My Tiny Vegas: Las Vegas, New Mexico News, Stories, Photographs, and More!

Ladybug Migration

Hermit's Peak looks alien, looks sharp against our softly curved sky. The mountain is littered with crevices and caves, its peak rising 3700 feet above Las Vegas. The monolith was once called El Cerro del Tecolote, The Hill Of The Owl, by early Spanish settlers. Old stories tell of a wise feathered messenger from heaven who reminded travelers to watch, to listen, to stop and pray.

"God's owl used to protect those who had to face the mountain," explains Mona Gallegos, a tiny woman from Mora who used to serve lunch in the schools. "My abuela told me to stop when I heard the owl. That meant it was time to notice God's beauty and ask Jesus to help me get through the day. Now I tell my own grandchildren to listen for the owl when they make their pilgrimage up Hermit's Peak."

In the late 1800's, the mountain took her new name. An Italian missionary, Juan Maria de Agostini, called a natural cave near the tip of the summit home. He came to be known as a holy man, a man whose hands held God's healing powers, a man who traded carvings and trinkets for food. Each Good Friday, pentitente pilgrims carried lighted torches up the steep trail, praying for forgiveness. Hand-hewn crosses still stand near the overlook, each surrounded by new devotional candles and rosary beads, and the hermit's source of water, an underground spring, waits for tired hikers to drink from its cool, clean depths.

People aren't the only ones making journeys up the mountain, aren't the only creatures following an unspoken call. The hiking trail up the mountain's rugged folds is difficult, beset with what feels like thousands of switchbacks. Her summit lays flat, a broad park-like area with imposing cliffs on the eastern and southern sides. And in the fall, when the golden aspen catches September's sun, the ladybugs return.

The ladybugs arrive from aphid-infested wheat fields in Texas and Oklahoma, fat, happy, engorged on farmers' pests. They congregate in the high-lying areas of Northeastern New Mexico, in the places far above the Great Plains. They visit during Indian summer, roll in the deep cracks of broad-leaved agave, the spines of pale green western grass. They hibernate here, find warm holes in the ground, dark corners where they can rest and wait.

Hikers will find September's peak covered in millions of Convergent Ladybug Beetles, Hippodamia convergens. They sneak into every fold of leaf, every cactus crevice, clustering close to protect each other from fall's growing winds. The beetles get their name from the converging white lines on their thorax. They usually have 13 black dots on an orange elytra or shell.

Each summer at Hermit's Peak, a new generation of ladybugs participates in a passive, or wind-carried, migration. After feeding all summer, they hibernate through the winter, their bodies cold, lifeless, underground. Ladybugs don't navigate well. They can fly short distances, jump from one branch to another. They need our spring winds to carry them home. They may land in the arid plains surrounding Roy and Mosquero, or, if luck is a ladybug, they will find Texas' bounty.

During a lifespan of a few months, female ladybugs lay up to 500 eggs on leaves and twigs. The eggs hatch and the larvae engorge themselves on aphids, then pupate. Since the larvae clean out the fields, the adults migrate back to Hermit's Peak to await the opportunity when they too can go back to aphid-rich areas and lay their eggs.

Last fall brought an abundance of ladybugs to the hermit's haunt. On a sun-drenched Saturday, I pressed aching feet into the steep grade, my right hand moving in triad instinct as I passed each Station of the Cross. I didn't see ladybugs until I lifted leg onto the summit, until I glanced down at my feet to see them surrounded by a gentle army of delicate orange beauties.

The beetles didn't notice me, didn't fly in fear. They continued gorging, their bodies soaking sun as they splayed across any available succulent. And in the distance, beneath the sheer drop of stone cliff, a lone owl welcomed me, reminded me to stand in thanks, in wonder, to ask for help on my way down the mountain.

Getting There:

Hermit Peak is located in northern New Mexico about 20 miles northwest of Las Vegas. From Interstate 25, exit at Las Vegas, highway 65. From Las Vegas, take New Mexico highway 65 (also Forest Service Road 263) west for about 14 miles, passing the little towns of Gallinas and El Porvenir. At about 14 miles the road forks. Right is Hwy 65 (FR 261), Left is FR 263. Turn right on FR 261at the signed fork and head to El Porvenir Camground. (Do not confuse the town of El Porvenir with El Porvenir Campground) The campground is about 3 miles past the fork. It is a paved road all the way to the parking lot. The trailhead is across the bridge into the campground. The Hermit Peak Trail is #223 and has a large sign at the beginning. Another trail, #219, to El Porvenir Canyon begins nearby. Use trail #223 to Hermit Peak. The trailhead is at 7500 feet.

