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Shipman's field notes, Sep 2005

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2005-09-03: NM: Socorro

@NMT: New Mexico Tech
@Soc: Socorro
@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch
Dove, Inca 3 @Socorro: 507 Fitch
Hummingbird, Black-chinned @New Mexico Tech
Vireo, Plumbeous @New Mexico Tech
Species #32 on the Speare 119 office window list.
Description: Pretty dark gray upperparts generally. Two broad white wingbars. Pothook-shaped white eyering. Secondary edges gray.
Swallow, Barn # @Socorro: 507 Fitch

2005-09-04: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

@TBay: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Route 1145-1330, work Turtle Bay area behind Macey Center.
domestic goose sp. 4 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Description: Two brown, two white.
domestic duck sp. 38 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Wigeon, American 
1♂ @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
1♀ @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Grebe, Pied-billed 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Hawk, Cooper's 1i @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Description: Good-sized; underparts with thin dark streaks.
Bound on to a Northern Mockingbird that was still struggling when I first saw it, but not for long. The hawk was shortly pluming his meal.
Kestrel, American @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Vocalizations: Calling on the golf course.
Coot, American 5 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Dove, White-winged # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Kingfisher, Belted 2 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Raven, Common 2 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Vocalizations: Heard the 'gurgle' call, described in some of my older notes as the 'monkey-block' call.
Swallow, Barn @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Mockingbird, Northern 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Prey of a Cooper's Hawk.
Warbler, Wilson's 2 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Goldfinch, Lesser @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

