UPCOMING EVENTS
SWNMA Board Meeting
Mon, Oct 2, 2023
5:00 pm
Zoom
Southwestern New Mexico Audubon invites members to our Board of Directors meetings. We meet every other month, on the first Monday of the month, at 5 PM via Zoom. If you are interested in attending board meetings, please email swnmaudubon@gmail.org. We will add you to the list to receive the agenda and zoom link a few days in advance of the meeting.
Board Meeting
Birds & Brews
Thur, Oct 5, 2023 | 4:30 - ??? pm
Birds and Brews are back!!
Join us for a bird stroll down the developed portion of Big Ditch Park*, ending at Little Toad Creek Brewery for some social time and food with friends! (*for those unfamiliar with Big Ditch, there is a set of stairs and uneven surfaces along the way; sturdy walking shoes are recommended.)
We will start the stroll at the north end of the parking lot of Main Street Plaza (near Scratch restaurant/Lion's Club building), then work our way towards The Toad.
We'll aim to be at the Toad around 5:15–5:30 for those that want to meet us there. Weather permitting, plan to gather in one of the outdoor spaces in the back of The Toad.
The Big Sit!
Sun, Oct 8 | 8:00 am - noon | Silva Creek Botanical Gardens
The Big Sit is a free annual international birding event open to all. Like a Big Day, individuals or teams find as many species as possible in 24 hours... BUT all observations must be made from within a circle no more than 17 feet in diameter.
Join SWNM Audubon as we host our first Big Sit!
Bring chairs, binoculars, beverages and snacks... and get ready for some some great birding.
Click here for a map to Silva Creek Botanical Gardens in Silver City
October Big Day
Sat, Oct 14
Be a part of birding’s biggest team while helping Cornell scientists better understand global bird populations. October Big Day is an annual celebration of the birds around you. No matter where you are, join in virtually on Oct 14 and share the birds you find with eBird.
10th "Natural History of the Gila" Symposium
Feb 28 - Mar 1, 2024 | WNMU Global Resource Center, Silver City
Coinciding with the Centennial Celebration of America’s First Wilderness: the Gila Wilderness
Presentations and Field Trips Featuring Research, Land Management, Conservation, Educational Programs and Policy focused on the Gila Region of SW New Mexico and SE Arizona.
Learn more and submit proposals at The Symposium web site.
SPUR-OF-THE-MOMENT Field Trips
SWNMA programs are planned far in advance, so sometimes we miss good birding possibilities. That's why we encourage member-initiated Spur- of-the-Moment field trips. You don’t have to be an expert, you just need a desire to get out there with fellow birders! If you email us the date, destination, and when/where to meet, we'll pass that info to our list of interested others. Want to get on the list? Just send us an email.
Please visit us on Facebook for updates and for virtual gatherings, announced here on the Website or for members via email.
Visit the joint SWNM Audubon Society and Gila Native Plant Society YouTube channel to view past recorded Zoom programs.
PAST EVENTS
Sept 16
Friends of City of Rocks Bird Outing
MacGillivray's Warbler (H. Erstad photo)
Karen Beckenbach and William (Bill) Norris led a group of 18 birders around the loop at City of Rocks.
Highlights included a brilliant yellow Scott's Oriole at a prickly pear cactus and several warblers - - Townsend's, Wilson's, and MacGillivray's- - passing through during migration. Resident friends showed up too, including Curve-billed Thrashers, Rock Wrens, Canyon Towhees, and a Greater Roadrunner. View the full ebird list here.
Thanks to Karen and Bill for all of their patient teaching and to all who made the trip out on a Saturday morning!
May 5 & 6
Intro to Common* Birds Along Cherry Creek Canyon (*and a few uncommon ones!) for Beginning and Intermediate Birders: Program and Outing
On Friday evening, Susan Mittelstadt and William (Bill) Norris provided tips for beginning and intermediate birders on using visual, auditory, behavioral and habitat cues to identify common (and a few uncommon) birds that occur in Cherry Creek Canyon in the spring and early summer. Over 20 folks attended in person with another 10 attending via Zoom.
Weren't able to attend? You can still catch this presentation on our YouTube channel!
On Saturday, Susan and Bill led 15 participants on a bird outing to Little Cherry Creek Trail. Birds sighted that day include: Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk Acorn Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Warbling Vireo, Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee, Brown Creeper, House Wren, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Red-faced Warbler, Painted Redstart, Black-headed Grosbeak, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Plumbeous Vireo, Pygmy Nuthatch, Canyon Wren, Black-throated Gray Warbler, White-throated Swift, Violet-green Swallow, White-breasted Nuthatch, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and Western Tanager! Quite a productive outing!
Thank you to Bill and Susan for leading this 2-parter and for all of those who participated!
April 22
Gila Earth Day x Continental Divide Trail Days festival
Over 100 people stopped by the Audubon table at this annual Silver City event to talk about birds, habitat protection, and our chapter! So good to see everyone during this exciting migration time of year! Thanks to Audubon members Rachelle Bergmann, Jackie Blurton, Susan Slade, and Patricia Taber for being such great table hosts!
Mar 3 & 4
Common Sparrow ID for Beginning and Intermediate Birders: Program and Outing
Karen Beckenbach and Bill Norris shared tips for identifying common sparrows in SW New Mexico for a packed lecture hall on Friday night. The next morning, over 25 birders joined them at the City of Rocks Cienega Trail to put their new-found knowledge to work. Sparrows observed included Vesper, Black-Throated, White-Crowned, Chipping, Brewers, Savannah, and Rufous-Crowned. Other highlights: Golden Eagle, pair of nesting Great Horned Owls, 60 Longspurs, and a pair of Loggerhead Shrikes.
View the complete eBird list here.
Thank you Karen and Bill for generously sharing your wisdom and time, and to those who attended this pairing of events.