Disclaimer: This file has been scanned with an optical character recognition program, often an erroneous process. Every effort has been made to correct any material errors due to the scanning process. Some portions of the publication have been reformatted for better web presentation. Announcements and add copy have usually been omitted in the web presentation. We would appreciate that any errors other than formatting be reported to NMOS at this web site. Any critical use of dates or numbers from individual records should be checked against the original publication before use as these are very difficult to catch in editing. ~~ ORNITHOLOGICAL ~ fIELD NOTES Volume XVlI. No. 1 December 1. 1977 - May 31. 1978 Editors: W. H. Baltosser John P. Hubbard Compilation _ Thomas G. Marr Assistant New Mexico Ornithological Society 2016 Valle Rio Santa fe, New Mexico 87501 LOCALITIES--counties fn thfs fssue Alameda--Bernalillo La Cfenaga--Santa Fe Alamogordo--Otero La Luz--Otero Albuquerque--Bernalillo Las Cruces--Dona Ana Avalon-McMfllan Lakes--Eddy Las Vegas--San Miguel Lordsburg--Hidalgo Belen--Valencia Loving--Eddy Bitter Lake NWR--Chaves Blue Mesa--Oona Ana Magdalena--Socorro Boone's Oraw--Roosevelt Miller Canyon--Harding Bosque del Apache NWR--Socorro Mimbres Valley--Grant/Luna Caballo Lake--Sferra Nambe--Santa Fe Caprock--Lea Navajo Lake--McKinley Carlsbad Caverens NP--Eddy Nutria Lake--McKinley Chaco Canyon--San Juan Clayton--Union Oasis SP--Roosevelt Cl i ff--Grant Clovfs--Curry Peloncillo Mts.--Hfdalgo Cochiti Lake--Sandoval Percha Dam SP--Sierra Columbus--Luna Pleasanton--Catron Cook's Range--Luna Portales--Roosevelt Cottonwood Gulch--McKinley Randle's Pool--Dona Ana Datil--Catron Raton--Colfax Des ~10ines--Uni on Rattlesnake Springs--Eddy Dry Cimarron--Colfax Redrock--Grant Dulce--Rio Arriba Rodeo--Hidalgo Roswe ll--Cha yes El Morro--Valencia El Pueblo--San Miguel San Simon Cienaga--Hidalgo Espanola--R10 Arriba Sandia Crest--Bernalillo Evans Lake--Grant Sandia Park--Bernalillo Sandia Mts.--Bernalfllo Farmington--San Juan Santa Fe--Santa Fe Fruitland--San Juan Santo Domingo--Sandoval Silver City--Grant Gila Hot Springs--Grant Silves Tank--Dona Ana Glenwood--Catron Snow Lake--Catron Granite Gap--Hidalgo Socorro--Socorro Guadalupe Canyon--Hidalgo Sunland Park--Dona Ana Harroun Lake--Eddy Tucumcari--Quay Hatch--Dona Ana Hobbs--Lea Watrous--Mora Holloman Lakes--Otero West Fork--Grant/Catron White Sands NM--Otero Indian Creek--Hidalgo Kirtland--San Juan 11 78-1 FROM THE EDITORS: Noteworthy winter records for the reporting per10d 1nclude s1ght1ngs of several spec1es rarely seen 1n the state. These included a Red-necked Grebe near Lov1ng, a Brown Pelican near Cl1ff, a Harlequ1n Duck at B1tter Lake Nat10nal W11dl1fe Refuge, Red-breasted Mergansers reported from three d1fferent locali­ t1es, two Harr1s Hawks near Hatch, a Caracara near Columbus, Sprague Pipits near Rodeo and at Percha Dam State Park, a Hutton V1reo at Rodeo, and a Sol1tary V1reo