5-3-08. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Day
Since there were no nature oriented tours offered on our 9 hour stop at Acapulo, we decided to wander around on foot. By the time we left the ship before 9 AM it was clear and already hot. With sunscreen on and cameras in hand we headed along the main street (La Costera Miguel Aleman) which borders the harbor (Acapulco Bay). There were people snoozing in hammocks or on the sand. Feral cats were everywhere. Joggers passed us, and beach activities already were in full swing. Traffic was noisy, especially the one crash involving 4 cars we witnessed. We tarried to watch several men haul in a large net, probably a purse seine, with fish for the markets along the sidewalk. Small boys had the job of scaring away the Brown Pelicans which congregated hungrily as the net neared the shore. Our goal the Parque Papagayo, Acapulco’s largest urban park, a mile or two from the cruise terminal. It contains a series of ponds, tall trees, and lots of people, as it was a Saturday. There were park employees feeding turtles and fish. There was a small attempt at a zoo, with monkeys sitting forlornly on an island, and a few other animals in wire cages. The abundant fish and tall trees provided a great location for a huge Yellow-crowned Night-Heron colony. There must have been a hundred nests, all with restless and squawking herons. With the park fenced, and closed at night, and with abundant fish, life must be pretty easy for these herons. We saw only one juvenile at pond’s edge looking for fish. A smattering of other herons were stalking around the ponds, generally ignoring the crowds of people. These included Great Egret, Tricolored Heron, Snowy Egret, and little Green Herons actively pursuing turtle and fish food, as well as the occasional fish. We were delighted to see a pair of Yellow-winged Caciques in the trees, a bird we first met just one day earlier at Huatulco. Other birds seen at the park were Rufous-backed Robin, Golden-cheeked Woodpecker, Social Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Yellow Warbler and Black-bellied Whistling Duck. All in all, a very birdy park if you find yourself stuck in downtown Acapulco.
We walked back to the ship for lunch in the Lido, and a respite from the heat. After lunch we walked across the street from the cruise terminal to Fort San Diego, which dates from 1616 when it was constructed to protect Acapulco from pirates. It now houses a very nice historical museum, well worth the minimal admission fee. Very few birds were to be seen in the heat of the afternoon, but we did get a nice view of a Broad-billed Hummingbird.
From Fort San Diego, we headed on foot to the West, to a small park with tall trees, a fountain, and a nice church at one side. (Probably Zocalo Park, the same one mentioned in Helen’s narrative-http://helensbirds.homestead.com/cruise04acapulco.html). The birds were very vocal, competing with traffic and people noises. Unfortunately, the only birds that seemed to be present were Great-tailed Grackles, Rock Pigeons and House Sparrows. We were planning to keep going to the cliff diver site, but Pat’s fatigue and sore feet thwarted that plan. On the way back to the ship she suddenly was revived for another 30 minutes when we came to an air conditioned shopping area!
The net comes in--pelicans waiting. Most of the fish were small--maximum 6-8 inches.
