Friday, July 4, 2025

Newsletter

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Chapala Birders Newsletter July 2, 2025

eBird News & Sightings Last Month submitted by Duncan Poole

Feature Bird: Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater (Sporophila torqueola) submitted by Jules Evens.    Photo credit: Sam Shepherd

Upcoming Bird Walks & Trips

Our bird-walks are open to all those interested in birds, both beginners & experienced birders. We always have knowledgeable birders on hand to identify the species. Note that we will try to limit most car trips to 3 vehicles and 12 people because larger convoys are hard to manage when trying to stop on country roads to look at the birds. If you are being given a ride, you are expected make a contribution to your driver for gas and tolls ($150 pesos for a half day outing, $300 pesos for a day trip).

1st SUNDAY OF THE MONTH: July 6th there will be a birding outing along the Allen Lloyd Trail. Meet up with trip leaders Kate and Carl Anderson at 8am. Come prepared for a wee hike. Expect to see Blue Mockingbird and Happy Wren. Please confirm your attendance at least 2 days in advance by sending an email to hdd@hdd.net

How to get to the trail head: Drive up the Libramiento a half mil (1 km) from the traffic light at Walmart, then turn left (carefully) as you would for the hospital (Ribera Medical Center). Double back and drive up the left side of the hospital. Keep going uphill another half mile, and park on the only street to your left. Here is a pindrop.


On Tuesday July 15th, meet team leader Thomas Bravo at 7:30 am at the "Sculpture" (see pindrop). It's at the only traffic light in La Floresta, opposite Restaurant Pranzo). We will depart immediately for Villa Corona on Lake Atotonilco (60 minutes drive). We expect to see various shore birds such as White-faced Ibis and Roseate Spoonbill. Bring your own mid-morning refreshments. There will be a snack break at 11.00 am. We will be back in Ajijic by about 1.30 pm.

You must reserve - email Kate and Carl at hdd@hdd.net at least 2 days ahead of time. Please indicate if you can bring a vehicle and can take passengers, or you would like to be a passenger. Each passenger pays the driver $150 pesos to cover gas and tolls.


On Tuesday July 29th, meet team leaders Robert and Mugs McConnell at 8:00am at the "Sculpture" (see pindrop). It's at the only traffic light in La Floresta, opposite Restaurant Pranzo). We will depart immediately for La Manzanilla de la Paz on the south side of the lake, enroute to Mazamitla. Expect to see a variety of hawks, woodpeckers, sparrows, warblers and wrens. We will park 1/2 way up the creek path and walk up to the Presa and back for a small refreshment break. Then we shall continue down the lower half of the creek path back to our vehicles for lunch (approximately 2.5 km in total). Bring your own mid-morning refreshments and food for a 1:00pm lunch. We'll be back in Ajijic about 3:00pm.

You must reserve as there will be a maximum of 12 people. Please email Robert McConnell at bob.mcconnell58@gmail.com at least 2 days ahead, indicating if you can bring a vehicle and can take others, or if you would like to be a passenger. (We don't always have enough cars). Each passenger pays the driver $300 pesos to cover gas and tolls.

On June 1, 7 birders ascended the Allen Lloyd canyon trail with Kate and Carl Anderson. 30 species were counted that day.  Although our winter migrants have left, they still saw some lovely birds. Right away they had a nicely perched Curve-billed Thrasher with mate back in the palms. There were many Northern Rough-winged swallows. Unusual for this time of year were the 11 Turkey Vultures in a kettle riding the thermals near the mountains. It was postulated that perhaps these vultures were gathering to migrate north together. Special was the nesting Greenish Elaenia. Even the Russet-crowned Motmot made a showing. All participants were able to hear and identify the sound of the Motmot. Kate's favorite, a pair Rusty-crowned Ground-sparrow, made a brief appearance. This marks the first trip on the first Sunday of each month up Allen Lloyd canyon. Click here to view the full list of bird sightings.


On June 12, 13 keen birders joined Robert Taylor at the San Antonio Malecon which continues to be a popular spot for birding. After the rain season start in the earlier days of June the weather was doubtful but we were blessed that morning with clear skies and a lot of of sun. A total of 47 species were observed, 15 of which were shore birds. Our list included Cliff swallows, Common Yellowthroat, both Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks and Fulvous Whistling-Ducks, Yellow Warbler, and a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl was heard. Carl Anderson kept a complete list of birds observed. Follow this link to view them.

Monthly Sightings List submitted by Duncan Poole

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Newsletter

Chapala Birders Newsletter, June 2, 2025

Sightings last Month submitted by Duncan Poole


There were 132 species reported for the lake area in May. The complete list is shown at

the end of this newsletter. Interesting sightings included the following:

  • Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Reported by Tiffany Ritter, Malecón de Ajijic
  • Aztec Thrush, Reported by Thomas Bravo, Escuela International

Featured Bird: Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) submitted by Jules Evens

As the species' name (vociferous) suggests, this is a very talkative shorebird, now named for its voice—killdeeray-killdeeray—but formerly named "Noisy Plover" or "Chattering Plover." It is in the plover family and shares typical familial characteristics—rather plumb body, long-wings, short bill, and large eye. However, it is the only plover with two bands across its chest. In flight it flashes its long tail, rusty rump, and a broad white wingstripe.


