BajaNomad

Nomads We need your help

bajajudy - 10-13-2005 at 04:20 PM

Jim and I are working with Rain-Forest Publications to bring together an all-in-one field guide for birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies and insects of Baja.
If you were doing this what would you include?
What do you think should definitely not be left out....that is very important to you and Baja.
I know this is a broad subject, but if you have any input about any of the above, please let me know. Even if it is just one bird or one snake.

We already sell these people's field guides to sport fish, reef fish, butterflies, birds and marine mammals. Their artist are really talented and their renderings are very exact. The guides give the common name, the name in Spanish and the scientific name.

So put on your thinking caps
(put down the beer first or else you will wind up with beer on your head)

Thanks for any suggestions.

Skipjack Joe - 10-13-2005 at 04:42 PM

Gee, an all-in-one field guide can't be very thorough. Otherwise it would be too large to be a field guide. I guess I would concentrate on the larger and more common ones.

birds:
turkey vulture
ravens
frigate bird
boobie
western and heerman gulls
cardianl (can't miss that, can't spell it either)
scarlet tanager (for sheer beauty)
one of the terns, maybe Forester Tern
roadrunner (quintessential desert dweller)
hooded oriole (too beautiful to omit)
cactus wren
gilded flicker (I think that's it's name, it's the noisy one, they're everywhere)

There are so many shorebirds I would pick a few representative ones:
sanderling
great blue heron
willet

I don't think I've helped much because it's a huge task. There are lots more but the above I see on every trip and they represent a bunch of different groups.

bajajudy - 10-13-2005 at 05:01 PM

Skipjack
Thanks, That is exactly what we are looking for...species that you have seen and seen again

It is a fold out guide with 14 panels, so has room for a lot of information. They really do a nice job.

Anway...thanks again

bajajudy - 10-13-2005 at 05:06 PM

Thanks Pompano

Snakes in the frig?!?!?!?!? They didnt have a church key did they?

Now we are talking....

More ideas, please

Northern Pacific Baja

Gypsy Jan - 10-13-2005 at 05:23 PM

Birds I see over and over again through the seasons:

Nesting in our roof or trees/bushes:

Hummingbirds
Red-headed/breast wrens
Some kind of nuthatch with a black hood and white cheeks.
An all brown bird w/slightly darker all-over spots and a needle beak.
Approximately seagull size birds that nest in our trees at night and are gone in the morning leaving huge messes on the leaves.

Cruising our cliff:

One day, a Peregrine falcon with tail feather damage showed up to hunt the pigeon nests on the cliff. It returned every day for several weeks and then showed up again the next winter. The following winter, a juvenile falcon showed up and hunted for a few weeks.

*Big* ravens, big enough to carry off small children!

Pigeons.

Shore birds:

Seagulls (duh!)
Arctic terns
Brown pelicans
Common egrets
Sandpipers

Great topic and a worthy project!

Osprey - 10-13-2005 at 05:24 PM

I would hope they would do a whole section on sand snakes. Snakes that live under the sand are unique and interesting to say the least. There are several specie in Baja, some very rare (Punta Arena Lighthouse snake is one -- lives only at the lighthouse). The lyre snake is unique because it has rear fangs and the night snake has poisonous saliva.

Osprey

Skipjack Joe - 10-13-2005 at 05:30 PM

How could I have missed that one?

They've very common (not you, Osprey). Most travelers should come across a few at least around Guerrero Negro, if nowhere else.

birds

gringorio - 10-13-2005 at 06:10 PM

Here's a bird list... a reptile list to follow. I think the insect part will be difficult with all but the very common. If you can put together an indepth and accurate list of insects for Baja you'll be lightyears ahead of what available information is out there!

