Chapala Birders Newsletter, December 2, 2021 | | Sightings this Month
There were 125 species reported for the lake area in November. The complete list is shown at the end of this newsletter. Interesting sightings included the following;
- John Roynon saw Black-cappped Vireo and Rufous-crowned Vireo on the Allen Lloyd trail.
- Nicola Cendron reported Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Acorn Woodpecker on Cerro Viejo.
- Kate and Carl Anderson saw a Yellow-breasted Chat and heard Ferruginous Pygmy Owl in Riberas del Pilar.
- Jules Evens noted Gray Silky Flycatcher and Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush on the Allen Lloyd trail.
- John and Rosemary Keeling observed Eastern Phoebe and Clark's Grebe on the Dyke at the east end of the lake.
| | Christmas Bird Count
The "Ajijic CBC" will be conducted on Wednesday December 15. This is a special morning to count birds for science. Participants must register by email to chapalabirders@yahoo.com. We need your name, phone no., town, your preference for an area, whether you can bring a car or need a ride, and whether you plan to attend the potluck in the evening. If you have any questions please write to the same address. We divide participants into 5 or 6 teams who will drive to specific parts of our designated 15 mile diameter circle which runs from San Juan Cosala to San Nicolas de Ibarra and north to Lake Cajititlan. You will be assigned a team leader who will contact you close to the time of the count to confirm your meeting point. We generally count from 8.00 am to 1.00 pm. Government protocols for masks and social distancing will apply.
The Potluck celebration will be held at 6.00 pm on the same day (Dec. 15) at the Keeling's house in Ajijic. This is an opportunity to meet the other teams and compare sightings. We will provide wine and beer and Rosemary will make her traditional shepherd's pie. We are insisting that attendees must be double-vaccinated for everyone's safety.
The "Dike CBC" at the east end of the lake will be on Friday December 17. This is an all-day affair as it is 80km (50 mi.) from Ajijic. Please register by email for this count. We will have one or two teams for this circle which extends from Ocotlan to La Palma and east to Briseñas.
The first 'Christmas Bird Count' was held in December 1900 to replace the traditional outdoor winter event which was to go out with a gun and shoot as many ducks and geese as you could see, the winner being the shooter with the biggest bag. The CBC now extends to the Caribbean and Latin America. All count results are forwarded to the Audubon Society in New York for analysis. | | Featured Bird: Sharp-shinned Hawk | | An adult Sharp-shinned Hawk showing the characteristic bend in the wing and the squared-off tail. | | - Sharp-shinned Hawks are common but not often seen because they prefer to be in dense woods where they hide in trees before suddenly darting out to chase and catch small finch-sized birds.
- They breed in Canada and Alaska, and winter in the U.S., Mexico and Central America.
- Like other hawks, the female is 30% bigger than the male. The male is the size of a kestrel and the female is the size of a dove.
- The challenge is to differentiate it from the slightly larger Cooper's hawk which stretches its wings out straighter and whose tail is longer with a rounded tip.
- Sharp-shinned Hawks are preyed upon and eaten by larger hawks such as Northern Goshhawk and Cooper's Hawk.
| | Our bird-walks are open to all those interested in birds, both beginners and experienced birders. Just bring binoculars. We always have knowledgeable birders on hand to identify the species. Note that we will limit car trips to four vehicles because larger convoys are hard to manage when trying to stop on country roads to look at the birds. If you are being given a ride, we suggest you make a contribution to your driver for gas and tolls (perhaps $50-100 pesos for a half day outing, $150-200 pesos for a day trip). Government protocols for masks and social distancing will apply. We ask that when traveling by car, masks shall be worn. When in interior spaces such as restaurants we ask that all participants shall be fully vaccinated.
On Monday December 6, we will meet a 8.00 am at the "Sculpture" (at the only traffic light in La Floresta, south-east corner, near Restaurant Pranzo), to explore the local birds of La Floresta and the San Antonio malecon. We will visit the various spots by car, and at 10.15 we will head to the Real de Chapala for breakfast and complete the bird list. If you plan on going, please email John at chapalabirders@yahoo.com at least 2 days ahead indicating that you can bring a vehicle or you would like to be a passenger. (We do not always have enough cars.)
On Thursday December 9, we will meet a 8.00 am at the "Sculpture" (at the only traffic light in La Floresta, south-east corner, near Restaurant Pranzo), leaving immediately for Las Trojes (one hour away), to hike the Horizontal Oak Forest Trail. We hike to the edge of the hidden valley (3-hours hiking uphill, 2-hours back). Don't expect very many birds, but the hike is very pleasant and we may see the Red-faced Warbler. We will be back about 4.00 pm. Bring refreshments and sandwiches for lunch at noon at the top. If you plan on going, please email John at chapalabirders@yahoo.com at least 2 days ahead indicating that you can bring a vehicle or you would like to be a passenger. (We do not always have enough cars.)
