Chapala Birders Newsletter, April 2, 2024 | | | Sightings last Month
There were 202 species reported for the lake area in March. The complete list is shown at the end of this newsletter.
Less common observations in March: - Jules Evens saw Solitary Sandpiper at the San Antonio malecon.
- Duncan Poole saw Purple Gallinule in the same location.
- Participants in the Rosa Amarilla Loop trip observed Short-tailed Hawk and Lesser Scaup.
- Nicola Cendron continues to see the higher atlitude species on the Caracol Trail such as Mexican Whip-poor-will and Rufous-capped Brush Finch.
| | Featured Bird: Colima Warbler | | An adult Colima Warbler. Both male and female adults have the small reddish crest. It is not as fast moving as most warblers. | | - The Colima Warbler is a Mexican warbler found in high altitude oak forests between 6,000 and 8,000 feet; (1,500 to 3,000m)
- It spends the four summer months, April to July, breeding in the Eastern Sierra Madre mountains of northern Mexico. For the rest of the year it resides in our area in central west Mexico.
- It nests on the ground,with the female laying 3 to 4 eggs. These are incubated for only 9 days, and the chicks fledge in just 11 days.
- With its yellow rump and yellow undertail coverts, it is similar to Virginia's Warbler which is grey but lacks the brownish tones, particularly on the sides, only seen on the Colima Warbler.
| | April Migrants and Transients | | | Already some of our migratory birds have left for the journey north. Practically all will have left by the end of April. The key for all of them is to arrive at the ideal breeding territory at just the right time to find a mate and build a nest after the ice and snow has melted.
Other species we might see in this period are the 'Transients' which winter south of us and breed north of us and which spend only a little time traveling through our area. Such transients include: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Bumblebee Hummingbird, American Golden Plover, Snowy Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Bairds' Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, Black Tern, Swainson's Hawk, Say's Phoebe, Swainson's Thrush, Dickcissel and Ovenbird. | | | Last October the American Ornithological Society approved the formation of a committee to recommend new English names for all bird species in North and South America that are named after people, and for the Inca Dove. The new names will be descriptive, like 'Thick-billed Longspur' instead of McCown's Longspur. This will involve about 80 species to be changed in four groups. No time schedule is mentioned.
The first group will be about eight species which will be used to develop appropriate procedures for the renaming process. The committee will develop alternative names and public input will be solicited twice. Recommendations of course must be approved at an annual October meeting of the Society. We think this may take two or three years.
The second group of names will be the biggest. It will include the species breeding in the U.S. and Canada. The new process for name selection will be employed and the new names must be approved at another October annual meeting. This will take at least another two years. The people most likely to be inconvenienced by this project will be publishers of bird books. | | 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 April 12, we will meet at 8.00 am at the Sculpture (at the only traffic light in La Floresta, south-east corner, opposite Restaurant Pranzo) leaving immediately for the Mezcala Mountain (40 minutes drive). We will park and then walk the one-mile (1.5 km) trail at the top. After a snack break at 11.00 we will return to Ajijic for 12.30. Other pick-up points can be arranged between Ajijic and Mezcala. If you plan on going, you must email John at chapalabirders@yahoo.com at least 2 days ahead indicating if you can bring a vehicle and can take passengers, or you would like to be a passenger. High-clearance, all wheel drive vehicles are recommended for the ascent.
On Thursday April 18, we will meet at 8.00 am at El Bajio on the west side of Ajijic. We will walk down the lane to the lake, expecting to see a good variety of birds in the tall trees and fields. At about 10.00 am we will head to Pancho's West for breakfast and review the bird list. How to Get There: From Ajijic go about 2 mi. (3 km) west from the light at Colon, turn downhill for El Bajio (across from the west end of the large unfinished retirement community being redeveloped by Latitude/Margaritaville) and park immediately on the lateral road parallel to the carretera.
On Monday April 29, we will meet at 8.00 am at the "Sculpture" (at the only traffic light in La Floresta, south-east corner, opposite Restaurant Pranzo), departing immediately for Villa Corona on Lake Atotonilco (60 minutes drive). We expect to see various shore birds such as White-faced Ibis and Roseate Spoonbill. Bring your own mid-morning refreshments. There will be a break for snacking at 11.00 am. We will be back in Ajijic by about 1.30 pm. You must reserve - email John at least 2 days ahead of time, saying if you can bring a vehicle and can take passengers, or you would like to be a passenger. (We do not always have enough cars.) | | | On March 7, we had 15 keen birders out on the Allen Lloyd Trail in San Antonio Tlayacapan where we managed to see 53 species including Rusty-crowned Ground Sparrow, Western Kingbird, Black-capped vireo, Golden Vireo, Gray Silky Flycatcher and Greenish Elaenia.
On March 15, we traveled to the Rosa Amarilla Loop on the plateau on the south side of the lake. With a strong contingent of eleven good birders we identified an impressive list of 73 species including Stripe-headed Sparrow, Brewer's Blackbird, Gadwall, Lesser Scaup, Wood Stork and Short-tailed Hawk.
