Newsletter

202 Species seen in December; Christmas Bird Count Report and upcoming trips!

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Chapala Birders Newsletter Jan, 2026 eBird Community News & Sightings Last Month Sightings Last Month submitted by Duncan Poole There were 202 species reported for the lake area in December. The complete list is shown at the end of this newsletter. Interesting sightings: Eastern Phoebe, seen and photographed on the Dike by CBC group. White-Breasted Nuthatch, seen in San Antonio by Gerd DeBeer. White-Throated Flycatcher, seen in Jamay by Noé Muñoz. Christmas Bird Count (CBC) Results 2025 Some very enthusiastic birders made it an exciting CBC! On Dec 16th, 59 species were recorded, and on Dec 18th, 148 species were recorded. View the full report for both outings below under "Bird Trip Summaries for December". Birding Ethics Are you familiar with the ethics of birding? If not, now is a great time to learn!  Be sure to read our monthly Birding Ethics Tips in this newsletter. Feature Bird: Lucy's Warbler (Leiothlypis luciae) [LUWA] by Jules Evens. Female Lucy's Warbler. Note the subtle warm shading on the breast. Photo by Jules Evens "Inconspicuous," "nondescript," "drab" are some of the adjectives often used to describe this dainty wood warbler. These descriptions don't do justice to its subtle beauty and gracefulness. Lucy's Warbler, one of the smallest of the New World warblers, is a fairly common winter resident in shrubs and thickets at lower elevations around Lake Chapala. It can be difficult to see due to its furtive behavior. Likely to be confused with the much more common Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea), it can be identified by its behavior and different body structure. Lucy's has a shorter tail and lacks the long black-and-white tail of the gnatcatcher and is a little more deliberate in its search for insects among the foliage. Whereas gnatcatchers are very flitty and nervous, continually cocking the long tail, Lucy's is slower and more considered, flicking its tail sidewise rather than up-and-down, a behavior common to other members of this genus—such as Nashville and Virginia's warblers—with which it is often associated. I worked on the California Desert Plan decades ago, and in early spring was always pleased to hear the clear trill of Lucy's coming from the mesquite thickets along the dry desert washes, announcing their early return. This association with arid habitats has earned it the nicknames "mesquite warbler" and "desert warbler." After breeding in the Southwestern U.S., Lucy's Warblers migrate southward to spend winter in a narrow band along Pacific slope and adjacent interior of Mexico from s. Sonora and n. Jalisco south  to Oaxaca. A unique field mark is the cinnamon colored rump of both sexes. The male also shows a cinnamon crown, although it is seldom seen. Both sexes have subtle creamy pinkish washes on the breast and underparts only visible in the best lighting, as shown in these photographs. Naming birds, or other animals, after humans has become a rather controversial subject, due to the questionable ethics of some earlier naturalists, slaveholding for example, and is undergoing some revisions within the scientific community. The common name, "Lucy," commemorates Lucy Hunter Baird, daughter of naturalist Spencer Baird, the first curator of the Smithsonian Institution, and will likely avoid revision given her and her father's rather uncontroversial personal histories. Lucy's Warbler foraging among Guamuchil (Pithecellobium dulce) foliage in San Antonio Tlayacapan. Note the unique cinnamon rump patch, barely visible here, lack of wingbars, and the fine, thin bill. Photo by Jules Evens Male Lucy's Warbler. The male's crown patch is rarely visible, exposed here with crown feathers erected. Photo by Cheshta Buckley Tip #5 for Birding Ethics - Leave your dog at home Leave your dog at home. There is a better time and place to take them for a