Chapala Birders Newsletter, November 2, 2023 | | | Sightings this Month
There were 204 species reported for the lake area in October. This is a record high number of monthly species. The complete list is shown at the end of this newsletter.
We harvest this data from eBird reports. A few of these sightings are considered doubtful, for reasons ranging from a lack of knowledge of local species on the part of tourist visitors, to overly aggressive claims of sightings from experienced birders.
Unusual sightings in October:
- Carlo Cuevas observed a Common Tern at Jocotepec.
- Nicola Cendron recorded Yellow-eyed Junco at Mezcala Mountain.
- James Hatfield photographed a Yellow-throated Warbler on the Ajijic malecon.
- Kate and Carl Anderson photographed Grasshopper Sparrow in Riberas del Pilar.
- Chris Lloyd saw White Ibis at Chapala.
| | Featured Bird: Peregrine Falcon | | An adult Peregrine. Notice the heavy build of the wings. The name 'peregrine' means wandering. Expect it to move around outside of the nesting season. | | | The Peregrine Falcon is famous for the speed of its 'stoop' when it drops like a bomb at up 200 mph to knock out its chosen prey or grab it in its talons. - Typical prey consists of medium size birds like pigeons, ducks and song birds, as well as bats.
- Predators of Peregrines include Gyrfalcons, Eagles and Great Horned Owls.
- The nest is a shallow 'scrape' on a high cliff, where the female lays two to five eggs requiring 30 days incubation.
- Various subspecies of Peregrine cover the globe. Most are migratory but a few are not.
- Males and females look alike, but the male is only two thirds the size of the female.
| | | Understanding Hawk Migration
The fourteen hawk species being photographed at Mezcala Mountain belong to the following families:
- Falcons: Rapid fliers: (Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, American Kestrel)
- Accipiters Small forest hawks: (Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk.)
- Buteos: High-flying open country hawks: (Zone-tailed, Short-tailed, Broad-winged, Swainson's,)
- Harriers: Low-flying open country hawks: (Northern Harrier)
- Kites: Forest hawks of South America: (Hook-billed Kite, Double-toothed Kite).
- Vultures: Carrion eaters: (Turkey Vulture).
We have five resident hawk species at Lake Chapala: Red-tailed Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Gray Hawk, White-tailed Kite and Black Vulture. | | | Flight Strategy
All Hawks have powerful wings, but only the Falcons are able to flap their wings all day.
Most hawks are designed for only short bursts of power. Their flight strategy is to soar on rising columns of warm air heated by the sun on the ground, followed by a rapid glide to the bottom of another thermal. This way hawks can travel a hundred miles in a day with little flapping of their wings, thus saving a lot of energy. Sometimes hawks are able to follow mountain ridges riding the updrafts caused by the sun warming the sides of the ridge.
Most hawks are afraid of migrating over water because there will be no thermals. Many hawks have drowned in the Great Lakes when they attempted a crossing and the wind changed against them.
Lake Chapala, fifty miles long and seven miles wide, with a mountain ridge on the northern edge, makes for an excellent collector for Hawks on migration, as they are able to ride the updrafts of the ridge to the far eastern end, and avoid flying over the lake.
Here is what we have seen in the last two months: | | 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 Thursday November 9, we will meet at 8.00 am to hike a mile 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. 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 (1km) from the traffic light at Walmart, then turn left (carefully) as for the new hospital (Ribera Medical Center), double back and drive up the left side of the hospital, keep going uphill another half mile, and park on the only street to your left.
On Tuesday November 14, we will meet at 8.00 am at the "Sculpture" (at the only traffic light in La Floresta, (south-east corner), 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 3.30 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 don't always have enough cars).
On Monday November 20, we will meet at 8.00 am at the "Sculpture" (at the only traffic light in La Floresta, (south-east corner), leaving immediately for the El Tigre Loop (60 minutes drive). We will follow the route of the Rio de la Pasión and then ascend the mountain above Mazamitla. Bring refreshments for the morning and sandwiches for the 1.00 pm lunch stop. We will be back about 5.00 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 don't always have enough cars). | | | On October 6, we had a small group of birders out at El Bajio. We observed 35 species including Crested Caracara, Blue Mockingbird, Gray-silky Flycatcher, Stripe-headed Sparrow, Black-backed Oriole, Rufous-backed Robin and Ladder-backed Woodpecker.