For more information contact:

Sante Fe National Forest
Las Vegas Ranger District
1926 7th Street
Las Vegas, NM 87701
(505) 988-6997

When To Climb

Depending on the snowfall and conditions, late May through early November is the best time to climb Hermit Peak. May and June are typically the dry months, and July and August are the monsoon season with daily afternoon thunderstorms. Snow can begin as early as September.

Watershed Harvesting and Restoration Class offered!

Lee Einer, the features editor at the Las Vegas Optic, is teaching a Permaculture class at Luna Community College. Here is an article he wrote introducing the topic to our community. If you are interested, please sign up! Class begins Saturday!

Thanks,
Birdie

Watershed Harvesting and Restoration Class Offered at Luna Community College

by Lee Einer

I will be teaching a continuing education course at Luna Community 
College soon. The topic is “water harvesting and watershed 
restoration.” It occurred to me, though, that since this is an 
esoteric subject maybe I should share with Optic readers some basic 
knowledge on the topic.

Most people think of “water harvesting” as something you do with rain 
gutters, barrels, and cisterns, or maybe with greywater from the 
laundry, sink or shower.  Those things are water harvesting measures, 
its true, but they really are not the first thing you should do. Not 
that these measures are not important,  but they  ideally come later 
in the process of making your land more water friendly.

What comes first is observing and analyzing your land, seeing where 
the water goes, and working with your land to keep the water there as 
long as possible. Water leaves the land due both to runoff and to 
evaporation. So to effectively invite the water to come to our soil 
and tarry there, we need to consider not only issues of slope and 
soil quality, but also strategies to shelter our soil from the drying 
effects of wind and sun. These first steps of observing our land and 
understanding how and why the water leaves our land, are essential in 
order to make the best use not only of rain which falls on the soil 
directly, but also any supplemental water harvested through rainwater 
catchment or greywater diversion.

Planting also comes towards the end of this process, for two reasons. 
First, trees and other plants will be part of your water conserving 
strategy, and will to some degree dictate what you will plant and 
where you plant it. Second, you should do your major planting after 
you have created at least some of the earthworks which will help 
retain your water. As one pioneer of water harvesting put it, “You 
must first plant the water; then you can plant the trees.”

  Many of the tricks used to welcome water to your soil involve 
simple, small scale shovel work to create basins and berms which 
direct and retain rainwater and snow melt-off. These are called 
“earthworks.” In planning the earthworks, you need to consider where 
you want the plants to go, and the placement of the plants in turn 
should be  an integral part of your water-harvesting strategy.

It is important to do all of these things before moving forward with 
rainwater catchment and greywater use, both because the soil is the 
most efficient place to store water and because you cannot make the 
best use of your cached water and greywater unless you first make 
your land a place where the water will stay.

So what’s all this about “watershed restoration?

A watershed is the area of land which feeds a given body of water, be 
it lake, stream, river or even ocean. Watersheds function best when 
they absorb water slowly and release it gradually. When watersheds, 
due to erosion and/or degraded soil quality, succumb to rapid runoff, 
the bodies of water which they feed also tend to suffer, from 
increased sedimentation as well as increasingly unstable water 
levels. At the same time, the uplands feeding the watershed suffer 
from erosion decreased water retention and loss of topsoil. The 
corrective measures overlap those used in home-scale earthworks, 
although there are additional strategies such as construction of 
check dams which are not common on the home scale.

The classes will be on Saturday mornings in Room 101 of LCC’s 
Humanities Building from 9 – 11 a.m., beginning Sept. 6. Class fee is 
$30. To sign up, Visit Luna Community College’s admissions office, 
Room 118 in Luna’s Student Services building, between 8 a.m. and 5 
p.m. Monday through Friday. For enrollment info, call Tom Herrera at 
454-5311.

New Home on the Range

by Birdie Jaworski


Bison at Wind River Ranch (photo by Birdie Jaworski)

Three hundred years ago, the storm and thunder of bison swarmed the pinon-laced hills outside of Las Vegas. The land looked different then. Beaver claimed the Rio Gallinas in numbers much larger than today. The river bent to nature's whims, snaking around geological dips in the landscape, flooding the plains during spring thaw. The land grew wetter, greener, denser. Prairie dogs dotted the landscape with cavernous burrows, their chewing of native grasses prompting the tender shoots that bison love to explode across the plains. 

