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. | | | 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. | | | 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. | | | | |