Birds (not a complete list, but common):

Western grebe
Sooty shearwater
Least storm-petrel
Magnificent frigatebird
Red-billed tropicbird
Brown pelican
Brown booby
Red-footed booby
Blue-footed booby
Brandt?s cormorant
Black-crowned night heron
Green-backed heron
Tri-colored heron
Reddish egret
Great egret
Great blue heron
Surf scoter
Clapper rail
American coot
American oystercatcher
American avocet
Wilson?s plover
Long-billed curlew
Willet
Lesser yellowlegs
Spotted sandpiper
Wandering tattler
Sanderling
Heermann?s gull
Ring-billed gull
California gull
Yellow-footed gull
Elegant tern
Royal tern
Caspian tern
Black skimmer
Turkey vulture
Red-tailed hawk
Osprey
California quail
White-winged dove
Greater roadrunner
White-throated swift
Costa?s hummingbird
Belted kingfisher
Gila woodpecker
Northern flicker
Vermillion flycatcher
Black phoebe
Common raven
Bushtit
Cactus wren
Hermit thrush
Curve-billed thrasher
Phainopepla
Song sparrow
Savannah sparrow
Lark bunting
Red-winged blackbird
Hooded oriole
Lesser goldfinch

visit: http://www.BajaBirding.org

[Edited on 10-14-2005 by gringorio]

reptiles and amphibians

gringorio - 10-13-2005 at 06:37 PM

Just a general list for reptiles and amphibians:

Toads:

Colorado River toad
Western toad
California toad
Western spadefoot

Frogs:

California tree frog
Pacific tree frog

Turtles and tortoises:

Western pond turtle
Baja California slider
Desert tortoise

Lizards:

Collared lizards
Leopard lizards
Spiny lizards
Whiptails
Iguanas
Chuckwallas
Geckos

Snakes:

Rosy boa
Baja California rat snake
San snakes
Shovel-nosed snake
Kingsnakes
Bull snakes
Gopher snakes
Garter snakes
Western coral snakes
Rattlesnakes

See: L. Lee Grismer, Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California for details.

I would suggest a visual comparison of coral snakes vs. king snakes. Maybe a word on the conservation status of the rarer animals you might list and a tidbit on the life-histories of each species would be fascinating. Importantly, listing Mexico and U. S. laws on collecting and transporting within Mexico or across the border would be great.

~gringorio :bounce:

bajajudy - 10-14-2005 at 07:04 AM

Thanks Gringorio! Those are pretty complete lists.

We have passed your recommendations on to Rain Forest Publications. If you would like to see what they do and see the Costa Rica Guide that will have a similar layout to the Mexican one, please go to http://www.rainforestpublications.com
They seem to be very serious about conservation and I believe that they will take your suggestions seriously.

What we were hoping the Nomads could help us with is making sure that nothing common is left out. As you can see from the Costa Rica guide, while there are 14 panels there is only room for 7 or 8 species on each panel. We feel that in order to encourage people to use the guides, they need to include things that they either have seen or are likely to see. Lets call it education. The more information people are armed with, the more likely they are to make good decisions concerning our environment here.

So are there more ideas out there?

[Edited on 10-14-2005 by bajajudy]

bajajudy - 10-14-2005 at 07:28 AM

Glad that you mentioned road runners.
Rain Forest had left them off the guide and while doing some research on them, we found that they kill rattle snakes. They tag team them. One distracts the snake and the other grabs him and beats his head on a rock or the ground until he is dead. The "Sibleys" guide also mentioned that you seldom see them in groups of more than two birds. Solitary snake killers they are.

No wonder Wiley Coyote could never win.

David K - 10-14-2005 at 07:39 AM

Remember the 'coachwhip', this one was near old Rancho San Gregorio, southeast of Mision San Borja ...

tarantula hawk

zforbes - 10-14-2005 at 08:03 AM

mammals

Skipjack Joe - 10-14-2005 at 08:36 AM

For mammals I would include:

California grey whale
sea lion
coyote (thought of this obvious one 2 days later)
bighorn sheep
Pronghorn antelope (I think there are some in the Vizcaino desert, though I've never seen one).
kangaroo rat
Jack rabbit
mountain lion
bobcat

Maybe include some of the porpoises, perhaps the one on the endangered list "La Vieja", not very common though.

For amphibians I am sure you're already including the sea turtle. I see them now and again in the cortez. I don't know which species it is. Baja's not big on amphibians, is it?

insects:
tarantula wasp

I think that's what it is. A large wasp, about 2 1/2 inches in length, with a black body and orange wings. They're quite common also.

Too bad your guide doesn't include cactuses. I have my favorites.