It's difficult to imagine how Las Vegas and our surrounding communities used to appear before cattle barons carved the land grants and shifted the balance of natural power, forced thick fence stakes into the red earth in order to keep the neighbors and bison at bay, before fur trappers scented rusting traps with the glands of dead beaver in the hopes of snagging a fat prize.

Dr. Brian Miller, lead biologist at Wind River Ranch, a 5,000 acre ranch near Watrous devoted to ecological restoration, research, and education, understands that the delicate balance of nature has been upset, but can be restored. The ranch is currently owned by the EC Thaw Charitable Trust and is leading a cutting-edge research program of reintroducing keystone species such as bison, prairie dog, and beaver, in addition to rebuilding critical wetlands, with the hope that the native landscape will slowly recover. Dr. Miller, who is widely known for his decade-long work with the conservation of the endangered black-footed ferret, served seven years as a Coordinator of Conservation and Research at the Denver Zoological Foundation.

"We began grazing bison in June 2007 as a result of talks with several tribes about sharing a herd," explains Dr. Miller. "With enough partners, that herd could be moved from place to place to more closely mimic the historic movements of bison. The Cultural Affairs Office of the Jicarilla Apache wanted to start a herd of bison on their tribal lands, and we are trying to give them a head start by grazing the bison on the Wind River Ranch. We view bison as a significant commitment to restoring grassland health and native species diversity. Indeed, of all the wild ungulates that were nearly pushed to extinction in the late 1800s, only bison have not recovered in the wild."

43 bison now consider Wind River Ranch home, most of them new acquisitions from the Cultural Affairs Office of the Jicarilla Apache Tribe. The bison have been relocated as part of the efforts of the InterTribal Bison Cooperative (ITBC), a group which coordinates and assists tribes in returning the buffalo to Indian country. In prehistoric times, millions of the thick-hided muscular animals roamed the continent. No one knows how many bison there were, but the naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton estimated their numbers at sixty million when Columbus landed. They were part of the largest community of wild animals the world has ever known. By the late 1800's, only three hundred specimens remained, and today's slowly blooming populations are direct descendants of that small herd.

"Bison are an integral part of the prairie grassland," Dr, Miller says. "The present grassland was formed largely due to the activities of prairie dogs and bison, two highly interactive species. In their absence, grassland health declined, despite the introduction of another large grazer, domestic cattle."

Wind River's new bison travel across the grass-laden lands as a herd. They appear to move as one unit, sharing one mind. When a threat - a human, a vehicle - appears, the herd moves together, rising, running, muscular flanks pounding into the crusty earth where indigenous grasses once grew. They face heavy winds as they rest, thick bodies pressed into dry ground, heads erect, steady, giving the bison an air of self-reliance, pride. The new herd members quickly acclimated to the ranch's older group, learning the pecking order, the places where the sweetest grasses grow. Picuris Pueblo member and ITBC Secretary, Danny Sam, recalls how the reintroduction efforts began with only a bison bull and a cow. He stands with hands in jean pockets, a baseball cap protecting his head from the ferocious wind, his back to the bison corral, a black metal enclosure where the new bison rest until a veterinarian checks their health.

"We started the herd as a sustainable food source for our tribe. A lot of indigenous food has been taken out of our diet," Sam explains. "The InterTribal Bison Cooperative consists of 57 tribes in 19 states. Nine of those tribes are in New Mexico - the Taos, Jicarilla, Apache, Cochiti, Sandia, San Juan, Picuris, and Tesuque tribes. We trade bulls to keep the gene pool diversified, and we market the meat at the Santa Fe market as well as other locations. It's a lean meat, very healthy. We keep the bison wild. We don't want to 'cattle-ize' them. Let buffaloes be buffaloes."

The ITBC hopes to provide free or low-cost bison meat to tribal members, especially those who suffer from diabetes and other health issues for whom the lean unmarbled meat is highly recommended. The cows have a nine and a half month gestation period, producing one offspring per year. The calves - born with red fur - jump to their feet within ten minutes of birth, where they blend in with the local clay.

"All of the bison cows come over and lick the calf," explains Sam. "Each one has a personality, a name. One of the calves we named 'Holly' because she was born near Christmas. People don't realize that they run faster than a horse. They are less pressure on the ground, too, and spread seed through their woolly coat and dung."

The wind picks up some afternoons, scattering dust along a deep river canyon dividing the ranch. The bison don't follow the tick of clock, the whims of any curious visitor. They hide deep in scrub pine where shadow meets shadow. Prairie dogs furiously dig burrows, aerating the soil which sustains the bisons' grasses.

