New Mexico

Took a morning flight from Heathrow to Atlanta and the onward connection to Albuquerque in New Mexico. After picking up the rental car it only took us 15 minutes to arrive at a wonderful hotel in the historic old town of the city. The first of many fine meals followed at a charming ‘wild west’ style restaurant nearby and as we walked back to the hotel realised that there was a distinct chill in the air – well we are at 1,619m (5,312 feet)…!

The following morning in the Hacienda gardens we saw an Audubon’s Warbler (a recent 2-way split from Yellow-rumped Warbler) and a flyover Eastern Bluebird, before driving to the Rio Grande Nature Centre about 10 minutes away. This lovely little reserve proved to be a great place to start our birding in New Mexico, as along the trail to the lake we found Downy Woodpecker, both Black-capped and Mountain Chickadees, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Oregon & Pink-sided Juncos, White-crowned Sparrow, Spotted Towhee and White-breasted Nuthatch. Out on the lake were numerous Wood Ducks, Ring-necked Duck, Gadwall, Mallard, a cracking little female Bufflehead, American Coot, Pied-billed Grebe and a Belted Kingfisher. 

Rio Grande Nature Centre

Wood Ducks were common

We then took the River Loop Trail, where we saw Northern Flicker, House Finch and out on the Rio Grande River were a pair of California Gulls, 3 Killdeers, 3 Sandhill Cranes and a flock of Horned Larks. Returning to the lake beside the Visitor Centre we spent a little while scanning through the waterfowl which had now been joined by lots of Canada Geese. Across the parking lot is Candelaria Lake and I was very pleased to finally nail Cackling Goose. Also here was Green-winged Teal, a few American WIgeon, American Kestrel, Say’s Phoebe and a confiding Bewick’s Wren. So by now it was almost 11am and we decided that with the forecasted snow for Sunday potentially affecting our plans to head up into the mountains, we would drive up to Sandia Crest now. On the road out we stopped to admire a large flock of some 25+ Bushtits.

The drive up to the turn off into the Sandia Mountains only took half an hour and we headed the 13 miles along the winding road to the parking area at the top, which is at an elevation of around 10,263 feet. Once here we wasted no time in entering the famous Sandia Crest House and scanning for rosy-finches. 

Recent snowfall in the Sandia Mountains

Despite the area being shrouded in low cloud and a thick frost on the pine trees we could watch Grey-headed Juncos and Steller’s Jays from the heated restaurant and shop complex. But we didn’t have to wait long before a group of Black Rosy-Finches flew to the feeder on the veranda just 10 feet away from us. 

At least 8 Black Rosy-Finches appeared at the feeders.

All of a sudden the frozen fingertips were forgotten as 8 of these beautiful gems totally enthralled us. So when they had flown away a hot cup of coffee was called for before venturing outside again and around the car park were many Red-breasted Nuthatches and Mountain Chickadees to keep us entertained. A flock of Red Crossbills flew in and landed nearby and on closer inspection there was also a Pine Siskin accompanying them.

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Driving back down the mountain we found a Hairy Woodpecker, a huge congregation of several hundred American Robins and our first Townsend’s Solitaire. And that was our mountain birding done for the day as we headed north to Santa Fe along a quiet ‘back’ road. Flocks of Western Bluebirds adorned the telegraph wires as we drove through rolling hills until we couldn’t take it any longer and frustration got the better of us and we pulled over at the basically the first safe bit of parking space we came to. What a superb decision this was as no sooner had we stepped out of the car than another American Robin appeared, but right next to it was a female Cassin’s Finch. A lifer for yours truly and I took my time studying the bird – not wanting to make an error in identification. 

Female Cassin's Finch with an American Robin

I needn’t had worried as there were several others present, and at least one male bird to clinch things. As if things couldn’t get any better, a Canyon Towhee appeared and shortly after a pair of Sage Thrashers showed nicely. A close Townsend’s Solitaire was pretty cool as well! So that was it and with the light fading at 4.30pm we drove just under an hour to Santa Fe and our base for the next two nights.

