Birding Newsletter

Trips to Tapalpa & Las Trojes

Chapala Birders Newsletter October 2, 2017 98 Species Sighted Last Month The complete list of September sightings is shown at the end of this newsletter. Though we made an effort to push the September listing significantly above the August level (98 species compared to 97) the returning fall migrants seemed happier to stay in the north rather than boost our numbers! Interesting sightings this month: -  On the Cajititlan Marsh bird trip we were pleasantly surprised to see in the big tree not only an Osprey but a pair of Peregrine Falcons - both of these species are seen year-round here, but are not common. -  Paul Hart sighted a Yellow-throated Warbler from his house on the west side of Ajijic. This is a pretty bird, somewhat similar to Grace's Warbler which also has a yellow throat. The reference books show that both Yellow-throated and Graces are not really expected here, but we do see both on occasion. Peregrine Falcon Peregrine Falcon as seen at Lake Cajititlan in September. Species details: - Peregrine falcons are so successful, they are found in most parts of the world. They are year-round residents in our area and in northern Mexico, but are winter visitors to southern Mexico. - They are heavily-built birds with a wingspan of 40 in (100cm) and, as with many falcons and hawks, the females are noticeably larger than the males. - They are renowned for the speed achieved in vertical dives. They go up to a great height, and having chosen their prey (usually a medium sized bird) they close their wings and dive. Their aim is to hit the wing of the target bird with a leg to disable the target, then they turn in mid-air to catch the falling prey to take it away and eat it. - Their primary food is pigeons and ducks, but if they are hungry and something smaller or bigger comes by they will catch it and eat it. - Pairs mate for life. In the spring, a primitive nesting spot is selected on a ledge on a cliff or tall building where four eggs are laid. Incubation takes 30 days, fledging takes 40 days, and the fledglings need looking after for another 40 days. - Their major predator is the Great Horned Owl which is larger and more powerful. Upcoming Trips and Bird Walks Our bird walks are open to all those interested in birds, both beginners and experienced birders. Just bring binoculars and show up. We always have knowledgeable birders on hand to identify the species. If you are being given a ride, please make a contribution to gas and tolls (perhaps 50-100 pesos for a half day outing, 100-200 for a day trip). On Friday October 13 we will meet at 8.00 am at the Allen Lloyd Trail which follows a mile-long arroyo with lots of underbrush in which birds love to hide. It remains our most interesting local bird walk. Expect to see Golden-fronted Woodpecker, stripe-headed Sparrow and Blue Mockingbird. At 10.15 we will head to Sunrise restaurant for breakfast and complete the birdlist. How to Get There: Drive up the Libramiento a half mile and park on the north side of the road opposite El Dorado Condominium. On Wednesday October 18 we will meet a 8.00 am at Donas Donuts to carpool, leaving immediately for Las Trojes (one hour away), to hike the Horizontal Oak Forest Trail. We hike to the edge of the hidden valley (3-hours hiking uphill, 2-hours back). Don't expect very many birds, but the hike is very pleasant and we may see the Red-faced Warbler. We will be back about 4.00 pm. Bring refreshments and sandwiches for lunch at noon at the top. If you plan on going, please email John at chapalabirders@yahoo.com ahead of time saying whether you can bring a vehicle, to help in carpool planning. On Friday October 27 we will meet at 8.00 am at Donas Donuts to carpool, leaving immediately for the Sierra de Tapalpa (90 minutes away). We will bird from 9.30 till 12.30 and have lunch in the town of Tapalpa and complete the bird list. We expect to see higher altitude birds such as Acorn Woodpecker and Slate-throated Redstart and if we are lucky Trans-volcanic Jay. Bring your own refreshments for the morning. We will be back about 5.00 pm. If you plan on going, please email John at