Danny Sam laughed as a frisky cow pushed another against the corral.

"A whole ecosystem existed that was based on bison along with prairie dogs and natural predators like the wolf. Finally, men are beginning to realize the value of bison and other keystone species once more." Sam paused to watch the cows challenge each other. "We're grateful to Dr. Miller and Wind River Ranch for allowing us to preserve our heritage and help our mother earth flourish once again."

Dances with Plants

by Birdie Jaworski

A walk through any of San Miguel County's nature trails yields a bonanza of botanical delight. Careful searchers can find a plethora of aromatic, medicinal, and edible plants in any afternoon hike in our surrounding areas. Thick-leaved sage announces its drought-tolerant presence with a savory aroma, and is one of the most loved local herbs. Northern New Mexico sports several varieties of sage. Sage tea is known for a long list of health applications, including as a stomach tonic, a sore throat remedy, and as a sweat reducer.

Mallow tucks its five-petaled flowers into wetter nooks and crannies. This common "weed" hugs the ground, usually seen as a virtual mat spreading across rich, moist areas. Mallow's fruit is round, flattened, like tiny rounds of old-fashioned cheese. Fresh or dried mallow leaves make a soothing poultice which can lessen pain and reduce swelling. The tea tastes alive, green, pleasant, and can help soothe sore throats and tonsillitis as well as treat indigestion and bladder irritability. The tea has been traditionally drunk in New Mexico as a labor and childbirth aid, and used as a wash for skin irritations in infants.

Apache Plume is another hidden medicinal gem. This evergreen shub, a member of the Rose Family, grows to six feet high, with numerous branches at its base and small grayish, downy leaves. The plant's silvery white-to-pink plumes of fruit heads grow from a seed-like base at the tips of tangled, silver branches. This plant's common name is derived from the fact that it resembles Apache war bonnets. Tewa and other native peoples used the stems of Apache Plumes to make brooms and arrow shafts. Apache Plume can be found in the pinon-belted swaths snaking through the county. The powdered root or the flowers are used for painful joints or soft tissue swellings, applied locally as a poultice. The spring twigs may be boiled and drunk for indigestion and fever.

New Mexico Highlands natural sciences professor Dr. Maureen Romine will discuss the useful plants of northern New Mexico as part of the National Park Service and Fort Union National Monument's "Glimpses of the Past" series at 7 p.m. next Thursday, May 15, at the CCHP Santa Fe Trail Interpretive Center. The lecture will include resources for how to recognize edible and non-edible plants, their scientific and common names, as well as which plants are edible and which are poisonous. Pressed and dried plants, fresh plant materials, and slides of plants will be used as demonstrations. Wild foods will be available to sample.

Romine received her Ph.D. from Colorado State University in 1972 in botany and plant pathology. She teaches a variety of courses, mainly in botany and forestry at New Mexico Highlands University including a field botany course, which involves collecting and identifying plants in the Las Vegas area.

The "Glimpses of the Past" series of programs are presented to the public free of charge, in cooperation with the National Park Service and the Citizens Committee for Historic Preservation. This program is made possible by the New Mexico Humanities Council and the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.

Edible and Medicinal Plants of Northern New Mexico, CCHP/Santa Fe Trail Interpretive Center, 127 Bridge St., in Las Vegas, May 15 at 7 p.m. For more information, contact the Fort Union National Monument at (505) 425-8025.

Winter's Snow Brings Spring Mushrooms

by Birdie Jaworski

The dip between the cut monolith of Hermit's Peak drips with moisture this time of year, the ground swollen with melted snow, mist clinging to each budding leaf each time clouds gather around the hermit's cave. The mountain feels alive. Pine trees burst skyward with new growth. Tiny yellow and purple flowers dot sunny secret corners protected from the wind by resting rocks. And mushrooms begin to peek from underneath the thick cover of forest floor, mushrooms in strange shapes and colors, some as thin and wide as dinner plates, some sturdy and scalloped.

Mushrooms are the fruiting body of an organism called mycelium that grows underground, inside tree trunks, anywhere abundant food and water reside. Since the mycelium is usually dispersed over a relatively large area, it is rarely noticed. In nature, some species of mushrooms may have a mycelium body that spreads over hundreds of square miles.

