Bird Sightings Report

Bird Sightings Report, September 1 to September 30, 2009

The main thrust of fall migration has taken place as winter visitors join the year-round resident species to form our late fall, winter, and early spring bird communities. Many passerine species now tend to congregate in relatively small, mixed feeding flocks.

Species Accounts

Ducks: 59 Northern Shovelers at the Tyrone sewage pond (Gene Lewis, 9/13).

Grebes: 4 Eared Grebes (Bill Evans Lake, Roland Shook, 9/14).

Herons: 2 Great Egrets at Bill Evans Lake (9/28, Jerry Bird)

Ibis: 2 White-faced Ibis were seen at Lake Robert’s on 9/4 (Larry Malone) and 39 were seen at Bill Evans Lake (Roland Shook and Linda Moore, 9/22).

Vultures: 84 Turkey Vultures were seen by Patricia Taber of 9/28 above Silver City.

Hawks: Larry Malone reported only his second Zone-tailed Hawk sighting in Luna County on the east side of Florida Mountains (9/8), and a immature of the same species was seen in the Gila Bird Area by Roland Shook and Linda Moore (9/17).

Rails: Sora – 1 adult and 1 immature, seen at the upper end of Lake Robert’s (9/4, Larry Malone).

Shorebirds: A Semipalmated Plover (Deming Waster Water Plant, Larry Malone, 9/7); a Spotted SandpiperWestern Sandpiper and (Tyrone sewage pond, Gene Lewis, 9/6); Baird’s Sandpiper (1 to 2 at Tyrone sewage ponds, Gene Lewis, 9/6, 9/7, 9/20) and several photographed by Robert Shantz at the junction of I-10 and Animas Highway (9/13); Red-necked Phalarope (Tyrone sewage ponds, Gene Lewis, 9/20; and Bill Evans Lake, Roland Shook, 9/14); and an American Avocet (Roland Shook, Bill Evans Lake, 9/14).

Baird’s Sandpiper, Robert Shantz, Animas Rd and I-10, 9/13

Hummingbirds: A female White-eared Hummingbird was reported by Karen Beckenbach at her Silver City residence (9/26).

Woodpeckers: An Acorn Woodpecker was seen on the east side of Florida Mountains by Larry Malone, his first for Luna County (9/7), a Lewis’ Woodpecker visited Richard Matthews’ Silver City residence on 9/26 and Jerry Bird saw the same species at the Iron Bridge on 9/18, and a Red-naped Sapsucker was seen in the Gila Bird Area (Roland Shook, 9/14).

Flycatchers: 12 Western Wood Pewees at the Tyrone sewage ponds (Gene Lewis, 9/6); an Olive-sided Flycatcher at Lake Robert’s on 9/4 (Larry Malone); a high of 12 Western Kingbirds on 9/7 (Gene Lewis, Tyrone sewage pond); and a Gray Flycatcher at the Tyrone sewage ponds (Gene Lewis, 9/13).

Shrikes: A Loggerhead Shrike (Tyrone sewage ponds, Gene Lewis, 9/6).

Vireos: A Bell’s Vireo at the Tyrone sewage pond (Gene Lewis, 9/6, his 204^th species for that location).

Swallows: 2 Bank Swallows at the Tyrone Sewage Ponds (Gene Lewis, 9/13).

Bushtits: 6 Bushtits at Gene Lewis’ Silver City residence (9/14); and several at Mary Alice Murphy’s Silver City residence on 9/16.

Bushtits by Mary Alice Murphy, Silver City, 9/16

Wrens: A House Wren (Gila Bird Area, Roland Shook, 9/14)

Thrushes: an immature Townsend’s Solitaire seen by Jim Rogers at Lake Roberts (9/7).

Immature Townsend’s Solitaire, Jim Rogers, Lake Robert’s, 9/7

Kinglets: A Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the Gila Bird Area (Roland Shook and Linda Moore (9/22).

Phainopeplas: 2 Phainopeplas on the east side of Florida Mountains (Larry Malone, 9/7).

Warblers: A female Black and White Warbler seen at Cherry Creek Camp Ground on 9/4 (Larry Malone); several species at the Tyrone sewage pond seen by Gene Lewis: an Orange-crowned Warbler (9/6), a Virginia’s Warbler (9/7), a Yellow-rumped Warbler (9/13), and a Wilson’s Warbler (9/16). A Townsend’s Warbler was seen and photographed by Jim Rogers in Hanover (9/23). McGillivray’s Warbler (Roland Shook, Gila Bird Area, 9/2, 9/17), Nashville Warbler (Roland Shook, Gila Bird Area, 9/17), 1-2 Painted Redstarts (Roland Shook, Gila Bird Area, 9/14, 9/17 and 9/22)

Townsend’s Warbler, Jim Rogers, Hanover, 9/23

Tanagers: A female Western Tanager (Tyrone sewage pond, Gene Lewis 9/6); and two additional females at Gene’s Silver City residence (9/14).

Sparrows: 35 Chipping Sparrows (9/13); and 7 Vesper Sparrows (9/13) at the Tyrone sewage ponds (Gene Lewis). A Dark-eyed Junco was seen at Richard Matthews’ residence in Silver City (9/27).

Field Trips

The Gila River Bird habitat area will be October’s des­tination. We will be exploring the woods along the riv­er and walking can be a little rough—the trails are not well defined. We will also be birding along the gravel road leading to the birding area. If time permits, we will stop off at Bill Evans Lake and Mangas Springs on the way home. We will meet on Saturday, October 17 at the parking lot south of the WNMU Fine Arts Theater at 8:00 am and carpool to the area. Bring binoculars, sun­screen, a hat, snacks and water. We should return in the early afternoon. This is site #20 on the Southwestern New Mexico Birding Trail.

All photographs displayed in this Bird Sightings Report remain the sole property of the photographer. Expressed written permission is necessary to use any of these photographs.

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