 | | Chapala Birders Newsletter September 2, 2020 |
95 Species sighted around the Lake in August
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The list of species seen is at the end of this newsletter.
Interesting items this month:
- The first returning warblers were seen August 31 on the Tepalo Waterfall Trail - a pod of four Wilson's Warblers moving through the trees in a southerly direction.
- August was good for sightings of Blue-black Grassquits. We saw them at the Pumping Station, Lake Cajititlan and the Rosa Amarilla Loop.
- We received a photo from a neighbor showing a Yellow-billed Cuckoo which flew into one of his windows, killed instantly. This species is rarely seen here, partly because it is very good at hiding, and partly because it would be slightly off-course during migration. They migrate from the eastern US to Venezuela via the east coast of Mexico.
Bird Folder
The fold-out illustrated guide to the Birds of Guadalajara and Lake Chapala is now back in stock at Diane Pearl Colecciones in the center of Ajijic.
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Featured Bird: Cinnamon Rumped Seedeater
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A male Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater
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The Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater is a new endemic species in Mexico, as of two years ago. In the summer of 2018 the American Ornithological Society (AOS) announced in their annual list of check-list changes, the splitting of White Collared Seedeater into Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater in Western Mexico, and Morelet's Seedeater in eastern Mexico and Central America. What we did not fully realize at the time was that our own Cinnamon Rumped Seedeater is a Mexican endemic species.
- It is very common at Lake Chapala, often seen in small groups among tall grass, weeds and on low trees throughout the year.
- Notice its heavy bill adapted for crunching seeds. It also eats insects and berries.
- The female is a plain brown milk-coffee color.
- It is found only in Western Mexico from Sinaloa to Oaxaca.
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The Importance of Birding by Ear
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Here at Lake Chapala our trees start growing new leaves around the start of the rainy season in June. By mid July the leaf coverage is so dense it becomes very difficult to see any birds. Enter "Birding by Ear".
Nowadays it is accepted by birding authorities that IDs by sound are just as good as IDs by sight. Many years ago there was a big debate about the relative merits of each method at a time when many of the established birding leaders did not bother to train themselves to listen.
When we started leading Lake Chapala Birders twelve years ago we were largely visual birders, knowing the call of only a few birds such as Killdeer and Great Kiskadee. Since then we have added a few bird calls and songs every year to our ID repertoire. Now we notice that the list of birds we can identify by ear is quite impressive. On the Allen Lloyd Trail we can identify 24 species while only seeing half of them.
I had no idea that I had the ability to identify birds by sound. I have not used recordings to learn the calls. Instead, I remember best the calls that I hear when I can see the bird actually singing. I also notice that if I cannot form the call into words or syllables then I cannot remember it.
The key is practice in the field, and being able to attach some mnemonic association to the call, such as 'Who cooks for you?" (White-winged Dove). Try it!
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| Upcoming Trips and Bird Walks
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| Unfortunately, we will not have any announced bird walks or bird trips this month. Things are opening up, and outdoor activities are safe with social distancing, but group activities are risky for infection.
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| Bird Walk and Trip Reports
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| There were no birdwalks last month. We ourselves are going birding as a couple or with one other person or couple only.
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| Here are the 95 species sighted around Lake Chapala in July:
Ani, groove-billed
Blackbird, red-winged (Ra)
Blackbird, yellow-headed (Ca)
Bobwhite, northern (Ca,Ra)
Bushtit
Caracara, crested (Ps)
Coot, American
Cormorant, neotropic
Cowbird, bronzed
Cowbird, brown-headed
Cuckoo, squirrel (Sa)
Dove, common ground
Dove, Eurasian collared
Dove, Inca
Dove, mourning
Dove, white-tipped
Duck, black-bellied whistling (Xt,Ca)
Duck, Mexican
Duck, ruddy (Ra)
Egret, cattle
Egret, great
Egret, snowy
Elaenia, greenish
Finch, house
Flycatcher, gray-silky (Av)
Flycatcher, social
Flycatcher, vermilion
Gallinule, common
Goldfinch, lesser
Grackle, great-tailed
Grassquit, blue-black (Ps,Ca,Tr)
Grebe, least (Ra)
Grebe, pied-billed (Ra)
Grosbeak, blue
Hawk-red-tailed (Ra)
Hawk, white-tailed (Ra)
Heron, black-crowned night
Heron, great-blue
Heron, green
Heron, tri-colored
Hummingbird, berylline
Hummingbird, broad-billed
Hummingbird, violet-crowned
Ibis, white-faced
Jacana, northern
Killdeer
Kingbird, Cassin's
Kingbird, thick-billed
Kingbird, tropical
Kiskadee, great
Kite, white-tailed
Meadowlark, eastern (Ra)
Mockingbird, blue
Motmot, russet-crowned
Nightjar, buff-collared (Av)
Oriole, black-backed
Oriole, black-vented
Oriole, streak-backed
Owl, great horned
Parakeet, monk
Pelican, American white
Pelican, brown
Pewee, greater
Pewee, western wood
Phoebe, black (Tr)
Pigeon, rock
Raven, common (Ra)
Robin, rufous-backed
Sandpiper, spotted
Seedeater, cinnamon-rumped
Shrike, loggerhead
Sparrow, Botteri's
Sparrow, house
Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground
Sparrow, stripe-headed
Stilt, black-necked (Ps)
Stork, wood (Ca,Ra)
Swallow, barn
Swallow, northern rough-winged
Thrasher, curve-billed
Thrush, orange-billed nightingale
Towhee, canyon
Tyrannulet, northern beardless
Vireo, golden (At,Sa)
Vulture, black
Vulture, turkey
Warbler, Wilson's
Woodpecker, golden-fronted
Woodpecker, ladder-backed
Wren, Bewick's
Wren, canyon
Wren, happy
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 & 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 BACK IN STOCK!
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