Plethora of Savannah Sparrows at Los Poblanos Open Space

Sparrows popped up and flitted among the grasses as 34 Central New Mexico Audubon Thursday Birders started their walk around the Los Poblanos Open Space. Scope views determined that they were Savannah Sparrows – and I counted over 20 as they moved around. Each year for the last several years, more and more Savannah Sparrows have chosen central New Mexico as their wintering grounds.

It was a perfect New Mexico winter morning – clear, sunny and in the low 40’s, so no parka was required.

Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Cranes were foraging on our left and on our right, both in small family groups and in large flocks. They diligently burrowed their long bills into the remains of the harvested corn to find hidden kernels and insects. They seemed unperturbed by our procession through the fields. During the two and a half hour time we spent in the Open Space, cranes flew in and flew out and positions changed and adjusted – as cranes are wont to do.

We noticed a flock of birds rise up, circle around on the far side of the field and then settle down again – only Rock Pigeons! Perhaps they were spooked by the Red-tailed Hawk spotted by one of the group as it settled into a large tree.

“We need to check out the grass around this shed and just beyond,” trip leader Lefty told us. “It is where I saw a Lincoln’s Sparrow when I was here two days ago scouting.”

The first birds we spotted were Song Sparrows. Then there was more movement – more Savannah Sparrows; however, we could observe them at closer range.

Savannah Sparrow - photo by Joe Schelling

At the north end of the Open Space, we headed west along the ditch bank. We stopped at the northwest corner to check out the remains of the community garden. There was a flock of female Red-winged Blackbirds, which were replaced by White-crowned Sparrows.

As we headed south again, we spotted a Bewick’s Wren busy in the lone tree. Further along was a Greater Roadrunner prancing along just behind the homes that back up to the Open Space.

We stopped to check out a flock of geese, to make sure that a White-fronted Goose was not lurking among the Canadas. There wasn’t. Then another flock of geese flew in.

“Those are Cackling Geese,” Gale commented. “They have a high pitched, almost squeaky call, compared with Canadas.”

As we were tallying up the species for the morning, an American Kestrel flew in and perched on a nearby wire giving us great views.

American Kestrel

The plethora of Savannah Sparrows was the treat of the morning.

Bird the Road Less Traveled

eBird has issued a challenge to the birding community. They have posted a map on their website that shows, state by state, the number of checklists that have been submitted since the sites inception.

That stated that it was no surprise that the checklists seem to cluster in the most populated areas. I know that the majority of my checklists are centered in Bernalillo County, NM.

Because the data is used to determine trends in bird populations, they are anxious to increase their data from less populated areas of each state. The following link will take you to the map of New Mexico. Harding County has the least data. Other counties with little data include Quay, DeBaca, Lincoln, San Juan and McKinley County.

According to their website, “Bird distribution changes with the seasons, and at eBird we like to have data distributed throughout the year to track the ebb and flow of bird populations. With this in mind, we plan to update these maps each month so that eBirders will have a better idea about how the data volume changes in each state and county. Check back to see the maps for February around the 1st of the month.”

I checked my county data and discovered that I had entered data for only two of the under-represented counties. I think that tells the story well.

Ute Lake State Park

Ute Lake State Park anyone?

Estancia Valley’s Winter Birds

“Oh, no!” I gasped as our car headed down into the Estancia Valley from Zuzax. “Look at that fog bank ahead; we’ll never see the hawks.” Our car was one of nine filled with Central New Mexico Audubon Thursday Birders. “The good news is that the temperature is well below freezing, so the roads shouldn’t be too muddy.”

By time we reached Moriarty, it was overcast, but not foggy. We headed south on NM-41 and then turned west onto McNabb Rd. where we saw a Red-tailed Hawk, the first of six American Kestrels for the day, and a flock of about 50 Horned Larks.

Heading sough again on NM-41 we were surprised by flock after flock of Sandhill Cranes flying in ‘V’ formations heading over the Estancia Valley, occasionally circling around as if checking out a potential location for the days feeding.

Clements Rd. was a real treat. Every quarter mile or so we would see a Ferruginous Hawk perched on either a power pole, the branch of a bare tree, or on an irrigation sprinkler in a nearby field. We were able to get quite close to some of them, giving us a chance to the see them at all angles. When they were facing us, their white breasts and bellies gleamed in the late morning light.

