The property appears to be an old homestead with one remaining small structure and the remnants of a stone wall. From what I could gather, the land is owned by the state of New Mexico and it appears to be open to the public. There are not any "No Trespassing" signs, purple paint, or any other indication that this is private land. I was apprehensive about visiting, and even more so when I got there and saw the place, but it turned out to be an enjoyable afternoon of birding. The woods are located about 11 miles west of the town of Melrose. There are no signs or markers, just a small drive and metal gate. There was very little information online and I had hesitated to go because I didn't want to get there and find out that it was private property or that I couldn't get in. Since it was an eBird hotspot and people were reporting from there regularly, I decided to give it a whirl. I pulled up and my heart sank. A locked gate.
The Melrose "Woods" are a small stand of cottonwoods and poplars surrounded by grasslands in eastern NM. These woods are known as a migrant trap because during spring and fall migration, unusual birds tend to turn up here, most likely because this small stand of trees stands out among the grasslands. There is a cattle tank on the front of the property that has water and in the woods hummingbird feeders and two bird baths (made of steel drums) are kept filled with some water. There are no bathrooms or potable water sources. Come prepared. Aside from gas stations in the smaller towns, food can be found in Clovis and Fort Sumner. The property appears to be an old homestead with one remaining small structure and the remnants of a stone wall. From what I could gather, the land is owned by the state of New Mexico and it appears to be open to the public. There are not any "No Trespassing" signs, purple paint, or any other indication that this is private land. I was apprehensive about visiting, and even more so when I got there and saw the place, but it turned out to be an enjoyable afternoon of birding. The woods are located about 11 miles west of the town of Melrose. There are no signs or markers, just a small drive and metal gate. There was very little information online and I had hesitated to go because I didn't want to get there and find out that it was private property or that I couldn't get in. Since it was an eBird hotspot and people were reporting from there regularly, I decided to give it a whirl. I pulled up and my heart sank. A locked gate. I turned to my phone to try one more search of how to get in but the signal was not strong enough. When I walked up to the gate, I saw that the chain on the left side could be opened. Be sure to resecure the gate behind you. The first time, I walked through and left my car parked off to the side in the little driveway. After walking the road and stopping to take pics of all the great wildflowers, I got to the trees to find a small parking area and habitat that looked like snake heaven. Shoot. I would need go back to the car and get the jeans and hiking boots that I had brought. This time, I drove through and parked under the cottonwoods. The large cottonwoods were alive with Western Kingbirds, a few Bullock's Orioles, and Kestrels. Everything else, the warblers, flycatchers, and sparrows, were in the poplars. From where I parked, there did not appear to be an easy way into the woods. The area between me and the woods was low to tall brush and lots of wooden and other debris. I decided to pick my way east to the grassland and figured that I could at least bird the perimeter. After I got out into the open and birded most of the eastern edge, I found an easy way into the woods at the back of the property. When I got back to the car after working my way around the western edge of the woods, I looked to the north (in the direction of the small structure) and suddenly a number of small paths leading directly into the woods became obvious. I had walked around looking for an easier way in for quite a while earlier, but somehow I had missed them. Despite my earlier misgivings about snakes, and I'm sure that there are plenty here, I only startled one as I passed by this trail on my way back to the car. I hadn't found the Grace's or Virginia's Warblers that I had come looking for yet, so I decided to take the path back in to the woods. Once you get inside, the woods are fairly open and easy to maneuver. Despite a few hiccups along the way, it was a pleasant area to bird. I didn't get the warblers that I had come looking for, but I was delighted to find a Gray Flycatcher, a Hooded Warbler, a few Wilson's Warblers, a Yellow-breasted Chat, a Nashville Warbler, a Yellow Warbler, a hybrid Yellow-rumped Warbler, and several MacGillivray's Warblers (ahhh my old nemesis bird :), at least one Lincoln's Sparrow, several other flycatchers, and more. When I came out of the woods around sunset, two pairs of Kestrels were calling from the Cottonwoods. The land owner behind the woods had spooked a Great Horned Owl earlier and I came across a feather as well. For those who are also interested in insects and plants, there were plenty to enjoy.
