Chapala Birders Newsletter, April 2, 2023 | | Sightings this Month
There were 183 species reported for the lake area in March. The complete list is shown at the end of this newsletter. Unusual sightings included:
- Calliope Hummingbird and Rufous Hummingbird were reported by Laura Dangerfield in Chapala Haciendas.
- Gray-collared Becard and White-striped Woodcreeper were seen by Nicola Cendron on the Caracol Trail.
- Ceder Waxwings were sighted in Riberas del Pilar and in Agua Escondida.
This is the time of the year when the last warblers are leaving to breed up north, and the Bronzed Cowbirds are commencing reconnaissance for suitable nests of other species to drop their eggs in.
Uncertainty in Western & Clark's Grebes
We notice that people tend to assume there is one correct ID for every bird. As we know, Identification is often difficult. There are variations due to the molting cycle, gender, age and sometimes diet. Many species are known to hybridize (mate successfully with another species) producing intermediate forms.
The case of the Clark's and Western Grebes in Mexico is interesting. Before being declared as two separate species, the Clark's was considered to be a pale morph of the Western. More recently, one leading researcher, Robert Dickerman, proposed that all Western and Clark's in Mexico should be reclassified as Clark's. The researchers and writers investigating Grebes are all located in the U.S. and very little research on these grebes has been done in Mexico.
Steve N.G. Howell writes in his classic 'Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America': "The relative status and distribution of Western and Clark's Grebes in Mexico have yet to be clarified" and " Up to 30-33% of populations in Michoacan and Guerrero have been considered intermediate (Ferrer, 1977)."
So when you see one of these grebes in our area, don't necessarily expect it to be clearly a Western or a Clark's! | | Featured Bird: Varied Bunting | | A male Varied Bunting. The female of this species is plain brown, varying from pale buff to warm cinnamon brown, with a dark bluish tail and has no streaking on the breast. | | - The Varied Bunting occurs here year-round but is seen most commonly on the Lakeshore in the spring.
- Ii is a Mexican bird, with some migrants venturing into Southern Arizona and Texas, and also a small separate population exists in Guatemala. It prefers dry thorn forest environments and desert.
- It has the heavy bill of seed-eater. It searches for seeds on the ground, but also eats insects and fruit in season.
- The nest is built in a bush about one meter above the ground. As with other perching birds, the incubation period is two weeks and the period to fledging is two weeks.
| | Upcoming Bird-walks and Trips | | Our bird-walks are open to all those interested in birds, both beginners and experienced birders. Just bring binoculars. We always have knowledgeable birders on hand to identify the species. Note that we will try to limit most car trips to three vehicles and 14 people because larger convoys are hard to manage when trying to stop on country roads to look at the birds. If you are being given a ride, we suggest you make a contribution to your driver for gas and tolls (perhaps $150 pesos for a half day outing, $300 pesos for a day trip).
On Tuesday April 11, we will meet at 8.00 am at the "Sculpture" (at the only traffic light in La Floresta, south side near Restaurant Pranzo), leaving immediately for Agua Escondida and the Two Dams (20 minutes drive). We may see Northern Jacana, and a variety of other water birds, woodpeckers and orioles. We will bird until 10.15 am when we will go for breakfast to La Palapa de Don Juan in Chapala and complete the bird list. If you plan on going, please email John at chapalabirders@yahoo.com at least 2 days ahead indicating that you can bring a vehicle and can take others, or you would like to be a passenger.
On Friday April 21, we will meet at 8.15 am at Puerta Nueva on the west side of Ajijic. We will see some shore birds and some birds in the tall trees along the street. At about 10.00 am we will head to Fonda Doña Lola Restaurant for breakfast and complete the bird list. How to Get There: Drive about one mile (3km) west from Colon, past the French Bakery and the Cemetery; then take the next left exit signed 'Villa Lucerna'; after one block the road 'jogs' so you turn left and quickly right. Then park immediately, close to the tree, not far from the sign Puerta Nueva. From here we will all walk slowly down to the lake. | | On March 6, we had 16 birders out for the walk around the top of Mezcala Mountain. We encountered an interesting mix of sparrows and warblers including Painted Redstart, Rufous-capped Warbler, Lincoln's Sparrow, Rufous-capped Brushfinch, Blue Mockingbird, Buff-breasted Flycatcher and Greenish Elaenia. Total species count was thirty nine.
On March 14, we went to El Bajio with ten people. We saw Black-headed Grosbeak and Western Tanager feeding in large trees loaded with berries, also Greater Pewee, Warbling Vireo and Canyon, Bewick's and Spotted Wrens and a pair of Painted Buntings for a total of 45 species.
On March 23, we traveled to Lake Atotonilco and Villa Corona. The lake rewarded us with 66 species including Black-belied Whistling Duck, Chihuahuan Meadowlark, Northern Waterthrush, Clark's Grebe, Forster's Tern and Common Yellowthroat.
