Page Title

v Unusual Visitors

These are birds we've spotted that are not usually seen on our property, though some are regularly found in the area (*). Others are rare migrants to the area. We enjoy trying to spot all the different ones. Every year is different. The most recent sightings are shown in red.

Barn Swallow (9/2002) (5 sitting on telephone wires, stayed around about a week.)

Belted Kingfisher (2/2002) (He was sitting on a telephone wire in the bosque.)

Blue Jay * (usually in the mountains)

Bullock's Oriole

Cedar Waxwing (1/2003) (Absolutely beautiful little birds with a sweet twitter!)

Chipping Sparrow *

Common Nighthawk (8/2004)

Ferruginous Hawk (2/2001) (What a monster! Sits 23" tall!)

Indigo Bunting (5/1997) (Came to our feeder as did the Lazuli; stayed 2 days.)

Killdeer *

Lazuli Bunting (5/1997)

Northern (Bullock's) Oriole * (5/1999) (First saw him on the saucer-type hummingbird feeder, so I put out the Oriole feeder.)

Ringed Turtle-Dove (4/2003) (These now live here. We were surprised at first because their range is shown as only in the Los Angeles basin. We learned from the NMOS that the range has expanded. They also suggested that these may be Eurasion Collared Doves. We need newer books!)

Red-breasted Nuthatch * (10/2000) (Usually we only have the white-breasted type.)

Red-naped Sapsucker (12/2003)

Say's Phoebe *

Scarlet Tanager (7/1994)

Scott's Oriole * (5/1999)

Spotted (or Rufous-sided) Towhee * (12/2000) (Hasn't been seen here before this.)

Steller's Jay (5/2003) (usually only in the mountains.)

Tree Swallow (5/2005) (seen at a mountain lake)

Western Tanager (5/1999)

Willow Flycatcher (5/1999) - endangered in NM

Wilson's Warbler (9/2003)