Shipman's field notes, Sep 2007

How to read Shipman's field notes

2007-09-01: NM: Socorro
2007-09-05: NM: Belen area including Tome
2007-09-06: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch
2007-09-07: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch
2007-09-08: NM: Socorro
2007-09-09: NM: Socorro County
Notable: Peregrine Falcon
2007-09-11: NM: Albuquerque: Tingley Beach
2007-09-12: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch
2007-09-13: NM: Luis Lopez
Notable: Red Phalarope
2007-09-21: NM: Socorro-Melrose Woods-Clovis
Notable: Red-breasted Nuthatch; Orange-crowned Warbler; Black-throated Blue Warbler; Clay-colored Sparrow; Dickcissel
2007-09-22: NM: Clovis-Melrose Woods-Bitter Lake NWR-Carlsbad
Notable: Red-breasted Nuthatch; Orange-crowned Warbler; Black-throated Blue Warbler; Clay-colored Sparrow
2007-09-23: NM: Carlsbad-Rattlesnake Springs-Brantley Lake-Socorro
Notable: Black Tern; Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
2007-09-26: NM: New Mexico Tech
2007-09-30: NM: Socorro-Bosque del Apache NWR
Notable: Osprey; Solitary Sandpiper; Sabine's Gull; Common Tern

2007-09-01: NM: Socorro

@Soc: Socorro

@TBay: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Heron, Green 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Hawk, Cooper's 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Description: Heavy streaks, thick legs, eye forward.

Hummingbird, Black-chinned 1♂ @Socorro

Wood-Pewee, Western 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Swallow, Cliff # @Socorro

Swallow, Barn # @Socorro

Nuthatch, White-breasted 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Vocalizations: 'yadada'

Thrasher, Curve-billed 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Vocalizations: Noisy.

Warbler, Wilson's # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Tanager, Summer 1 @Socorro

2007-09-05: NM: Belen area including Tome

@Belen: Belen area including Tome

Sandpiper, Spotted @Belen area including Tome

Just north of the RailRunner station in Belen, inside a small fenced area with standing water.

Pigeon, Rock # @Belen area including Tome

Mockingbird, Northern 1 @Belen area including Tome

Sparrow, Brewer's 1 @Belen area including Tome

Sparrow, House # @Belen area including Tome

2007-09-06: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Kingbird, Cassin's @Socorro: 507 Fitch

In the top of the mulberry at 601 Fitch.

Vocalizations: 'ga-beer'

2007-09-07: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Dove, White-winged 50+ @Socorro: 507 Fitch

2007-09-08: NM: Socorro

@Soc: Socorro

Mixed flock feeding on the railroad tracks near the Socorro station.

Collared-Dove, Eurasian # @Socorro

Dove, White-winged # @Socorro

2007-09-09: NM: Socorro County

Notable: Peregrine Falcon

@BdA: Bosque del Apache NWR

@Hope: Hope Farm Road

@LL: Luis Lopez

A recent rain left a lot of standing water in the low spot on the north side of Farm-Market Road (County A-101) a short distance east of Luis Lopez.

@Soc: Socorro

@SocCo: Socorro County

@TBay: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Route 0815, to Turtle Bay. 0855, leave Turtle Bay. 1015, to Hope Farm Road area. 1110, leave Hope Farm Road area. 1155, leave Socorro via Luis Lopez. 1215, arrive at temporary pond near Luis Lopez. 1250, lunch break. 1350, to Bosque del Apache NWR. 1415, at the Bosque "Display Pond", then seasonal road and Farm Loop. 1605, Marsh Loop. 1710, leave loop, return to Luis Lopez pond.

Film Start at frame 15 of VC-400 roll started 2007-08-05-1425. 1100, start new roll, Fuji S-400. 1230, start new roll, Kodak VC-400.

Immediate stimulus was a report of a Red Phalarope at the Luis Lopez site; not seen today. Three-foot diamondback rattler on the Bosque tour road.