Mushrooms grow on all continents, a few even in Antarctica. Mycologists - scientists who study mushrooms - estimate that there are over 1.5 million different species, even though only 80,000 have been identified and named. New Mexico is home to roughly 700 different mushroom species, some of most delicious and prized growing in our own San Miguel County.

Spring's thaw creates the perfect conditions for one of the most sought-after mushrooms in the world - morchellas, the famed morels. Several locations in San Miguel have been known to sport the rare mushrooms after wet winters, but local hunters are usually reluctant to share their favorite hunting spots. Morels look like strange skinny, triangular brains atop woody stems, and are not easily mistaken for any other species. They pop up overnight, often in places once ravaged by fire. Local mushroom hunter Jose Chavez spends early spring mornings chasing the elusive fungi. Chavez drives a pickup truck into the creek canyons surrounding Hermit's Peak, usually in the company of his teenaged grandson. He brings a mushroomers toolkit - a woven basket for collection, a compass, a map, insect repellent, and a sense of humor.

"I know a few places where morels grow, but I ain't sharing," Chavez laughs. "Last year was a good year, and this year looks to be better. My wife sautees them with garlic and butter, and you never tasted anything so delicious in your life. I'm retired this year, so I plan to start looking now. This is the right time to hunt. You want to look under dead of fallen trees, near a water source. If an area smells like damp leaves, you're in the neighborhood. It's more of an art than a science, really."

As the cool afternoons of spring fade into sun-drenched summer, local hunters can expect to find the boletes - porcini mushrooms - that cause thousands of hunters to flock New Mexico's woods. Easier to find than morels, boletes crop up in huge numbers in the mountains dotting our county. Boletes are large, meaty, mushrooms that dry well and are considered staples in many gourmet recipes. Hunters find them fun to collect them because of their large size and their abundance in the forests. In a good season it does not take long to collect a basket full.

In many ways picking mushrooms is like buying a dress: you base your quest on the seasons, you find little sites with consistent offerings, and you avoid the strange colors. However, choose the wrong dress and you could clash with someone, but pick the wrong mushroom and you waft into a toxin-induced psychosis, your liver fails or, at worst, you die within 45 minutes.

It's this possibility that steers many foragers away from the potential minefield of fungi towards safer wild foods. No one ever died from a bad blackberry. If you plan to hunt mushrooms, spend a season, better yet, two, exploring with experienced mushroomers who can show you how to identify choice edibles and steer away from poisonous varieties.

Interested in local mushroom hunting and want to join a local group? Email the author at littlebirdie@mac.com or Jose Chavez at chaveznm2003@hotmail.com.

Clean-Up Planned for McAlister Lake

by Birdie Jaworski

McAlister Lake rests in a bowl-shaped depression on the edge of the Great Plains, 100 acres of deceptively still waters. Part of the Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge, the lake is respite and home to birds as well as fish stocked by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. Last year, the lake grew silent, grew dry, when a mixup at the state offices resulted in the forgotten scheduled delivery of water from Storrie Lake. Today, the waters rise high thanks to winter's snowfall.

The Friends of the Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge along with the NM Department of Game and Fish are asking local residents to help clean up the shoreline at McAlister Lake as well as the Refuge Loop Road this Saturday, April 19, at 9 a.m. in order to help protect and preserve this important wildlife habitat. Volunteers will meet at the refuge gate or at McAlister Lake, and are asked to bring a rake and gloves if they have them. Job assignments will be handed out as volunteers arrive.

The frequent use of McAlister Lake as a fishing and bird watching site has left the shoreline dotted with beer bottles, cigarette butts, styrofoam cups, and fast food containers. These items are not only unsightly, but can be unsafe to the wildlife nesting near the lake's waters. Volunteers will help collect the wind-blown refuse and bag it for safe discard, raking the shoreline clean as they go.

The lake habitat attracts upwards of 270 different species of birds, including 80 nesting species, five owl species, and 14 types of raptors. The most numerous birds are waterfowl, shorebirds, and cranes, many of which peak in numbers during the current spring migration. Volunteers will have the opportunity to see plenty of wildlife, perhaps the Prairie Falcon and Golden Eagle nest in the canyons near the lake and are seen year-round.

The lake is surrounded by prairie grasses such as big and little bluestem, blue and sideoats grama, buffalo grass, needle-and-thread grass, western wheatgrass, Junegrass, and Indian grass. Wildflowers mix in throughout the prairie, many beginning to bloom under April's warming sun. Some birds, such as Long-billed Curlew, prefer to nest in areas with shorter grass, such as the blue grama and buffalo grass closest to McAlister Lake. The shoreline also encompasses several species of sedges and rushes that provide plenty of seed for local and visiting birds.