near Cl1ff. Unusual w1nter1ng records included two Rivol1 Humm1ngbirds near Albu­ querque, and an immature male Anna Humm1ngbird at Las Cruces. In add1tion, several Cass1n Sparrows were reported near Rodeo dur1ng January and February. Spr1ng records 1ncluded the discovery of a male Coppery-ta11ed Trogon 1n the An1mas Mounta1ns, a White-w1nged Crossbill at Sand1a Crest near Albuquerque, and the state's f1rst Roseate Tern was photographed near Roswell. Add1t1onal noteworthy spring records 1ncluded a louis1ana Heron at Roswell, a Wood Thrush at las Vegas, a Le Conte Sparrow in southern Dona Ana County, and a Golden-crowned Sparrow near Silver City. W. H. Baltosser John P. Hubbard 78-1 CONTRIBUTORS to this issue: BB Belva Bradd OM Daniel McKnight DB Delbert Boggs OMi Danny Mi ller PB Pat Basham LM Larry Murphy WB William Ba1tosser RM Robert Miller TH Thomas Marr BC Bill Chudd JC Jodi Corrie AN Alan Nelson SC Sam Crowe WC Wes Cook JP Joanne Philli ps WP William Principe JD Jack Drurnnond JDu John Durrie AR Alan Rawc1iffe SO Steve Dobrott BR Bruce Ra 1s ton EE Elva Estes CS Carol Shryock FS Fritz Scheider RF Ralph Fisher GS Greg Schmidtt JS Jim Sands AG Allan Gast RS Robert Scholes JG John Gavahan RSk Roger Skaggs JGr Joseph Grzybowski WS William Stone BH Bruce Ha rri s AT A. Thompson CH Charles Hundertmark RT Ross Teuber JH John Hubbard MH Myrtle Hi lty BW Bud Wiser WH Walton Hawk GW Granger Ward LW Linda Wilt --., AK Adolf Krehbiel RW Richard Wilt SW Steve West BL Burton Lewis ML Mickey Lang BZ Barry Zillllll!r DZ Dale Zillllll!rman AM Arch McCall..., KZ Kevin Zillllll!r 8M Barbara McKnight MZ Marian Zillllll!rman sp/rec--spring record win/rec--winter record sp/dpt--spring departure uns/rec--unusua1 record br/rec--breeding record con/rec--continuity record CORRIGENpA to Field Notes Vol. XVI. No.2. 1977-2: JD on pages 17. 20. and 26 refer to John Durri e. not Jack DrllllllOnd. CORRIGENDA to American Birds Vol. 32. No.5. I97B: Records of Black-tailed Gnatcatcher on page 1042 from Coco Hills etc. should be either Blue-gray Gnatcatcher or gnat­ catcher sp. (JH). 2 78-1 COMMON LOON con/rec--l at Las Cruces 12/17 (WP). RED-NECKED GREBE uns/rec--l unverfffed wfth fafr detafls near Lovfng 12/30 (LW, RW). Detafls fnclude "much larger than a Ruddy Duck, long neck (longer than Eared Grebe) and basfcally gray wfth fafrly long thfn bfll." EARED GREBE wfn/re~near Lordsburv 1/14 (RF), and 2-6 reported at Holloman L. 1/19-28 (LM+). WHITE PELICAN con/rec--4 near Cochftf L. 5/7 (HL). BROWN PELICAN . uns/rec--l south of Evans L. near the Gfla Rfver Bfrd Sanc­ tuary 2/13 (AG). Details fnclude "large dark bfrd wfth large bfll and gular pouch, lfght head, prfmarfes seemed darker than body and wfngs." DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT con/rec--sfngles at Evans L. 5/6 and at Las Cruces 4/21 (BZ,KZ). OLIVACEOUS CORMORANT con/rec--l at Caballo L. 2/4 (KZ) and 1 on the Gila Rfver near Clfff 5/6 (K. Jackson, MZ). GREAT BLUE HERON con/rec::on~pafr