NEW MEXICO 
Unexpected in New Mexico in July, this Scarlet Tanager was 
banded 23 July 2009 at Los Alamos, Los Alamos County. 
Photograph by Charles D. Hathcock. 
Sparrows summering in atypical habitat was 
provided by ads. carrying food at the old San 
Juan Pueblo bridge 5 Jul (CR), up to 2 singing 
males in the Corrales bosque Jun-12 Jul 
(DK), and a pair feeding begging fledglings at 
the Albuquerque Academy 7 Jun (B. Vaughn). 
Noteworthy n. to Cibola, single male Black- 
chinned Sparrows were singing at La Ventana 
29 Jun (SOW) and in The Narrows 18 Jul 
(SOW); others of interest included singles in 
the Datil Mts. 7 Jun (]H) and at Pine Lodge, 
Lincoln 25 Jul (CR). Vesper Sparrows van- 
ished from the Pinon B.B.S. when their ju- 
niper habitat was leveled; six years later, re- 
covery of junipers resulted in 2 Vespers there 
14 Jun (WH). Migrant Lark Sparrow flocks 
were conspicuous by late Jul, including 13 at 
Deming 24 Jul (LM) and 25 at the Gila Bird 
Area 30 Jul (RS). The 65 Grasshopper Spar- 
rows in the s. Animas Valley 8 Jul (HW) was 
the highest count there in several years. For 
the 2nd consecutive year. Song Sparrows per- 
sisted into summer in the Cliff-Gila Valley, in- 
cluding one heard near Cliff 5 Jun (JP) and 2 
singing at the same site 18 & 30 Jun (RS); 2 
more were singing below Redrock at Nicbols 
Canyon 16 Jul (RS). Very late for the prairie 
were 2 Lineoln’s Sparrows at N.R.T. 3 Jun (ph. 
WH); 3 were singing near timberline on Mt. 
Taylor 14 Jun (DK). Searches for Yellow-eyed 
Junco in the Animas Mts. 27 Jun found at 
least 8 ads. QP et ah), including one pair with 
recently fledged young (ph. CW). The junco 
situation was more complex in the Burro 
Mts., where among several juneo pairs was an 
apparent mixed pair — one Yellow-eyed ad. 
and one Red-backed ad. — tending a nest with 
3 nestlings 17 Jul (HW). 
A male Northern Cardinal n. to Sumner 
Dam 3 Jun (ph. WH) was chasing a male Sum- 
mer Tanager; a cardinal pair was at Hillsboro 
25 Jun-30 Jul (ph. DC). North were 2 male 
Pyrrhuloxias n. of B.L.N.W.R. 4 Jun, including 
one at Cocklebur L. (ph. WH). Lingering 
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were single males on 
the Los Pinos R., Rio Arriba 9 Jun (M. Flint), 
Corrales 7 Jun (DK), Datil Mts. 28 Jun QH), 
and R.S. 14 Jun (WS). Indigo Buntings were 
conspicuous in the Broad Canyon area n. of 
Radium Springs, where a 1.7-km transect 
found 2 singing males plus a pair with a fledg- 
ling 23 Jul (MS). Four Varied Bunting territo- 
ries were tallied in Guadalupe Canyon 9-10 
Jul, including a nest with eggs (ph. HW); Var- 
ieds were found at several canyons in Carlsbad 
Caverns N.P., including Walnut, Slaughter, 
and Rattlesnake (SW), and a pair was feeding 
fledglings in upper Walnut Canyon 31 Jul 
(HW). Up to 2 Painted Buntings were singing 
at Deming 24 & 26 Jul (DH). 
One to 2 Bronzed Cowbirds were n.to two 
Albuquerque sites 1 Jun (DK) and 12 Jul 
(CB); away from usual areas were single 
males at Hillsboro 6 Jun (JP) and Carrizozo 
13 Jun (WH). Brown-headed Cowbirds were 
successful in the Peloncillo Mts., where fledg- 
lings were fed by Huttons Vireos and by Blue- 
gray Gnatcatchers (CL). Noteworthy for Lin- 
coln was a Hooded Oriole at upper Three 
Rivers Ranch 3 Jul (WWe). Summering 
American Goldfinches may be spreading far- 
ther southward in New Mexico; this season, 
up to 3 males were singing at Bosque from 20 
Jun through Jul (m.ob.), and one or more 
were at the Gila Cliff Dwellings 10 Jun (M, 
Ali) and 8 Jul (LM); in the n., several were at 
Taos 20 Jul (HW), and 3 were along the Rio 
Pueblo, Taos 13 Jun (JP). 
Initialed observers: Jonathan Batkin, Matt 
Baumann, Celestyn Brozek, David Cleary, 
Joan Day-Martin, Kathy Granillo, David Grif- 
fin, John Groves, Joan Hardie, David 
Hawksworth, Charles Hayes, Nancy Hetrick, 
Michael Hilchey, William Howe, James 
Joseph, David Krueper, Eugene Lewis, Carroll 
Littlefield, Larry Malone, Robert Mumford, 
Jerry Oldenettel, John Parmeter, Nicholas 
Pederson, Tim Reeves, Christopher Rustay, 
Lawry Sager, Jeffrey Sanchez, Hart Schwarz, 
Marcy Scott, William Scott, Roland Shook, 
Dale Stahlecker, Hira Walker, Richard Web- 
ster, Steve West, William West, S. O. 
Williams, William Wittman, Cole Wolf, James 
Zabriskie. O 
Sartor 0. Williams III, Division of Birds 
Museum of Southwestern Biology 
University of New Mexico 
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131 
(sunbittern@earthlink.net) 
WHAT DO 
INDOQR 
CATS MISS?. 
^ Killing birds 
Getting lost 
^ Getting stolen 
Getting hit by a car 
^ Fatal feline diseases 
^ Dog attacks 
Abscesses 
^ Worms 
^ Fleas 
^ Ticks 
Protect cats, birds, 
and other wildlife by 
keeping cats indoors! 
For more information, contact: 
American Bird Conservancy 
CaCs Indoors! 
1731 Connecticut Avenue, N\V 
Washington, DC 2U009 
Phone: 202-234-7181 
Fax: 202-234-7182 
XX’eb: wv'w.abcbirds.org 
E-mail: abc@abcbirds.(n‘g 
AMERICAN BIRD 
CONSERVANCY 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 4 
633 
