New Mexico Bird Report, Monday, January 25, 2010
Hotline New Mexico
date: January 25, 2010
compiler Patricia R. Snider
Phone: 719-846-3174
Cell phone 505-803-1807
e-mail address pinyonjay@aol.com
This is Pinyon Jay with the New Mexico Bird Report for
January 25, 2010, sponsored by the New Mexico Ornithological
Society. When phone numbers are given for private property,
please call before going to ask for permission. In ranch
country do not stray off the roads.
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Highlights: White-tailed Kite, Northern Shrike, Varied Thrush,
Thayer’s Gull, Red-necked Grebe, Red-throated Loon, Black-throated
Blue Warbler.
Montane species seem to be invading the lowlands.
ChW reported that GREAT EGRETS have been color banded with red
leg bands, from the Great Lakes. Report bands if seen to 416-
739-5846.
A star is added for new birds to the RBA today.
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Places mentioned and a checklist of N.M. birds are in the N.M.
Bird Finding Guide. Check for earlier reports and database
or in the archives of the AZ/NM listserve. For photos of
rarities and directions to some birding sites check
http://sites.google.com/site/oldenettelspage
..
For the Bird Records Committee and North American Birds and NMOS
Field Notes please send reports to Dr. Sartor O. Williams, III,
1819 Meadowview NW, Albuquerque, NM, 87104 or to
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Birds Mentioned and Counties:
Greater White-fronted Goose (*Sandoval)
Geese (Socorro)
Light Geese (Chaves)
Ross’s Goose (Sierra)
Trumpeter Swan (*Socorro)
Eurasian Wigeon (Curry)
Common Goldeneye (Socorro)
Hooded Merganser (*Sierra, *Socorro)
Common Merganser (San Miguel, *Socorro)
Red-breasted Merganser (Sierra, San Miguel)
Red-throated Loon (Sierra)
Common Loon (San Miguel, San Juan)
Red-necked Grebe (Sierra)
Horned Grebe (DeBaca)
American White Pelican (*Sierra)
Osprey (*Sierra)
White-tailed Kite (*Socorro)
Bald Eagle (Sierra)
Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawk (Socorro)
Aplomado Falcon (Socorro)
Merlin (*Sierra, Bernalillo)
Peregrine Falcon (Bernalillo)
Prairie Falcon (Doña Ana)
Northern Bobwhite and Scaled Quail (*Curry)
Montezuma Quail (Grant, Otero)
Sora (*Sierra)
Common Moorhen (*Sierra)
Sandhill Crane (Chaves, Socorro)
Dunlin (Sierra)
Bonaparte’s Gull (Sierra)
California and Herring Gulls (Sierra)
Thayer’s Gull (Sierra)
Great Horned Owl (DeBaca, *Curry)
Long-eared Owl (Bernalillo, Sierra)
Saw-whet Owl (Otero)
White-throated Swift (Doña Ana)
Hybrid sapsucker (Doña Ana)
Hairy Woodpecker (Sierra)
Downy Woodpecker (*Sierra, Valencia)
Three-toed Woodpecker (Bernalillo)
Dusky Flycatcher (Sierra)
Eastern Phoebe (Doña Ana, Sierra)
Northern Shrike (Rio Arriba)
Steller’s Jay (Doña Ana)
Western Scrub-Jay (Doña Ana, Sierra)
Mountain Chickadee (Curry)
Bridled Titmouse (*Sierra)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Doña Ana. Curry)
Brown Creeper (*Sierra)
Winter Wren eastern (Sandoval)
Marsh Wren (Sierra)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Doña Ana, Sierra)
Eastern Bluebird (Sierra, Curry, Doña Ana, Sandoval)
Western Bluebird (Doña Ana, Socorro. Sandoval, *Sierra)
Mountain Bluebird (Sierra, *Socorro, Doña Ana, Sandoval)
Varied Thrush (Doña Ana)
Gray Catbird (Santa Fe)
Cedar Waxwing (Doña Ana, Sandoval, *Los Alamos)
Orange-crowned Warbler (Doña Ana)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Doña Ana)
Common Yellowthroat (*Sierra, Socorro)
American Tree Sparrow (San Miguel)
Field Sparrow (Roosevelt)
Lark Bunting (Doña Ana)
Sage Sparrow (*Socorro)
White-throated Sparrow (Socorro)
Golden-crowned Sparrow (Bernalillo, *Socorro)
Pyrrhuloxia (Sierra, *Curry)
Rusty Blackbird (Sierra)
Pine Grosbeak (Bernalillo)
Rosy Finches (Bernalillo, Taos)
Pine Siskin (*Curry)
Lesser Goldfinch (Doña Ana, *Sierra)
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In Bernalillo County:
RY on January 18 again saw the PEREGRINE on a pole on San
Antonio in Albuquerque between San Pedro and the freeway.
