l*Newsletter of the American Birding Association, Inc.

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rngr ngA*S,ti."unBi,rding

Vol. 15, No.6

June 2003

lnside this issue:

5 2003-2004Duck Stamp

6 West Nile Virus:What Birds?

7 SnetsingerMemoir

2004Convention

B tFo Update

Birding 101

9 Books ForBirdersEric Salzman

10 News FromABA Sales

11 Sightings Fromthe HotlinesApril-May 2003

12 Classifieds

Milestones13 ABA-Endorsed

Tours: lrelandMichaelCarmodv

Birding the Gila National Forest, New MexicoFrom Cottonwoods to Conifers, Varied habitats and

Regional Specialties Are Easily Accessible North of Silver City

By Dale A. Zimmerman(ituated in southwestern New Mexico,\rthe modest university town of SilverCity may not be as famous among birdersas the legendary sites of southeastern Ari-zona, not far to the west. But bird life, in-cluding many southwestern specialties, isplentiful and accessible in the Silver Cityarea, where varied habitats and elevationscan easily be reached on state highways andU.S. Forest Service roads. Birders seekingan added incentive to visit Silver City mightwant to attend the joint WesternField OrnithologistsA.,lew Mex-ico Ornithological Society meet-ing, to be held 24-21 July 2003(see sidebar on page 4). But thisregion offers outstanding bird-ing at any time of year, and thefollowing article introducessome of the most productiveand birdable destinations.

Pinos Altos Mountains

Qome of southern New Mex-rJico's best birdins is in thecanyons of this low-rnountainrange, accessible via New Mex-ico Route 15 branching northfrom U.S. Route 180 in SilverCity at an elevation of 6,000feet. This road passes throughpinyon pine and juniper growth,entering the ponderosa pinezone at Pinos Altos (eight milesfrom Silver City and 1,000 feet

and Roland S. Shookhigher) and soon arriving at Gila NationalForest. Mexican Jay, Cassin's Kingbird,Western Bluebird, and other common spe-cies may be seen from the roadway (as is,rarely, Montezuma Quail), but the best bird-ing begins at Cherry Creek Campground(thfuteen miles from Silver City) in a can-yon where sheer cliffs and spectacular rhy-olite spires rise above the steep, denselyforested slopes. The campground vicinity isa traditional site for Painted Redstart, al-

(continued on next page)

lNat!onalMcMillan C

Cherry Crk. Campground

Silver City, NM

Hx To Deming, NM

& t-l0

& Gila Nat'l Forest

tthough this species is uncommon rnsome years. Look for it in the strip ofArizona alders, narrow-leaved cotton-woods, and low willows along the nar-row creek, which flows in all but thedriest of years. Red-faced Warblersmay be seen in this mixed riparianwoodland as well as in the tall ponder-osa pines above the creek on the can-yon sides. In oak and pine/oak growthon the drier south-facing slopes, Vir-ginia's Warblers breed, often singingnear the road. Nesting among pinyonpines and junipers are a few Black-throated Gray Warblers. Grace's War-bler is widespread among theponderosa pines.

Hutton's Vireo is scarce but fairlyregular here, mainly where gray andGambel's oaks mingle with pines; thecommon vireos are Plumbeous and (inthe cottonwoods) Warbling. Mostyears, the Greater Pewee may beheard singing in the mixed coniferwoods near McMillan Campground, a

mile or so farther along the road. Theabove-named warblers, plus Yellow-rumped and Olive, should be lookedfor in and above the small camp-ground and up the adjoining woodedcanyons. Northern Pygmy-Owl, for-.merly regular here, is now hard tofind, but imitating its call to attractpasserines sometimes stimulates theowl itself to call. Flammulated andSpotted Owls are also possibilities, es-pecially in narrow McMillan Canyon.Both Whip-poor-will (on mesic, north-facing slopes) and Poorwill (on drier

southern exposures)

may be heard here on warm summerevenings. Other regular breeding birdsin the Cherry Creek-McMillan vicin-ity include White-throated Swift,Broad-tailed Hummingbird, AcornWoodpecker, Western Wood-Pewee,Canyon and House Wrens, BrownCreeper, Bridled Titmouse (scarce),Mountain Chickadee, Pygmy Nut-hatch, Western Bluebird, HermitThrush, and Western and HepaticTanagers. AZone-talled Hawk occa-sionally joins the Red-tailed Hawksand Turkey Vultures sailing over thecliffs. Forest Service facilities at theCherry Creek-McMillan Camp-grounds consist of camping sites andrestrooms. There is no potable wateravailable.

