Farewell to North America

Sunset over Barkley Sound from Bamfield, British Columbia

Well, that brings to a close my posts from the Americas. In just under 9 months since I started this blog, I've travelled over 19000 km, I've visited 3 Canadian provinces, 7 American states and 4 Mexican states. I've posted 133 species, and seen many more that I haven't got a good photo of.

The Grizzly Giant in Yosemite National Park, California

Among the species that were seen but not counted are the coyote (Canis latrans), the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), the blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata), the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), and the roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja).

Sunset over the Louisiana swamp

The time will certainly come when I return to the Americas, and when I do I hope to be better equipped, and ready to pick up these species and many others, as well as seeing a whole lot more of the continent.

Xalapa skyline

The next adventure will be Australia, where I will be living for the immediate future.

Vernal Falls, Yosemite National Park, California

#133 Townsend's Warbler

Dendroica townsendi
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: LAX, California, USA
Time: 1200 PST December 4, 2011

I took these photos outside the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX, during a stopover on my way to New Zealand. It was the last new species I saw in North America.

#132 Least Grebe

Tachybaptus dominicus
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Mexico City, Mexico, Mexico
Time: 1620 CST December 2, 2011

#131 Lesser Scaup

Aythya affinis
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Mexico city, Mexico, Mexico
Time: 1615 CST December 2, 2011

#130 Canyon Towhee

Melozone fuscus
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Teotihuacan archaeological site, Mexico, Mexico
Time: 1600 CST, November 28, 2011

I think this is a juvenile:

Unidentified Lizards: Extended Edition

I came back from Mexico with lots of photos of lizards, and no easy way to identify them. Here's a selection of the better pictures, and if you know what I've found, please leave a comment.

a) Probably Sceloporus sp., at Monte Alban, Oaxaca

b) Four individuals from Mazunte, Oaxaca

c) Another lizard from Mazunte

d) Two striped lizards in Mazunte, possibly (probably?) in the genera Cnemidophorus or Aspidoscelis

e) Gecko at Lake Catemaco, Veracruz

f) lizard at the El Tajin archaeological site, Veracruz

 

g) two lizards at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City

#129 Willet

Catoptrophorus semipalmatus

IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico
Time: 1415 CST November 18, 2011

#128 Laughing Gull

Larus atricilla
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico
Time: 1400 CST November 18, 2011

#127 Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpres
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico
Time: 1345 CST November 18, 2011

#126 Blue-crowned Motmot

Momotus momota
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Lake Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico
Time: 1545 CST November 16, 2011

#125 Striped Basilisk

Basiliscus vittatus
IUCN Redlist: Not Evaluated
Location: Lake Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico
Time: 1300 CST November 16, 2011

Also known as the Jesus Christ lizard, these are famous for their ability to run on the surface of water. They live along the edge of water, so if they are threatened, they can escape by this unexpected route. I found this one along the edge of a small stream.

#124 Northern Waterthrush

Parkesia noveboracensis
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Lake Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico
Time: 1930 CST November 15, 2011

The northern waterthrush has a very similar congener, the Louisiana waterthrush, P. motacilla. I've identified this as P. noveboracensis by it's less robust beak, its eyestripe which is not bright white, and the degree of streaking on the neck. This site shows the two species side by side for comparison.

#123 Little Blue Heron

Egretta caerulea
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Lake Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico
Time: 1030 CST November 15, 2011

Unknown Anurans Bonus Round

Here are two tadpoles from a stream near Lake Catemaco, Veracruz

Also see part 1, part 2, and part 3.