New Mexico Ornithological Society

New Mexico Statewide Hotline, July 8, 2007

This is Pinyon Jay with the New Mexico Bird Report for Sunday, July 8, 2007, sponsored by the New Mexico Ornithological Society. When phone numbers are given for private property, please call before going. Most places mentioned and a checklist of N.M. birds are in the N.M. Bird Finding Guide. Updates to the Bird Finding Guide are posted to the NMOS web page at www.nmosbirds.org/updates.html. All N.M. phone numbers are area code 505. For past RBA's check the NMOS web page at www.nmosbirds.org. For photos of rarities and directions to NM birding sites check hometown.aol.com/borealowl.

Highlights are Bronzed Cowbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Winter Wren, Three-toed Woodpecker.

- Birds Mentioned and Counties:

      Common Loon and Eared Grebe (Colfax)
      American White Pelican (Colfax)
      Least Bittern (Socorro)
      Great and Snowy Egrets ((Socorro)
      White-faced Ibis (Cibola, Colfax)
      Mexican Mallard (Luna)
      Northern Harrier (Chaves, Eddy)
      Gray Hawk (Hidalgo, Eddy)
      Harris's Hawk (Eddy)
      Zone-tailed Hawk (Grant, Hidalgo)
      Montezuma Quail (Hidalgo)
      Snowy Plover (Eddy)
      Mountain Plover (Colfax)
      Black-necked Stilt (Luna)
      Solitary Sandpiper (Socorro)
      Long-billed Curlew (Colfax)
      Wilson's Phalarope (Luna)
      Franklin's Gull (Sierra)
      Caspian Tern (Chaves)
      Least Tern (Eddy)
      Common Ground-Dove (Hidalgo)
      Yellow-billed Cuckoo (San Miguel)
      Flammulated Owl (Colfax)
      Northern Pygmy-Owl (Grant, Hidalgo)
      Burrowing Owl (Chaves, Colfax, Doña Ana)
      Spotted Owl (Cibola, Grant/Sierra)
      Long-eared Owl (Hidalgo, San Juan)
      Short-eared Owl (Hidalgo)
      Whip-poor-will (Cibola, Sierra)
      Black Swift (Sandoval)
      Chimney Swift (Chaves, Union)
      Broad-billed and Violet-crowned Hummingbirds (Hidalgo)
      Anna's Hummingbird (Grant)
      Rufous Hummingbirds (Grant, Doña Ana)
      Green Kingfisher (Grant)
      Three-toed Woodpecker (Sandoval, Los Alamos)
      Greater Pewee (Grant)
      Vermilion Flycatcher (Socorro)
      Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Taos)
      Bell's Vireo (Socorro)
      Gray Vireo (Eddy)
      Red-eyed Vireo (Bernalillo)
      Purple Martin (Grant)
      Tree Swallow (Colfax)
      Winter Wren (Sandoval)
      Golden-crowned Kinglet (Cibola)
      Black-capped Gnatcatcher (Cochise, AZ)
      Gray Catbird (Socorro)
      Bendire's Thrasher (Santa Fe)
      Cedar Waxwing (Bernalillo, Sandoval)
      American Redstart (Doña Ana)
      Cassin's Sparrow (Colfax)
      Black-throated Sparrow (Santa Fe)
      Grasshopper Sparrow (Colfax, Hidalgo)
      Savannah Sparrow (Cibola)
      Lark Bunting (Colfax, Santa Fe)
      Indigo Bunting (Sandoval, Eddy, Doña Ana, Colfax)
      Lazuli Bunting (Doña Ana, Harding)
      Varied Bunting (Hidalgo)
      Dickcissel (Colfax, Chaves)
      Bronzed Cowbird (Bernalillo)
      Scott's Oriole (Santa Fe)
      Pine Grosbeak (Santa Fe)
      Red Crossbill (Colfax, Grant)

In San Juan County:
      WW on June 27 had a LONG-EARED OWL south of Farmington. Go south on 371 to Navajo 3003. Take it for about two miles to 4055. The owl was at a ditch. PK on July 2 had another in the Bisti area further south.

In Sandoval County:
      CL and CBr on July 5 had a BLACK SWIFT at Jemez Falls with a THREE-TOED WOODPECKER on July 7 about a half mile down the trail from the falls to McCulley Springs.
      JP and WW on July 5 found a singing WINTER WREN below the Jemez Falls with the swifts seen.
      CR on April 7 had a CEDAR WAXWING nest with three fledglings along the road at the Dixon Apple Farm in Cochiti Canyon

In Los Alamos County:
      CL and CBr on July 7 had another THREE-TOED WOODPECKER male along the Apache Springs Trail above Los Alamos in the Bandelier NM. About 1/8 of a mile down the trail. Some of the dirt roads in the Jemez Mts. were treacherous with recent rains.

In Taos County:
      GMC found a SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER on July 5 in the El Prado area just north of Taos on NM 522. EWi and MST saw it again on July 6 just past the Shupbach's Vet Clinic.