On March 29, we returned to our perennial favorite location, the Rosa Amarilla Loop above the south side of the lake. With 6 birders we saw American Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, Black Phoebe, Varied Bunting, Stripe-headed Sparrow and Bushtit out of a total of 66 species. | | Here are the 183 species sighted around Lake Chapala in March:
Ani, groove-billed Avocet, American (Ac) Becard, gray-collared (Ca) Bittern, least Blackbird, red-winged Blackbird, yellow-headed Brushfinch, rufous-capped (Mz) Bunting, indigo Bunting, lazuli Bunting, painted (Ac) Bunting, varied Bushtit Caracara, crested Chat, yellow-breasted Coot, American Cormorant, neotropic Cowbird, bronzed Cowbird, brown-headed Cuckoo, squirrel Dove, common ground (Ra) Dove, Eurasian collared Dove, Inca Dove, mourning (Ra) Dove, white-tipped Dove, white-winged Dowitcher, long-billed Duck, fulvous whistling (Ca) Duck, ring-necked Duck, ruddy Egret, cattle Egret, great Egret, snowy Elaenia, greenish (Mz) Falcon, peregrine (Ra) Finch, house Flycatcher, ash-throated Flycatcher, buff-breasted Flycatcher, cordilleran Flycatcher, dusky Flycatcher, dusky-capped Flycatcher, gray silky Flycatcher, Hammond's (Ct) Flycatcher, least Flycatcher, Nutting's Flycatcher, social Flycatcher, vermilion Gadwall Gallinule, common Gallinule, purple Gnatcatcher, blue-gray Goldfinch, lesser Grackle, great-tailed Grebe, Clark's Grebe, least Grebe, pied-billed Grosbeak, black-headed Grosbeak, blue Gull, laughing Gull, ring-billed Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, gray (Mz) Hawk, red-tailed Hawk, sharp-shinned Hawk, zone-tailed Heron, black-crowned night Heron, great blue Heron, green Heron, tri-colored Hummingbird, berylline Hummingbird, black-chinned (Sa) Hummingbird, broad-billed Hummingbird, calliope (Cu) Hummingbird, rufous (Cu) Hummingbird, violet-crowned Hummingbird, white-eared Ibis, white-faced Jacana, northern Kestrel, American (Ra) Killdeer Kingbird, Cassin's Kingbird, thick-billed Kingbird, tropical Kingbird, western Kingfisher, belted Kinglet, ruby-crowned Kiskadee, great Kite, white-tailed (Ps) Meadowlark, Chihuahuan (Ra) Mockingbird, blue Mockingbird, northern Motmot, russet-crowned Nighthawk, lesser Nightjar, buff-collared Oriole, black-backed Oriole, black-vented Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, hooded Oriole, orchard Oriole, streak-backed Osprey Owl, ferruginous pygmy (Rp) Owl, great horned Owl, mountain pygmy Parakeet, monk Pelican, American white Pelican, brown (Jo) Pewee, greater Pewee, western wood Phoebe, black (Ra) Pigeon, rock Pipit, American (PsRa) Raven, common Redstart, American (Ps) Redstart, painted (Mz) Robin, rufous-backed Sandpiper, spotted Sandpiper, western (Ps) Seedeater, cinnamon-rumped Shoveler, northern Shrike, loggerhead Snipe, Wilson's Solitaire, brown-backed (Ct) Sora Sparrow, house Sparrow, lark Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground Sparrow, savannah Sparrow, stripe-headed (Ra) Stilt, black-necked Swallow, barn Swallow, northern rough-winged Swallow, violet-green Tanager, flame-colored (Ct) Tanager, hepatic (Mz) Tanager, summer Tanager, western Teal, blue-winged Teal, cinnamon Tern, Caspian Tern, Forster's Thrasher, curve-billed Thrush, orange-billed nightingale Towhee, canyon Tyrannulet, northern beardless Vireo, Bell's (Ct) Vireo, black capped (Ct) Vireo, Cassin's Vireo, golden (Ct) Vireo, Hutton's (Ct) Vireo, warbling Vulture, black Vulture, turkey Warbler, black and white Warbler, black-throated gray Warbler, hermit (Mz) Warbler, Lucy's (Ac) Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Nashville Warbler, orange-crowned Warbler, red-faced (Ct) Warbler, rufous-capped Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Virginia's (Ct) Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, yellow Warbler, yellow-rumped Waxwing, cedar Wigeon, American Willet Woodcreeper, White-striped (Ct) Woodpecker, acorn (Ct) Woodpecker, golden-fronted Woodpecker, ladder-backed Wren, Bewick's Wren, canyon Wren, happy (Ct) Wren, house Wren, marsh Wren, spotted Yellowlegs, lesser Yellowthroat, common Yellowthroat, gray-crowned (Ct) | | Sighting Location codes: Ac - Ajijic: La Cristina & El Bajio At - Trails above Ajijic Av - Ajijic village Ca - Lake Cajititlan & marsh Ch - Chapala Ct - Caracol Trail & Int'l School Cu - Chapala Haciendas & UofG Cv - Cerro Viejo Dm - Dike: Jamay to Malteraña Dp - Dike: Maltaraña to La Palma Hv - Hidden Valley oak forest Ja - Jamay La - La Cañada & Hidden Valley Jo - Jocotepec Ld - Lerma & Duero rivers Mz - Mezcala Oc - Ocotlan Pe - Petatan area Ps - Pumping Station & Santa Cruz 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 & Allen Lloyd Trail Sc - San Juan Cosala Sn - San Nicholas & Golf Club Tz - Tizapan canyon Te - San Juan Tecomatlan & Mezcala Tr - Potrerillos & Las Trojes & Chupinaya Tu - Tuxcueca & San Luis Soyatlan Xt - Ixtlahuacan & Las Campanillas
What is the "Lake Chapala Area"? We define it as the whole area of the lake plus all land within 15km (or 7 miles) of the edge of the lake. | | | Lake Chapala Birders is an informal group of bird observers led by John and Rosemary Keeling.
Illustrated color folders showing our common birds are once again available for $200 pesos at Diane Pearl's Gallery, 11 am to 4 pm, Santa Margarita #23, at the east end of Riberas del Pilar. Also available from John Keeling.
There you will find our newsletters, illustrations of our birds and advice on buying binoculars, books and birding apps. | | | | | | |
