Sites visited

1. Santa Ana & Cerro Verde National Park 30th December, 2004

Santa Ana was used as a base to visit the Cerro Verde National Park. Cerro Verde is a forested hill located between 2 volcanos, Volcan Santa Ana & Volcan Izalco. There was only 1 bus (2 hours) from Santa Ana leaving at 8:30am which linked up with guided walks up the volcanos leaving at 11am. I chose to go up Santa Ana as Izalco is a new volcano (active until recently) and has no vegetation. These guided walks are with a police escort as armed robberies have occured in the past. Although it is now safe, the late time and large group size made birdwatching almost impossible. I saw only 11 species at Cerro Verde and in Santa Ana itself.

Black Vulture	Coragyps atratus
Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura
Rock Dove	Columba livia	Introduced species
Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura
White-winged Dove	Zenaida asiatica
Ruddy Ground-Dove	Columbina talpacoti
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica
Rufous-collared Robin	Turdus rufitorques
Tennessee Warbler	Vermivora peregrina
Scrub Euphonia	Euphonia affinis
Great-tailed Grackle	Quiscalus mexicanus
House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Introduced species

2. Suchitoto & Embalsa Cerron Grande 1st-2nd January, 2005

The pretty town of Suchitoto can be reached by bus in 2 hours from San Salvador. There are several places to stay here and many places to eat. The locals are very friendly. Suchitoto lies near the huge reservoir of Embalsa Cerron Grande. There were many birds in gardens and secondary forest on the way to reservoir at San Juan and also along the road east along the lake. Some water birds were seen on a boat ride accross the lake. Boats can be easily hire from the San Juan pier near town. Our boat took us close to an island with 100s of Great Egrets and Wood Storks roosting. I saw 57 species including 3 lifers.

Neotropic Cormorant	Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias
Great Egret	Ardea alba
Tricolored Heron	Egretta tricolor
Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis
Green Heron	Butorides virescens
Wood Stork	Mycteria americana
Black Vulture	Coragyps atratus
Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura
King Vulture	Sarcoramphus papa
Common Black-Hawk	Buteogallus anthracinus
Gray Hawk	Asturina nitida
Laughing Falcon	Herpetotheres cachinnans
Northern Jacana	Jacana spinosa
Spotted Sandpiper	Actitis macularia
Caspian Tern	Sterna caspia
Rock Dove	Columba livia	Introduced species
Red-billed Pigeon	Patagioenas flavirostris
Ruddy Ground-Dove	Columbina talpacoti
Inca Dove	Columbina inca
White-tipped Dove	Leptotila verreauxi
Pacific Parakeet ?	Aratinga strenua
Orange-fronted Parakeet	Aratinga canicularis
Orange-chinned Parakeet	Brotogeris jugularis
Groove-billed Ani	Crotophaga sulcirostris
Cinnamon Hummingbird	Amazilia rutila
Salvin's Emerald	Chlorostilbon salvini
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	Archilochus colubris
Belted Kingfisher	Ceryle alcyon
Turquoise-browed Motmot	Eumomota superciliosa
Golden-fronted Woodpecker	Melanerpes aurifrons
Tropical Pewee	Contopus cinereus
Ash-throated Flycatcher	Myiarchus cinerascens
Brown-crested Flycatcher	Myiarchus tyrannulus
Great Kiskadee	Pitangus sulphuratus
Social Flycatcher	Myiozetetes similis
Western Kingbird	Tyrannus verticalis
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica
Rufous-naped Wren	Campylorhynchus rufinucha
Clay-colored Robin	Turdus grayi
White-throated Magpie-Jay	Calocitta formosa
Warbling Vireo	Vireo gilvus
Rufous-browed Peppershrike	Cyclarhis gujanensis
Tennessee Warbler	Vermivora peregrina
Yellow Warbler	Dendroica petechia
Summer Tanager	Piranga rubra
Western Tanager	Piranga ludoviciana
Scrub Euphonia	Euphonia affinis
Red-legged Honeycreeper	Cyanerpes cyaneus
Stripe-headed Sparrow	Aimophila ruficauda
Grayish Saltator	Saltator coerulescens
Melodious Blackbird	Dives dives
Great-tailed Grackle	Quiscalus mexicanus
Altamira Oriole	Icterus gularis
Streak-backed Oriole	Icterus pustulatus
Baltimore Oriole	Icterus galbula
Orchard Oriole	Icterus spurius

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