On Tuesday December 28, we will meet at 8.00 am at the "Sculpture" (at the only traffic light in La Floresta, south-east corner, near Restaurant Pranzo), leaving immediately for the Rosa Amarilla Loop (60 minutes drive). Expect to see a variety of grassland birds and possibly a White-tailed Hawk. Bring refreshments for the morning and sandwiches for the 12.30 lunch stop. We will be back about 3.00 pm. You must reserve - email John at chapalabirders@yahoo.com at least 2 days ahead indicating that you can bring a vehicle or you would like to be a passenger. (We do not always have enough cars.) | | On November 9, we had nine people out at the Lake Cajititlan Marsh. We saw White-tailed Hawk, Rufous Hummingbird, Varied Bunting, Yellow Warbler and Black-bellied Whistling Duck with ducklings, out of a total 53 species.
On November 17, there were ten birders on our walk round Cristiania Park in Chapala. We spotted Rufous-backed Robin, Black-backed Oriole, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Jacana, House Wren and Marsh Wren. The species count was fifty.
On November 30, thirteen birders traveled to Lake Atotonilco at Villa Corona. Among a grand total of 70 species observed during the morning, we saw Little Blue Heron, Eastern Meadowlark, Clark's Grebe, Norther Harrier, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Osprey, Roseate Spoonbill and Ruddy Duck with ducklings. | | Here are the 125 species sighted around Lake Chapala in November:
Ani, groove-billed Avocet, American (Ca) Blackbird, red-winged (Ch) Blackbird, yellow-headed Bunting, indigo (Ch) Bunting, painted (Av,Rp) Bunting, varied (Ca) Caracara, crested (Cp, Rp) Chat, yellow-breasted (Rp) Coot, American Cormorant, neotropic Cowbird, bronzed Cowbird, brown-headed Cuckoo, squirrel(Sn,Av) Dove, Eurasian collared Dove, Inca Dove, white-winged Duck, black-bellied whistling (Ca,Oc) Duck, fulvous whistling (Ca,Oc) Duck, Mexican Duck, ruddy (Ca,Oc) Egret, cattle Egret, great Egret, snowy Finch, house Flycatcher, ash-throated (Sa) Flycatcher, cordilleran (Rp) Flycatcher, dusky (Ch) Flycatcher, dusky-capped Flycatcher, gray silky Flycatcher, social Flycatcher, vermilion Gallinule, common Gnatcatcher, blue-gray Goldfinch, lesser Grackle, great-tailed Grebe, Clark's (Dp) Grebe, least (Ca) Grosbeak, black-headed (At) Gull, laughing (Sa) Gull, ring-billed Harrier, northern (Oc) Hawk, gray (Rp) Hawk, red-tailed (Ca) Hawk, sharp-shinned (Sa) Hawk, white-tailed (Ca) Hawk, zone-tailed (Ca) Heron, black-crowned night Heron, great blue Heron, green Heron, tri-colored (Ca) Hummingbird, berylline Hummingbird, broad-billed Hummingbird, rufous (Ca,Sa) Hummingbird, violet-crowned Ibis, white-faced Jacana, northern Kestrel, American (Ca) Killdeer Kingbird, Cassin's Kingbird, thick-billed Kingbird, tropical Kingbird, western Kingfisher, belted (Dp) Kingfisher, green (Dp) Kinglet, ruby-crowned (Rp) Kiskadee, great Mockingbird, blue Mockingbird, northern Oriole, black-backed Oriole, black-vented Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, hooded Oriole, streak-backed Owl, ferruginous pygmy (Sa,Rp) Parakeet, monk Pelican, American white Pewee, greater Phoebe, eastern (Dp) Pigeon, rock Raven, common Robin, rufous-backed Sandpiper, spotted (Sa) Sapsucker, yellow-bellied (Cv) Seedeater, cinnamon-rumped Shrike, loggerhead Sparrow, house Sparrow, lark Stilt, black-necked (Rp,Dp) Swallow, barn Swallow, northern rough-winged Swallow, tree (Av,Dp) Tanager, hepatic Tanager, summer (Rp) Tanager, western (Ch) Teal, blue-winged (Ca,Dp) Teal, green-winged (Ca) Tern, Caspian Thrasher, curve-billed Thrush, orange-billed nightingale Towhee, canyon Tyrannulet, northern beardless Vireo, black capped (Sa) Vireo, golden (Rp) Vireo, plumbeous (Av,Sa) Vireo, warbling (Sa) Vulture, black Vulture, turkey Warbler, black-throated gray (At) Warbler, Lucy's Warbler, Nashville Warbler, orange-crowned (Cv) Warbler, Wilson's (Dp) Warbler, yellow (Ca) Warbler, yellow-throated Wigeon, American Woodpecker, acorn (Cv) Woodpecker, golden-fronted Woodpecker, ladder-backed Wren, Bewick's Wren, canyon Wren, happy (Sa) Wren, house (Ch) Wren, marsh (Ch) Yellowthroat, common (Ch,Dp) | | 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 Cv - Cerro Viejo 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 / Chupinaya 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: | | | | | | |