11 Comments
8/12/2019 03:59:47 pm
Central New Mexico Audubon Society is in the midst of negotiating a sub lease with the NM State Land Office. CNMAS is committed to preserving Melrose Woods. I am writing you because these are wonderful recent photographs and I would like permission to use them in a presentation I want to have for the upcoming Western Field Ornithologist meeting in Albuquerque Aug 21-25. Thank you for the handsome blog.
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5/28/2020 11:54:48 am
Great post. Thanks. I have created a migrant trap in the desert and loved reading about this one. Always some knowledge to be gleaned that might be helpful to me.
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Betty Dutton
9/3/2020 03:58:43 pm
Thank you for all of the pictures and the article. I lived there from 1939 until 1950 when my dad sold it.
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FoundNatureBlog owner
9/5/2020 09:38:25 pm
Thank you for commenting, Betty! I am really glad that you enjoyed my article. There is a set of stone steps near the parking area. I was taking pictures of a spider on them last time I was there and I wondered if they had belonged to the house or another structure. I tried researching the history of the property, but there is little information about the site online. I didn't realize that people had lived on the property that recently. Thank you for reaching out and filling in another piece of the puzzle! -Jennifer
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Betty Dutton
9/15/2020 01:34:26 am
The stone steps led into our house. The house was moved to west of portales on the mesa. My dad had 6 sections of land there where he had cattle. Most of it was on the other side of the railroad. We had a swimming pool which was fed by a spring. Part of the pool was concrete and the lower end was dirt. Lot of people came there to swim. However one young boy did drown in it as it was 12ft deep in the middle and he could not swim. One of the local churches from Melrose would have babtisim in it. One of the trees was very large as it took 5 men to reach around it. Also there were a lot of arrow heads found there in the canyon by the house.
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FoundNatureBlog owner
9/23/2020 10:02:25 pm
I often wondered what happened to the house at Melrose, but for some reason it didn't dawn on me that it may have been moved. There isn't any material from the house at the site so it having been moved makes perfect sense. And now I know what the steps belonged to, too :) I've never thought about looking for arrow heads there! The BLM land open for birding is quite small and I think the surrounding land is owned by a rancher now, but it would still be really fun to find one! I'm usually spending my time looking up at the birds but will have to look down occasionally now :) Thank you so much for the additional info, Betty! - Jennifer
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Minda Stillings
3/26/2021 04:26:21 pm
Really helpful post. I had very general, unclear info on Melrose Trap from a friend. Your post gave the details needed to find it and to be sure I wanted to find it lol.
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FoundNatureBlog Owner
4/2/2021 08:03:17 pm
Thank you, Minda! I sat there 30 min deciding whether to go in or not the first time and wanted to avoid that problem for others! I too, didn't know whether it was worth it and it was a couple of years after I heard about it before I decided to make the long trek. Its one of my favorite places now! Very calming and just wonderful! I hope you get to go this spring and have a great time!
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5/28/2022 02:46:36 pm
Thank you for such a helpful website!!!! I will visit and now I know what to do. What a "find" online. Just as a comment to add, it is recommended not to pick up anything from sites, not a flower, not a pine cone, not an arrowhead, and of course not a feather. Happy birding to all!
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Patricia Wing
6/1/2022 11:13:43 am
Because of your posting I was able to find Melrose Woods. It is truly a special place. I met a young expert birder there who was amazingly kind and spotted many exciting birds. He saw a warbler that had never been spotted there before. There are two gates, I assume one to keep the cattle off the highway and another to keep the cattle from entering the wooded area. Evidence of volunteer efforts is impressive. A big "thank you" to those who are taking care of the woods and planting trees. On May 31, I found the woods packed with tumbleweeds. This would be a great place to volunteer.
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FoundNatureBlog Owner
8/21/2022 01:05:38 pm
Thanks, Patricia! I'm so glad that you were able to find and enjoy Melrose Woods! It really is a special place. Happy birding!
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