A wide-spread and familiar shorebird, the Killdeer is distributed throughout the American continent, nesting from the Canadian Yukon south to central Mexico. Sexes are identical with little seasonal variation. Southern populations are resident, northern ones migratory.


This is a bird of open terrain, shorelines, shortgrass fields most often near water.

Killdeers usually announce their presence by voice, but when an intruder approaches the nest site, the bird preforms a remarkable "broken wing act" while crying loudly in an effort to distract potential predators away. The nest, or "scrape" is usually placed on graveled ground amidst mottled substrate to help hide the cryptically patterned eggs. White objects—pebbles, shell fragments, plastic shards, bone fragments—are often added to the scrape during incubation to further camouflage the site.


The chicks are "precocial," that is, fully feathered at hatching and able to scamper out of the nest as soon as their down dries. Parents are not known to feed the chicks, rather lead them to feeding grounds upon fledging. There is something comical about these chicks, little puffs of feathers atop long legs.


Killdeers' tolerance of human modified habitats (e.g. golf courses, gravel aprons of roads, mowed fields) has benefited the population. "Once the target of market hunters and in serious decline, the Killdeer is probably more common today than at any time in its history as a result of habitat changes wrought by humans." (Birds of the World)


Photo by Jules Evans, Oct 17, 2017, San Antonio Tlayacapan malecon, Jalisco, MX

A nesting pair of Killdeer. The bird on the right is settling onto the nest. The bird on the left is the sentry, on the lookout of predators. Photo by Jules Evens, March 23, 2013, Ignacio, California

Killdeer nest or "scrape". Photo taken by The Andersons, May 18th, Parque Riberas del Pilar on the point.

Upcoming Bird Walks and Trips

Our bird-walks are open to all those interested in birds, both beginners and experienced birders. Just bring binoculars. We always have knowledgeable birders on hand to identify the species. Note that we will try to limit most car trips to three vehicles and 14 people because larger convoys are hard to manage when trying to stop on country roads to look at the birds. If you are being given a ride, please make a contribution to your driver for gas and tolls ($150 pesos for a half day outing, $300 pesos for a day trip).


1st Sunday of each month: JUNE 1st there will be a birding outing along the Allen Lloyd Trail the first Sunday of every month! Meet up with trip leaders Kate and Carl Anderson at 8 am. Come prepared for a wee hike. Expect to see Blue Mockingbird and Happy Wren. Please confirm your attendance at least 2 days in advance by sending a message on WhatsApp to Kate and Carl at 662-357-4430.

How to get to the trail head: Drive up the Libramiento a half mile (1km) from the traffic light at Walmart, then turn left (carefully) as you would for the hospital (Ribera Medical Center), double back and drive up the left side of the hospital. Keep going uphill another half mile, and park on the only street to your left. Check here for pindrop.


On Thursday, June 12th, meet team leader Robert Taylor at 8.00 am at the  San Antonio Malecon parking lot to walk the Malecon area. At about 9:30am we will head to the Cafe Negro restaurant for breakfast and complete the bird list. Please confirm your attendance at least 2 days in advance with Robert Taylor at: robertinmex@gmail.com

How to get to the Parking Lot: Follow these instructions carefully because of the one-way street system in San Antonio. From Ajijic, go past Walmart and the Coca Cola warehouse, then turn downhill at the traffic light onto San Jose/Allen Lloyd. Proceed downhill and turn right onto La Paz at a shrine one block before the lake, then turn left at the T intersection, and go one block to the parking lot.

Bird Walk Trip Reports submitted by May Trip Leaders

On May 8th, 8 birders joined Cheshta Buckley at the San Antonio Malecon. They benefited from the dropping lake levels, which produced 52 species of shorebirds, ducks, terns and nesting flycatchers. Follow the link to see the full list of birds.


On May 16th 7 birders visited Sendero Allen Lloyd with Tom Bravo. A busy morning was highlighted by some late migrant buntings, grosbeaks, several breeding endemics, and some local specialties, and overall 40 species were observed. Some favorites were Blue and Black-headed Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, endemics such as Cinnamon-rumped Seedeaters, Rufous-backed Robins, Golden Vireo, and Happy Wren. Local favorites, Russet-crowned Motmot and Squirrel Cuckoo, were in breeding mode. See the full list of birds here.

