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Shipman's field notes, Mar 2011

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2011-03-01: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch
Thrasher, Curve-billed 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch
Breeding: Standing on the more recently-used of the two nests by my driveway. (Observed this behavior only once, and it did not recur by the end of March.)

2011-03-03: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch
Finch, House # @Socorro: 507 Fitch
Siskin, Pine 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

2011-03-04: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake

@Terry: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake
Duck, Ring-necked 4♂ @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake
Coot, American 5 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Terry Lake

2011-03-05: NM: Socorro County

Notable:  White-faced Ibis
@BdA: Bosque del Apache NWR
@SAnt: San Antonio to Bosque del Apache
@SocCo: Socorro County
@road1: Luis Lopez-San Antonio
Route
1115, leave Socorro.
1145, San Antonio.
1210, enter the refuge; Marsh Loop.
1245, survey the pond from the Boardwalk.
1320, rolling.
1350, center road.
1405, Farm Loop.
1435, leave the refuge.
First Mourning Cloak butterfly of the year.
Goose, Blue # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Goose, white Snow # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Goose, Ross' # @Bosque del Apache NWR
2011-03-05-28102011-03-05-28122011-03-05-2823
Goose, Canada # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Gadwall # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Mallard # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Teal, Cinnamon 
1♂ @Bosque del Apache NWR
1♀ @Bosque del Apache NWR
Shoveler, Northern # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Pintail, Northern # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Teal, American Green-winged # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Duck, Ring-necked # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Bufflehead # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Duck, Ruddy # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Quail, Gambel's # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Grebe, Pied-billed # @Bosque del Apache NWR
Grebe, Western 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Boardwalk pond.
2011-03-05-28512011-03-05-2857
The first photo was my best shot of the day. Normally these birds are a hundred yards or more away. I was pretty surprised when this one popped up fairly close in.
Cormorant, Neotropic 5-9 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Cormorant, Double-crested 3 @Bosque del Apache NWR
2011-03-05-28402011-03-05-28412011-03-05-2866
Heron, Great Blue 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR
2011-03-05-2868
Not a wonderful picture, but it cracked me up—that big foot scratching that long scruffy neck.
Ibis, White-faced 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Early.
Eagle, Bald 1a @Bosque del Apache NWR
2011-03-05-2910
Harrier, Northern 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Hawk, Sharp-shinned 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR
2011-03-05-28862011-03-05-28942011-03-05-2898
If you click through the last thumbnail, you'll see a cropped version showing the nictitating membrane mostly covering the eye.
Hawk, Red-tailed 
3a @Luis Lopez-San Antonio
1i @Luis Lopez-San Antonio
2011-03-05-27922011-03-05-27962011-03-05-2803
The first two photos show a dark-phase bird who was hanging out near where A-101 bends to the south; that stretch of A-101, down to US-380, is always a good place to see a variety of Red-tail plumages. The third photo shows a light-phase bird not too much further south.
4 @San Antonio to Bosque del Apache
5 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Kestrel, American 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Coot, American # @Bosque del Apache NWR
I was almost to the Boardwalk before I saw my first coot of the day. This suggests to me that their numbers are down.
Crane, Sandhill 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Dowitcher, Long-billed 40 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Collared-Dove, Eurasian 2 @Luis Lopez-San Antonio
Flicker, Red-shafted 1 @Luis Lopez-San Antonio
Phoebe, Black 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR
2011-03-05-2830
Phoebe, Say's 1 @Luis Lopez-San Antonio
Crow, American 5 @San Antonio to Bosque del Apache
Sparrow, Savannah 1 @San Antonio to Bosque del Apache
Sparrow, Song 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR
2011-03-05-2907
Busily stripping these tiny pale seeds: bird, you got a dirty mouth.
Sparrow, White-crowned 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Junco, Oregon 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Junco, Pink-sided 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Blackbird, Red-winged 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR
Grackle, Common 2? @Socorro County
2011-03-05-2789
There were two of these. Heavy bill and dark eye rule out Brewer's Blackbird. I'm leaning toward Common Grackle, but it might be Great-tailed Grackle regrowing his tail.

