Williamson's Sapsucker in Manzano Mtns - October 2014

Lately I've started to explore the Manzano Mountains which are located east and south of Albuquerque, NM. They aren't as high as the nearby Sandias, and are a bit harder to access, but nonetheless offer some great alpine birding. This is the location of the only international hawk watch site in New Mexico.

On a recent visit I had Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, Wild Turkey, Red-breasted, White-breasted, and Pygmy Nuthatches, Stellar's Jay, Mountain Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco (I missed the very lost Yellow-eyed Junco that was seen there recently), Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warbler, Pine Siskin, Evening Grosbeak, Townsend's Solitaire, Western Bluebird, Lincoln's Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, White-throated Swift, Merlin, and many more! I also was able to get a rather poor pic of this spectacular male Williamson's Sapsucker.

Male Williamson's Sapsucker