In Santa Fe County:
      RDu reported a PINE GROSBEAK on June 30 on the Randall Davey Audubon Center bird walk in Santa Fe.
      On the Caja del Rio area in Santa Fe BW on June 18 found a pair of BENDIRE'S THRASHERS (Curve-billed also present) and one SCOTT'S ORIOLE. JP and WW on July 5 did not find the Bendire's at the Caja, but had BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS and LARK BUNTINGS. They did see a BENDIRE'S THRASHER along Airport Road south of Santa Fe shortly before one gets to the Polo Grounds.

In San Miguel County:
      PF on June 29 had a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO at the Conchas Lake headquarters.

In Harding County:
      HS reported LAZULI BUNTNGS in good numbers in lower Mills Canyon and along the adjacent Canadian River.

In Colfax County:
      DC had 35 WHITE PELICANS on Stubblefield Lake on July 2.
      CR on the Maxwell Refuge on June 30 had three WHITE-FACED IBIS on Lake 12 with a winter plumage COMMON LOON on Lake 13.
      DC on the Maxwell Refuge to the south of mile marker 4 on NM 505 says there is a prairie dog town with BURROWING OWLS. Look for LONG-BILLED CURLEWS and MOUNTAIN PLOVERS here.
      On the upper lake at Stubblefield (Laguna Madre) he had many EARED GREBES with many LARK BUNTINGS and two singing CASSIN'S SPARROWS. There were also 17 BURROWING OWLS present in the area.
      Going south from mile 3 on hwy. C25 for a mile there were two DICKCISSELS with three more south on C25 and turning right on C23. He had another Dickcissel on July 2 on the Maxwell Refuge along A2 just east of where it meets A4. A bit east on A2 there was one GRASSHOPPER SPARROW.
      CR on June 30 at Sugarite State Park near Raton found a few RED CROSSBILLS with a singing INDIGO BUNTING on the Little Horse Mesa Trailhead. He had FLAMMULATED OWLS calling near the Soda Pocket Campground Road and TREE SWALLOWS nesting in a box at Maloya Lake.

In Union County:
      EW reported about 12 CHIMNEY SWIFTS over the Eklund Hotel in downtown Clayton.

In Cibola County:
      JT on June 20 in Hausner Canyon of the western Zuni Mts. had a SPOTTED OWL only on June 20 with calling WHIP-POOR-WILLS most nights. There were GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS on June 24.
      He had 13 WHITE-FACED IBIS on Bluewater Lake on June 26. 40 SAVANNAH SPARROWS were singing in grasslands near the lake.

In Bernalillo County:
      MH found the RED-EYED VIREO behind the San Antonio de Padua Church south of Cedar Crest on NM14 in the eastern Sandias. DK found the Red-eyed singing June 23 near the orchard. He also had seven CEDAR WAXWINGS.
      DB on May 22 at the Sandia Memory Gardens cemetery in northeast Albuquerque found a female BRONZED COWBIRD. CR saw a male and a fledgling on July 7.

In Curry County:
      At the Clovis Sewage Ponds be sure to advise them that you are there to bird.

In Socorro County:
      At Bosque del Apache Refuge near San Antonio CL found several VERMILION FLYCATCHERS on the Marsh Loop. JSt on May 30 saw the BELL'S VIREO at Audio Stop 9. CL on June 3 had two CATBIRDS on the seasonal road. JP and WW on June 29 had a LEAST BITTERN at the boardwalk with two calling immatures there on July 7 and a remarkable 83 GREAT EGRETS (only five SNOWY EGRETS!) by the Flight Deck and a SOLITARY SANDPIPER. JG on July 5 reported two CASPIAN TERNS.

In Chaves County:
      JH on Bitter Lake Refuge has had two BURROWING OWLS on Unit 7 through July 2. JP and WW on June 23 had a female HARRIER. JH reported a DICKCISSEL on the west side of Unit 6 on June 27.
      JP and WW had one CHIMNEY SWIFT over the NMMI campus in Roswell on June 23.

In Sierra County:
      On July 7 at the county line with Grant on Emory Pass in the Black Range JP and WW heard two WHIP-POOR-WILLS and five SPOTTED OWLS in the area. They had two FRANKLIN'S GULLS at the north end of Elephant Butte Lake on July 7.

In Grant County:
      RSh on June 14 found a female GREEN KINGFISHER (photo) along the Gila River near the Bird Area on FS land near Bill Evans Lake on the road from Cliff. Where the road splits (to the lake) take the dirt road along the rio and go about 5 miles to an overlook. Contact him for directions at 388-3441.
      JP and WW on July 6 had RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS and PURPLE MARTINS at the JDM home near Roberts Lake. They found the Grey Feathers Lodge has new owners and is now called Breathe Inn. There was only one hummer feeder.
      A the road to Signal Peak north of Pinos Altos a GREATER PEWEE was singing and two RED CROSSBILLS were calling on July 6.
      RS had a ZONE-TAILED HAWK at Bitter Creek on June 23. This canyon is reached only from the Duncan, AZ side.
      At Cherry and McMillan Campgrounds north of Pinos Altos KSo eported a calling PYGMY OWL on June 19.
      DFr had an ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD in her Silver City yard on June 21. RM saw a male RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD in the Los Griegos section of the city on July 1.