Goose, Canada # @Bosque del Apache NWR

domestic duck sp. # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Teal, Blue-winged / Teal, Cinnamon # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Mallard # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Shoveler, Northern # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Pintail, Northern # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Teal, Green-Winged # @Luis Lopez

Pheasant, Ring-necked

1 @Hope Farm Road

Vocalizations: Heard only.

# @Bosque del Apache NWR

Grebe, Western

1a @Bosque del Apache NWR

2i @Bosque del Apache NWR

Grebe, Clark's

1a @Bosque del Apache NWR

1i @Bosque del Apache NWR

Cormorant, Neotropic # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Heron, Great Blue # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Heron, Green 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Ibis, White-faced

1 @Luis Lopez

# @Bosque del Apache NWR

Vulture, Turkey # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Harrier, Northern # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Hawk, Sharp-shinned 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Hawk, Swainson's 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Hawk, Red-tailed @Luis Lopez

Vocalizations: Characteristic descending scream.

Kestrel, American 1 @Hope Farm Road

Falcon, Peregrine 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Coot, American

1i @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

# @Bosque del Apache NWR

Plover, Semipalmated @Luis Lopez

Killdeer # @Luis Lopez

Stilt, Black-necked # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Avocet, American # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Yellowlegs, Greater # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Yellowlegs, Lesser

# @Bosque del Apache NWR

1 @Luis Lopez

Sandpiper, Western # @Luis Lopez

Sandpiper, Least # @Luis Lopez

dowitcher sp. 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Phalarope, Wilson's 1 @Luis Lopez

Description: Bill too long for Red. Thought it was a Red-necked because the bill didn't seem all that long or thin, but then it walked out of the muck and I saw the diagnostic leg color, yellow with a slightly greenish tinge.

Tern, Common / Tern, Forster's 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Dove, Mourning # @Hope Farm Road

Kingfisher, Belted 2 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Woodpecker, Ladder-backed 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Flicker, Red-shafted 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Flycatcher, Gray 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Behavior: Tail down, then up.

Phoebe, Say's 1 @Hope Farm Road

Kingbird, Western 1 @Hope Farm Road

raven sp. 1 @Hope Farm Road

Raven, Chihuahuan 1 @Luis Lopez

Vocalizations: 'rack'

Swallow, Cliff # @Hope Farm Road

Swallow, Barn # @Hope Farm Road

wren sp. @Hope Farm Road

Description: Probably Bewick's or House.

Robin, American # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Behavior: Many on Russian Olives.

Starling, European # @Hope Farm Road

Warbler, Wilson's 1? @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Sparrow, Clay-colored @Hope Farm Road

@Hope Farm Road

Individual #1

@Hope Farm Road

Individual #2

@Hope Farm Road

Individual #4. In the frame with two birds, #4 is at lower right.

@Hope Farm Road

Individual #5 is the left-hand bird in the photo.

@Hope Farm Road

Individual #6

@Hope Farm Road

Individual #7

@Hope Farm Road

Individual #8

@Hope Farm Road

Individual #9

@Hope Farm Road

Individual #10

Sparrow, Brewer's

1 @Hope Farm Road

Individual #3: Brewer's, by the tiny bill.

1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Description: Streaky nape.

Sparrow, Vesper # @Hope Farm Road

Sparrow, Lark

# @Hope Farm Road

1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Tanager, Summer 2♀ @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Tanager, Western 1♀ @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Blackbird, Red-winged # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Finch, House # @Hope Farm Road

Goldfinch, Lesser # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Sparrow, House # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

2007-09-11: NM: Albuquerque: Tingley Beach

@ABQ: Albuquerque: Tingley Beach

Goose, white Snow 1 @Albuquerque: Tingley Beach

2007-09-12: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Vireo, Warbling 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

2007-09-13: NM: Luis Lopez

Notable: Red Phalarope

@LL: Luis Lopez

The temporary water on the north side of County A-101, also known as Farm-Market Road, just east of its junction with NM-1.

Film 1215, finished VC-400 started 09-09-1230; loaded Fuji Reala 100.

Harrier, Northern 1 @Luis Lopez

Falcon, Prairie 1 @Luis Lopez

Description: Flyover. Medium size, pointy wings, longish narrow tail, dark axillars.