chapalabirders@yahoo.com ahead of time saying whether you can bring a vehicle. Local Boy's Birding Research Paper Published For the last two years we have been following the progress of university student Carlo Cuevas from Jocotepec. He is in his final year of Environmental Studies at the Autlan campus of the University of Guadalajara. His first major research paper has just been published in Huitzil, the Mexican Journal for bird research. His paper is a report on the birds seen at the Jocotepec malecon. This is quite a coup for an undergraduate student. We congratulate him for his work. Bird Walk & Trip Reports On September 9 five keen birders set out for Villa Corona on Lago Atotonilco. We observed 46 species including 50 beautiful Clark's Grebes, as well as both Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Eastern Meadowlark, Greater Roadrunner, and 40 Roseate Spoonbills. On September 19 five people got the the Malecon in Jocotepec, but not all at the same time unfortunately! Thirty one species were sighted including Northern Jacana, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-headed Blackbird and Social Flycatcher. On September 25 we had seven birders at Lake Cajititlan Marsh where we saw Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Osprey, Peregine Falcon, Crested Caracara, and both Western Wood Pewee and Greater Pewee for a total of 44 species. Monthly Sightings List Here are the 98 species sighted around Lake Chapala in September: Ani, groove-billed Blackbird, yellow-headed Bluebird, eastern (Ra) Bobwhite, northern (Ca) Bushtit Caracara, crested Coot, American Cormorant, neotropic Cowbird, brown-headed Dove, Eurasian collared Dove, Inca Dove, white-tipped Dove, white-winged Duck, black-bellied whistling (Ca) Duck, Mexican Egret, cattle Egret, great Egret, snowy Elaenia, greenish (At) Euphonia, elegant (Ac) Falcon, peregrine (Ca) Finch, house Flycatcher, dusky-capped Flycatcher, gray-silky (Ra,Sa,Av) Flycatcher, social Flycatcher, vermilion Gallinule, common Gnatcatcher, blue-gray Goldfinch, lesser Grackle, great-tailed Grebe, pied-billed Grosbeak, black-headed Grosbeak, blue Gull, laughing Heron, black-crowned night Heron, great, blue Heron, green Hummingbird, beryline (At) Hummingbird, broad-billed Hummingbird, ruby-throated (Ca) Hummingbird, rufous Hummingbird, violet-crowned Ibis, white-faced Jacana, northern Kestrel, American Killdeer Kingbird, Cassin's Kingbird, tropical Kingbird, western (Sa) Kingfisher, belted (Jo) Kiskadee, great Kite, white-tailed Mockingbird, blue Mockingbird, northern Nightjar, buff-collared (Av,Sc) Oriole, black-vented Oriole, hooded Oriole, orchard (Jo,Ca) Oriole, streak-backed Osprey (Ca) Owl, great-horned (Av,Sc) Parakeet, monk Pelican, American white Pewee, greater Pewee, western wood Phoebe, black (Ra) Pigeon, rock Raven, common Redstart, slate-throated (Ac) Robin, rufous-backed Sandpiper, solitary (Ac) Sandpiper, spotted (Ca) Seedeater, white-collared Shrike, loggerhead Sparrow, Botteri's (Ra) Sparrow, house Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground Sparrow, stripe-headed Stork, wood (Ra,Ca) Swallow, barn Tanager, western (Sa) Thrasher, curve-billed Thrush, orange-billed nightingale Towhee, canyon Tyrannulet, northern beardless (Av) Vireo, Hutton's (Ac) Vulture, black Vulture, turkey Warbler, black and white Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, yellow (Jo) Warbler, yellow-throated (Ac) Woodpecker, golden-fronted Woodpecker, ladder-backed Wren, Bewick's Wren, canyon Wren, spotted Yellowthroat, gray-crowned (Ra) Location codes: Ac - Ajijic: La Cristina/El Bajio At - Trails above Ajijic Av - Ajijic village Ca - Lake Cajititlan Ch - Chapala Cu - Cuitzeo/Ocotlan Dm - Dike near Malteraña Dp - Dike near La Palma Hv - Hidden Valley oak forest Ja - Jamay Jo - Jocotepec Ld - Lerma & Duero rivers Pe - Petatan area Ps - Pumping Station/Santa Cruz Pt - San Pedro Tesistan area Pz - San Pedro Itzican area Ra - Rosa Amarilla loop Rc - Santa Rosa/Carnero dam Rp - Riberas del Pilar & canyon Sa - San Antonio/Chula Vista Sc - San Juan Cosala Sn - San Nicholas/Golf Club Tz - Tizapan canyon/Rio la Pasion Te - San Juan Tecomatlan/Mezcala Tr - Las Trojes/oak forest Tu - Tuxcueca/South Shore area Xt - Ixtlahuacan/Las Campanillas Lake Chapala Birders is an informal group of bird observers led by John and Rosemary Keeling. Don't hesitate to contact us if you are seeking information about birding in the area. We also like to hear about sightings of birds or nests at: chapalabirders@yahoo.com or 376.766.1801. Check out the website: chapalabirders.org

