Page 27 - Black Range Naturalist, Vol. 2, No. 3

There have been 12 years of observations in all. For various reasons, few weeks have observations for all 12 years. During that time, 153 bird species have been seen in the yard, as well as many subspecies. Seasonal variation is obvious, but other factors also contribute to an overall pattern which is not stable around the edges. Generally, the core species are dependable. (Note the darkest entries on the chart.) But many species seem to come and go with variations in temperature and moisture
which are not necessarily seasonal. This area is subject to strong spring winds, for instance, and especially strong storms often bring in species more regular to the higher elevations in the Black Range and from western New Mexico and Arizona. Likewise, monsoonal storms coming up from Mexico also bring their share of vagrants. This locale is near the Rio Grande flyway. The Rio Grande is about 20 miles to the east.
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