Shipman's field notes, Feb 2010

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2010-02-02: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch
2010-02-03: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake
2010-02-05: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch
2010-02-10: NM: Socorro
2010-02-11: NM: Socorro
2010-02-13: NM: Socorro County
Notable: Hermit Thrush; Crissal Thrasher
2010-02-14: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch
Notable: Inca Dove
2010-02-16: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch
2010-02-19: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch
2010-02-21: NM: Socorro County
Notable: Virginia Rail; Northern Mockingbird; Canyon Towhee
2010-02-24: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch
2010-02-25: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

2010-02-02: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Scrub-Jay, Western 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Sparrow, White-crowned # @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Junco, Pink-sided 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Sparrow, House # @Socorro: 507 Fitch

2010-02-03: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake

@Terry: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake

Canvasback 3 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake

Redhead # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake

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

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

2010-02-05: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Scrub-Jay, Western 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Thrasher, Curve-billed 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

2010-02-10: NM: Socorro

@Soc: Socorro

Robin, American # @Socorro

Numerous on Tech campus and along Hope Farms Road.

2010-02-11: NM: Socorro

@NMT: Socorro: New Mexico Tech

@Soc: Socorro

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

My 300mm Nikkor lens, hors de combat since October, came back from Authorized Photo Service yesterday. The pictures tell me it's as sharp as when it was new in 1980.

Kestrel, American # @Socorro

Crane, Sandhill 25+ @Socorro

Fields along Chaparral Drive.

Dove, White-winged

# @Socorro: 507 Fitch

# @Socorro

Phoebe, Say's 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech

Bluebird, Western # @Socorro

Bluebird, Mountain 100+ @Socorro

I'm not entirely sure about the ID of the pictured individual. What is the meaning of the flecks of buff color on the breast?

Robin, American # @Socorro

The photos are for acutance testing. I realize this species is not terribly rare.

Starling, European # @Socorro

Sparrow, White-crowned # @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Junco, Oregon # @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Blackbird, Red-winged 1 @Socorro

meadowlark sp. # @Socorro

Sparrow, House # @Socorro: 507 Fitch

2010-02-13: NM: Socorro County

Notable: Hermit Thrush; Crissal Thrasher

@Chap: Socorro: Chaparral Dr.

@LJ: Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex: La Joya Unit

Formerly La Joya State Game Reserve.

@Sev: Sevilleta NWR

@SocCo: Socorro County

@SocNA: Lemitar: Socorro Nature Area

@TBay: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

@road1: Lemitar-Socorro via Escondida

Route

11:30, visit Turtle Bay.

12:25–13:05 drive N on I-25 to Sevilleta NWR (exit 196). Drive to visitor center (closed). Thence back under the interstate to explore the claimed route to waterfowl viewing in the Ladd Gordon complex.

14:30, to Socorro Nature Area. Short walk to the pond and back.

15:25, drive the back roads to Escondida, then I-25 to Socorro.

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

Duck, Ring-necked 1♂ @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Hawk, Sharp-shinned 1 @Lemitar: Socorro Nature Area

Crane, Sandhill # @Lemitar: Socorro Nature Area

Pigeon, Rock # @Lemitar-Socorro via Escondida

Roadrunner, Greater 1 @Lemitar-Socorro via Escondida

Kingfisher, Belted 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Flicker, Red-shafted # @Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex: La Joya Unit

Phoebe, Say's 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Scrub-Jay, Western 2 @Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex: La Joya Unit

raven sp. 1 @Lemitar-Socorro via Escondida

Crow, American # @Lemitar: Socorro Nature Area

Raven, Chihuahuan @Socorro: Chaparral Dr.

Kinglet, Ruby-crowned 1 @Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex: La Joya Unit

Bluebird, Western 2 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Bluebird, Mountain

# @Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex: La Joya Unit

Vocalizations: A flat, short 'jirp'.

# @Lemitar: Socorro Nature Area

Thrush, Hermit 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Robin, American

1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

# @Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex: La Joya Unit

Thrasher, Crissal 1 @Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex: La Joya Unit

Just east of I-25.

Vocalizations: Singing! Similar to Curve-bill song but many elements doubled.

Starling, European # @Socorro: Chaparral Dr.