walk. Dogs can chase ground-nesting birds off of their nests and even kill chicks and eggs. Some species such as nesting owls and Snowy Plovers are especially vulnerable to human disturbance and can even abandon nests if bothered too much. For more ethics of birding, visit the e-bird site here. Birding Ethics. Upcoming Bird Walks & Trips Our bird-walks are open to all those interested in birds, both beginners & experienced birders. We always have knowledgeable birders on hand to identify the species. Note that we will try to limit most car trips to 3-4 vehicles and 12-16 people. Larger convoys are hard to manage. If you are being given a ride, you are expected make a contribution to your driver for gas and tolls ($200 pesos for shorter trips, $400 pesos for longer trips). 1st SUNDAY OF THE MONTH: January 4th there will be a birding outing along the Allen Lloyd Trail. Meet up with team leaders Kate and Carl Anderson at 8am at tje trailhead. Expect to see Blue Mockingbird, Happy Wren, and maybe a Russet-crowned Motmot or Squirrel Cuckoo. Please confirm your attendance by sending an email to hdd@hdd.net How to get to the trail head: Drive up the Libramiento a half mile (1 km) from the traffic light at Walmart, then turn left (carefully) as you would for the hospital (Ribera Medical Center). Double back and drive up the left side of the hospital. Keep going uphill another half mile, and park on the only street to your left. Here is a pindrop. On Tuesday January 6th, meet team leader Duncan Poole at 8:00am at the "Sculpture" (at the only traffic light in La Floresta, south-east corner near Restaurant Prazno. See pindrop), leaving immediately for the Rosa Amarilla Loop (60 minutes drive). Expect to see a variety of grassland birds and possibly a White-tailed Hawk. Bring refreshments for the morning and sandwiches for the 12:30 lunch stop. We will be back about 3:00 pm. You must reserve at least 2 days in advance. Email Duncan duncanp125@gmail.com  indicate if you wish to be a passenger or if you can bring a vehicle and can take others, or you would like to be a passenger. Trip will be limited to 3 cars, 12 participants. Each passenger is expected to give a donation of $200 pesos to their driver to cover their travel expenses. On Wednesday January 14th, meet team leader Jules Evens at 8:00 am at the "Sculpture" (at the only traffic light in La Floresta, south-east corner near Restaurant Prazno. See pindrop), leaving immediately for the "Estación de Bombeo."  It's 14 km east from the Sculpture, just beyond Santa Cruz de la Soledad. Expect to see a good variety of shore birds and other species in the scrub and tall trees. We will do the bird count at approximately 10am. You must reserve at least 2 days in advance. Email Jules at avocetra@gmail.com and indicate if you wish to be a passenger or if you can bring a vehicle and can take others. Trip will be limited to 3 cars, 12 participants. Each passenger is expected to give a donation of $400 pesos to their driver to cover their travel expenses. Bird Trip Summaries for December submitted by each Trip Leader On Sunday, December 7th, 14 people set off with Kate and Carl Anderson on the Sendero Allen Lloyd to witness an amazing flurry of birds. 59 species were counted! Many warblers were seen. Western Kingbirds were fewer but still there in good numbers. A Mexican Squirrel cuckoo was spotted then blessed the group with a flyover. They heard but did not see the elusive Russet-crowned Motmot. In the distance they could hear the White-tipped Dove. The habitat was green and lush with the rains from the day before. View the complete bird list https://ebird.org/checklist/S287677641 On Wednesday, December 10th, 11 people joined Jules Evens for a full morning along the length of road, bottom up to quarry, after two days of significant showers. All participants were keen observers. Played the call for the Green-Tailed Towhee at the traditional spot; no response.  