we made our way to the classroom to present our hypotheses and receive (and provide) constructive feedback to each group as a class. Groups then headed in separate directions to incorporate feedback, develop their methods, and collect more data. Different groups spent their day looking for lizards, playing bird calls and gaging response, evaluating herbivory and spine abundance in cacti, and assessing tree width and leaf morphology. Group 4 was lucky enough to spot some wild pigs while trekking through the field.

For dinner, we had tasty tacos and of course more hibiscus juice. Then, we did three species presentations in the courtyard—we learned about the Black Vulture, the White-Nosed Coati, and the Mexican Red Legged Tarantula—all of which we’ve seen here this week.

That’s all for today! Hasta luego

Grupo 4/Group 4. Clarissa, Alex, Bethany, David

We started the day waking up early with Steve’s coffee, and shortly after we heard a soft and deep call in the distance. Javier and David R. went to investigate, and found a Mottled Owl (Strix virgata), that shortly after dawn approached its favourite perch to rest. We also found a red-legged tarantula (Brachypelma klassi) roughly the size of Steve’s hand, much to the dismay of family members fortunate enough to get an early photo.

After breakfast, we went for a hike down the Sendero Buho (Owl Trail) into one of the arroyos (dry riverbeds) that run through the terrain. The arroyos are marginally cooler and much greener than the rest of the forest, so it was a nice respite from the heat, and there is often much more animal activity in these gallery forests. There we spent some time observing natural phenomena and brainstorming for our final projects. We found some cool carcasses, including a creepy mummified toad (possibly Rhinella horriblus as this is the largest species to occur here), and the skeleton of a turtle.

We then hiked back up to the field station, where we spent some more time thinking about our projects and recovering from the heat. After lunch we had a few hours free time, where some of us worked on other course work, and others just rested and enjoyed the scenery. Claire, David R., and Bethany did their seminars, where we learned about ecotourism, cloud forests and their conservation ,and species diversity and its relation to ecosystem resilience, stability, and functioning. We then got the chance to see some amazing nocturnal animals: a northern potoo (Nyctibius jamaicensis) and a boa constrictor (Boa constrictor)! Some of us were able to hold the boa before we released it at the point where it had been caught.

After dinner, some of us showered to remove the sunscreen and sweat from the day, and the rest went on a brief night hike. We saw many bats, another tarantula, and some huntsman spiders (Heteropoda venatoria) (their eyes glitter in the dark). Now we rest and gear up for starting to collect data for our projects!

Grupo 3/Group 3: Josh, Sienna, Mikaela

With a 7:30am start, we marched to the bus, Starbucks knockoff iced coffee (courtesy of OXXO corner store) in hand. We waved goodbye to Villa Purificación and started our journey to Chamela. With a quick stop at Texas To Go gas station, a strangely American name, we were on our way. The bus was mostly silent, aside from some intriguing conversation between Bailey and Clarisa. We drove through clouds of mist and passed a large flock of Black Bellied Whistling Ducks, Wood Storks, and other water dwelling birds. We arrived at the coastal town of La Manzanilla at 10:15am. It’s strange to think that only 52 hours prior we were 2,500 meters above sea level, and now we are being washed over by the smell of salt and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. For some of us, it was our first time seeing the ocean, and others, their first time seeing the Pacific Ocean. It is also humorous to have been in Mexico for a week before being introduced to the sea.

We visited the mangroves in an area that was fenced off at the edge of town near an estuary. We paid our entrance fees (well Steve did) and then entered. We immediately saw some large American crocodiles. A staff member of this ‘park’ threw filleted fish carcass into the air and it caught in the mouth a prehistoric beast (Jurassic theme song playing in our minds). This was our first introduction to American crocodiles, which we were later informed by Mica Mae that they can weigh up to 800 kilograms. You can distinguish them from alligators by their V-shaped snouts and their ‘evil grin’—sharp teeth gleaming in the sun. Within the mangrove sanctuary where the crocodiles resided we were entertained by the cacophony of squawks of the Great Tailed Grackle, and an astounding number of Egrets, both Snowy and Great alike, and herons (Great Blue, Green, Tri-colored). As we walked through the mangrove trees, iguanas hopped from branch to branch, a surprising agile reptile.

