Early Birds: April Picnic, Bird Watch & Centennial Challenge

By Joy Dingley
Early Birds Club
Desert Rivers Audubon

We seem to make a habit of choosing a date for our picnic that gives us extreme weather. One year it was torrential rain at Boyce Thompson Arboretum and this year it was extremely hot on our trip to some of the Salt River birding spots.

We made a good start by seeing a Harris Hawk at our meeting place of the junction of Power Road and McKellips and we continued to get some of our target birds, including Western Tanager, Lucy’s Warbler, Vermillion Flycatcher and, of course, Bald Eagle.

Birding the Salt River with Desert Rivers Audubon’s Early Birds children’s club.

We had time for a picnic at Coon Bluff but even by 10.30 am it was getting very, very hot and that’s as far as we got before we decided to call it a day. We have, however, added a lot of birds to our list which now stands at 77 species. That only leaves us 23 to get before the end of January 2013 and since we will be meeting mostly at Gilbert that’s a very challenging number.

The children now have a Summer Challenge to work on until we meet again in October.

We’re always happy to have new members join, aged between 7 and 14. So if you know of any families who might be interested you’ll find Jamie’s contact information on our website. We also enjoy having experienced birders go out with the older children at Gilbert on the third Saturday of the month so If you have some time and would like to help us get those last few birds please contact me, Joy Dingley,  joy.dingley@cox.net.

A Hundred Birds for a Hundred Years

By Joy Dingley
Early Birds Club
Desert Rivers Audubon

The Early Birds have set themselves a target in this Centennial Year for Arizona. They are going to try to find 100 bird species. They began in February and submitted their list to the Great BackYard Bird Count which is run by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society.

We are hoping lots of people will want to sponsor us at a few cents per bird. At one cent for each species the sponsor would pay one dollar if we manage to see 100 different species. What we would like to do with the money is buy a set of good field guides so we can all use them when we go out together.

These are the “rules” for adding species. We can only add a bird if it has been seen when we are out together as a group at our normal monthly meetings. So no birds seen while any of the children are on vacation. The counting stops after our meeting in January 2013 – that will be a year after we started.

So one hundred birds will not be easy to find. We have seen 55 different species since we began and we are keeping our record on E-bird. But we’ve only got Oct, November, December and January at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve and one other meeting when we have our annual picnic at a location that has yet to be decided. So it’s not going to be so easy!

If you would like to help us by sponsoring us,  email me, joy.dingley@cox.net. Wish us luck!

Citizen Scientists Needed for #OwlWatch

Monitoring of Zanjero’s Burrowing Owls

Greg Clark, Burrowing Owl Project Coordinator for Wild at Heart, introduces the ten burrowing owls to be released into Zanjero Park, Gilbert.

Volunteers are needed to help monitor our 10 initial burrowing owls that will we be releasing into Zanjero Park on 4/28.

We will be following the set scientific protocol for surveying burrowing owls relocated to artificial burrows.  This requires weekly observations alternating between morning one week and evening the following week. Therefore we are recruiting for two teams of volunteers; a morning crew and an evening crew.  This brings the volunteer commitment to every other week, but we will take volunteers whenever they can be available.

The morning time period is from sunrise up to 9 am and the evening period is from 5 pm up to sunset. We will be documenting # of adults and juveniles present, their band #’s, recording the burrow entrances associated with each individual, monitoring the reproductive status of nesting pairs, emergence and survival of young, fall and winter dispersement, and prey preferences.

If you would like to sign up or get further information contact

Stacy Burleigh is coordinating OwlWatch, a citizen science project documenting the burrowing owl habitat at Zanerjo Park, for Desert Rivers Audubon.

at stacymb@cox.net or 480-507-9177.

Burrowing Owl Release Picnic & Celebration

Saturday, April 28th, 8am-noon, bring a picnic lunch & enjoy the release of burrowing owls into Zanjero Park as we remove the tent and uncap the artificial burrows installed in October.

