john@nmtsun.nmt.edu (John Shipman) (05/09/89)
I just got back from a quick trip to southeast NM. We heard reliable reports of two astonishing migrants (Black-throated Blue Warbler and Yellow-throated Vireo) around the first of May in Clovis, so we figured the migration might be early this year, and set out for our two favorite migrant traps in eastern NM: Boone's Draw and Bell Lake (specific directions to any site available on request). It was great---four new state birds for me (Semipalmated Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Least Tern, and Chestnut-sided Warbler), which puts me up to 327 for the state. Here are some trip highlights. ------------------------------------------------------------ 89-5-4, Bitter Lake NWR, near Roswell Semipalmated Sandpiper, at least 2 definite, many more suspected. Finally saw some birds with glossy black legs and bills short enough to be sure of the ID. Other plumage details, especially the lightness of the back and absence of rusty scapulars, corroborate the ID. Whimbrel, 1. Its bold, chocolate-brown twin crown stripes were well seen in the telescope. Marbled Godwits, 35, with the whimbrel. Neither species was relocated when we birded here two days later. Also: Redhead, Snowy Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Stilt Sandpiper, Franklin's Gull, Forster's Tern. ------------------------------------------------------------------ 89-5-5: camped last night in Boone's Draw, a few miles SW of Portales, a famous migrant ``oasis'' with a large number of singular records, especially warblers. (This is also a popular site for wild frat parties, so it is to be avoided on weekends). At midmorning we went to Oasis SP nearby to try for Eastern Kingbird (no luck) and then south, stopping briefly at Ocotillo Park a few miles north of Hobbs (my hometown 1955-1966), then camped out at Bell Lake. This site is in southwest Lea County and not close to any towns, and it too has a number of famous records (e.g. Anhinga and the only decent Aplomado Falcon sighting in the last 20 years); the ``lake'' is currently about 15' by 8' by 3" deep and close to drying up altogether. Boone's Draw: Broad-winged Hawk (1 near dawn), Lesser Prairie-Chicken (booming heard around sunup), Northern Bobwhite (commonly heard and never seen), Myrtle Warbler (2), Townsend's Warbler (1), Cassin's Sparrow. Oasis SP: Common Nighthawk (1, white closer to the wrist, flies well above the ground, wingtips pointed) Ocotillo Park: Mississippi Kite (2; regular here) Bell Lake: Solitary Sandpiper (1, still there the next morning), Lesser Nighthawk (1; white slash closer to the wingtip than the wrist, flies close to the ground, wingtips rounded), Black-and-white Warbler (1 male, sighted the next morning as well), Cassin's Sparrow. ------------------------------------------------------------ 89-5-6: Early morning at Bell Lake; stopped at Laguna Grande, a series of salt lakes east of Loving; midmorning at Rattlesnake Springs (just west of Carlsbad Caverns headquarters and in the park), afternoon at Bitter Lake NWR. At Bell Lake: Common Poorwill (several calling before dawn), Chestnut-sided Warbler (1m), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1m), Lazuli Bunting (1, tough call, an immature that had us thinking goldfinch or Blue Grosbeak until we saw the steel-blue rump), Clay-colored Sparrow (3 to 12; if it was 3, they must have each taken 4 baths!), Pine Siskin (1) At Laguna Grande: Snowy Plover, 1 adult with 2 chicks (!) At Rattlesnake Springs: Vermilion Flycatcher (2m, 1f), Warbling Vireo (eastern form, singing), Summer Tanager (1--2m), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1m), Painted Bunting (1m, quite a sight to see perched in the sunshine!), Orchard Oriole (1m). A spring day like this at this site is fairly typical! At Bitter Lake: Western Grebe (2), Canvasback (1), Redhead (3), Black-bellied Plover (9), Willet (1), Semipalmated Sandpiper (1 for sure), Baird's Sandpiper (1, definitely not a White-rumped), Least Tern (2, called by two-note `keyark' call and white forehead patch), Black Tern (2), both meadowlarks ID'd by voice. -- John Shipman/Zoological Data Processing/Socorro, New Mexico USENET: ucbvax!unmvax!nmtsun!john CSNET: john@nmtsun.nmt.edu ``A lesson from past over-machined societies...the devices themselves condition the users to employ each other the way they employ machines.'' --Frank Herbert