Phalarope, Red 1 @Luis Lopez

Description: Seen by many. Stubby dark bill, lanky phalarope build.

Raven, Chihuahuan @Luis Lopez

Vocalizations: Continual 'rack' call.

2007-09-21: NM: Socorro-Melrose Woods-Clovis

Notable: Red-breasted Nuthatch; Orange-crowned Warbler; Black-throated Blue Warbler; Clay-colored Sparrow; Dickcissel

@Mel: Melrose Woods

@day: Socorro-Melrose Woods-Clovis

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Route Fall migration micro-blitz. 1050, leave Socorro.

Film Current roll Fuji 100, next frame 33. At 1140, remove Fuji started 09-13-1215; load VC-400. 1650, arrive at Melrose Woods. 1830, leave Melrose Woods.

Lots of pronghorn; probably saw at least 50 today. Badger road-killed near Fort Sumner. In late afternoon, as I sat near the north fence, a diamondback about 2.5' long wandered by me, rattled briefly when I moved, and went on its way. Texas Horned Lizard, by the two dark stripes radiating from the eye.

Prairie-Chicken, Lesser ? @Socorro-Melrose Woods-Clovis

Vocalizations: Several sounds transcribed as 'cluckable'. Similar to the noises I transcribed from the Waldrop Park area, 'clupple-clupple'.

No visual contact whatsoever. I have no idea whether these chickens occur here. It's just a wild guess based on these calls.

Vulture, Turkey # @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Hawk, Swainson's 1 @Socorro-Melrose Woods-Clovis

Hawk, Red-tailed # @Socorro-Melrose Woods-Clovis

Kestrel, American # @Socorro-Melrose Woods-Clovis

Collared-Dove, Eurasian

40+ @Socorro: 507 Fitch

# @Socorro-Melrose Woods-Clovis

Vaughn.

Dove, White-winged 60+ @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Dove, Mourning # @Socorro-Melrose Woods-Clovis

Sapsucker, Red-naped 1 @Melrose Woods

Flicker, Red-shafted 1 @Melrose Woods

Empidonax sp. 1 @Melrose Woods

Description: Eyering just a bit thicker behind the eye than in front.

Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed @Socorro-Melrose Woods-Clovis

De Baca County, US-60 near mile marker 300.

raven sp. # @Socorro-Melrose Woods-Clovis

In pinyon-juniper habitat, US-60E.

Swallow, Barn # @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Nuthatch, Red-breasted 4+ @Melrose Woods

Warbler, Orange-crowned 1 @Melrose Woods

Description: Gray-headed form. Broken thin eyering over and under eye. Brown-gray streaks on breast.

Warbler, Black-throated Blue ♂ @Melrose Woods

Warbler, Yellow-rumped # @Melrose Woods

Warbler, Wilson's # @Melrose Woods

Sparrow, Clay-colored # @Socorro-Melrose Woods-Clovis

Sparrow, Lark # @Socorro-Melrose Woods-Clovis

US-60, west of Mountainair.

Tanager, Western 1♀ @Melrose Woods

Grosbeak, Black-headed 1♀ @Melrose Woods

Grosbeak, Blue 1♀ @Melrose Woods

Dickcissel 2 @Socorro-Melrose Woods-Clovis

Description: Large sparrow; two dark brown crown stripes with lighter brown between; light brown supercilium; dark brown eyeline; black "whiskers" framing a whitish throat; large, light gray bill.

Seen from the car in the SW-most trees as I was leaving; no photos.

meadowlark sp. # @Socorro-Melrose Woods-Clovis

Finch, House # @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Siskin, Pine # @Socorro-Melrose Woods-Clovis

West of Mountainair, where US-60 crosses the BNSF Transcon at the east end of the single-track section, feeding on sunflowers growing along the road.