Monthly Sightings List submitted by Duncan Poole

Here are the 132 species observed around Lake Chapala in May (in Taxonomic order):


1           Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

2           Fulvous Whistling-Duck

3           Blue-winged Teal

4           Cinnamon Teal

5           Northern Shoveler

6           Mexican Duck

7           Green-winged Teal

8           Ruddy Duck

9           Northern Bobwhite

10         Rock Pigeon

11         Eurasian Collared-Dove

12         Inca Dove

13         Common Ground Dove

14         White-tipped Dove

15         White-winged Dove

16         Mourning Dove

17         Groove-billed Ani

18         Lesser Roadrunner

19         Squirrel Cuckoo

20         Buff-collared Nightjar

21         Sparkling-tailed Hummingbird

22         Broad-billed Hummingbird

23         Violet-crowned Hummingbird

24         Berylline Hummingbird

25         Sora

26         Common Gallinule

27         American Coot

28         Black-necked Stilt

29         American Avocet

30         Killdeer

31         Northern Jacana

32         Long-billed Dowitcher

33         Spotted Sandpiper

34         Greater Yellowlegs

35         Least Sandpiper

36         Laughing Gull

37         Ring-billed Gull

38         Caspian Tern

39         Forster's Tern

40         Least Grebe

41         Pied-billed Grebe

42         Clark's Grebe

43         Neotropic Cormorant

44         White-faced Ibis

45         Least Bittern

46         Black-crowned Night Heron

47         Little Blue Heron

48         Tricolored Heron

49         Snowy Egret

50         Green Heron

51         Western Cattle-Egret

52         Great Egret

53         Great Blue Heron

54         American White Pelican

55         Brown Pelican

56         Black Vulture

57         Turkey Vulture

58         White-tailed Kite

59         Cooper's Hawk

60         Red-tailed Hawk

61         Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl

62         Russet-crowned Motmot

63         Golden-fronted Woodpecker

64         Ladder-backed Woodpecker

65         Crested Caracara

66         Monk Parakeet

67         Rose-throated Becard

68         Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet

69         Greenish Elaenia

70         Greater Pewee

71         Western Wood-Pewee

72         Western Flycatcher

73         Vermilion Flycatcher

74         Dusky-capped Flycatcher

75         Brown-crested Flycatcher

76         Great Kiskadee

77         Social Flycatcher

78         Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher

79         Tropical Kingbird

80         Cassin's Kingbird

81         Thick-billed Kingbird

82         Golden Vireo

83         Warbling Vireo

84         Loggerhead Shrike

85         Common Raven

86         Northern Rough-winged Swallow

87         Barn Swallow

88         Cliff Swallow

89         Bushtit

90         Canyon Wren

91         Bewick's Wren

92         Spotted Wren

93         Happy Wren

94         Sinaloa Wren

95         Blue Mockingbird

96         Curve-billed Thrasher

97         Northern Mockingbird

98         Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush

99         Aztec Thrush

100       Rufous-backed Robin

101       Gray Silky-flycatcher

102       House Sparrow

103       House Finch

104       Lesser Goldfinch

105       Stripe-headed Sparrow

106       Botteri's Sparrow

107       Clay-colored Sparrow

108       Lark Sparrow

109       White-crowned Sparrow

110       Savannah Sparrow

111       Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow

112       Canyon Towhee

113       Yellow-breasted Chat

114       Black-vented Oriole

115       Orchard Oriole

116       Streak-backed Oriole

117       Bullock's Oriole

118       Black-backed Oriole

119       Bronzed Cowbird

120       Brown-headed Cowbird

121       Great-tailed Grackle

122       Gray-crowned Yellowthroat

123       MacGillivray's Warbler

124       Common Yellowthroat

125       Yellow Warbler

126       Rufous-capped Warbler

127       Western Tanager

128       Black-headed Grosbeak

129       Blue Grosbeak

130       Indigo Bunting

131       Varied Bunting

132       Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater


What is the "Lake Chapala Area"?



We define it as the whole area of the lake plus all land within 15km (or 7 miles) from the edge of the lake. We combine sightings for the month from Chapala, Jocotopec, Poncititlan and Jamay.

Lake Chapala Birders is an informal group of bird observers led by a team of Chapala Birders on behalf of John and Rosemary Keeling.

Overall Coordinator - Cheshta Buckley

Newsletter - Mugs McConnell

Website - Robert McConnell

Feature Bird - Jules Evans

Monthly Sightings Lists - Duncan Poole

Bird Trip Leaders and Reports - Cheshta Buckley, Thomas Bravo, Kate and Carl Anderson, Jules Evens, Duncan Poole, John Roynon, Robert Taylor.


Illustrated color folders showing our common birds are available for $200 pesos at Diane Pearl's Gallery, 11 am to 4 pm, Santa Margarita #23, at the east end of Riberas del Pilar. Also available from your Birding group leaders on bird walks.


We like to hear of bird sightings at: chapalabirders@yahoo.com.


Check our website: ChapalaBirders.org

There you will find our newsletters, illustrations of our birds and advice on buying binoculars, books and birding apps.