Chapala Birders Newsletter, March 2, 2022 | | Sightings this Month
There were 184 species reported for the lake area in February. The complete list is shown at the end of this newsletter. Uncommon sightings included the following:
- Guadalajara birder Fabrice Leroux discovered Mexican Parrotlets at the Ajijic malecon. This is a new species for this area. See the article below.
- Don Bell saw Yellow-green Vireo in west Ajijic.
- Duncan Poole photographed a Black-chinned Hummingbird in San Antonio Tlayacapan.
- Nicola Cendron and Fabrice identified both Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and the more unusual Red-naped Sapsucker on the Caracol Trail.
| | Featured Bird: Mexican Parrotlet | | A female Mexican Parrotlet.The males show blue on the wing edging and also blue under the wings when flying. | | - The Mexican Parrotlet is endemic to the coastal areas of west central Mexico from Colima to Sonora. It is small, only 3 in. (13cm) long). Because it is small and green it can be very difficult to see in taller trees.
- These birds are smaller and fly faster than the similar Monk Parakeets.
- Often seen eating fruit on Mexican fig trees, will also eat seeds and berries.
- They are social birds, flying in flocks from 10 to 100 individuals. The flocks tend to move frequently in search of fruit.
- Nesting is in cavities in trees or cactuses. Eggs are incubated for 19 days and the chicks fledge in three weeks.
- It is illegal to capture these birds, but thousands are caught and sold in markets each year. eBird hides the exact location of sightings of these birds.
| | New Guide to the Birds of Tapalpa
Tapalpa is well known as a Pueblo Magico located in higher altitude pine forests just two hours drive south west of Ajijic. It is a popular weekend destination for Guadalajarans.
Tapalpa resident, Martina Goegelman has coordinated the publishing of a beautiful book in Spanish: Guía de Aves de la Sierra de Tapalpa. Each of the most common 140 species are given a full page treatment with good color photos.
Martina is the co-founder of Amigos Alados (Winged Friends) which pairs classes of school students near Tapalpa with classes in California. The students study the same migratory birds that are seen here in the winter and in California in the summer.
If you would like to support this project and get a colorful bird book of the area, the book is available for $400 pesos from the lady's dress store, Volcan, next to the Scandinavian bakery in the mall. | | 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 Covid will apply.
On Wednesday March 9, we will meet at 8.15 am at the Old Train Station in Chapala, leaving immediately to bird the Pumping Station, east of Chapala. Expect to see a good variety of land and shore birds in a variety of habitats. We will bird until 10.15 am when we will go for breakfast to La Palapa de Don Juan in Chapala. You must reserve - email John at least 2 days ahead of time and please indicate if you can bring a vehicle and can take others, or if you would like to be a passenger. Remember, we do not always have enough vehicles.The old train station is on the Lakeshore Road just east of Cristiania Park in Chapala.
On Friday March 18, we will meet at 8.00 am at the "Sculpture" (at the only traffic light in La Floresta, south west corner, opposite Restaurant Pranzo), departing immediately for Villa Corona on Lake Atotonilco (60 minutes drive). We expect to see various shore birds such as White-faced Ibis and Roseate Spoonbill. Bring your own mid-morning refreshments. There will be a break for snacking at 11.00 am. We will be back in Ajijic by about 1.30 pm. You must reserve - email John at least 2 days ahead of time, saying if you can bring a vehicle and can take others, or whether you are looking for a ride. Remember, we do not always have enough vehicles.
On Tuesday March 29, we will meet at 8.00 am at the "Sculpture" (at the only traffic light in La Floresta, south west corner, opposite Restaurant Pranzo) and also at 8.15 am at the Pemex near the intersection of the Chapala-Guadalajara highway with the Libramiento, leaving immediately for the Lake Cajititlan Marsh (30 minutes drive). We expect to see a variety of marsh and lake birds such as Black-necked Stilt, Snowy Egret, and perhaps American Avocet.There will be a break for snacking at 11.00 am. Expect to be back in Ajijic by 1.00 pm. You must reserve - email John at chapalabirders@yahoo.com at least 2 days ahead saying if you are bringing a vehicle and can take others, or whether you are looking for a ride. Remember, we do not always have enough vehicles. | | On February 9, we went to Cristiania Park in Chapala with 14 birders. In our tour of the park we managed to identify 47 species including Bewick's Wren, Northern Jacana, Cinnamon-rumped Seadeater, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Monk Parakeet and Cordilleran Flycatcher.
On February 15, we had seven keen observers on the La Cristina Road at the west side of Ajijic. We saw fifty four species including Black-vented Oriole, the endemic Black-backed Oriole, Thick-billed Kingbird, Blue Mockingbird, the endemic Rufous-backed Robin, Golden-fronted Woodpecker and Neotropic Cormorant.
