New Mexico 
I 
Sartor 0. Williams I 
D ry conditions, exacerbated by strong 
winds, continued into spring 2009, 
but an early onset of summer rains in 
late May hinted that some relief may be in 
store. A remarkable season for eastern and 
Mexican vagrants brought at least one new 
species to the state, a Fan-tailed Warbler that 
found its way to the high plains of eastern 
New Mexico. 
Abbreviations: B.L.N.W.R. (Bitter Lake 
N.W.R.); Bosque (Bosque del Apache N.W.R.); 
E.B.L. (Elephant Butte L); N.R.T. (n. Roosevelt 
migrant trap w. of Melrose); R.G.N.C. (Rio 
Grande Nature Center, Albuquerque); R.G.V 
(Rio Grande Valley); R.S. (Rattlesnake Springs 
and vicinity, Eddy). 
WATERFOWL THROUGH FALCONS 
Providing a breeding first for the lower Gila 
R., a Canada Goose was tending young at Re- 
drock 22 May (K. Little, fide RS). A male 
Eurasian Wigeon at Holloman L. 26 May (ph. 
BZ) was the latest ever for New Mexico. West 
and late was a male Greater Scaup at Zuni’s 
Nutria L. 26-27 Apr QT). The wintering 
Long-tailed Duck at Bosque was last seen 19 
Mar (ph. C. Lee). Far s. of known range, an 
apparent Dusky Grouse was in the Pinos Al- 
tos Mts. 26 Apr QD)- Unusual was a Horned 
Grebe w. to Lordsburg 20-26 Mar (LM, SW). 
A busy Brown Pelican season found one at 
Morgan L. 21 May+ (ph. TR), one downed by 
a snowstorm near Cuba 11 Apr (C. Hender- 
son), and at least 4 at Brantley L. 11 May OR 
LM). A Neotropic Cormorant was far n. to 
Morgan L. 21 May+ (ph. TR), and another 
[ was w. to Lordsburg 8 May (CR); noteworthy 
I for the lower Pecos Valley were 2 ads. at 
Brantley L. 7 May (RD). A male Anhinga sun- 
ning at Holloman L. 1 Apr (C. Fredricks) 
could not be relocated; there are but five pre- 
vious New Mexico records. A high count of 6 
American Bitterns came from B.L.N.W.R. 8 
Apr QIS)- Least Bitterns were vocal in May at 
Bosque Redondo (JR JMB, DK), Bosque (BZ), 
and Six Mile Dam (BF, JR SW). Great Blue 
Heron breeding reports included seven nests 
at Morgan L. in May (ph. TR), five nests be- 
low Ute Dam 30 May (DS), and four nests 
near San Marcial 5 May (RD). Some 55 Great 
Egret nests were near San Marcial 5 May 
(RD), a large number; the same colony had 
just four Snowy Egret nests (RD). A Tricol- 
ored Heron at B.L.N.W.R. 1-2 May OR vt. JO) 
furnished the only report. Early Cattle Egrets 
were 3 at Bosque 20 Mar (SW) and one at Be- 
len 22 Mar QP); lingering in the w. were 3 at 
Columbus 28 May (SOW). An ad. Yellow- 
crowned Night-Heron was at Six Mile Dam 4 
May (BF). Glossy Ibis continues as an in- 
creasingly regular spring migrant, with single 
ads. at Zuni 26 Apr QT), at Socorro 21 Apr 
(ph. JO), at Fort Sumner 8 May OR MB), and 
at B.L.N.W.R. 12-14 Apr (ph. WH, JMB) and 
2 (ph. JO), 11 (MH), & 16 May (ph. JO), 
Elsewhere, up to 2 ads. were at Bosque 16-21 
Apr (ph. JO, JP) and at least one at L. Avalon 
27 Apr (SW). 
Eighteen Osprey pairs were in n. Rio Arri- 
ba, where at least 16 had nests (DS); a nest 
was found below Navajo Dam 
(DS, ph. TR); and two nests 
were in McKinley, including a 
newly discovered one at Mc- 
Gaffey L. (DS). One to 2 
White-tailed Kites were pres- 
ent in the Animas Valley 9 May 
(AC), at three sites in the Ha- 
chita Valley Mar-May (L. 
