Chapala Birders Newsletter, June 2, 2023 | | Sightings this Month
There were 112 species reported for the lake area in May. The complete list is shown at the end of this newsletter. Interesting sightings included:
- An Orange-fronted Parakeet was photographed by Markus Molenda in Vista del Lago. This bird lives along the Pacific slope and we are on the edge of its normal range.
- Carlo Cuevas saw a Semipalmated Plover at the Jocotepec malecon.
- Kate and Karl Anderson reported Clark's Grebe and Rose-throated Becard in the Ocotlan area.
| | Featured Bird: House Sparrow | | An adult male House Sparrow. The female has a duller, brown and grey plumage. This is one of our commoner birds, but as with other introduced species it is often seen as a pest and threat to native species. | | - The House Sparrow originated in the Middle East and with the expansion of agriculture by humans, expanded its range to include Asia and North Africa. In the last two centuries it has been deliberately introduced around the world. Its world-wide success is due to its adaptability to living close to human habitations.
- In the Mexican countryside, if we see a House Sparrow we know we are near a farm house or a barn.
- It has the heavy bill of a seed-eating bird, but will eat almost anything that is available. The chicks, however, are fed insects.
- The chicks are born with no down so they need to be kept warm for the first 4 days, at which time the eyes also open.
- The house sparrow is a social bird, typically roosting at night in large groups.
| | 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 try to limit most car trips to three vehicles and 14 people 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 Friday June 9, we will meet at 8.00 am at the "Sculpture" (at the only traffic light in La Floresta, south side near Restaurant Pranzo), leaving immediately for the Two Dams Road (20 minutes drive; below Ixtlahuacan). We may see Black-necked Stilt, and a variety of other water birds and orioles. We will bird until 10.15 am when we will go for breakfast to La Palapa de Don Juan in Chapala and complete the bird list. If you plan on going, please email John at chapalabirders@yahoo.com at least 2 days ahead indicating either that you can bring a vehicle and can take others, or you would like to be a passenger.
On Tuesday June 20, we will meet at 8.00 a.m. at La Cristina on the west side of Ajijic. We will see some shore birds and birds in the tall trees along the street. At about 10.00 am we will head for Fonda Doña Lola restaurant 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 a bus stop and signs for Las Palmas), turn down to the lake, and park close to the lake. | | On May 11, we had 21 people out to view the marsh in Riberas del Pilar. Because the lake level is dropping rapidly at this time of the year, there were less species visible at this location. We observed 35 species including Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater, Blue Mockingbird, Groove-billed Ani, Tricolored Heron, Great Kiskadee, Social Flycatcher and Black-backed Oriole.
On May 23, there were eleven birders on the trip to the Rosa Amarilla Loop. We had an excellent list of 52 species including Ruddy Duck, Lesser Roadrunner, Red-winged Blackbird, Stripe-headed Sparrow, Spotted-wren, Chihuahuan Meadowlark, Cliff-swallow and Rufous-backed Robin. | | Here are the 112 species sighted around Lake Chapala in May:
Ani, groove-billed Avocet, American Becard, rose-throated Blackbird, red-winged Bunting, varied Bushtit Canvasback Caracara, crested Chat, yellow-breasted 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 Duck, black-bellied whistling Duck, fulvous whistling Duck, Mexican Duck, ruddy Egret, cattle Egret, great Egret, snowy Elaenia, greenish Finch, house Flycatcher, ash-throated Flycatcher, brown-crested Flycatcher, cordilleran Flycatcher, dusky-capped Flycatcher, gray silky Flycatcher, Nutting's Flycatcher, social Flycatcher, vermilion Gallinule, common Gallinule, purple Goldfinch, lesser Grackle, great-tailed Grebe, Clark's Grebe, least Grebe, pied-billed Grosbeak, blue Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, red-tailed Heron, black-crowned night Heron, great blue Heron, little blue Heron, tri-colored Hummingbird, berylline Hummingbird, broad-billed Hummingbird, Rivoli's Hummingbird, violet-crowned Ibis, white-faced Jacana, northern Killdeer Kingbird, Cassin's Kingbird, thick-billed Kingbird, tropical Kiskadee, great Meadowlark, Chihuahuan Mockingbird, blue Mockingbird, northern Motmot, russet-crowned Nightjar, buff-collared Oriole, black-backed Oriole, black-vented Oriole, streak-backed Owl, ferruginous pygmy Owl, great horned Parakeet, monk Parakeet, orange-fronted Pelican, American white Pewee, greater Pewee, western wood Pigeon, rock Plover, semipalmated Roadrunner, lesser Robin, rufous-backed Sandpiper, spotted Seedeater, cinnamon-rumped Shrike, loggerhead Sora Sparrow, house Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground Sparrow, stripe-headed Stilt, black-necked Swallow, barn Swallow, cliff Swallow, northern rough-winged Tanager, western Teal, blue-winged Tern, Caspian Thrasher, curve-billed Thrush, orange-billed nightingale Towhee, canyon Tyrannulet, northern beardless Vireo, golden Vireo, plumbeous Vulture, black Vulture, turkey Warbler, rufous-capped Warbler, yellow Woodpecker, golden-fronted Woodpecker, ladder-backed Wren, Bewick's Wren, canyon Wren, happy Wren, Sinaloa Wren, spotted 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 Cu - Chapala Haciendas & UofG 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. | | | | | | |
