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Spring 2024 Update

By Carol Ann Fugagli

Drink, drink tee-eee..... a Spotted Towhee merrily serenaded another on an unusually warm day in February. As I strolled along the trail behind my house, other birds were singing as well: numerous House Finches, White- winged Doves and Curve-billed Thrashers. Every year, I’m pleasantly startled by the lovely bird song denoting the coming of spring while at the same time, nervous about their arduous journey to arrive safely. One particular species that is close to my heart is the Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota). Community members and I have been keeping a close eye on these graceful flyers and their nesting habits at Western New Mexico University for seven years. Due to other obligations, I decided to observe the birds during the even numbered years and take off in the odd years.

So now, in 2024, I will be recruiting volunteers to assist me in making observations to determine how many nesting pairs there are and how many young fledge each year.

If you would like to volunteer with this project, please contact Carol Ann Fugagli at: cfugagli@gmail.com. No experience necessary! Just an inquisitive mind!

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Fall, 2022 Update: Safe Journeys To Our Feathered Friends

By Carol Ann Fugagli

There’s a saying that you know a compromise has been reached when neither party is completely satisfied. Five years ago, a group of concerned members from Southwestern New Mexico Audubon Society visited Dr. Shepard, the President of Western New Mexico University, (WNMU), voicing our concern over the rampant spraying down of Cliff Swallow nests. We agreed on a compromise that entailed the erection of nest building deterrents in highly traveled areas to keep walkways free of debris.

These obstacles were not completely successful in keeping the frequently traveled foot traffic areas clear from nest building, so maintenance staff were given instructions to spray down nests while they were being built to keep these areas clean. You may have witnessed this yourself in early May when Cliff Swallows are building nests on the area on campus known as ‘the patio’ located by the gymnasium. It breaks my heart see the birds in distress when their efforts are erased, and confusion abounds. However, in July, I’m filled with great joy when hundreds ofsuccessful nests have fledged and these young congregate in bushes while strengthening their new wings for their long journey to South America. In order to be clear regarding the law and the ‘take’ of nests, The Migratory Bird Act (MBTA) of 1918 does not protect the destruction of a bird nest if it doesn’t not contain eggs or birds inside.

During the 2022 breeding season, 247 nests were successful on the WNMU campus for an estimated 494 young birds fledged (we estimate two fledge from each nest). In comparison to 2021 counts of 344 nests with an estimated 688 fledged. This is an approximate 100 less nests in 2022 from 2021. One difference I noted in 2022 was that there were many more nests that carried three young as opposed to two in previous years. Without a reliable way to see inside the nest, getting an accurate count is difficult or impossible since only two nestlings can stick their head out at a time due to the narrow opening of the nest.Safe Journeys To Our Feathered Friends
There’s a saying that you know a compromise has been reached when neither party is completely satisfied. Five years ago, a group of concerned members from Southwestern New Mexico Audubon Society visited Dr. Shepard, the President of Western New Mexico University, (WNMU), voicing our concern over the rampant spraying down of Cliff Swallow nests. We agreed on a compromise that entailed the erection of nest building deterrents in highly traveled areas to keep walkways free of debris.
These obstacles were not completely successful in keeping the frequently traveled foot traffic areas clear from nest building, so maintenance staff were given instructions to spray down nests while they were being built to keep these areas clean. You may have witnessed this yourself in early May when Cliff Swallows are building nests on the area on campus known as ‘the patio’ located by the gymnasium. It breaks my heart see the birds in distress when their efforts are erased, and confusion abounds. However, in July, I’m filled with great joy when hundreds of successful nests have fledged and these young congregate in bushes while strengthening their new wings for their long journey to South America. In order to be clear regarding the law and the ‘take’ of nests, The Migratory Bird Act (MBTA) of 1918 does not protect the destruction of a bird nest if it doesn’t not contain eggs or birds inside.

During the 2022 breeding season, 247 nests were successful on the WNMU campus for an estimated 494 young birds fledged (we estimate two fledge from each nest). In comparison to 2021 counts of 344 nests with an estimated 688 fledged. This is an approximate 100 less nests in 2022 from 2021. One difference I noted in 2022 was that there were many more nests that carried three young as opposed to two in previous years. Without a reliable way to see inside the nest, getting an accurate count is difficult or impossible since only two nestlings can stick their head out at a time due to the narrow opening of the nest.