Ferruginous Hawk - Photo by Bonnie Long

From the rear, the highlights on the rufous shoulder feathers clearly demonstrated the origins of its name.

Ferruginous Hawk

Just beyond a cattle yard was a flock of Horned Larks. I tried focusing in on as many as I could to determine whether there might be a longspur mixed in with them. Everyone I saw was a Horned Lark. Rebecca had her scope out and seemed to be zeroing in on something interesting.

“What do you see?” I inquired.

“There is at least one longspur,” she replied. I walked over to take a look and was able to see a ‘sparrow-like’ bird. After checking a couple of field guides, we decided it best fit the description of a Chestnut-collared Longspur.

One of the cars spotted two Sage Sparrows; however, by time our car drove past the location, they were not visible. Fortunately, Joe was able to take a photo to share with the rest of us.

Sage Sparrow - photo by Joe Schelling

There also were several Western Meadowlarks in the area.

Western Meadowlark - Photo by Bonnie Long

After lunch at the Old Mill, we headed south on NM-41 again and were lucky to see two Loggerhead Shrikes perched near the road. We saw a total of five during the day.

Loggerhead Shrike - Photo by Bonnie Long

“We are going to head west on NM-542,” trip leader Bonnie told us. “When I scouted last week, I saw two dark morph Ferruginous Hawks in this area.”

A cloud cover was forming and the moisture laid hoar frost on the bare branches, giving them a lacy appearance.

We hadn’t gone far when we spotted one of the dark morphs perched on a pole next to a house. What a contrast with the white-bellied ones we had seen earlier in the day!

dark morph Ferruginous Hawk - Photo by Bonnie Long

After a few minutes, it took off and flew with graceful wing beats to another spot behind the house.

dark morph Ferruginous Hawk in flight - Photo by Joe Schelling

On one of the county roads as we zig-zagged our way through the farmland to avoid the muddy roads, we spotted another flock of Horned Larks. They seemed to dance on the snow.

Horned Lark - Photo by Bonnie Long

What a wonderful day of birding – Horned Larks, Western Meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrikes – and especially, Ferruginous Hawks.

Pacific Wren Entertains Thursday Birders at Tingley Bosque Ponds

Northern Harrier

A Northern Harrier swooped low over the wetlands at the Albuquerque Open Space Visitor Center, one of the featured sites in Birding Hot Spots of Central New Mexico, as 20 Central New Mexico Audubon Thursday Birders started out along the path.

“It is a female,” Lefty announced. “Look at its face. It is disc-like, much like an owl, since it relies on its hearing to locate its prey.”

After perusing the nearby fields, it landed on a fence post, where it remained for several minutes, giving everyone a good look.

The bushes on the far side of the wetlands pond were alive with sparrows that popped up and perched on the top of the dry foliage. As they bounced from bush to bush, we noted their characteristics – short tails, strong facial pattern and some streaking. As they dispersed to the grassy area on the other side of the path, they had a bouncy flight. I counted twelve of them.

Savannah Sparrow, we concluded.

As trip leader, Rebecca, looked at some of them through her scope, she announced that there was a Lincoln’s Sparrow in the flock.

There was an American Kestrel perched on the top of a small tree just beyond the wetlands area. An accipiter soared overhead – a Cooper’s Hawk, we decided.

We were hoping for some Sandhill Cranes in the fields, but only saw Canada Geese.

“We are not going to stay here long,” Rebecca relayed. “We are going to spend the rest of the morning at the Tingley Bosque Ponds where several rare birds have been sighted. We piled into our cars and headed south.

Fortunately, the heavy equipment that had been doing brush clearing to clear some of the understory as part of the Middle Rio Grande Restoration project was gone. It had been quite loud and made it difficult to hear bird calls when I had visited the prior Friday. We made our way to the location were two species of ‘stub-tailed’ wrens, as the Winter and Pacific Wrens have been referred to, had been seen since December 20.

Pacific Wren - Photo by Joe Schelling

We had no trouble locating one of the wrens. It was quite active hopping up on top of a log, and then just as quickly, disappearing into the weeds.

We saw some activity nearby and thought perhaps it was another one of the wrens, but it was a Downey Woodpecker.

“We need to observe quietly,” I suggested, “so we can hear its vocalization. “The Pacific Wren’s call note is short and on the same pitch, whereas, the Winter Wren’s call note is more ‘sing-songy.’

We waited patiently. Maureen inched closer, hoping to elicit a sound. She and some of those standing closer heard a faint call of two staccato notes.

