Bird Portraits of San Miguel

Our apartment in San Miguel de Allende has a 2 1/2 story organ pipe cactus that grows against the outer west wall. When it blooms it draws a number of bird and bug visitors. The hummingbird (colibrí in Spanish) visited daily because the blooms opened and closed frequently.

Another visitor to the same cactus on another day.

Red bird perching on the top of a shrub at El Charco del Ingenio in the Late Winter of 2019.

Rainbow colored bird from the ibis family at El Charco del Ingenio. El Charco is the pond that is the anchor point of this bio-park in San Miguel. It is part of a natural waterway that featured springs that were said to be the home of El Chan, the water god. Those who approached the springs had to be wary, as El Chan would claim them and drag them down into his watery world.

The conquering Spanish dammed up the waterway and created the presa, the reservoir that holds water for the community. They built a mill along the watercourse to grind grain. Parts of this structure can still be seen along the trails.