Chapala Birders Newsletter, March 2, 2024 | | | Sightings last Month
There were 214 species reported for the lake area in February. The complete list is shown at the end of this newsletter.
Unusual observations in February:
- Mexican Parrotlet was observed by Emily Beebee at the Racquet Club.
- Royal Terns were photographed by Bob Forgie at the malecon of San Juan Cosala.
- Bonaparte's Gull was seen by Jules Evens offshore from La Floresta.
- On our Bird Walk at El Bajio we saw Tufted Flycatcher which is very unusual. Also two Military Macaws flew high overhead. These are presumed escapes as they are seen in the wild only closer to the coast and in the canyon around Guadalajara.
- The Dark-eyed Junco has invaded Jalisco this year - seen first on the Tequila Volcano and later by Jules Evens at 10,000 feet on Cerro Viejo in our area. This is a new species for the lake, not usually reported south of Durango in the winter. It summers in the mountains of Wyoming and Montana.
| | Featured Bird: Brewer's Blackbird | | | An adult male Brewer's Blackbird. Despite adapting well to human environments, the population of this species has fallen in the last 50 years from 70 million to 10 million due to habitat loss resulting from human development.
Commonly seen foraging on the ground, they eat seeds; berries when available and feed insects to their chicks. | | - The Brewer's Blackbird is a winter migrant to our area seen from October to April. We are at the southern edge of its range, but it may be seen here in feed-lots with other blackbird species and cowbird species.
- It breeds in the western U.S. and Canada. Like other blackbirds it is a social bird, nesting in groups.
- Fifty percent of the nests of this species are subject to "brood parasitism" receiving a free egg from a female Brown-headed Cowbird which does not itself build a nest.
- We think it is under-reported here because the male is easily mistaken for Great-tailed Grackle (which has a longer tail and a longer bill) and the female is easily mistaken for female Brown-headed Cowbird (which has a shorter tail than Brewer's).
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Repeat, In Mexico, Do Not Trust Merlin ID, for the Present
It's very simple. Merlin is using Artificial Intelligence and is still in training on the birds of Mexico. We hope that in a year or two it will graduate from its training period.
In the meantime, for instance, anyone reporting Gray Catbird or Red Crossbill is known, with 99.9% probability, to be believing a bad suggestion by Merlin ID. | | 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 March 7, we will meet at 8.00 am at the trail head 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 you would 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 Friday March 15, 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 March 25, we will meet at 8.15 am at the entrance to Cristiania Park in Chapala. We should see an interesting selection of species in the park and on the shore of the lake. At about 10.00 we will go to 'La Palapa de Don Juan' for breakfast and complete the bird list. How to Get There: From Ajijic go to the traffic light at the main street of Chapala (Av. Madero), cross straight over and keep going straight for five blocks, turn left at the T intersection and park on the right, near the Park entrance. | | | On February 9, we went to Fisherman's Point and the Pumping Station with 25 birders. We recorded American Wigeon, Canvasback, Gadwall, Warbling Vireo, Western Flycatcher, Long-billed Curlew, Mourning Dove, Common Yellowthroat, and Forster's tern out of a total of 92 species which is an an unusually large list.
On February 15, nine birders travelled to the Sierra de Tapalpa, where if was overcast and slow until the sun came out at 11.00 am and birds appeared. We had 52 species, including Striped Sparrow, Chihuahuan Meadowlark, Acorn Woodpecker, Slate-throated Redstart, Mexican Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, Olive Warbler and White-striped Wood-creeper.