2005-09-05: NM: Socorro-Bosque del Apache

Notable:  Peregrine Falcon; Baird's Sandpiper; Black Tern; Gray Catbird
@BdA: Bosque del Apache NWR
@Board: Bosque del Apache NWR: Boardwalk pond
@NBoard: Bosque del Apache: north Boardwalk pond
Separated from Boardwalk Pond by a berm, this pond is visible from a few points along the Marsh Loop, and also from NM-1, where it is south of Pond #1.
@Pond1: Bosque del Apache: Pond #1
First pond visible from NM-1 south of the Canyon Trail. In the morning this was the only shorebird habitat; in the afternoon there were no shorebirds except for one Spotted Sandpiper.
@TBay: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
@day: Socorro-Bosque del Apache
@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch
Route 1020, look at Turtle Bay. 1050, head for the refuge. 1125, arrive refuge headquarters; work ponds along NM-1 south of Canyon Trailhead, south loop, seasonal road, north loop. 1445, end.
Film 1000, load new roll of VC-400 print film. [,8] lizard. [,14] pewee. [,19] kestrel.
Frames through 8, small lizard near Bosque HQ, snout-vent length maybe 2".
Goose, Canada # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Wigeon, American 10+ @Bosque del Apache NWR
Shoveler, Northern # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Pintail, Northern # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Duck, Ruddy 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Quail, Gambel's # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Pheasant, Ring-necked 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Grebe, Pied-billed # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Aechmophorus sp. 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR: Boardwalk pond
Grebe, Western 12 @Bosque del Apache NWR: Boardwalk pond
Grebe, Clark's 7 @Bosque del Apache NWR: Boardwalk pond
Cormorant, Neotropic 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR: Boardwalk pond
Pelican, American White 60+ @Bosque del Apache NWR
Heron, Great Blue # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Vulture, Turkey # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Hawk, Sharp-shinned a♀ @New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
2005-09-05-0003
Kestrel, American 5 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Falcon, Peregrine @Bosque del Apache NWR
Circling over the south end of the Marsh Loop.
Description: Falcon shape with long, square tail and pointed wings. Too big and fast-flying to be a kestrel. Generally very dark above and below except for white on the face: it looked dark like the Peale's Falcon that was my lifer peregrine back on the California coast.
2005-09-05-0011
Coot, American # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Plover, Semipalmated 1 @Bosque del Apache: Pond #1
Killdeer # @Bosque del Apache: Pond #1
Avocet, American 10+ @Bosque del Apache: Pond #1
Sandpiper, Spotted 1 @Bosque del Apache: Pond #1
Seen around 1430, when all the other shorebirds had cleared out from this location.
Sandpiper, Western 2+ @Bosque del Apache: Pond #1
Description: Longer bill and slightly larger than Least, bill with a slight droop. Black legs.
Sandpiper, Least 8+ @Bosque del Apache: Pond #1
Description: Small size, greenish-yellow legs.
Sandpiper, Baird's 1 @Bosque del Apache: Pond #1
Description: Larger than Western; wings extend pass tail tip and cross.
Gull, Ring-billed 1 @Bosque del Apache: north Boardwalk pond
Tern, Black 3 @Bosque del Apache: north Boardwalk pond
Description: Two generally grayish, one much blacker.
2005-09-05-00212005-09-05-0022
Pigeon, Rock # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Collared-Dove, Eurasian # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Dove, White-winged # @Socorro: 507 Fitch
Dove, Mourning # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Dove, Inca 3 @Socorro: 507 Fitch
2005-09-05-00042005-09-05-0006
hummingbird sp. # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Kingfisher, Belted 1 @New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Wood-Pewee, Western # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Empidonax sp. 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Phoebe, Black 3 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Kingbird, Western # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Vireo, Warbling 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch
raven sp. 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Swallow, Northern Rough-winged # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Swallow, Bank 3+ @Bosque del Apache NWR
Swallow, Cliff # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Swallow, Barn # @Bosque del Apache NWR
As on my previous visit on 8-21, large numbers of swallows were swarming around the dead trees in the "old rookery" at the east end of the center road. I'd guess there were at least 600 total, of which about 4/5 were Barn and most of the rest Cliff, with just a few Rough-wing and at least three Bank.
Catbird, Gray @Bosque del Apache NWR
Where the seasonal road's eastbound leg turns north. I've seen catbirds at least twice before around this spot.
Description: Robin-sized bird appearing dark gray even in full sun.
Vocalizations: Mewing call issued from the thicket after the bird dived into it.
Warbler, MacGillivray's 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch
In the Russian olives by the end of my driveway.
My first of the fall.
Warbler, Wilson's 3+ @New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Sparrow, Chipping 1? @Bosque del Apache NWR
See photos.
Sparrow, Lark 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Tanager, Western 1♀ @Bosque del Apache NWR
Near refuge headquarters.
Grosbeak, Blue 
1♂ @Bosque del Apache NWR
1♀ @Bosque del Apache NWR
Blackbird, Red-winged # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Blackbird, Yellow-headed 4+ @Bosque del Apache NWR
Old rookery.
Grackle, Great-tailed # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Finch, House # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Goldfinch, Lesser # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Sparrow, House # @Bosque del Apache NWR

2005-09-06: NM: Socorro

@Soc: Socorro
@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch
Heron, Green @Socorro
Hard by the road to the golf course pro shop, near the "Duck Xing" sign.
Killdeer @Socorro
Swallow, Barn @Socorro
Tech Golf Course.
Thrasher, Curve-billed @Socorro: 507 Fitch
Description: "Megabill", with extra-long upper mandible.
Sparrow, Brewer's # @Socorro
Near Campus Police office.

2005-09-07: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech

@NMT: Socorro: New Mexico Tech
Phainopepla @Socorro: New Mexico Tech
Species #33 on the Speare 119 office window list.

