Since the early 70s, members of the Southwestern Audubon Society have conducted a raptor survey of the southwestern corner of New Mexico. Routes are found from Mule Creek south to Antelope Wells, and from the Arizona border east to Interstate 10. The survey consists of driving assigned roads and noting all the raptors seen. In addition, Loggerhead Shrikes, Greater Roadrunners, and Great Horned Owls are also counted. Interested in being assigned a route or participating? Please call Roland Shook at 388-3441, or
tyranidae@hotmail.comCount is within the town limits, centered at the Golf Course. Call Rinda Metz for info at 534-0160.
Members of the Southwestern Audubon Society conduct a Christmas Bird Count along the Gila River centering of the town of Riverside near Cliff, New Mexico. Since most of the land surveyed on this CBC is private, it is important for me to obtain permission for counters to access this private land. If you are interested in participating or leading a route, please contact Roland Shook at 388-3441,
tyranidae@hotmail.com.
Listed in Field Trips for May. Both the Christmas Bird Count and the Migration Count take place over a single day and are annual events. The main difference between the two (besides time of year) is that the migration count covers the entire county, not just the 7.5 mile radius circle counting area of the CBC. Because of this we need more birders to cover more area. All birders are welcome to take part. Contact Jerry Bird 575-534-4940 or email
silvercitypearl@yahoo.com.
This Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology led count is free and participants are encouraged to count birds anywhere in the U.S. or Canada. All birders can report the common birds they see in their yards or neighborhoods, while more experienced birders can report birds seen at birding hotspots or field trips. Count birds from wherever you are and enter your tallies online at
www.birdcount.org. Observers count the highest number of each species they see during at least 15 minutes on one or more of the count days. The website provides helpful hints for identifying birds. Participants can compare results from their town or region with others as checklists pour in from throughout the U.S. and Canada. They can also view bird photos taken by participants during the count and send in their own digital images for the online photo gallery and contest. Each tally helps us learn more about how our North American birds are doing and the future of our environment.