On February 21, we walked the El Bajio area on the west side of Ajijic with 15 keen birders. We identified 70 species including Gray-silky Flycatcher, Stripe-headed Sparrow, Black-backed Oriole, Crested Caracara, Groove-billed Ani, Greenish Elaenia, Blue Mockingbird and Lucy's Warbler. | | | Here are the 214 species observed around Lake Chapala in February:
Ani, groove-billed Avocet, American Becard, gray-collared (Ct) Becard, rose-throated (Sc) Blackbird, Brewer's (Sc) Blackbird, red-winged Blackbird, yellow-headed Bunting, indigo Bunting, lazuli Bunting, painted (Mz) Bunting, varied Bushtit Canvasback Caracara, crested Chat, yellow-breasted Coot, American Cormorant, neotropic Cowbird, bronzed Cowbird, brown-headed Cuckoo, squirrel Curlew, long-billed (Ps) Dove, common ground (Ps) Dove, Eurasian collared Dove, Inca Dove, mourning Dove, white-tipped Dove, white-winged Dowitcher, long-billed Duck, Mexican Duck, ring-necked (Rp) Duck, ruddy Egret, great Egret, snowy Egret, western cattle Elaenia, greenish Euphonia, elegant (Sc) Falcon, peregrine (Ps) Finch, house Flycatcher, buff-breasted Cv) Flycatcher, dusky Flycatcher, dusky-capped Flycatcher, gray Flycatcher, gray silky (Av) Flycatcher, Hammond's Flycatcher, Nutting's (Sa) Flycatcher, social Flycatcher, tufted (Cv) Flycatcher, vermilion Flycatcher, western Gadwall Gallinule, common Gnatcatcher, black-capped (Sa) Gnatcatcher, black-tailed (Ch) Gnatcatcher, blue-gray Goldfinch, lesser Grackle, great-tailed Grebe, least Grebe, pied-billed Grosbeak, black-headed Grosbeak, blue Gull, Bonaparte's (Ch) Gull, laughing Gull, ring-billed Harrier, northern Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, gray (Sa) Hawk, red-tailed Hawk, sharp-shinned Hawk, short-tailed (Jo) Hawk, white-tailed Hawk, zone-tailed (Jo) Heron, black-crowned night Heron, great blue Heron, green Heron, little blue Heron, tri-colored Hummingbird, berylline Hummingbird, black-chinned (Sa) Hummingbird, broad-billed Hummingbird, broad-tailed (Cv) Hummingbird, calliope (Sa) Hummingbird, Rivoli's Hummingbird, ruby-throated Hummingbird, rufous Hummingbird, violet-crowned Hummingbird, white-eared (Cv) Ibis, white-faced Jacana, northern Junco, dark-eyed (Cv) Kestrel, American Killdeer Kingbird, Cassin's Kingbird, thick-billed Kingbird, tropical Kingbird, western Kingfisher, belted (Sc) Kinglet, ruby-crowned Kiskadee, great Kite, white-tailed Mockingbird, blue Mockingbird, northern Motmot, russet-crowned (Sa) Nighthawk, lesser (Rp) Nightjar, buff-collared Oriole, black-backed Oriole, black-vented Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, hooded Oriole, orchard Oriole, streak-backed Osprey (Ps) Owl, ferruginous pygmy Owl, mountain pygmy Parakeet, monk Parrotlet, Mexican (Sc) Pelican, American white Pewee, greater Phoebe, Say's (Jo) Pigeon, rock Pintail, northern Pipit, American (Ch) Pipit, Sprague's (Ch) Rail, Aztec (Rp) Raven, common Redstart, American (Av) Redstart, painted Redstart, slate-throated (Ct) Robin, American (Cv) Robin, rufous-backed Sandpiper, least Sandpiper, solitary Sandpiper, spotted Sandpiper, western Sapsucker, yellow-bellied (Ch) Seedeater, cinnamon-rumped Shoveler, northern Shrike, loggerhead Snipe, Wilson's (Jo) Solitaire, brown-backed Sora Sparrow, chipping Sparrow, clay-colored Sparrow, house Sparrow, lark Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Rusty (Ct) Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground Sparrow, savannah Sparrow, stripe-headed Starling, European (Sc) Stilt, black-necked Swallow, barn Swallow, northern rough-winged Swallow, tree Swallow, violet-green Swift, white-throated (Cv) Tanager, hepatic Tanager, summer Tanager, western Teal, blue-winged Teal, cinnamon Teal, green-winged Tern, Caspian Tern, Forster's Tern, Royal Thrasher, curve-billed Thrush, hermit (Cv) Thrush, orange-billed nightingale (Rp) Towhee, canyon Towhee, green-tailed (Sa) Towhee, hybrid spotted x collared Trogon, elegant ((Tr) Tyrannulet, northern beardless (Rp) Vireo, Bell's Vireo, black-capped (Sa) Vireo, Cassin's Vireo, golden Vireo, Hutton's Vireo, plumbeous Vireo, slaty Vireo, warbling Vulture, black Vulture, turkey Warbler, black and white Warbler, black-throated gray Warbler, Colima Warbler, hermit Warbler, Lucy's (Mz) Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Nashville Warbler, olive Warbler, orange-crowned Warbler, red-faced (Cv) Warbler, rufous-capped Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Virginia's Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, yellow Warbler, yellow-rumped Wigeon, American (Ch) Willet (Ch) Woodpecker, acorn (Cv) Woodpecker, golden-fronted Woodpecker, ladder-backed Wren, Bewick's Wren, canyon Wren, happy (Rp) Wren, house Wren, marsh Wren, Sinaloa (Jo) Wren, spotted Yellowlegs, greater Yellowthroat, common Yellowthroat, gray-crowned | |  | | 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. | | |
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