2005-09-10: NM: Socorro

Notable:  Green-tailed Towhee; Clay-colored Sparrow
@Soc: Socorro
Route All these notes come from time 0840-0900 on "the diagonal", a road that heads at an angle from near the south end of Hope Farms Road and connects with several ditch roads and ultimately to the Low Flow Channel bank.
Kestrel, American @Socorro
Wood-Pewee, Western # @Socorro
Phoebe, Black 1 @Socorro
Phoebe, Say's 1 @Socorro
Starling, European @Socorro
Warbler, Wilson's @Socorro
Towhee, Green-tailed 1 @Socorro
Sparrow, Chipping # @Socorro
Sparrow, Clay-colored 4+ @Socorro
Description: Broad clear gray nape. Crown brown with fine black streaking. Dark 'mustache' line. Much buffy-orange color on the breast. It helps to have direct comparisons to both Brewer's and Chipping sparrows: these birds are much more orange and light-colored.
2005-09-05-00162005-09-05-0017
Sparrow, Brewer's # @Socorro
Sparrow, Lark @Socorro
Tanager, Summer @Socorro
Grosbeak, Blue # @Socorro

2005-09-11: NM: Socorro

@Soc: Socorro
@TBay: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
@diag: Socorro: Hope Farms Diagonal
Near the southern end of Hope Farms Road on the east side of Socorro, but north of the Hope Farms corral complex, this road goes southwest to connect with the Low Flow Channel.
Route Midday, quick look at Turtle Bay. 1715-1820, revisit "The Diagonal" to photograph some sparrows.
Film
Started with frame 23 of the VC-400 roll that was started 2005-09-05. Frames 23-34 all the same Vesper Sparrow; then Blue Grosbeak, then a probable Chipping Sparrow. Finished 1750.
At 1750, started a entire roll of Fuji Reala 100; finished 1820 and left the camera empty. Frames through 7, Vesper Sparrow. Through 20, Spizella. Through 23, red dragonfly.
Some kind of light-colored bat flew through Turtle Bay. It had a wingspan of about 5". Time was 1315.
Wigeon, American 2 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Quail, Gambel's # @Socorro: Hope Farms Diagonal
Grebe, Pied-billed 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Kestrel, American 1 @Socorro: Hope Farms Diagonal
Coot, American 4 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Kingbird, Western # @Socorro: Hope Farms Diagonal
Mockingbird, Northern @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Description: Streaky-breasted immature.
Warbler, Wilson's 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Sparrow, Clay-colored @Socorro: Hope Farms Diagonal
2005-09-11-00142005-09-11-00162005-09-11-00172005-09-11-00202005-09-11-0021
Sparrow, Vesper @Socorro: Hope Farms Diagonal
2005-09-11-00062005-09-11-0030
Grosbeak, Blue @Socorro: Hope Farms Diagonal
Description: Streaky immature and female.
2005-09-11-0035
Finch, House # @Socorro: Hope Farms Diagonal

2005-09-14: NM: Socorro

@Soc: Socorro
Roadrunner, Greater 3 @Socorro
Hanging around the fenced enclosure on the south end of the Socorro railroad station.
Vocalizations: One made a hollow buzzing noise like a very large grasshopper.

2005-09-15: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

@TBay: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Something tiny, dark and mega-skulky was around the west side of Macey Center. MacGillivray's? Swainson's Warbler? Wren? Space alien? I couldn't get any amount of look at it.
Wigeon, American 2 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Grebe, Pied-billed 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Heron, Green 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Accipiter sp. 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Coot, American 3 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Kingfisher, Belted 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Woodpecker, Ladder-backed 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Tanager, Western 1♀ @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

2005-09-16: NM: Socorro-Melrose Trap

@Melrose: Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Trap
@day: Socorro-Melrose Trap
@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch St.
Route 0915, leave Socorro via I-25^N and US-60^E. 1335, arrive Melrose Trap, encountered Jerry Oldenettel and Dave Cleary. 1420, leave, drive to Carlsbad.
Harrier, Northern ϕ @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Trap
Kestrel, American @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Trap
Woodpecker, Red-headed 1i @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Trap
Wood-Pewee, Western @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Trap
Raven, Chihuahuan 2 @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Trap
Vocalizations: By 'rack rack' calls.
Mockingbird, Northern @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Trap
Thrasher, Curve-billed @Socorro: 507 Fitch St.
Warbler, Wilson's 1 @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Trap
When you see one Wilson's Warbler at Melrose, it can't really be considered a warbler fallout.
Tanager, Western 1♀ @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Trap

