Central New Mexico Audubon Society ______ April - May 1988_______ ____ W E L C O M E 1 take us on an exciting birding trip in The Central New Mexico Audubon Society Australia! meets on the third Thursday of each Interested members and guests are month, 7:30 p.m., St. Timothy's Lutheran invited to meet for dinner before the Church, 211 Jefferson NE (corner April meeting. Jim Karo, who presented of Copper and Jefferson, NE). Nonmembers the wonderful slides of birds at the are welcome at all meetings, fieldtrips, March Meeting, has agreed to join us and and special events. provide tips on equipment and techniques to use in taking wildlife photos. This UPCOMING PROGRAMS by Dr. Celestyn Bro7fk pre-meeting dinner will also give you a chance to visit with other birders. BIRDS OF THE RIO GRANDE ZOO Meet at 6:00 pm at the Town House Lounge —Monday, April 11th ^ & Restaurant located at 3911 Central NE (NW corner of Morningside & Central). Join us for another of our special The menu features fish, burgers, steaks, day programs! Meet at the entrance and their specialty, Greek foods. gate of the Rio Grande Zoo, under the Parking is behind the restaurant, pyramid, at 1:30 pm for a guided tour between Copper and Central. It’s then and talk by Bill Aragon, Curator of only a short 4-5 blocks east on Copper Birds. Mr. Aragon will bring us to St. Timothy's for the evening up-to-date on the zoo's breeding program meeting. for endangered wildlife, and on future plans, including a pond for migratory Annual Meeting waterfowl. This meeting will also be an —Thursday, May 19th opportunity to see the birds of the rain forest habitat exhibit, and the new Come join CNMAS for our annual meeting, condor and pheasant exhibits. Everyone election of officers, and presentation will be charged the special group rate of the Washburn Award. of $2.00 per person. Apr il .- May .1.588. Pasl .2 Dauna, originally from the east coast, BEGINNING BINDERS' TRIPS started the art five years ago. Their painstakingly created pieces have been There's still some room on the trips exhibited in many juried and prestigeous currently being scheduled for beginning shows, including World Championship birders by Joanne Phillips and Mary Lou Carving Exhibition, Eastern Waterfowl Arthur. If you'd like to participate in Festival, and the National Wildlife these week-day trips, call Joanne at Show. 8Q8-2568/8531 or Mary Lou at 256-7359. FI ELD TRIP SCHEDULE 0N-Y0UR-0WN FIELDTR1PS FT. HUACHUCA, ARIZONA SHADY TACTS — Sunday, April 10th Like to see a Spotted Owl or a Buff-Breasted Fly Catcher? If so, call This year we're going to beat the (before 9:00 pm) or write Robert T. fishermen to Shady Lakes! Meet at 8:30 Smith C'Smitty"), P.0. Box 771, Ft. am, near the gate to Shady Lakes. Take Huachuca, AZ 85613, (602)458-7660. Not 125 north to the Tramway exit (exit only is Smitty fond of birds, he also #234), then turn left under 125 and enjoys taking people he doesn't know follow the road west to the "Y". Take into Scheelite and Sawmill Canyons to Hwy 85 north (right) approximately 1/2 see some of the rare birds of the mile. Look for the Shady Lakes sign on southeastern Arizona area. Both canyons the left side of the road. are located on Ft. Huachuca, which is an army base outside Sierra Vista, Joanne Phillips, our hostess, reports Arizona. Smitty, who is retired from the that a Great Horned Owl is nesting and military, has access to the base. the chicks may have hatched. We can Although he might be willing to take you also expect to see shore birds and up on an offer of lunch, Smitty will ducks, as well as any early migrants accept no pay for being your guide. (depending on the weather). This area However, you can make a donation to The is always a favorite birding area and Nature Conservancy in his name. the walking is easy! For more information, call Joanne at 898-2568 or Other areas that could be visited on 898-8531. ^ this trip include Madera Canyon near Tucson, the ponds at Wilcox where waders DEL AGUA CANYON and shorebirds can be seen, and Ramsey — Saturday, May 14th Canyon, located about 20-30 minutes from Sierra Vista. There's a Motel 6 and An all-day trip with Hart Schwarz to del other motels in Sierra Vista, or if Agua Canyon in the Sandias, via the you're retired military, you may want to Piedra Lisa Trail. We will begin in the use the campground on Ft. Huachuca, foothills with black-chinned sparrows which has full hook-ups. A number of and Scotts orioles, and end up in GNMAS memhers have made this trin and April - May 1988 Page 3 FIFTH ANNUAL "BIG BIRD BASH" RAPTOR STUDY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED —Friday-Saturday, May 6-7th Less than two hours from Albuquerque, rising several hundred