Chapala Birders Newsletter, October 2, 2022 | | Sightings this Month
There were 144 species reported for the lake area in September. The complete list is shown at the end of this newsletter.
Interesting sightings last month:
Nicola Cendron and John Keeling spotted Barn Owl and Black-bellied Plover (see below) on the South Dike at the east end of the lake. Nicola saw a Rusty-crowned Sparrow on the Allen Lloyd Trail, while Kate and Carl Anderson saw the rarer, larger, Rusty Sparrow at the same location. The Anderson's reported an unusual Western Screech Owl in Riberas de Pilar.
All of the migrant warblers and other species are now arriving in our area. Some are passing through, while others will stay here for the winter.
Eastern Meadowlark now "Chihuahan Meadowlark"
Every summer, birders await publication of the annual "Check-list Supplement" by the Committee on Classification and Nomenclature of the American Ornithological Society (AOS). Here are the changes that affect us in Western Mexico:
This year, the Eastern Meadowlark has been split in two. In the southern US and Mexico, the Eastern Meadowlark now becomes the Chihuahuan Meadowlark.
The committee has also changed the scientific names of the Violet-crowned Hummingbird and the Mottled Owl.
Another new Bird for the Lake Chapala List
The sighting of a Black-bellied Plover last month on the Dike at the east end of the Lake, brings the Lake Chapala List up to 352 species.
The Black-bellied Plover is one the real long distance migrants. It breeds on the Arctic coasts of Canada and Russia. It winters on the coasts of Central and South America as well as on the coasts of the other continents. It has been logged flying 3,400 miles (5,500km) across the ocean in five days,
October Big Day - Next Saturday
Saturday October 8 is the date of the next Big Day. Those birders who would like to be part of a team effort for our area are invited to contact John at chapalabirders@yahoo.com. This could take a form similar to the Christmas bird count but with a much larger, more flexible area.
A "Big Day" runs from midnight to midnight. Individuals, teams and groups are invited to search for as many bird-species sightings as they can during the 24 hour period. Sightings must be recorded on eBird. | | Featured Bird: Violet-crowned Hummingbird | | The Violet-crowned Hummingbird is identified by the white front and underparts. It is common here at the Lakeshore. It tends to dominate other hummers around feeders. | | - The Violet-crowned Hummingbird is a Mexican endemic species that started being seen in the US in 1960 and since then has been slowly expanding its summer range northwards.
- It is seen in a wide variety of habitats from dry scrub to pine-oak forests and gardens. The female is like the male but with duller coloring.
- Nesting takes place mainly in the summer, but has been observed in most other months. The nest is built from three to twenty feet (1 to 6 meters) above ground on a horizontal branch, often on a fork of the branch.
- As with other hummingbird species the male guards the nest area while the female does all the work of building the nest, incubating the eggs and feeding the young.
- Food consists of tiny insects and nectar from flowers. The tongue is very long and curls to form a tube for sucking out the nectar.
| | Upcoming Bird-walks and Trips | | .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 $150 pesos for a half day outing, $300 pesos for a day trip).
On Wednesday October 12, we will meet at 8.15 am at Puerta Nueva 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 am we will head to Fonda Doña Lola Restaurant for breakfast and complete the bird list. How to Get There: Drive about one mile (3km) west from Colon, past the French Bakery and the Cemetery; then take the next left exit signed 'Villa Lucerna'; turn left after one block and immediately turn right at the sign Puerta Nueva; park on the side of the street close to this intersection.
On Tuesday October 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) 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, and Whistling Ducks. There will be a break for snacking at 11.00 am - bring your own snacks. Expect to be back in Ajijic at 12.30 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 (we do not always have enough vehicles).
On Thursday October 27, we will meet at 8.15 am at the Old Train Station in Chapala, leaving immediately to bird the Pumping Station area, 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 (we do not always have enough vehicles). The old train station is on the Lakeshore Road just east of Cristiania Park in Chapala | | On September 9, we traveled to the Rosa Amarilla Loop with twelve birders. We saw 45 species including Black Phoebe, Spotted Sandpiper, Great Horned Owl, White-tailed Hawk, Gray-silky Flycatcher and Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush.
On September 19, fourteen people gathered at El Bajio on the west side of Ajijic. We spotted Black-backed Oriole, Social Flycatcher, Blue Mockingbird, Groove-billed Ani, Ladder-backed Woodpecker and Violet-crowned Hummingbird out of a total of 32 species.