The refuge itself spreads across 8,700 San Miguel County acres and sits on a plateau bordered on three sides by forested canyons. Pinyons, ponderosa pines, and junipers dominate the canyon slopes and Rocky Mountain foothills. Ash, cottonwood, and willows grow at stream level in the canyons. If you haven't visited the refuge before, a wildlife drive, open all year, is a great way to experience the land and see wildlife. The eight-mile-loop snakes past prairies, ponds, several small lakes including McAlister Lake, and spring's wet meadows. The drive starts at the refuge entrance, passes the visitor center, and offers stops at Crane Lake overlook, the woods and prairie near McAlister Lake, and the permit-only Gallinas Nature hiking trail.

McAlister Clean-Up, Saturday, April 19, 9 a.m. Meet at the Refuge Loop Road or at the shoreline of the lake. Bring a rake and gloves, if you have them. For more information, call Jan Arrott at 454-6115.

Hummingbird Lecture at National Wildlife Refuge

by Birdie Jaworski

Las Vegas resident Kathy Ulibarri remembers the flash of wing that caught her attention late last summer, remembers capturing heat lightning in the kitchen of her Chavez Street home.

"I thought it was a large bumblebee at first. It was buzzing against the window, trying to get out. When I approached it, I realized it was a hummingbird. He must have been stuck there awhile. I didn't think - I just reached out and picked it off the window pane, holding it gently in my hand. I was amazed at its size, its heartbeat, its color. I will never forget it."

Hummingbirds are tiny birds weighing only two to twenty grams. They sport long, slender beaks, extensible tongues, and miniature feet not well suited for walking but well-designed for perching. Hummingbirds number over 300 species, making them the second largest family of birds after flycatchers. Found only in the New World, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, the effervescent creatures are considered mystical in many Native American tribes. Hopi and Zuni legends tell of hummingbirds intervening on behalf of humans, convincing the gods to bring rain. Because of this, people from these tribes often paint hummingbirds on water jars.

The flight of hummingbirds is frantic, unique, a seemingly effortless hover surrounded by wings so fast they nearly render invisible. They fly with an unusual method of rotating the entire wing, with little or no flexing of the wrist or hand joints. They must consume enormous amounts of food each day, with the nectar from local flowering plants often amounting to 100-200% of their body weight. Insects and tiny spiders provide protein for their diet.

"I tossed the creature in the air to give it some lift," remembers Ulibarri. "To my shock it fell - and then, three feet above the ground, it shot off in a straight line like a rocket. It was as if someone had flicked on the power switch, and it was like a photon of light...gone."

This Sunday, Albuquerque resident Dr. Bill Talbot will give a free lecture on hummingbirds at the Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters. All members of the community are invited to attend and learn about the mysteries and science of hummingbird flight, the different varieties of hummingbirds one can see in northeastern New Mexico, as well as ways to attract and feed the elegant birds.

Dr. Talbot first became interested in nature as a teen. He worked for a natural museum and on a ranch, learning about history and wildlife. After a career as a surgeon, he decided to get more involved in bird watching. Today, Dr. Talbot is attending UNM to get a Ph.D. in Physiological Ecology in addition to his birding activities.

"My career in medicine only allowed me time to look at birds through binoculars," Dr. Talbot reminisces. "After retirement, I got connected with the New Mexico Audobon Society and met Joan Day-Martin, founder of Hummingbirds of New Mexico. Joan ran the group for 15 years, but has had some health problems and was thinking of discontinuing her banding of hummingbirds which she does at Lake Roberts near Silver City. I offered to help, and spent last summer learning to band the birds."

Las Vegas residents can see Rufus, Black Chin, and Broad Tailed hummingbirds in their local habitats, Dr. Talbot explains. His most unusual sighting has been that of a Lucifer Hummingbird with a bright purple gorget - normally seen only in Mexico and Arizona - while watching in Grant County.

"I plan to cover life span, behavior, and the tracking of wild hummingbirds," Dr. Talbot says. "We're lucky to live in an area of the world where hummingbirds exist. I hope to inspire local citizens to get outside and experience these marvelous birds."

Hummingbird Talk with Dr. Bill Talbot, Sunday, April 13, 1 p.m., FREE. Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters. Call Jan Arrott for more information, 454-6115. Seating limited to 40, please come early. You can learn more about local hummingbirds at the Hummingbirds of New Mexico website, www.hummingbirdsofnewmexico.org.

