Shipman's field notes, Dec 2008

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2008-12-01: NM: Socorro County
Notable: Hooded Merganser; Cattle Egret; Bald Eagle
2008-12-02: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay
2008-12-04: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch
2008-12-10: NM: Socorro
2008-12-13: NM: Socorro
2008-12-14: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech
2008-12-17: NM: Socorro
2008-12-21: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch
2008-12-24: NM: Albuquerque: Fairview Memorial Park
2008-12-25: NM: Albuquerque: Fairview Memorial Park
2008-12-27: NM: Caballo Lake area, non-CBC
Notable: Inca Dove
2008-12-27: NM: Caballo CBC
2008-12-31: NM: Sierra County
Notable: Mew Gull; California Gull

2008-12-01: NM: Socorro County

Notable: Hooded Merganser; Cattle Egret; Bald Eagle

@BdA: Bosque del Apache NWR

@LLSAnt: Luis Lopez-San Antonio

@SocCo: Socorro County

@SocLL: Socorro-Luis Lopez

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Route

11:55, leave Socorro for Bosque via NM-1 and Socorro County A-101 (Farm-Market Road).

12:42, pass through San Antonio.

13:15, Bosque del Apache, center road and Marsh Loop, with scoping from the Boardwalk.

16:35, leave the refuge.

Goose, Blue # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Goose, white Snow # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Goose, Ross' # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Goose, Canada # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Gadwall # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Wigeon, American # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Mallard # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Shoveler, Northern # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Pintail, Northern # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Most numerous duck on the refuge, more than all other ducks combined.

Teal, Green-Winged # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Canvasback # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Redhead # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Duck, Ring-necked # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Bufflehead # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Merganser, Hooded

All in the two ponds visible only from NM-1.

5♂ @Bosque del Apache NWR

All in the two ponds visible only from NM-1.

2+♀ @Bosque del Apache NWR

All in the two ponds visible only from NM-1.

Merganser, Common

1♂ @Bosque del Apache NWR

3♀ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Duck, Ruddy # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Grebe, Pied-billed # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Grebe, Western 4 @Bosque del Apache NWR

North end of the Boardwalk pond. There were a few more Aechmophorus grebes in the ponds visible from NM-1.

Heron, Great Blue 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Egret, Cattle 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Rather late.

Eagle, Bald 2a @Bosque del Apache NWR

Just east of the Flight Deck.

Harrier, Northern

1♂ @Bosque del Apache NWR

3-5♀ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Hawk, Sharp-shinned 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Hawk, Red-tailed

1 @Socorro-Luis Lopez

# @Bosque del Apache NWR

Kestrel, American # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Coot, American # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Crane, Sandhill # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Gull, Ring-billed 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Phoebe, Say's # @Luis Lopez-San Antonio

Raven, Chihuahuan # @Socorro-Luis Lopez

Standing on the railroad track. Note the long feathering on the upper mandible.

Robin, American 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Pipit, American 1 @Luis Lopez-San Antonio

Sparrow, Song 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Vocalizations: 'beerp' note heard from cattails; no sightings.

Sparrow, White-crowned 1 @Luis Lopez-San Antonio

Blackbird, Red-winged # @Bosque del Apache NWR

2008-12-02: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

@TBay: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

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

Description: One male's face was yellow below the green stripe. This might be the same aberrant individual seen here before; see my notes for 2005-11-16.

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

2008-12-04: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Thrasher, Curve-billed 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

2008-12-10: NM: Socorro

@NMT: Socorro: New Mexico Tech

@Soc: Socorro

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Dove, Inca 2 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Kinglet, Ruby-crowned 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech

2008-12-13: NM: Socorro

@Soc: Socorro

@Terry: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Wigeon, American # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake

Redhead # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake

Duck, Ring-necked # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake

Scaup, Lesser 1♀ @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake

Grebe, Pied-billed 2 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake

Hawk, Sharp-shinned 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Behavior: Lurking by my feeder.