On October 16, we went to Laguna Atotonilco at Villa Corona with eight birders. We managed to see a nice list of 68 species including Roseate Spoonbill, Black Tern, Western Sandpiper, Little Blue Heron, Osprey, Social Flycatcher, Wilson's Phalarope and Marsh Wren. | | | Here are the 204 species sighted around Lake Chapala in October:
Ani, groove-billed Avocet, American Becard, gray-collared (Ct) Becard, rose-throated Blackbird, yellow-headed Brushfinch, rufous-capped Bunting, blue (Mz) Bunting, lazuli Bunting, painted Bunting, varied Bushtit 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, mourning Dove, white-tipped Dove, white-winged Dowitcher, long-billed Duck, fulvous whistling Duck, Mexican Egret, great Egret, snowy Egret, western cattle Elaenia, greenish Falcon, peregrine (Mz) Finch, house Flycatcher, ash-throated Flycatcher, dusky Flycatcher, dusky-capped Flycatcher, gray silky Flycatcher, Hammond's Flycatcher, least Flycatcher, social Flycatcher, vermilion Flycatcher, western Gallinule, common Gnatcatcher, blue-gray Goldfinch, lesser Grackle, great-tailed Grassquit, blue-black (Rp) Grebe, pied-billed Grosbeak, black-headed Grosbeak, blue Gull, herring (Ch) Gull, laughing Gull, ring-billed Harrier, northern (Mz) Hawk, broad-winged (Mz) Hawk, common black (Mz) Hawk, Cooper's (Mz) Hawk, gray (Mz) Hawk, red-tailed Hawk, sharp-shinned (Mz) Hawk, short-tailed (Mz) Hawk, Swainson's (Mz) Hawk, white-tailed Hawk, zone-tailed Heron, black-crowned night Heron, great blue Heron, green Heron, little blue Heron, tri-colored Hummingbird, berylline Hummingbird, black-chinned (Ch) Hummingbird, broad-billed Hummingbird, broad-tailed (Ct) Hummingbird, calliope (Ct) Hummingbird, lucifer(Mz) Hummingbird, Rivoli's (Ct) Hummingbird, ruby-throated Hummingbird, rufous Hummingbird, violet-crowned Hummingbird, white-eared (Ct) Ibis, white Ibis, white-faced Jacana, northern Junco, yellow-eyed (Mz) Kestrel, American Killdeer Kingbird, Cassin's Kingbird, thick-billed Kingbird, tropical Kingbird, western Kingfisher, belted Kinglet, ruby-crowned Kiskadee, great Kite, hook-billed (Mz) Kite, white-tailed Merlin (Mz) Mockingbird, blue Mockingbird, northern Motmot, russet-crowned Nighthawk, lesser (Mz) Nightjar, buff-collared (Av) Oriole, black-backed Oriole, black-vented Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, hooded Oriole, orchard Oriole, streak-backed Osprey Owl, ferruginous pygmy Owl, great horned Parakeet, monk Pelican, American white Pewee, greater Pewee, western wood Pigeon, rock Pipit, American Plover, semipalmated (Ch) Plover, snowy (Ch) Raven, common Redstart, American Robin, American (Ct) Robin, rufous-backed Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, least Sandpiper, spotted Sandpiper, western (Ch) Seedeater, cinnamon-rumped Shoveler, northern Shrike, loggerhead Siskin, pine (R) Solitaire, brown-backed Sparrow, chipping Sparrow, clay-colored Sparrow, grasshopper (Rp) Sparrow, house Sparrow, lark Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground Sparrow, savannah Sparrow, stripe-headed Sparrow, vesper Starthroat, plain-capped (Ch) Stilt, black-necked Swallow, bank (Ch) Swallow, barn Swallow, cliff Swallow, northern rough-winged Swallow, tree Swallow, violet-green Swift, Vaux's (Ch) Swift, white-throated (Ct) Tanager, hepatic Tanager, summer Tanager, western Teal, blue-winged Teal, cinnamon Teal, green-winged Tern, common (Jo) Tern, Forster's Tern, Royal (Tu) Thrasher, curve-billed Thrush, hermit Thrush, orange-billed nightingale Towhee, canyon Towhee, green-tailed Towhee, spotted (Cv) Trogon, mountain (Cv) Tyrannulet, northern beardless Violetear, Mexican Vireo, golden Vireo, plumbeous Vireo, warbling Vulture, black Vulture, turkey Warbler, black and white Warbler, black-throated gray Warbler, Grace's Warbler, hermit Warbler, Lucy's Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Nashville Warbler, orange-crowned Warbler, red-faced Warbler, rufous-capped Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Virginia's Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, yellow Warbler, yellow-rumped Warbler, yellow-throated Willet (Ch) Woodpecker, acorn (Cv) Woodpecker, golden-fronted Woodpecker, ladder-backed Wren, Bewick's Wren, canyon Wren, happy Wren, house (Mz) Wren, marsh Wren, Sinaloa (Ch) Wren, spotted Yellowlegs, greater 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 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 Pz - San Pedro Itzican/Poncitlan 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 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. | | | | |
