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Shipman's field notes, Sep 2000

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2000-09-02: NM: Socorro

@day: Socorro
Dove, Inca @Socorro
Kingbird, Western @Socorro
Swallow, Barn @Socorro
Pyrrhuloxia @Socorro

2000-09-03: NM: Socorro

@day: Socorro
Dove, Inca @Socorro
Swallow, Barn @Socorro
Thrasher, Curve-billed @Socorro

2000-09-04: NM: Socorro

@day: Socorro
Kestrel, American @Socorro

2000-09-05: NM: Socorro

@day: Socorro
Phoebe, Black @Socorro
Kingbird, Western @Socorro
Tanager, Western @Socorro

2000-09-05: NM: Socorro: home

@day: Socorro: home
Pyrrhuloxia @Socorro: home

2000-09-06: NM: Socorro

@day: Socorro
Dove, Mourning @Socorro
Dove, Inca @Socorro
Swallow, Barn @Socorro
Verdin @Socorro

2000-09-07: NM: Socorro

@day: Socorro
Swallow, Barn @Socorro

2000-09-09: NM: Socorro

@day: Socorro
Kingbird, Cassin's @Socorro

2000-09-10: NM: Socorro: home

@day: Socorro: home
Verdin @Socorro: home
Mockingbird, Northern @Socorro: home
Thrasher, Curve-billed @Socorro: home
Tanager, Western @Socorro: home

2000-09-12: NM: Socorro

@day: Socorro
Heron, Green @Socorro
Kingbird, Cassin's @Socorro
Kingbird, Western @Socorro
Vireo, Cassin's @Socorro
Vireo, Warbling @Socorro
Swallow, Barn @Socorro
Warbler, Myrtle @Socorro
Redstart, American @Socorro
Warbler, Prothonotary @Socorro
Ovenbird @Socorro
Warbler, Wilson's @Socorro
Sparrow, White-crowned @Socorro

2000-09-13: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Notable:  Prothonotary Warbler; Ovenbird; Northern Waterthrush
@TBay: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Missed Looking for the reported Red-eyed Vireo; no such luck.
Empidonax sp. @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Phoebe, Black @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Vireo, Cassin's 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
I'm weak on the field marks for the split, but this bird looked pretty similar to the one yesterday that I saw with Jerry, that he called a Cassin's. It was a uniform gray-green, no yellow patches.
Vireo, Warbling 1+ @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Either one bird that moved around a lot, or maybe multiple birds in different places. I looked them all over pretty carefully, but couldn't make any into Red-eyed.
Nuthatch, Red-breasted 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Working the trunks of the trees in the deep shade on the north side of the clearing.
Warbler, Prothonotary 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Along the channel that feeds the eastern falls (the one close to Macey Center). I was able to get good looks and a few pictures by working it from over by the playground, east of the fence. It seems to like the twigs that hang over the water.
2000-09-13-00042000-09-13-00022000-09-13-0010
Ovenbird 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Same as yesterday, plodding around in the deep shade on the north side of the clearing.
2000-09-13-00272000-09-13-00232000-09-13-00322000-09-13-00242000-09-13-0031
Waterthrush, Northern 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Along the channel that feeds the eastern falls, on the shore on the clearing side of that channel about 30 m above the falls.
Behavior: Acting very turnstone-like, flipping up big beakfuls of crud.
Warbler, MacGillivray's 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Behavior: Actively feeding in the open near the Ovenbird. I don't get to see these guys out of cover very often.
Grackle, Common @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

2000-09-14: NM: Socorro

@day: Socorro
Phoebe, Black @Socorro
Vireo, Warbling @Socorro
Swallow, Barn @Socorro
Verdin @Socorro
Phainopepla @Socorro
Warbler, Prothonotary @Socorro
Ovenbird @Socorro
Warbler, MacGillivray's @Socorro
Warbler, Wilson's @Socorro
Tanager, Western @Socorro

