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Tucson Audubon Society Tucson Audubon Society’s Santa Cruz River Habitat Project is going to be around awhile. Tucson Audubon has a 99-year right-of-entry agreement with the City of Tucson for hundreds of acres along the lower Santa Cruz River northwest of Marana. So we are in it for the long haul! The cool months are when we redouble our fieldwork efforts and invite volunteers to help. We plant trees and shrubs, scatter seed, and do a wide variety of maintenance work such as mulching and weed removal. All of these efforts are specifically designed to improve wildlife habitat along the lower (effluent-dominated) Santa Cruz River and nearby retired farm fields. Join us on November 7 and 8, and December 5 and 6, to help with these activities. You will be helping birds have a better place to live. There are tasks for all ages and ability levels. Contact Ann Phillips for meeting times and other details, at 206-9900 or aphillips1@qwest.net. The mild temperatures and clear air of November and December make it a perfect time to enjoy the habitat restoration site. The restoration site boasts a lovely 360° view of Picacho Peak, the Tortolita Mountains, the Santa Catalina Mountains, the Tucson Mountains, Baboquivari Peak, Kitt Peak, and the Silverbell Mountains (including Ragged Top, a peak sitting just to the west in the nearby Ironwood Forest National Monument). You will not only be helping birds, you might see them too! During the cool months Northern Harriers swoop through the fields, Pyrrhuloxias and towhees (Abert’s and Green-tailed) abound, Marsh Wrens chatter, lots of sparrow species flit about, and the occasional rarity like last year’s Northern Parula shows up. If that’s not enough birds for you, we are adding a winter birding fieldtrip to our usual spring and fall trips. It will take place on January 10 (look for details in the Fieldtrips section of the December-January Vermilion Flycatcher). In addition to species mentioned above, there will be a good chance of seeing a Barn Owl since, in addition to the ones already living there, 18 more captive owls were released along the river in September (see the Important Bird Areas Program article on page 16). If you cannot come to a volunteer workday, these birding trips are a great chance to see recent habitat restoration work, since the site is normally closed to the public. See birds, help birds, and learn about our environment—these are the three main elements of Tucson Audubon’s mission statement! You can accomplish all three with a trip to the Santa Cruz River Habitat Project!
Bird questions? Check Birding | General questions? Contact: Tucson Audubon Society | Webmaster: Email This page was updated on 07/13/06 |