Chapala Birders Newsletter, March 2, 2021 | | 191 Species Seen in February | | The complete list appears at the end of this newsletter. Highlights this month included:
- Lots of sightings of groups of Cedar Waxwings throughout the area.
- Once again a good number of higher altitude species were seen on the Caracol Trail including American Robin, Flame-colored Tanager, Summer Tanager, Red-faced Warbler, Hermit Warbler and Crescent-chested Warbler.
- Unfortunately, this year we have heard of a number of friends who have found dead or semi-conscious Buntings that have flown into their house windows.
Migration
Note that the annual northward migration starts for most species in the second half of March, allowing birds to arrive at their various destinations in the US, Canada and the Arctic throughout the month of May. | | Featured Bird: Red-naped Sapsucker | | Male Red-naped Sapsucker. | | - The Red-naped Sapsucker was reported in our area for the first time on the Caracol Trail in January of this year.
- The female is similar to the male but has a small white patch below the bill.
- This species summers in the western mountains of the US and Canada and migrates to northern Mexico and adjacent parts of the US for the winter.
- It eats sap from holes it makes in trees, as well as insects, berries and fruit.
- Mating pairs are monogamous, sharing the tasks of 'excavating' a cavity in a tree, incubating the eggs (12 days) and feeding the young until they fledge (27 days).
- It is presumed that millions of years ago, Sapsucker populations were separated by glaciers and new mountains, resulting in the evolution of Red-breasted, Red-naped and Yellow-bellied species. These now interbreed in areas where populations overlap, causing many hybrids to be seen.
| | We are proposing to continue with our reduced-size birdwalks for which you must reserve a place by email ( chapalabirders@yahoo.com) ahead of time. Masks will be worn and social distancing will be required. There will be no indoor activity, meaning no group breakfast at the end of the walk. Maximum attendance will be ten people, or in the case of a local car trip, a maximum of three cars with a maximum of three people per car.. Please reserve a space by email at least 48 hours ahead of each birdwalk or local bird trip.
On Monday March 8, we will meet to carpool (max 3 cars, max 3 persons per car) at 8.30 am at the Old Train Station in Chapala, leaving immediately to bird the "Chapala Lakeshore East" including the pumping station. Expect to see a good variety of shore birds in a variety of habitats. You must reserve - email John at chapalabirders@yahoo.com at least 2 days ahead of time. The train station is on the Lakeshore Road just east of Cristiania Park in Chapala.
On Wednesday March 17, we will bird the "Los Arrieros" trail in Ixtlahuacan which includes an overlook of some thick overgrown bushes and a small forest of tall trees. You must reserve - email John at chapalabirders@yahoo.com at least 2 days ahead of time. We will carpool, meeting at 8.30 am (max 3 cars, max 3 persons per car) at the gas station on the Chapala-Guad highway at the intersection of the Ajijic Libramiento.
On Thursday, March 25, we will meet at 8.30 am at the entrance to Cristiania Park in Chapala. We should see an interesting selection of species in the park trees and on the shore of the lake. We will bird for about two hours. Wear face masks and practice social distancing. Reserve by email. How to Get There: From Ajijic go to the traffic light at the main street of Chapala (Av. Madero), cross straight over and keep going straight for five blocks, turn left at the T intersection and park on the right. | | On February 8, we had a small group out at El Bajio on the west side of Ajijic. We observed Western Tanager, Crested Caracara, American Redstart, Black-backed Oriole, Orchard Oriole and Forster's Tern out of a total of 39 species.
On February 17, we had a group of eight keen birders at Cristiania Park in Chapala, managing to tally 60 species including Gadwall, American Widgeon, Yellow-headed blackbird, White-tailed Kite, Cedar Waxwing, Caspian Tern and Forster's Tern.