2005-09-17: NM: Rattlesnake Springs-Melrose Trap

Notable:  Osprey; Virginia's Warbler; Townsend's Warbler; Black-and-white Warbler; Common Yellowthroat; Clay-colored Sparrow; Scarlet Tanager
@BrL: Brantley Lake: Cheapskate Point
@MT: Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Trap
@RS: Rattlesnake Springs
@day: Rattlesnake Springs-Melrose Trap
Route 0635, arrive RS just before dawn. Parked at the far end, walked up to the picnic area and back. Met Steve West there. 1050, leave RS. 1350, quick look at Cheapskate Point at Brantley Lake, nothing there but a bunch of boaters. 1745-1900, Melrose Trap, where I met Gary Parker.
Film Day started on frame 6 of a roll of VC-400.
Mule Deer pronking across the road near dawn. Lots of Brush Rabbits out early. Photos include a butterfly in a bronze-orange color with a sprinkling of round white spots around the margin.
Rattlesnake was quite dead early except for the Black-and-white Warbler. I was about to leave and went over to look one more time at the tiny pond hidden in the trees just west of the main pond, and was rewarded with a nice little warbler fallout.
Turkey, Wild 10 @Rattlesnake Springs
Ibis, Glossy 1 @Rattlesnake Springs
One bird flying over the main pond.
Vulture, Turkey 30+ @Rattlesnake Springs
Osprey 1 @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Trap
Perched briefly on a tall tree north of the fence.
2005-09-17-00072005-09-17-0008
Hawk, Sharp-shinned 1 @Rattlesnake Springs
Hawk, Red-tailed 1 @Rattlesnake Springs
Roosting with the vultures.
Killdeer 1 @Brantley Lake: Cheapskate Point
Pigeon, Rock # @Rattlesnake Springs
Dove, Mourning # @Rattlesnake Springs
hummingbird sp. # @Rattlesnake Springs
Kingfisher, Belted 1♀ @Rattlesnake Springs
Woodpecker, Red-headed @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Trap
2005-09-17-00012005-09-17-00042005-09-17-0005
Woodpecker, Ladder-backed # @Rattlesnake Springs
One female completely entering a cavity, and chipping away inside it.
Flicker, Northern # @Rattlesnake Springs
Flycatcher, Olive-sided 1 @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Trap
Perched on tall trees north of the fence. At one point it was displaced from that perch by an Osprey.
Wood-Pewee, Western # @Rattlesnake Springs
Flycatcher, Least ? @Rattlesnake Springs
Description: Bill very short and stubby. White feature around eye thicker in front of bill than behind; although the rear margin of the white feature might be described as slightly pointed, it wasn't the large almond-shaped eyering of a "Western" type. Very nervous, flicking wings frequently. Gary Parker seemed reasonable sure of this species.
Phoebe, Black # @Rattlesnake Springs
Phoebe, Say's # @Rattlesnake Springs
Flycatcher, Vermilion # @Rattlesnake Springs
Kingbird, Cassin's 2 @Rattlesnake Springs
Shrike, Loggerhead @Rattlesnake Springs
Vireo, Bell's # @Rattlesnake Springs
Vocalizations: Longer phrases than the Solitary types, with longer pauses between them. Singing fairly often today.
Again I failed to get any half-decent photos. They move too frequently and are too rarely out of cover, if you can find them in the first place. Still, they were fairly ubiquitous today.
Swallow, Cave # @Rattlesnake Springs
Swallow, Barn # @Rattlesnake Springs
Warbler, Virginia's @Rattlesnake Springs
2005-09-17-00352005-09-17-0036
Same location as Townsend's Warbler.
Warbler, Townsend's 1 @Rattlesnake Springs
Small hidden pond just west of the main pond.
2005-09-17-00332005-09-17-0034
Warbler, Black-and-white 1 @Rattlesnake Springs
Near the pond outflow.
Seen just after dawn.
Yellowthroat, Common 1i♂ @Rattlesnake Springs
Same location as Townsend's Warbler.
Description: Strong yellow throat and breast, plain brown elsewhere except for an irregular mottling of black mask.
Warbler, Wilson's 
2 @Rattlesnake Springs
2 @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Trap
Chat, Yellow-breasted 2 @Rattlesnake Springs
Towhee, Canyon 1 @Rattlesnake Springs
2005-09-17-0010
Sparrow, Chipping # @Rattlesnake Springs