Your Yuma: Visit Another World in Southwestern Arizona (without leaving the East Valley) April 10, 2012

Henry Detwiler discusses southwestern Arizona natural History April 10th @ Desert Rivers Audubon's monthly meeting.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012, 7-8:30pm, Gilbert Community Center, 130 North Oak Street,  Gilbert, Henry Detwiler, past President of the Southern Illinois Audubon Society & member of the Arizona Rare Bird Committee, guides us through the natural history of southwestern Arizona. Detwiler is the author of Finding Birds in Yuma County, Arizona & co-author of Finding Birds at the Salton Sea and in Imperial County, California.
Come early to browse our mobile book shop, visit, and discover volunteer opportunities with Desert Rivers Audubon. Learn about our Burrowing Owl Habitat opening at the end of April at Zanjero Park, Gilbert. We’ll brief everyone on our painting day at the Hummingbird Habitat at Desert Breeze Park, Chandler, April 14, 8-10am. Light refreshments served (last meeting until Sept.)

Rescued Flight: Raptor Rehabilitation with Desert Rivers Audubon, Liberty Wildlife & live birds, Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Desert Rivers Audubon Field Trips Director & Liberty Wildlife volunteer Susie Vaught with owl & friends.

Please join Desert Rivers Audubon and Liberty Wildlife for “Rescued Flight: Raptor Rehabilitation,” a presentation including live eagles, owls & hawks, Tuesday, March 13, 2012, 7-8:30pm, Gilbert Community Center, 130 N. Oak St., Gilbert.

The dedicated volunteers of Liberty Wildlife visit with rescued hawks, eagles and owls to demonstrate the resilience and care required of Arizona’s unique birds of prey. The physics of bird flight will be discussed.

This event is part of the 2012 Arizona Science & Technology Festival.

Come early to browse our mobile book shop, visit, and learn about volunteer opportunities with Desert Rivers Audubon including our Burrowing Owl release in Gilbert,  March 31, 2012. Light refreshments served.

Join Desert Rivers Audubon for the Great Backyard Bird Count February 17-20, 2012

Kick-off Saturday, February 18th @ Gilbert Riparian Preserve

Join Desert Rivers Audubon at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch, 2757 E. Guadalupe Road Gilbert, to kick-off the Great Backyard Bird Count, Saturday, February 18, 2012, 8am-12 noon.

Watch birds for at least 15 minutes…

The goal of The Great Backyard Bird Count is to watch birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count then enter tallies. Anyone can participate, it’s free, and no registration is required. Participants can count anywhere they wish, not just in backyards, but in neighborhoods, parks, nature centers, or anywhere they see birds.

Wild peach-faced lovebirds

Submit your list…

“This count is so fun because anyone can take part — we all learn and watch birds together — whether you are an expert, novice, or feeder watcher,” said Gary Langham, Audubon’s Chief Scientist. “I like to invite new birders to join me and share the experience. Get involved, invite your friends, and see how your favorite spot stacks up.”

Get some local coaching…

Black-crowned Night Heron

“We’ll be able to coach East Valley residents in their bird identification skills Saturday during our free Family Birdwalk at Gilbert Riparian Preserve, Saturday, February 18, 2012, 8am-noon,” added Eileen Kane, Communications Director, Desert Rivers Audubon Society.

More than 92,000 checklists were submitted during the last GBBC, with more than 11 million individual bird observations. The data help scientists get the big picture about how bird populations may be changing across the continent over time.

…become a Citizen Scientist!

“This is a very detailed snapshot of continental bird-distribution,” said John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “Imagine scientists 250 years from now being able to compare these data with their own.  Already, with more than a decade of data in hand, the GBBC has documented changes in late-winter bird distributions.”

Earn prizes, too!

The count also includes a photo contest and a prize drawing for participants who enter at least one bird checklist online. The GBBC is hosted each year by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon. The Great Backyard Bird Count is made possible in part by sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited.

Bring your Great Backyard Bird Count count sheets into Wild Birds Unlimited of Mesa, AZ & receive 2 lbs. of birdseed!

Sonoran Desert Monument: Birds, Bees & Archaeology

Sonoran Desert Monument, Gila Bend, Arizona.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012, 7-8:30pm at the Gilbert Community Center, 130 N. Oak St., Thom Hulen, Executive Director, Friends of the Sonoran Desert Monument, joins Desert Rivers Audubon to speak about the flora, fauna & archaeology found in the Sonoran Desert Monument and the threats these resources face.