Pretty soon it flew over to an adjacent log where it displayed for us and then disappeared.

Some of us decided to head south where I had seen and heard a Pacific Wren the prior week and where Lefty and I had seen a wren earlier in the week.

“I’m going to stay here,” Rebecca said. “I heard both birds on Sunday and Christopher Rustay helped me differentiate their calls. Maybe it will vocalize where you are exploring.

We did not find another wren – and while we were gone, Rebecca did hear it call – a Pacific Wren.

A Bald Eagle patrolled up and down the river just beyond where we were searching for the wrens.

Two Northern Flickers chased and seemed to be frolicking with each other nearby.

male Rusty Blackbird seen on an earlier visit.

We also hoped to see the Rusty Blackbirds that had been in the same area. They hadn’t been showing up until around noon, and we wondered where they foraged earlier in the day. So far they hadn’t shown up and it was close to noon. Lefty and I decided to leave since we had seen them earlier in the week. Just as we reached our cars, Rebecca called to us to let us know that they had arrived. Lefty returned to have another look, but I decided to call it a day.

The display of the Pacific Wren was the highlight of the morning for me.

Wildlife Highlights of 2011

To continue a tradition I started in 2008, the following are my top wildlife highlights of 2010 in chronological order:

1. Ferruginous Hawks – Each January Bonnie Long leads the Thursday Birders on a trip to view raptors on the plains just east of the Manzano Mountains. In 2010, we were awed by 23 sightings of Ferruginous Hawks – in addition to Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, a Northern Harrier and a Bald Eagle.

Ferruginous Hawk

2. Limpkin – In early February, I met my friend and co-author Barbara Hussey in south Florida. While we saw many wonderful birds, my favorite was the Limpkin.

Limpkin

3. Momma alligator with babies – While walking along a trail at Shark Valley, one of the Everglades National Wildlife Refuge sites, we were lucky to see a mother alligator with 8 five-inch babies, four of which were resting on her back.

momma alligator with babies

4. Evening Grosbeaks – I always love to watch Evening Grosbeaks – they are colorful and enthusiastic. It was no April Fool’s when a flock entertained the Thursday Birders while we ate lunch at the Cochiti Golf Course picnic area.

Evening Grosbeak

5. Hummingbirds – While convalescing from knee replacement surgery, I had ample time to study the behavior of the hummingbirds that nest in and visit my yard during the summer. From my window, I watched a Black-chinned Hummingbird as it harvested tiny insects from a sunflower plant.

Black-chinned Hummingbird

6. Black Scoter and Parasitic Jaeger – On a trip to Washington state, I had the opportunity to see a Black Scoter off Ocean Shores – a life bird – and close-up views of a Parasitic Jaeger at Brown’s Point just north of Tacoma.

Black Scoter

7. Seabirds and shorebirds of Monterey Bay – From my vantage point atop Pajaro Dune, I was able to observe the varied fishing behaviors of Elegant Terns, Sooty Shearwaters and Parasitic Jaegers. And at Moss Landing, my friend Sue and I had close-up views of Long-billed Curlews, Marbled Godwits and a variety of other shorebirds.

Long-billed Curlew and Least Sandpiper

8. Sea Otters – A raft of 33 sea otters was floating and napping at Moss Landing the afternoon we visited.

Sea Otter

9. Yellow-billed Magpie – I love corvids – and the Yellow-billed Magpies that were prancing around a farm in Chualar Canyon were no exception.

Yellow-billed Magpie

10. Pacific Wren – As the year ended, I was rewarded with another life bird – the elusive and secretive Pacific Wren – that alerted me first with its call, then the sound of its feet scuffling in the dry leaves under some logs, before it popped into view three times in the wetlands at Tingley Bosque Ponds. Unfortunately, I was not able to get a photograph.

Winter Birding North of Shining River Open Space

It was a picture-perfect Albuquerque winter day – clear and cold, but not too cold – as 24 Central New Mexico Audubon Thursday Birders assembled in the parking lot of the Shining River Open Space. A Great-tailed Grackle flew overhead.

“We are going to head north along the drain,” trip leader, Lannois explained as we were about to head out.

“What’s that in that tree?” someone asked. With the naked eye its pale orange breast looked like a female American Robin.

“It’s got a raptor beak,” Gary stated and set up his scope to get a better look. “It’s a Cooper’s Hawk,” he verified.

