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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New species at Lake Chapala
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In mid-August John Keeling observed a male Ruddy Turnstone on the shore at San Nicolas on migration to points south. This is the first time this species has been seen here. They nest on coasts of the high arctic, and winter on the coasts of central and south America. They have been reported on a rare basis at points all over the north American Continent. These birds have a strong pointed bill used to turn over stones and crack open the molluscs found underneath. Some travel vast distances, for instance those wintering in S.E. Australia fly to Siberia for the summer (proven by satellite tracking of attached transmitters).
As usual at this time the first migrants are passing through: Willet, Marbled Godwit, Wilson's Phalarope Yellow-rumped warbler and Dunlin (uncommon).
September 6 and 7 (Saturday & Sunday) will be the first "World Shorebirds Day". Birders are encouraged to get out and record sightings of birds on shorelines. Since Lake Chapala is a "Living Lake" and a "Ramsar Site" I think Lake Chapala Birders should put on a good count on Saturday and Sunday. Please let John know by email if you would like to take part in a small team, say 8-noon Saturday, and possibly Sunday.
Mexico gets a new bird species
Every August the American Ornithologists Union (AOU) publishes changes to its official list of North and Central American birds. This year the Mexican sub-species of King Rail has been bumped to "full species" status and assigned the new name 'Aztec Rail'. We have seen these shy birds in reed beds at the Lake Cajititlan marsh and at the eastern end of Lake Chapala.
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Ruddy Turnstone
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Ruddy Turnstone as sighted last month at San Nicolas bay.
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Red-tagged Pelican Report
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On August 30, John Keeling observed that one American White Pelican out of a group of 100 just east of Chapala had an obvious red plastic tag on its wing. He managed to read the code number on the tag and has reported it to the Bird Banding Lab at Patuxent, MD. It seems that red tags come from Minidoka in Indiana, where they currently have 4,000 adult pelicans in the summer, producing 2,000 offspring each year.
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Upcoming Trips and Bird Walks
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Over-night Trips
We are proposing to run over-night trips to the following locations this fall. Note that the maximum capacity for this type of trip is normally 8 people. If you are interested in any of these, please email chapalabirders@yahoo.com:
- Patzcuaro, 2 nights, early October
- San Sebastian del Oeste, 2 nights, late October.
- Colima Volcano, 1 night, early November.
Birdwalks
Our birdwalks are open to all those interested in birds, both beginners and experienced birders. Just bring binoculars and show up. We always have knowledgeable birders on hand to identify the species.
On Friday September 12, we will meet at 8.30 am on the shore at San Nicolas Bay. This is currently our best birding area. After about an hour we will go to the lower Santa Cruz Dam before heading for breakfast at Las Delicias Restaurant..
How to Get There: Proceed west from the old train station in Chapala, passing Santa Cruz on the left and the pumping station marked Aqueducto on your right. The next village is San Nicolas. At the last house turn right on a hidden steep gravel road to the shore. If you arrive at the Country Club, go back a quarter mile.
On September 17 we will meet at Donas Donuts at 8.00 am, leaving immediately for Las Trojes to hike the horizontal oak forest trail - three hours out and two hours back. This is a relatively easy hike. Do not expect many birds, but we always hope to see uncommon birds like acorn woodpeckers. Bring refreshments and sandwiches for lunch. We will be back about 4.00 pm. If you plan to go please email John at chapalabirders@yahoo.com indicating whether you can bring a vehicle.
On September 30, we will meet at Donas Donuts at 8.00 am, departing immediately for Tapalpa. We expect fall flowers and migrating hummingbirds. Bring light refreshments. We will have lunch at 1.30 in the village of Tapalpa, and will be back in Ajijic about 5.00 pm. If you plan to go please email John, at least 48 hours before the trip, at chapalabirders@yahoo.com indicating whether you can bring a vehicle.
