Broad-winged Hawk and Bat Falcon

This morning I set off at 4:45am to walk to my first bird point count at the top of the Chispa Valley (the next valley south) for 6am. I got there just as the super-moon was setting behind a mountain top. On the walk down along the river, I saw my first two Buff-rumped Warblers, singing with distinctive repetitive downturned notes. After crossing the bridge over the river, I suddenly clocked a juvenile hawk sitting in a tree; my first Broad-winged Hawk.

Broad-winged Hawk (juv) - note the dark malar patch which helps tell it from other similar juvenile hawks.

Don't look down.

Other new species seen on the walk back included Riverside Wren, White-naped Brush-finch, Slaty-backed Nightingale-thrush and a flock of eight Band-tailed Pigeon (which look similar to Stock Doves). It was also nice to see four Chestnut-headed Oropendola in a tree with some old hanging nests from last breeding season. I am hopeful that they will start nest building again soon.

Just as I reached Cloudbridge, some other bird interns were heading down the track to complete their survey, so I decided to join them. Just as I was looking out over the valley trying to identify two small high flying passerines, a Bat Falcon came whistling into view and almost took out one of the birds. It then circled higher into the sky, giving great views of it's rufous underparts. It amazed me how compact it was; just like a stocky looking swift, and only an inch or two bigger in size.

I also found two new hummingbird species; a White-crested Coquette and a Long-billed Starthroat.

White-crested Coquette (fem) - a tiny 3 inch bird. Photo taken through my bins! As all are in this post.

Long-billed Starthroat - a poor photo, but look at the size of that beak!