Three miles beyond Cherry CreekCampground, Forest Road 154branches to the right and ascends9,000-foot Signal Peak. Narrow andsteep, with sharp curves, this roughgravel road is not recommended forlow sedans, although the first fewmiles usually present no problem.Sharp-shinned Hawk, Northern Gos-hawk, Wild Turkey, and Band-tailedPigeon are sometimes seen along theroad. Olive Warbler, more likely herethan in Cherry Creek Canyon, is bestlocated by its song, which in someyears may be heard as early as Febru-ary. Pairs may sometimes be found inthe pine groves near the junction withNew Mexico Route 15 during nestingseason; later, mixed post-breeding par-ties are possible here or in the mixedconifers a few miles beyond. Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) and Grace's war-blers are common breedersthroughout, and Greater Pewee is oc-casional. Magnificent Hummingbird,

Red-naped and(rarely) William-son's Sapsuckers,Cordilleran Fly-catcher, Pygmy and

Red-breasted Nuthatches, Townsend' s

Solitaire, Orange-crowned Warbler,and Red Crossbill are additional breed-ing species in the Signal Peak forests,although some of these are scarce orirregular. Northern Saw-whet Owl isknown here. but its status is uncertain.Spotted Owls are heard on occasion,and Flammulated Owls are commonbreeders, albeit hard to see. SignalPeak often is productive during fallmigralion, often yielding moderatenumbers of hummingbirds, sapsuck-ers, and vireos, and numerous woodwarblers (including Nashville, Town-send's, and Hermit). Golden-crownedKinglet and Clark's Nutcracker ap-pear sporadically in late fall and win-ter.

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Painted Redstart bv Dale Zimmerman

Winging It, June 2003

Gila CIiff DwellingsNational MonumEntprom Cherry Creek Canyon or Sig-I nal Peak, continue norlh on NewMexico Route 15 toward Cliff Dwell-ings National Monument and LakeRoberts. About seven miles from theSignal Peak road junction, the high-way descends in a series of switch-backs through mostly wooded habitatto shallow Sapillo Creek and its fewlarge cottonwoods, and soon turnsleft at an obvious fork. From here itis fifteen miles north to the NationalMonument headquarters in CliffDweller Canyon, where White-throated Swift, Canyon'Wren,Painted Redstart, and some of theother species listed for Cherry CreekCanyon are to be expected (bird di-versity, though, is greater alongCherry Creek). An occasional Spot-ted Owl has been recorded along thefoot trail to the cliff dwellings or else-where in the area. Along the cotton-wood-lined Gila River below thecanyon, Common Black-Hawk maybe found in summer, Bald Eagle inwinter. Both Peregrine Falcon andNorthern Goshawk are possible atany season, and Montezuma Quailare infrequently seen in the hills andside canyons, typically in oak oropen pine/oak woodland; their ap-pearance is impossible to predict.The same is true of the Pinyon Jayflocks, which roam the countryside atmost seasons (least commonly duringearly summer, when they are usuallyin pairs). Facilities at Gila CliffDwellings National Monument in-clude restrooms (handicap accessi-ble) at the Visitor's Center.

Lake Roherts

f rom the monument, follow theI road back to its iunction withNew Mexico Route 35. Turn left, pro-ceeding east toward Lake Roberts, anartificial impoundment popular withfisherman and birders. Near this junc-tion, on the left side of the road, isGrey Feathers Lodge. Here, at feed-ers, one can observe Magnificent(fairly regular), Rufous, Calliope,Black-chinned, Broad-tailed, and(rarely) B lue-throated Humming-birds. Seed feeders also attract otherlocal birds throughout the year. Pro-

Winging It, June 2003

ceed on the road east-ward around andabove the lake,watching for WildTurkey, Pinyon Jay(a few nest in pinyonpines on the nearbyhills), and PurpleMartin (nesting intall dead ponderosapines, an interstingsight for birders usedto seeing this speciesusing artifi-cial hous-ing). Be.yond theupper camp-ground isSpirit Canyon Lodge, where feedersalso lure numerous hummingbirds.Near the east end of the lake, turnright and drive through a small camp-ground to a parking area not far fromthe water. There is a good mixture ofhabitats here including a cattailmarsh, willows, juniper woodland,and extensive pine forest. A shortboardwalk enables one to skirt themarsh and view the water for sum-mering species such as Pied-billedGrebe, Ruddy Duck, American Coot,Sora, Virginia Rail, and Marsh Wren.

Broad-tailed and Black-chinned Hum-mingbirds, Black Phoebe, Steller' s

Jay, Plumbeous Vireo, White-breasted and Pygmy Nuthatches, Can-yon Wren, Grace's Warbler, ChippingSparrow, and Blue Grosbeak breedaround the campground. During mi-gration, Common Loon, Eared andWestern Grebes, Double-crested Cor-morant, various ducks, Osprey, Ring-billed Gull, and a few shorebirds arenot unlikely. A few Bald Eagles win-ter here.