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Bird Trip and Walk Reports
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On August 7, we had nine people out at the Pumping Station where we saw both red-winged and yellow-headed blackbirds, tri-colored heron, eastern meadowlark and black-backed oriole out of a total of 40 species.
On August 17, we had a good crowd - 17 people in four cars for the circuit round the Rosa Amarilla loop. Interesting birds included another greater roadrunner at the top of a tree, as well as red-tailed hawk, white-tailed hawk, Cooper's hawk, white-tailed kite, and black-vented oriole, for total of 52 species.
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117 Species seen in August
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Here are the 117 species observed in August around Lake Chapala:
Ani, groove-billed
Avocet, American (Sn)
Becard, rose-throated
Blackbird, red-winged (Cs)
Blackbird, yellow-headed (Cs,Sn,Ra)
Bobwhite, northern (Sn,Ra,Ca,Pt)
Bunting, varied
Bushtit
Caracara, crested
Coot, American
Cormorant, neotropic
Cowbird, bronzed
Cuckoo, squirrel (Ch)
Dove, Eurasian collared
Dove, Inca
Dove, mourning
Dove, white-tipped
Dowitcher, long-billed (Sn)
Duck, black-bellied whistling (Sn)
Duck, fulvous whistling (Cs,Sn)
Duck, Mexican
Duck, ruddy (Ra)
Dunlin (Sn)
Egret, cattle
Egret, great
Egret, snowy
Elaenia, greenish (At)
Finch, house
Flycatcher, ash-throated
Flycatcher, cordilleran
Flycatcher, dusky-capped
Flycatcher, gray silky
Flycatcher, social
Flycatcher, vermillion
Gallinule, common
Gallinule, purple (Cs)
Gnatcatcher, blue-gray
Godwit, marbled (Sn)
Goldfinch, lesser
Grackle, great-tailed
Grassquit, blue-black
Grebe, least
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, little blue (Ca,Sn)
Heron, tricolored
Hummingbird, beryline (Pt,At)
Hummingbird, broad-billed
Hummingbird, rufous (Ra)
Hummingbird, violet-crowned
Ibis, white-faced
Jacana, northern
Killdeer
Kingbird, Cassin's
Kingbird, thick-billed
Kingbird, tropical
Kiskadee, great
Kite, white-tailed (Ra)
Meadowlark, eastern (Ra)
Mockingbird, blue
Mockingbird, northern (Pt)
Motmot, russet-crowned (At)
Nightjar, buff-collared
Oriole, black-backed
Oriole, black-vented
Oriole, orchard
Oriole, streak-backed
Owl, great horned (Av,Sa)
Pelican, American White
Pewee, western wood
Phalarope, Wilson's (Sn)
Pigeon, rock
Raven, common (Ca)
Roadrunner, greater(Ra,Ca)
Robin, rufous-backed
Sandpiper, least
Sandpiper, spotted
Seedeater, white-collared
Shrike, loggerhead
Sparrow, Botteri's (Ra,Pt)
Sparrow, house
Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground
Sparrow, stripe-headed
Stilt, black-necked
Stork, wood
Swallow, barn
Swallow, cliff
Swallow, northern rough-winged
Tanager, western (Aj)
Tern, Forster's
Thrush, hermit
Thrush, orange-billed nightingale
Towhee, canyon
Turnstone, ruddy (Sn)
Vireo, golden (Pt)
Vulture, black
Vulture, turkey
Warbler, rufous-capped
Warbler, yellow (Sn)
Warbler, yellow-rumped
Willet (Sn)
Woodpecker, golden-fronted
Woodpecker, ladder-backed
Wren, Bewick's
Wren, canyon
Wren, spotted
Yellowthroat, common (Ca)
Yellowthroat, gray-crowned (Ra,Cu)
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 area
Po - Poncitlan
Pt - San Pedro Tesistan area
Pz - San Pedro Itzican area
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/South Shore area
Xt - Ixtlahuacan/Las Campanillas
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