Chapala Birders Newsletter, February 2, 2022 | | Sightings this Month
There were 186 species reported for the lake area in January. The complete list is shown at the end of this newsletter. Uncommon sightings included the following:
- John Roynon reported Red-faced Warbler and Brown-backed Solitaire on the El Caracol trail.
- Jules Evens saw Mexican Violetear and Hermit Thrush on the same trail.
- Don Bell saw Crescent-chested Warbler and Russet-crowned Motmot in west Ajijic.
- Laura Dangerfield observed a Black-capped Vireo in lower Chula Vista.
- Carl and Kate Anderson saw Long-billed Curlew at the Dike.
- Barn Owl and Buff-collared Nightjar were once again reported in central Ajijic.
The best area for unusual birds this month was clearly the "El Caracol" trail which runs from the goat farm on the International School Road up to the "El Ocote" oak forest. | | Featured Bird: Bewick's Wren | | A Brewick's Wren. Note the long white supercilium above the eye, that stretches back the length of the head. | | - The Bewick's Wren is a common bird in gardens here on the lakeshore. Various sub-species are found from southern Mexico to the American north west.
- A small gray-brown bird, its key feature is the long white supercilium above the eye.
- It is generally very active, foraging for insects on bushes and on the ground.
- Nesting starts in March. The male builds one or more trial nests in cavities or crevices before being joined by the female. Five or more eggs are laid and incubated for two weeks by the female. Both parents feed the nestlings for a further two weeks before they fledge. There are usually two broods per year.
- Songs vary regionally. The males reproduce the local variations they hear when they are 30 to 60 days old.
| | How Fast Do Birds Fly?
Just as each of us has a normal walking speed, and a "rapid spurt" speed for emergencies, the same applies to birds.
It must be recognized that it is very difficult to "accurately" measure the flight speed of birds. Difficulties include being in the right time and place, and adjusting for wind speed (how do you measure the windspeed?). Published figures are not always 'verified'.
We know that common birds like house sparrows normally fly at about 20 mph (30 kph) while pigeons and mallards normally do about 37 mph (60 kph). The species that fly fastest on a regular basis are swifts that are continuously on the wing catching flying insects. They can fly horizontally at 70 mph (112 kph).
Birds fly fastest when they are trying to escape a bird of prey, or if they are the pursuer. The strongest fliers are the eagles and falcons. The largest eagle in North America is the Golden Eagle which probably reaches 130 mph (210 kph) in a dive. The Peregrine Falcon is a very special case. It can dive from several thousand feet to knock out another flying bird at low altitude and then catch it while it is falling after the impact. A maximum diving speed of 242 mph (390 kph) has been claimed. | | 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. When traveling by car, masks will be worn. When in interior spaces such as restaurants we ask that all participants shall be fully vaccinated.
On Wednesday February 9, we will meet at 8.15 am at the entrance to Cristiania Park in Chapala. We should see an interesting selection of species in the park and on the shore of the lake. At about 10.00 we will go to 'La Palapa de Don Juan' for breakfast and complete the bird list. 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, near the Park entrance.
On Tuesday February 15, we will meet at 8.00 a.m. at La Cristina on the west side of Ajijic. We will see some shore birds and some birds in the tall trees along the street. At about 10.00 we will head for Fonda Doña Lola for breakfast and complete the bird list. How to Get There: Drive about 2 mi (4km) west from Colon, look for signs for Hacienda La Cristina (near signs for Las Palmas, a bus stop and a vivero), turn down to the lake, and park close to the lake.
On Friday February 25, 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 January 7, we had eleven birders out to visit Lake Cajititlan. We were rewarded with 69 species including American Bittern, White-tailed Hawk, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Common Yellowthroat, Sora, Pied-billed Grebe and Gadwall.
On January 12, there were ten people on the bird trip to the Pumping Station. We saw 63 species including American Redstart, Little Blue Heron (Juvenile white color), Loggerhead Shrike, White-tailed Kite, Blue Mockingbird and Osprey.
On January 19, we went to Villa Corona with eleven people. We saw Snow Goose, Clark's Grebe, Northern Harrier, Tree Swallow, Roseate Spoonbill and Yellow Warbler for a total of 52 species.
