Chapala Birders Newsletter, January 2, 2023 | | Sightings this Month
There were 203 species reported for the lake area in December. This is a record number of species seen in a month. The complete list is shown at the end of this newsletter. Interesting sightings included:
- Jules Evens was part of a group at the top of Cerro Viejo (10,000 ft) that observed a Peregrine Falcon dive-bombing a Red-tailed hawk overhead.
- Julio Alvarez led a team up the Caracol Trail one night to do some owling. They identified five owl species: Great Horned, Northern Pygmy, Mottled, Western Screech and Elf (a new species - see below),
- Unusual species seen during the Christmas Bird Count included: Mexican Violetear on the Caracol Trail and Swainson's Hawk attracted to a field-fire near the dike.
New Species -- Elf Owl -- Seen on the Caracol Trail
The Elf Owl, seen here for the first time last month, is a migratory species that breeds along the US-Mexico border in the period of March to August. In September it flies south, spending the winter in higher-level thorn forests on the Pacific Slop of Mexico. It is a tiny owl, the size of a sparrow, weighing only 40g (1.5 oz). It feeds on insects which it hunts from dusk to dawn.
Christmas Bird Count Results
The Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) results are in. For the Ajijic Count Circle (Dec. 14) we got 156 species which was the same as last year. For the Dike Count Circle (Dec.16) we got 95 species, slightly above average for the last 14 years. A review of the figures shows no trends for any group of species when the numbers for both counts are combined. We found, for instance, Sandpipers are trending downwards around Ajijic, but not for the Dike at the east end of the lake. For some reason, Hummingbird numbers were very good this year in the Ajijic Circle area.
'Rediscovery' of Chapala Sub-Species of Song Sparrow
During the CBC Jules Evens observed a Song Sparrow at the Dike. He has studied this species which is known for its sedentary character (unwillingness to relocate if the home habitat is destroyed). It is abundant in the US and Canada, and in Mexico is primarily found in the Trans-volcanic Belt.
In the Lerma basin there are several recognized subspecies including the Chapala subspecies which used to be common in the marshes that constituted 30 percent of the lake before the marshes were drained in 1905. The local population of Song Sparrows largely disappeared at that time. Specimens of the local subspecies can still be found in marshy areas around the lake. In our area they are relatively darker and redder than other Song Sparrows. | | Featured Bird: Zone-tailed Hawk | | The Zone-tailed Hawk looks very much like a Turkey Vulture. This disguise allows it to get closer to unsuspecting prey on the ground. | | - The Zone-tailed Hawk is a migratory hawk that spends the winters near the coasts of Mexico and Central America. It flies north in the summer to breed in Northern Mexico and the Southern US.
- It is easily confused with a Turkey Vulture except for the white bar on the tail.
- It soars and circles pretending to be a vulture and having identified prey on the ground, it will go to one side and will make an unexpected attack from the side.
- It is not fussy about habitat, being found in deserts, mountains and coastal areas.
- Its diet varies with location - lizards, frogs, insects, centipedes, frogs, snakes, small mammals and small birds.
- When you see a Turkey Vulture, you should ask yourself: Is it perhaps a Zone-tailed Hawk? Does it have a white band on the tail?
| | 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 Monday January 9, we will meet at 8.15 am at the Old Train Station in Chapala, leaving immediately to bird to 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 Tuesday January 17, 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 if you can bring a vehicle and can take others, or you would like to be a passenger. (We do not always have enough cars.)
On Friday January 27, will meet at 8.00am at the trail head to hike a mile or more up the Allen Lloyd Trail which has lots of underbrush in which birds love to hide. Expect to see Blue Mockingbird and hear the Happy Wren - if we are lucky. At about 10.00 we will head to Cafe Negro restaurant for breakfast and complete the bird list. How to get to the trail head: Drive up the Libramiento a half mile from the traffic light at Walmart, and park on the north side of the road next to the new hospital across from the Radisson Blu / El Dorado Condominium towers. | | On December 9 we had a small group of birders out on the El Bajio Road. It was a bit windy but we managed to see 37 species including Gray Silky Flycatcher, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Tufted flycatcher, Rose-throated Becard, Blue Mockingbird and Canyon Wren.