The first of several Ruby-crowned Kinglets was seen ‘kingletting’ in a bare brush on the side of the drain. Nearby a Song Sparrow also foraged.

We stopped to scan the branches of a large tree growing next to a fence that bordered the trail. Yellow-rumped Warblers, a White-breasted Nuthatch and a Downey Woodpecker were busy at work.

Both Black and Say’s Phoebes also were seen along the drain.

“I just saw a sandpiper along the side of the drain,” Becky reported. As we approached the location where she had seen it disappear among the grasses next to the drain, it lifted up and flew further north.

“There’s a snipe on the opposite side of the drain, just past the tumbleweed,” I announced. It was almost camouflaged along the bank.

Wilson's Snipe

Each time we got close enough to get a look at the sandpiper, it would fly further along. However, when it landed, we could see its bobbing behavior – sure sign of a Spotted Sandpiper. It normally is not seen in central New Mexico during the winter. It finally flew to the opposite side of the drain in plain sight. We could see its yellowish legs and white on the shoulder. As it flew south in front of us, Joe captured a photo.

Spotted Sandpiper - Photo by Joe Schelling

We approached a residence that backed up to the trail that had numerous feeders and was a buzz of activity. Bushtits swarmed in a piñon pine and a couple of the tiny birds flew to the suet feeder.

“Look,” Lefty called. “There is a Bewick’s Wren on one of the suet feeders. I have never seen that before.”

One of the residences had a menagerie of exotic animals and birds – ostrich, dromedery, Guinea Fowl. When the dromedery saw us gazing in the yard, it came over to investigate. It tried to rub noses with me as I was attempting to take its photograph.

dromedary checking out birders

When we reached the Alameda Open Space, we crossed over the Paseo del Bosque bike trail bridge. There was a ‘myrtle’s’ Yellow-rumped Warbler in a tree bordering the bridge.

As we headed south along the bike trail, there were White-crowned Sparrows in the weeds and a Spotted Towhee in the woods below.

We stopped to look at a snoozing porcupine curled in the crook of a cottonwood.

porcupine

A flock of six Snow Geese flew overhead, and later several groups of Canada Geese. “Let’s see if we can spot a White-fronted flying with them,” Rebecca challenged. But there were none. Some in the group thought perhaps some might have been Cackling Geese, but it was a difficult call.

We stopped to watch a raptor high above – a Sharp-shinned Hawk.

It had been a delightful morning of birding.

Swamp Sparrow in Corrales Bosque

“Ring-necked Pheasant!” Terrye signaled.

As we looked, it rose up and flew from where it was foraging next to the drain – and into the Corrales bosque.

Twelve Central New Mexico Audubon Thursday Birders were walking through the new snow near the East Ella Road entrance to the bosque. A little further on, we spotted a Great Blue Heron cruise over the drain.

The snow had been coming down steadily as we huddled under the overhang outside of Little Anita’s waiting for the group to assemble and Rebecca, our trip leader, handed out maps showing our three stops for the morning. I almost turned back when the snow started accumulating along Paseo del Norte as I drove towards our meeting spot; however, it looked as if it was clear along the river, so I persevered. By time we started walking along the drain, the snow began to dissipate – and soon had stopped.

The birds were slow to come out. The most prevalent bird was Song Sparrow. Throughout the hour we explored the area, we spotted four different ones, with a variety of coloring. There was a pale-streaked one that appeared to be a southwestern sub-species, a dark-streaked eastern sub-species, and a juvenile eastern with fine streaks that resembled a Lincoln’s Sparrow. They skulked under the scraggly branches on the sloped bank leading to the water’s edge – where their streaking provided a perfect camouflage. They crept down the bank to get a drink

Song Sparrow - Photo by Joe Schelling

or take a bath.

Song Sparrow bathing - Photo by Joe Schelling

Our target bird was a Winter Wren that had been spotted in this area during the prior Sunday’s Christmas Bird Count. We searched unsuccessfully for about a third of a mile, before turning back.

As we walked along, we flushed some Mallards and an American Coot. The rattle of a Belted Kingfisher attracted our attention, and we saw it sitting on a branch over the drain.

Belted Kingfisher - Photo by Joe Schelling

A flock of twelve Canada Geese honked as they flew south over the bosque.

Our next stop was the Romero Road entrance to the bosque – one of the featured spots in Birding Hot Spots of Central New Mexico.