Starting his career as a field archaeologist with first the Arizona State University & then Arizona State University, Hulen notes, “As a lifelong resident of Arizona, I have been keenly interested in the natural and cultural history of the Southwest.” Former manager of the Desert Botanical Garden’s Desert House conservation demonstration, Hulen also has a keen interest in what every Arizona resident can do to help preserve our natural and cultural resources.

Come early to browse our mobile book shop, visit, and discover the wide range of volunteer opportunities, including our municipal public Burrowing Owl & Hummingbird habitats, with Desert Rivers. Light refreshments will be provided.

On Saturday, January 7, 2012, Desert Rivers Audubon celebrates five years of free Family Birdwalks at Veterans Oasis Park, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Rd in Chandler. (NE Corner of Chandler Heights and Lindsay Rd.) 8am-noon.  Walks include free loan of binoculars, expert guides and children’s Bird Bingo games. Visit with live hawks, eagles and owls with Liberty Wildlife. This birdwalk is sponsored by Desert Rivers Audubon, The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, Liberty Wildlife and Bashas Supermarkets.

Birding the Elevation Staircase with Rick Taylor December 13th

Tuesday, December 13, 2011, Gilbert Community Center, 130 N. Oak St., Gilbert, 7pm, Free:

Rick Taylor, author of Birds of Southeastern Arizona, joins Desert Rivers Audubon to talk about The Elevation Staircase: Arizona’s Bird Highway. Taylor is the founder of Borderland Tours with over 30 years experience in responsible ecotourism throughout the world.

In addition to the native wildlife of the Sonoran Desert, Arizona also hosts birds migrating from the Chihuahuan Desert, the Great Basin, the Great Pains, the Sierra Madres and the Rocky Mountains. According to Taylor, “Southeastern Arizona hosts the most-diversified avifauna in the United States.” Taylor will discuss our small local mountain ranges that, separated by arid valleys, provide islands of Aspen groves supporting unique habitat for birds. “Less than two vertical miles separate the desert floor from these boreal summits, but the journey for a birder is the equivalent of a 1500-mile-long trip from Mexico to Canada.”

Come early to enjoy homemade desserts, browse our mobile bookshop, visit and discover the many unique volunteer opportunities with Desert Rivers Audubon. Special Service Learning opportunities are available for Maricopa Community College students as well as National Honor Society high school students. Employees of the Maricopa Community Colleges and Intel also may donate time to Desert Rivers Audubon habitat and public education projects through their employers.

Desert Rivers Audubon & Wild At Heart Dig In Wildlife Development for Burrowing Owls in Gilbert

By Eileen Kane
Communications Director
Desert Rivers Audubon

Greg Clark, Owl Habitat Coordinator for raptor rescue and rehabilitation group Wild At Heart, talked about the struggle to preserve Arizona’s Burrowing Owls,  September 13, 2011, at Desert Rivers Audubon’s monthly meeting.

Burrowing Owl visits Desert Rivers Audubon's September 2011 meeting, photo by Linda Covey.

A Species of Special Concern, Burrowing Owls live their lives largely in underground burrows made by squirrels, coyotes, skunks and other animals. Small and active both day and night, Burrowing Owls are vulnerable to other birds of prey, animals, and construction.

With over 5,000 artificial owl burrows installed throughout Arizona, Greg describds his latest project with Desert Rivers Audubon to install 100 burrows at Zanjero Park, Gilbert. Immediately adjacent to active farmland, Zanjero is an example of the disturbed land on the fringes of suburban areas Burrowing Owls prefer.

Desert Rivers Audubon is organizing volunteers to dig the burrows, 8am-2pm, Saturday, October 29, 2011 at Zanjero Park, 3785 S. Lindsay Road, Lindsay Road, South of Loop 202, Gilbert. In the spring, volunteers will again be needed to feed and care for the owls while they are acclimated to the site and before their release.

The Burrowing Owl Habitat Project is made possible by a grant from Together Green, an initiative by the National Audubon Society and Toyota to fund conservation projects, train environmental leaders, and offer volunteer and individual action opportunities that significantly benefit the environment.

Desert Rivers Audubon and Wild At Heart will also present a technology forum Wednesday, September 28, 2011, as part of the Gangplank Brown Bag Series lunchtime series. Both organizations are seeking advice and brainstorming on social media, mobile technology, and signage to enhance the public’s experience of this Burrowing Owl habitat.

