Today was a continuation of blue skies and non-stop gale force southerly winds.
View north across the Sand Dunes National Park.
I gave up on looking for migrants in the pinyons and cottonwoods as the wind made it pretty much impossible. I’m sure the current wind direction and strength does little to deliver birds in numbers. I opted to walk a field just to the north of the guest quarters that is irrigated throughout the spring and early summer to provide grazing from cows with calves. Although the cows have now gone and the watering stopped, the field has a lot of growth thats gone to seed and seems quite popular with Sparrows and Bluebirds. I have daydreamed about finding a Sprague’s Pipit in this field but it’s yet to happen. The field held a Say’s Phoebe, 8 Western Meadowlark, c120 Mountain Bluebirds, c30 Pine Siskin, 5 American Pipit, c35 Yellow-rumped Warblers, c8 Vesper Sparrow, whilst c25 Barn Swallow and a single Violet-green Swallow battled south into the wind.
Say’s Phoebe.
Mountain Bluebird.
A Merlin (first I’ve seen this autumn) whizzed through and a Sharp-shinned Hawk was seen. An immature Cooper’s Hawk sat by the feeders whilst the Pine Siskins & Evening Grosbeaks fed happily, seemingly unfazed by this harbinger of doom sitting just 2ft from them.
Cooper’s Hawk.
6 White-crowned and 3 Lincoln’s Sparrow were scattered about the place along with 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 1 Blue-grey Gnatcatcher and 6 Dark-eyed Junco.
Lone Coyote.
ZAPATA BIRDING 