Goldfinch, Lesser # @Socorro: 507 Fitch

2007-09-22: NM: Clovis-Melrose Woods-Bitter Lake NWR-Carlsbad

Notable: Red-breasted Nuthatch; Orange-crowned Warbler; Black-throated Blue Warbler; Clay-colored Sparrow

@Bit: Bitter Lake NWR

@Clovis: Clovis area

@Mel: Melrose Woods

@day: Clovis-Melrose Woods-Bitter Lake NWR-Carlsbad

Route 0700, leave Clovis. 0755, arrive at Melrose Woods. 1320, leave Melrose Woods. 1640, arrive Bitter Lake NWR. Note: the Old Clovis Highway diverges from US-70 just after crossing the Pecos, for a shorter Melrose-Bitter Lake routing. 1745, leave Bitter Lake, south to Carlsbad.

Film 1015, film change, was VC-400, new roll VC-400. 1240, film change, new roll VC-400. This roll was taken out the next morning before any shots.

teal sp. # @Bitter Lake NWR

Wigeon, American # @Bitter Lake NWR

Pintail, Northern # @Bitter Lake NWR

Grebe, Pied-billed # @Bitter Lake NWR

Pelican, American White # @Bitter Lake NWR

Egret, Great # @Bitter Lake NWR

Egret, Snowy # @Bitter Lake NWR

Heron, Green 1 @Bitter Lake NWR

Ibis, White-faced # @Bitter Lake NWR

Vulture, Turkey # @Melrose Woods

Harrier, Northern

1 @Clovis-Melrose Woods-Bitter Lake NWR-Carlsbad

Roswell: Red Bridge Road.

1 @Clovis-Melrose Woods-Bitter Lake NWR-Carlsbad

South of Hagerman on NM-2.

Hawk, Swainson's 1 @Melrose Woods

South side of US-60 opposite Melrose Woods.

Kestrel, American # @Clovis-Melrose Woods-Bitter Lake NWR-Carlsbad

Killdeer # @Bitter Lake NWR

Yellowlegs, Greater # @Bitter Lake NWR

Sandpiper, Least # @Bitter Lake NWR

Tern, Black # @Bitter Lake NWR

Tern, Forster's 1 @Bitter Lake NWR

Pigeon, Rock # @Clovis area

Dove, White-winged # @Clovis-Melrose Woods-Bitter Lake NWR-Carlsbad

Roswell area.

Dove, Mourning # @Clovis-Melrose Woods-Bitter Lake NWR-Carlsbad

Kingfisher, Belted 1 @Bitter Lake NWR

This pose makes it look a bit like a Kookaburra.

Woodpecker, Red-headed 1i @Melrose Woods

Phoebe, Say's 1 @Melrose Woods

Kingbird, Cassin's 1 @Bitter Lake NWR

Kingbird, Western 1 @Melrose Woods

Vireo, Warbling 1 @Melrose Woods

Jay, Blue ? @Melrose Woods

Vocalizations: 'veerk'

I never saw the source of this noise, but it surely sounded like a Blue Jay call to me.

Raven, Chihuahuan # @Clovis area

Swallow, Barn # @Bitter Lake NWR

Nuthatch, Red-breasted 4+ @Melrose Woods

Wren, House @Melrose Woods

Description: Red tinge on the lower back; no strong superciliary.

Kinglet, Ruby-crowned # @Melrose Woods

Starling, European

# @Clovis area

# @Melrose Woods

Warbler, Orange-crowned 1 @Melrose Woods

Warbler, Black-throated Blue ♂ @Melrose Woods

The photo clearly shows the band on the right leg.

Warbler, Yellow-rumped # @Melrose Woods

Warbler, Audubon's # @Melrose Woods

Warbler, Wilson's # @Melrose Woods

Sparrow, Chipping @Clovis-Melrose Woods-Bitter Lake NWR-Carlsbad

Description: Gray rump.

Sparrow, Clay-colored @Melrose Woods

Sparrow, Vesper # @Bitter Lake NWR

Sparrow, Lincoln's @Melrose Woods

Tanager, Western 1♀ @Melrose Woods

Grosbeak, Black-headed 1♀ @Melrose Woods

Grosbeak, Blue 1♀ @Melrose Woods

Meadowlark, Eastern 2 @Melrose Woods

Vocalizations: 'tear-der^{2-3}'

Meadowlark, Western @Clovis-Melrose Woods-Bitter Lake NWR-Carlsbad

Roswell: Red Bridge Road.