From Lake Roberts, continue southon New Mexico Route 35. The tripthrough the upper Mimbres Valleycan be rewarding, particularly if oneexplores some of the primitive sideroads, although parts of the area areprivately owned: please respectposted property. Many of the landbirds found around Lake Roberts arewidespread in the valley, along withGambel's Quail, Ladder-backed andAcorn Woodpeckers, Western Blue-bird, Violet-green Swallow, Rock

Bridled Titmouse by Dale Zimmerman

Wren, Curve-billed Thrasher, Canyonand Spotted Towhees, and Rufous-crowned Sparrow, plus species typi-cal of grasslands and pinyonpine-juniper woodland. Duringautumn, winter, and early spring, ex-pect Mountain Bluebird in open ar-eas, and Townsend's Solitaire andPinyon Jay where there are trees.Some waterfowl visit the impound-ment behind Bear Canyon Dam,about ten miles south of Lake Robertsand a short distance in along a sideroad, but the deep water is only mar-ginally attractive to birds. A pair ofCommon Black-Hawks often nestnearby in the cottonwoods along theMimbres River (on private land, butsometimes they can be viewed fromthe road). New Mexico Route 152will return you toward Silver City.Forest Service facilities at the LakeRoberts picnic area include camping,picnic tables, restrooms (handicap ac-cessible), and drinking water.

Little Walnut Picnic AreaA bout four miles north of U.S.

ARout. 180 West in Silver Ciry.on Little Walnut Road, is a small pic-nic area maintained by the U.S. For-est Service. It is a good destinationfor a short trip from town, especiallyon less crowded weekdays. Park inany of the designated spaces and in-Yestigate the ponderosa pine groves,the peripheral oak and juniper wood-land, and nearby shallow anoyos(usually-dry creek beds), where lowwillows, oaks, cottonwoods" andconifers provide diversity. A marked

trail leads from the north edge of thepicnic area through varied habitats.

An hour here in late spring or earlysummer typically reveals Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Hairy andAcorn Woodpeckers, Ash-throatedFlycatcher, Plumbeous and Hutton'sVireos, Common Raven, Mexicanand Scrub Jays, Bushtit, Bridled andJuniper Titmice, Bewick's Wren,Western Bluebird, Hepatic and West-ern tanagers, Virginia's, Black-throated Gray, and (sometimes)Red-faced Warblers, Lesser Gold-finch, and Bullock's Oriole. Violet-green Swallows nest in cavities in thecottonwoods near the road. Gray Fly-catchers regularly breed in and nearthe picnic ground. Red Crossbillnests sporadically and may be pre-sent in winter, when one may expectRed-naped and Williamson's Sap-suckers, Steller's Jay, Pygmy and

Red-breasted Nuthatches, Ruby-crowned and (rarely) Golden-crowned Kinglets, Townsend'sSolitaire, and Dark-eyed Junco.Among the many transient speciesare various warblers, Cassin's Finch,Pine Siskin. and Green-tailed Tow-hee. Forest Service facilities at theLittle Walnut picnic area include pic-nic tables, restrooms (handicap acces-sible), and drinking water.

Bear Mountain

/\ nother profitable short trip north/aof Silver City is to the vicinity o[Bear Mountain. From U.S. Route 180West, turn north on Alabama Street(0.3 mile west of Little WalnutRoad), which becomes Cottage SanRoad and finally Forest Road 853 (un-paved). Five miles from U.S. Route180, turn onto poorly maintained For-est Road 858, the first mile of which

accesses a ponderosa pine/Gambel' s

oak community interspersed with pin-yon/juniper and oak woodlands. Thebird species are much the same as

those at Little Walnut, including GrayFlycatcher and (sometimes) Hutton'sVireo. Rufous-crowned Sparrow isuncommon on the more open, rockyslopes. Western Screech Owl is resi-dent in oak and pine-oak woods.There are several potential mud holesand often deep ruts on this road, sodrive carefully during the summerrainy season or after winter storms.There are no Forest Service facilitieson Bear Mountain.

An annotated checklist of the birds ofGila National Forest, published inJuly 1997, is available at the SilverCity Ranger District office, 3005 E.Camino del Bosque, Silver City, NM88061, (505) 388 8201, as well as atthe Gila Cliff Dwellings visitor cen-ter.

A noted author (Birds of Kenya andNorthern Tanzania and Birds of NewGuinea), artist, photo grapher, bota-nist, ornithologist, lepidopterist, andnaturalist, Dale Zimmerman holdsthe title of Professor Emeritus of Biol-oqy at Western New Mexico Univer-sity. Both he and his wife, Marian,hqv e birde d ext ensiv e ly thr o u gho utthe world. They have lived in SilverCity since the late 1950s. RolandShook is a Professor of Biology inthe Department of Natural Sciencesat Western New Mexico University.He is currently involved in a long-term study involving bird populationsalong the Gila River near Silver City.Roland and his family have lived inSilver City since 1992.

Montezuma Quail by Dale Zimmerman

Winging It, June 2003