|
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:
ChapalaBirders@yahoo.com
or phone 376-766-1801
Website:
ChapalaBirders.org
| | | December Sightings |
| In December a total of 139 species were reported around the lake (see the full list below).
Two new species for this area were sighted during the month. The first was a true vagrant, a Reddish Egret notable for its shaggy neck feathers, seen during our bird walk at the Pumping Station. This species is normally seen at the coast, and is rarely reported inland.
The second was the Phainopepla, a bird that is shaped like a cardinal but is mainly black in the case of the male and mainly grey in the case of the female. It is a relative of the gray silky flycatcher. This bird is said to be a wanderer and is at the southern end of its normal range when it visits here. We saw one on the other side of the lake and three in the Santa Cruz area. |
|
|
| | A Cloud of Blackbirds |
|  Photo by Jim Thorsell taken at the dike during the Christmas Bird Count. There are 2,700 yellow-headed blackbirds in this picture (we counted them!). |
|
|
| | Christmas Bird Count Results |
| The Lake Chapala Christmas Bird Count was held December 14, and the Cienega Christmas Bird Count on the dike at the other end of the lake was held December 16. A lot of our regular participants were away, so we only had a third of our regular numbers of spotters. However, the smaller teams were more agile and we counted a normal number of species, and normal quantities of individual birds.
In the Lake Chapala Count we recorded 114 species and 6,677 birds. Unusual sightings included Pyrruloxia (related to the Cardinal) and Phainopepla.
In the Cienega Count we sighted 91 species and 45,867 birds. This figure includes 42,000 yellow headed blackbirds which flew over one of the teams.
You can download the historical summary of our Christmas Bird Count results from 2006 to 2011, from our website ChapalaBirders.org |
|
|
| | Upcoming Bird Walks |
| Friday, January 6, at 8.00 am we will car-pool at Donas Donuts and drive to the Rosa Amarilla Loop on the south side of the lake. It will take an hour to get there. John Keeling will lead us to the various birding stops on the loop. The territory is interesting as it is 7,000 ft above sea level, so we expect to see species normally seen around Tapalpa. Dress in layers for cold weather. Bring refreshments as there is no place to have breakfast in the vicinity. At 11.00 am participants may drive back to Ajijic or continue exploring the area.
Monday, January 23, John Roynon will lead a bird walk at Cristianía Park in Chapala, meeting at the entrance at 8.00 am. Expect to see a good variety of land and shore birds. At 10.30 we will head for Las Delicias for breakfast and complete the bird list.
How to Get There: From Ajijic drive to Chapala. Go straight across the main traffic light and continue east for six blocks until you get to a T junction. Turn left and park almost immediately at the park entrance on your right. |
|
|
| | Bird Walk Report |
| On December 9, we had 13 birders out at the Pumping Station. We were rewarded with 62 species including the very unusual Reddish Egret. This bird was studied at length. Initially we ruled out the idea of a reddish egret because "it doesn't come here". But it did not fit the other similar species that we know here which are great blue heron, little blue heron and tri-colored heron. Other birds seen on the walk included northern harrier, eastern meadowlark, black phoebe, Forster's tern and common yellowthroat. |
|
|
| | December List |
| Here are the 139 species observed in December around Lake Chapala:
Ani, groove-billed
Avocet, American (Dm)
Blackbird, red-winged
Blackbird, yellow-headed
Bufflehead (Cs)
Bunting, indigo
Bunting, lazuli
Bunting, varied
Bushtit
Caracara, crested
Chat, yellow-breasted
Coot, American
Cormorant, neotropic
Cowbird, bronzed
Cowbird, brown-headed
Cuckoo, squirrel
Dove, Inca
Dove, white-winged
Dowitcher, long-billed
Duck, Mexican
Duck, ruddy (Cs,Ra)
Egret, cattle
Egret, great
Egret, reddish (Cs)
Egret, snowy
Euphonia, elegant
Falcon, peregrine
Finch, house
Flycatcher, ash-throated
Flycatcher, dusky-capped
Flycatcher, gray silky
Flycatcher, least
Flycatcher, social
Flycatcher, vermillion
Gnatcatcher, blue-gray
Goldfinch, lesser
Grackle, great-tailed
Grebe, eared
Grebe, least
Grebe, pied-billed
Grosbeak, black-headed
Grosbeak, blue
Gull, laughing
Gull, ring-billed
Harrier, northern
Hawk, Cooper's
Hawk, gray
Hawk red-tailed
Heron, black-crowned night
Heron, great blue
Heron, green
Heron, little blue
Heron, tri-colored
Hummingbird, berylline
Hummingbird, broad-billed
Hummingbird, rufous
Hummingbird, violet-crowned
Ibis, white-faced
Jacana, northern
Kestrel, American
Killdeer
Kingbird, Cassin's
Kingbird, thick-billed
Kingbird, tropical
Kingfisher, belted
Kingfisher, green
Kiskadee, great
Kite, white-tailed
Meadowlark, eastern
Merlin (Dm)
Mockingbird, blue
Mockingbird, northern
Oriole, black-backed
Oriole, black-vented
Oriole, Bullock's
Oriole, hooded
Oriole, streak-backed
Osprey
Pelican, American white
Phainopepla (Cs)
Phoebe, black (Cs)
Pigeon, rock
Pintail, northern
American pipit
Plover, semi-palmated
Pyrrhuloxia (Cl)
Raven
Redhead (Cs)
Redstart, American (Dm)
Robin, rufous-backed
Sandpiper, least
Sandpiper, spotted
Scaup, lesser
Seedeater, white-collared
Shoveler, northern
Shrike, loggerhead
Snipe, Wilson's
Sparrow, chipping
Sparrow, clay-colored
Sparrow, house
Sparrow, lark
Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground
Sparrow, savannah
Sparrow, song
Sparrow, stripe-headed
Stilt, black-necked
Swallow, barn
Swallow, northern rough-winged
Swallow, tree
Tanager, western
Teal, blue-winged
Teal, cinnamon
Teal, green-winged
Tern, Caspian
Tern, Forster's (Cs)
Thrasher, curve-billed
Towhee, canyon
Vireo, plumbeous
Vulture, black
Vulture, turkey
Warbler, black and white
Warbler, black-throated gray
Warbler, Nashville
Warbler, orange-crowned
Warbler, rufous-capped
Warbler, Tennessee
Warbler, Virginia's
Warbler, Wilson's
Warbler, yellow
Warbler, yellow-rumped
Woodpecker, golden-fronted
Woodpecker, ladder-backed
Wren, Bewick's
Wren, canyon
Wren, house
Wren, marsh
Wren, spotted
Yellowlegs, greater
Yellow-throat, common
Location codes:
Ac - Ajijic: La Cristina/El Bajio
At - Trails above Ajijic
Av - Ajijic village
Ch - Chapala
Cl - Lake Cajititlan
Cs - Santa Cruz/pumping station
Dm - Dike near Malteraña
Dp - Dike near La Palma
Hv - Hidden Valley oak forest
Jo - Jocotepec
Ld - Lerma & Duero rivers
Pe - Petatan causeway
Po - Poncitlan
Pt - San Pedro Tesistan
Pz - San Pedro Itzican
Ra - Rosa Amarilla loop
Rc - Santa Rosa: Carnero dam
Rp - Riberas del Pilar
Sc - San Juan Cosala
Sv - San Antonio/Chula Vista
Te - San Juan Tecomatlan/Mezcala
Tr - Las Trojes/oak forest
Tu - Tuxcueca
Xl - Ixtlahuacan/Las Campanillas
|
|
|
| |