Newsletter

Three bird trips for September

Chapala Birders Newsletter September 2, 2017 97 Species Sighted Last Month The complete list of August sightings is shown at the end of this newsletter. Interesting sightings this month: We have seen Black-bellied Whistling Ducks at Cajititlan and at the Pumping Station, as well as Fulvous Whistling Ducks at San Antonio and Ixtlajuacan. On the Rosa Amarilla loop we were amazed to see at the reservoir not only 180 Wood Storks, but also 165 American White Pelicans. Our first returning migrant from the north is a female western tanager seen in Ajijic. Great Horned Owl This Great Horned Owl was photographed by Mexican bird photographer Raul Padilla. Around Ajijic these owls have been heard calling at night throughout August. They are known to call mostly in the breeding season which is in January and February. The Great Horned Owl is our commonest owl. It is known for its fierceness, its large size (4 ft wingspan) and the great strength of its talons. With these it can instantly kill prey larger than itself. It prefers to eat rabbits and hares, but it is flexible, it will eat anything that moves -  birds, mamals, reptiles, fish, insects, whether snakes, scorpions, bats, or geese. It is found from the northern Artic to southern Patagonia, inhabiting forests, deserts, wetlands and backyards. The male has a deeper voice, and the female is 15% bigger in size. The nest is built of twigs in a hollow or hole in a tree, or on top of an older twig nest built by some other large bird species. The female does most of the incubation, sitting for 30 days, twice as long as other smaller bird species. Also, the chicks need 9 weeks before flying, twice the time of smaller species. Upcoming Trips and Bird Walks Our bird walks are open to all those interested in birds, both beginners and experienced birders. Just bring binoculars and show up. We always have knowledgeable birders on hand to identify the species. If you are being given a ride, please make a contribution to gas and tolls (perhaps 50-100 pesos for a half day outing, 100-200 for a day trip). On Saturday September 9, we will meet to carpool at Donas Donuts at 8.00 am leaving immediately for Lake Atotonilco at Villa Corona, (a one-hour drive). We may see Roseate Spoonbills there, as well as various lake and marsh birds. Bring your own refreshments (there is no good place to have breakfast). We will be back in Ajijic about 12.30. If you plan to go please email chapalabirders@yahoo.com indicating whether you can bring a vehicle, to help us balance the car pool. On Tuesday September 19, we will meet the Jocotepec Malecon at 8.30 am. We expect to see a variety of shore birds such as Northern Jacana, and other species in the tall trees of the park, such as Golden-fronted Woodpecker. At about 10.30 we will head for Frida's for breakfast and complete the bird list. To Get There: From Ajijic go through San Juan Cosala and after El Chante you wiil encounter a long curve to the left, followed by major topes, followed by a long curve to the right. Take a left exit at the beginning, or end, of this last curve. Proceed towards the lake and park in the malecon parking lot. On Monday September 25, we will meet to carpool at Donas Donuts at 8.00 am leaving immediately for Cajititlan marsh (30 minutes drive). We will see a variety of marsh and lake birds. At about 10.15 we will go Las Delicias restaurant in Chapala for breakfast and complete the bird list. If you plan on going, email John: Chapalabirders@yahoo.com indicating whether or not you will have a car. American Ornithologist's Union Changes for 2017 Every August we look out for the annual changes to the official North American bird list. One big change this year is the change in the