On January 25, we had a pleasant visit to the Sierra de Tapalpa with eight people, including a restaurant stop in town for the first time in two years. We observed White-breasted Nutchatch, Eastern Bluebird, Olive Warbler, Northern Flicker, and Gray-silky Flycatcher out of 50 species in total. | | Here are the 186 species sighted around Lake Chapala in January:
Ani, groove-billed Avocet, American Becard, rose-throated (Rp) Bittern, American (Ca) Blackbird, red-winged (Av) Blackbird, yellow-headed Brushfinch, rufous-capped (Ct) Bunting, indigo Bunting, lazuli (Tr) Bunting, painted (Tr) Bunting, varied Bushtit Caracara, crested Chat, yellow-breasted (Tr,Dp) Coot, American Cormorant, neotropic Cowbird, bronzed Cowbird, brown-headed Creeper, brown Cuckoo, squirrel (Tr,Ct) Curlew, Long-billed (Dp) Dove, common ground Dove, Eurasian collared Dove, Inca Dove, mourning (Ct) Dove, white-tipped Dove, white-winged Dowitcher, long-billed Duck, black-bellied whistling (Dp) Duck, fulvous whistling (Rp) Duck, Mexican Duck, ring-necked Duck, ruddy Egret, cattle Egret, great Egret, snowy Elaenia, greenish (Ct) Euphonia, elegant (Tr) Finch, house Flycatcher, ash-throated Flycatcher, buff-breasted (Tr) Flycatcher, dusky (Tr) Flycatcher, dusky-capped Flycatcher, gray silky Flycatcher, least (At) Flycatcher, Nutting's (Ct,Sa) Flycatcher, social Flycatcher, vermilion Flycatcher, willow (Rp) Gadwall Gallinule, common Gnatcatcher, blue-gray Goldfinch, lesser Grackle, great-tailed Grebe, least (Ca) Grebe, pied-billed (Ca) Grosbeak, black-headed Grosbeak, blue Gull, laughing Gull, ring-billed Hawk, Cooper's (Rp) Hawk, gray (Jo) Hawk, red-tailed Hawk, sharp-shinned Hawk, white-tailed Heron, black-crowned night Heron, great blue Heron, green Heron, little blue Heron, tri-colored Hummingbird, berylline (Ct) Hummingbird, black-chinned (Ct) Hummingbird, broad-billed Hummingbird, rufous (Tr) 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) Kingfisher, belted (Rp) Kinglet, ruby-crowned Kiskadee, great Kite, white-tailed (Jo) Mockingbird, blue Mockingbird, northern Motmot, russet-crowned Nighthawk, lesser (Ch,Rp) Nightjar, buff-collared (Av) Oriole, black-backed Oriole, black-vented Oriole, Bullock's (Rp) Oriole, hooded Oriole, orchard (At) Oriole, streak-backed Osprey (Rp,Ps) Owl, barn (Av) Owl, ferruginous pygmy (Rp) Owl, great horned (Av) Parakeet, monk Parrot, red-lored (Jo,Av) Pelican, American white Pewee, greater (Av) Phoebe, black (Rp) Pigeon, rock Pintail, northern Raven, common Redstart, American Redstart, painted (Tr) Roadrunner, greater (Tr) Roadrunner, lesser (Jo) Robin, rufous-backed Sandpiper, least Sandpiper, spotted (Sa) Seedeater, cinnamon-rumped Shoveler, northern Shrike, loggerhead Siskin, pine (Tr) Solitaire, brown-backed (Ct) Sora Sparrow, chipping Sparrow, clay-colored Sparrow, house Sparrow, lark Sparrow, Lincoln's (Sa) Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground (Ct,Sa) Sparrow, song (Ac) Sparrow, stripe-headed Stilt, black-necked Swallow, barn Swallow, northern rough-winged Swallow, tree Swallow, violet-green Tanager, summer Teal, blue-winged Teal, cinnamon Teal, green-winged Tern, Caspian Tern, Forster's Thrasher, curve-billed Thrush, hermit (Ct) Thrush, orange-billed nightingale (Sa) Towhee, canyon Tyrannulet, northern beardless (Sa) Violetear, Mexican (Ct) Vireo, Bell's (Ac) Vireo, black capped (Sa) Vireo, Cassin's (Ct) Vireo, golden (Tr,Ct) Vireo, Hutton's (Ct) Vireo, plumbeous (Ct,Rp) Vireo, warbling (Sa) Vulture, black Vulture, turkey Warbler, black and white Warbler, black-throated gray Warbler, crescent-chested (Ac) Warbler, hermit (Tr) Warbler, Lucy's (Sa) Warbler, MacGillivray's (Ct,Sa) Warbler, Nashville Warbler, olive (Tr) Warbler, orange-crowned Warbler, red-faced (Ct) Warbler, rufous-capped Warbler, Townsend's (Ct) Warbler, Virginia's (Ct,Sa) Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, yellow (Sa) Warbler, yellow-rumped Waterthrush, northern (Dp) Woodpecker, acorn Woodpecker, golden-fronted Woodpecker, ladder-backed Wren, Bewick's Wren, canyon Wren, happy (Sa,Rp) Wren, house (Rp,Ct) Wren, marsh Wren, spotted Yellowlegs, greater Yellowthroat, common (Rp) | | 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 - Potrerillos / Las Trojes / Chupinaya Tu - Tuxcueca / San Luis Soyatlan Xt - Ixtlahuacan / Las Campanillas
What is the "Lake Chapala Area"? We define it as the whole area of the lake plus all territory within 15km (or 7 miles) of the shores of the lake. | | | Lake Chapala Birders is an informal group of bird observers led by John and Rosemary Keeling.
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