2000-09-17: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Notable:  House Wren; Ovenbird; Lark Bunting
@Diag: Socorro: Hope Farms Diagonal
@TBay: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Missed Now 0 for 5 trying to see the reported Red-eyed Vireo.
domestic goose sp. @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
domestic duck sp. @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Vulture, Turkey @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Harrier, Northern @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Kingbird, Western @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Vireo, Warbling # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Description: In all the birds I saw, the upper border of the white superciliary was a flat gray, the same color as the crown.
Scrub-Jay, Western @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Raven, Common @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Wren, House 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Around the bases of the trees on the south side of the clearing.
New for me for the fall.
Warbler, Audubon's # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Ovenbird 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
All over the place: in the trees south of the clearing, over by Louisiana Waterfall (which wasn't running today---the falls at the south end of the southwest arm), and just padding around in the clearing.
Got some pictures which will probably be out of focus but properly exposed, as opposed to Wednesday's where they were in focus but there wasn't enough light on the subject.
Warbler, MacGillivray's # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Warbler, Wilson's # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Sparrow, Chipping # @Socorro: Hope Farms Diagonal
Sparrow, Brewer's # @Socorro: Hope Farms Diagonal
Sparrow, Vesper @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Sparrow, Lark # @Socorro: Hope Farms Diagonal
Bunting, Lark 2♀ @Socorro: Hope Farms Diagonal
Grosbeak, Blue @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

2000-09-18: NM: Socorro

Notable:  Green-tailed Towhee
@Soc: Socorro
@TBay: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
@Terry: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake
Coot, American 2 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake
Killdeer @Socorro
Phoebe, Black @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Vireo, Warbling 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Swallow, Barn @Socorro
Chickadee, Mountain 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake
Near the greenhouse.
First fall record.
Kinglet, Ruby-crowned 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
First fall record.
Warbler, Audubon's # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Warbler, Swainson's ? @Socorro
Flash back to the summer of 1999: I spent many a frustrating hour trying to get a look at our famous Swainson's Warbler. I never did get anything resembling an even quarter-decent look at it, but I had a lot of fast glimpses at a bird that may well have been that very star.
Several times, while creeping around a corner of Macey Center for my first look at the thicket where the bird was reputed to hide, I heard a really strong, resonant warning chip, sometimes two or three, from the nearby pond bank, just at the moment I showed myself. On a couple of occasions I even saw an all-brown bird of about the right size dart into the thicket. I also saw a brown bird a few times dart into the flowerbeds that extend from the stairs on the north side of the building (connecting to the mezzanine) on down the north side to the front porch. At no time did I ever get any of these contacts into a binocular field.
Fast forward to today. At about 1400 I was just at the north stairs watching our six domestic geese mooching handouts at the picnic tables just north of the entrance to Macey. Suddenly, for some reason, all six geese started screaming and running straight for the pond.
From the pond bank just about where they were headed, I heard THAT alarm note again. It was very loud and resonant, and today I would transcribe it as `CHIFF!' Just before the geese reached the bank, a small all-brown bird popped out from the bushes there and flew directly at me. It was about the size of a House Sparrow and had a uniform all-brown back and upperwing surface, no wingbars. Ten feet from me, it swerved and landed on the concrete sill of the flowerbed hard by the east end of the steps. I whipped up my glasses but it had crawled in, and never showed up again.
I realize that this is far, far short of anything that might resemble an ID. But the particular strong, resonant quality of the alarm note, the bird's flushing from the bushes at the pond edge and hiding in the flowerbed, all brought back to me those frustrating days of Swainson's Summer.
I will of course be trying to find it again later in the week as my overly busy schedule permits. But I am handicapped by not having a gang of birders to form a skirmish line and drive the little creep out, which seems to have been the common method of those who were successful at seeing the Swainson's.
Warbler, Wilson's # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Towhee, Green-tailed 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Trees on the south side of the clearing.