SB on January 17 near the entrance to the Petroglyph NM Boca
Negra Canyon saw a MERLIN perched on a pole. DM had another
(richardsonii)on January 18 at the Los Poblanos Open Space.
RM at the San Antonio Open Space near Cedar Crest on January 13
had a LONG-EARED OWL beyond the last acequia crossing. The area is
behind the San Antonio de Padua church off NM14. It can be muddy.
In Embudito Canyon in the west Sandias HS had a GOLDEN-CROWNED
SPARROW in the canyon on January 13.
The SNC team is banding ROSY FINCHES on Sundays at the Crest
House. The team banded five Blacks, four Brown-capped, and a
Gray-crowned from a flock of 75. NC reported that a WINGS tour
had a trip to the Kiwanis Meadow and found a male and female THREE-
TOED WOODPECKERS with PINE GROSBEAKS. Due to heavy snow the road
up and Crest House were closed on January 24, and there was no
banding.
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In Chaves County:
JSa on the Bitter Lake Refuge Count for January 15 reported
7211 CRANES on the refuge and another 2120 off it, with 20,000
light geese.
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In Curry County:
At the Clovis Sewage Ponds the EURASIAN WIGEON was still present
for JP and WW on January 15.
At Ned Houk Park north of Clovis JP and WW on January 15 had a
MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, and four EASTERN
BLUEBIRDS.
JLo on January 21 at his home in se. Curry Co. still has the
HORNED OWL at his home, plus the BOBWHITE with a lone SCALED QUAIL,
with two PYRRHULOXIAS and PINE SISKINS.
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In DeBaca County:
JP and WW on January 15 had a HORNED OWL at Bosque Redondo Park
near Fort Sumner. At Sumner Lake they saw four HORNED GREBES.
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In Doña Ana County:
NMC on January 11 reported along NM 26 at mile 19 east of Nutt a
WHITE-TAILED KITE.
RC and KS reported a male VARIED THRUSH near Las Cruces at the
Shalem Colony Bridge off N. Valley Drive on the west side of the
bridge (park on the east side). This is private homes, and the one
at 1550 does not want visitors. Walk the levee road toward the
Organ Mts. to 100 yards downstream past the red no hunting sign in
privet shrubs. RC saw the thrush at 1550 in a small berried Indian
holly and then it flew across the Rio to brush n the west side.
DG on January 11 had 13 SCRUB JAYS and five GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS
in the pines. RC saw the thrush again on January 15 along with the
EASTERN PHOEBE in the same place. JD and SV saw the thrush on
January 16 with 100 CEDAR WAXWINGS, 23 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS, and a
probable RED-BREASTED X RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER in the pecan trees. DG
on January 15 missed the thrush, but saw ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER,
the waxwings and bluebirds, a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, and WHITE-
THROATED SWIFTS. He missed it again on January 16 (fifth time!)
but had the waxwings, western bluebirds, two EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, and
the hybrid sapsucker.
RC also had an EASTERN PHOEBE along the canal across the street
from Paradise Lane near the bridge in a cleared field. DG re-found
the phoebe on January 12 over the fields.
DG at a private home saw an adult male BLACK-THROATED BLUE
WARBLER. (photos). SV and JG saw the warbler on January 16 with a
STELLER’S JAY. DG saw it January 15.
DG at his Las Cruces home had 73 LESSER GOLDFINCHES January 12.
On January 15 DG had two LARK BUNTINGS near his home.
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In Grant County:
RSh reports that MONTEZUMA QUAIL have been more common in the
Silver City area this past year.
