Chapala Birders Newsletter, December 2, 2020 | | 150 Species Seen in November | | The complete list appears at the end of this newsletter.
This has been a busy birding month as we have ventured afield to Tapalpa, Mazamitla and Colima Volcano, all of these being trips that in normal times we would have invited others to join us.
Interesting sightings: - Brown Pelicans are being seen on Lake Cajititlan.
- We went to the Dike at the east end of the lake with Nicola Cendron and Lizzy Martinez of Guadalajara, seeing Purple Gallinule and Long-billed Curlew.
- John and Nicola hiked to the Oak Forest from the International School, seeing White-eared Hummingbird and ten species of warblers including Red-faced Warbler.
| | Another New Species for the Lake | | Nicola Cendron was able to photograph a Brewer's Sparrow near the Pumping Station. This is a new species for Lake Chapala.
It is known as a nondescript sparrow of gray-brown color, which summers in the western U.S. and winters in western Mexico. In the summer it is the most common bird in sagebrush country. We are at the southern end of its winter range in Mexico. | | Christmas Bird Count Details | | Our Ajijic area Christmas Bird Count will be held on Tuesday Dec. 15. You should register by contacting John Keeling by email ( chapalabirders@yahoo.com) or phone (376.766.1801 or 331.091.2136) giving us your name, phone, email, city of residence and donation preference - see below. John will assign you to a team. A typical team might have a maximum of 4 or 5 people in two cars. Usual start time is 8.00 am and counting normally continues until mid-day. We intend to follow government protocols for Covid control with small teams, compulsory masks and social distancing. This year there will not be a group dinner at the end of the day.
There is no fee for the Count, but in the past, members have encouraged me to ask for a donation towards the out-of pocket costs of Chapala Birders. These are for website hosting and newsletter mailing, which together cost $7,000 pesos per year.
The "Cienega" Christmas Bird count at the dike at the east end of the lake will be on Thursday Dec. 17. This will be a full-day affair leaving at 8.00 am and returning at 6.00 pm. Please let John know if you are interested in joining us.
Other Christmas Bird Counts near us: - The Guadalara Count will be held December 20.
- The Primavera Forest Count will be on December 18.
| | History of the Christmas Bird Count | | The tradition of a Christmas bird count started when Frank Chapman, an officer of the Audubon Society in New York, thought there must be a better way to celebrate the holiday season than spending the day in the great outdoors trying to shoot as many ducks and geese as you could, in competition with your buddies trying to beat your numbers. They proposed to look for as many birds of every kind that they could find in one day and to record totals. On Christmas Day 1900, 27 birders took part in the first Christmas Bird Count.
The tradition has been spreading across the Americas. Now more than 2,600 counts are conducted, including 58 in Mexico. More than 80,000 people participate annually in the event. The count area currently reporting the most species is the Yanayacu count in Ecuador with 491 species. | | Featured Bird: Canyon Wren | | | | The Canyon Wren is an elusive bird that sometimes sits on a prominent rock or roof line, waving its head from side to side while it sings a signature song of loud descending notes. It likes dry, rocky areas and is quite common in Ajijic. - It is found in Mexico, the western U.S. and British Columbia.
- It is a resident in all locations, but sometimes relocates to lower altitudes in winter.
- It has a very long bill to get at spiders and other insects in narrow crevices.
- Pairs are monogamous, cooperating in nest building. The female incubates five eggs for 15 days. Both feed the nestlings for 15 days until they fledge. They may nest more than once in a summer.
| | 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 150 species sighted around Lake Chapala in November: Ani, groove-billed Bittern, least (Ds) Blackbird, Brewer's (Ch) Blackbird, yellow-headed Bunting, lazuli (Dp) Bunting, varied Bushtit Caracara, crested Chat, yellow-breasted (Xt) Coot, American Cowbird, brown-headed Cuckoo, squirrel (St,Sa) Curlew, long-billed (Dp) Dove, Inca Dove, mourning Dove, white-winged Dowitcher, long-billed Duck, fulvous whistling (Ca) Duck, Mexican Duck, ruddy Egret, cattle Egret, great Egret, snowy Elaenia, greenish (Sa) Euphonia, elegant Falcon, peregrine (Te) Finch, house Flycatcher, ash-throated (Sa) Flycatcher, cordilleran Flycatcher, dusky-capped Flycatcher, gray-silky Flycatcher, social Flycatcher, vermillion Gallinule, common Gallinule, purple (Cu) Gnatcatcher, blue-gray Goldfinch, lesser Goshawk, northern (Te) Grackle, great-tailed Grebe, pied-billed Grosbeak, black-headed (Sa,Dp) Grosbeak, blue Gull, ring-billed Harrier, northern (Cu,Dp) Hawk, Cooper's (Xt,Dp) Hawk, gray (Ca) Hawk, red-tailed Heron, black-crowned night Heron, great-blue Heron, green Heron, little blue (Dp) Heron tri-colored Hummingbird, beryline Hummingbird, black-chinned (Te) Hummingbird, blue-throated (Te) Hummingbird, broad-billed Hummingbird, bumblebee (Te) 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 Kingfisher, green (Tz,Dp) Kinglet, ruby-crowned Kiskadee, great Kite, white-tailed Mockingbird, blue Mockingbird, northern Oriole, black-backed (Dp) Oriole, black-vented Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, hooded Oriole, orchard (Dp) Oriole, streak-backed Osprey (Cu) Owl, great horned Parakeet, monk Pelican, American white Pelican, brown (Ca) Pewee, greater (Ch,Dp) Phoebe, black (Tz) Phoebe, eastern (Dp) Pigeon, rock Pintail, northern Raven, common Robin, rufous-backed Sandpiper, least Sandpiper, spotted Seedeater, cinnamon-rumped Shoveler, northern Shrike, loggerhead (Dp) Siskin, pine (Ch) Snipe, Wilson's (Ds) Solitaire, brown-backed (Sa) Sora Sparrow, Brewer's (Ch) Sparrow, clay-colored Sparrow, house Sparrow, lark Sparrow, Lincoln's (Cu,Ds) Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground Sparrow, stripe-headed Sparrow, white-crowned (Ch) Spoonbill, roseate Stilt, black-necked Swallow, barn Swallow, northern rough-winged Swallow, tree Tanager, hepatic Tanager, western Teal, blue-winged Teal, cinnamon Teal, green-winged Tern, Caspian Thrasher, curve-billed Thrush, hermit (Ch) Thrush, orange-billed nightingale Vireo, Cassin's Vireo, golden (Sa) Vireo, Hutton's (Sa) Vireo, plumbeous Vireo, warbling (Sa) Vulture, black Vulture, turkey Warbler, black and white Warbler, black-throated gray Warbler, hermit (Ch) Warbler, Nashville Warbler, orange-crowned Warbler, red-faced (Ch) Warbler, rufous-capped (Ch) Warbler, Townsend's (Ch) Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, yellow-rumped Woodcreeper, white-striped (Ch) Woodpecker, golden-fronted Woodpecker, ladder-backed Wren, Bewick's Wren, happy (Sa) Wren, house Wren, marsh Wren, spotted Yellowlegs, greater (Ca,Dp) Yellowthroat, common (Cu) | | 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 | | | | | | |
