Sandhill Crane Photo by Richard Ditch

Dick & Ann Fogle, George & Delores Drew, George & Maria Wall, Steve & MaryAnn Hovan, Chuck & Loretta Richards, Eleanor Campbell & Charles Richard, Betty Baugus & Bill Peoples, Marilyn Lauterbach, Jane McNeill, Vera Markham, Ian Jeffrey, and leader Bob Bradley had a great birding trip to Bosque del Apache 17-19 January, 2003. There was a good representation from both Birders’ Anonymous and the Sonoran Audubon Society on the combined trip.

Birds seen at Bosque del Apache were Pied-billed Grebe, Eared Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Neotropic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron, Snow Goose, Ross’ Goose, Canada Goose, Gadwall, American Widgeon, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, possible Golden Eagle soaring high in the air, American Kestrel, Prairie Falcon, Ring-necked Pheasant, Gambel’s Quail, American Coot, Sandhill Crane, Killdeer, Least Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Common Snipe, Mourning Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Acorn Woodpecker, Northern Flicker (Red-shafted), Black Phoebe, Say’s phoebe, Western Scrub-Jay, American Crow, Common Raven, White-breasted Nuthatch, Rock Wren, Bewick’s Wren, Marsh Wren, American Dipper, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, American Robin, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon), Dark-eyed Junco (Pink-sided), Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Brewer’s Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, Rock Dove and House Sparrow.

Additional birds seen at the School of Mines were White-winged Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee, JuniperTitmouse, Brown Creeper, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Cassin’s Finch and House Finch.

Additional birds seen at Water Canyon both at the trips before Bosque del Apache and after were Red-naped Sap-sucker, Loggerhead Shrike, Steller’s Jay, Western Bluebird and Townsend’s Solitaire.

All in all a total of 89 species. Some were lucky enough to see a herd of 34 Prong-horned Antelope near Water Canyon. - George