I had about a half day of free time as part of a business trip to Midland, TX, and started to wonder if that would be enough time to get into New Mexico and work on that state list. The stateline is only 90 minutes from Midland, so if I stayed in the southeast corner of NM I should have enough time to try for at least few new statebirds. But now the question was whether there would be any worthwhile places to bird just across the stateline. Lea County is the southeastern-most county in NM, and the NM birdfinding guide did suggest some locations in that county. But they seemed to be a bit marginal. I reached out to some local birding contacts, and although they offered a couple sites to try, they stressed that birding Lea County can be bleak. I put together a very modest list of just 4 possible new statebirds that were regular in the area - Scaled Quail, Scissor-tailed Fly, Bronzed Cowbird, and Common Grackle, with only the Scissor-tail being likely. Plus there was the possibility to get lucky with some passerine and shorebird migrants coming through. Though again the problem would be finding suitable habitat in this very arid location. I planned my stops to especially focus on possible migrant traps, hoping to get lucky both with the migrants and the local nesters I needed. As I completed my planning I felt like I would be very happy with 5 new birds for my NM list.
By getting a slightly earlier flight than originally planned I was able to arrive in NM just an hour before sunset before my planned morning of birding. So I decided to go to the closest migrant trap – a cemetery outside of Eunice – to try to get a little headstart on the birding adventure. The birdfinding guide suggested that this area could be good for Scissor-tails and Bronzed Cowbirds, and surrounded by Quail habitat, so it seemed like a good place to start. It was actually a very nice spot, with many deciduous trees and conifers, and several acres in size. But there were very few migrants there (3 Audubon’s Warblers), though the cemetery was full of bird song – principally House Finches and Western Kingbirds. Plus a couple Blue Grosbeaks, and a family of Curve-billed Thrashers were nice. But the highlight was a sapsucker that got away – one flew in from the desert directly over my head and disappeared in the trees. Despite a lot of searching, I could not refind it. The field guide maps suggest a Red-naped could winter in southeast NM, but this was too late for a wintering sapsucker I would think. And a Yellow-bellied could possibly be that far west as a migrant. Either species would be a good bird for southeast NM in May. But it will just go down as a Sapsucker, sp. So no new statebirds and very few migrants on an evening stop even though I was in good habitat. Plus on my ride west from Midland I hadn’t seen any Scissor-tailed Flycatchers at all – the only likely bird on my target list. Now I was starting to rethink my trip. Although I could get lucky and get at least a few new birds, a strikeout on the first stop had me wondering. With no real guaranteed birds, I could actually finish this short trip with no new birds at all.
The plan for the next day was to start at dawn at a potential migrant trap which was a small roadside rest stop in Maljamar. Then I would work my way back toward Midland for my afternoon meetings. The rest stop is a small park-like site, about an acre and a half in size, but full of well-watered trees, and surrounded by desert. I arrived at Maljamar about 30 minutes before dawn and was overwhelmed by the raucous calls of Western Kingbirds. Although at first I thought they were just nesters, I soon realized that there were way too many for such a small park. The next thing I noticed in the dim early light was a large wading bird that made several attempts to land in the trees – it turned out to be a Black-crowned Night-Heron. What was that bird doing in the middle of the desert? Maybe I was in for a good morning fallout! As the light improved, I noticed a couple thrushes on the ground. In the dim light I identified a couple Hermit Thrushes, and the first of an estimated 5 Swainson’s Thrushes (#1 new statebird for NM).
Soon after the 6 AM sunrise I started hearing warbler chips from the trees – small waves of 3-5 birds seemed to be working their way northward through the rest stop, and then flying out to the desert. Most would stop in native brush just outside the rest stop, or fly back in to the trees. So I situated myself on the north side of the rest stop and tried for glimpses of the migrants as they passed by. The first thing I noticed was 3’ tall bush with 3 male Western Tanagers – nice! Then a few Wilson’s Warblers and the first of many Yellow Warblers (#2). NM was my last state for Yellow Warbler – my 13th bird in all the mainland US states and DC.
A couple minutes later I found a bush “adorned” with Audubon’s Warblers and a Cassin’s Vireo (#3). A bit later I noticed a number of birds perched in a small bush – I counted 3 orioles, a couple Audubon’s, and then a gorgeous male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak (#4). A minute later a male Indigo Bunting landed out in the desert – not a new statebird but spectacular plumage. I then turned back to the rest stop and saw some movement in a pine tree. Although several got away before I could ID them, one was more cooperative and turned out to be a male Northern Parula (#5). Wow! It wasn’t even 6:30 yet and I had already found 2 pretty rare birds for NM. NM is now my 2nd state seeing Parula as a rarity away from the east.
The next hour or so featured even more migrants. I would watch them fly in from the desert, land in the trees for a short time, and then they would fly back out into the desert. The most common (and most vocal) birds were Bullock’s Orioles and Western Kingbirds, and the most common warbler being Audubon’s. I also had a calling Scrub Jay at one point, which is apparently another rarity for the area. The next three new statebirds weren’t nearly as rare. #6 was a lone Common Grackle that I first heard call from the trees, and then saw it fly out to the desert. #7 was the first of several MacGillivray’s Warblers – interesting that there were none of these earlier on. And #8 was the first of two Warbling Vireos. My statebird map for Warbling Vireo pretty closely matches the range maps for this species – I’ve seen it in only a few southeast states though most all the other states.
Later I found a Rose-breasted Grosbeak sitting in the same spot in the same bush as earlier. But this one was a different bird - a young male and not quite in full alternate plumage – ho hum, just another Rose-breast. A few minutes later I found both grosbeaks sitting next to each other in a deciduous tree.
