THE CHANGING SEASONS: OSCILLATIONS 
Figure 12. This large rail at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Socorro County, New Mexico 10-12 (here 11) May 2009 was 
identified by Gulf Coast rail experts and others as a typical Gulf Coast Clapper Rail— a species not previously recorded in New Mexico. 
Photograph by Nancy E. Hetrick. 
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Figure 13. This pair of Eastern Bluebirds, nesting in southwest- 
ern New Mexico at Playas, Hidalgo County 10 April 2009, ap- 
pears to represent the eastern subspecies sialis, now an annual 
breeder in New Mexico's Rio Grande Valley. This locale is in view 
of the Chiricahua Mountains in Arizona, where the southwest- 
ern subspecies fulva breeds. Photograph by James /?. Morgan. 
glamorous birds in the Pictorial Highlights 
section. Last but not least, from one of the 
most interest states for bird records in the past 
decades. New Mexico, there were two gems 
not to be overlooked. First, a reported King 
Rail from Bosque del Apache (Figure 12) was 
determined, after much discussion and study, 
to be a Clapper Rail — a long way from home, 
whether it came from California, Arizona, or 
Texas — but at least some authorities feel that 
a Gulf coast population is involved. In south- 
western New Mexico, at Playas, keen ob- 
servers noted a nesting pair of “Eastern” East- 
ern Bluebirds (nominate sialis), just a stone’s 
throw from the nesting range of southwestern 
fulva. The mantra we hear from all of the 
world’s great birders: Look at each bird with a 
fresh and critical eye. 
Literature cited 
Alison, R. 2009. Big chill in Churchill; Winter 
grips 90 per cent of north, migratory birds 
can’t breed. Winnipeg Free Press, 6 June. 
Brinkley, E. S. 2001. The Changing Seasons: 
Drifters. North American Birds 55: 258-264, 
Greene, E., V R. Muehter, and W. Davison. 
1996. Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena). 
In: The Birds of North America Online (A. 
Poole, Ed.). Ithaca, New York: Cornell Lab 
of Ornithology. Retrieved from the Birds of 
North America Online: <http://bna.birds. 
cornell.edu/bna/species/232>. 
Patten, M. A., and C. A. Marantz. 1996. Im- 
plications of vagrant southeastern vireos 
and warblers in California. Auk 113: 911- 
923. 
Ullmann, A., and J. Monbaliu. 2009. Changes 
in atmospheric circulation over the North 
Atlantic and sea-surge variations along the 
Belgian coast during the twentieth century. 
International Journal of Climatology, pub- 
lished online 3 April 2009. 
Veit, R. R. 2000. Vagrants as the expanding 
fringe of a growing population. Auk 117: 
242-246. © 
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