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AVES AJIJIC
Lake Chapala Birding Club
Observadores de Aves del Lago de Chapala
Your hosts
John and Rosemary Keeling
If you have reports of interesting bird sightings near Lake Chapala, or need information about birding around the lake, email us at:
avesajijic@yahoo.com
or phone 766-1801 in Ajijic.
Website:
avesajijic.com
| | | 173 Species Seen in January | | | A total of 173 species were seen around Lake Chapala in January, which is a new record - the full list is at the end of this newsletter. These numbers are attributable to the visits of expert birders, the growing experience of our local birders, and the season.
A new species for the area, the Pine Siskin was observed by a group of birders near Ixtlahuacan with visiting international bird guide Gary Elton. Other uncommon sightings included Black Skimmer seen by Gary Elton at the dike, and both eared grebe and hooded merganser spotted at the dike. A Military Macaw was seen for many days over Ajijic. This was certainly an escapee, as the nearest place where this heavily-hunted bird is still found in the wild is at the coast. | | | | | | | Pine Siskin | | |  Observed in January near Ixtlahuacan. | | | | | | | Upcoming Bird Walks | | | On Saturday February 5 Don Bell will lead a bird walk at La Christina and El Bajio at 8.00 a.m. We expect to see a selection of vireos, orioles and wrens. At about 10.00 we will go for breakfast at Dona Lola and complete the sightings list.
To get there: Drive west from Ajijic about 2 miles (3km) and turn down towards the lake at the sign to Hacienda La Christina, just beside the turn to Las Palmas. Park in the field to the right about half way to the lake.
On Friday February 18 John Roynan will lead a bird walk at the malecon in Jocotepec at 8.30 a.m. Expect to see a selection of woodpeckers, doves and various shore birds. At about 10.00 we will head back to Dona Lola for breakfast.
To get there: Drive to Jocotepec and turn left at the point where the road curves significantly to the right as you enter the town (almost across from the east-end Pemex). Park at the waterfront.
On Thursday February 24 John Keeling will lead a bird walk at Ixtlahuacan (Las Campanillas Dam) and Carnero Dam at 8.15 a.m. We hope to see a variety of ducks and warblers. At about 10.30 we will head for breakfast at 'Los Cinco Potrillos' in Ixtlahuacan.
To get there: Drive on the Guadalajara highway past Ixtlahuacan. On your right after the town is a very large walled Fraccionamiento. After about a mile, your challenge is to turn and park under the trees immediately at the end of the wall, exactly across from an elevated Squirt sign. If you pass a patch of water on your right you've gone too far! | | | | | | | January Bird Walk Reports | | | On January 10, twelve birders drove to Lake Atotonilco at Villa Corona in the company of Gary Elton. Sightings included an American Bittern in full view, Clarks Grebe (adult and juvenile), Sharp-shinned Hawk, Northern Harrier, Osprey, Roseate Spoonbill, and Wilson's Snipe. A total of 54 species were identified.
