Here we are exiting the van on a mountain road in Ixtapeji. I found the high altitude (10,000+ feet) natural history to be the most interesting.
I was especially excited to see the tremendous variety of lichens. Yes, I am still working on identifying them.
Eric was always on the look out or listening for endemic birds, which he was excellent at finding.
Here’s a stunning Collared Towhee.
Another Collared Towhee and an Orange-billed Nightengale-Thrush. I was always struggling with the light levels.
A Red Crossbill (not a breeding plumage male) – call type-6, yes I have a recording. These are resident in the mountains of southern Mexico.
One of my favorite birds of the trip – Red Warbler. An absolute stunner.
Southern (Mexican) dwarf mistletoe and Field dodder. These are both parasitic plants.
One of the many Tillandsia that we saw. I believe that this is Tillandsia violacea.
The wasp on the right, Polybia plebeja, is one of many non-aggressive wasps that we encountered. The butterfly is Blomfeld’s Beauty.
Lupinus montanus is a high altitude lupine.
I believe that this is Sierra Madre lobelia, another attractive roadside flower.
A close-up of some fully open flowers.
One of the highlights of being in Mexico, at least for me are the lizards. The green one is a Mexican emerald spiny lizard. The darker one is a Anahuacan bunchgrass lizard.
More tomorrow when we have lunch with hummingbirds.
Michael's Place 
I remember my visit to Burundi (Africa) in the mid-70’s. Suddenly, at dinner, my peripheral vision saw motion up high on the wall. I turned and jumped, startled. It was a lizard! A gecko. Or some such. I was reassured until told they ate bugs, including mosquitos. So it was a welcome addition to the household!
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