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Chapala Birders Newsletter April 2, 2020
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| New Species sighted at Lake Chapala in March |
Visiting birder Nicola Cendron from Mexico City was birding on the lake edge near the Pumping Station last month when he observed a Least Tern which is a species we have not recorded here before.
It is interesting to note that there have been a number of sightings of this species at Villa Corona on Lake Atontonilco, which is only 30km west of Lake Chapala.
See 'Featured Bird' below.
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| 179 Species sighted around the Lake in March |
This is an unprecedented number of species for March - two species more than we had in December which is normally the biggest month. We can attribute this to the quality and perseverance of our resident birders and our visiting birders.
Interesting observations last month:
- The Caracol Trail (accessed from the International School Road) is a current hotspot. Nicola Cendron and Jules Evens saw White-eared Hummingbirds and heard Mountain Pygmy Owl there.
- On the Las Trojes Oak Forest Trail to Chupinaya John Keeling and Duncan Poole saw Flame-colored Tanager and heard Elegant Trogon.
- Don Bell reported Black-chinned Hummingbird and Ruby-throated Hummingbird in his garden in west Ajijic. |
| Featured Bird: Least Tern |
Least Tern in breeding plumage. Note yellow bill and white forehead.
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The Least Tern is the smallest of the terns in North America. It's body is only nine inches long, but it has long wings with a 21 inch wingspan.
- Though it is found around the world, in the Americas its range is from the Great Lakes to Argentina.
- It is migratory, passing through our area in March and April to its breeding grounds further north.
- It likes sandy beaches beside lakes, rivers and oceans. The nest is a shallow "scrape" in the sand holding 2 to 4 eggs. Incubation takes 21 days; the young can walk around within 3 days and fly at three weeks, but are fed by the parents for two months.
- It flies low over the water with rapid wing-beats and a graceful flight. It will hover and dive into the water to catch small fish sometimes several feet below the surface. It will also eat marine worms, insects and small molluscs.
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Upcoming Trips and Bird Walks
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Unfortunately, we will not have any bird walks or bird trips this month, due to the official 'Stay-at-Home' orders.
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Bird Walk and Trip Reports
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On March 6, we went to the Cajititlan Marsh with seven attendees who enjoyed seeing 63 species which included Marsh Wren, Common Yellowthroat, White-throated Flycatcher, Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Blackbird, and 500 American White Pelicans.
On March 16, there were twenty birders out for the easy hike up the Allen Lloyd Trail. We observed Golden Vireo, Happy Wren, Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater, Blue Mockingbird, Squirrel Cuckoo, Bushtit, Sharp-shinned Hawk and Cooper's Hawk, out of a total of 57 species.
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Here are the 179 species sighted around Lake Chapala in March:
Ani, groove-billed
Avocet, American
Becard, rose-throated (Sa)
Bittern, least
Blackbird, yellow-headed
Bunting, indigo
Bunting, painted (Sa)
Bunting, varied
Bushtit
Caracara, crested
Chat, yellow-breasted
Coot, American
Cormorant, neotropic
Cowbird, bronzed
Cowbird, brown-headed
Cuckoo, squirrel
Dove, common ground (Dp)
Dove, Eurasian collared
Dove, Inca
Dove, mourning (Ch)
Dove, white-tipped
Dove, white-winged
Dowitcher, long-billed (Dp)
Duck, black-bellied whistling (Dp)
Duck, fulvous whistling (Dm)
Duck, Mexican
Duck, ring-necked (Sn)
Duck, ruddy
Dunlin (Dm)
Egret, cattle
Egret, great
Egret, snowy
Elaenia, greenish (Tr)
Finch, house
Flycatcher, ash-throated
Flycatcher, buff-breasted
Flycatcher, cordilleran