Migrating Birds of the Central Flyway

by Birdie Jaworski

A lazuli bunting rests on a local sunflower

Snow tries to break the sky, but the clouds hold firm, hold back everything but a dusting of flurries. An armful of ducks dodge the snowflakes, sending a series of rhythmic quacks against thawing ground. Spring sends her first hints through feathered messengers, through the choreographed movements of birds traveling home. This Sunday, the Friends of the Las Vegas Wildlife Refuge are sponsoring a free lecture and slideshow on the coming fury of the skies, "Migrating Birds of the Central Flyway."

Madrid migration expert Lawry Sager will conduct Sunday's talk, accompanying his information on bird watching techniques with a slideshow of colorful photographs he has taken of New Mexico's migrating birds.

"Over the years I've done contract biology with the State Game and Fish department as well as federal and non-government agencies," Sager says. "Most of my work has been on the Eastern plains. A lot of the birds I deal with are threatened or species in decline. I take photos during the spring and fall migrations."

As spring approaches, attentive Las Vegas residents can expect to see more and more birds traveling north, first in small groups, then in larger and larger numbers as warmer weather approaches. Bigger birds such as ducks, geese, and cranes make their way north, first, before smaller species. Sager explains that the best time to watch for migrating birds is in the hours before dawn and dusk.

"Traditionally, early morning is the absolute best time to watch for migrating fowl. You get to enjoy the birds as the light increases. There is never much activity during the heat of the day," Sager cautions. "At dusk, you are losing light, so you limit yourself as the day goes on, but you can still see quite a few migrating groups. The birds will be showing up fairly soon, now that warmer weather is coming."

Ancient references to bird migration can be found in the works of Aristotle and Homer as well as in the Bible. The question of why birds migrate has mystified people from the earliest times. Fall migration allows birds to move to a more hospitable location so that they will continue to be able to find food. In the spring they return to the places where they breed and raise their young. It may be the slant of the sun's rays, hormonal changes, magnetic influences, and the change of the weather that contribute to the birds' urge to migrate to their other home. Scientists still don't understand all of the issues surrounding migration.

"Migration has always fascinated me," Sager says. "As a biologist, I've always been interested in birds, in their behavior. Ecology is an important issue to me, too, as well as many other people these days. We want to know what's going on out there in the prairies, why some migration patterns are changing, and why some bird populations are in decline."

Sager tells new bird watchers that they can gain all the practical knowledge they need by reading birding books and spending time in the field.

"It's good to be out there looking. You can learn a lot from watching your own backyard on a day-to-day basis," Sager advises. "All you need is a good pair of binoculars and some patience. It takes a little practice to be able to identify the birds in your area, but after some time, you can become an expert."

Attendees of Sunday's lecture will be able to look for migrating birds at the Wildlife Sanctuary's observation platform near the Ranger Station after the event. The talk is limited to 40 people on a first-come, first-serve basis. Sager hopes to inspire Las Vegas residents to experience the wonder of migrating birds.

"Every day is a new adventure," he laughs. "I guarantee you will see interesting behavior or some unexpected interaction."

Migrating Birds of the Central Flyway, Sunday, March 9 1 p.m. National Wildlife Refuge. Seating limited to 40. Phone 425-9452 for more information.

The Great Backyard Bird Count

by Birdie Jaworski

Sonya Berg plans to focus her attention on Las Vegas' winged creatures this February 15 - 18, as an active participant in the 11th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count. A member of the Friends of Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge, Berg realizes how important citizen science can be.

"The bird count is a great example of how gathering scientific data through ordinary citizens can make a difference in our understanding of our local birds," Berg says. "There's been a tremendous volume of data accumulated over the past decade that shows how bird populations are increasing or decreasing, how they are reacting to things like climate change."

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where different birds species are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. The count is directed by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, with sponsorship from Wild Birds Unlimited.

"My husband and I participated in it last year," explains Berg. "We cataloged birds you would expect, but we had some surprises, too. When we sent in our report, we received an email back asking us if we were sure about a certain bird. I made sure to take a photo of the bird in question, and that settled that. All of this information can help show important trends about migration and habitats."

Participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count is simple, says Berg. "It's a very easy project to participate in. You can count as little as 15 minutes a day for the four days, or you can watch all day long. When you report your birds, you will be asked how long you've observed the birds, and what kind of setting you watched. It can be your backyard feeder, or you can drive out of town if you want to see more unusual species. Even if you only have a few minutes before you pick up the kids from school, you can help."