We concluded our experience with drinks and lunch on the beach in a small family-run establishment. The owners were a bit taken aback by the throng. The Pacific Ocean whispered temptingly in our ears as we tried to focus on the debrief. Steve gave us permission to dip our toes in the water, so of course we dipped our whole bodies. While some of us played in the waves, other ordered an overwhelming amount of ceviche and guacamole, and the piña coladas were flowing. The salty water was warm and refreshing, but not a pleasant mouth wash. The beach was busy with gringos, but more importantly, the magnificent frigatebirds, which soared effortlessly above our heads. Other honourable bird mentions were Royal Terns, Caspian Turns, and Heerman’s Gulls.

After some fun in the sun, and definitely no sunburns at all, we continued our drive to Chamela. The landscape outside the bus window was much dryer than that of Las Joyas. During the dry season the trees of Chamela loose their leaves a surprising 180 to the ecosystems of Las Joyas. Do not let the lack of leaves suggest to you that the biodiversity is any less impressive in Chamela. Upon arriving we had already been sorted into our rooms with the assignments creating new roommate pairings! Showers to clean off the salt of the ocean were a welcome sensation.

Steve and Javier took us on a walk down the Eje Central to get us our first up close look at the tropical dry forest. 4 species presentations were done on new species we encountered the: Magnificent Frigatebird by Claire, American Crocodile by Mica Mae, the Gumbo Limbo by Elyse (Bursara sp.) and finally the House Gecko by Sienna! Dinner was chicken tostadas and some sweet guava juice. As we bid goodnight, we were serenaded by the chirping of the Common House Gecko and the white noise of our ceiling fans.

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Grupo 2/Group 2. Elyse, Aymre, Bailey

Hello from Villa Purificacion! Today we had a wonderful and educational day. We started at 8:00am sharp for breakfast tacos in the small town’s plaza, the Plaza Mexico-Filipinas. The square’s centerpiece was a water fountain with a stone pineapple, paying homage to the region’s rich history of Asian-Mexican trade (most notably, of pineapples!). Our guest lecturer Dr. Jesús Juan Rosales-Adame (Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Centro Universitario de la Costa Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara) then lead through an insightful session on the history of the town, of pineapples, and of international trade. Pineapples originated in South America probably from two centres of origin, one in the territory of the Guarani and Tupinambá peoples in southern Brazil and the other more northern, towards the Guayanas. Indeed, the genus Anana comes from the Tupinambá word for ‘excellent fruit.’ There is evidence of pineapple cultivation in Peru and Ecuador a few thousand years ago, and its cultivation began in Mesoamerica about 2.5-3,000 years ago, although how it arrived is a mystery, perhaps via maritime routes. Interestly, there are similarities in cultural practices between the Indigenous peoples of Ecuador and Peru and Mesoamerican peoples (e.g. vertical burials of their deceased). The cultivation of pineapple in Mexico predates the arrival of the Spanish and the notion that the colonists brought it to the region is incorrect.

After a quick AC break at the hotel, we loaded onto our bus and headed to El Morador y Pere Grino, a local organic pineapple planation. Although it’s the dry season, and the fruits are not ready to eat, we got to see the baby pineapples growing on plants, and appreciate all the species growing together beneath the canopy. This planation offers a unique perspective of how agroforestry concepts can be applied to use the land most effectively; cattle feeding on the native crops, mango and cacao trees providing shade for the tolerant pineapple, larger trees used as timber, as well as many native animal species taking advantage of the high diversity. We were also able to sample some of the fruit that was available, including coffee beans, oranges, arrayan, and possibly tricked into eating some very hot wild chilli peppers that are dispersed by birds!