On January 18, there was an excellent turnout of 24 birders behind the pumping station at Santa Cruz de la Soledad. They managed to see 74 species including Bufflehead, Gadwall, Chipping Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, and House Wren. A good breakfast was enjoyed after the walk, at Las Delicias. | | | | | | | January Sightings List | | | These are the 173 species observed in January:
Groove-billed ani
Rose-throated becard (Ac)
Brewer's blackbird
Red-winged blackbird
Yellow-headed blackbird
Bufflehead (Cs)
Indigo bunting
Lazuli bunting
Painted bunting
Varied bunting
Bushtit
Crested caracara
Yellow-breasted chat
American coot
Neotropic cormorant
Bronzed cowbird
Brown-headed cowbird
Long-billed curlew (Dp)
Common ground dove
Eurasian collared dove (Jo)
Inca dove
White-winged dove
Long-billed dowitcher
Fulvous whistling duck (Dp)
Mexican duck
Ruddy duck
Cattle egret
Great egret
Snowy egret
Elegant euphonia
Peregrine falcon
House finch
Ash-throated flycatcher
Cordilleran flycatcher
Dusky-capped flycatcher
Gray-silky flycatcher
Least flycatcher
Nutting's flycatcher
Social flycatcher
Vermillion flycatcher
Willow flycatcher (Dp)
Gadwall (Ix)(Cs)
Blue-gray gnatcatcher
Marbled godwit (Dp)
Lesser goldfinch
Great-tailed grackle
Clark's grebe
Eared grebe (Dp)
Least grebe
Pied-billed grebe
Black-headed grosbeak
Blue grosbeak
Bonaparte's gull
Franklin's gull (Dp)
Laughing gull
Ring-billed gull
Northern harrier
Cooper's hawk
Gray hawk
Red-tailed hawk
Sharp-shinned hawk
Zone-tailed hawk (Ix)
Black-crowned night heron
Great blue heron
Green heron
Little-blue heron
Tri-colored heron
Berylline hummingbird
Broad-billed hummingbird
Rufous hummingbird
Violet-crowned hummingbird
White-faced ibis
Northern jacana
American kestrel
Killdeer
Cassin's kingbird
Thick-billed kingbird
Tropical kingbird
Western kingbird
Belted kingfisher
Great kiskadee
White-tailed kite
Hooded merganser (Dp)
Blue mockingbird
Northern mockingbird
Common moorhen
Russet-crowned motmot
Lesser nighthawk (Jo)
Buff-collared nightjar (Av)
Black-backed oriole
Black-vented oriole
Bullock's oriole
Hooded oriole
Streak-backed oriole
Osprey
American white pelican
Greater pewee
Rock pigeon
Northern pintail
American pipit
Semipalmated plover (Dp)
Common raven
American redstart
Lesser roadrunner
Rufous-backed robin
Least sandpiper
Spotted sandpiper
Stilt sandpiper (Dp)
Western sandpiper
White-collared seedeater
Northern shoveler
Loggerhead shrike
Pine siskin (Ix)
Black skimmer (Dp)
Wilson's snipe
Sora
Chipping sparrow (Cs)
Clay-colored sparrow (Dp)
House sparrow
Lark sparrow
Lincoln's sparrow
Rusty-crowned ground sparrow
Savannah sparrow (Cs)
Stripe-headed sparrow
White-crowned sparrow (Ix)(Tu)
Roseate spoonbill (Dp)
Black-necked stilt
Barn-swallow
Northern rough-winged sparrow
Tree swallow
Violet-green swallow
Hepatic tanager (At)
Summer tanager (Ac)
Western tanager
Blue-winged teal
Cinnamon teal
Green-winged teal
Caspian tern
Curve-billed thrasher
Orange-billed nightingale thrush
Canyon towhee
Bell's vireo
Dwarf vireo (Ac)
Golden vireo (Ac)
Plumbeous vireo
Warbling vireo
Black vulture
Turkey vulture
Black and white warbler
Black-throated gray warbler
Lucy's warbler
MacGillivray's warbler
Nashville warbler
Orange-crowned warbler
Rufous-capped warbler
Townsend's warbler
Virginia's warbler
Wilson's warbler
Yellow-rumped warbler
American widgeon (Cs)(Dp)
Willet
Golden-fronted woodpecker
Ladder-backed woodpecker
Bewick's wren
Canyon wren
Happy wren (Ac)
House wren
Marsh wren
Spotted wren
Greater yellowlegs
Lesser yellowlegs
Common yellowthroat
Gray-crowned yellowthroat
Location codes:
Ac - Ajijic: La Cristina/El Bajio
At - Trails above Ajijic
Av - Ajijic village
Ch - Chapala
Cl - Lake Cajititlan
Cs - Santa Cruz de la Soledad
Dm - Dike near Malteraña
Dp - Dike near La Palma
Hv - Hidden Valley oak forest
Ix - Ixtlahuacan
Jo - Jocotepec
Lc - La Cañada
Ld - Lerma & Duero rivers
Pe - Petatan causeway
Po - Poncitlan
Pt - San Pedro Tesistan
Pz - San Pedro Itzican
Rc - Santa Rosa: Carnero dam
Rp - Riberas del Pilar
Sc - San Juan Cosala
Sv - San Antonio/Chula Vista
Te - San Juan Tecomatlan
Tr - Trails above Las Trojes
Tu - Tuxcueca | | | | | | |
