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
|
|
106 Species Seen Last Month
|
|
In September a total of 106 species were observed around the Lake. (See the full list below).
The highlight of our first bird walk in September was finding a group of Wilson's Phalaropes on migration in non-breeding plumage (see note below).
The highlight of the second bird walk was the observation of a female Phainopepla - a species which comes here only rarely. We saw them, mainly males, for the first time last winter.
Wilson's Phalarope - Long Distance Migrant
The Wilson's Phalarope is a spring and fall migrant that we have seen in the Lake Chapala region. It nests in the prairie marshes of the U.S. and Canada. The sexual roles are reversed in phalaropes - the female is brightly colored and selects the male. When the males are sitting the eggs the females head south for an early migration. Some of them fly to the Great Salt Lake to fatten up on brine shrimps before heading south for the saline lakes of the Andes in Peru and surrounding areas. This is a 4,000 mile journey which is sometimes flown non-stop, and sometimes made with stops such as at Lake Chapala.
|
| |
|
Wilson's Phalarope
|
| 
Wilson's Phalarope seen at the Pumping Station
|
| |
|
Upcoming Bird Walks & Trips
|
|
On Tuesday, October 9 at 8.00 a.m. we will leave from Donas Donuts to go to Tapalpa for the day. The fall flowers will be at their best, and we hope to see both rufous and ruby-throated hummingbirds in the afternoon sunlight. Bring snacks for the morning and sandwiches for lunch. Expect to get back around 5.00 p.m. If you want to go, phone John Keeling (leave a message) so we can plan the car pooling.
On Friday October 12 at 8.00 a.m. we will meet at El Bajio where we will be looking for warblers and vireos.
How to Get There: From Ajijic drive west about 2 miles and turn left after the sign saying El Bajio (the sign may be overgrown). Park along the section that parallels the carretera.
On Monday October 22 at 8.00 a.m. we will leave from Donas Donuts to go to Las Trojes for a 4-hour hike (not difficult) through the horizontal oak forest. Don't expect so many bird species, but the hike will be pleasant. Bring sandwiches. We will get back around 3.30 p.m. If you want to go, phone John so we can plan the car pooling.
Everyone is welcome on these walks - just bring binoculars.
|
| |
|
Bird Walk and Trip Reports
|
|
September 7, five of us went to the Pumping Station. Though the lake is still only just over half full, we did see a good number of species by walking out to the shoreline. We saw crested caracara; two immature American white pelicans which presumably were born here this summer, wilson's phalaropes on migration, and a marvelous view of a white-tailed kite dropping down to its prey with wings elevated high above its back, soon returning to its perch on a dead tree where it ate a small mammal.
September 19, six keen birders gathered at La Cristina. Sightings included black-backed oriole, phainopepla, rufous backed robin, black-headed grosbeak and a small cloud of yellow-headed blackbirds.
|
| |
|
The September List
|
|
Here are the 106 species observed in September around Lake Chapala:
Ani, groove-billed
Avocet, American
Blackbird, red-winged (Ra)
Blackbird, yellow-winged (Cs, Ac)
Bunting, varied
Caracara, crested
Chat, yellow-breasted
Coot, American
Cormorant, Neotropic
Cowbird, bronzed
Cowbird, brown-headed
Cuckoo, squirrel
Dove, common ground
Dove, Inca
Dove, white-tipped
Dove, white-winged
Duck, fulvous whistling (Ca)
Duck, Mexican
Egret, cattle
Egret, great
Egret, snowy
Euphonia, elegant
Finch, house
Flycatcher, cordilleran
Flycatcher, least
Flycatcher, social
Flycatcher, vermillion
Gallinule, common
Gnatcatcher, blue-gray
Goldfinch, lesser
Grackle, great-tailed
Grebe, pied-billed
Grosbeak, black-headed
Grosbeak, blue
Gull, laughing
Gull, ring-billed
Hawk, Cooper's
Hawk, red-tailed
Hawk, white-tailed (Ra)
Heron, black-crowned night
Heron, great blue
Heron, green
Heron, tri-colored
Hummingbird, berylline
Hummingbird, broad-billed
Hummingbird, rufous
Hummingbird, violet-crowned
Hummingbird, white-eared
Ibis, white-faced
Jacana, northern
Killdeer
Kingbird, Cassin's
Kingbird, thick-billed
Kingbird, tropical
Kiskadee, great
Kite, white-tailed
Meadowlark, eastern (Ra)
Mockingbird, blue
Motmot, russet-crowned
Oriole, black-backed
Oriole, black-vented
Oriole, streak-backed
Owl, great horned
Pelican, American white (Ch, Ra)
Pewee, greater (Tr)
Phainopepla (Ac)
Phalarope, Wilson's (Cs)
Pigeon, rock
Raven, common
Robin, rufous, backed
Sandpiper, least
Sandpiper, spotted
Sandpiper, stilt
Seedeater, white-collared
Shrike, loggerhead
Sparrow, Botteri's (Ra)
Sparrow, house
Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground
Sparrow, stripe-headed
Spoonbill, roseate (Cs)
Stilt, black-necked
Stork, wood (Ra)
Swallow, barn
Swallow, northern rough-winged
Tanager, hepatic (Tr)
Tanager, western
Teal, blue-winged
Tern, Caspian
Tern, Forster's
Thrasher, curve-billed
Thrush, orange-billed nightingale
Towhee, canyon
Vulture, black
Vulture, turkey
Warbler, back-throated gray
Warbler, rufous-capped
Warbler, Wilson's
Warbler, yellow
Willet
Woodcreeper, white-striped (Tr)
Woodpecker, acorn (Tr)
Woodpecker, golden-fronted
Woodpecker, ladder-backed
Wren Bewick's
Wren, canyon
Wren, spotted
Location codes:
Ac - Ajijic: La Cristina/El Bajio
At - Trails above Ajijic
Av - Ajijic village
Ca - Lake Cajititlan
Ch - Chapala
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 & canyon
Sa - San Antonio/Chula Vista
Sc - San Juan Cosala
Tz - Tizapan canyon
Te - San Juan Tecomatlan/Mezcala
Tr - Las Trojes/oak forest
Tu - Tuxcueca canyon
Xt - Ixtlahuacan/Las Campanillas
|
| |
|
|