2011-03-15: NM: Socorro County

@WCRd: Socorro County: Water Canyon Road
@WCyn: Magdalenas: Water Canyon
@day: Socorro County
Route
10:30, turn off US-60 West onto Water Canyon Road.
10:55, enter the canyon proper.
11:15, walk from near the restroom, down the canyon about 100 yards, then maybe 3/8 of a mile up the canyon.
13:15, drive up to Mesa Trail head; 13:30 drive to the new North Fork campsite, which is open.
13:40, walk up the road to the Group Camp and back.
15:30, rolling.
15:50, back on US-60.
Mourning Cloak butterfly; assorted small rodents and lizards to be keyed out later from photos; a family group of three Pronghorn near the US-60 end of Water Canyon Road.
Woodpecker, Acorn 1 @Magdalenas: Water Canyon
2011-03-15-29282011-03-15-2927
Sapsucker, Red-naped 5 @Magdalenas: Water Canyon
2011-03-15-2940
Woodpecker, Hairy 1 @Magdalenas: Water Canyon
2011-03-15-29222011-03-15-2924
Flicker, Northern 1 @Magdalenas: Water Canyon
Jay, Steller's 2 @Magdalenas: Water Canyon
Vocalizations: By call, rapid 'quoi' sequences, about 8/sec.
Raven, Common 1 @Magdalenas: Water Canyon
Chickadee, Mountain 1 @Magdalenas: Water Canyon
Titmouse, Juniper 1-2 @Magdalenas: Water Canyon
Near the Group Camp.
Vocalizations: The usual 'dee^2-dah^3' sequence, also something like just the second half, more like 'diddidy'.
2011-03-15-29602011-03-15-2959
Bushtit # @Magdalenas: Water Canyon
2011-03-15-29182011-03-15-2917
Kinglet, Ruby-crowned 1 @Magdalenas: Water Canyon
Bluebird, Western 1 @Magdalenas: Water Canyon
Thrasher, Sage 1 @Socorro County: Water Canyon Road
On the fence about 3/4 of the way to the canyon.
Sparrow, Chipping 1 @Magdalenas: Water Canyon
2011-03-15-2964
Sparrow, Sage 1 @Socorro County: Water Canyon Road
Description: Largeish sparrow, almost the size of the Sage Thrasher. Head a solid lead-gray.
Junco, Gray-headed # @Magdalenas: Water Canyon
Junco, Oregon # @Magdalenas: Water Canyon

2011-03-15: NM: Socorro

@Soc: Socorro
Vulture, Turkey [fide Jim Campbell] @Socorro
First of the season.

2011-03-16: NM: Socorro

@Soc: Socorro
Owl, Great Horned 1[fide Al Stavely] @Socorro
Near the eponymous lake at the end of Calle de Lago.

2011-03-20: NM: Tome: Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area

@WWCA: Tome: Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area
First day of spring. Sunny, some breeze. No camera.
Harrier, Northern 1a♀ @Tome: Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area
Kestrel, American 1 @Tome: Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area
Coot, American 2 @Tome: Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area
Roadrunner, Greater 1 @Tome: Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area
Phoebe, Say's 1 @Tome: Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area
Starling, European # @Tome: Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area
Sparrow, Savannah 30+ @Tome: Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area
Description: First one I saw had pale lores, but a shork forky tail, flatter head, breast streaky with no stickpin. Later saw another with the same general appearance but showing the yellow lores.
Sparrow, Song 1 @Tome: Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area
Description: In direct comparison with Savannah (18" away on a fence wire), much thicker body, noticeably longer, stickpin at center of breast.
Sparrow, White-crowned # @Tome: Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area
Meadowlark, Western # @Tome: Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area
Vocalizations: By song type.
Finch, House # @Tome: Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area

2011-03-23: NM: Lemitar area

@Lem: Lemitar
@SocNA: Lemitar: Socorro Nature Area
@day: Lemitar area
Goose, Canada 
2a @Lemitar
5i @Lemitar
Kestrel, American 
# @Lemitar
1♂ @Lemitar: Socorro Nature Area
2011-03-23-3008
1♀ @Lemitar: Socorro Nature Area
2011-03-23-2994
Dove, Mourning 
# @Lemitar
# @Lemitar: Socorro Nature Area
Crow, American 26 @Lemitar
Raven, Chihuahuan 1 @Lemitar
Vocalizations: 'rack'
Nuthatch, White-breasted 2 @Lemitar: Socorro Nature Area
Robin, American 1 @Lemitar
Starling, European 
# @Lemitar
# @Lemitar: Socorro Nature Area
Towhee, Spotted 1 @Lemitar: Socorro Nature Area
2011-03-23-3013
Sparrow, White-crowned # @Lemitar: Socorro Nature Area
Blackbird, Red-winged # @Lemitar
Meadowlark, Western # @Lemitar
Grackle, Great-tailed # @Lemitar
Finch, House # @Lemitar

2011-03-30: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch
Thrasher, Curve-billed 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch
On the millet pan.
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Last updated: 2011-05-23 18:54 MDT