name of the association. It now becomes the "American Ornithological Society" (AOS), instead of American Ornithologists Union (AOU). Here in West Mexico, one species changes its name: Magnificent Hummingbird reverts to 'Rivoli Hummingbird'. Beyond that, several ducks and geese have had their scientific names changed. Bird Walk & Trip Reports On August 11, it was raining first thing in the morning, so very few turned out at La Cristina on the west side of Ajijic. The rain stopped and we were able to see 31 species including Western Wood Pewee, Spotted Wren, Rufous-backed Robin, Blue Mockingbird, Social Flycatcher, and Laughing Gull. On August 28, we attracted eight keen birders for the Lakeshore east of Chapala, including the Pumping Station, the San Nicolas outlook, and the lower Santa Cruz Dam. We observed Little Blue Heron, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Black-backed Oriole, Loggerhead Shrike and Stripe-headed Sparrow, in addtion to 130 one-year-old American White Pelicans on the small rocky islands off San Nicolas, for a total of 44 species. Monthly Sightings List Here are the 97 species sighted around Lake Chapala in August: Ani, groove-billed Avocet, American Bittern, Least (Ch,Ca) Blackbird, red-winged (Ra) Blackbird, yellow-headed Bobwhite, northern (Ca) Bunting, lazuli (Ps) Caracara, crested Coot, American Cormorant, neotropic Cowbird, bronzed Dove, Eurasian collared Dove, Inca Dove, White-tipped Duck, black-bellied whistling (Ca,Ps) Duck, fulvous whistling (Xt,Ps) Duck, Mexican Egret, cattle Egret, great Egret, snowy Eleania, greenish Finch, house Flycatcher, dusky-capped Flycatcher, gray silky Flycatcher, social Flycatcher, vermillion Gallinule, common Goldfinch, lesser Grackle, great-tailed Grebe, least Grebe, pied-billed Grosbeak, black-headed Grosbeak, blue Gull, laughing Hawk, red-tailed Hawk, sharp-shinned Heron, black-crowned night Heron, great blue Heron, green Heron, little blue Heron, tri-colored Hummingbird, berylline Hummingbird, broad-billed Hummingbird, sparkling-tailed Hummingbird, violet-crowned Ibis, white-faced Jacana, northern Killdeer Kingbird, Cassin's Kingbird, thick-billed Kingbird, tropical Kiskadee, great Kite, white-tailed (Ca,Jo) Mockingbird, blue Meadowlark, eastern (Ra) Mockingbird, northern Motmot, russet-crowned Oriole, black-backed (Ps) Oriole, black-vented Oriole, orchard Oriole, streak-backed Owl, ferruginous pygmy Owl, great horned Parakeet, monk Pelican, American white (Ra,Sn) Pewee, western wood Phoebe, black Pigeon, rock Raven, common Robin, rufous-backed Sandpiper, spotted Seedeater, white-collared Shrike, loggerhead Sora (Ca) Sparrow, Botteri's (Ra) Sparrow, house Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground Sparrow, stripe-headed Stork, wood (Ra) Swallow, barn Swallow, cliff (Ra) Swallow, northern rough-winged Tanager, western (Ac) Teal, blue-winged Thrasher, curve-billed Thrush, orange-billed nightingale Towhee, canyon Vireo, golden (At) Vulture, black Willet (Ca) Woodpecker, golden-fronted Woodpecker, ladder-backed Wren, Bewick's Wren, canyon Wren, spotted Yellowthroat, common (Ca) Yellowthroat, gray-crowned (Ra) Location codes: Ac - Ajijic: La Cristina/El Bajio At - Trails above Ajijic Av - Ajijic village Ca - Lake Cajititlan Ch - Chapala Cu - Cuitzeo/Ocotlan Dm - Dike near Malteraña Dp - Dike near La Palma Hv - Hidden Valley oak forest Ja - Jamay Jo - Jocotepec Ld - Lerma & Duero rivers Pe - Petatan area Ps - Pumping Station/Santa Cruz Pt - San Pedro Tesistan area Pz - San Pedro Itzican area Ra - Rosa Amarilla loop Rc - Santa Rosa/Carnero dam Rp - Riberas del Pilar & canyon Sa - San Antonio/Chula Vista Sc - San Juan Cosala Sn - San Nicholas/Golf Club Tz - Tizapan canyon/Rio la Pasion Te - San Juan Tecomatlan/Mezcala Tr - Las Trojes/oak forest Tu - Tuxcueca/South Shore area Xt - Ixtlahuacan/Las Campanillas Lake Chapala Birders is an informal group of bird observers led by John and Rosemary Keeling. Don't hesitate to contact us if you are seeking information about birding in the area. We also like to hear about sightings of birds or nests at: chapalabirders@yahoo.com or 376.766.1801. Check out the website: chapalabirders.org