Birding Southern Santa Fe County, New Mexico 12/1/13

I decided to take a drive around the agricultural fields today and check for raptors and longspurs. I didn't catch up with the longspurs despite several reports of McCown's being in the area. I also missed the Rough-legged Hawk reported that morning. That's okay because in the category of stunning birds of prey Ferruginous Hawks are right up there! I have included an obliging individual who uncharacteristically stayed put atop this power pole.

As it turned out, species wise, it wasn't my best raptor day. For instance I dipped on Golden Eagle and Prairie Falcon, but there were lots of Loggerhead Shrikes and a huge flock of blackbirds to keep my attention.

I birded from 0845 to 1330.
Weather was 32 to 43 degrees, partly cloudy to clear, winds variable, but mostly calm.

The List:

1. Northern Harrier, Circus cyaneus - 1, adult male
2. Sharp-shinned Hawk, Accipiter striatus - 2, one adult and one immature
3. Cooper's Hawk, Accipiter cooperii - 1, immature
4. Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis - 9
5. Ferruginous Hawk, Buteo regalis - 4
6. Rock Pigeon, Columba livia - 4
7. Eurasian Collared-Dove, Streptopelia decaocto - 5
8. White-winged Dove, Zenaida asiatica - 1
9. Barn Owl, Tyto alba pratincola - 1
10. Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus pallescens - 1
11. Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Picoides scalaris cactophilus - 2
12. Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus - 4
13. American Kestrel, Falco sparverius sparverius - 8
14. Say's Phoebe, Sayornis saya saya - 1 (rare winter resident)
15. Loggerhead Shrike, Lanius ludovicianus gambeli - 5
16. Western (Woodhouse's) Scrub-Jay, Aphelocoma californica woodhouseii  - 4 
17. American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos - 45
18. Chihuahuan Raven, Corvus cryptoleucus - 5
19. Common Raven, Corvus corax sinuatus - 34
20. Horned Lark, Eremophila alpestris - 38
21. Mountain Chickadee, Poecile gambeli gambeli - 2
22. White-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis nelsoni - 1
23. Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis - 1
24. Western Bluebird, Sialia Mexicana bairdi - 8
25. Mountain Bluebird, Sialia currucoides - 1
26. Townsend's Solitaire, Myadestes townsendi - 3
27. American Robin, Turdus migratorius - 1
28. Curve-billed Thrasher, Toxostoma curvirostre celsum - 2
29. European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris - 55
30. Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus gaigei - 2
31. Canyon Towhee, Melozone fusca mesoleuca - 6
32. Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia - 2
33. Lincoln's Sparrow, Melospiza lincolnii - 1 (rare in winter)
34. White-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys - 17
35. Dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis - 15 (1 slate-colored - J.h. hyemalis)
36. Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus - 65
37. Western Meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta neglecta - 1
38. Brewer's Blackbird, Euphagus cyanocephalus - 195
39. Brown-headed Cowbird, Molothrus ater - 12 (rare in winter - high number)
40. House Finch, Haemorhous mexicanus frontalis - 14
41. Pine Siskin, Spinus pinus - 4
42. American Goldfinch, Spinus tristis - 2
43. House Sparrow, Passer domesticus - 8