Waxwing, Cedar

3 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

1 @Lemitar: Socorro Nature Area

Sparrow, White-crowned # @Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex: La Joya Unit

Junco, Dark-eyed # @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Blackbird, Red-winged # @Socorro: Chaparral Dr.

meadowlark sp. # @Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex: La Joya Unit

Grackle, Great-tailed 1 @Socorro: Chaparral Dr.

Finch, House 1 @Sevilleta NWR

2010-02-14: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Notable: Inca Dove

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Dove, Inca 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Vocalizations: 'coo-cook' call note, repeated.

Heard it calling in the morning, later saw it. First one of these I've seen in months.

2010-02-16: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Scrub-Jay, Western 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

2010-02-19: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Scrub-Jay, Western 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

2010-02-21: NM: Socorro County

Notable: Virginia Rail; Northern Mockingbird; Canyon Towhee

@BdA: Bosque del Apache NWR

@SocCo: Socorro County

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

@road1: Luis Lopez-San Antonio

@road2: San Antonio-Bosque del Apache NWR

Route

11:50, leave Socorro via NM-1 south.

12:10, take A-101 south from Luis Lopez.

12:30, San Antonio.

12:50, cross the BNSF-RR on NM-1.

13:10, start the Marsh Loop.

13:40, short walk on and around the Boardwalk.

14:05, rolling again, complete the Marsh Loop and traverse the center road in both directions.

15:20, on foot around the parking lot by the bridge over the Low Flow Channel.

16:00, Farm Loop.

16:55-17:10, short trip further south on NM-1.

17:25, San Antonio.

Goose, Blue 50+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Goose, white Snow 1000+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

In addition to all the live birds, I counted eleven circular white patches in the fields on the north end, characteristic of locations where a predator has plumed a white goose.

Goose, Ross' 500+ @Bosque del Apache NWR

As I've noticed in previous years in late winter, Ross's geese are roughly equal in numbers to Snows and may even outnumber them.

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

Teal, American Green-winged # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Canvasback 3 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Redhead 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Duck, Ring-necked # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Bufflehead # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Duck, Ruddy 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Pheasant, Green @Socorro County

Some time ago I met a fellow here who insisted that he had seen “Green Pheasants”. I think this may have been one of the birds he saw. It had a lot of green color and no trace of a neck ring or white wing patch.

Grebe, Pied-billed 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Cormorant, Neotropic 10 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Four in the Boardwalk pond, six in the old “rookery” at the east end of the center road on the south side.

Heron, Great Blue 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Eagle, Bald

1i @Bosque del Apache NWR

2a @Bosque del Apache NWR

Harrier, Northern @Bosque del Apache NWR

1i @Bosque del Apache NWR

Terrible picture, but illustrates the immature plumage.

4a♀ @Bosque del Apache NWR

2ϕ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Hawk, Red-tailed

1 @Luis Lopez-San Antonio

1i @Bosque del Apache NWR

Description: Intermediate phase.

4a @Bosque del Apache NWR

Description: One dark, two intermediate, one light phase.

I wouldn't consider the bird in the photos to be as light a bird as some I see in eastern NM, but the underparts were whiter with less streaking.

3 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Kestrel, American 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Rail, Virginia 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR

A short walk down the Marsh Trail from the Boardwalk parking lot.

Vocalizations: By voice; grunting duet from reeds.

Coot, American # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Crane, Sandhill # @Luis Lopez-San Antonio

Killdeer 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

dowitcher sp. 50 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Snipe, Wilson's 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR

One just south of the BNSF crossing on NM-1, flushed when a harrier went over it. Another under the bridge over the low-flow channel.

Gull, Ring-billed 4 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Dove, White-winged 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Dove, Mourning # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Roadrunner, Greater 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Woodpecker, Ladder-backed 1♀ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Not a rarity, just happy with the way the photo turned out.

Flicker, Common 1 @San Antonio-Bosque del Apache NWR

Flicker, Red-shafted 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Phoebe, Say's 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Shrike, Loggerhead 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Scrub-Jay, Western 2 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Heard calling at the same time from opposite directions.

Crow, American # @San Antonio-Bosque del Apache NWR

Raven, Chihuahuan 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Description: As it faced into the wind, I observed the white under-feathering on the front of the neck. Note in the photo that the visibility of this color depends on the wind, and in the second picture, taken seconds later, there is no white showing at all.