July 2025-July in New Mexico

Surviving July in New Mexico  

Unsurprisingly, the month of July continued to bring hot temperatures, with occasional relief from the Southwest's version of monsoons. Like the John Denver song, I sought places that were cool, and green, and shady, like this serene pastoral setting just north of Taos, where I visited a friend early in the month.

And like this quiet stretch of the Chama River, where I spent a few days relaxing and birding at the end of the month.

And this local oasis right in Albuquerque, the Los Poblanos Inn Farm Store, where one can sit in the shade with the scent of lavender all around on a summer morning and sip some of the best iced coffee in town. I visited several times with friends, and once with my Sketchers group, where this sketch happened. 

Red-Naped Sapsucker Nest  Update

In June, I reported on a Red-Naped Sapsucker nest by the parking area at the Cienega Canyon Picnic Grounds. On July 4th, I went up to see how the situation was progressing. I heard the nestlings begging as soon as I got out of my car. I decided to video to get a recording of their begging sound. This turned out to be excellent timing: No sooner had I started recording than one of the parents flew in with a large insect. Watch carefully when running the video, because this happens right away. Afterwards, you'll get treated to the sight of a very large nestling poking its head from the cavity and asking for more.

 

I visited again a few days later. No more begging sounds, and I didn't again see signs of the Red-Naped Sapsucker family. Though I'll never know for sure, I choose to believe whoever was being cared for in that cavity fledged successfully and is out there learning how to make those Sapsucker holes.

Beloved Taos

A friend of mine occasionally house sits in El Prado, just north of Taos. I got to spent a few days up there with her early in the month. One of the things we always do is walk along the Taos gorge on the Rim Trail in the morning. On this morning, Cliff Swallows hawked insects, swooping over us and down into the gorge. A Canyon Wren called from somewhere down in the canyon. 

 

As we stood at the rim, a Rock Wren popped up on a rock a few feet away. singing out his territorial claims.  We then noticed, from a crevice even closer to us, a very insistent and agitated Wren alarm call. I assumed we had practically stumbled upon a Rock Wren nest, and we moved on to give them their space.

 

When out walking with a non-birder, I tend to rely on listening and sound ID more than on trying to sight birds. To see a lot of birds requires taking more time and moving more slowly than many folks can tolerate, and I've never been as quick to spot birds as some other birders. This seems to be getting a little worse, possibly due to worsening cataracts. So I appreciated an essay I read recently in the Summer edition of Living Bird by Andrew J Lewis. Sorry there's no online version to link to, but he writes about how, as a birder with mobility challenges, he's come to see the Merlin sound app as a friend who helps reveal the stories he is now having a harder time finding on his own. 

It was Merlin who revealed to me that among the many swooping Cliff Swallows, there were also several White-Throated Swifts. Knowing they were there, I was able to pick out a few of them with my binoculars. Merlin also picked up a  call which I wouldn't have identified on my own as a juvenile Red-Tailed Hawk calling repeatedly, most likely from a nest over the rim down in the Canyon. I had earlier seen an Adult Red-Tail flying along the rim. For those who want to listen to these sounds, here is a link to my audio recordings on eBird.   White-Throated Swift and Red-Tailed Hawk juvenile audio

Fred Baca Park-Rio Fernando Wetlands

Another favorite spot in Taos is this oasis of green, humidity, and birdlife, a protected and precious wetlands right in the town of Taos. Wetlands habitats have not been historically valued and much has been lost to human development. Birds and butterflies know a good habitat when they find it. A few I was able to photograph on my visit there: Monarch Butterfly on Showy Milkweed; Mourning Cloak; Red-Winged Blackbird; Violet-Green Swallow; Willow Flycatcher; and an American Goldfinch singing. 

 

Lunching by the River with an Indigo Bunting

On the way back home, I stopped off at Quartzite to eat lunch. An Indigo Bunting was singing from a scrubby tree right next to my picnic table the entire time that I ate. I  couldn't get my eyes on it. After finishing eating, I walked to the other side of the tree to see if I'd have more luck from that side. He sung out once very loudly as I approached, then went silent. Too close for comfort, I guess. Glad I got video recording of his song during lunch.

 Late July: Chama and the Rhythm of Life by the RIver 

I enjoyed that little getaway to Taos so much, and wanted to spend more time in Northern New Mexico. I decided on a solo getaway to Chama, staying in a lodge right by the Chama River. I spent a couple of relaxing days mostly just walking up and down the river paths, observing the life of the birds there. 

 

Magpies were conspicuous, as I would have expected in Northern New Mexico.

Hummingbird feeders at an adjacent RV park buzzed with activity. The biggest difference I noticed here compared to Albuquerque was that there were almost as many Rufous Hummingbirds as there were Broad-Tailed Hummingbirds, if not more. In Albuquerque, I'm used to seeing just one Rufous Hummingbird terrorizing the other hummingbirds at a feeder this time of year. At the Chama feeders, the Rufous spent more time using the feeders rather than constantly chasing others. Perhaps this was a function of their higher numbers. After some time observing, I began to notice that each feeder seemed to have one male Rufous guarding it. 

 

 

The biggest surprise for me was how many Lewis's Woodpeckers there were, conspicuously flying over the trees, landing on various perches, and even visiting the suet feeder at the RV park.  I'm so used to Lewis's Woodpeckers being a scarce find, and here they were actually the ONLY woodpeckers I saw during my entire visit.At first I didn't recognize them as Woodpeckers as they flew over the trees, visible only as dark medium-sized birds with a direct flight pattern. I realized then that they don't have the undulating flight pattern of other Woodpeckers that makes them so recognizable in flight. One Lewis's chased a Red-Winged Blackbird from the suet, but then flew off to the distance rather than stopping to feed. 

 

In the short time I was there, I began to get a sense that I was observing the rhythm of the birds' lives there, which at this particular time at the end of July is filled with young birds born this nesting season.

 

Each morning, two different small groups of Yellow Warblers foraged in their respective areas on the other side of the river. I assumed that they were small family groups of parents and young. 

 

A Western Wood-Pewee could often be found at his preferred post. Three White-Breasted Nuthatches ascended the same trunk together, before one headed to the river for a bath.

  

 

Each morning at around the same time, a flock of Blackbirds (mostly Red-winged, a few Brewers Blackbirds and Brown-Headed Cowbirds) visited the feeder area, then headed down the river, hopping from stone to stone, stopping to drink along the way. 

 

 I took a little jaunt around town--not much to do, but I enjoyed a visit to Tierra Wools. At the railyard area, I wished I'd thought to bring my sketching materials, but took a few photos instead. It reminded me of a lifetime ago when I came up here to chase and photograph the steam trains. 

 

Ho

My Flickr feed where I found this photo says it's from 16 years ago. How can this be? Such is this train of life, I guess. Until next time, happy trails!