Wingtips

The Prescott Audubon Newsletter

April 2025

View All PAS Field Trips

Please visit the Prescott Audubon Society website by clicking the link above

for information about field trips and how to register.

Birding in April

Saturday – April 5 – Watson Woods Walk – 8:00 a.m.

Wednesday – April 9 – Badger Springs/Agua Fria

Thurs – April 10 – New! Prescott Creeks*– 8-10:00 a.m.

Friday – April 11 – Black Cyn City Heritage Park

Friday – April 18 – Rockin' River Ranch St., Park

Saturday – April 26 – Willow Lake, North Shore

Upcoming Birding in May

Saturday – May 3 – Watson Woods Walk – 8:00 a.m.

Thurs – May 10 – Cottonwood Trail @ Willow Lake*– 8-10:00 a.m.

Wed – May 14 – Walnut Creek

*2nd Thurs Bird/Nature Walk-Prescott Audubon is offering a less structured field trip with a focus on the enjoyment of birds and nature. An optional social time after each walk is also planned. No Registration is required. Visit website for directions on where to meet.

Click here for Bird Walks at the Lookout

Granite Creek Clean-up Saturday, April 19th

Sponsored by Prescott Creeks, Prescott Audubon has had a team for the past few years. If you are interested in joining the PAS team, send an email to Apr19@PrescottAudubon.org Participants receive a free t-shirt and our watershed always looks so great after the clean-up. And while picking up trash you hear and sometimes see birds😊.

Join in the Birdathon May 2 - May 5

"Birdathons" are both a fun event for birders and a way to raise money for PAS's work to protect birds and their habitats. Participants join count teams to see how many birds they can find. The teams collect pledges or donations from friends, family, and sponsors, with the money raised going towards our conservation and education efforts. To make a pledge of support, click below. To join a team, contact Birdathon@PrescottAudubon.org.

Used by permission from author Rosemary Mosco, https://www.facebook.com/BirdAndMoon

Conservation Matters

Citizens Water Advocacy Group is commonly referred to as CWAG. CWAG has been around for over 20 years and is the preeminent water focused non-profit organization in Arizona, primarily focused on Northern Arizona. It is science-based with many masters and PhD level volunteers with a focus on a sustainable water future in terms of quantity as well as quality. The health of the Verde River is a part of that focus. The goal of the CWAG is the realization and maintenance of sustainable water use in the Upper Verde River Watershed and Prescott Active Management Area. The website is CWAGAZ.org.

Verde River: Low Flow Causes Habitat Damage – A recent CWAG white paper was published presenting details on how the upper Verde River is now in an extremely fragile and vulnerable condition. The report can be found at Verde River: Low Flow Causes Habitat Damage.

Regional Water Management and Planning is a focus for CWAG in 2025. We are working with the county, Prescott, Prescott Valley and Chino Valley to create a board that will include these municipalities to improve the management of the Prescott AMA (Active Management Area).

Our Shared Rural Water Story – Where are We Going is the title of presentation at the monthly CWAG meeting on April 12. Everyone is invited to attend or join online. See online registration and further details at Our Shared Rural Water Story – Where Are We Going?

CWAG will also be participating in the Earth Day celebration on the Courthouse Plaza on April 19. See you there!

Paul Glaves, CWAG Board member

In a new report, the U.S. Committee of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, finds that about a third of all American bird species are of high or moderate concern due to low populations, declining trends, or other threats. The State of the Birds in the U.S.A. 2025 lists 229 species of concern in the United States.

Submitted by Sharon Andersen

As of March 26, 2025, California Condor "R8" is a male condor, hatched in April 2015 and released into the wild in September 2017 in Arizona.

West Willow Nature Trail - an Update

PAS has been working with Prescott City to develop a management strategy that benefits the wildlife in the forest on the SW portion of Willow Lake. The area includes the "Cottonwood Peninsula" where the Great Blue Herons and the Double-crested Cormorants are nesting now and where we can find a Great Horned Owl, when we are lucky.

Soon, the City will add a pedestrian-only loop trail through this area to their trail map, named the "West Willow Nature Trail". Some new signage is in place, with more trailside signs to come, and the City has made a real effort to restore the forest by closing off many of the social trails that have sprouted all through that forest. We are hoping for more wildlife-friendly management here in the months to come. PAS appreciates the City's acknowledgment of this area as a valuable habitat for sensitive bird species, not to mention the occasional bobcat or porcupine. Every step to protect bird habitat is a step forward, in our view!

From the PAS Board

Each year Prescott Audubon, along with other Audubon chapters, must complete an annual report in order to be certified as a National Audubon chapter and to receive a financial stipend. Our report was filed and accepted. One of the comments from the reviewer was “The number and variety of bird outings and surveys your chapter offers is impressive.” Thanks to all of you who lead bird walks, coordinate bird surveys, work on conservation and coordinate events.

As requested by various members, we are publishing main points of on-going PAS Board meetings. January 2025 Notes:

· Financial report monthly interest income would improve with change to a different institution, plans made accordingly.

· “Poo Poo” project. Six Goldwater lake screens have been emplaced, and a further donated supply planned for Campbell Upper Verde, Sedona Wetlands, and Montezuma Well sites.

· Scholarship: PAS might consider raising the amount to $2000 instead of the usual amount of $1000.

· Field Trip Committee: Participation and quality of ongoing field trips good.

· Coordinator/Compiler CBC: E-Bird use inconsistent at this time.

· Conservation: Sending PAS representative to the BCHP Winterfest, toward goal of networking with other nature-oriented organizations

· HCNH Update: Open, welcoming joint proposals from PAS and contributions from PAS at discovery Saturdays and other events through the year.

· Annual Report: PAS submitting a report to National Audubon as requested annually.

· Audubon Adventures: Due to quality and participation issues with this particular activity, pausing this activity.

· WON: address issues with AV provision at WON presentations.

· April Social: “Spring Fling” April 17^th late afternoon (5:00-7:00), at HCNH. The event will be a “kick-off” for Bird-A-Thon. All are welcome to the next PAS Board meeting on May 1, 2025 at The Lookout from 3-4:30PM.

PAS has been experiencing some glitches with PayPal. When you join or renew a membership or make a donation to Prescott Audubon, you should receive an emailed letter that can be used as a tax donation receipt, usually within about 2 weeks. Your email address is added to the PAS notification database and you should receive the monthly newsletter and email blasts. Please send an email to contact@prescottaudubon.org if you do not receive acknowledgement of your membership/donation.

Volunteers Welcome

There is a place for everyone who wishes to become more involved in Prescott Audubon. You can join a committee (field trip, scholarship, communication, education). If you are a party person, come help plan and execute annual social events. PAS would like to host an April social event and input would be gladly received. Our PAS Board could use additional members. We are a friendly group and work as a team. Join with Prescott Audubon so we can continue to advocate for habitat and birds for the future. Send an email to contact@prescottaudubon.org to express interest in any area.

Please visit the PAS FB Group page for more information, as well as fabulous photos and articles from Walt Anderson