Date: 5/9/26 5:58 pm From: Betsy Checchia (via aznmbirds Mailing List) <aznmbirds...> Subject: [AZNMbirds] Red-faced Warblers in Water Canyon, Cibola NF in New Mexico Today
Water Canyon is south and west of Socorro in the Magdalena Mountains. A
reasonably good forest road runs up from US Rte 60 to the Langmuir
Observatory at about 10,000 feet. These mountains are identified as the
northern limit of the Red-faced Warbler's range -- I found 4 there last
year, and was lucky enough to find two today. They were in about the same
spot as those last year, about 50 yards below the 19th culvert (they're all
numbered on the way up the road) and right beside the road. I saw them
carrying nesting material, so I assume they were a pair.
A very good day of birding, with 55 species total, including 7 Warblers
(Red-faced, Virginia's, Northern Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Grace's,
Black-throated Gray and Painted Redstart), Red Crossbill, a couple of Acorn
Woodpeckers (much harder to find here than in AZ), many Plumbeous Vireos
plus Cassin's and Western Warbling, Swainson's Hawk and Scaled Quail.