Vocalizations: Singing.

Grackle, Great-tailed # @Clovis area

2007-09-23: NM: Carlsbad-Rattlesnake Springs-Brantley Lake-Socorro

Notable: Black Tern; Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

@BdA: Bosque del Apache NWR

@Brant: Brantley Lake: Cheapskate Point

@RS: Rattlesnake Springs

@Salazar: Lincoln Co.: Salazar Canyon

@day: Carlsbad-Rattlesnake Springs-Brantley Lake-Socorro

Route 0600, leave Carlsbad. 0640, arrive at Rattlesnake Springs; work only pond area and scrub habitat just west of there. 1000, leave pond area. 1040, eastbound on US-62-180. Lunch and film processing in Carlsbad. 1310, leave Carlsbad northbound. 1335, arrive Cheapskate Point at Brantley Lake; way too many people and boats. Left almost immediately. 1500, Roswell, westbound. 1550, drove partway up Salazar Canyon near Lincoln. 1610, rolling westbound. 1810, quick look at the display pond at Bosque del Apache.

Film 0640, new roll of VC-400 loaded; previous roll completed yesterday. Frame 13 next when leaving the pond area.

Brush Rabbit, White-tailed Deer, @RS.

Goose, Canada # @Bosque del Apache NWR

duck sp. 1 @Rattlesnake Springs

Early-morning flyover, eclipse plumage.

Quail, Scaled 3+ @Rattlesnake Springs

Turkey, Wild 15 [uncountable] @Rattlesnake Springs

Tame birds right in the yard of the ranger's house.

Heron, Great Blue 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Egret, Common # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Egret, Snowy # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Harrier, Northern

1 @Carlsbad-Rattlesnake Springs-Brantley Lake-Socorro

N of Artesia.

1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Hawk, Swainson's 1 @Carlsbad-Rattlesnake Springs-Brantley Lake-Socorro

Tern, Black 1 @Brantley Lake: Cheapskate Point

Dove, White-winged

# @Rattlesnake Springs

# @Carlsbad-Rattlesnake Springs-Brantley Lake-Socorro

Dove, Mourning # @Rattlesnake Springs

Roadrunner, Greater 1 @Rattlesnake Springs

Owl, Barn ? @Rattlesnake Springs

Description: Seen well before dawn on 62-180. A large, white owl.

Kingfisher, Belted 2 @Rattlesnake Springs

Phoebe, Black 1 @Rattlesnake Springs

Flycatcher, Vermilion

1♂ @Rattlesnake Springs

1♀ @Rattlesnake Springs

Kingbird, Cassin's # @Rattlesnake Springs

Kingbird, Western # @Rattlesnake Springs

Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed 1 @Rattlesnake Springs

Perched on the speed limit sign near the gateway to Washington Ranch.

Vireo, Bell's # @Rattlesnake Springs

Vocalizations: Singing.

Briefly seen. As usual, no recognizable photos.

Scrub-Jay, Western 1? @Rattlesnake Springs

Vocalizations: Rising 'jape' call.

Not seen, but the call sure sounded like this species.

Raven, Common 1 @Lincoln Co.: Salazar Canyon

Swallow, Tree # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Swallow, Northern Rough-winged # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Swallow, Barn # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Nuthatch, White-breasted 1 @Rattlesnake Springs

Vocalizations: Heard only.

Wren, Bewick's # @Rattlesnake Springs

Warbler, Wilson's # @Rattlesnake Springs

Chat, Yellow-breasted 1 @Rattlesnake Springs

Cardinal, Northern # @Rattlesnake Springs

Blackbird, Red-winged # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Finch, House # @Rattlesnake Springs

Goldfinch, Lesser # @Rattlesnake Springs

2007-09-26: NM: New Mexico Tech

@NMT: New Mexico Tech

Vulture, Turkey 4 @New Mexico Tech

2007-09-30: NM: Socorro-Bosque del Apache NWR

Notable: Osprey; Solitary Sandpiper; Sabine's Gull; Common Tern

@BdA: Bosque del Apache NWR

@Soc: Socorro

@TBay: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

@day: Socorro-Bosque del Apache NWR

Route 0830, arrive Turtle Bay, find rare tern, leave, return with camera. 0940, leave Turtle Bay. 1055, leave home southbound. 1125, arrive at Bosque del Apache NWR. 1225, scoped the Display Pond. 1245, Flight Deck. 1415, leave refuge. 1545, Hope Farm Road in Socorro.