Coot, American # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake

2008-12-14: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech

@NMT: Socorro: New Mexico Tech

Dove, White-winged # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech

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

Robin, American # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech

Waxwing, Cedar # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech

Warbler, Audubon's # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech

2008-12-17: NM: Socorro

@NMT: Socorro: New Mexico Tech

@Soc: Socorro

Gull, Ring-billed 1 @Socorro

Flying near intersection of Bullock and El Camino Real.

Description: By light gray mantle and medium size.

Robin, American # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech

Quite thick on campus today, some trees with over a dozen birds in them. Josef Brown, a math professor, said these were much more wary than local birds usually are.

Blackbird, Red-winged 15+ @Socorro: New Mexico Tech

Junipers between ISD and MSEC buildings. Only a few times in many years have I seen this species on the center of campus, far from water or cattails.

Behavior: Feeding on the copious, round, marble-shaped juniper seeds.

2008-12-21: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Thrasher, Curve-billed 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Last drink of the day from my water feature, time 17:15, dusk.

2008-12-24: NM: Albuquerque: Fairview Memorial Park

@ABQ: Albuquerque: Fairview Memorial Park

Crow, American # @Albuquerque: Fairview Memorial Park

This beautiful cemetery is a good place to find lots of crows all winter long. They really appreciated the chicharrones (fried pork skins) we brought, and I really appreciated the opportunity to shoot pictures of them at close range. They're not all that tame. It is difficult to throw a chicharron very far out the car window, and that is just a bit too close for their comfort.

2008-12-25: NM: Albuquerque: Fairview Memorial Park

@ABQ: Albuquerque: Fairview Memorial Park

Crow, American # @Albuquerque: Fairview Memorial Park

2008-12-27: NM: Caballo Lake area, non-CBC

Notable: Inca Dove

@CabL: Caballo Lake area, non-CBC

@PDSP: Percha Dam State Park

All these records were inside the Caballo CBC circle, but they were poached in areas where I was not the primary counter, and outside my official effort.

Gadwall 2 @Caballo Lake area, non-CBC

Merganser, Common 1♀ @Caballo Lake area, non-CBC

In the forebay below Caballo Dam.

Heron, Great Blue 1 @Caballo Lake area, non-CBC

Killdeer 1 @Caballo Lake area, non-CBC

Dove, Inca 5 @Caballo Lake area, non-CBC

In the park below the dam, just south of the more southerly restroom building.

Phoebe, Say's # @Caballo Lake area, non-CBC

Bluebird, Western 3 @Percha Dam State Park

Standing on the roof of Carl Lundblad's camper shell.

Phainopepla 1 @Percha Dam State Park

Vocalizations: 'drip' call; heard only.

Warbler, Audubon's 1 @Caballo Lake area, non-CBC

Junco, Gray-headed 1 @Caballo Lake area, non-CBC

Junco, Pink-sided 1 @Caballo Lake area, non-CBC

Below the dam.

Goldfinch, Lesser 1 @Caballo Lake area, non-CBC

Below the dam at the south end of the park.

Description: Black-backed form.

2008-12-27: NM: Caballo CBC

@NMCA: Caballo CBC

Route

Operating as a party of one. Agricultural fields north of Percha State Park and between East Grand Percha Road (the entrance road to the park) and NM-187. Then worked NM-187 south to the circle boundary just south of the village of Arrey, a few short forays east of NM-187, and all the easily navigable public roads going west from NM-187. Careful, patient scoping of the gull flock near the dam and then the body of the reservoir visible from the roads on the west side, from a vantage point near the boat ramp and then from the northernmost extent of the decent roads going north from the boat ramp.

Effort, all by car: 5.75 hours, 39.3 miles. Start 10:37, end 16:22.

Goose, Canada 53 @Caballo CBC

Wigeon, American 500 @Caballo CBC

Mallard 1♀ @Caballo CBC

Near the dam.

Pintail, Northern 2 @Caballo CBC

Redhead 2 @Caballo CBC

Bufflehead 2 @Caballo CBC

Duck, Ruddy 10 @Caballo CBC

Grebe, Pied-billed 1 @Caballo CBC

Aechmophorus sp. 80 @Caballo CBC

Grebe, Western 91 @Caballo CBC

Grebe, Clark's 28 @Caballo CBC

Pelican, American White 10 @Caballo CBC

Barely visible at 80x, on the eastern shore.