After a second, much appreciated AC break, we went into town to have lunch. At the Restaurante Tapatio they served us tacos, ceviche, tajin covered vegetables, and crab soup. Jesús’ students were kind enough to pour us a round of tequilla shots and show us how to take them “Jalisco style”; this involved taking the shot of tequila, and then having one’s head abruptly and reflexively twist while attempting to not choke on the mouthful of liquor. We, of course, did not choke, but instead witnessed our hosts display their skills.

We settled in for the afternoon, each spending some time on our own relaxing and catching up on other schoolwork. We finished off the night by gathering to listen to Jade’s seminar on Migratory Birds. Overall, we had a lovely time, and we’re ready for an early start tomorrow morning.

Salud!

Grupo 1/Group 1. Alexia, Ciara, Mica Mae

This morning we started the day early and getting ready for our big travel day ahead! After breakfast some of us played cards while we waited for the other truck to come pick us up. Once the truck arrived, we all piled in for our ride down the mountain. We could feel the temperature rise as we went down. We eventually made a pit stop to switch from the trucks to a bus at the second medical campus at the Universidad de Guadalajara.

It was carnaval this weekend in Autlán de Navarro so the streets were very busy in the city.  We headed out to immerse ourselves in some local town culture and tour the square to see food markets (some of us trying mango and chamoy for the first time – chammy is a salsa made form dried chilies, lime juice, and fruit). We also did some trinket shopping. There were jewelry vendors, gelato, restaurants, and two of us (Ciara and Bethany) even tried scorpion! A handful of us also visited Zona 3, a cute restaurant with a balcony overlooking the busy streets below.

We finally reunited and got ourselves back into the bus to head to our hotel. A few hours later, and after a lot of gear shifting my our capable driver Beto, we arrived at Hotel “Rul” in Villa Purificación where many of us were pleasantly surprised to see our balcony view of the sunset and the church (Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria), where we could hear the beautiful songs coming from it for Saturday Mass. We had a pizza dinner as a group beside the hotel pool and a few of us explored the square after eating for late night snacks and drinks (a lot of horchata and chips were bought, and consumed).

en español

¡Esta mañana comenzamos el día temprano y nos preparamos para el gran día de viaje que nos espera! Después del desayuno, algunos de nosotros jugamos a las cartas mientras esperábamos que una camioneta viniera a recogernos. Una vez que llegó, todos nos amontonamos en los vehículos para bajar la montaña. Podíamos sentir cómo subía la temperatura a medida que bajábamos. Llegamos a Autlán donde hicimos una parada para cambiarnos al autobús en el campus de Medicina de la Universidad de Guadalajara.

Este fin de semana inicia la celebración de carnaval en Autlán de Navarro por lo que las calles estaban muy concurridas en la ciudad. Salimos al centro de la ciudad para experimentar la cultura local y recorrer la plaza central y ver los mercados de alimentos (algunos de nosotros probamos el mango y el chamoy por primera vez; el chamoy es una salsa hecha con chiles secos, jugo de limón y fruta). También hicimos algunas compras de chucherías. Había vendedores de joyas, helados, restaurantes y dos de nosotros (Ciara y Bethany) ¡incluso probamos escorpiones! Algunos de nosotros también visitamos la Zona 3, un lindo restaurante con un balcón con vistas a las concurridas calles de la ciudad.

Finalmente nos reunimos y regresamos al autobús para dirigirnos a nuestro hotel. Unas horas más tarde, y después de muchos cambios de marcha de nuestro hábil conductor Beto, llegamos al Hotel “Rul” en Villa Purificación, donde muchos de nosotros quedamos gratamente sorprendidos al ver desde nuestro balcón la vista del atardecer y la iglesia (Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria), donde pudimos escuchar los hermosos cantos que salían de la iglesia para la misa del sábado. Cenamos pizza junto a la piscina del hotel y algunos de nosotros exploramos la plaza después de comer bocadillos y bebidas a altas horas de la noche (mucha horchata y papas fritas).