Neely, J. Groves, SOW), near 
Hermanas Mar-Apr (HW, CH, 
M. Rogers), and in the Mesilla 
Valley 3 & 16 May (C. Goin). 
A Mississippi Kite was far n. to 
Aztec 13 May (ph. S. Landon), and 3 were w. 
to Cliff 26 May (fide RS); on the Pecos R., 3 
were n. to Santa Rosa 8 May ON-M). At least 
four Bald Eagle nests were active in n. New 
Mexico, two each in Rio Arriba and Colfax 
(DS). A Northern Harrier pair was courting at 
B.L.N.W.R. 2 May QO); one w. of Columbus 
28 May (SOW) was in likely nesting habitat. 
Migrant Common Black-Hawks in nonbreed- 
ing areas were one at Lordsburg 26 Mar (SW) 
and singles at two Animas Valley sites 27 Mar 
(B. Carlson) and 10 Apr (MB, NP); one to 2 
were n. to two Santa Rosa sites Apr-May (CR, 
WW,JP, JN-M) and one was e. to Trigg Ranch, 
e. San Miguel 10 Apr (MM). One to 2 Broad- 
winged Hawks were at five sites in Guadalupe, 
Curry, Roosevelt, and Eddy 20 Apr-13 May 
(m.ob.); farther w., one was in Water Canyon 
2 May (CB, NH, CR). A pair of Gray Hawks 
returned to the Black R. area, Eddy by 22 Mar 
(CB), with nest-building observed 28 Mar 
(CW); in Guadalupe Canyon, ads. were noted 
11 & 17 Apr (JR WW, ph. DC), and two pairs 
were present 8-9 May (SOW, NM-C, CR). A 
migrating Buteo on the prairie some 80 km n, 
of Roswell 25 Apr (D. Bruce, M. Bruce) was 
described as a Gray Hawk, not the expected 
Broad-winged. Zone-tailed Hawk was widely 
reported, including a pair in the Capitan Mts. 
15 Apr QMB) and one at Playas 1-6 Apr 
(WC). Considered late for the se., single Fer- 
ruginous Hawks were in s. Roosevelt 19 Apr 
(CR) and L, Avalon 9 May (SW); nests of note 
were s. of Datil 30 May (ph. BZ), near Encino 
Apr-May (JO), near Sumner L, 20 May (ph. 
JPB), and near Elida, Roosevelt 22 Apr (CH). 
Aerial surveys for Golden Eagles in ne. New 
Mexico in Mar found nest attempts consider- 
ably reduced, and the number of fledglings 
counted 30-31 May was only half of recent 
annual averages (DS); reduced prey owing to 
drought may be involved. An unbanded Aplo- 
mado Falcon s. of Deming Mar-Apr (m.ob.) 
was believed by some to be a genuine wild 
bird, but given the massive release program in 
s. New Mexico since 2006, its true prove- 
nance is not known; a banded subad. Aplo- 
mado was s. of Deming on various dates 20 
Mar-28 Apr (ph. HW, ph. CH), 
RAILS THROUGH TERNS 
A large rail at Bosque 10-12 May (C. West, 
m.ob., v.r. JO, v.r. NH, v.r. JPB, ph. CW, ph. 
NP) was initially thought to be a King Rail, 
based largely on vocalizations, but later be- 
lieved to be a typical Gulf Coast Clapper Rail, 
a species previously unreported in New Mex- 
ico. Notably late Sandhill Cranes were over 
200 near Dexter 28 Mar (CW RV CR), 70 at 
Tome 1 Apr (CB), and 30 at R.G.N.C. 3 Apr 
(D. Paez); last was one or more heard at Luis 
Lopez 16 & 18 Apr QO)’ A Black-bellied 
Plover was at Holloman L. 26 May (ph, BZ, 
MS, ph. JZ). A strong American Golden- 
Rare in New Mexico, and especially so in spring, these two Ruddy Turnstones 
were at Sumner Lake, De Baca County 6 May 2009. Photograph by Bonnie Long. 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 3 
473 
