Shipman's field notes, Feb 2005

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2005-02-04: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech
2005-02-05: NM: San Acacia
2005-02-10: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech
2005-02-18: NM: Socorro-Luis Lopez-San Antonio-Bosque del Apache
Notable: Common Merganser; Black-crowned Night-Heron; Harlan's Hawk; Greater Yellowlegs
2005-02-20: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

2005-02-04: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech

@NMT: Socorro: New Mexico Tech

Solitaire, Townsend's @Socorro: New Mexico Tech

From my office window.

2005-02-05: NM: San Acacia

@SAca: San Acacia

Crane, Sandhill 3 @San Acacia

Indian Hill Farms/Wildlife Sanctuary.

2005-02-10: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech

@NMT: Socorro: New Mexico Tech

Woodpecker, Hairy 1♂ @Socorro: New Mexico Tech

Description: Solid black wing, plain white back, red mark behind eye.

New to my office window list.

Towhee, Spotted 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech

New to my office window list.

Sparrow, White-crowned 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech

Office window.

2005-02-18: NM: Socorro-Luis Lopez-San Antonio-Bosque del Apache

Notable: Common Merganser; Black-crowned Night-Heron; Harlan's Hawk; Greater Yellowlegs

@A101: Socorro: County A-101 (Farm-Market)

@BdA: Bosque del Apache NWR

@day: Socorro-Luis Lopez-San Antonio-Bosque del Apache

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Route 1320 leave Socorro via NM-1, A-101, US-380, NM-1. 1430, stop at refuge HQ to check the logs. Marsh Loop, center road, Farm Loop. Today, at the southeast corner of the old Marsh Loop, the sign allowed passage on either the old, straight northbound leg or the new, wandering leg further east. I did both. 1800, ran out of loop and light.

Film

1320, start new roll of 36exp Kodak VC-400 print film. Meter recalibration, lens just returned from repair: symbols --, -, =, and + refer to light meter reading. Frames 1-4 of Chihuahuan Raven 1/500, frames 5-6 1/250. Sequence of Brewer's Blackbird 1/2000(--) then 1/500(+). Frame 20, Common Merganser. Sequence through fr.32, Northern Pintail, ends with 1/2000(-), 1/1000(+), last frame on auto-exposure. Last frame Northern Harrier at 1/2000(-).

1455, second roll of VC-400. First two frames 1/1000(-), 1/500(+), same Northern Harrier. Fr.4 taking off, 1/1000(?). Fr.5-7, Neotropic Cormorant. Fr. 8-12, American Coot frame-filler. Fr. 13-15, Ring-necked Duck pair. Fr. 16-17, Greater Yellowlegs. Next, Great Blue Heron 1/500(=), 1/250(=), 1/1000(-), through fr.21. Ring-necked Pheasant through fr.30, last at 1/125. Ruddy Duck 1/125, 1/500 = fr.33, meter says 1/250 but bright water dominates. Last three frames Black-crowned Night Heron 1/60, then two at 1/125.

Third roll of VC-400. Frames 1-2 Bald Eagle adult, that's all for today.

Goose, Snow 3000+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Goose, Ross' 1000+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

One dense flock on the north end had about 3:1 Snow:Ross.

Goose, Canada 100+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

All good-sized birds. Yes, I'm checking for Cackling.

Gadwall @Bosque del Apache NWR

Fourth most numerous dabbler.

Mallard 20+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Contrary to ``Happy Mallard Corner'' a month ago, that corner was pretty sparse today, only about 20 ducks total, and none of them Mallards.

Teal, Cinnamon 10+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Shoveler, Northern @Bosque del Apache NWR

Most numerous dabbler today.

Pintail, Northern @Bosque del Apache NWR

Second most numerous dabbler today.

Teal, Green-Winged @Bosque del Apache NWR

Third most numerous dabbler today.

Canvasback 3 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Redhead 10+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Duck, Ring-necked 20+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Scaup, Lesser

3♂ @Bosque del Apache NWR

1♀ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Bufflehead 3♂ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Merganser, Common 1♀ @Bosque del Apache NWR

In the small pond directly across NM-1 from the headquarters.

Duck, Ruddy 80+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Pheasant, Ring-necked 4 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Grebe, Pied-billed 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Cormorant, Neotropic 6 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Heron, Great Blue 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Night-Heron, Black-crowned 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Usual heron roost, the triangular pond just south of the east end of the center road.

Description: Note nuptial plume visible in photo.

Eagle, Bald

3-6a @Bosque del Apache NWR

Two adults perched close together on a branch inspired this haiku: Bosque winter day/Goose-murdering valentines/Eagles side by side.

2-3i @Bosque del Apache NWR

Harrier, Northern 4+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Hawk, Cooper's 1a @Bosque del Apache NWR

Hawk, Red-tailed 4 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Hawk, Harlan's 1 @Socorro: County A-101 (Farm-Market)

Description: Dark underparts while perched except for random light streaking on the upper chest. In flight, underbody and patagium blackish, flight feathers whitish. Tail dark-tipped, rest is light, no red color.

Kestrel, American 6 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Coot, American 400+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

One tight raft of 150 on the north half of the pond containing the Boardwalk.

Crane, Sandhill 2000+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Killdeer 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Vocalizations: Heard only.

Yellowlegs, Greater 1-2 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Marsh loop. Saw one, later saw another nearby, could be the same bird. Long, slightly decurved bill.

Pigeon, Rock @Bosque del Apache NWR

San Antonio, farms.

Collared-Dove, Eurasian 5+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

San Antonio.

None

Dove, White-winged 10+ @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Dove, Mourning 5 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Dove, Inca 10 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Flicker, Northern 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Phoebe, Black 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Phoebe, Say's 4 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Raven, Chihuahuan 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR

One perched on a fence near the Socorro Airport.

Vocalizations: 'Rack rack'.

Robin, American # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Towhee, Spotted 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Sparrow, White-crowned 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Junco, Oregon 2 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Blackbird, Red-winged 500+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Meadowlark, Western 10+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Vocalizations: Heard one good song.

Blackbird, Brewer's @Bosque del Apache NWR

Plentiful on a farm east of NM-1 where it intersects the road to the San Antonio dump. Big flocks mixed with Red-winged Blackbird about 2:3, but I didn't see any cowbirds today.

Grackle, Great-tailed 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

``Downtown'' San Antonio.

Finch, House 8+ @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Goldfinch, American 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR

2005-02-20: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Thrasher, Curve-billed @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Vocalizations: Full song at 1825 MST, almost dark!