Flycatcher, Dusky (Sa)
Flycatcher, dusky-capped
Flycatcher, least (Sa)
Flycatcher, Nutting's (Sa)
Flycatcher, social
Flycatcher, vermilion
Flycatcher, white-throated (Ca)
Gadwall (Ca)
Gallinule, common
Gallinule, purple (Dm)
Gnatcatcher, blue-gray
Goldfinch, lesser
Grackle, great-tailed
Grebe, least
Grebe, pied-billed
Grosbeak, black-headed
Grosbeak, blue
Gull, Bonaparte's
Gull, laughing
Gull, ring-billed
Harrier, northern (Dm,Dp)
Hawk, Cooper's
Hawk, red-tailed
Hawk, sharp-shinned
Heron, black-crowned night
Heron, great blue
Heron, green
Heron, little blue (Dp)
Heron, tricolored
Hummingbird, berylline (Sa)
Humingbird, black-chinned (Ac)
Hummingbird, broad-billed
Hummingbird, ruby-throated (Ac)
Hummingbird, violet-crowned
Hummingbird, white-eared (Ch)
Ibis, white-faced
Jacana, northern
Kestrel, American
Killdeer
Kingbird, Cassin's
Kingbird, thick, billed
Kingbird, tropical
Kingbird, western
Kingfisher, belted
Kinglet, ruby-crowned (Ch)
Kiskadee, great
Kite, white-tailed (Ca)
Mockingbird, blue
Mockingbird, northern
Motmot, russet-crowned
Nightjar, buff-collared (Av)
Oriole, black-backed (Dp)
Oriole, black-vented
Oriole, Bullock's
Oriole, hooded
Oriole, orchard
Oriole, streak-backed
Osprey (Dp)
Owl, ferruginous pygmy owl (Sa)
Owl, mountain pygmy (Ch)
Parrot, monk
Pelican, American white
Pewee, greater
Phoebe, Say's (Dm)
Pintail, northern
Pipit, American (Dp)
Raven, common
Redstart, American (Dm)
Redstart, painted (Tr)
Roadrunner, greater (Ch)
Robin, American (Ch)
Robin, rufous-backed
Sandpiper, least
Sandpiper, spotted
Sandpiper, stilt
Sandpiper, western
Seedeater, cinnamon-rumped
Shoveler, northern
Shrike, loggerhead
Snipe, Wilson's
Solitaire, brown-backed (Tr,Ch)
Sora
Sparrow, chipping
Sparrow, clay colored
Sparrow, house
Sparrow, lark
Sparrow, Lincoln's
Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground
Sparrow, savannah
Sparrow, stripe-headed
Spoonbill, roseate (Dm)
Stilt, black-necked
Swallow, barn
Swallow, cliff (Dp)
Swallow, northern rough-winged
Tanager, flame-colored (Tr)
Tanager, hepatic
Tanager, western
Teal, blue-winged
Teal, cinnamon
Teal, green winged
Tern, Caspian
Tern, Forster's
Thrasher, curve-billed
Thrush, hermit (Tr)
Thrush, orange-billed nightingale
Towhee, canyon
Trogon, elegant (Tr)
Tyrannulet, northern beardless
Vireo, Cassin's
Vireo, golden (Sa)
Vireo, plumbeous
Vireo, warbling
Vulture, black
Vulture, turkey
Warbler, black and white
Warbler, black-throated gray
Warbler, Colima (At)
Warbler, hermit (Ch)
Warbler, Lucy's (sa)
Warbler, MacGillivray's (Sa)
Warbler, Nashville
Warbler, orange-crowned
Warbler, rufous-capped
Warbler, Townsends
Warbler, Virginia's
Warbler, Wilson's
Warbler, yellow
Warbler, yellow-rumped
Waterthrush, northern (Dp,Sa)
Wigeon, American
Woodpecker, golden-fronted
Woodpecker, ladder-backed
Wren, Bewick's
Wren, canyon
Wren, happy (Sa)
Wren, house (Ch)
Wren, marsh (Ca)
Wren, spotted
Yellowlegs, greater (Dp)
Yellowthroat, common (Ds,Ca)
Yellowthroat, gray-crowned (Tr)
Location codes:
Ac - Ajijic: La Cristina/El Bajio
At - Trails above Ajijic
Av - Ajijic village
Ca - Lake Cajititlan & marsh
Ch - Chapala
Cu - Cuitzeo/Ocotlan
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
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 - Las Trojes/oak forest
Tu - Tuxcueca/San Luis Soyatlan
Xt - Ixtlahuacan/Las Campanillas |
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Lake Chapala Birders is an informal group of bird observers led by John and Rosemary Keeling. Don't hesitate to contact us if you are seeking information about birding in the area. We also like to hear about sightings of birds or nests at: chapalabirders@yahoo.com or 376.766.1801. Check out the website: chapalabirders.org.
A laminated folder "Quick Guide to the Birds of Lake Chapala" illustrating 150 local species can be purchased for $150 pesos at Diane Pearl Collecciones, Colon #1, in the center of Ajijic. This is especially useful to newcomers - it is produced by "Defenders of Wildlife" which works to protect imperiled species throughout North America. NOTE: THIS FOLDER IS TEMPORARILY OUT OF PRINT.
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