On September 27, we traveled to Villa Corona on Lake Atotonilco. Unfortunately, several people were unable to come with us because we did not have enough cars. We saw Brown Pelican, American White Pelican, Clark's Grebe, Tri-colored Heron, Yellow Warbler and Broad-billed Hummingbird. | | Here are the 144 species sighted around Lake Chapala in September: Ani, groove-billed Avocet, American Becard, rose-throated (Ca) Bittern, least Blackbird, red-winged Blackbird, yellow-headed Bushtit Caracara, crested Coot, American Cormorant, neotropic Cowbird, bronzed Cowbird, brown-headed Cuckoo, squirrel Dove, common ground Dove, Eurasian collared Dove, Inca Dove, white-tipped Dove, white-winged Dowitcher, long-billed Duck, black-bellied whistling Duck, fulvous whistling Duck, Mexican Egret, cattle Egret, great Egret, snowy Elaenia, greenish (At) Euphonia, elegant (Sa) Finch, house Flycatcher, cordilleran (Sa) Flycatcher, gray silky (Sa) Flycatcher, Hammond's (Sa) Flycatcher, least (Sa) Flycatcher, social Flycatcher, vermilion Gallinule, common Gnatcatcher, blue-gray Goldfinch, lesser Grackle, great-tailed Grassquit, blue-black Grebe, least Grebe, pied-billed Grosbeak, black-headed (Sa) Gull, laughing Gull, ring-billed Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, red-tailed (Ps) Hawk, white-tailed (Ra) Heron, black-crowned night Heron, great blue Heron, green Heron, little blue Heron, tri-colored Hummingbird, berylline (Sa) Hummingbird, broad-billed Hummingbird, Rivoli's (Sc) Hummingbird, ruby-throated (Ch) Hummingbird, rufous (Ca) Hummingbird, violet-crowned Ibis, white-faced Jacana, northern Kestrel, American (Ps) Killdeer Kingbird, Cassin's Kingbird, thick-billed Kingbird, tropical Kingfisher, belted (Rp,Dp) Kingfisher, green (Dp) Kiskadee, great Kite, white-tailed Mockingbird, blue Motmot, russet-crowned (Sa) Nightjar, buff-collared (Av,Ch) Oriole, black-backed Oriole, black-vented Oriole, hooded Oriole, orchard (Ps) Oriole, streak-backed Osprey (Ps,Ca) Owl, barn Owl, ferruginous pygmy (At,Rp) Owl, great horned (Sa,Ra) Owl, western screech (Rp) Parakeet, monk Pelican, American white Pewee, greater Pewee, western wood Phoebe, black (Ra) Pigeon, rock Plover, black-bellied (Dp) Raven, common Redstart, American Redstart, painted (Ps) Robin, rufous-backed Sandpiper, least Sandpiper, spotted Seedeater, cinnamon-rumped Shrike, loggerhead Solitaire, brown-backed (La) Sparrow, Botteri's Sparrow, chipping (Sa) Sparrow, house Sparrow, lark Sparrow, rufous-crowned (Sa) Sparrow, rusty (Rp) Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground Sparrow, stripe-headed Stilt, black-necked Stork, wood (Ps,Ra) Swallow, barn Swallow, northern rough-winged Tanager, western Teal, blue-winged Teal, cinnamon Tern, Forster's (Ch) Tern, Royal (Jo) Thrasher, curve-billed Thrush, orange-billed nightingale (Sa,At) Towhee, canyon Tyrannulet, northern beardless (At) Vireo, Bell's (Ps) Vireo, golden (Ca,Sa) Vireo, plumbeous (Oc) Vulture, black Vulture, turkey Warbler, black and white (Sa) Warbler, black-throated gray Warbler, hermit (La) Warbler, MacGillivray's (Sa) Warbler, orange-crowned (Jo) Warbler, rufous-capped Warbler, Townsend's (Sa,Dm) Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, yellow Woodpecker, golden-fronted Woodpecker, ladder-backed Wren, Bewick's Wren, canyon Wren, happy Wren, house (La) Wren, marsh Wren, Sinaloa Wren, spotted Yellowlegs, lesser Yellowthroat, common | | 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 land within 15km (or 7 miles) of the edge of the lake. | | | Lake Chapala Birders is an informal group of bird observers led by John and Rosemary Keeling.
Illustrated color folders showing our common birds are once again available for $200 pesos at Diane Pearl's Gallery, 11 am to 4 pm, Santa Margarita #23, at the east end of Riberas del Pilar. Also available from John Keeling.
There you will find our newsletters, illustrations of our birds and advice on buying binoculars, books and birding apps. | | | | | | |