We woke up for breakfast this morning at 8 after a much-needed sleep from our day yesterday—which ended with us sitting around the campfire listening to the Four Nations hockey game (go Canada!) with the Albertan forestry students. For breakfast, we had huevos con jamon y saucito, and refried frijoles, which was interrupted with some exciting new finds from the mist nets, notably the critically endangered Black-capped Vireo, which Javier said was a once in a lifetime find for him. We also netted a Red-Headed tanager, a MacGillivray’s warbler, and an Audubon’s Oriole.

Steve then briefly introduced the research projects we will be working on at Chamela. Most of us are dealing with some pretty itchy bug bites today. We went on an amazing 3.5 km hike on the Sendero El Tlacuache trail in pursuit of rattle snakes and salamanders. It was a beautiful forest with many hanging vines, mosses, and epiphytes. We didn’t find any snakes or salamanders, but we did have some unexpected finds: a handful of brown freshwater crabs, two different species of frogs, and four crested guans! When we reached the upper road again, we searched for different butterflies to identify. We were especially taken with the glass-wing butterfly. We got back to the station and were quite tired from the hike, but kept looking for butterflies and caught up in our field notebooks. Then we had chicken and rice for lunch, with cucumber and lime juice to drink.

After lunch, there was time for the group to take a wonderful long siesta and start to get our things packed for our departure tomorrow. Some of us did yoga in the afternoon sunlight outside of the Flora cabin. Others explored around the station before it was time to go to the classroom and do a few seminars. Alex presented about agroforestry, Mica Mae presented on how climate change is reshaping the tropics, and Mikaela presented about UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves. We had some productive discussions about agricultural subsidies, the effects of climate change on range distribution, and the dynamics of Las Joyas becoming a biosphere.

We ended our session and enjoyed the lovely late afternoon before dinner at 7pm. Our dinner was jamon y queso sandwiches, which was also interrupted by a new bird catch: an orange-billed nightingale thrush. We were all pleased to see this bird, especially Bailey, who earned his bird-holding redemption! Then we lingered near the benches and watched stars appear as the sky darkened. Steve told us some stories about previous field courses he has taught internationally. We ended our night with a cozy campfire and stargazing. We’re ready for a good sleep before our exciting travel day and carnaval in Autlan tomorrow!

Buenas noches, hasta mañana!

black-capped vireo

Trailhead of Sendero El Tlacuache (Opossum Trail)

Glass-winged butterfly

Relaxing after the hike

Twisted vines having grown around a stem that has long since decayed

Male red-headed tanager

Gray-breasted wood-wren nest found along the trail with feathers of other bird species woven in

Searching the stream for leaf litter frogs

A small crab found along the stream

Looking for critters, ever so carefully

Grupo 4 /Group 4. Clarisa, Alex, Bethany, David

Sienna’s 23rd birthday started bright and early for some; Javier, (Mexican) David, and Alexia set up three bird catching mist nets around six in the morning. Many others also got up early to watch. Javier gave an explanation and demonstration on how to extract, handle, and measure key characteristics of birds caught in the net, all before breakfast. A few of us had the chance to handle birds, including a Blue Mockingbird (Melanotis caerulescens), a Slate-throated Redstart (Myioborus miniatus), a White-eared Hummingbird (Basilinna leucotis), and a White-Throated Thrush (Turdus assimilis – the same genus as our American Robin!), although the thrush escaped (Bailey assures us he will redeem himself with another bird).

Then we started up the mountain to the mirador (lookout) Paraje El Almial; some of us by truck, others on foot. Once there, we all took in the incredible views of the city of Autlán de Navarro and the surrounding agricultural area. After a mostly unsuccessful search for hummingbirds, we all started back down the trail, looking under rocks and logs for lizards and amphibians. We found cool some reptiles (a few collared lizards and a Mexican brown snake, Storeria storeroides), as well as many interesting butterflies and a few scorpions.

A group of rival Canadians arrived at Las Joyas Field Station, a forestry class from the University of Alberta.After lunch, some of us decided to take a shower while the water was still warm, while others continued to walk around the property with their camera lenses and/or binoculars as their eyes. Once we had all decompressed in our own way, we gathered for our next field event. Steve handed out a pine tree field guide to each group, paired with a warning of the tears soon to come.

