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
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Two New Species for Lake Chapala
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In October we saw 116 species around the Lake (see list below), including Green Violetear and Broad-tailed Hummingbird identified with the assistance of visiting birder Jesper Jacobsen on our Las Trojes hike. He took photos that helped in the identification.
The Green Violetear was also confirmed by its call - there were several males calling loudly in the oak forest. When it visits us, this large hummingbird is at the northern end of its range from Mexico to Ecuador.
The broad-tailed is a small hummingbird that summers in the northern half of Mexico and winters in the southern half. We are in the overlap area.
On another day John and Rosemary had a clear full-frontal sighting of a Greater Roadrunner near Rosa Amarilla. a key difference between the lesser and the greater is in the striations visible on the front of the neck. This is important because in our area we encounter both species.
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Green Violetear
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Green Violetear seen at Las Trojes
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Bird Festivals and Bird Count
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The Lake Chapala Bird Festival will run from November 10-18. It is run by Mexicans for Mexicans. Its purpose is stimulate greater awareness and respect for birds. As part of the Festival we will co-conduct a bird walk in Spanish on Nov. 17.
The Vallarta Bird Festival will be held March 7-10 in 2013. Bird walks and photo walks will be conducted at the Botanical Gardens, El Tuito, and other locations. For info go to VallartaBirdFestival.org or Pat Morrow at morrowpat@gmail.com.
The Ajijic Christmas Bird Count will be held on Friday December 14. Please mark your calendar for this important annual event. Further details will be given in the December newsletter.
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Upcoming Trips and Bird Walks
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We have arranged a Birding Trip to San Blas, Nayarit, November 19-23. This five-day trip will include three days of birding with professional bird guides and four nights in the leading birding hotel in San Blas. This is the top birding destination in Mexico because it has sea birds, mangrove swamps, jungle and mountains in close proximity with 400 bird species. Cost will be $4.900 pesos per person. A few spaces are open. For details email chapalabirders@yahoo.com.
There will be a Birding-Kayaking "trip" Wednesday Nov 7, 9.00 a.m. at La Tasca. Members of the Ajijic Kayak Club will set you up on kayaks; we will observe birds until about 11.30 and then go for lunch at Yves. Expect to get good views of water birds. The birding leader will be Don Bell. No experience necessary. Wear old sneakers or water shoes to stand in shallow water. Bring hat and sun screen. Leave behind things like phones, binoculars etc unless they are waterproof. Max. 11 people. Bring 150 pesos donation for kayak storage fees. Email chapalabirders@yahoo.com to reserve a spot.
Bird Walk Thursday November 29, 8.00 a.m. at the Pumping Station. We will be looking for shore birds as well as orioles and kingbirds. We will have breakfast at 10.00 a.m. and prepare the bird list at the adjacent Don Emiliano restaurant.
To Get There: From Chapala take the shore road to the Country Club. After passing the air strip and the water skiing facility on the right, look for the Pumping Station with 3 tall pump towers and a sign "Acueducto". Immediately after take the hidden gravel road on the right. Turn left at the next T junction, then right, and park closer to the lake.
Everyone is welcome on our walks - just bring binoculars.
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Bird Walk and Trip Reports
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October 9, ten enthusiastic birders drove to the Sierra de Tapalpa. The total count of sightings was 50 species including the following six new species for the Tapalpa list: Brewer's Blackbird, Western Kingbird, Tropical Kingbird, Cinnamon Teal, Blue-winged Teal, and Rock Dove.
October 12, saw four birders at El Bajio who managed to spot 34 species including Osprey, Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls, Stripe-headed Sparrow and a group of Gray Silky Flycatchers.
October 22, ten keen hikers competed the 2.5 hours walk along the oak forest trail to the edge of the Hidden Valley. Special sightings were the Red-faced Warbler in the same location as last winter, and the new species: Green Violetear and Broad-tailed Hummingbird - a spectacular day!
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The October List
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Here are the 116 species observed in October around Lake Chapala:
Ani, groove-billed
Avocet, American
Blackbird, yellow-headed (Ac)
Bunting, Varied
Caracara, crested
Chat, yellow breasted
Coot, American
Cormorant, neotropic
Cowbird, bronzed
Cuckoo, squirrel
Dove, Inca
Dove, mourning
Dove, white-tipped
Dove, white-winged
Duck, Mexican
Duck, ruddy
Egret, cattle
Egret, great
Egret, snowy
Euphonia, elegant
Finch, house
Flycatcher, ash-throated
Flycatcher, cordilleran
Flycatcher, dusky-capped
Flycatcher, gray silky
Flycatcher, least
Flycatcher, social
Flycatcher, vermillion
Gnatcatcher, blue-gray
Goldfinch, lesser
Grackle, great-tailed
Grebe, least
Grebe, pied-billed
Grosbeak, black-headed
Grosbeak, blue
Gull, laughing
Gull, ring-billed
Hawk, Cooper's (Ac)
Hawk, red-tailed
Heron, black-crowned night
Heron, great blue
Heron, tri-colored
Hummingbird, berylline
Hummingbird, broad-billed
Hummingbird, broad-tailed (Tr)
Hummingbird, violet-crowned
Ibis, white-faced
Kestrel, American
Killdeer
Kingbird, Cassin's
Kingbird, thick-billed
Kingbird, tropical
Kingbird, western
Kingfisher, belted (Ac)
Kinglet, ruby-crowned
Kiskadee, great
Meadowlark, eastern (Ra)
Mockingbird, blue
Mockingbird, northern
Motmot, russet-crowned
Oriole, black-backed (Ac)
Oriole, Bullock's
Oriole, hooded
Oriole, orchard
Oriole, streak-backed
Osprey
Owl, great-horned
Pelican, American white
Pewee, western wood
Phoebe, Say's (Ra, Rp)
Pigeon, rock
Pintail, northern
Raven, common
Roadrunner, greater (Ra)
Robin, rufous-backed
Sandpiper, spotted
Seedeater, white-collared
Shrike, loggerhead
Solitaire, brown-backed (Tr)
Sparrow, house
Sparrow, lark
Sparrow, Lincoln's
Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground
Sparrow, stripe-headed
Swallow, barn
Swallow, northern rough-winged
Swallow, tree
Tanager, western
Teal, blue-winged
Tern, Caspian
Tern, Forster's
Thrasher, curve-billed
Thrush, orange-billed nightingale
Towhee, canyon
Vireo, golden
Vireo, warbling
Vulture, black
Vulture, turkey
Violetear, green (Tr)
Warbler, black and white
Warbler, black-throated gray
Warbler, hermit
Warbler, Nashville
Warbler, rufous-capped
Warbler, red-faced (Tr)
Warbler, Townsend's
Warbler, Wilson's
Warbler, yellow
Warbler, yellow-rumped
Woodpecker, golden-fronted
Woodpecker, ladder-backed
Wren, Bewick's
Wren, canyon
Wren, house
Wren, spotted
Yellowlegs, lesser
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
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