Every year brings something unique with the birds choosing to focus nesting in a different area. In 2021, we had only two successful nests on Rich Hall. In 2022, 39 nests fledged from this area. Also new in 2022 was the first-time nesting on Light Hall where 70 nests fledged.
Over the past five years, numerous people have been involved with the monitoring of the nests, maintaining the electronic data, high school students monitored nests and created Cliff Swallow stickers (these are still available), and our community has been informed about the life cycle and habits of these beautiful birds. I believe we have a solid compromise between WNMU staff and bird appreciators, and thus monitoring of the swallow nests will be done every other year. I will guide volunteers through the monitoring process during even numbered years, and during the odd numbered years, I will be working with business owners and city employees to assist in giving advice that will help the swallows.

I’m grateful for the ongoing enthusiasm and support from Southwestern New Mexico Audubon members and our community. We can continue to assist the birds we love by individual actions of keeping cats indoors or in an enclosed area, protecting birds from window collisions, offering clean feeding stations, and planting beneficial native plants.

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Planning for the Unexpected – 2021 Breeding Season Report

Life is unpredictable. Whether you’re a human, a beetle, a shrew, or a bird, there are erratic occurrences that can drastically alter one’s life. In the scientific realm, these are called stochastic events and in the negative sense, they can occur when multiple stressors come together to create the perfect storm of disaster and die-offs. One such event occurred in the fall of 2020, when a cold front and extreme wildfires in the west pushed migratory birds to the brink and were killed by the hundreds of thousands and possibly upwards to one million individuals. The exact count will never be known. Stochastic events of this magnitude can have lasting repercussions for years or even decades for a species to recover if they ever do recover. It’s these extreme, unexpected events that we need to expect more frequently in days ahead with climate change.  But there is good news too, and the Cliff Swallows in our area is one example.

The 2021 breeding season for the Cliff Swallows on WNMU campus was an outstanding season, hitting record numbers of successful nests since monitoring began in 2017.

We had a whopping final count of 344 successful nests that fledged an approximate 688 total young. We estimate two birds fledge from each nest based on our observations and the most recent research.

The season began slowly, with birds arriving later than the usual mid-April time frame.

But when they finally did arrive the third week of May, they were laser focused on finding mud to build their nests and begin the breeding process.

Dedicated volunteers from Aldo Leopold High School eco-monitoring crew, Southwestern New Mexico Audubon Society, and from the community, once again monitored the Cliff Swallow nests on WNMU campus and other locations around Silver City.

Observations were recorded on data sheets once per week or more frequently as the individual’s time allowed. Students from Aldo Leopold middle school designed two Cliff Swallow sticker designs and were modified by high school students. These stickers are now available to anyone.

People who were new to bird monitoring now have one season under their belt and enjoyed the process of learning. First time volunteer Suzanne Gershenson commented at the end of the season “Volunteering with the Cliff Swallow Research Project during 2021 was fun and meaningful. I had always enjoyed watching the swallows during walks through the University, but it was especially interesting to notice and record activities like nest building, new hatchlings and interactions with other swallows as well as other bird species. As a result, I felt much more connected to all the birds in my neighborhood and appreciative that WNMU supports this kind of research project.”.

The breeding season for Cliff Swallows in our area is generally from April 15 — August 15. This coincides beautifully when most students are away from WNMU campus for the summer months. Once the monsoon rains begin, it conveniently washes away any fecal matter on the sidewalks.

After the swallows complete their breeding, they fly to South America for the winter months. Wintering records are from Argentina, Paraguay, and possibly other countries as well.

Since long-distance migration is the most extreme and life-threatening action any animal does, we need to do everything we can to assist in a successful breeding season to prepare for unexpected events.

You May Volunteer!

If you would like to volunteer with this project, please contact Carol Ann Fugagli at: cfugagli@gmail.com

No experience necessary, just an inquisitive mind!

Special thanks to Rachelle Bergmann for keeping the electronic data organized.

- Carol Ann Fugagli

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