Gray-crowned Yellowthroat did reply with a 2 note call. Highlights included the Blue Grosbeak, Gray Hawk, Spotted Wren tribe, Red-tail and Loggerhead Shrike displays. Swallow movement included numerous Tree Swallows. Numbers of gnatcatchers and warblers seemed rather low. View the check list https://ebird.org/checklist/S288088335 Ajijic Christmas Bird Count Report by John Keeling For the 'Ajijic Christmas Bird Count' on December 16, we had 9 observers in 5 teams who recorded 59 species and 28,403 individual birds. New species for this count were Broad-tailed Hummingbird and Green-tailed Towhee. More Whistling Ducks (Black-bellied and Fulvous) were seen than in previous years but other ducks were more scarce than before. Fish-eating birds like Great Blue Heron and Great Egret were also down. Hawks such as Red-tailed and Cooper's, were also seriously down from previous years. It is too early to tell what caused these lower figures. For the 'Dike Christmas Bird Count' at the east end of Lake Chapala on December 18 we had 19 very keen observers, in three vehicles; the count yielded 148 species and 3,689 individual birds. Totals for individual species were slightly below average. Counts for Whistling Ducks (Black-bellied and Fulvous) were up, typically seen in shallow water with Water Hyacinth. Other ducks were down because there were few plants growing in the medium-shallow water, lake levels being newly up as a result of good rains in the watershed between Mexico City and here. Clark's Grebes and Western Grebes were sighted (uncommon). New species for this count were Broad-tailed Hummingbird and Green-tailed Towhee. Monthly Sightings List submitted by Duncan Poole 202 species observed around Lake Chapala in December! (in Taxonomic order): 1   Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 2   Fulvous Whistling-Duck 3   Blue-winged Teal 4   Cinnamon Teal 5   Northern Shoveler 6   Gadwall 7   American Widgeon 8   Mexican Duck 9   Northern Pintail 10   Green-winged Teal 11    Ring-necked Duck 12    Lesser Scaup 13    Ruddy Duck 14    Rock Pigeon 15    Eurasian Collared-Dove 16    Inca Dove 17    Common Ground Dove 18    White-tipped Dove 19    White-winged Dove 20    Mourning Dove 21    Groove-billed Ani 22    Greater Roadrunner 23    Mexican Squirrel-Cuckoo 24    Mexican Violetear 25    Blue-throated Mountain Gem 26    Ruby-throated Hummingbird 27    Black-chinned Hummingbird 28    Rufous Hummingbird 29    Broad-tailed Hummingbird 30    Broad-billed Hummingbird 31    White-eared Hummingbird 32    Violet-crowned Hummingbird 33    Berylline Hummingbird 34    Aztec Rail 35    Sora 36    Common Gallinule 37    American Coot 38    Black-necked Stilt 39    American Avocet 40    Killdeer 41    Semipalmated Plover 42    Northern Jacana 43    Marbled Godwit 44    Long-billed Dowitcher 45    Wilson's Snipe 46    Spotted Sandpiper 47    Lesser Yellowlegs 48    Willet 49    Greater Yellowlegs 50    Least Sandpiper 51    Laughing Gull 52    Ring-billed Gull 53    American Herring Gull 54    Caspian Tern 55    Forster's Tern 56    Least Grebe 57    Pied-billed Grebe 58    Eared Grebe 59    Western Grebe 60    Clark's Grebe 61    Neotropic Cormorant 62    White-faced Ibis 63    Least Bittern 64    Black-crowned Night Heron 65    Little Blue Heron 66    Tricolored Heron 67    Snowy Egret 68    Green Heron 69    Western Cattle-Egret 70    Great Egret 71    Great Blue Heron 72    American White Pelican 73    Black Vulture 74    Turkey Vulture 75    Osprey 76    White-tailed Kite 77    Sharp-shinned Hawk 78    Cooper's Hawk 79    Northern Harrier 80    Gray Hawk 81    Red-tailed Hawk 82    Western Screech-Owl 83    Great Horned Owl 84    Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl 85    Mottled Owl 86    Russet-crowned Motmot 87    Belted Kingfisher 88    Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 89    Gila Woodpecker 90    Golden-fronted Woodpecker 91    Ladder-backed Woodpecker 92    Crested Caracara 93    American Kestrel 94    Monk Parakeet 95    