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2016-11-08 - 3:17 p.m. There was a second cake and a mariachi band for our glorious leader's birthday in Oaxaco square on our last night there. Don't think I mentioned that before... We had some rather uncooperative species on Day 6, most notably some pesky vireo I've already forgotten since he refused to show himself... but one thing we did have that was special was a pair of adult Red-Tailed Hawks who locked together in mid-air and tumbled down from the sky in the kind of courting display dance usually seen from eagles or kites. Awesome. There was a third buteo present, which may have inspired the display, but the show dropped below the backside of the cliff face before we thought to identify the third bird. Wasn't an adult Redtail though, so the display may have been meant as a territory claim and to demonstrate that the place was already held by adult Redtails... At the same spot we saw Lesser Roadrunner up close and very curious about us, popping out several times closer and ever-closer to take a better look at us inside the van.We also found time for some tourist stuff like visiting the splendid ruins at Monte Alban and an artisanal Mezcal making place complete with a disgusted donkey turning the wheel to make the mash...Somehow we got running late (thanks to the vireo who shall go unnamed here) and when we finally arrived at our hotel to drink mezcal and get some sleep, we were informed that a blockade would be going up in the morning. Oopsy. So we had to jettison the plans to drink mezcal and instead went directly to bed so we could slip out of Oaxaca and into Chiapis before the barriers went up.Fine birds here. We easily found Rosita's Bunting, Banded and Giant Wrens, Cinnamon and Green-Fronted Hummingbirds, Citreoline Trogon, and Yellow-winged Cacique. I think I am up to 50 life birds by now but I will have to double-check when I get some free time. Ha.
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