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Lake Chapala Birders
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 376-766-1801
Website:
Under Construction
| | | 163 Species Seen in March |
| Once again we have a super-long list of birds observed during the month. A number of less-usual species were seen by John Roynon, John Keeling and Rosemary Keeling at the east end of the lake, including black-bellied and fulvous whistling duck, willet, whimbrel, black skimmer, and song sparrow. Ryon Johnson saw a tropical parula in Jocotepec. Ruddy duck continues to be seen at the upper Santa Cruz dam, and eastern meadowlark is returning to breed near the pumping station. Note: The song sparrow is always found on or near water, particularly in marshes. Lake Chapala is at the western end of an area stretching across the central volcanic belt of Mexico where song sparrows are found year-round. This area is isolated from other song sparrow populations further north. Note that the song sparrow may be confused with the Savannah sparrow and Lincoln's sparrow. Our website
We are currently constructing a new website for Lake Chapala Birders which we will announce in the next newsletter, so don't be too upset if the old site is not working. |
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| | Song Sparrow |
|  Observed in March at the dike. |
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| | Upcoming Bird Walks |
| Wednesday April 13 at 8.00 a.m.
We will meet at the front gate of Cristiania Park in Chapala. John Roynon will lead us in the park where we can expect to see curved-bill thrasher, golden-fronted woodpecker, Eurasian collared dove and a selection of water birds. At about 10.00 a.m. we will head to Las Delicias for breakfast and prepare the list of sightings.
How to get there: from Ajijic, keep going straight at the main traffic light on Madero (the main street). After 5 blocks turn left at the T junction. Park almost immediately on the right.
Tuesday April 26, Cajititlan Marsh.
John Keeling will lead a return visit to this great site. Expect to see marsh wren, common yellowthroat, northern harrier and northern jacana.
How to get there: we will carpool at 8.00 a.m. in front of Donas Donuts. Driving time is 30 minutes. At 10.15 we will go for breakfast to Los Cinco Potrillos in Ixtlahuacan. |
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| | March Bird Walk and Trip Reports |
| March 8th, we had 21 birders out at a new location - the Lake Cajititlan Marsh - which turned out to be the best location yet for range of birds. We saw 69 species including a white-tailed hawk (uncommon for our area), sora, king rail, northern harrier, in addition to several ostriches keenly observing us from a nearby field.
March 17th, we returned to the popular Santa Cruz pumping station with 23 birders in attendance. The sightings included crested caracara, little blue heron, orchard oriole, black-backed oriole, American pipit, marsh wren and clay-colored sparrow. Sixty two species were observed that morning.
The Colima Volcanoes were the target of a two day trip at the end of the month by six birders from Ajijic. Sightings included red warbler, buff-breasted flycatcher, lucifer hummingbird, lilac-crowned parrot, slate-throated redstart, grayish saltator, and at 11,000 feet, yellow-eyed junco. |
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| | March Sightings List |
| These are the 163 species observed in March around Lake Chapala:
Ani, groove-billed
Avocet, American
Becard, rose-throated
Blackbird, Brewer's
Blackbird, red-winged
Blackbird, yellow-headed
Bunting, indigo
Bunting, lazuli
Bunting, varied
Bushtit
Caracara, crested
Chat, yellow-breasted
Coot, American
Cormorant, neotropic
Cowbird, bronzed
Cowbird, brown-headed
Cuckoo, squirrel
Dove, common ground
Dove, Eurasian collared (Jo)
Dove, Inca
Dove, mourning
Dove, white-tipped
Dove, white-winged
Dowitcher, long-billed
Duck, black-bellied whistling (Dm)
Duck, fulvous whistling (Dm)
Duck, Mexican
Duck, ruddy (Cs)
Egret, cattle
Egret, great
Egret, snowy
Euphonia, elegant
Finch, house
Flycatcher, ash-throated
Flycatcher, cordilleran
Flycatcher, dusky-capped
Flycatcher, least
Flycatcher, social
Flycatcher, vermillion
Flycatcher, willow
Gnatcatcher, blue-grey
Goldfinch, lesser
Grackle, great-tailed
Grebe, least
Grebe, pied-billed
Grosbeak, black-headed
Grosbeak, blue
Gull, laughing
Gull, ring-billed
Harrier, northern
Hawk, gray
Hawk, red-tailed
Hawk, white-tailed (Cl)
Heron, black-crowned
Heron, great-blue
Heron, green
Heron, little blue
Heron, tricolored
Hummingbird, berylline
Hummingbird, black-chinned
Hummingbird, broad-billed
Hummingbird, rufous
Hummingbird, violet-crowned
Hummingbird, white-eared
Ibis, white-faced
Jacana, northern
Kestrel, American
Killdeer
Kingbird, Cassin's
Kingbird, thick-billed
Kingbird, tropical
Kingbird, western
Kingfisher, belted
Kiskadee, great
Kite, white-tailed
Meadowlark, eastern (Cs)
Mockingbird, blue
Mockingbird, northern
Moorhen, common
Motmot, russet-crowned
Nighthawk, lesser
Nightjar, buff-collared
Oriole, black-backed
Oriole, black-vented
Oriole, Bullock's
Oriole, hooded
Oriole, orchard
Oriole, streak-backed
Parula, tropical (Jo)
Pelican, American white
Pewee, greater
Phoebe, black
Pigeon, rock
Pipit, American
Rail, King (Cs)
Raven, common
Robin, rufous-backed
Sandpiper, least
Sandpiper, spotted
Scaup, lesser
Seedeater, white-collared
Shoveler, northern
Shrike, loggerhead
Skimmer, black (Dm)
Sora
Sparrow, chipping
Sparrow, clay-colored
Sparrow, house
Sparrow, lark
Sparrow, Lincoln's
Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground
Sparrow, Savannah
Sparrow, song (Dm)
Sparrow, stripe-headed
Sparrow, white-crowned
Spoonbill, roseate (Dm)
Stilt, black-necked
Swallow, barn
Swallow, cliff
Swallow, northern rough-winged
Swallow, tree
Swallow, violet-green
Tanager, western
Teal, blue-winged
Teal, cinnamon
Teal, green-winged
Tern, Caspian
Tern, Forster's
Thrasher, curve-billed
Thrush, orange-billed nightingale
Towhee, canyon
Tyrranulet, northern beardless (Jo)(Cl)
Vireo, Bell's
Vireo, Cassin's
Vireo, golden
Vireo, plumbeous
Vireo, warbling
Vulture, black
Vulture, turkey
Warbler, 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
Warbler, yellow-rumped
Whimbrel (Dp)
Wigeon, American
Willet (Dp)
Woodpecker, golden-fronted
Woodpecker, ladder-backed
Wren, Bewick's
Wren, canyon
Wren, happy
Wren, house
Wren, marsh
Wren, spotted
Yellowthroat, common
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
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
Xl - Ixtlahuacan/Las Campanillas
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