Yoga  

Rare Bird Sighting 7/23/13 Rufous-Necked Wood-Rail

Rufous-Necked Wood-Rail A rare guest from South America showed up in New Mexico just north of La Paloma this week. Apparently this is the first sighting of this bird in North America.  Take a look at this link for the story.

Birding

Whether you choose to agree with the New Mexico Bird reporting 523 species, New Mexico Ornithological Society with 538 species verified by specimen, photograph and audio recording or The Cornell University Lab of Ornithology with 374 species of birds in Sierra County, New Mexico it seems is a highly active and desirable destination point for birding. The Audubon Society has listed 62 Important Bird Areas (IBA) in New Mexico. Defining an IBA as an area which provides essential habitat for one or more species of bird to winter, breed and/or migrate. 4 of these IBA are in Sierra County around our little city of Truth or Consequences (T or C) with another just to the north in bordering Socorro county. In addition to the 5 IBA, Emory Pass is recognized as an Endemic Bird Area (EBA) or critical region for the conservation of birds. Three of the 200 Best Birding sites in the U. S. and Canada surround T or C according Birding.com Truth or Consequences is recognized as a destination point for birding and hot springs enthusiasts alike. You may enjoy a dip in the soothing private baths at the end of your day. Just in case you see something along the way or perhaps in our courtyard around the feeder area, we have found this site helpful in Bird Identification. Day trips in the area offer year round birding and documented sightings of Gambel's Quail, Snow Goose, Mallard, Sandhill Crane, Whooping Crane, Bald Eagle, Ferruginous Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Neotropic Cormorant, Willow Fly catcher, Western Bluebird, Mountain Bluebird, Townsend's Solitaire, Crissal Thrasher, Marsh Wren, Verdin, Savannah Sparrow, Brewer's Sparrow, Sage Sparrow, Green-tailed Towhee (Bosque del Apache), Western Grebe, Clark's Grebe (Elephant Butte Lake [EB]), Cordilleran Flycatcher, Gray Vireo, Plumbeous Vireo, Pygmy Nuthatch, Olive Warbler, Black-chinned Sparrow, Virginia's Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Grace's Warbler, Red-faced Warbler, Painted Redstart, (Emory Pass), Wood Duck, Red-naped Sapsucker, Yellow-billed Sapsucker, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Long-billed Curlew, Wilson's Phalarope, American Avocet, Prairie Falcon, White-faced Ibis, Gray Flycatcher, Bank Swallow, Lark Bunting, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Lucy's Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Summer Tanager, Scott's Oriole, (Percha, Caballo, Las Palomas), Vermillion Flycatcher, Bullock's Oriole and Wild Canary. In the spring Percha Dam State Park is considered to be New Mexico's best area for land bird along the Rio Grande. Join us for "Migration Sensation" - two days of birding and bird-related programming. Each day begins with guided bird walks to observe birds passing through during the spring migration. Rare sightings (June, 2012): Brown Heron (EB), Common Black Hawk (Percha), Black-bellied Plover (EB), Sanderling (EB), and Laughing Gull (EB)