New Mexico Bird Report, Thursday, January 28, 2010
Hotline New Mexico
date: January 28, 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 28, 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.
.
Highlights: White-tailed Kite, 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)
Trumpeter Swan (Socorro)
Eurasian Wigeon (Curry)
Common Goldeneye (Socorro)
Hooded Merganser (Sierra, Socorro)
Common Merganser (Socorro)
Red-breasted Merganser (Sierra)
Red-throated Loon (Sierra)
Common Loon (San Juan)
Red-necked Grebe (Sierra)
Horned Grebe (DeBaca)
American White Pelican (Sierra, *Doña Ana)
Osprey (Sierra)
White-tailed Kite (Socorro)
Bald Eagle (Sierra)
Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawk (Socorro)
Aplomado Falcon (Socorro)
Merlin (Sierra, Bernalillo)
Peregrine Falcon (*Bernalillo)
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 (Curry)
Long-eared Owl (Sierra)
Saw-whet Owl (Otero)
Hybrid sapsucker (Doña Ana)
Downy Woodpecker (Sierra, Valencia, *Chaves)
Three-toed Woodpecker (Bernalillo)
Dusky Flycatcher (Sierra)
Eastern Phoebe (Doña Ana, Sierra)
Steller’s Jay (Doña Ana)
Western Scrub-Jay (Sierra)
Bridled Titmouse (Sierra)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Doña Ana)
Brown Creeper (Sierra)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Sierra)
Eastern Bluebird (Sierra, Doña Ana)
Western Bluebird (Doña Ana, Socorro. Sierra)
Mountain Bluebird (Sierra, Socorro, Doña Ana)
Hermit Thrush (*Torrance)
Varied Thrush (*Doña Ana)
Cedar Waxwing (Doña Ana, Los Alamos)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Doña Ana)
Common Yellowthroat (Sierra, Socorro)
American Tree Sparrow (San Miguel)
Sage Sparrow (Socorro)
White-throated Sparrow (Socorro)
Golden-crowned Sparrow (Bernalillo, Socorro)
Harris’s Sparrow (*Chaves)
Pine Grosbeak (Bernalillo)
Rosy Finches (Bernalillo, Taos)
Pine Siskin (Curry)
Lesser Goldfinch (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. AL
found it west of San Pedro on January 26.
DM had a richardsonii MERLIN on January 18 at the Los Poblanos
Open Space.
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. NC reported that a WINGS tour on January 16 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:
CR on January 26 at the Kenneth Smith Bird Sanctuary in Roswell
had an adult HARRIS’S SPARROW and a DOWNY WOODPECKER.
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.
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 PINE SISKINS.
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In DeBaca County:
JP and WW on January 15 near Fort Sumner at Sumner Lake saw four
HORNED GREBES.
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In Doña Ana County:
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.
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 the waxwings and bluebirds, a RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCH. He missed it again on January 16 (fifth time!) but had
the waxwings, western bluebirds, two EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, and the
hybrid sapsucker. RC has not seen the thrush in several days on
January 27.
RC also had an EASTERN PHOEBE along the canal across the street
from Paradise Lane near the bridge. 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.
RC at his home had four WHITE PELICANS fly over on January 28.
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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 San Juan County:
ChB on January 13 on Morgan Lake found ten COMMON LOONS.
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In Sandoval County:
DK on January 10 saw six WHITE-FRONTED GEESE at the soccer
field in Corrales near the Post Office. JP saw them on January 22.
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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.
Along the Rio Grande two miles north of the now dry Las Palomas
Marsh on a deeply rutted track JP, LL, and WW on January 16 saw the
RUSTY 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, LL, and WW
on January 16 again saw the THAYER’S, ten HERRING and two
CALIFORNIA GULLS.
At Percha Dam Park 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.
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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. 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. 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 WHITE-TAILED
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 Torrance County:
ES had a HERMIT THRUSH at his home at 61 Sunglow Loop west of
highway 217.
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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; 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;
AL, Anne Lovekin; CM, Carolyn Mangeng; DM, David Mehlman;
NMC, Narca Moore-Craig; RM, Robert Munro; RN, Robert Nieman;
JO, Jerry Oldenettel; DP, Danny Paez; JP, John Parmeter;
CR, Chris Rustay; JR, Janet Ruth; JSa, Jeff Sanchez;
HS, Hans Schenk; RSh, Roland Shook; DS, Dale Spall;
ES, Ed Stevens; JSt, James Stuart; KS, Kevin Suter;
BT, Bill Talbot; RV, Raymond VanBuskirk; SV, Steve Vinson;
ChW, Chip Weselch; WW, Bill Wittman; 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 February 4 to Sandia Crest for the
finches with the Boettchers, 281-6726; February 11 to see the
cranes at the Whitfield Wildlife Area near Belen with Linda Heinze,
565-1441; February 18 to the Sandia Mt. foothills at the east end
of Copper with Mary Lou Arthur, 299-2565; on February 15 for
longspurs and Sage Sparrows near San Antonio with Rebecca Gracey,
242-3821.
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On Saturday, February 6, Sangre de Cristo Audubon explores Bosque
del Apache Refuge with Linda Mowbray, 505-989-8295 and Mary Ristow
820-0906.
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On the weekend of February 6-7 Central Audubon goes to the Maxwell
and Las Vegas Refuges with Sei Tokuda, 505-266-2480.
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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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Southwestern Audubon birds Lake Roberts with Roland Shook at 575-
388-3441 on February 20.
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Mesilla Valley Audubon on February 20 checks out Percha Dam and
Caballo Lake led by David Griffin at 575-382-2080.
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There are bird walks on February 6 at the Mesilla Vallley Bosque
State Park. Meet at the park.
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The Rio Grande Nature Center has morning bird walks on Sunday and
Saturday mornings at 9 a.m.