On December 27 we took three car loads of birders to Villa Corona, one of our more popular destinations. We saw an astounding 78 species including Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, Clark's Grebe, Aztec Rail, American Bittern, Chihuahaun Meadowlark and Bell's Vireo. | | Here are the 203 species sighted around Lake Chapala in December:
Ani, groove-billed Becard, rose-throated (Ac) Bittern, American (Rp) Bittern, least (Rp) Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, red-winged (Ch) Blackbird, yellow-headed Bunting, indigo Bunting, lazuli Bunting, painted Bunting, varied Bushtit Caracara, crested Chat, yellow-breasted (Rp) Coot, American Cormorant, neotropic Cowbird, bronzed Cowbird, brown-headed (Ch,Jo) Cuckoo, squirrel (At) Dove, common ground Dove, Eurasian collared Dove, Inca Dove, mourning Dove, white-tipped Dove, white-winged Dowitcher, long-billed Duck, black-bellied whistling (Dp) Duck, fulvous whistling Duck, Mexican Duck, ruddy Egret, cattle Egret, great Egret, snowy Elaenia, greenish (At) Falcon, peregrine (Sa,Cv) Finch, house Flycatcher, ash-throated Flycatcher, buff-breasted (Ct) Flycatcher, cordilleran Flycatcher, dusky Flycatcher, dusky-capped Flycatcher, gray silky Flycatcher, Hammond's (Ct) Flycatcher, least Flycatcher, Nutting's (Sa) Flycatcher, social Flycatcher, tufted (Ac) Flycatcher, vermilion Flycatcher, white-throated Gadwall Gallinule, common Gnatcatcher, blue-gray Goldfinch, lesser Grackle, great-tailed Grebe, Clark's (Ja) Grebe, least Grebe, pied-billed Grebe, western Grosbeak, black-headed Grosbeak, blue Gull, laughing Gull, ring-billed Harrier, northern (Dp) Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, red-tailed Hawk, sharp-shinned Hawk, Swainson's (Dp) Hawk, zone-tailed (Rp,Cv) Heron, black-crowned night Heron, great blue Heron, green Heron, little blue (Rp) Heron, tri-colored Hummingbird, berylline Hummingbird, broad-billed Hummingbird, broad-tailed (Ct) Hummingbird, ruby-throated (Sa) Hummingbird, rufous 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 Kinglet, ruby-crowned Kiskadee, great Kite, white-tailed (Dp) Mockingbird, blue Mockingbird, northern Nighthawk, lesser Nightjar, buff-collared (Av) Oriole, black-backed Oriole, black-vented Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, hooded Oriole, orchard Oriole, streak-backed Osprey (Rp) Owl, barn (Rp) Owl, elf (Ct) Owl, ferruginous pygmy Owl, great horned (Av) Owl, mottled (Ct) Owl, mountain pygmy (Ct) Owl, western screech (Ct) Parakeet, monk Parrot, red-lored (Jo) Parula, tropical (Aw) Pelican, American white Pelican, brown (Ca) Pewee, greater Phoebe, black Phoebe, eastern (Dp) Pigeon, rock Pintail, northern Rail, Aztec (Rp) Raven common (Ct,Cv) Redstart, American (Aw,Dp) Redstart, painted (Ct) Redstart, slate-throated (Cv) Robin, American Robin, rufous-backed Sanderling Sandpiper, least (Dp) Sandpiper, solitary (Sc) Sandpiper, spotted Sandpiper, stilt (Dp) Seedeater, cinnamon-rumped Shoveler, northern Shrike, loggerhead Solitaire, brown-backed Sora Sparrow, chipping (Sc) Sparrow, clay-colored (Dp) Sparrow, house Sparrow, lark Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, rusty (Ct) Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground Sparrow, savannah Sparrow, song Sparrow, stripe-headed Stilt, black-necked Stork, wood (Ja) Swallow, barn Swallow, northern rough-winged Swallow, tree Swallow, violet-green Tanager, hepatic (Sa) Tanager, summer (Ps,Jo) Tanager, western Teal, blue-winged Teal, cinnamon Teal, green-winged Tern, Caspian Tern, Forster's Thrasher, curve-billed Thrush, hermit (Ct,Cv) Thrush, orange-billed nightingale Towhee, canyon Tyrannulet, northern beardless Violetear, Mexican (Ct) Vireo, Cassin's Vireo, golden Vireo, Hutton's (Ct) Vireo, plumbeous (Sa) Vireo, warbling Vulture, black Vulture, turkey Warbler, black and white Warbler, black-throated gray Warbler, hermit (Ct,Cv) Warbler, Lucy's (Sa,Ac) Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Nashville Warbler, orange-crowned Warbler, red-faced (Ct,Cv) Warbler, rufous-capped (Cv) Warbler, Townsend's (Ct,Cv) Warbler, Virginia's Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, yellow Warbler, yellow-rumped Waterthrush, northern (Sa) Whip-poor-will, Mexican (Ct) Wigeon, American Woodpecker, acorn (Ct,Cv) Woodpecker, golden-fronted Woodpecker, ladder-backed Wren, Bewick's Wren, canyon Wren, happy (Sa) Wren, house Wren, marsh Wren, spotted Yellowlegs, greater (Dp) Yellowthroat, common Yellowthroat, gray-crowned (Ch) | | 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 Mz - Mezcala 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. | | | | | | |
