Page 22 - Black Range Naturalist, Vol. 2, No. 4

RE: Hummingbird Articles/Updates
“We banded and released this dramatic hummer (editor: photo right) a couple weeks ago near Dripping Springs was seen once at Visitor Center and banded 10 days later (if the same one) when we saw it in the trap one morning !! Not seen since, as a probable true wandering, adventurous, and exploring vagrant. Would be VERY surprised to catch also a female or younger of that species in the same area. Thought that might happen also with the Lucifer male we banded last season at Aguirre Springs.
A first reported southern migrating adult Rufous male was also seen and photographed by the Volunteer who maintains the feeders at the Dripping Springs Visitor Center 6-28-19. “
Ned Betchelder
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Ipomoea gilana, East Slope of Bald Hill, Black Range
RE: Ipomoea gilana
In our April 2019 issue we referenced the description of a new species of Morning Glory from the Black Range (Vol. 2, No. 2, p. 24). This summer Rebecca Hallgarth, Jon Barnes, Harley Shaw, and Bob Barnes made trips into the area to further document the distribution of the species and to photograph it for the Black Range Website. (See photo gallery.)
Ipomoea gilana is a night blooming species. It, apparently, opens at about 3:00 a.m. and most blossoms have closed by 8:30.
The approximate center of the known distribution of this species is at 33.002385 -107.715431 or if you are a what3words app user “barbecued.curable.pitied.” The limited range seems to extend for not more than 200 meters from this center point. Obviously, much more needs to be done in defining the geographic range of the species. Thumbnails to the right.
Rivoli’s Hummingbird, Eugenes fulgens, Dripping Springs, by Ned and Gigi Batchelder. The Batchelders are regular contributors to this magazine. If you have an older field guide, you might identify this bird as a Magnificent Hummingbird. In 2017 the IOU split the species then known as Magnificent Hummingbird, Eugenes fulgens, into two species. The northern form, found in the borderlands south to Nicaragua, was renamed Rivoli’s Hummingbird and (being the nominate subspecies before the split) kept the scientific name. The southern form became Eugenes spectablis, the Admirable Hummingbird. Not all authorities agree with the split. Not all authorities agree on the English Common Name of the split species. But the important thing for us is, as Ned and Gigi have demonstrated so elegantly, the Rivoli’s Hummingbird can be found in our area. It has been seen in Hillsboro. Keep an eye on those flowers and feeders.
Our checklist for the Dragonflies of the Black Range was augmented a bit when this Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum corruptum, was photographed by Bob Barnes in Hillsboro on September 5.
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