Shipman's field notes, Oct 2011

2011-10-01: NM: Melrose Woods-Bitter Lake-Brantley Lake
Notable: Ring-necked Duck; Flammulated Owl; White-eyed Vireo; Brown Thrasher; Nashville Warbler; Black-throated Gray Warbler; Townsend's Warbler; Blackburnian Warbler; American Redstart
2011-10-02: NM: Rattlesnake-Cheapskate-Roswell-Bosque del Apache-Socorro
Notable: Brown Thrasher; Nashville Warbler; Dickcissel
2011-10-03: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch
2011-10-05: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

2011-10-01: NM: Melrose Woods-Bitter Lake-Brantley Lake

Notable: Ring-necked Duck; Flammulated Owl; White-eyed Vireo; Brown Thrasher; Nashville Warbler; Black-throated Gray Warbler; Townsend's Warbler; Blackburnian Warbler; American Redstart

@BLNWR: Bitter Lake NWR

@Mel: Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

@RBR: Roswell: Red Bridge Road

This road connects US-380 with Pine Lodge Road, which terminates at the entrance to Bitter Lake NWR. I always take this route when I'm heading south.

GPS: 332433n 1042812w The eponymous red bridge.

@day: Melrose Woods-Bitter Lake-Brantley Lake

@road1: NM-267, Melrose to NM-330

@road2: NM-330, NM-267 to Elida

@road3: US-70, Elida to Roswell

Route

0825-1240, Melrose Woods.

1500-1630, Bitter Lake N.W.R. Spent a good while at the southeast corner of the main loop picking through the large flock of waterfowl with the scope. Also scoped a few birds in the northeast corner.

teal sp. # @Bitter Lake NWR

Description: Eclipse plumage.

Wigeon, American # @Bitter Lake NWR

Mallard # @Bitter Lake NWR

Shoveler, Northern # @Bitter Lake NWR

Pintail, Northern # @Bitter Lake NWR

Duck, Ring-necked

5♂ @Bitter Lake NWR

A bit early?

2♀ @Bitter Lake NWR

Duck, Ruddy # @Bitter Lake NWR

Grebe, Pied-billed 1 @Bitter Lake NWR

Heron, Great Blue 1 @Bitter Lake NWR

Egret, Great 1 @Bitter Lake NWR

Ibis, White-faced 2 @Bitter Lake NWR

Maybe a tad late.

Vulture, Turkey 1 @US-70, Elida to Roswell

Osprey @Roswell: Red Bridge Road

I pulled off the road just south of the bridge and this monster loomed up out of the watercourse and flew right over my head. Too close for a good shot, but this photo was the best of what I got as the bird flew off east down the channel.

Harrier, Northern 1ϕ @NM-267, Melrose to NM-330

Kestrel, American 1 @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

Coot, American # @Bitter Lake NWR

Several notably large and dense flocks.

Crane, Sandhill 24 @Bitter Lake NWR

Somewhat early.

Avocet, American # @Bitter Lake NWR

Yellowlegs, Greater 1 @Bitter Lake NWR

Yellowlegs, Lesser # @Bitter Lake NWR

Sandpiper, Least # @Bitter Lake NWR

Dowitcher, Long-billed # @Bitter Lake NWR

I was hoping to spot the distinctive tertials of the Short-billed Dowitcher on this trip, but these birds didn't show it. There were only a half-dozen or so.

Phalarope, Wilson's # @Bitter Lake NWR

Roadrunner, Greater 1 @Bitter Lake NWR

Owl, Flammulated 1 @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

Flicker, Red-shafted 1 @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

Phoebe, Say's 1 @Bitter Lake NWR

Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed 1 @US-70, Elida to Roswell

Near mile marker 373.

Vireo, White-eyed 1 @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

Raven, Chihuahuan 2 @NM-330, NM-267 to Elida

Kinglet, Ruby-crowned # @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

Thrush, Hermit # @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

Thrasher, Brown 1 @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

Warbler, Orange-crowned # @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

Warbler, Nashville 1 @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

Warbler, Yellow-rumped # @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

Warbler, Black-throated Gray 1 @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

Warbler, Townsend's 1 @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

Warbler, Blackburnian 1 @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

Description: Rear margin of facial triangle crisp. Some warm orange color all down the throat eliminates a Townsend's Warbler that was diving around in the same general area.

Many birders searched much upperstory today, all over the woods, and a few got looks at this rarity. My look was about two seconds long, just enough to be sure of a couple of ID points.

Redstart, American 1 @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

Warbler, Wilson's # @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

Sparrow, Brewer's @Roswell: Red Bridge Road

ID is tentative and based on the streaked nape, finely streaked crown with light median stripe, and fairly short bill.