2000-09-19: NM: Socorro

@day: Socorro
Dove, Inca @Socorro
Swallow, Barn @Socorro
Warbler, Audubon's @Socorro
Warbler, Wilson's @Socorro
Towhee, Green-tailed @Socorro

2000-09-20: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Notable:  American Redstart
@TBay: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Route Trying to see the reported Swainson's warbler about 1300-1330.
Flycatcher, Dusky / Flycatcher, Hammond's @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Nuthatch, Red-breasted 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Warbler, Audubon's 3 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Redstart, American 1♀ @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Rose thicket between the pond and Macey Center.
Warbler, Swainson's ? @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
I tracked the redstart around for a while as it hopped around in trees above the thicket, then I spotted something else moving in the thicket, near the side door. I got the glasses on it, but it was very hard to see because I was looking all the way through the brush. All I saw was that it was a small bird that looked all brown.

2000-09-21: NM: Socorro

@day: Socorro
Vulture, Turkey @Socorro
Dove, Inca @Socorro
Kingbird, Cassin's @Socorro
Kingbird, Western @Socorro
Swallow, Barn @Socorro
Mockingbird, Northern @Socorro
Warbler, Audubon's @Socorro
Warbler, Myrtle @Socorro
Warbler, Wilson's @Socorro

2000-09-22: NM: Socorro

@day: Socorro
Wigeon, American @Socorro
Coot, American @Socorro
Kingfisher, Belted @Socorro
Phoebe, Black @Socorro
Kingbird, Cassin's @Socorro
Kingbird, Western @Socorro
Swallow, Barn @Socorro

2000-09-23: NM: San Antonito

@day: San Antonito
Towhee, Canyon @San Antonito
Sparrow, Brewer's @San Antonito

2000-09-23: NM: Socorro

@day: Socorro
Kingbird, Western @Socorro
Thrasher, Curve-billed @Socorro

2000-09-24: NM: Socorro

Notable:  Osprey; Cassin's Kingbird
@Soc: Socorro
Wigeon, American @Socorro
Osprey 1 @Socorro
Sailing over Macey Center around 2pm on its way to the pond at Turtle Bay.
Hawk, Sharp-shinned @Socorro
Dove, Inca @Socorro
Flycatcher, Dusky / Flycatcher, Hammond's @Socorro
Kingbird, Cassin's 3+ @Socorro
Easy to find between about 6pm and dusk in the 500 block of Fitch Street (my block). Scan the taller trees and the wires over the alley.
Kingbird, Western # @Socorro
Scrub-Jay, Western 1 @Socorro
At the pond by the 16th fairway on the Tech Golf Course, which is just north of the intersection of North Drive and Mesa Drive on Faculty Hill.
Swallow, Barn @Socorro
Warbler, Audubon's @Socorro
Warbler, Myrtle @Socorro
Warbler, Wilson's @Socorro
Sparrow, White-crowned @Socorro

2000-09-26: NM: Socorro

@day: Socorro
Teal, Green-Winged @Socorro
Heron, Great Blue @Socorro
Kingfisher, Belted @Socorro
Kinglet, Ruby-crowned @Socorro
Phainopepla @Socorro
Warbler, Audubon's @Socorro
Warbler, Myrtle @Socorro
Warbler, MacGillivray's @Socorro
Junco, Gray-headed @Socorro
Junco, Oregon @Socorro

2000-09-28: NM: Socorro

@day: Socorro
Vulture, Turkey @Socorro
Kinglet, Ruby-crowned @Socorro
Warbler, Audubon's @Socorro

2000-09-29: NM: Socorro

@day: Socorro
Thrasher, Curve-billed @Socorro

2000-09-30: NM: Socorro

@day: Socorro
Kingbird, Western @Socorro
Nuthatch, White-breasted @Socorro
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Last updated: 2011-05-23 18:54 MDT