New Mexico Winter Birding Special...!

We have just posted a brand new tour to New Mexico in December next year searching for resident and winter specialities such as Hooded Merganser, Barrow's Goldeneye, Williamson's & Red-naped Sapsuckers, Gray Jay, Bridled Titmouse, Mountain Bluebird, Crissal Thrasher, Phainopepla, and both Evening & Pine Grosbeaks. A special visit to Sandia Crest will be made for Gray-crowned, Black and Brown-capped Rosy-Finches. And let's not forget the spectacle of 1000's of Snow and Ross's Geese and Sandhill Cranes at Bosque Del Apache NWR. Should be great photo opportunities, great food, great scenery and a great experience.  Can't wait...!   

Click the link to view the tour itinerary: http://www.zootherabirding.com/page_3175147.html

Just to give you a little flavour of the geese and crane spectacle, take a look at these videos...

A Day at Portal

Daybreak saw us trundling along Stateline Road that borders New Mexico which traverses excellent desert habitat and we picked up our first Scaled Quails quite easily here. Our other major target bird was Bendire’s Thrasher, and as luck would have it we bumped into another birder along here who gave us some valuable info. In fact as we were talking to this birder, a Bendire’s Thrasher hopped up onto a wood pile and onto our life lists! 

Scaled Quail

Bendire's Thrasher

We got really nice views of this bird before driving on a little further and seeing Brewer’s Sparrows, another Greater Roadrunner, American Kestrel, Loggerhead Shrike, Bell’s Vireo, Verdin and others.

The Road to Portal in the Chiricahuas

After breakfast we head up to the mountains and birded around Onion Saddle and Rustler Park with the intention of finding the elusive chickadee and Olive Warbler. Well, despite the strong wind we found several Olive Warblers after a couple hours of walking around in really cold conditions. What a great little bird, and apparently not a warbler and not olive – go figure! 

Olive Warbler

We also saw Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pygmy Nuthatch, Yellow-eyed Junco, Western Bluebird, Steller’s Jay, Brown Creeper and a few Red Crossbills.

Red-breasted Nuthatch

So it looked like and I felt resigned to the fact we weren’t going to get Mexican Chickadee we visited a feeding station at the edge of the desert. Sitting in some chairs in the shade of a large tree we watched Lazuli Bunting, Green-tailed Towhee, Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay and other commoner species feeding just a few metres away. At one point a Cooper’s Hawk flew in and scared everything to death, so we left and drove back into New Mexico to top up with fuel. 

Lazuli Bunting

Green-tailed Towhee

Afterwards we drove back along Stateline Road to Willow Pond, a recently established little reserve that holds the only water for miles around. There had been a number of good reports recently but the only shorebirds on offer were Killdeer and Least Sandpiper, but there was a flock of Mexican Ducks as well. But there were lots of Violet-green Swallows, and a Bank Swallow (Sand Martin for us Brits). Driving back through the desert we found a Crissal Thrasher, Western Meadowlark,  Say’s Phoebe and at dusk flocks of Barn and Cliff Swallows flew over.

I did make a visit back up to Rustler Park but no owls were ever going to be calling in the cold wind so I gave up after an hour and drove back, but did see another Ringtail Cat on the way down.

New Mexico - Heading South to Bosque del Apache

With heavy snowfall overnight we decided to head south and the hour long journey to Albuquerque was an adventure in itself as the road was covered in the white stuff. So slow going indeed but not much traffic on the road at 7am and with the temperature at a cool 18°F I was a little worried there would be ice on the road. But it was fine and we ploughed on, stopping at our favourite little spot on the back road to Albuquerque where the snow clung to the juniper bushes making the wintry scene look very splendid indeed. We had a nice male Cassin’s Finch perched on top of one of the nearby bushes, along with Townsend’s Solitaire and some Western Bluebirds making for great photographic opportunities. Moving on, a Canyon Towhee flew across the road in front of us and we had it in the back of our minds to go up to Sandia Crest and get another species of rosy-finch, but the weather was getting worse by the time we reached the turn off into the Sandia Mountains.

