Mountainair, NM (4/22-24/2021)

 If you took a ruler and pencil and marked the very center of New Mexico, your mark would be very close to this little town.  Founded in 1903 to serve the railroad, it's now mostly an agricultural area and the Gateway to Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument.  Oh, the trains still come here, but don't really stop.  During my stay, I observed maybe 25-30 trains per day rumbling through.  Thankfully, the town persuaded the railroad to stop blowing horns here unless someone is actually on the tracks.  The town's population is under 1000 and, like many small towns across the country, generally declining.

The Salinas Pueblo Missions are the ruins of three ancient cities of native cultures that left the area in the 1670s.  The last natives in the area were a combination of Anasazi and Mogollon cultures, but previous cultures go back thousands of years.  Drought, famine and persistent attacks from Apaches and Navajos are the main reasons these pueblos were abandoned.  The missions in the three cities were the result of Spanish influence in attempts to convert the "savages' to Christianity.  The ruins were jointly designated a National Monument in 1971.  The three sites range from eight to twenty-five miles from Mountainair in three different directions.  

Abo was a thriving pueblo when the Spanish arrived in 1581.  Large living complexes, multi-story buildings and ceremonial kivas made up the community.  A mission church was built in the 1620s, and a second, larger church later replaced it.  Much of the site has never been excavated, but buried foundations can be seen.

The story of Quarai is similar, although the Spanish arrival was later.  As usual, the Spanish mistreated the natives.  Efforts to convert them were harsh, and the Conquistadors basically enslaved them.  In fact, similar activities were being carried out all over New Mexico.

The largest of the three ruins, Gran Quivira, was a major trade center.  Notice the color of the stones used in construction is gray and white, not the red rocks of the others.  Also, notice some birds perched on the wall, upper left in the last photo.

Here is a closer view of the birds, which appear to be willets.  What a surprise to see these shore birds so far inland.  However, research shows they are known to move inland for breeding.

The nearby Manzano Mountains offer respite from the heat of the New Mexico plains, and an opportunity for recreation in several parks with numerous hiking and off-roading trails. 

I drove to thee top of Capilla Peak (9400 feet elevation) and saw extensive devastation from a forest fire in recent times.  As I returned down the mountain, the green forest at the lower level was in stark contrast to the upper part.

These mountains are a prime birding area in the fall when migrating raptors spend time here.  For the moment, I had to settle for a few small birds.

White-breasted Nuthatch

Mountain Chickadee

Descendents of the original Spanish/Mexican settlers still live in the Salinas Valley, forming small villages based around their mission-style churches.

Socorro, NM (4/19 & 20/2021)

 In 1598, a group of Spanish settlers barely survived a patch of desert in what is now Southern New Mexico.  A pueblo of Piro Indians gave them food and water, so the Spaniards renamed the pueblo "Socorro", Spanish for help or aid.  The first Catholic Mission in the area was established in 1626.  In 1680, the town was pretty much wiped out by the Apaches and other aggressive Indians.  Socorro was not resettled until 1815.  The Mission of San Miguel de Socorro was established soon after on the grounds of the original mission, and it is still active today.

 When New Mexico became a U.S. territory in 1859, Socorro had a population of 543.  It gradually grew to a population of 9051 as of 2010, but it appears the population has since declined somewhat.  Without much industry to attract residents, this trend may well continue.  The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, along with the Bureau of Land Management are the main employers, neither offering a growth industry.

Here are a few scenes to give the flavor of Socorro.

 Socorro County is proud of its old mission churches, of which there are seven. I happened upon a couple of them while exploring the area, not specifically seeking them out. The San Antonio Mission has, unfortunately, fallen on hard times.

While in San Antonio, I noticed the old railroad depot and learned an interesting story from its history.  It seems that Conrad Hilton was born in this little village and, as a youngster, carried passengers' luggage from the depot to his father's hotel.  This life experience helped him form the famous Hilton Hotel chain.

 I also noticed The Owl Bar & Grill, but didn't bother to stop.  Bad decision, since I later learned it is famous for green chile cheeseburgers (which I love).  Also, it was the meeting place for Los Alamos scientists before the first atomic bomb test at nearby Trinity site in 1945.

 

Every winter, thousands of sandhill cranes, snow geese, and other migrating birds settle into Bosque del Apache, about twenty miles south of Socorro.  It is one of the most popular places for birders and photographers to meet up.  I knew those birds would be long gone, but visited the bosque (woods) just to see what other birds and wildlife might be around.  The refuge is a huge property of ponds, fields and wooded areas, with miles of driving trails.

Pied-bill Grebe

House Finch

Distant Kestrel

Western Kingbird

Song Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

American Egret

Cattle Egret

Northern Shoveler

Western Meadowlark

Driving along, I was surprised to see a herd of javelinas emerging from deep weeds.  I counted sixteen of the critters before it was done.  They may look like pigs, but they are members of the peccary family.

Leaving the refuge, I saw a rig-necked pheasant walking along the road shoulder.  Couldn't stop in time, so I turned around and came back.  Just as I was getting ready with the camera, this beautiful creature stepped into the weeds, so I only got the tail.

Ring-necked Pheasant

Glenwood, NM (4/16 & 17/2021)

 Glenwood is a small village in the Gila National Forest, dating back to 1878 with a single ranch house.  Presently, there are about 300 residents enjoying the scenic mountains and moderate climate found here.  I came here, as most visitors do, to see the Catwalk National Recreation Area in Whitewater Canyon.  Driving to my campground, I passed a fish hatchery and noticed a sign that said "New Mexico Birding Trail 14".  Naturally, I went there the following morning to check it out.  With a nice sized pond fed from the hatchery, both water fowl and song birds are attracted.  It was a fun and productive morning.

Curved-bill Thrasher

Vermilion Flycatcher

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Black Phoebe

Ring-necked Duck

Ring-necked Duck (Female)

Cinnamon Teal

The Catwalk National Recreation Area was extremely popular the day I was there, with more than fifty vehicles in the parking lot and all the picnic tables in use.  Most of the cars had New Mexico plates, with a few from Texas, California and Arizona.  Whitewater Creek was lined with large trees, including some sycamores that are common in Southern Arizona.  All in all, it was an oasis in the high desert.

A sign near the exit listed several other attractions near Glenwood, one of which was a ghost town called Mogollon.  After a little internet research, I paid a visit to Mogollon the next day.  The town is located deep in the mountains some nine miles from the highway.  The road is nicely paved, but steep and curvy, with the last five miles being one lane.  The town was founded in the late 1800s to support several gold and silver mines.  Being so remote, it had a reputation as one of the wildest towns in the West.  Mogollon has a history of ups and downs, boom and bust, robberies, fires, floods and attacks by the Apaches.  The last mine shut down around 1950.  The population, once nearly 6000, is now fifteen year-round residents and a few more summer residents.

Old mine sites, mining equipment and original buildings remain to draw tourists.  There are also a surprising number of newer buildings.  The creek that runs through town has been deepened and lined with rocks to prevent flooding and erosion.