On February 25, we had 6 birders out at the Allen Lloyd trail in San Antonio, managing to see 43 species including target species Squirrel Cuckoo and Russet-crowned Motmot, as well as Greenish Elaena, Yellow-breasted Chat, Warbling Vireo, Lesser Nighthawk and blue Mockingbird. | | Here are the 191 species sighted around Lake Chapala in February:
Ani, groove-billed Avocet, American (Ca) Becard, gray-collared (Ct) Becard, rose-throated (Sa) Blackbird, yellow-headed Brushfinch, rufous-capped (Ct) Bunting, indigo Bunting, lazuli Bunting, painted (Ps) Bunting, varied Bushtit Caracara, crested Chat, yellow-breasted (Ps,Sa) Coot, American Cormorant, neotropic Cowbird, bronzed Cowbird, brown-headed (Ps) Cuckoo, squirrel Dove, common ground Dove, Eurasian collared Dove, Inca Dove, mourning (Ps) Dove, white-tipped Dove, white-winged Dowitcher, long-billed (Ca) Duck, fulvous whistling (Oc) Duck, Mexican Duck, ring-necked Duck, ruddy (Ca) Egret, cattle Egret, great Egret, snowy Elaenia, greenish (Sa,Ct) Euphonia, elegant (Ct) Finch, house Flycatcher, buff-breasted (Ct) Flycatcher, cordilleran Flycatcher, dusky (Sa) Flycatcher, dusky-capped Flycatcher, gray silky Flycatcher, Hammond's (Ct) Flycatcher, least (Sa) Flycatcher, Nutting's (Sa) Flycatcher, social Flycatcher, vermilion Gadwall Gallinule, common Gnatcatcher, blue-gray Goldfinch, lesser Grackle, great-tailed Grebe, Clark's Grebe, least Grebe, pied-billed Grosbeak, black-headed Grosbeak, blue Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, laughing Gull, ring-billed Harrier, northern (Ps,Ca,Oc) Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, gray (Ca) Hawk, red-tailed Hawk, sharp-shinned Hawk, zone-tailed Heron, black-crowned night Heron, great blue Heron, green Heron, little blue (Ac,Oc) Heron, tri-colored Hummingbird, berylline (Ac,Sa) Hummingbird, black-chinned (Sa) Hummingbird, broad-billed Hummingbird, rufous (Sa) Hummingbird, violet-crowned Hummingbird, white-eared (Ct) Ibis, white-faced Jacana, northern Kestrel, American Killdeer Kingbird, Cassin's Kingbird, thick-billed Kingbird, tropical Kingbird, western (Sa) Kinglet, ruby-crowned Kiskadee, great Kite, white-tailed (Ca) Mockingbird, blue Mockingbird, northern Motmot, russet-crowned Nighthawk, lesser (Sa,Ch) Nightjar, buff-collared (Av) Oriole, black-backed Oriole, black-vented Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, hooded Oriole, orchard (Ac,Oc) Oriole, streak-backed Osprey (Ps) Owl, ferruginous pygmy (Ac,Sa) Owl, great horned Owl, mountain pygmy Parakeet, monk Parrot, red-lored (Sa) Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground Pelican, American white Pewee, greater ( Phoebe, black Pigeon, rock Pintail, northern Pipit, American (Oc) Rail, Aztec Raven, common Redstart, American (At) Redstart, painted (Ct) Roadrunner, greater (ch) Robin, American (Ct) Robin, rufous-backed Sandpiper, least Sandpiper, spotted Sandpiper, stilt (Ca) Seedeater, cinnamon-rumped Shoveler, northern Shrike, loggerhead Snipe, Wilson's (Ps) Solitaire, brown-backed (At,Ct) Sora Sparrow, chipping Sparrow, clay-colored Sparrow, house Sparrow, lark Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, savannah (Ps,Oc) Sparrow, stripe-headed Stilt, black-necked Stork, wood (Ca) Swallow, barn Swallow, cliff Swallow, northern rough-winged Swallow, tree Swallow, violet-green Tanager, flame-colored (Ct) Tanager, hepatic (Ct) Tanager, summer (Ct) Tanager, western Teal, blue-winged Teal, cinnamon Teal, green-winged Tern, Caspian Tern, Forster's Thrasher, curve-billed Thrush, hermit (Ct) Thrush, orange-billed nightingale (Ct) Towhee, canyon Towhee, green-tailed Tyrannulet, northern beardless Vireo, black capped (Sa) Vireo, Cassin's Vireo, golden (Ct) Vireo, plumbeous (Sa) Vireo, warbling (Sa) Vulture, black Vulture, turkey Warbler, black and white Warbler, black-throated gray Warbler, crescent-chested (Ct) Warbler, hermit (Ct) Warbler, Lucy's (Sa) Warbler, MacGillivray's (Ct) Warbler, Nashville Warbler, orange-crowned Warbler, red-faced (Ct) Warbler, rufous-capped Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Virginia's Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, yellow Warbler, yellow-rumped Waterthrush, Louisiana (Ps) Waterthrush, northern Waxwing, cedar Woodpecker, golden-fronted Woodpecker, ladder-backed Wren, Bewick's Wren, canyon Wren, happy (Sa) Wren, house Wren, marsh (Ps) Yellowlegs, greater Yellowlegs, lesser Yellowthroat, common (Ps,Oc) Yellowthroat, gray-crowned | | Sighting Location codes: Ac - Ajijic: La Cristina / El Bajio At - Trails above Ajijic Av - Ajijic village Ca - Lake Cajititlan & marsh Ch - Chapala Ct - Caracol Trail / Int'l School 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 Oc - Ocotlan 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.
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