Date: 8/27/25 11:48 am From: <trochetj...> Subject: [AZNMbirds] CWNM: eastern Zuni Mountains and Bluewater Lake
Dear Birders,
Late yesterday I found a sanderling at the south arm of Bluewater Lake. This is accessed via the Tusas Unit of Bluewater Lake State Park ($5 per vehicle). The shorebirds were very skittish, and with an adult peregrine stirring them up, it was difficult to get a good look at everything between flights of the flocks. Also yesterday I found a crissal thrasher just inside the mouth of lower Bluewater Canyon, near Bluewater Village.
This morning was the first (this is day five for me here) with decent land birding. A nice mixed flock was near the firefighter cabin near the junctions of Forest Roads 480 and 504A, just northwest of Ojo Redondo Campground, just after sunrise. The best thing that I picked out was a hatch year olive warbler. And about 11 AM I found a male American three-toed woodpecker. From that same cabin, a bearing of 80 degrees and a distance of 350-400 meters will get you very close to the spot. I used to have stakeout spots in recent fire scars for that one, but not anymore.
The monsoon rains finally came to this area, a day after I did. If visiting Bluewater Lake, be advised that the lakeside roads can quickly get sloppy if any real precipitation falls.
Best,
John Trochet
Sacramento, California
currently visiting the Zuni region