On March 25, we assembled at Cristiania Park in Chapala where we found Black-headed Oriole, Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater, American Wigeon, Forster's Tern, Monk Parakeet and Common Yellowthroat. Due to a good selection of birds at the treatment plant effluent stream the list came to 70 species. | | | Here are the 202 species observed around Lake Chapala in March:
Ani, groove-billed Avocet, American Becard, rose-throated (Xt) Blackbird, Brewer's (Ra) Blackbird, yellow-headed Brushfinch, rufous-capped (Ct) Bunting, indigo Bunting, lazuli Bunting, painted Bunting, varied Bushtit Canvasback (Rp) Caracara, crested Chat, yellow-breasted Coot, American Cormorant, neotropic Cowbird, bronzed Cowbird, brown-headed Cuckoo, squirrel Dove, Eurasian collared Dove, Inca Dove, mourning (Ct) Dove, white-tipped Dove, white-winged Dowitcher, long-billed Duck, black-bellied whistling (Rp) Duck, Mexican Duck, ruddy Egret, great Egret, snowy Egret, western cattle Elaenia, greenish Euphonia, elegant (Av) Finch, house Flycatcher, ash-throated Flycatcher, buff-breasted (Ct) Flycatcher, dusky(Sa) Flycatcher, dusky-capped Flycatcher, gray silky Flycatcher, Hammond's (Sa) Flycatcher, least (Sa) Flycatcher, Nutting's (Sa) Flycatcher, social Flycatcher, vermilion Flycatcher, western (Ct) Gadwall (Ch) Gallinule, common Gallinule, purple (Sa) Gnatcatcher, black-capped Gnatcatcher, blue-gray Goldfinch, lesser Grackle, great-tailed Grosbeak, black-headed Grosbeak, blue Gull, Bonaparte's (Rp) Gull, laughing Gull, ring-billed Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, gray (Ch) Hawk, red-tailed Hawk, sharp-shinned Hawk, short-tailed (Ra) Hawk, white-tailed (Ra) Hawk, zone-tailed (Av) Heron, black-crowned night Heron, great blue Heron, green Heron, little blue Heron, tri-colored Hummingbird, berylline Hummingbird, broad-billed Hummingbird, calliope (Ct) Hummingbird, ruby-throated (Av) Hummingbird, rufous (Av) 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 (Av) Kinglet, ruby-crowned Kiskadee, great Kite, white-tailed Meadowlark, Chihuahuan (Ra) Mockingbird, blue Mockingbird, northern Nighthawk, lesser (Rp) Nightjar, buff-collared Oriole, black-backed Oriole, black-vented Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, hooded Oriole, orchard Oriole, streak-backed Osprey Owl, ferruginous pygmy (Rp) Owl, great horned Owl, mottled (Ct) Owl, mountain pygmy Owl, western screech (Ct) Parakeet, monk parrow, rusty-crowned ground Pelican, American white Pelican, brown (Av) Pewee, greater Phoebe, Say's (Jo) Pigeon, rock Pintail, northern Pipit, American Plover, semipalmated (Sa) Rail, Aztec Raven, common Redstart, American (Dp) Robin, American (Ct) Robin, rufous-backed Sandpiper, least Sandpiper, solitary (Sa) Sandpiper, spotted Sandpiper, stilt (Rp) Scaup, lesser (Ra) Seedeater, cinnamon-rumped Shoveler, northern Shrike, loggerhead Snipe, Wilson's Solitaire, brown-backed Sora (Ch) Sparrow, chipping Sparrow, clay-colored Sparrow, house Sparrow, lark Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, rusty (Ct) Sparrow, savannah Sparrow, stripe-headed Stilt, black-necked Stork, wood (Ra) Swallow, barn Swallow, northern rough-winged Swallow, tree (Sa) Swallow, violet-green Tanager, flame-colored (Ct) Tanager, hepatic Tanager, summer Tanager, western Teal, blue-winged Teal, cinnamon Teal, green-winged Tern, Caspian Tern, Forster's Tern, Royal (Rp) Thrasher, curve-billed Thrush, hermit Thrush, orange-billed nighting Towhee, canyon Towhee, green-tailed Tyrannulet, northern beardless Vireo, black capped (Sa) Vireo, Cassin's Vireo, golden Vireo, Hutton's (Ct) Vireo, plumbeous Vireo, warbling Vulture, black Vulture, turkey Warbler, black and white Warbler, black-throated gray Warbler, hermit (Ct) Warbler, Lucy's (Rp) Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Nashville Warbler, orange-crowned Warbler, red-faced (Ct) Warbler, rufous-capped Warbler, Townsend's (Ct) Warbler, Virginia's Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, yellow Warbler, yellow-rumped Waterthrush, northern (Ch) Whip-poor-will, Mexican (Ct) Wigeon, American Willet Woodcreeper, white striped (Ct) Woodpecker, acorn Woodpecker, golden-fronted Woodpecker, ladder-backed Wren, Bewick's Wren, canyon Wren, happy Wren, house Wren, marsh Wren, Sinaloa Wren, spotted Yellowlegs, greater Yellowlegs, lesser Yellowthroat, common (Ch) Yellowthroat, gray-crowned (Ct) | |  | | 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 on bird walks.
We like to hear of bird sightings at: chapalabirders@yahoo.com.
Check our website: ChapalaBirders.org There you will find our newsletters, illustrations of our birds and advice on buying binoculars, books and birding apps. | | |
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