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AZFO FIELD EXPEDITION
13-15 February—Muleshoe Ranch Preserve (Cochise County)
Leader: Eric Hough Contact: expeditionsATazfo.org
Overview: Grassland and riparian vegetation types are some of the most endangered habitats in the world, particularly in Arizona. Sanctuaries such as the Muleshoe Ranch Preserve in southeastern Arizona provide protection and active habitat restoration that help maintain and recover these ecosystems, and the wildlife populations that reside in them. The Muleshoe Ranch Preserve Cooperative Management Area consists of public and private lands managed by The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Forest Service. Situated in northwestern Cochise County east of the San Pedro River, south of the Galiuro Mountains, and west of the Winchester Mountains and Sulphur Springs Valley, the preserve encompasses seven springs with associated cottonwood-sycamore dominated riparian areas, grassland, upland desert-scrub, and oak woodlands across rolling hills. While the distribution of breeding bird species of this preserve is more well-known, very few birders visit this preserve during winter outside of occasional January field trips during the annual Wings Over Willcox festival. Bar graphs on eBird (ebird.org) reveal data gaps for most of the late fall and winter from November through February. This expedition will focus on exploring the species richness and density of resident and wintering bird species, especially within the preserve’s restored grasslands and riparian areas. We will spend Saturday, March 14th, surveying grassland habitat first thing in the morning, followed by surveying the riparian habitat along Bass Canyon and Hot Springs Canyon. This expedition will likely be a great opportunity for participants to practice their sparrow identification skills! Bird counts from this weekend will be entered into AZFO’s eBird account that can be shared afterwards with expedition participants. Coincidentally, this expedition also falls over the period (Feb. 13-16th) that the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society hold their annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), which is supplemented with eBird checklist data submitted during this period. Come join us in exploring the winter bird life occupying this important preserve in southeastern Arizona! Itinerary: Due to the distance involved in reaching this preserve from either Benson or Willcox and the potential for especially cold weather in February, there is a possibility that this will only consist of a one-day survey on Saturday, February 14th. Under this scenario, participants would plan to meet at the preserve headquarters early on Saturday morning and spend the day surveying and then depart by late afternoon or evening. However, if warmer weather allows for bearable camping conditions, we will plan to meet on the afternoon of Friday, February 13th, to camp on state trust lands just south of the preserve headquarters and continue additional surveying on the morning of Sunday, February 15th, following the Saturday surveys. Registered participants will be notified of definitive survey plans the week before the expedition once weather forecasts are available to inform our decisions. For participants that may not want to camp, there are motels available in both Benson and Willcox. For the surveys, we will divide into teams to walk transects over grassland habitat first thing in the morning, followed by surveying along riparian areas later in the morning into the afternoon. One person in each team will keep track of species numbers and observer effort (time, distance covered) for each location visited that will later be entered into AZFO’s eBird account and shared among participants on each team. Things to Know/Bring:
Meeting Time & Location: Upon registering via email with the expedition leader, details on meeting time and place will be arranged. Carpooling possibilities can be arranged among registered participants.
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