It did not appear to have snowed this far north in Corrales and the road at the end was extremely muddy. A Northern Harrier flew just ahead of us as we found a place to park at the end of the road.

The clouds had lifted and the sun was coming out as we walked north along the drain. Our first bird was another kingfisher. “I think it is a male,” Rebecca said. Almost immediately, it took off and flew past us – rattling the entire time.

Some White-crowned Sparrows flitted about waist-high on the opposite bank and a couple of Dark-eyed (Oregon) Juncos called as they flew from tree to tree.

Our target bird for this location was a Swamp Sparrow – also seen on last Sunday’s CBC.

We flushed three birds that flew from our side of the drain to the other side. Two immediately disappeared into the underbrush. One paused – “Ruby-crowned Kinglet,” I announced.

“Why don’t you play the Swamp Sparrow song,” Rebecca asked me. Even though the app on my phone was not very loud, it seemed to do the trick. Before long, one popped up and perched on the top edge of some gnarled branches.

“That’s it,” stated Gary, who is familiar with them from the east. “Look at the chestnut color on its wings and back.”

Swamp Sparrow - Photo by Joe Schelling

As we headed back to the cars, we passed a small flock of White-crowned Sparrows. “There’s a White-throated in that flock,” Rebecca called, as we tried to re-find it.

Our third stop was on Rebecca’s CBC route – behind the Seventh Day Adventist compound. It was where she had seen a Western Screech Owl the last two years. Today, it was snuggled into its hole; however, we could peer at it through the scope as it opened one eye to keep a watch on us.

“There’s a Cooper’s Hawk in the top of the tree,” Joe signaled.

We wandered behind the boarded-up buildings were we heard, and then saw, a Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker and an American Robin.

A flock of small birds flushed from a fir tree. Only one landed where we could see it – a House Finch.

It had been a successful morning – and now it was time to go and enjoy pizza together. I was glad I had not let the early morning snow deter me.

Multiple Bald Eagles at Bosque del Apache

“We’re going to drive along the road on the east side of San Antonio,” I told the 17 assembled Central New Mexico Audubon Thursday Birders. “Hopefully, we will see the Phainopepla that has been hanging out in a tree next to the road.”

We pulled over on the side of the road and got out to check out what was there.

“Bluebirds over by the fence,” Lefty reported.

Rebecca put her scope on them. “Check them out,” she suggested. “They look like easterns.” Sure enough, they had white bellies and white under the chin.

Someone spotted a Bewick’s Wren and someone else a Black Phoebe. There were multiple flocks of blackbirds – both Red-winged and Brewers, as well as European Starlings.

Phainopepla

When we had just about given up on the Phainopepla, I spotted a bird flying over the field towards us. As it flapped its wings, I could see the white edges under its wings – a male Phainopepla. It landed in the tree where I had seen it the prior week, and I called the others to come and see it. It had a sweet call note that it uttered as it bounced from branch to branch, as if to let us know it was there.

“Raptor on the power pole down the road,” I announced over the two-way radio as we drove further along. “I’m going to pull forward slowly.”

“Ferruginous Hawk,” declared Jim, who was in the car behind me.

As we inched forward, we could better see its white head and belly.

Since the roads were in good condition, we headed to the western edge of San Antonio where there is more of a desert scrub habitat. There was a Pine Siskin in a flock of Lesser Goldfinches. Gary spotted a Verdin.

The seasonal ponds along NM-1 just inside the refuge had open water, so we stopped to check them out. There were both Cackling and Canada Geese.

“I think there is a White-fronted Goose,” someone announced. We could see the pale pink bill as it swam along the far shore.

At the next seasonal pond, Gary found a Least Sandpiper probing in the mud with two Killdeer.

Gambel's Quail

At the Visitor Center, we were lucky to spot a White-throated Sparrow foraging with a White-crowned flock outside of the observation window. There also were several Gambel’s Quail, a Spotted Towhee and, for a while, a Curve-billed Thrasher.

As we perused the ravens fly in to a tree, one was clearly a Chihuahan near the restrooms.

After entering the main part of the refuge, we headed up the center road and stopped just beyond the Eagle Scout Deck. One of many Northern Harriers we would see during our visit coursed low over the ponds. On the far side of the pond, there were two Bald Eagles on the ground – an adult and a juvenile.

Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, Mallards, a couple of American Wigeons and Coots swam in the ice-free area.