present at the nest colony near Watrous 4/16 and 5/27 (WH). GREEN HERON con/re~near Espanola 5/13 (WS), 1 at Holloman L. 4/22 (LM) and 5/6 (BZ,KZ); 1 wfntered at the Gfla Hot Sprfngs (RF). LITTLE BLUE HERON con/rec:::r-near Socorro 4/2 (PB), 1 at the Bosque del Apache NWR 12/3 (RT), and 1 near Alamogordo 4/29 and 2 on 5/16 (K. Haemket). CATTLE EGRET con/rec~ at Nutrfa L. 5/1 (Terry Merkel), 1 near Socorro 4/2 (PB) and there 4/9 ( AT ), 1 at the Bosque de 1 Apache NWR 12/3 (RT), and a possfble sfghtfng of 16 near Albuquerque fn April (ffde JP). SNOWY EGRET wfn/re~at Avalon-McMfllan L. 12/28 (JC+). LOUISIANA HERON uns/rec--l~ftter Lake NWR - safd to have been photographed 5/8-9 (JC+). WHISTLING SWAN con/rec--l~ow Navajo L. photographed 12/27 and last seen 1/14 (AN), an fmmature at Alameda 12/23-27 (JP), 1 at Roswell 12/17 (JC), and 1-2 near Alamogordo 1/15-2/5 (LH+). 78-1 3 WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE con/rec--1 at Roswell 12/17 (JC) and 1 at Sunland Park 1/29 (KZ). ROSS GOOSE con/rec--1 at Clayton 12/29-1/6 (AK,WC), 260-500 at Bosque del Apache NWR 12/17 and 12/28 (JC+, CH+), and 6 at Loving 12/30 (SW+). CI NHAMON TEAL uns/rec--150 at Bitter Lake HWR 12/17 (JC+). WOOD DUCK ~rec--1 drake at Fruitland 1/4-14 (AN), a drake wintered at the Gila Hot Springs (RF), and 1 was reported near Avalon­ McMillan L. 12/28 (JC+). HARLE UIN DUCK uns rec--a male was photographed at Bitter Lake NWR in mid­ December and remained until 1/6 (DB). HOODED MERGANSER con/rec--an unspecified number at Fruitland 1/4-14 (AN), a female at the Bosque del Apache HWR 12/28 (CH), and 1 at Las Cruces 12/17 (WP+). RED-BREASTED MERGANSER con/rec--i at Caballo L. 1/5 (JH), 3 at Holloman L. 4/22 (LK+), 2 at Evans L. 12/17 (DZ,MZ), and 37 at Harroun L. 3/1 (JH,GS). Kite sp. uns/rec--a probable Mississippi Kite seen near Cliff 5/7 (Ann &Dustin Hunt). GOSHAWK con/rec--1 near Alameda 2/23 (JP). ZONE-TAILED HAWK con/rec--1 a~easanton 3/29 (JH+). HARRIS HAWK uns/rec~reported just N. of Hatch 1/26 (SC). GOLDEN EAGLE br7rec-~number of occupied nests in Grant County was lower than normal (RF). BALD EAGLE con/nec::aerial and ground surveys in the 1977-78 winter season yielded 358 for the period, with most in the northern regions and in the Gila National Forest area (JH+); 1 near Glenwood 4/22 was late (BC,OM). CARACARA uns/rec--1 reported without details E. of Columbus 12/3 (BR). PRAIRIE FALCON br/rec--an eyrie in the Cook's Range 4/25 (JH). 4 78-1 MERLlN con/rec--15 birds reported by numerous observers; most records from the central and northern portions of the state. GAI-IBEL 9lm.!!:. uns/rec--a male at Las Vegas 3/19-4/7 (WH) was undoubtedly an escaped or released bird (JH). CHUKAR con/rec--1B at Farmington 12117 and 4 there 5113 (AN). WHOOPING CRANE con/rec--iS'Of mid-December, 5 were present in the Socorro area and 1 was near Hatch; the latter was "corny", the bird that was present near Las Vegas from November to December 5 (fide Jack Woody).