We had the pleasure of guiding Neil Jones, visiting from Wales, on a full-day birding tour through the highland forests around San Sebastián del Oeste and the scenic Cerro La Bufa.

We began the day at El Progreso Bridge, where we had the opportunity to observe the striking Great Swallow-tailed Swift, along with a pair of Nutting’s Flycatchers and other interesting species.

At our second location, just beyond the town of San Sebastián del Oeste, bird activity was high. We recorded species such as Gray Silky-flycatcher, Black-headed Siskin, and Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Brown-backed Solitaire, Flame-colored Tanager, along with Mexican endemics like Spotted Wren, Rusty-crowned Ground Sparrow, Blue Mockingbird, and Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem.

Our final stop was the montane forest of Cerro La Bufa, where we added more Mexican endemics to the list, including Transvolcanic Jay, Rufous-capped Brushfinch, White-striped Woodcreeper, and the elusive Long-tailed Wood-Partridge. We also enjoyed other equally interesting species such as Mountain Trogon, Arizona Woodpecker, and Slate-throated Redstart.

It was a rewarding and bird-rich morning overall, a total of 77 species. We paused at the La Bufa overlook to enjoy the mountain scenery of pines and oaks, then returned to the town for lunch before making our way back to Puerto Vallarta.