Birding In New Mexico McKinley County

Birding in New Mexico

Gadwell (female and male)

Great-tailed Grackle

White-throated Sparrow

By Gary Saint-John

Birding in McKinley County is a rewarding experience that can provide an appreciation of the county’s avian (and other) wildlife, habitats, scenery, and solitude. Finding good birding locations comes with experience and an awareness of different habitats. Finding birds in McKinley County is both an easy and a difficult endeavor. Easy, because birds are (or sometimes seem to be) everywhere. Difficult because numerous factors—such as land ownership and the degree of hiking required to get to the area—can impact a birder’s ability to visit a location that provides suitable habitat for a diverse collection of birds.

For instance, are you looking for birds on tribal or private land? If so, do you know if birding on that land is allowed? Two easy rules to follow are: • If you don’t know, ask. • If you still don’t know, don’t go.

McKinley County birding also is as easy as seeing a bird in your yard, or on your way to work or school, or at public areas, including parks and lakes, streams, and ponds.

The internet can help guide you to birding locations that have been visited by birders living in or visiting McKinley County. A truly splendid online site to help guide your birding adventures is eBird (https://eBird.org), which was created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to gather and share information about birds from citizen scientists (also known as birders!). Going to the eBird website offers you choices, including a link on the opening page called “Explore.” Click on that link, then type in McKinley County in the “Explore Regions” section and take a look at what birds have been reported and when they were seen. The website also will list what are known as “Hotspots,” which are sites that are rich in birding. Three productive hotspots in McKinley County are the Ramah Lake and Reservoir (at which 105 species of birds have been recorded), McGaffey Lake (81 species), and Red Rock Park (80 species). Not everyone who sees a bird (or birds) records their sightings on eBird, but getting started by using this website is a great way to become involved in birding. And by all means, contribute by recording your sightings on eBird!

Another way to enjoy great birding locations is to learn from someone who has extensive experience in the county, such as Dr. John Trochet, a retired bird biologist with the Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology (the “wildlife museum”) at the University of California, Davis, who has been studying birds in McKinley County for more than 38 years.

Dr. Trochet suggested that Cottonwood Gulch provides good birding but added that birders should seek permission before going to the location. And the folks at Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions wants visitors to call beforehand at 505-248-0563. Permission to bird there depends on activities at the Gulch and how busy things might be.

Another suggestion from Dr. Trochet is Bluewater Lake and vicinity, which is in McKinley and Cibola counties. “Depending

Birding in New Mexico McKinley county

on season and grazing pressure,” he said, “a nice variety of sparrows may be seen. Both Western (common) and Eastern (rare) Meadowlarks are possible, along with throngs of Horned Larks.”

If you have a sense of wonder that silently and insistently speaks to you on the subject of seeing and hearing and learning more about birds, just follow it! In doing so, you’ll join a legion of people from all walks of life whose days are enriched by easy and simple and enjoyable birdwatching episodes.

Gary Saint-John is the pen name of an Albuquerquebased writer and birder. Western Tanager (male)

Neotropic Cormorant

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