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

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.

Downtown Beavers

Our river harbors secret miracle workers. You can't see them when you cross the simple blue and white bridge that connects the east and west sides of Las Vegas. They labor in the muddy water that follows the north pathway, behind overgrown brush and discarded beer bottles, in the ripe space between our fractured sections of town. Beavers. A colony, as the naturalists would say.

I chatted with a friend as we examined used merchandise at the Salvation Army store.

"Have you seen the beaver dam? It's huge!" I pointed toward old town, as if we could see through six blocks of tired asphalt.

He looked at me thoughtfully through the patch of black hair that fell into his left eye.

"I didn't know we had a beaver dam."

I didn't know about the beaver dam, either, until I happened upon it. Our beavers are quiet - almost invisible - citizens. They gnaw the swollen trunks of water-laden trees in the dead of night, and lace bark and branches together to form a solid home. Their dam stretches in a lazy S-shape across the Rio Gallinas, connecting east and west, holding back a large, still pond filled with algae and decaying reeds. Water striders skim the surface like figure skaters. Plump bullfrog tadpoles hug the edges and look for shelter between silted rocks while they grow strong legs.

The stored water behind the dam is haven to indigenous plants and animals, especially during times of drought.  Native Americans call beavers the "sacred center" of the land because their relentless efforts make habitats for fish, turtles, frogs, and birds. The natural sediment that builds in beaver ponds forms meadows over time, fertile wetlands and grassy areas called "Vegas." Our town owes its name, its existence to generations of these natural engineers.

If you walk along the Rio Gallinas' north pathway, you can see the dam just a few hundred yards from Bridge Street. It snakes across the river in an elegant arc, with many hidden exits and entrances. The complexity and strength of the curving dam is surprising. The beavers follow the curve and corner of the land during construction. Water never flows over a beaver dam. It flows through it like a sieve, holding back just enough liquid to form a pool, adding much needed moisture to the ground.

Our beavers don't mind company if you are patient and quiet. They dip and dive among the reeds, sometimes surfacing with a wriggling fish. They continue with their business as bullfrogs leap from rock to stump, emitting guttural croaks as they zap flying insects with extended tongues. Beavers mate for life, and sometimes two soulmates will float close to the water's edge, look you over with intelligent brown eyes, their flat tails just below the surface.

In these days of Level Three Water Restrictions we can learn a thing or two from our furry wetland experts. Beavers use teamwork and cooperation to build their dams. They don't care about east and west, new and old. They work with the landscape, with what Mother Nature provides, and incorporate the best of their ecosystem in their designs in order to build a strong and lasting home.