A Marsh Wren buzzed in the underbrush – and a couple people in the group were lucky enough to spot it when it popped up.

We saw a couple of birders with their scope focused on the Boardwalk pond. They said they had seen a Common Loon and were trying to re-find it. We saw several Common Mergansers, but no loon. The boardwalk was closed since there was a controlled burn in the area, so we couldn’t walk out to try and get a different view.

There was a Great Blue Heron standing on the railing of the boardwalk.

When we rounded the south end of the loop, we could see a large flock of Snow Geese feeding at the far end of the field. Further along, we spotted a dark morph Red-tailed Hawk and a flock of Pine Siskins, with one American Goldfinch.

In one of the seasonal ponds, there was a Ruddy Duck and a Lesser Scaup, along with the regular species of waterfowl.

As we headed on the Farm Loop, we stopped to survey one of the seasonal ponds. There was a pod of medowlarks in the grass between the drain and the pond. They would disappear into the grass, and then pop up flashing their yellow breasts with their black chevrons.

Western Meadowlark

Someone spotted an eagle sitting in a tree. While an immature, it was approaching full maturity as the head was starting to molt into its white feathers. The process was not yet complete. “Sometimes that is called its osprey phase,” Jim, a raptor expert, explained.

Then our attentions were diverted to two Red-tailed Hawks, one of which was a rufous morph.

At the end of the farm loop, Snow Geese and some Sandhill Cranes were feeding way out in the field.

In the next field, a few Sandhills were foraging close to the road. “They are in a family group,” I explained to those in my car. “Look at the middle one as it lowers its head. It still has brown feathers on the back of the head – the sign of a juvenile. They will molt out before they begin migrating north.”

Just before arriving at the Flight Deck, we saw several Bald Eagles flying and diving over the water. By time we arrived at the deck, they had landed briefly on the trees on the north end of the pond. There were several immatures.

When we went over the checklist, we came up with 65 species for the day and were grateful for a beautiful winter day for our trip.

Fall Birding at Rinconada Canyon

“I only had 6 species when I scouted yesterday,” trip leader Gary told the assembled 19 individuals. “I am hoping it was because of the wind and that with more eyes, today will be better.”

As we started into Rinconada Canyon,one of the hot spots in Birding Hot Spots of Central New Mexico, someone noticed movement on top of the mesa. A coyote was watching us as we watched it.

coyote on mesa

A Say’s Phoebe hovered above the desert scrub and then landed on a bush.

Soon after, we spotted a Crissal Thrasher, a target bird for several visiting birders.

As we trudged through the dune-like sand covering the trail, a covey of Scaled Quail flew low across the terrain in front of us. And, further out, we spotted an American Kestrel.

A Red-tailed Hawk flew down from the mesa and landed on a power pole next to the road.

Two sparrows flew in and landed in some sand sage. It took a while for one of them to pop up briefly and then fly to another plant where it perched on top and flicked its tail down. The field marks and behavior clearly identified it as a Sage Sparrow. The second one scrounged under the base of the bush.

Sage Sparrow - photo by Joe Schelling

A raven flapped its way near the outcropping. “It’s a Chihuahuan Raven,” Sei said. “Notice its more frequent, shallow wing beat which is different from the Common Raven.”

It was croaking as it flew over. I checked the call of the Chihuahuan Raven on my phone and it was a perfect match – higher than the Common Raven.

At the far end of the canyon, we stopped to watch both a Bewick’s Wren and a Rock Wren that were calling and moving around the same boulder – the Rock Wren on top and the Bewick’s Wren in the scrub at its base.

Bewick's Wren - photo by Joe Schelling

Those that were near the front of the group were treated to a Greater Roadrunner as it pranced across the trail.

As we followed the trail around the end of the canyon, we encountered a number of Rock Wrens – I counted 6 along the 2.2 mile trail.

Rock Wren - photo by Joe Schelling

We spotted only one Canyon Towhee, which was surprising. Gary helped a visiting birder get a good look at it, as it was a life bird for her.

When I was almost back to the parking lot, a Crissal Thrasher flew in and landed nearby.

Crissal Thrasher

When we tallied up all the birds seen during our 3 hour walk, we had 16 species. It was a delightful morning.

Late Fall Birding at Bernardo Wildlife Management Area

“We are going follow the route suggested in Birding Hot Spots of Central New Mexico,” I told the Central New Mexico Audubon Thursday Birders gathered at the meeting spot. “Before heading into the wildlife management area, we are going to drive east along NM-60 for about 1 mile, then take a U-turn and park along the shoulder to scout the waterfowl. It is the only spot to get a good luck.”