Birds that might be counted in Las Vegas include house sparrows, scrub jays, various finches, snowbirds, ravens, flickers, mountain chickadees, mourning doves, red-tailed hawks, as well as up to three kinds of bluebirds - mountain, western, and eastern. Bird watchers can find identification help as well as input their lists at the official website, http://www.birdsource.org/.

Berg offers some good advice for novice counters.

"During the time you're cataloging your birds, you may see some redwing blackbirds. If you see three, you write down three. If you take a little break and fetch a cup of coffee, you might see 15 blackbirds when you return," Berg explains. "In this case, you would report 15 blackbirds total, not 18. You report the largest number you see at any one time."

During last year's event, participants in the Great Backyard Bird Count submitted 81,203 total checklists, about a one third increase in the number of checklists submitted in the prior year, which included observing 11,082,387 birds and 631 bird species. Viewers can submit photographs of birds in their backyard at the website for a contest, and can watch the count "live" as checklists come in from all different corners of the country.

"It's fun watching the returns," Berg laughs. "It's almost like the elections. I like to see what birds are reported in New Mexico. I wonder what surprises we'll have this year."

To participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count, log on to www.birdsource.org for directions and bird identification help. February 15 - 18.

The Bluebird Whisperer

Local Bluebird Expert Claudia Daigle lectures on these beautiful creatures at the Las Vegas, New Mexico, National Wildlife Sanctuary this Sunday, January 13.

The Bluebird Whisperer
by Birdie Jaworski

A bird gripped the delicate stem of a chokecherry bush, his back the color of unbroken sky, his chest the rust echo of New Mexican twilight. He flitted to a small wooden box fixed upon an old propane pipe. Claudia Daigle, a Western Bluebird expert based in Eldorado, smiled as she described her love for her small backyard creatures.

"We're so lucky to have such a large assortment of native birds in northern New Mexico. Bluebirds are such charming and endearing little birds that I want to do everything I can," explained Daigle. "I know what a difference it made to me to learn some basic information about their needs. If I can let others know these important facts, it will make such a huge difference to our bluebird and other cavity nester communities."

Larger and fatter than sparrows, local bluebirds eat small berries and hunt insects and spiders. The birds perch, watch, then swoop to the ground to pounce on their prey. They live an average of six to ten years in the wild, and can survive at elevations up to 7500 feet. This Sunday, the Friends of the Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge are sponsoring a free lecture by Daigle on the habitat, care, and feeding of the Western Bluebird.

"Bluebirds can see up to 150 feet," says Daigle. "They need good eyesight to defend against predators."

House sparrows are the bluebird's biggest scourge. Introduced to North America by the Brooklyn Institute in 1851 as a weapon against green inch-worms, the house sparrow flourished, quickly overtaking the native songbird species. Within 25 years, no one could deny the costly mistake. House sparrows now number twice as many as all other native songbirds combined.

"I had a beautiful bluebird family nesting in one of the boxes near my bedroom window. I listened to their songs and watched as the male courted the female. They built a nest. It was so precious. I monitored the growing brood and cheered when the babies first took flight. During the second brood I noticed a house sparrow sitting on the box." Daigle paused. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Something told me to keep watch. The mother bluebird flew up to me at my bathroom window. I didn't understand what she was saying. She was telling me, 'Please help me.' I didn't realize that until the next morning. The babies were all gone, pecked to death, thrown from their box. It took me two solid days of constant vigilance to scare the sparrow away. Now all of my boxes are all set with traps."

In addition to discussing bluebird predators, Daigle will offer information on how to build appropriate nesting boxes, safe monitoring techniques for the bluebird enthusiast, a list of healthy foods, and how to deal with common nesting box problems such as blow fly larvae, mice, and bluejays. Having designed a bluebird trail in Eldorado, Daigle will also provide instruction on building your own bluebird habitat, complete with native plants that attract the beautiful songbirds.

Daigle plans to start a New Mexico chapter of the North American Bluebird Society, and hopes to create bluebird habitats in different parts of the state. She laughed as she shared the emotion of what it's like to nurture a bluebird family.

"There's nothing like it - you feel like a million bucks when these little birds fly off. It's wonderful that you helped a few more baby bluebirds into the world."

Sunday, January 13, Bluebird Lecture at the Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge Ranger's Station. The lecture begins at 1 p.m., with attendance limited to forty guests. For more information on bluebirds, you can reach Claudia Daigle at enchantedbluebird@comcast.net.