On February 25, we had eleven people with us on the trip to the Rosa Amarilla Loop. We saw Black-necked Stilt, Crested Caracara, Osprey, White-tailed Hawk, Eastern Meadowlark, Ruddy Duck,Roseate Spoonbill, Wood Stork and a pair of Ladder-backed Woodpeckers feeding young, out of total of 66 species. | | Here are the 184 species sighted around Lake Chapala in February:
Ani, groove-billed Avocet, American (Dp) Bittern, least (Oc) Blackbird, yellow-headed (Dp,Oc) Bunting, indigo Bunting, painted (Ac,Ct) Bunting, varied Bushtit Caracara, crested (Dp,Tu) Chat, yellow-breasted (Ra) Coot, American Cormorant, neotropic Cowbird, bronzed (Ch,Av) Cowbird, brown-headed (Ra) Cuckoo, squirrel (Ct) Dove, Eurasian collared Dove, Inca Dove, white-tipped Dove, white-winged Dowitcher, long-billed (Dm) Duck, black-bellied whistling (Dp) Duck, fulvous whistling (Dp) Duck, Mexican Duck, ring-necked (Dp, Ca) Duck, ruddy Egret, cattle Egret, great Egret, snowy Elaenia, greenish Finch, house Flycatcher, ash-throated (Ct) Flycatcher, buff-breasted (Ct) Flycatcher, cordilleran Flycatcher, dusky (Ct,Rp) Flycatcher, dusky-capped (Ct) Flycatcher, Hammond's (Ct) Flycatcher, least Flycatcher, Nutting's (Ct) Flycatcher, social Flycatcher, vermilion Gadwall Gallinule, common Gallinule, purple (Ch) Gnatcatcher, blue-gray Goldfinch, lesser Grackle, great-tailed Grebe, Clark's (Ca) Grebe, eared (Oc,Dp) Grebe, least Grebe, pied-billed Grosbeak, black-headed Grosbeak, blue Gull, laughing Gull, ring-billed Harrier, northern (Dp) Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, gray (Tu,Rp) Hawk, red-tailed Hawk, Swainson's (Dp) Hawk, white-tailed (Ra) Heron, black-crowned night Heron, great blue Heron, green Heron, little blue Heron, tri-colored Hummingbird, berylline (Ct) Hummingbird, black-chinned (Sa) Hummingbird, broad-billed Hummingbird, ruby-throated (Ac) Hummingbird, rufous (Ct) 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 Kingfisher, belted (Tu,ch) Kinglet, ruby-crowned (Ct) Kiskadee, great Kite, white-tailed Meadowlark, eastern (Ra) Merlin (Ca) Mockingbird, blue Mockingbird, northern Motmot, russet-crowned Nighthawk, lesser (Ch) Nightjar, buff-collared (Av) Oriole, black-backed (Dp) Oriole, black-vented Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, hooded Oriole, orchard (Dp) Oriole, streak-backed Osprey (Tu, Ra) Owl, barn (Dp) Owl, ferruginous pygmy (Av,Rp) Owl, mountain pygmy Parakeet, monk Parrotlet, Mexican Pelican, American white Pewee, greater (Ch,Av) Phoebe, black Pigeon, rock Pintail, northern Raven, common (Av) Redstart, American (Dp) Robin, rufous-backed Sandpiper, least (Tu) Sandpiper, spotted (Tu,Ra) Sandpiper, stilt (Dp) Sapsucker, red-naped (Ct) Sapsucker, yellow-bellied (Ct) Seedeater, cinnamon-rumped Shoveler, northern Shrike, loggerhead Solitaire, brown-backed Ct) Sora Sparrow, chipping Sparrow, clay-colored (Dp) Sparrow, house Sparrow, lark Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground Sparrow, savannah (Dp,Ra) Sparrow, stripe-headed Spoonbill, roseate (Dp,Ra) Stilt, black-necked Stork, wood (Ra) Swallow, barn Swallow, northern rough-winged Swallow, tree Swallow, violet-green Tanager, flame-colored (Ct) Tanager, hepatic Tanager, summer (Sa) Tanager, western Teal, blue-winged Teal, cinnamon Teal, green-winged Tern, Caspian Tern, Forster's (Dp) Thrasher, curve-billed Thrush, hermit (Cp) Thrush, orange-billed nightingale (Ct) Towhee, canyon Tyrannulet, northern beardless Violetear, Mexican Vireo, Cassin's (Ct) Vireo, Hutton's (Ct) Vireo, plumbeous (Tu) Vireo, warbling (Sa,Ct) Vireo, yellow-green (Ac) Vulture, black Vulture, turkey Warbler, black and white Warbler, black-throated gray Warbler, hermit (Ct) Warbler, Lucy's (Sa,Ct) Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Nashville Warbler, orange-crowned Warbler, rufous-capped Warbler, Townsend's (Ct) Warbler, Virginia's (Sa) Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, yellow (Dp) Warbler, yellow-rumped Wigeon, American Woodcreeper, white striped (Ct) Woodpecker, acorn Woodpecker, golden-fronted Woodpecker, ladder-backed Wren, Bewick's Wren, canyon Wren, happy (Ct,Av) Wren, marsh (Dp,Ca) Wren, spotted Yellowlegs, greater (Dp) Yellowlegs, lesser (Ra) Yellowthroat, common (Oc,Ca) | | 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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