We each set off in our groups and had two hours to ID as many pines as we could… spoiler, it was not many! We quickly learned that identifying pine trees, especially in megadiverse Jalisco, is a very challenging task. Most groups managed to ID only three pines. When we all returned at 6 pm, we may not have been in tears but a lot of us wereclose to hysteria. In the debrief we discussed how challenging pine ID can be, especially when you need binoculars to see the most characteristic parts of the tree and there is much botanical jargon to cope with.

Both Alex and Bethany did their species presentations on the Bell’s False Brook Salamander (Isthmura bellii) and the Amethyst-throated Mountain Gem (Lampornis amethystinus), respectively. After dinner, many of us gathered in the lodge to sing camp songs and generally cause a ruckus, while gearing up to confront the Albertans.

At the look our ~ 2100 meters above sea level.

Hike down from the mirador

View from the top

Get a drive up and hike down. That is the way

Slate-throated Redstart

Group 3. Mikaela, Sienna, Josh

The showers here in Las Joyas are fidgid at all times of day. But the reward of washing off a days worth of SPF, deet and dirt is enough to ignore the near arctic temperatures. We have to add that a enough water is warmed by the sun for a couple people to shower warmly. Steve continues to remind us that he doesn’t need to experience this because he doesn’t shower (he does though). We woke to an orchesta of bird songs and calls, from the trees we were watched by a Black-crested Guam. Mickaela pointed out a Black-headed Siskin, ID confirmed by Javier. The Canadian comfort of pancakes and omelets which were served at the ripe time of 8am.

After breakfast we split up into groups and we were tasked with collecting a leaf, a flower and a miscellaneous object from nature. 4 stages of drawing were done, the silhouette, line drawing with shading, a drawing with black and white texture and finally, a full colour rendition. The diversity  of choice was overwhelming, with the challenges of an object being reveled as we drew. We presented our masterpieces, some more Picasso than others. You dear reader, can critque how we did below! We took a quick break before reconveaning for some of our seminars. Sienna managed to make it through her presentatio without too many ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ (yay!), and Elyse started us off with her presentation on the formation and results of the Isthmuth of Panama–an insightful look into a peice of land most of us thought had alway been there (the failings of the Canadian education system?). 

After a delicious l unch and a brief break we begun our geocaching adventure. A light competition in which our groups have to locate questions via GPS waypoints and ansewer them – the group with the most correct answers wins Sarahy Contreras Martinezs’ thesis on hummingbirds – an illustrated field guide. We embarked on our adventure, we dug through dirt and trekked through compost pits to seek the questions we so desperately yearned to answer. We were successful in being fast, coming in second of the group in terms of time, but there were some challenging questions we did not answer correctly. Group four (Clarissa, Alex, David, and Bethany) were crowned champs. We then were treated with a surprise herpetology lesson, as Javier captured three beautiful specimens–a false coral snake (Lamropeltis abnorma), an anole lizard, and a Barisia imbricata, common name, the imbricate alligator lizard,. The false coral snake mimics the venomnus coral snake; it was beautifully coloured red, black, and tan. They posed very nicely for some photos before we returned them to the wild at their sites of capture. 

We then learned about the Black-Crested Guan from Amyre, which we had seen earlier that morning. As the sun went down, a Mexcian Whip-poor-will flew through the open field and we all stopped to observe it before going in for dinner. Dinner was delicious! It was chicken Tostadas, with the option of hibiscus or pineapple juice on the side. The drinks here, specifically the juices and horchata, are so unique and tasty compared to many available in Canada. After dinner, we heard from David about the Mexican Whip-poor-will, a very interesting species with a small beak but a large mouth for catching insects. Before calling goodnight, we all admired the sky, as the lack of light pollution here reveals the portrait of stars above our heads. 