Rose-throated Becard 96    Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 97    Greenish Elaenia 98    Tufted Flycatcher 99    Olive-sided Flycatcher 100  Greater Pewee 101  White-throated Flycatcher 102  Least Flycatcher 103  Hammond's Flycatcher 104  Dusky Flycatcher 105  Western Flycatcher 106  Vermilion Flycatcher 107  Dusky-capped Flycatcher 108  Ash-throated Flycatcher 109  Nutting's Flycatcher 110  Great Kiskadee 111  Social Flycatcher 112  Tropical Kingbird 113  Cassin's Kingbird 114  Thick-billed Kingbird 115  Western Kingbird 116  Golden Vireo 117  Bell's Vireo 118  Hutton's Vireo 119  Cassin's Vireo 120  Plumbeous Vireo 121  Western Warbling Vireo 122  Loggerhead Shrike 123  Tree Swallow 124  Violet-green Swallow 125  Northern Rough-winged Swallow 126  Barn Swallow 127  Bushtit 128  Ruby-crowned Kinglet 129  White-breasted Nuthatch 130  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 131  Black-tailed Gnatcatcher 132  Canyon Wren 133  Northern House Wren 134  Marsh Wren 135  Bewick's Wren 136  Spotted Wren 137  Happy Wren 138  Sinaloa Wren 139  Blue Mockingbird 140  Curve-billed Thrasher 141  Northern Mockingbird 142  Brown-backed Solitaire 143  Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush 144  Rufous-backed Robin 145  Gray Silky-flycatcher 146  House Sparrow 147  American Pipit 148  House Finch 149  Lesser Goldfinch 150  Stripe-headed Sparrow 151  Chipping Sparrow 152  Clay-colored Sparrow 153  Lark Sparrow 154  Savannah Sparrow 155  Lincoln's Sparrow 156  Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow 157  Canyon Towhee 158  Green-tailed Towhee 159  Yellow-breasted Chat 160  Yellow-headed Blackbird 161  Black-vented Oriole 162  Orchard Oriole 163  Hooded Oriole 164  Streak-backed Oriole 165  Bullock's Oriole 166  Black-backed Oriole 167  Red-winged Blackbird 168  Bronzed Cowbird 169  Brown-headed Cowbird 170  Brewer's Blackbird 171  Great-tailed Grackle 172  Northern Waterthrush 173  Black-and-white Warbler 174  Orange-crowned Warbler 175  Lucy's Warbler 176  Nashville Warbler 177  Virginia's Warbler 178  Gray-crowned Yellowthroat 179  MacGillivray's Warbler 180  Common Yellowthroat 181  American Redstart 182  Tropical Parula 183  Northern Yellow Warbler 184  Yellow-rumped Warbler 185  Black-throated Gray Warbler 186  Townsend's Warbler 187  Hermit Warbler 188  Rufous-capped Warbler 189  Wilson's Warbler 190  Painted Redstart 191  Slate-throated Redstart 192  Hepatic Tanager 193  Summer Tanager 194  Western Tanager 195  Flame-colored Tanager 196  Black-headed Grosbeak 197  Blue Grosbeak 198  Lazuli Bunting 199  Indigo Bunting 200  Varied Bunting 201  Painted Bunting 202  Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater What is the "Lake Chapala Area" for bird sightings? We define it as the whole area of the lake plus all land within 15 km (7 miles) from the edge of the lake. We combine sightings for the month from Chapala, Jocotopec, Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos, Poncitlán, Ocotlán, Jamay, & La Manzanilla de la Paz. John and Rosemary Keeling Lake Chapala Birders is an informal group of bird observers led by a team of Chapala Birders on behalf of John & Rosemary Keeling. Overall Coordinator: Cheshta Buckley Newsletter: Mugs McConnell Website: Robert McConnell Feature Bird: Jules Evens Monthly Sightings List: Duncan Poole Bird Trip Leaders & Reports: Cheshta Buckley, Thomas Bravo, Kate & Carl Anderson, Jules Evens, Duncan Poole, John Roynon, Robert Taylor, Robert McConnell. Illustrated color folders showing our common birds are available for $200 pesos from your birding group leaders on bird walks. Also available at Diane Pearl's Gallery, 11am to 4pm, Santa Margarita #23, Riberas del Pilar. You can sign up for this newsletter or send us your exciting bird sightings at birderschapala@gmail.com. Check our website: ChapalaBirders.org . There you will find our newsletters, illustrations of our birds and advice on buying binoculars, books & birding apps.