The next two statebirds were quite a bit more exciting. At 7:30 I noticed some movement in some thick pines when I caught a glimpse of the side of a small bird with a yellowish wash. My first thought was it was going to be another Cassin’s Vireo. But then I saw it’s head – it was a White-eyed Vireo! (#9) Likely the rarest of all the rarities I would find that day. It was most cooperative, offering long views as it foraged 15 ft up in the pine. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a White-eye that high off the ground. I would end up seeing it 15 minutes later in just about the same spot. The next new statebird never even made it to the rest stop – a calling Catbird a short distance out in the desert (#10).
It was now 8:30 and I was way behind schedule with lots of other stops on my itinerary. But each time I tried to leave I would see a new bird that I hadn’t found earlier. I even had my car keys in hand when I found a group of 3 buntings – 2 Indigos and a Lazuli (#11). I actually even got in my car and began to pull out when I decided I shouldn’t leave quite yet. Good thing too – just afterwards a pair of Bronzed Cowbirds flew in for a drink (#12). I’ve now seen Bronzed Cowbird throughout the southwest and a few Gulf Coast states.
In 2 hours in this 1-acre oasis I had 49 species including several rarities. My tallies are conservative since it was hard to say how many birds flew out to the desert and returned. And many warblers escaped without ID. But here are my best guesses on numbers –
· Western Kingbird – 50 (plus 1 Cassin’s Kingbird)
· Bullock’s Oriole – 50
· 4 Vireo species – 2 Plumbeous, 2 Warbling, 1 Cassin’s, 1 White-eyed
· 7 Warbler Species - 60 Yellow-rumps (including 1 Myrtle), 20 Yellows, 8 Wilson’s, 5 Orange-crowns, 5 MacGillivrays, 1 Yellowthroat, 1 Parula
· 3 Flycatchers – 3 Ash-throated, 3 Western Pewees, 1 Say’s Phoebe
Then there were the odds and ends like small flocks of Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Great-tailed Grackles, Siskins, American Goldfinches, Chipping Sparrows, etc.
Next stop was at a nearby oasis called Conoco Pond – this appeared to be a natural artesian pond with tules and surrounded by some deciduous trees. With a quick walk into the pond I heard another Catbird calling from the brush and a handful of migrants in the trees. The first warbler I spotted was a Nashville (#13) – I saw 2 others later. The trees had a number of Yellow-rumps, Wilson’s, and Orange-crowns, along with Western Tanagers and Orioles here and there. I bet this spot was hopping at dawn as well. One area had a number of White-crowned Sparrows foraging on the ground, which were joined by a single Clay-colored Sparrow (#14). As I was turning the car around to leave I noticed a bird in the trees a short distance ahead with a lemon-yellow wash below. Thinking it was just another tanager I looked at it in the binocs through the windshield and realized it was warbler/vireo sized. So I hopped and got great views of a Philadelphia Vireo (#15)! Another rarity. What a day. My Philly Vireo map is really spotty – it’s not an easy bird in most of the east let alone as a rarity in the west.
Next stop was off to Chaparral Park in Lovington. This is a large town park with a number of widely spaced trees and a lake. I was way behind on my schedule so wasn’t planning to spend too much time there, and was pretty much thinking I had found all the migrant passerine species I was likely to get for the day. So I headed to the lake to try for shorebirds. I scanned the water’s edge and only found a few Spotted Sandpipers. But then I noticed a smaller darker bird at the waterline – bobbing up and down – it was a Northern Waterthrush (#16), giving me great views to make sure it wasn’t a Louisiana. After high fiving myself over finding yet another rarity, I realized there were a number of warblers in the trees overhead – mostly Audubon’s, Yellows, Wilson’s and Orange-crowns. I was about to leave the lake when I saw some movement ahead in a reasonably bare tree – and without binoculars I realized it was a Black-and-White Warbler (#17). A beautiful male that was searching for food on the bark of the branches. NM is now my 3rd western state for this eastern species.
Now I was really leaving the lake and flushed 2 small peeps which returned to land virtually at my feet – 2 Semipalmated Sandpipers (#18). They were later joined by a Western and a couple Leasts for good comparisons.
The next stop was to be the Lovington sewage treatment plant adjacent to the park. But the gate was closed – too bad since that is supposed to be the best shorebird habitat in the county. While I was standing at the gate wondering if there was some other access point, 2 Black-necked Stilts flew out of the plant. Oh well, next time.
I decided to skip the Eunice cemetery which was to be the next stop since I was there the day before without much luck, and Stephen’s Park in Eunice. Instead I headed to the southeast corner of the state and the town of Jal, which is to be the best area for Scissor-tailed Flycatchers. Sure enough a few miles north of Jal I saw a couple along the wires (#19). I’ve now seen NM in each of the states in its regular breeding range, along with FL as a wintering bird, TN and KY as an expanding breeder, and MD and MA as a regular eastern vagrant.
The last stop was the Jal town park, which like Chaparral Park has a few trees and a good-sized lake. The first place I headed to was the lake again to look for shorebirds. En route I walked past the obligatory flock of domestic ducks and geese, but stopped in my tracks when I noticed a wild Snow Goose in the flock. And it was next to a wild White-fronted Goose (#20). I was able to get this photo holding my iPhone up to my binoculars. Quite a number of times now I've found late lingering migrant geese in with domestic ducks/geese in town parks. Also at the park was one lone Least Tern. Although not a new statebird for me, a good one for NM.
In my roughly 5 hours of birding I saw 88 species, 20 of which were new for my NM statelist. And of course many of them were rarities for this location. What a day! And now with 252 on my NM list, I’m just 12 shy of the recent ABA reporting threshold for the state.
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