As usual these days, I'm having a hard time sorting these out from Brewer's and Clay-colored. A few had the solid rusty cap that makes it easy.
Sparrow, Clay-colored @Rattlesnake Springs
Description: Cleaner white underparts with warm color around the breast. Clean gray nape. With Chippings, bathing in the freshwater outflow north of the road.
2005-09-17-00132005-09-17-00232005-09-17-0026
Sparrow, Lark 
# @Rattlesnake Springs
2 @Brantley Lake: Cheapskate Point
Tanager, Summer # @Rattlesnake Springs
Tanager, Scarlet ϕ? @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Trap
As I sat on a log near the NW corner of the fence, this bird perched about six yards in front of me as I observed it through my 10x42 Swarovski glasses for about two minutes. No photos, unfortunately, due to lack of light; a reasonable exposure would probably have been about 1/15 on ISO 400 film at f/5.6, and I felt my time was better spent studying the bird while I still had it at close range, and was also worried that lifting the camera rig might have spooked it at such close range.
Description: Size about 30% larger than Wilson's Warbler in direct comparison. Yellow-green overall, above and below, with greener crown. Thin complete light eyering. Folded wing plain gray, no wingbars. Short and stubby tanager bill, top of the upper mandible evenly curved in an almost exact circle; lower margin of the lower mandible quite straight. The bill shape and proportions match the artwork in the Sibley Western Guide better than they match the Sibley Guide. Gary Parker found this bird, but didn't get as good a look at it. We tried to make it into an immature Painted Bunting, but eliminated that by size (too large) and bill shape. I ran into Gary again a month or so later and he told me that he was of the opinion that it was an immature Painted Bunting. Using Sibley's dimensions, Painted Bunting is about 15% larger than a Wilson's Warbler, while the tanager is more like 45% larger, so the size estimate doesn't really nail it. Call it questionable.
Tanager, Western 
2 @Rattlesnake Springs
1♀ @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Trap
Cardinal, Northern # @Rattlesnake Springs
Passerina sp. ♀ @Rattlesnake Springs
Description: After I got a look at this nice rich brown bunting with two wingbars, I checked the book and found that the differences between female Lazuli and Indigo buntings are subtle. Could have been either.
Finch, House # @Rattlesnake Springs
Goldfinch, Lesser # @Rattlesnake Springs

2005-09-20: NM: Socorro

@Soc: Socorro
@TBay: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
@Terry: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake
@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch
Grebe, Pied-billed 
1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake
Coot, American 
2 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
11 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake
Kingfisher, Belted 1 @Socorro
Swallow, Barn # @Socorro
Kinglet, Ruby-crowned 2 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
First of the fall.
Thrasher, Curve-billed 2 @Socorro: 507 Fitch
Description: Neither is 'Megabill,' with oversized upper mandible. Therefore, there are at least three around.
Warbler, Wilson's 2 @Socorro

2005-09-21: NM: New Mexico Tech

@NMT: New Mexico Tech
Vulture, Turkey # @New Mexico Tech

2005-09-28: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

@TBay: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Grebe, Pied-billed 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Coot, American 2 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Kingfisher, Belted 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
Warbler, Wilson's # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

2005-09-30: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech

Notable:  Osprey
@NMT: Socorro: New Mexico Tech
Osprey 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech
Soaring over campus.
Species #34 on the Speare 119 office window list.
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Last updated: 2011-05-23 18:54 MDT