Life, food, events, and community in Albuquerque, NM

South Valley Bird Report

The birding scene today is much different than it was a couple of weeks ago in the South Valley. On my acre, I've seen scrub jays for the first time in several years, although I know that's not a big deal, but in Valencia County we're further from the mountains than Albuquerqueans are -- a good expanse between the Manzanos where they summer, and the valley.I also saw the first Painted Towhee here since I moved to Bosque Farms. What a delight. It seemed to arrive at the same time as the jays.
Crows and ravens are coming in, too. There are few here in the summer, but in winter they come from somewhere to the north (Albuquerque?) and feed all day in the fields and in other opportunistic places like chicken pens, then head back north at sunset.
I've seen more Canada geese passing over than normal this fall, and I'm wondering if they are reporting more at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge..
Sandhill cranes are everywhere along the Rio now.
Strangely, the two roadrunners have not been here since Spring. They had been regulars since I moved here. Did they find better pasture elsewhere? I don't think so because we had a bumper crop of toads, their favorite food.
Today I constructed a second roosting area for juncos and other small birds. I piled up bales of hay on the north and west side of my back fence, mesh wire too small for cats to get through.I put my mesh wire tomato cage in there as a resting place, along with a smaller wire box. Then I cut fairly large branches off the willows and other trees and tossed in so it's pretty secure. I have a second one outside the fence near the drainage ditch on Conservancy District property. It's been there three years, and has created its own protected area by its sheer mass and the prevailing wind which turns the west side into a weed and adobe fence. More kochia grew on the west side this year, creating a greater entanglement. Blue racer lizards really like it in summer.
The Painted Towhee showed up after I noticed the jays and put out a banquet of peanuts to hold them. But my three chinqupiin oaks and two Texas red oaks are now producing a lot of acrons. The scrubs are feasting on them. I've also got bird seed out and water to hold the Painted Towhee. He's too pretty to lose.
The big news were the two young raccoons that came into the mudroom through the doggie door and were chomping on the dry food. That was a week ago, and they haven't been back since we gently shooed them away..

Comment by Kelly Vickers on October 17, 2009 at 6:55am: Thanks for this; I knew it was time to step up my birding adventures, and now I know what to look for.

Comment by cc on October 17, 2009 at 8:51pm: Great report, Ben. It's great to hear how other folks create habitat. Right now I have a bunch of windfall elm branches in my driveway and I was thinking what great cover they are. We don't have enough space though to make them permanent.

I have to report that it is very strange that I have not heard nor seen cranes yet this fall up here north of Alameda Blvd. I think my Sunday sharing a few weeks ago must've jinxed my spot.

One cool observation from week and a half ago: Roadrunner with dead baby bird in beak perched on our 6 ft high fence adjacent to our NWF's Backyard Habitat sign. Which is right next to our towering Chollas that have lots of bird nests in them. Baby birds in October? I also saw a blooming Iris a few days ago up in the Heights.

Comment by Ben Moffett on October 18, 2009 at 5:07pm: I bought a pair of new binoculars today, having been neglecting my birding for a couple of years. Work great. In addition to the painted towhee (the name has been officially changed to Spotted Towhee, I see), I have spotted a white breasted nuthatch working its way down a globe willow in my yard. CC: I think your problem with cranes is that you are not up at dawn. What I haven't seen this year is snow geese, but I've seen more Canadas than normal. A cholla! That's what I should have in my yard. They are really magnets for nests. Thanks for writing cc and Kelly.

Comment by cc on October 18, 2009 at 6:48pm: I have some cholla to give. It grows over where our old septic was. When septic got caved in 3 yrs ago, I cut it way back - 4-5 inches thick in some places. It has grown back! We originally got it from our neighbor back in the 80's. Every June the fuschia blooms abound!

Comment by Ben Moffett on October 20, 2009 at 7:13pm: Latest birds in my yard: A kestrel eyeing the smaller birds. A whole flock of little birds that I can't ID -- yellow with gray stripes, and they sneak away from their perches by two or three feet to snag insects periodically. I think I've got them narrowed down to either pine siskins or yellow rumped warblers. Can anyone help? About a half dozen red shafted flickers have been flinting around in the trees for the last two or three days, almost like the spring mating season. They are feeding off the Virginia creeper berries. A kestrel was eyeing the song birds today from the highest, now devoid of leaves, locust. Scrub jays continue to work for acrons in the chinkipins, while I supplement their feed with peanuts. Also a robin was nibbling at a bunch of berries on the NM olive. The tree is getting little attention although it is loaded. Maybe not yet palatable?

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