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In Hidalgo County:
County Hwy.1 south of Animas crosses the Diamond A (Gray) Ranch.
Because of events with thoughtless birders, one must NOT go off the
road.
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In Los Alamos County;
DY on January 24 had seven CEDAR WAXWINGS in the White Rock part
of Los Alamos on Rover Blvd. near the turnoff to the Overlook.
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In Otero County:
RN on January 15 to 17 had a SAW-WHITE OWL calling in the camp
at James Canyon, two miles west of Mayhill. On January 17 they saw
a MONTEZUMA QUAIL with another dead one found.
One can walk past the gate to Stinky Lake at the Holloman Lakes,
but not drive in and can still bird there, but Lagoon G is still
off limits.
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In Rio Arriba County:
ChB on January 8 along US64 west of Lumberton had two NORTHERN
SHRIKES.
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In Roosevelt County:
JP and WW at the migrant trap west of Melrose on January 15
found only one FIELD SPARROW.
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In San Juan County:
ChB on January 13 on Morgan Lake found ten COMMON LOONS.
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In San Miguel County:
LM and TW on January 16 had at Conchas Lake a COMMON
LOON and hundreds of male COMMON and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS.
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In Sandoval County:
At the La Entrada entrance to the Corrales Bosque on January 17
JP had the eastern WINTER WREN between barrels 2.7 and 2.8. DK and
JR on January 17 still saw WAXWINGS and all three BLUEBIRDS.
DK on January 10 saw six WHITE-FRONTED GEESE at the soccer
field in Corrales near the Post Office. DK and JR on January 17
again saw these six geese. JP saw them on January 22.
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In Santa Fe County:
JW at his Santa Fe home has had a CATBIRD since October, seen
January 10. Phone 471-8392.
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In Sierra County:
DB on January 22 reported an OSPREY and BRIDLED TITMOUSE from
the Elephant Butte Dam Overlook. They had WHITE PELICANS on three
sites on the lake.
At Paseo del Rio Park below the dam DS and CM saw on January 24
a female HOODED MERGANSER, OSPREY, and 13 LESSER GOLDFINCHES. JP,
WW, and JO on January 23 saw a MOORHEN, and a BROWN CREEPER.
JB reported a RED-NECKED GREBE at Lost Canyon at Elephant Butte
Lake between Rock Canyon and Three Sisters. Go thru the village to
the point. It was at the boat harbor. It was not seen by JP on
January 9, but they did see a BONAPARTE’S GULL and four RED-
BREASTED MERGANSERS. JP, WW, CW, and LL on January 16 had the
grebe with an immature RED-THROATED LOON at Long Point Marina seen
from Lost Canyon. JJ did not see the grebe or loon on January 18.
DC along the Rio Grande two miles north of the now dry Las
Palomas Marsh on a deeply rutted track had a male RUSTY BLACKBIRD.
He marked the spot with red flagging. JP, WW, and LL on January 9
missed the blackbird, but found ten DUNLINS in the area. DG at the
marsh on January 15 had a MARSH WREN. JP, LL, and WW on January 16
saw the blackbird. LL also saw the ten DUNLINS.
JP, LL, and WW on January 16 saw a male richardsonii MERLIN in
the town of Truth or Consequences.
At the Rock Canyon Marina on Elephant Butte Lake JP and WW found
an adult THAYER’S GULL. JP, LL, and WW on January 16 again saw the
Thayer’s, ten HERRING and two CALIFORNIA GULLS and an OSPREY.
At Percha Dam Park JP, LL, and WW on January 16 found a HAIRY
WOODPECKER. DG on January 15 in the north woods saw 16 BROWN
CREEPERS, an immature BALD EAGLE, 80 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS, four
EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, an EASTERN PHOEBE, and one DUSKY FLYCATCHER.
ChB on January 15 had two phoebes, up to eight GOLDEN-CR0WNED
KINGLETS, with two LONG-EARED OWLS in the woods to the north. DB
on January 21 had a female prairie MERLIN there, with 60 WESTERN
BLUEBIRDS and two BRIDLED TITMICE. JP, WW, and JO on January 23
reported six MOORHENS, a YELLOWTHROAT, DOWNY WOODPECKER, and a
SORA.