En español

Grupo 3. Mikaela, Sienna, Josh

Las duchas aquí en Las Joyas son algo impredeciblemente frías a todas horas del día. Pero la recompensa de eliminar el bloqueador solar, el polvo y la suciedad es suficiente para ignorar las temperaturas casi árticas. Hay que añadir que el sol calienta suficientemente el agua para que apenas un par de personas se duchen con agua calientita. Steve continúa recordándonos que no necesita experimentar esto porque no se ducha (aunque sí lo hace). Nos despertamos con una orquesta de cantos y cantos de pájaros, desde los árboles fuimos observados por un Choncho de cresta negra. Mickaela nos mostró un jilguero de cabeza negra, identificación confirmada por Javier. La comodidad canadiense fue aumentada por panqueques y tortillas que nos sirvieron a las 8 de la mañana para el desayuno.

Después del desayuno nos dividimos en grupos y nos instruyeron para un ejercicio observacional en que tuvimos que recolectar una hoja, una flor y un objeto diverso de la naturaleza. Realizamos 4 etapas de dibujo, la silueta, dibujo lineal con sombreado, un dibujo con textura en blanco y negro y finalmente una interpretación a todo color. La diversidad de opciones fue abrumadora, con los desafíos de deleitar un objeto mientras lo dibujabamos. Presentamos nuestras obras maestras, algunas más Picasso que otras. Querido lector, ¡puedes criticar cómo lo hicimos a continuación! Tomamos un breve descanso antes de volver a reunirnos para algunos de nuestros seminarios. Sienna logró terminar su presentación sin demasiados ‘ums’ y ‘ahs’ (¡sí!), y Elyse comenzó con su presentación sobre la formación y los resultados del Istmuto de Panamá sobre la migración: una mirada profunda a un pedazo de tierra que la mayoría de nosotros pensábamos que siempre había estado allí (¿las fallas del sistema educativo canadiense?).

Después de un delicioso almuerzo y un breve descanso comenzamos nuestra aventura de “geocaching”. Una competencia ligera en la que nuestros grupos tuvimos la tarea de ubicar sitios con preguntas a través de puntos de referencia con GPS y responderlas: el grupo con el mayor número de respuestas correctas ganaría la guía de colibríes de Sarahy Contreras Martínez, una guía de campo ilustrada. Nos embarcamos en nuestra aventura, cavamos en la tierra y caminamos por pozos de abono para buscar las preguntas que tanto anhelábamos responder. Logramos ser rápidos pero quedarnos en segundo en términos de tiempo, pero hubo algunas preguntas desafiantes que no respondimos correctamente. El grupo cuatro (Clarissa, Alex, David y Bethany) se coronaron campeones. Luego nos regalaron una lección sorpresa de herpetología, ya que Javier capturó tres hermosos ejemplares: una falsa serpiente coralina (Lamropeltis abnorma), una lagartija anolis y una Barisia imbricata, nombre común, lagarto caimán imbricado. La falsa serpiente coralina imita a la serpiente coralina venenosa; era de hermosos colores rojo, negro y fuego. Posaron muy bien para algunas fotos antes de que los devolviéramos a la naturaleza en sus sitios de captura.

Luego tuvimos el seminario sobre la pava de cresta negra gracias a Amyre, que habíamos visto esa misma mañana. Cuando estaba a punto del anochecer, un tapacaminos mexicano voló frente a nosotros y nos detuvimos para observarlo antes de entrar a cenar. ¡La cena estuvo deliciosa! Eran tostadas de pollo, con la opción de agua de Jamaica o jugo de piña como acompañamiento. Las bebidas aquí, específicamente los jugos y la horchata, son únicas y sabrosas en comparación con muchas disponibles en Canadá. Después de la cena, escuchamos a David hablar sobre el tapacaminos mexicano, una especie muy interesante con un pico pequeño pero una boca grande para atrapar insectos. Antes de dar las buenas noches, todos admiramos el cielo, ya que la ausencia de contaminación lumínica revela el retrato de las estrellas sobre el cielo.