Some great birds here today - but rather chilly...!

The road back to Albuquerque

Female Cassin's Finch

Male Cassin's Finch

Western Bluebirds

Townsend's Solitaire

So instead we drove down I-25 for just over an hour to Socorro and on up into the Magdalena Mountains. The road went up onto a vast open prairie/grassland with views of snow-capped mountains in the distance before we turned up into Water Canyon. There was a strong cold wind blowing which kept the temperature down to about 48°F for most of the day. But once in the canyon, which was bounded by tall cliffs and covered in pine and juniper we had a great time as there were lots of birds. Our first stop to check out a flock of birds produced (apart from a rush of blood!) a female Williamson’s Sapsucker pecking away at a spruce tree. Wow! 

Williamson's Sapsucker - female

Finally we’d managed to find one of the scarcer peckers after all of that searching in the north and in lovely sunshine and blue skies we spent a while watching and photographing this little beauty. There was also White-breasted Nuthatch, our first Curve-billed Thrasher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, a flock of Pine Siskins, Oregon and numerous Pink-sided and Grey-headed Junco’s. I wanted to check out the camping sites just a little further up the road but it was quiet, apart from Acorn Woodpecker, some Mountain Chickadees and loads more junco’s. So we drove back down to the first site and duly scored with our first Juniper Titmouse, quickly followed by a cracking Red-naped Sapsucker. 

Juniper Titmouse

I was over the moon with this latter species, as not only was it a lifer but a simply stunning bird. In fact, there were lots of birds moving through the trees below us and we had further views of solitaires and bluebirds, Hairy Woodpecker, and a few Woodhouse’s Scrub Jays that posed nicely. Elated with our findings here we drove up through the valley, in a half-hearted search for Pygmy Nuthatch – a species I know is here but have seen plenty of times before over the years.

Woodhouse's Scrub Jay

By now it was 3.15pm and we decided to head down to Bosque del Apache, arriving at 4pm. We had the bonus sighting of several Pronghorn Antelopes in the grassland before reaching the highway. Heading into the reserve we drove to the parking area known as the Flight Deck where there were hundreds of common ducks out on the water, but we were more interested in the Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes. It has been an ambition of mine for many years to visit this place and must admit, I was very excited to be here! So we took a few photos of the geese and then I noticed a much smaller white goose which was (of course) a superb Ross’s Goose. The small rounded head and tiny bill were very noticeable and it posed nicely next to a Snow Goose so you could see the size difference easily. 

Ross's Goose (left) and Snow Goose (right) at Bosque del Apache

The light was superb and it was very enjoyable watching the geese flying around with the late afternoon sunshine making the backdrop of trees and bushes literally glow a wonderful golden colour. There were lots of other birds here with hundreds of Red-winged Blackbirds flocking in the marshes and a couple of Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Common Grackles were in amongst them as well. Several Northern Harriers quartered the marshes, a Red-tailed Hawk was perched in a dead tree and a Cooper’s Hawk flew over us.

Beautiful evening light at Bosque del Apache.

A quick drive around the Loop Trail failed to give us anything new so we headed back up the main road to some pools where hundreds of Sandhill Cranes were flying in to roost. The cacophony of noise as they bugled their presence high overhead as they flew down in skeins to land noisily in front of us was fantastic. Several of them lowered their ‘undercarriages’ and almost seemed to hang in the air with the backdrop of mountains making a lovely scene. It really is difficult to describe how evocative the sound of cranes is until you’ve experienced it yourself and this definitely ranks as one of those never-to-be-forgotten moments I will mentally file away forever.

Sandhill Cranes arriving to roost

With the light almost gone we drove 30 minutes back to our motel in Socorro and prepared for an early departure tomorrow.