DG again saw the six ROSS’S GEESE at the dairy south of Percha
on January 15.
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In Socorro County:
JSt reports that there is no hiking east of the Rio Grande at
the Bosque del Apache refuge at least thru March for a mountain
lion study. The part of the refuge west of the rio is still open.
More CRANES and GEESE seem to be at the Bernardo Refuge than at
Bosque del Apache this winter. SF and TH on January 16 had a
HARLAN’S HAWK dark morph on the loop at the Bernardo Refuge
(details, photos). Also they saw a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW near the
observation tower. DK and JR on January 18 had two tan-striped
white-throats at the refuge near the blind with lots of MOUNTAIN
BLUEBIRDS.
At Bosque del Apache Refuge south of San Antonio BG, NMC and RD
saw a HARLAN’S HAWK, the immature APLOMADO, and three MOUNTAIN
BLUEBIRDS. BG on January 11 saw the GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW still
at the window feeder at the visitor center. CG on January 16 said
they saw a second immature TRUMPETER at the Low Flow Channel. JP,
LL, and WW on January 16 at the visitor center saw a WHITE-THROATED
SPARROW, but not the golden-crowned. JJ on January 17 had a female
YELLOWTHROAT on the east side of the Marsh Overlook Loop Trail. DK
and JR on January 18 at the refuge had a white striped White-throat
at the Cactus Garden plus the KITE at the south end at mile post
41.8 on Hwy. 1. MH, BT, RM and RV again saw the second TRUMPETER
SWAN at the low flow channel at the east end of the two-way road on
January 23. It was seen later by JP, JO, and WW, plus the WHITE-
TAILED KITE at the south end. DP on January 24 saw the swan,
Several HOODED MERGANSERS, 50 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS, the kite, 40 COMMON MERGANSERS, a few SAGE SPARROWS, and the Golden-crowned Sparrow at the feeder.
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In Taos County:
GB at the Taos Ski Area at the Kandahar Condos advises that
numbers of ROSY FINCHES have arrived there.
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In Valencia County:
LLa had a DOWNY WOODPECKER at her home east of Laguna Pueblo on
January 20.
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Initials of Observers:
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GB, Gil Bachmann; JB, Jonathan Batkin; ChB, Charles Black;
RC, Rick Castetter; DC, David Cleary; SC, Scott Baron;
SNC, Steve and Nancy Cox; RD, Rod Drewien; SF, Steve Fettig;
CG, Carolyn Galceran; DG, David Griffin; BG, Bill Groll;
JG, John Groves; MH, Michael Hilchey; TH, Terry Hodapp;
JJ, Jim Joseph; DK, David Krueper; LL, Lane Leckman;
LLa, Linda Lawrence; JLo, James Lofton; CM, Carolyn Mangeng;
DM, David Mehlman; NMC, Narca Moore-Craig; LM, Linda Mowbray;
RM, Robert Munro; RN, Robert Nieman; JO, Jerry Oldenettel;
DP, Danny Paez; JP, John Parmeter; JR, Janet Ruth;
JSa, Jeff Sanchez; HS, Hans Schenk; RSh, Roland Shook;
DS, Dale Spail; JSt, James Stuart; KS, Kevin Suter;
BT, Bill Talbot; RV, Raymond VanBuskirk; SV, Steve Vinson;
JW, Jim Walters; ChW, Chip Weselch; WW, Bill Wittman;
TW, Tracy Wohl; CW, Cole Wolf; RY, Rob Yaksich;
David Yeamans.
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Field Trips:
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Central Audubon in Albuquerque has Thursday field trips. All phone
numbers begin with 505. On January 28 to the Alameda Open Space
with Judy Liddell, 271-0912.
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The Cox banding team will be banding Rosy Finches at the Crest
House in the Sandias on Sundays at 9:30. Check for snowstorms when
planning to climb the mountain.
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On Sunday, January 31, Central will check the Sandia Mountains for
owls, three-toed woodpeckers, and rosy finches. Contact is Raymond
VanBuskirk at 505-217-8514.
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The Rio Grande Nature Center has morning bird walks on Sunday and
Saturday mornings at 9 a.m.