In Hidalgo County:
      JO on July 1 had a SHORT-EARED OWL about a mile east of the Cloverdale Store and 15 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS along the road in the Cloverdale Grasslands area.
      NP and MB on June 27 had a BLACK-CAPPED GNATCATCHER in the Arizona part of Guadalupe Canyon 3/4 of a mile west of the N.M. border and in the area of the corral. They have not been found again. In the canyon JP, WW, and JO on June 30 recorded four GRAY HAWKS, two ZONE-TAILED HAWKS, a COMMON GROUND-DOVE, up to 15 BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRDS, two VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRDS, one calling MONTEZUMA QUAIL, and a singing male VARIED BUNTING. Another Zone-tailed Hawk was at Dunnagan's Crossing on June 29.
      CL and CBr on June 24 had up to three ZONE-TAILED HAWKS in Clanton Canyon with three LONG-EARED OWLS at the camp site. At the Blackwater Hole in the canyon there were two PYGMY OWLS. JO in the canyon in early July has put up hummer feeders in the main campground (one on each side of the road), one on the wet side of Clanton Pass 60 yards past the first major hairpin curve, and one west of the CCC Dam turnoff. He had two MONTEZUMA QUAILS on July 3 on the road in the upper canyon.
      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.

In Luna County:
      On June 11 LM at the wastewater ponds in Deming had 18 adult and 39 young MEXICAN MALLARDS. On June 20 he had breeding BLACK-NECKED STILTS WITH 42 female WILSON'S PHALAROPES.
      Katfish Kove is no longer open to birders.

In Doña Ana County:
      In Fillmore Canyon in the Organ Mts. near the La Cueva Picnic area on June 30 CL, JZ, MS, and DG had two LAZULI BUNTINGS and three INDIGO BUNTINGS. JZ reported an immature male AMERICAN REDSTART at their feeder near Radium Springs on July 1.
      DJ has had up to nine BURROWING OWLS at his home in La Mesa.
      DG had the first RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD at his home on July.5. JZ and MS saw their first male the same day.

In Otero County:
      At the Holloman Lakes near Alamogordo the "no access" signs are for hunters only. The entire shore is open to birding. Due to vandalism the sightings list and box have been removed.

In Eddy County:
      RD on June 8 at Brantley Lake found at the point north of the state park a SNOWY PLOVER and two LEAST TERNS. On June 22 JP and WW saw the two terns, and a female HARRIER.
      At Rattlesnake Springs JP and WW on June 22 had a GRAY HAWK and a singing male INDIGO BUNTING. JG found the singing Indigo Bunting and two HARRIS'S HAWKS on July 6.
      RN had seven CHIMNEY SWIFTS over Carlsbad on July 3.
      JTa on June 20 had a GRAY VIREO in Slaughter Canyon oF THE Guadalupe Mts. west of Carlsbad.

- Initials Used:

      MB, Matt Baumann; DB, Devin Bosler; CBr, Charles Britt; DC, David Cleary; GMC, Greg and Melissa Coniglio; JDM, Joan Day-Martin; RD, Rob Doster; RDu, Ron Duffy; PF, Pat Franklin; DF, Denise Friedrich; DG, David Griffin; JG, John Groves; MH, Michael Hilchey; JH, Jeff Howland; DJ, Don Jurkowski; PK, Paul Kinslow; DK, David Krueper; CL, Carl Lundblad; LM, Larry Malone; RM, Rich Mathews; RN, Bob Nieman; JO, Jerry Oldenettel; JP, John Parmeter; NP, Nick Pederson; CR, Chris Rustay; HS, Hart Schwarz; MS, Marcy Scott, RS, Robert Shantz; RSh, Roland Shook: KSo, Krista Sorra; JSt, James Stuart; JTa, Jerry Tangren; JT, John Trochet; MST, Mike and Sarah Turner; BW, Bill West; EWi; Elizabeth Winter; WW, Bill Wittman; EW, Eleanor Wootten; JZ, Jimmy Zabriskie.

- Field Trips

Central Audubon in Albuquerque has Thursday field trips. On July 12 the trip is a hike on the 10K Trail in the Sandias with Mary Lou Arthur, 299-2565, on July 19 to the Simms Ranch and Bonnie Long's home in the Manzano Mts. for a potluck lunch, 379-1985. The July 26 trip has been cancelled.

The trip for Sangre de Cristo Audubon on Saturday, July 22 to Capulin Springs in the Sandias has been cancelled.

Until October there are Tuesday guided hikes in the Sandia Mts. Meet at 8 am at the ranger station in Tijeras. Also at the Rio Grande Nature Center there are Saturday and Sunday bird walks at 8 am.

- For Bird Records Committee and Field Notes, send reports to

      Dr. Sartor O. Williams, III
      1819 Meadowview NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104
      sunbittern@earthlink.net

- Messages can also be left with your bird reports at pinyonjay@aol.com.