DVOC Main Page > Field Trips 2004 > Bosque del Apache Field Trip > Report 7
 |
Field
Trip Leader - Adrian
Binns
|
Report #7
Day Seven of the DVOC field trip to New Mexico – Today we would be leaving Truth or Consequences and heading back to Albuquerque. Our birding plans called for us to re-visit the scrub behind the Best Western Motel, revisit Riverside Drive, stop at Paseo Del Rio State Park and Elephant Butte State Park, pop on into Bosque Del Apache one last time and then go back to Sandia Crest for another shot at the Northern Pygmy-owl. Breakfast was again at 7 and we then slowly met out back of the motel. Our walk today was very different from our walk yesterday. Unfortunately, we had far, far fewer birds today than we did yesterday. However, we did have a Brewer’s Sparrow that was a new bird for the list. After giving it the old college try for at least an hour, it was then time to load up the vans and push off. We again stopped at the IGA/Subway for lunch and then drove down Riverside Drive in beautiful downtown Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. We had a few ducks on the Rio Grande and House Sparrows and Yellow-rumped Warblers in some yards. Eventually we came across a group of six Inca Doves (another new bird for “the list”). It was then time to begin the drive north.
Our stop at Paseo Del Rio gave us an opportunity to take a short leisure walk around the ponds that are new the state park’s office and through the campground area. Even before we had parked the vans, we added our third new bird for the trip with a pair of Northern Mockingbirds. While not exactly a CMF of a bird they still were good bird for New Mexico and the trip. Our walk around the pond eventually yielded new bird #4 for the day in an extremely cooperative Sora. Initially, it was a very reluctant individual who really paid our tape little attention but once we found it actively feeding along the pond’s edge, it responded to the tape amazingly. We also had several Pyrrhuluxia, Cactus Wrens, Say’s and Black Phoebes, Curve-billed Thrashers and Verdin we had a nice little walk. It was approaching lunchtime so we made the decision to go to Elephant Butte Lake to have lunch in a location we could scan the lake. Our initial lunch stop was pleasant and had a few birds but nothing new.
We made the move back to the cove with a large flock of Redheads when we spotted a group of 6 scaup. The discussion then ensued as to whether these were Greater or Lesser Scaup as we debated the shape of the head and size of the nail on the bill. It was agreed that they were not peaky-headed although it was also agreed that they were flat headed to some degree, it was also thought that the nail was large but neither of these were 100% convincing. Finally one of the birds had to stretch out its wing and we could clearly see the extension of the through the secondaries and primaries, Greater Scaup.
We then continued north to the visitor Center at Bosque. We spent 30 minutes here to make one final determination of whether or not we really need another tee shirt and looked at the feeders and vegetation around the center. From here, we made the 90 minute drive to Sandia Crest. We gave the owl about 45 minutes of calling and while we had a few quick replies we never got on the bird or had it juiced up enough to keep singing. It was too bad that we could not get this bird to be more cooperative but sometimes that is the way it is. We then headed into Albuquerque, checked into the Comfort Inn, met to go over the checklist and then headed out to dinner. Most of us went to Fuddruckers while others went to the Village Inn. It was our longest day of driving but we still got some good birding in and added 6 new birds to the collective trip list.