Sparrow, Vesper # @Roswell: Red Bridge Road

Bunting, Lark @Roswell: Red Bridge Road

There were scores of sparrows flying around between the east side fences and the adjacent fields. At this time of year the plumages can be cryptic, with none of those striking alternate males mixed in. When it came time to sort the photos, the massive, bluish-gray bill was probably the best first mark to look for. However, note the white features on the undertail that show well in the first photo: I kept thinking this was just a shadow, but it's an actual white patch.

Sparrow, Lincoln's # @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

Sparrow, White-crowned # @Roosevelt Co.: Melrose Woods

Blackbird, Red-winged # @Bitter Lake NWR

meadowlark sp. @Bitter Lake NWR

2011-10-02: NM: Rattlesnake-Cheapskate-Roswell-Bosque del Apache-Socorro

Notable: Brown Thrasher; Nashville Warbler; Dickcissel

@BL: Bitter Lake N.W.R.

@BdA: Bosque del Apache N.W.R.

Did not drive the loop; it was getting late.

@Cap: Helen Hinch Memorial Park, Capitan

New site for me. This is a smallish pond ringed with cattails, possibly part of the town's water treatment system, and fenced off, but there is a viewing platform on the east side that gets you above the fence, with a nice handicap-accessible ramp.

@Cheap: Brantley Lake: Champion Cove Road (Cheapskate Point)

@Cot: Carlsbad Caverns N.P.: Cottonwood Day Use Area

@RS: Rattlesnake Springs and environs

@day: Rattlesnake-Cheapskate-Roswell-Bosque del Apache-Socorro

@road1: US 62-180, Carlsbad-Rattlesnake Springs

@road2: Cheapskate to Bitter Lake NWR

@road3: US 380^W through Lincoln County

@road4: US 380^W through Socorro County

Mallard # @Bosque del Apache N.W.R.

Turkey, Wild 35 @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

Cormorant, Neotropic # @Bosque del Apache N.W.R.

Heron, Great Blue

# @Brantley Lake: Champion Cove Road (Cheapskate Point)

1 @Helen Hinch Memorial Park, Capitan

# @Bosque del Apache N.W.R.

Egret, Snowy # @Brantley Lake: Champion Cove Road (Cheapskate Point)

Vulture, Turkey

# @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

1 @Brantley Lake: Champion Cove Road (Cheapskate Point)

@Cheapskate to Bitter Lake NWR

Crane, Sandhill 3 @Bosque del Apache N.W.R.

Yellowlegs, Lesser # @Bitter Lake N.W.R.

Sandpiper, Least # @Bitter Lake N.W.R.

Dove, Mourning # @Bosque del Apache N.W.R.

Sapsucker, Red-naped 1 @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

Flicker, Red-shafted # @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

Empidonax sp. 1 @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

Kingbird, Cassin's 1 @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

raven sp. 2 @US 380^W through Lincoln County

Raven, Common

1 @US 380^W through Lincoln County

@US 380^W through Socorro County

Swallow, Barn

# @Brantley Lake: Champion Cove Road (Cheapskate Point)

# @Bitter Lake N.W.R.

Verdin # @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

Nuthatch, Red-breasted 1 @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

Vocalizations: Single 'kek' notes, like the ones I just heard (and saw the perpetrator) in Melrose Woods.

Thrush, Hermit # @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

Thrasher, Brown 1 @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

Starling, European # @Bosque del Apache N.W.R.

Warbler, Nashville 1 @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

Warbler, Yellow-rumped # @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

Warbler, Audubon's # @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

Sparrow, Chipping # @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

Sparrow, Vesper

@Rattlesnake Springs and environs

1 @Carlsbad Caverns N.P.: Cottonwood Day Use Area

Sparrow, Song 1 @Bosque del Apache N.W.R.

Vocalizations: By its distinct 'beerp' call.

Sparrow, Lincoln's # @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

Sparrow, White-crowned

# @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

# @Bitter Lake N.W.R.

Tanager, Summer # @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

Tanager, Western # @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

Cardinal, Northern # @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

Dickcissel 1 @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

The first photo is a good quiz subject, as none of the striking yellow color is evident. I was pretty well out of ID ideas early on, so it was awfully nice of the bird to turn around and continue to pose.

Meadowlark, Western 1 @Helen Hinch Memorial Park, Capitan

Blackbird, Yellow-headed # @Bosque del Apache N.W.R.

Blackbird, Brewer's # @Bosque del Apache N.W.R.

Grackle, Great-tailed @US 62-180, Carlsbad-Rattlesnake Springs

Cowbird, Brown-headed # @Bosque del Apache N.W.R.

Finch, House # @Rattlesnake Springs and environs

2011-10-03: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Thrasher, Curve-billed 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Vocalizations: Heard the 'whick' alarm call, possibly for one of the current crop of feral cats. Haven't heard this call for months.

Siskin, Pine 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

2011-10-05: NM: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

@TBay: Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

Robin, American 1 @Socorro: New Mexico Tech: Turtle Bay

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