Group 2. Bailey, Elyse, Amyre

First full day in lovely Las Joyas! Many of our peers took great advantage of the first light of the morning, along with the chorus of local songbirds during the morning chorus at 6am! Our group, fortunately, took advantage of the early morning, and slept.

After finally waking up, and having a lovely pancake and fresh papayas breakfast, we started the days activities.

First thing right after breakfast was the ‘Official 2025 Jalisco Birdathon’! Goal is: identify as many bird species within a 2 hour limit, within the Las Joyas campus – attempting to explore diversity in function and form (e.g. insectivorous vs carnivorous vs granivorous vs frugivorous bills, wings for soaring, gliding, hawking, and gleaning) and to find as many different genera and families as we could. The campus boasts many spectacular forest edge vistas, which gave us an insight on the many bird species that flourish within the core reserve. We split off into teams, with our group taking a small, isolated section of the site north of the buldings, looking over a ravine, to see the birds flying by. Though we did see common species like the Common Raven, distance was our challenge, and lead to difficult ID along the forest edge. As we moved along, we ran into some of our competitors. Though this event was supposed to be a competition, we were not opposed to collaboration, and shared some identified species, and observed Slate-throated Redstart, and Crescent-chested Warbler together. From there, we ventured forth, observed a White-eared Hummingbird perched beautifully in a tree, and continued our journey, noting the species we see along the way.

In the midst of our journey, we observed a lizard carefully handled by Javier and Steve, to which it got its ‘paparazzi ‘moment, and Bailey scored an exclusive selfie with the celebrity!

At the end of the birdathon, our team had identified 10 species overall, not too shabby for a bunch of novice ornithologists! Though, compared to the winning teams 23 species identified, we’ll keep our expectations low in the future.

Following a quick debrief, we observed some Diploperennial Teosinte on the forest edge, allowing Clarisa to give her species presentation with a live(ish) specimen with her! We After this presentation, we broke for a break, but not without some interesting events occurring, notably a recently found female red-headed tanager, an endemic species to the area, unfortunately dead.

Anyway, we then had an exquisite ham and mash-potatoes lunch, and thereafter had another brief break, in preparation for our hike. As there had been a window mortality (a female red-headed tanager), Javier did a demonstration of tissue collection, and taxidermy, providing a unique learning opportunity.

After this, we collected our hiking material, and made our way to the mesophilous forest, starting our descent towards a small creek, noted to house tine leaf litter frogs in the Eleutherodactylus genus. Notably, with the high humidity, and low sunlight on the ground, this lead to plenty of epiphytic plant growth. From there, three frogs were briefly captured, photographed and released  (VERY CAREFULLY), along with some nifty bioluminescent mushrooms. We then made our journey back up, observing changing species composition and habitats along the way, from cloud forests, to forest gaps, mixed-wood forests, and finally pine-oak forests.

Upon our return, Naida gave her species presentation, being on the aforementioned Eleutherodactylus frogs. After a lovely ensuing conversation, we had a meal of elegantly garnished hot-dogs. This brings us to this point which is writing this blogpost! A long, but thrilling day has concluded. Tune in tomorrow (but not exactly ‘cause these will be posted late) for our next adventures!

Adios!

En español

Grupo 2. Bailey, Elyse, Amyre

¡Primer día completo en la encantadora estación de investigación Las Joyas! ¡Muchos de nuestros compañeros aprovecharon las primeras luces del amanecer, junto con el coro de pájaros cantores locales matutinos a las 6 am! Nuestro grupo, afortunadamente, aprovechó mejor dormir en la madrugada.

Después de que finalmente despertarnos fuimos a desayunar unos deliciosos panqueques acompañados de papaya fresca. Después, comenzamos las actividades del día.