feet out of the This springtime event offers the Rio Puerco Valley, are a series of opportunity to concentrate on birds by cliffs collectively known as the San participating in the Spring Bird Count Luis Mesa. In recognition of the in an area of New Mexico known for some importance of these cliffs as nesting species that occur nowhere else in the $ habitat for golden eagles, red-tailed state. Sponsored by the Southwestern hawks, prairie falcons, ravens, great New Mexico Audubon Society and the New horned owls, and kestrels, the San Luis Mexico Audubon Council, the Saturday Mesa Raptor Area of Critical count will be held in the Silver City Environmental Concern (ACEC) was environs and will be followed by dinner recently established by the U. S. Bureau at a local restaurant. Ralph Fisher of Land Management (BLM). A portion of will make assignments for the count on the area has also been recommended by Friday, at 7:30 pm, Harlan Hall, WNMU the BLM for wilderness designation. Campus. Due to funding cuts, the BLM does not Camping is available at KOA, U.S. Hwy have the resources to locate, monitor, 180 East, 388-3351, or at Cherry Creek and photograph nesting raptors properly and MacMillan Campgrounds in the Gila without volunteer help. The future of National Forest, north of Pinos Altos. the ACEC may depend on strong citizen Motels in the area include: Copper involvement. If this project is of Manor, 538-5392, The Drifter Motel, interest to you, and you are able to 538-2916, and Holiday Motor Hotel, devote two to four days a month for the 538-3711. next four months, please contact Jim Fish at 867-3062 for more information. For more information and registration, contact Pat Insley, 982-0796, or Ralph Fisher, 535-2320 (evenings). Please make reservations by April 26th. Go and enjoy! You don't have to be an expert RAPTOR COUNTERS NEEDED birder. The spring raptor migration is close at hand, and the Western Foundation for VOLUNTEER 0PP0RTHNITIFS _____ Raptor Conservation (WFRC) could benefit greatly by the addition of some extra THE RANDALL DAVEY CENTER NEEDS YOU! eyes at the count site in the Sandias. Have you thought of spending a Sunday in If you would like to sharpen your raptor Santa Fe this summer? Volunteers are identification skills while enjoying a needed to help in the visitor center, first-rate view of migrating birds of lead natural history walks or guide prey, join the WFRC observers. Your visitors through the historic Randall help will be appreciated because the Davey home. Summers at the center are width of the flight corridor makes it c a 4- - P o einnU n h c p r v p r t*n Ap r il - May 1988 Ease 4. CONSERVATION NOTES National Forest and adjacent BLM lands by Lew Helm_____ starting in 1987. The stamp is also required for users of the Jicarilla GRAY RANCH PROPOSAL NEEDS A PUSH Division of the Carson National Forest. Proceeds from the sale of the stamps are Gray Ranch, a 311,000-acre veritable used to benefit deer, turkey, elk, fish, wildlife paradise in southwestern New and other wildlife habitat on lands Mexico’s Hildago County, is being where the stamp is required. considered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for inclusion in the A series of public meetings is being National Wildlife Refuge System. This held by the N.M. Department of Game and proposed acquisition from willing Fish so that concerned citizens may sellers is supported strongly by the comment on proposed projects. A meeting Audubon Society. The FWS has held a is scheduled at the Department's series of public meetings on the Albuquerque Office, 3700 Osuna NE, Suite proposal, and a majority of attendees 611, on Anril 25th, 7:00 p.m. were in favor. SEVILLETA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE—LONG Gray Ranch has been managed by past TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH SITE BY owners in a commendable way. A fine NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION balance of cattle stocking has been maintained while protecting an On January 20, 1988, representatives of outstanding diversity of wildlife the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, habitat. Bordering Mexico, the ranch Southwest Region, the University of New contains a remarkable array of Mexico, and The Nature Conservancy met southwestern flora and fauna. This area to grant approval to a Cooperative supports at least 718 species (19%) of Agreement that is the first step in New Mexico's known flora. Coexisting on establishing the Sevilleta National the ranch are 51% of New Mexico's mammal Wildlife Refuge as a Long Term species, 43% of its bird species, 45% of Ecological Research site by the National its reptile species, and 36% of its Science Foundation.