FW: Lake Chapala Birding News

Birding Lake Chapala Lake Chapala Birders Sep. 2, 2013 Contents 93 Species Seen in August Least Bittern Upcoming Bird Walks and Trips Bird Walk and Trip Reports The August List 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 93 Species Seen in August The species observed around the Lake last month are listed at the end of this newsletter. This summer we discovered a new birding hotspot on Lake Cajititlan. The south-side jetty is a great place to see the Least Bittern which is usually a cautious and skulking bird. It is normally seen two feet above the water grasping the stems in a reed bed. On the August 9 birdwalk it was particularly interesting to be able to compare Least Bittern with Green Heron almost side by side. The Least Bittern has the ability to move rapidly through the reed bed, disappearing almost instantly. This species is found in geographical pockets throughout North and South America and is resident here. Other interesting sightings were a Tropical Parula by Brian Lewis near Santa Cruz, and in the same location John Keeling discovered several Purple Gallinules, previously only seen at the far end of Lake Chapala in years when the water level was much higher than now. Least Bittern Least Bittern as seen at Lake Cajititlan in August. Upcoming Bird Walks and Trips On Tuesday September 10, we will meet at La Cristina at 8.00 a.m. (Remember, this is west of Ajijic, not in Chapala!). We expect to see a selection of shore and land birds. At 10.00 we will head for Fonda Doña Lola for breakfast to prepare the bird list. How to Get There: Drive west from Ajijic. After El Bajio you will see signs for Las Palmas and Hacienda La Cristina. Take the La Cristina road and park near the lake. On Wednesday September 18, we will go to Lake Cajititlan, meeting at 8.00 a.m. to carpool at Donas Donuts, leaving right away. This is currently our best birding spot, both the marsh and the jetty, because the water levels have not affected the reed beds. If you are going, please email chapalabirders@yahoo.com saying whether on not you will bring a vehicle. On Monday September 30, we will go to Tapalpa, meeting at 8.00 a.m. to carpool at Donas Donuts,

leaving right away. The fall flowers will be at their best, and we should see migrating hummingbirds. Bring snacks. We will have lunch in Tapalpa at 1.30, getting back to Ajijc at 5.00. If you are going, please email chapalabirders@yahoo.com saying whether on not you will bring a vehicle.

Bird Walk and Trip Reports
	On August 9, a group of eight of us went to the marsh at Lake Cajititlan. We were rewarded with a singing common yellowthroat, as well as yellow-headed blackbird, wood-stork, roseate spoonbill and white-tailed kite. We then moved on to the warf at San Juan Evangelista where we observed least bittern quite clearly in the reeds, and juvenile black-crowned night herons, for a total of 36 species. On August 14, a select group of 5 birders went round the Rosa Amarilla circuit. Interesting sightings were gray-crowned yellowthroat, Botteri's sparrow, northern mockingbird, 10 wood storks, 30 Wilson's phalaropes and 30 American white pelican out of a total list of 45 species. On August 20, seven keeners joined us at the Jocotepec malecon park, seeing a pair of northen jacana with baby chicks in tow. We saw six brown pelicans (the largest number we have seen at the lake) which flew up to join twenty wheeling birds that looked like an ocean species with interesting patterns on their wings, but which we later determined were immature laughing gulls. At the San Juan Evangelista jetty we saw many young and adult black-crowned night heron and two least bittern as mentioned above. The list came to 31.

The August List
	Here are the 93 species observed in August around Lake Chapala: Ani, groove-billed Avocet, American (Jo) Bittern, least Blackbird, yellow-headed (Ca) Bobwhite, northern (Xt) Caracara, crested Coot, American Cormorant, neotropic Cowbird, bronzed Cowbird, brown-headed Crossbill, red Cuckoo, squirrel Dove, Eurasian collared Dove, Inca Dove, white-tipped Dove, white-winged Duck, black-bellied whistling Duck, fulvous whistling Duck, Mexican Duck, ruddy Egret, cattle Egret, great Egret, snowy Euphonia, elegant Finch, house Flycatcher, gray silky Flycatcher, vermillion Gallinule, common Gallinule, purple (Cs) Goldfinch, lesser Grackle, great-tailed Grebe, least Grebe, pied-billed Grosbeak, blue Gull, laughing Hawk, red-tailed Heron, black-crowned night Heron, great blue Heron, green Heron, tricolored Hummingbird, berylline Hummingbird, broad-billed Hummingbird, rufous (Sc) Hummingbird, violet-crowned Ibis, white-faced Jacana, northern Killdeer Kingbird, Cassin's Kingbird, thick-billed Kingbird, tropical Kiskadee, great Kite, white-tailed Meadowlark, eastern Mockingbird, blue Mockingbird, northern (Ra) Motmot, russet-crowned Nightjar, buff-collared Oriole, black-vented Oriole, streak-backed Owl, northern saw-whet (Av) Parula, tropical (Cs) Pelican, American white Pelican, brown (Jo) Pewee, western wood Phalarope, Wilson's (Ra) Pigeon, rock Raven common Robin, rufous-backed Sandpiper, least Seedeater, white-collared Shrike, loggerhead Sparrow, Botteri's (Ra) Sparrow, chipping Sparrow, house Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground Sparrow, stripe-headed Spoonbill, roseate (Ca) Stilt, black-necked Stork, wood (Ca,Ra) Swallow, barn Thrasher, curve-billed Thrush, orange-billed nightingale Towhee, canyon Vireo, golden (At) Vulture, black Vulture, turkey Woodpecker, golden-fronted Woodpecker, ladder-backed Wren, Bewick's Wren, canyon Wren, spotted Yellowthroat, common (Ca) Yellowthroat, gray-crowned (Ra) 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 Ja - Jamay 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 Sn - San Nicholas/Golf Club Tz - Tizapan canyon Te - San Juan Tecomatlan/Mezcala Tr - Las Trojes/oak forest Tu - Tuxcueca canyon Xt - Ixtlahuacan/Las Campanillas

E-mail: chapalabirders@yahoo.com