There was a cover of coots swimming in the pond. On the far side, both Mallards and Northern Shovelers were ‘dabbling.’ Someone alerted us to a Redhead nestled under the over-hanging shrubs.

A Say’s Phoebe flew in and landed not far from where we were standing and a birder visiting from California heard a Song Sparrow singing in the underbrush across the highway. Normally, by time they arrive in central New Mexico for the winter, all we hear is its nasal call note.

Someone spotted a raptor perched on the top of a cottonwood on the far side of the seasonal pond. All the scopes came out. Clearly it was a dark morph. Some thought it was a dark morph Ferruginous Hawk and others thought its shape was more consistent with a dark morph Red-tailed. We could not see the tail, which was obscured by the cottonwood leaves. There was no consensus by time we moved on.

Our first stop inside the refuge was at the tall viewing platform. Some of the group explored the area beyond the bushes on the north side of the viewing area and turned up a Ladder-backed Woodpecker. Others wandered along the drainage channel.

We made our way down the road to the 2nd viewing platform. It was more active. A Western Meadowlark was perched on the top of a fence wire and just above it an American Kestrel surveyed the area from the top of a power pole.

Flocks of Sandhill Cranes flew over us in waves, calling to each other as they cruised overhead.

Sandhill Cranes

Several Song Sparrows foraged in the mud along the edges of the drainage channel. A flock of female Red-winged Blackbirds swooped down, landed briefly on some bare branches, and then disappeared into the grass.

Song Sparrow

“Where are the males?” someone asked.

“During the winter, males and females flock separately,” one of the regulars explained.

We began watching two Red-tailed Hawks circling over the corn fields. One was a dark morph with a very visible red tail and the other appeared to be a Harlan’s with a light tail.

“Do you think that is the same raptor we were studying from the road?” I asked. Even the dark morph Ferruginous Hawk advocates conceded that it was probably one of the two we were watching.

Bewick’s Wrens called from the bushes along the drainage channel. Then we heard the distinctive call of a Marsh Wren. Several were lucky to get a look at it when it popped up.

“They both have a white eyebrow,” Marge confirmed, checking her field guide. “However, the Marsh Wren has barring on its back.”

There were several flocks of White-crowned Sparrows that flew in and landed in some of the higher bushes away from the water. When they took off, others flew in to take their place.

“There’s a Black Phoebe,” John announced.

“And, there’s a Yellow-rumped Warbler,” Paulina stated.

A few of the group spotted a Loggerhead Shrike while we were at this stop.

As we followed the road, there were a few Sandhill Cranes walking along next to the corn field. They looked as if they wished they could get at the ears of corn still attached to the stalks.

frustrated Sandhill Cranes

At the final observation area, we walked along each of the paths to look out of the blind over the wetland. We watched a couple of Mountain Bluebirds in the grass just beyond the blind. They were joined by a Say’s Phoebe that perched precariously on the top of a slim stick. Beyond them Sandhill Cranes were probing in the wet grass and shallow water.

As I was standing back in the parking area, four Snow Geese flew over.

We watched a Northern Harrier fly low over the corn fields and then head over to the dried remains of a cover crop.

Northern Narrier

Several of us walked along the road to see if we could spot the Great Horned Owl that roosts in the cottonwood trees near the service buildings. There were still too many leaves on the tree.

As we walked back, Jeane noticed an accipiter sitting inconspicuously on a limb overhanging the service road. It was a juvenile, and in the shade of the tree looked like a Cooper’s Hawk. Just then a truck drove down the road toward us. As it approached, the raptor flushed and flew over us.

“It is a Sharp-shinned Hawk,” Steve announced. “Its head barely extended beyond the wings – and it had a more choppy wing beat that a Cooper’s.”

The refuge worker stopped to talk with us. “We will cut down the corn after the first Sandhill hunt,” he told us. “We want to encourage the cranes to head down to the Bosque del Apache and make room for wintering Snow Geese,” he explained.

“It would be helpful to have the information clearly available on your website to let the public know when the refuge is closed for hunting,” I told him.

The day had turned delightfully warm for early November and some of us decided to stay and eat our lunches on one of the picnic tables in the area – and perhaps add another species to the 33 we had already seen that morning.