songs

This fine red tailed hawk was at the Corrales gas station watching the traffic. This bird is usually found hunting rabbits in the scrub, but adapts well to humans. It was likely looking for something hit by a car. There are many rabbits getting run over right now.

New Mexico had a big migratory bird die off due to cold weather this year, but this one looks to have been well fed. Likely it was hit by a car; the second most likely cause of death, a long way below #1- domestic cats.

The weather is slightly warmed, and the days are slightly longer. There are a few flying insects out and the small birds have begun chirping to establish territory.

The doves seem to be here year round, but their activity can be cryptic.

there are many small ducks just come in front of the cold front from California, they are unused to humans, but most of these birds settle down after a few weeks. The ducks are generally safe from hawks if they stay close to the water. The fast hawks cannot maneuver well at low speeds and cannot swim.

many small birds are still reliant on hand-outs from bird feeders.

the mallards are pairing of for the winter. They must like it here.

It can be hard to see sometimes that Corrales is a 100% human created environment. This wild mallard is taking advantage of human changes to a natural system. Those clear drainage ditches they float and feed in are removing water from the soil to prevent our houses from sitting in a marsh.

Even these wild ravens forming huge flocks each evening in the Bosque are feeding themselves primarily on the free food at the two municipal trash sites up on the mesa, just a bigger version of a bird feeder. They congregate each evening in these huge tornadoes of feathers. They should be impossible to miss, but:

a few minutes later, they are usually gone. They leave behind a gorgeous sunset and a few agitated ducks.