UPDATE (10/24/2011) from Greg Clark:

“Zanjero Park is considered underutilized by the Town of Gilbert. It is designed for use by horses and there is evidence that horse owners do take their horses there for riding. But, it is not used much for that purpose. It has attractive recirculating water features and two well maintained ramadas that are occasionally used at lunch time by office workers. The main trail around the edge of the park is part of a larger trail used mostly by bicycles. This appears to me to be the main use in the park. There is a nice park bench area and plantings in one area in the middle of the trail.

“Because the park is devoid of grass it is not attractive to families with small children looking for a playground. For all these reasons the park doesn’t see much use. But, situated next to farm land, it is perfect for Burrowing Owls. The trail system and park bench would allow easy access to see the owls and small children would not typically be at the park running around and looking for fun opportunities to chase the owls. The low density vegetation will allow the owls good visibility, especially in the large basin area where the release sites are located. 100 burrows are being installed with four release sites.

“Once the owls are present the use of the park will go way up as people go to see the owls up pretty close.

“The close proximity of Campo Verde High School (adjacent to the park) could provide scientific and educational opportunities for the students via monitoring, owl behavior descriptions, pellet comparison studies with other nearby owl sites, and gathering video and still images for web site reports and creative writing.

“I anticipate that one release tent per year would go up for the next 4 years.”

UPDATE (11/14/2011) from Steve Thomas (conact stevepthomas@cox.net to volunteer):

If you missed #OWLDAY, Wild at Heart has another habitat install project, Saturday, November 19, 2011.

“On Nov 19th we will be constructing new homes for burrowing owls at a farm northwest of Gila Bend.  Travel time from Phoenix to the site is approximately 2 hours.

“The 400 new homes, or artificial burrows as they are called, are needed to relocate AZ burrowing owls who have been displaced by development and/or loss of their natural burrows and habitat.

“Building the burrows consists of placing plastic burrow chambers in the ground, connecting flexible access tubes to the chambers and creating ground-level entrances so the owls can get down inside their new home. We expect these new homes will support many families of owls for the next 20 years.

“Children are welcome at the event.  Children ages 10 and up can usually perform any of the tasks; children ages 8-9 can learn some of the more difficult tasks and be good helpers to an adult or teen. Children 4-7 may be able to paint the tubes and help carry supplies back and forth. Children under 4 will need constant supervision to be sure they stay safe.”

Greg Clark, Wild At Heart Burrowing Owl Habitat Coordinator, joins chapter president Krys Hammers and a rescued burrowing owl at Desert Rivers Audubon's September 2011 meeting. Photo by Linda Covey.

Gilbert, AZ Gilbert Water Ranch: Feral Cat Update — No Cat Sightings!

by Mike Evans
Conservation Director
Desert Rivers Audubon Society

The most recent survey in mid-March reported only 13 cats left in the preserve.  The staff trapped eight of those cats.  Coyotes or natural causes are believed to have accounted for the other five.  (Coyotes have been photographed this spring with one adult and two kittens in coyote mouths.)  Last October’s survey had 82 cats and two litters of hidden kittens living in the preserve.Late this afternoon I spoke with Scott Cleaves, the Park Ranger, @ GWR .  In the last two weeks he has only seen one cat in the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch.  He has repeatedly tried to catch it over the last two weeks, and today he was successful.  To the best knowledge of GWR and Riparian Preserve staff, there are

Signs have been installed at the GWR prohibiting the dumping of any type of animal at the facility.  An ordinance prohibiting the dumping of animals has been drafted and circulated for comments.  It will come before the town council this summer for adoption.  Town employees will continue to trap for cats should any more appear at GWR.

If you run into Scott Anderson, Riparian Preserve Executive Director, Education Director Lisa Hermann, Ranger Scott Cleaves, or Naturalist Jennie Rambo during a future visit to GWR, please thank them for their efforts to make the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch at feral cat-free facility.  Thanks goes out as well to the members of Save the Cats Arizona for their cooperation in the removal of the cats.

Thank you to all those on this list serve that contacted Gilbert town staff and elected officials regarding this issue.  The hard work of the birding community has been rewarded with a cat-free Important Birding Area here in Gilbert, AZ.

Good Birding,

Mike