Film 0920, finish roll of VC-400; load Fuji S-200. 1250, change to another roll of Fuji S-200. 1600, change to yet another roll of Fuji S-200.

Goose, Canada # @Bosque del Apache NWR

teal sp. # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Gadwall # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Wigeon, American 40+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Surprisingly many, considering that on many fall or winter days at the refuge I've seen none at all.

Mallard # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Shoveler, Northern # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Pintail, Northern # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Duck, Ruddy # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Pheasant, Ring-necked # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Aechmophorus sp. 3i @Bosque del Apache NWR

Grebe, Western 3 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Grebe, Clark's 3 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Cormorant, Neotropic 13 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Ibis, White-faced # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Vulture, Turkey # @Socorro-Bosque del Apache NWR

Osprey @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Plumage scruffy, dragging one leg. Did get airborne when some golfers came by, but it did not seem in great health. Second photo, with the digital point'n'shoot at the equivalent of 140mm focal length, shows the Osprey in the bottom right corner and the Common Tern flying in the top left corner.

Harrier, Northern 1 @Socorro-Bosque del Apache NWR

South of San Antonio.

Accipiter sp. 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Behavior: Medium size, flying with prey object (bird? mammal?) in talons. Maybe Cooper's.

Kestrel, American # @Socorro-Bosque del Apache NWR

Coot, American # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Sandpiper, Solitary 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Description: White complete eyering. Back largely flat, somewhat darkish brown. Legs greenish-yellow, long. Outer rectrices with lateral fine barring, center third plain brown. Bill dark, not too long, not too thin.

The incredibly rusty state of my shorebird ID skills was again revealed by a laughable series of comic miscalls. Because it was swimming when I first saw it, I thought it might be a phalarope, but the bill was too short and too stout to be a Wilson's or Red-necked, and it didn't fit with my recent encounter with the Luis Lopez Red Phalarope. Then, when I saw the greenish-yellow legs, I tried to make it into a Lesser Yellowlegs, but the legs weren't yellow enough and the whole plumage seemed too plain and brown. Fortunately, a good birder who was visiting the deck asked me if I'd noticed the Solitary Sandpipers, and it was to slap one's forehead, non?

Dowitcher, Long-billed # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Gull, Sabine's i @Bosque del Apache NWR

Description: Scaly back in shades of light brown and gray. Folded wingtips project past tail, forming an X shape. In flight, upperwing showed the characteristic solid black triangle with its narrow apex at the wrist and the narrow base on the primaries contrasting with the white secondaries. Back with a gray saddle.

Behavior: I scoured all the big water bodies in and around the Display Pond for some time and had given up looking for it when I emerged onto the Flight Deck. A few minutes later, around 1310, when I was photographing the Solitary Sandpipers only a few yards away, I saw through the camera finder that the sandpipers were reacting to something larger that was flying above them. I first saw the gull through the camera finder from a range of about ten yards, before I saw it naked-eye! It apparently tried to land on top of one of the sandpipers. A quite tame and unwary bird that was still there when I left, although it did fly to a different spot more like 25 yards away.

I heard about this bird from Jill Buckley, who found it here on 9-28 and 9-29. The 2nd-4th photos aren't even from my usual 600mm telephoto rig; the bird was so close I shot these with my digital point'n'shoot at the equivalent of 140mm.

Tern, Common @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Description: In flight, dark lateral margins on otherwise silvery-white tail. Perched, shows distinct dark carpal bar. Forehead white. Black cap extends well down the nape. Basal half of lower mandible reddish-horn color, rest of bill dark.