Date: 7/1/26 3:26 pm From: Betsy Checchia (via aznmbirds Mailing List) <aznmbirds...> Subject: [AZNMbirds] Birding Grant, Hidalgo and Sierra Counties in New Mexico
I took a 4-day trip this past weekend from Albuquerque to Grant, Hidalgo
and Sierra Counties, places where I have seldom had an opportunity to
bird. I started on Friday on the Sierra County side of the Black Range,
then entered Grant County after I crossed over Emory Pass. Birded several
spots in the Black Range snd stayed in Silver City Friday and Saturday
nights. Continued birding in Grant County along the Gila River on
Saturday. Sunday morning I drove east into Hidalgo County and birded
several spots on the way to the Gila River again, then worked my way down
into the bootheel to Clanton Canyon near the Mexican border. Stayed in
Deming Sunday night, then hit the Caballo Lake/Percha Dam State Parks in
Sierra County on my way back to Albuquerque. County totals for the trip
were Sierra -- 49 species, including Bendire's Thrasher, Peregrine Falcon,
and Clark's and Western Grebes; Grant -- 103 species, inclding Gray Hawk,
Yellow-eyed Junco, Band-tailed Pigeon, Greater Pewee, Olive Warbler,
Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Swainson's Thrush; and Hidalgo -- 53 species,
including Montezuma Quail, Arizona Woodpecker, White-faced Ibis and Marbled
Godwit. Total different species for the weekend across all 3 counties --
132.
No life birds, but plenty of year birds, and lots of birds I'd only seen in
Arizona.
