Sunday, February 2, 2025

Newsletter

Chapala Birders Newsletter, January 2, 2025

Sightings last Month


There were 191 species reported for the lake area in December. The complete list is shown at the end of this newsletter. Interesting sightings included the following:


  • A Brown-Crested Flycatcher was photographed on the Caracol Trail by visiting birder Detlef Buetner.
  • Tufted Flycatcher was seen on our January 9 birdwalk on the El Bajio road.
  • Rose-throated Becard was seen by Tom Bravo on the lakeshore and by Nicola Cendron on the Allen Lloyd Trail.



Great Backyard Bird Count - Feb 14 to17


The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) wasLaunched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. It was the first online participatory-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real time.


This year, over the four day period February 14 to 17, everyone is invited to spend time in their favorite places watching and counting as many birds as they can find and reporting them on eBird. These observations help scientists better understand global bird populations before their annual migrations.


If you already use the eBird or Merlin Apps, your submissions over the 4-day period will automatically count toward GBBC.

Featured Bird: Grasshopper Sparrow

  • Grasshopper Sparrow photo by Chapala Birder Duncan Poole taken on the International School Road.
  • Note the eye-ring, the rufous or yellow lore, white median stripe on the head, largish bill, flattish head, dark spot below the side of the face, short tail and relatively unstreaked breast.
  • The Grasshopper Sparrow is a shy bird, very particular about its habitat. It hides its nest on the ground in tall grass. However, it forages for food on the ground in shorter more open grass. In the summer it eats mainly insects (grasshoppers, beetles, ants, centipedes, carefully taking off the limbs before swallowing) and in the winter mainly seeds (grass and weed seeds.)
  • It prefers to walk or run rather than fly.
  • There are twelve subspecies occurring from Canada to Colombia. Mexico has its own subspecies which is resident, but these birds are joined in the winter by the subspecies from Canada and the U.S. which are migratory.
  • Those that migrate, do so at night in mixed species flocks.

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 February 6, 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 Thursday February 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 Rosa Amarilla Loop on the south side of the lake (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 4.00 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.


On Wednesday February 26, 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.

Bird Walk & Trip Reports

On January 9, there were 18 birders out for the birdwalk on the 'El Bajio' road. A good list of 69 species was obtained including Lucy's Warbler, American Redstart, Stripe-headed Sparrow, Blue Mockingbird, Loggerhead Shrike and an unusual Tufted Flycatcher.


On January 17, we had 19 keen observers at the Pumping Station. Sightings included Bushtit, Groove-billed Ani, Cooper's Hawk, Crested Caracara, Clay-colored Sparrow, Yellow Warbler and Painted Bunting.


On January 27, we had two carloads of observers at the top of Mezcala Mountain. The list of 43 species included Northern House Wren, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Dusky-capped Flycatcher and Ash-throated Flycatcher.

Monthly Sightings List

Here are the 191 species observed around Lake Chapala in November:


Ani, groove-billed

Avocet, American

Becard, rose-throated

Blackbird, yellow-headed

Brushfinch, rufous-capped

Bunting, indigo

Bunting, lazuli

Bunting, painted

Bunting, varied

Bushtit

Canvasback

Caracara, crested

Chat, yellow-breasted

Coot, American

Cormorant, neotropic

Cowbird, bronzed

Cowbird, brown-headed

Crossbill, red

Cuckoo, squirrel

Dove, Eurasian collared

Dove, Inca

Dove, mourning

Dove, white-tipped

Dove, white-winged

Dowitcher, long-billed

Duck, fulvous whistling

Duck, Mexican

Duck, ruddy

Egret, great

Egret, snowy

Egret, western cattle

Elaenia, greenish

Euphonia, elegant

Finch, house

Flycatcher, ash-throated

Flycatcher, brown-crested

Flycatcher, dusky

Flycatcher, gray silky

Flycatcher, Hammond's

Flycatcher, least

Flycatcher, Nutting's

Flycatcher, social

Flycatcher, tufted

Flycatcher, vermilion

Flycatcher, western

Gadwall

Gallinule, common

Gnatcatcher, black-tailed

Gnatcatcher, blue-gray

Goldfinch, lesser

Grackle, great-tailed

Grebe, least

Grebe, western

Grosbeak, black-headed

Grosbeak, blue

Gull, laughing

Gull, ring-billed

Hawk, Cooper's

Hawk, gray

Hawk, red-tailed

Hawk, sharp-shinned

Hawk, zone-tailed

Heron, black-crowned night

Heron, great blue

Heron, green

Heron, little blue

Heron, tri-colored

Hummingbird, berylline

Hummingbird, black-chinned

Hummingbird, broad-billed

Hummingbird, broad-tailed

Hummingbird, ruby-throated

Hummingbird, rufous

Hummingbird, violet-crowned

Hummingbird, white-eared

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, hook-billed

Merlin

Mockingbird, blue

Mockingbird, northern

Nightjar, buff-collared

Oriole, black-backed

Oriole, black-vented

Oriole, Bullock's

Oriole, hooded

Oriole, orchard

Oriole, streak-backed

Osprey

Owl, ferruginous pygmy

Parakeet, monk

Pelican, American white

Pelican, brown

Pewee, greater

Phoebe, Say's

Pigeon, rock

Pintail, northern

Raven, common

Redstart, American

Redstart, slate-throated

Roadrunner, lesser

Robin, American

Robin, rufous-backed

Sandpiper, least

Sandpiper, spotted

Sapsucker, yellow-bellied

Seedeater, cinnamon-rumped

Shoveler, northern

Shrike, loggerhead

Snipe, Wilson's

Solitaire, brown-backed

Sora

Sparrow, chipping

Sparrow, clay-colored

Sparrow, grasshopper

Sparrow, house

Sparrow, lark

Sparrow, Lincoln's

Sparrow, rufous-crowned

Sparrow, rusty

Sparrow, rusty-crowned ground

Sparrow, savannah

Sparrow, stripe-headed

Sparrow, vesper

Stilt, black-necked

Stork, wood

Swallow, northern rough-winged

Swallow, tree

Swallow, violet-green

Tanager, flame-colored

Tanager, hepatic

Tanager, summer

Tanager, western

Teal, blue-winged

Teal, cinnamon

Teal, green-winged

Tern, Caspian

Tern, Forster's

Thrasher, curve-billed

Thrush, hermit

Thrush, orange-billed nightingale

Towhee, canyon

Towhee, green-tailed

Tyrannulet, northern beardless

Vireo, Bell's

Vireo, black capped

Vireo, Cassin's

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, rufous-capped

Warbler, Tennessee

Warbler, Townsend's

Warbler, Virginia's

Warbler, Wilson's

Warbler, yellow

Warbler, yellow-rumped

Waterthrush, northern

Wigeon, American

Willet

Woodpecker, golden-fronted

Woodpecker, ladder-backed

Wren, Bewick's

Wren, canyon

Wren, happy

Wren, marsh

Wren, northern house

Wren, Sinaloa

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

Cs - Chapala Haciendas & Las Brisas

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 - 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) from 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 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.