Shipman's field notes, Jan 2012

2012-01-01: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch
2012-01-11: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch
2012-01-14: NM: Socorro County
2012-01-21: NM: Socorro County
Notable: Wilson's Snipe
2012-01-31: NM: Albuquerque

2012-01-01: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Collared-Dove, Eurasian

#a @Socorro: 507 Fitch

#i @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Description: This bird was in a transitional plumage that gave me quite a start. The black mark on the side of its neck was intermediate in position between the nuchal crescent of adjacent adult birds and the black facial mark of White-winged Doves. I was wondering if these species ever hybridized. However, see January 11 for photos that show a similar mark that is starting to extend across the nape.

Dove, White-winged # @Socorro: 507 Fitch

Thrasher, Curve-billed 1 @Socorro: 507 Fitch

First bird of the year, and one I hadn't seen in my yard for a while.

2012-01-11: NM: Socorro: 507 Fitch

@home: Socorro: 507 Fitch

Collared-Dove, Eurasian @Socorro: 507 Fitch

See the notes for January 1 for a discussion of the plumage sequence in immatures. The black mark that appeared on the side of the neck of an immature on that date is just the first bit of the nuchal crescent, which forms by bridging the two lateral marks; this shows up best in the second photo. The first photo shows that there is no white on the wing margin.

2012-01-14: NM: Socorro County

@BdA: Bosque del Apache NWR

@SocCo: Socorro County

@road1: Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

@road2: NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

Route

1145, leave Socorro, southbound via NM-1 and Farm-Market Road.

1230, San Antonio.

1240, Bosque del Apache NWR.

1620, leave refuge.

1640, San Antonio to Socorro.

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 1 @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

Redhead # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Duck, Ring-necked # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Bufflehead # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Merganser, Common # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Grebe, Pied-billed 3 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Heron, Great Blue 1 @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Eagle, Bald 1i @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Harrier, Northern

1♂ @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

1ϕ @Bosque del Apache NWR

1♂ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Hawk, Cooper's 1 @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Hawk, Red-tailed

2i @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

2a @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

2a @Bosque del Apache NWR

3i @Bosque del Apache NWR

Hawk, Harlan's @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Hawk, Ferruginous

1 @NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

@Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Behavior: When a hawk seems to be getting nervous and leans forward, it will often lighten its load in anticipation of takeoff, as shown in the last photo. I have seen this action often enough to anticipate it and was successful in freezing the result in midair.

Kestrel, American

2 @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

2♀ @NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

1♂ @NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

Coot, American # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Crane, Sandhill # @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Note the nictitating membrane partially covering the eye.

Kingfisher, Belted 1♀ @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

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

Behavior: I've always noticed that this species can work on some awfully smallbore vegetation, and these pictures are an example. She was working slender, pencil-sized reeds.

Flicker, Red-shafted 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Phoebe, Say's 1 @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Near Oldenettel's.

raven sp. 1 @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Crow, American # @NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

Bluebird, Eastern # @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Bluebird, Mountain # @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Starling, European 1 @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Sparrow, White-crowned # @NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

Blackbird, Red-winged # @Bosque del Apache NWR

2012-01-21: NM: Socorro County

Notable: Wilson's Snipe

@BdA: Bosque del Apache NWR

@SocCo: Socorro County

@road1: Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

@road2: NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

Route

1015, leave Socorro via Luis Lopez and Farm-Market Road.

1115, San Antonio, Miera Road, and NM-1^S.

1150, Bosque del Apache NWR, Marsh Loop.

1230, walk clockwise around the trail at the southeast corner of the Marsh Loop.

1350, rolling.

1430, Farm Loop.

1455, leave refuge.

I've been curious about recent range expansions of Javelina, so I asked the volunteer at headquarters. He hasn't seen any but heard that a group of 14 was seen crossing a road recently.

Also, a raccoon was a roadkill on Farm-Market Road.

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

Scarce relative to the other dabblers, I didn't see my first one until most of the way around the Marsh Loop.

Mallard # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Shoveler, Northern # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Pintail, Northern # @Bosque del Apache NWR

By far the most numerous dabbler here today.

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

Duck, Ring-necked # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Scaup, Lesser 1♀ @Bosque del Apache NWR

Bufflehead # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Merganser, Common # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Duck, Ruddy 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Cormorant, Neotropic 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Heron, Great Blue # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Eagle, Bald 1a @Bosque del Apache NWR

Harrier, Northern

1a @NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

1i @NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

1ϕ @NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

Hawk, Red-tailed

1a @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

2a @NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

Hawk, Ferruginous 1 @Socorro County

Standing in a field off NM-1.

Kestrel, American

1♂ @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

1 @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Coot, American # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Yellowlegs, Greater 2 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Loop trail southeast from the Boardwalk.

Snipe, Wilson's 3 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Gull, Ring-billed 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Loop trail southeast from the Boardwalk.

Collared-Dove, Eurasian

1 @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

# @NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

Kingfisher, Belted 1♀ @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Flicker, Northern 1 @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Flicker, Red-shafted 1 @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Phoebe, Say's

1 @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

1 @NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

Shrike, Loggerhead 1 @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Near Luis Lopez.

raven sp. # @NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

Crow, American # @NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

Bluebird, Eastern 1 @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

I didn't see any definite Western Bluebirds out here today at all.

Thrasher, Crissal 1 @NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

Miera Road, just a short hop south of the San Antonio landfill.

After viewing a broad expanse of mesquite scrub just west of the road here, I was speculating that this looked like good Crissal habitat. Two minutes later this bird popped up on top of a mesquite.

Starling, European # @NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

Sparrow, Savannah # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Sparrow, Song

1 @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

# @Bosque del Apache NWR

Sparrow, White-crowned # @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Junco, Gray-headed 1 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Junco, Oregon

1 @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

3 @Bosque del Apache NWR

Blackbird, Red-winged # @Bosque del Apache NWR

Meadowlark, Western 60 @Farm-Market Road, Luis Lopez to US-380

Grackle, Great-tailed # @NM-1, San Antonio to Bosque del Apache

2012-01-31: NM: Albuquerque

@ABQ: Albuquerque

Falcon, Peregrine @Albuquerque

Power poles in the median of San Antonio Road, just below San Mateo.