¡Lo primero después del desayuno fue el “Birdathon” OficialJalisco 2025” ! El objetivo: identificar tantas especies de aves posible dentro de un límite de 2 horas en los alrededores de la estación Las Joyas, intentando explorar la diversidad en función y forma (por ejemplo, variedad de picos y asociación a la dieta para determinar dietas como de insectívoros versus carnívoros, granívoros versus frugívoros, tipos y forma de alas y estrategias de forrajeo ya sea para planear, cazar y recoger). Además de identificar los géneros y familias diferentes que pudiéramos. La estación, tiene muchas vistas espectaculares del borde del bosque, lo que nos dio una idea de las muchas especies de aves que prosperan dentro de la reserva principal. Nos dividimos en equipos, y nuestro grupo tomó una sección pequeña y aislada del sitio al norte de los edificios con dirección a un barranco, para observar los pájaros volando. Aunque vimos especies comunes como el cuervo, la distancia fue nuestro desafío ya que nos complicó la identificación de las especies en el borde del bosque. A medida que avanzábamos, nos topamos con algunos de nuestros competidores. Aunque se suponía que este evento sería una competencia, no nos opusimos a la colaboración, compartimos algunas especies identificadas y observamos juntos el pavito garganta pizarra y la reinita amarilla de pecho creciente. Desde allí, nos aventuramos un poco más y observamos el Colibrí Oreja blanca posado hermosamente en un árbol. Continuamos nuestro viaje, observando las especies que vimos a lo largo del camino.

En nuestro recorrido observamos también un lagarto cuidadosamente manipulado por Javier y Steve, al que se le dio su momento ‘paparazzi’, ¡y Bailey se tomó una selfie exclusiva con la celebridad!

Al final del maratón de aves, nuestro equipo identificó 10 especies en total, ¡nada mal para un grupo de ornitólogos novatos! Sin embargo, en comparación con los equipos ganadores que identificaron 23 especies, mantendremos nuestras expectativas bajas en el futuro.

Después de una breve sesión informativa, observamos algunos teosintles en el borde del bosque, lo que le permitió a Clarisa hacer la presentación de su especie con un ejemplar vivo (más o menos). Después de esta presentación, tuvimos un descanso, pero no sin que ocurrieran algunos eventos interesantes, en particular una tangara cabeza roja hembra encontrada recientemente, especie endémica de la zona, lamentablemente muerta.

De todos modos, luego comimos un exquisito almuerzo de jamón con puré de papa, y después otro breve descanso en preparación para nuestra siguiente caminata. Posterior al desayuno, con el ave muerta que chocó con una ventana (una tangara cabeza roja hembra), Javier hizo una demostración de taxidermia y recolección de tejidos, dándonos una oportunidad de aprendizaje única.

Después de esto, recogimos nuestro material para la caminata y nos dirigimos hacia el bosque mesófilo, comenzando nuestro descenso hacia un pequeño arroyo, conocido por alojar ranas del género Eleutherodactylus. En particular, con la alta humedad y la poca luz solar en el suelo, observamos como esto resulta en un gran crecimiento de plantas epífitas. Llegando al arroyo, capturamos, fotografiamos y liberamos tres ranas (MUY CUIDADOSAMENTE), además observamos unos ingeniosos hongos bioluminiscentes. Luego iniciamos nuestro regreso a la estación, observando cambios en la composición de especies y hábitats a lo largo del camino, desde bosque de niebla hasta claros de bosque, bosque mixto y finalmente bosques de pino encino

A nuestro regreso, Naida hizo la presentación de su especie, siendo las ranas Eleutherodactylus antes mencionadas. Después de una encantadora conversación, comimos perritos calientes elegantemente adornados. ¡Esto nos lleva al punto de escribir esta publicación de blog! Ha concluido un día largo pero emocionante. ¡Sintonízate mañana (pero no exactamente porque se publicarán tarde) para nuestras próximas aventuras!

¡Adiós!

Alex practicing her seminar on the grass in front front of the comedor. Photo S.C. Lougheed

Keying out a find. Photo David Lougheed

Photo shoot – subject below the ridge out of view. Photo David Lougheed

mountain trogon. Photo Mikaela

Our trusty ‘steeds’ Photo David Lougheed