Chapala Birders Newsletter, November 2, 2020 | | 158 Species in October Including Two New Species for the Lake | | This is a fantastically good list. The complete list appears at the end of this newsletter. Special sightings last month included:
- John and Rosemary saw a pair of Green-tailed Towhees at the Cajititlan marsh. These are large sparrows with maroon cap and greenish body and tail, that are seen here only every few years.
- Sandra Young had various hummingbirds at her feeders including Black-chinned, Bumblebee and Ruby-crowned.
- Nicola Cendron saw a large number of Clark's Grebes on Lake Cajitlan, and also many warblers on the higher levels the mountain above Ajijic including Red-faced, Hermit and Townsend's not to mention White-eared Hummingbird and Mexican Violetear.
| | Costa's Hummingbird was sighted at the feeders of our Hummingbird Lady, Sandra Young, who lives in the country near Mezcala. This small hummingbird is one of those described in the books as 'unmistakable", the male having not just a purplish-colored gorget, but the color extends from the throat to the crown. It winters along the north-west coast of Mexico and we are on the very edge of its winter range.
Gray-Collared Becard was seen by Nicola Cendron on a trail that ascends to the oak forest on the top of the mountain range above Chapala and Ajijic, It is a small flycatcher with a dark cap and a flat-topped head seen in the higher levels of tall trees. It is an uncommon resident in various parts of Mexico, but is known to be an altitudinal migrant, moving to lower altitudes in winter. | | Two Christmas Bird Counts in December | | Our two local Christmas Bird Counts will be conducted this year on Tuesday Dec. 15 for the Ajijic area, and on Thursday Dec. 17 for the Dike at the east end of Lake. We will follow whatever government protocols for Covid virus control are in force at the time, such as smaller teams. Registration will take place on December 11 and 12. Further details will appear in the December 2 newsletter. | | Featured Bird: Vermilion Flycatcher | | Male Vermilion Flycatcher | | The Vermilion Flycatcher is an iconic year-round resident in our area. - It is found in Mexico, the southernmost parts of the U.S, and various subspecies are found in many parts of Central and South America.
- The females have whitish breasts with streaks and a pink or yellow wash on the belly.
- They prefer fairly open shrubby areas not far from water.
- The birds spend much of their time sitting on exposed branches waiting for flies and beetles which are caught in flight.
- Three eggs are laid in a shallow nest. The female incubates the eggs and the male feeds her. Ten percent of females copulate with more than one male and ten percent of females lay eggs in other nests.
- The chicks fly within 15 days and the parents build two nests in a summer.
- The nests are often a target of brood-parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds.
- The Vermilion Flycatcher is known to sing its particular trill at night in the breeding season.
| | Unfortunately, we have not been scheduling any Bird-walks or any Birding Trips for Chapala Birders, due to the ongoing Covid restrictions. | | Here are the 100 species sighted around Lake Chapala in September: Ani, groove-billed Becard, gray-collared (Ch) Bittern, American (Ca) Blackbird, yellow-headed (Ps,Ca) Bobwhite, northern (Ps) Bunting, lazuli (Ca0 Bunting, painted (Te) Bunting, varied Bushtit Caracara, crested Chat, yellow-breasted (Av) Coot, American Cormorant, neotropic Cowbird, bronzed Cowbird, brown-headed Cuckoo, squirrel Dickcissel (Ca) dove, common ground Dove, Eurasian collared Dove, Inca Dove, mourning Dove, white-tipped Dove, white-winged Dowitcher, long-billed Duck, black-bellied whistling Duck, fulvous whistling Duck, Mexican Duck, ruddy (Ra) Egret, cattle Egret, great Egret, snowy Elaenia, greenish Euphonia, elegant (Sa) Finch, house Flycatcher, ash-throated Flycatcher, cordilleran (At) Flycatcher, dusky-capped Flycatcher, social Flycatcher, vermilion Gadwall (Ca) Gallinule, common Gnatcatcher, blue-gray Goldfinch, lesser Grackle, great-tailed Grebe, Clark's (Ca) Grebe, least Grebe, pied-billed Grosbeak, black-headed Grosbeak, blue Gull, ring-billed Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, gray (Te) Hawk, red-tailed Hawk, sharp-shinned (Ca) Hawk, zone-tailed Heron, black-crowned night Heron, great blue Heron, green Heron, tri-colored Hummingbird, berylline Hummingbird, black-chinned (Te) Hummingbird, broad-billed Hummingbird, bumblebee (Te) Hummingbird, Costa's (Te) Hummingbird, ruby-throated (Te,ch,Ca) Hummingbird, rufous (Ra,sa0 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 (Ps,Sa) Kinglet, ruby-crowned (Ch) Kiskadee, great Kite, white-tailed (Ca) Mockingbird, blue Mockingbird, northern Motmot, russet-crowned Nighthawk, lesser Oriole, black-backed Oriole, black-vented Oriole, Bullock's (SaAv0 Oriole, hooded Oriole, orchard (Ps) Oriole, streak-backed Osprey (Ra) Owl, ferruginous pygmy (Sa) Owl, great horned Parakeet, monk Pelican, American white Pelican, brown (Ca0 Pewee, greater Pewee, western wood Pigeon, rock Pintail, northern Raven, common Redstart, painted (Sa) Redstart, slate-throated (Ch) Robin, rufous-backed Sandpiper, least Sandpiper, spotted Seedeater, cinnamon-rumped Shoveler, northern Shrike, loggerhead Solitaire, brown-backed (Ch0 Sparrow, chipping Sparrow, house Sparrow, lark Sparrow, rusty -crowned ground Sparrow, savannah Sparrow, song Sparrow, stripe-headed Stilt, black-necked Stork, wood Swallow, barn Swallow, cliff Swallow, northern rough-winged Tanager, western Teal, blue-winged Teal, cinnamon Teal, green-winged Tern, Caspian Tern, Forster's Thrasher, curve-billed Thrush, orange-billed nightingale Towhee, canyon Towhee, green-tailed (Ca) Tyrannulet, northern beardless Violetear, Mexican (Ch) Vireo, Cassin's (Ch) Vireo, plumbeous (Ch) Vireo, warbling Vulture, black Vulture, turkey Warbler, black and white Warbler, black-throated gray Warbler, hermit (Ch) Warbler, McGillivray's (Ch) Warbler, Nashville Warbler, red-faced (Ch) Warbler, rufous-capped Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, yellow Warbler, yellow-rumped Woodpecker, golden-fronted Woodpecker, ladder-backed Wren, Bewick's Wren, canyon Wren, happy (Sa) Wren, house Wren, Sinaloa (Ch) Wren, spotted | | Sighting 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 | | |
Lake Chapala Birders is an informal group of bird observers led by John and Rosemary Keeling.
Check our website: ChapalaBirders.org | | | | | | |