Hawk, Red-tailed 2 @Caballo CBC

Kestrel, American 6 @Caballo CBC

See Prairie Falcon for a behavior note.

Falcon, Prairie 1 @Caballo CBC

Perched on a power pole just north of the corner where East Grand Percha Road bends south. At one point a kestrel swooped at it.

Gull, Ring-billed 385 @Caballo CBC

Long, careful scoping revealed not a single gull that had a different mantle color than light gray or a different leg color than greenish-yellow, or a different size.

Collared-Dove, Eurasian 14 @Caballo CBC

Description: One of the birds was partially albinistic, with several patches of the usual pale tan, but mostly white.

Dove, White-winged 1 @Caballo CBC

Near Arrey.

Dove, Mourning 41 @Caballo CBC

Roadrunner, Greater 1 @Caballo CBC

Flycatcher, Gray 1 @Caballo CBC

Description: Much more strongly colored than most of the Gray Flycatchers I've seen, with a fairly strong olive back and yellow underparts.

Behavior: Had the typical Gray Flycatcher tail-dipping behavior, first dropping the tail, then lifting it.

Phoebe, Say's 6 @Caballo CBC

Shrike, Loggerhead 1 @Caballo CBC

raven sp. 5 @Caballo CBC

Raven, Chihuahuan 3 @Caballo CBC

Vocalizations: 'rack'

Kinglet, Ruby-crowned 2 @Caballo CBC

Thrasher, Crissal 1 @Caballo CBC

Just east of Arrey.

Starling, European 81 @Caballo CBC

Warbler, Audubon's 1 @Caballo CBC

Towhee, Green-tailed 1 @Caballo CBC

Sparrow, Chipping 7 @Caballo CBC

Sparrow, Brewer's 1 @Caballo CBC

Sparrow, Black-throated 1 @Caballo CBC

Sparrow, Lincoln's 1 @Caballo CBC

Sparrow, White-crowned 119 @Caballo CBC

Junco, Pink-sided 1 @Caballo CBC

Pyrrhuloxia 5 @Caballo CBC

Blackbird, Red-winged 5 @Caballo CBC

meadowlark sp. 3 @Caballo CBC

No vocalizations heard.

Blackbird, Yellow-headed 1 @Caballo CBC

In a small cowlot on Wagoneer Road.

Blackbird, Brewer's 10 @Caballo CBC

Grackle, Great-tailed 6 @Caballo CBC

Finch, House 5 @Caballo CBC

Sparrow, House 37 @Caballo CBC

2008-12-31: NM: Sierra County

Notable: Mew Gull; California Gull

@EB: Elephant Butte (town)

@RCM: Rock Canyon Marina

@SICo: Sierra County

Route Sat on the bluff about 200 yards from the gull flock and scoped them at about 80x for over three hours, from about 1400-1700. The photos are uniformly pretty cruddy, but the best I could do at that range.

In search of the recently sighted Lesser Black-backed Gull, but no such luck.

Gadwall # @Rock Canyon Marina

Shoveler, Northern # @Rock Canyon Marina

Grebe, Pied-billed # @Rock Canyon Marina

Grebe, Western # @Rock Canyon Marina

Grebe, Clark's # @Rock Canyon Marina

Cormorant, Neotropic 4 @Rock Canyon Marina

Pelican, American White 19 @Rock Canyon Marina

Heron, Great Blue @Rock Canyon Marina

Kestrel, American 1♂ @Rock Canyon Marina

Coot, American @Rock Canyon Marina

Gull, Mew 1i @Rock Canyon Marina

Gull, Ring-billed # @Rock Canyon Marina

Gull, California 2i @Rock Canyon Marina

Gull, Herring 3a @Rock Canyon Marina

raven sp. 1 @Sierra County

Wren, Rock 1 @Rock Canyon Marina

Around 1715 MST, when the light was rapidly failing, this bird hopped up on a nearby post for a few seconds. Focus is poor, but I was lucky to get a shot at all.

Bluebird, Mountain 4 @Elephant Butte (town)

Blackbird, Red-winged 2 @Rock Canyon Marina

Blackbird, Brewer's # @Rock Canyon Marina