Riding the Rail Runner for Birding in Santa Fe

“Oh, look, Western Kingbirds,” exclaimed Wendy and Gail, visiting birders from the San Francisco Bay area. The Rail Runner was stopped at the Bernalillo station.
Seventeen Thursday Birders boarded the train at various stops from Los Lunas to Bernalillo to join the group that was headed for Santa Fe – a trip designed [...]

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Searching for the Elusive Gray Vireo

I was excited to get the invitation from Nancy Kassner, Civ USAF AFMC MDA/AL, with the subject line: “Birding for the elusive Gray Vireo at Kirtland Air Force Base–23 Jun 09 0730 (TUESDAY) (UNCLASSIFIED).”
Kirkland Air Force Base is one of the few reliable locations to see the Gray Vireo in central New Mexico. [...]

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Summer Birding in Otero Canyon

Our morning started out with a Canyon Towhee greeting our group of Thursday Birders as we assembled at the Sandia Ranger Station in Tijeras. And then we were off to drive the three and a half miles south to Otero Canyon area.
“I always check out these trees for sapsuckers,” Rebecca said as [...]

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Continuing Roadrunner Saga

Two sets of bird parents on my block are hunting for food for their young ‘uns. A pair of Western Scrub Jays has a nest in the piñon pine next to my driveway. The parents go about their good gathering stealthily. Despite the fact that they know that I am the one [...]

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Hungry Roadrunner

I walked past the window in my living room just in time to see a Greater Roadrunner positioning a House Sparrow and then swallowing it – in much the same manner as a heron swallows a fish.
I silently backed up and then tip-toed to the kitchen table to retrieve my camera from where [...]

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Nesting Birds at Embudo Canyon

Both Scaled and Gambel’s Quail were calling as the Thursday Birders headed north from the parking lot on Trail #401. The sun was just peeking over the mountains and it was cool in the foothills. The valley below sparkled in the clear air. A perfect morning to be birding.
Two kingbirds perched on a [...]

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Birding on Foot in Los Angeles

It could have been a long day. I had no car and June gloom hung like a shroud outside. I had counted on going birding while my grand-daughter was at preschool.
Well, I thought, I suppose I could walk over to the soccer fields in the Sepulveda Basin Recreational Area, just a [...]

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Late Spring Birds at Corrales Bosque

As usual, the first bird that greeted as along the irrigation ditch was a Black Phoebe. It looked so perky sitting on a twig over hanging the water as it waited for an insect to come by. It would then dart off, returning to its same perch. 22 Thursday Birders started slowly [...]

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Early Summer in the Jemez Mountains

The Thursday Birders were greeted by Pine Siskins gorging themselves on Lou Feltz’s thistle feeder. Since they were so engrossed on the nijer, they didn’t pay any attention to us as we gathered on the deck to decide where to explore. Lou’s cabin is nestled in a valley on Thompson Ridge at 8,600 feet [...]

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