[Edited on 10-14-2005 by Skipjack Joe]

[Edited on 10-16-2005 by Skipjack Joe]

bajajudy - 10-14-2005 at 08:58 AM

Skipjack
There is a preserve for the Pronghorns on the Vizcaino Peninsula. They are trying to save them. When we were there about 3 years ago only about 300 were believed to exist. Hopefully those numbers have increased. The preserve is an interesting stop, should you be on the road to Bahia Tortuga. It is on the road to Asuncion just off the main road. They dont let you get too close but one curious one came up to the fence to see what was going on

bajajudy - 10-14-2005 at 08:59 AM

And when he figured out that nothing was going on

He left

Skipjack Joe - 10-14-2005 at 09:53 AM

Judy,

We've gone down that road for the past 2 years and seen the signs about the preserve. I just never saw any of the critters. Thanks for the pictures. Is the desert proghorn a subspecies? I don't remember seeing those white neck bars on the ones I saw in Wyoming. Maybe just didn't pay attention, that's all.

By the way, I think pompano is right. I can't imagine how you could leave the brown pelican from the list of common birds. And the same goes for hummingbirds. What's baja without hummingbirds?

I thought about that project on the way to work this morning. I must have picked the wrong profession. Can you imagine painting those birds for a living? Now that's the kind of work I could get excited about.

bajajudy - 10-14-2005 at 12:25 PM

I do believe that they are a sub species indigenous to the Vizcaino Peninsula. They are truly magnificent to see in person. Next time you go by pull in and check it out. If you look at the pic of the one going away, you will notice the white fuffy circle on his butt. When they are afraid that whole circle of hair stands straight up on end and looks like a giant powder puff.
Would love a progress report on their success or lack thereof in increasing their numbers, so if you stop please let us know what is happening.

BTW I was surprised that they already had them on the field guides.

[Edited on 10-14-2005 by bajajudy]

Grupo Tortuguero in Loreto

bajajudy - 10-14-2005 at 01:23 PM

Almost forgot
The Turtle Conference(Grupo Tortuguero) will be in Loreto again this year January 27-29, 2006

http://www.propeninsula.org/

They only had 4 turtles on the field guides. We are trying to get them include the 5 species that come here to Baja.

This is a rare species...only seen at turtle conferences

Skipjack Joe - 10-14-2005 at 03:23 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajajudy
... you will notice the white fuffy circle on his butt. When they are afraid that whole circle of hair stands straight up on end and looks like a giant powder puff ...


I think that happens to mine also.
Quote:
Originally posted by pompano
They hit speeds of 70 mph (113 kph) for 3 or 4 minutes, but can cruise at 40 all day long.


I remember reading about this truck passing a herd of pronghorns on some flat in the state of Washington. The driver was racing across the terrain when a pronghorn came up alongside and passed in front of the moving vehicle. The driver looked down at the speedometer and it showed an incredible 70mph. I grew up thinking the African cats were the fast land animals at about that same speed and was really surprised at the speed of these antelopes.

dug - 10-14-2005 at 06:18 PM

I hope somebody will post a notice here when this is published. I'm looking forward to buying som.

bajajudy - 10-15-2005 at 09:06 AM

Dug
We will have them on our website as soon as they are available. They are just in the planning stages now but promise to be a handy source of information..

ursidae69 - 10-15-2005 at 10:27 PM

It will be hard to have an all encompassing book, but I'll buy one when they come out for sure! Good luck.

Skipjack Joe - 10-16-2005 at 03:14 AM

Told my 9 year old about your project last night , judy, and he wants you to add mosquito to your list of insects.:)

bajajudy - 10-16-2005 at 06:29 AM

si senor...I agree mosquitoes


Check out the link to the publishers. It will be a laminated field guide that folds out similar to the Costa Rican one

http://www.rainforestpublications.com

That is why I was asking what everyone has actually seen. Since the space is limited we would like to have the common ones. The field guides are just a start to get people interested, hopefully enough to delve into it deeper.

ursidae69 - 1-30-2007 at 02:42 PM

Any updates on this? I see some Baja guides on their site, but not an all inclusive style guide.




Quote:
Originally posted by bajajudy
si senor...I agree mosquitoes


Check out the link to the publishers. It will be a laminated field guide that folds out similar to the Costa Rican one

http://www.rainforestpublications.com

That is why I was asking what everyone has actually seen. Since the space is limited we would like to have the common ones. The field guides are just a start to get people interested, hopefully enough to delve into it deeper.