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To Friends Of
Cave Creek Canyon
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Owls Are Us!
by Helen Snyder
Great Horned Owl by Helen Snyder
Did you know that the Coronado National Forest's Cave Creek Canyon in the Douglas Ranger District has the densest nesting population of owls measured anywhere? I studied nesting birds of prey here in 2002-2008, and of the 305 nests of raptors found in my study area 80% were owls. Of the 11 owl species nesting here, the commonest ones are Whiskered, Elf, and Western Screech Owl, with Northern Pygmy, Great Horned, Barn and Mexican Spotted Owl next in
abundance. And one or more pairs each of Long-eared, Burrowing, Saw-whet and Flammulated Owls nest regularly in my study area which lies in the Cave Creek and Silver Creek drainages and private lands east to Foothills Road.
Several of these owls are among the species birders want most. Whiskered Owls are found in the riparian and hillside forests upstream of the Visitor Information Center, and Flammulateds nest in slightly higher elevation mixed conifer forests.
[Whiskered Screech by Lori Conrad]
The latter occur all through the coniferous mountain west, but the Whiskered Owls are much more a bird of the southern Sky Island region.
 If you go "owling", a responsible guide can help you find and view the birds. You can look on your own, but for the birds' sake it's best not to start playing recordings of their calls to attract them until a good hour and a half after sunset, because most of the feeding of young happens in a mad rush right away after dark, tapering off after young are full and the hunting adults won't be impacting their brood by having to stop hunting to respond to a recording. On one night in my study, a pair of Elf Owls delivered insect food to their brood every 45 seconds between 7:30 and 8:15!
In the 2018 final Coronado Forest Plan, the designation of the entire Cave Creek Canyon watershed was recommended as the Cave Creek Canyon Birds of Prey Zoological Botanical Area (ZBA) adding to the South Fork ZBA already in existence. This formal designation will enable a management focus on research, birding, an
d quiet recreation in this famously rich hot spot of biodiversity, beloved to so many of us whether we're birders or not.
[Elf Owl by Tony Donaldson]
Spotted Owl young in Cave Creek
Canyon by RoseAnn Rowlett
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SAVE THE DATE
THE 7TH ANNUAL
SPRING GARDEN PARTY
SATURDAY MAY 25
9 AM - 1 PM
FREE BREAKFAST SNACKS
& LUNCH*
Many Local Experts & Exhibits
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Willow Tank Update
by Rene Donaldson
As this is being written, Willow Tank is being filled after a long dry spell to rid it of non-native, invasive bullfrogs. Go check out the water level and the new shadecloth over one blind. Look for more on Willow Tank in the next newsletter.
Larry Rivers, owner of the property, has removed most of the cattails and has substantially increased the size of the island which will now provide a safe nesting place for the birds. Thanks Larry. You can also see the growing willow trees planted in recent years. It is now being refilled with the pumping of water generated by solar power equipment donated by First Solar.
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Visitor Information Center News
We were very happy to have Wanda and Dave Baird from Michigan and Ann and Duanne Swift from
Wisconsin
as our hosts at the VIC for January-March. They really enjoyed their time here.
Dave was our volunteer of the month in March, narrowly beating out the most popular volunteer we have ever had - Biggie [pictured]. Dave did a magnificent job of creating the displays for our soon to be coming Display Room. Dave is a master craftsman!
We are pleased to welcome back Steve and Laura Paulson for their fourth hosting time at the VIC. They even introduced a new pair of hosts for the VIC Dawn and Rich Bailey.
Mike Jacobi is also here and is keeping everything running smoothly.
Mike and Barney Tomberlin presided over the recent
Also returning is the Gila Monster being held by Mike Jacobi.
Can you see the other Gila Monster?
Mike also has been doing some
planting
around the VIC:
Notice the fresh paint? Former hosts Rick and Joan Schneider dropped by and offered to repaint the walls of the VIC!
On Sunday 4/7, I [Mike] was at the VIC for a few minutes and looked around and there were 6 people there in Friends of Cave Creek Canyon shirts and a visitor buying one [she didn't want to be in a picture I guess]. So we had to take a picture:
All of these are/have been hosts in the past.
Front row: Joan Schneider, Steve and Laura Paulson
Second Row: Mike Jacobi, Mike Williams, Rick Schneider
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Some of The Hummingbirds of April
Male Lucifer
[by Carol Comeau]
Rivoli's
Formerly
Magnificent
[by Dawn Bailey]
A female Blue-throated hummer came back to my house in early-March and began refurbishing an old B-Throated nest which has been unused for the last 3 years. I am happy to report that I think her eggs have now hatched. Maya Decker
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Spring Flowers
Above and below by Debb and Bud Johnson
By Lori Conrad
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LBN794
Emission Nebula in Auriga
With Open Cluster M38
by Rick Beno
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2019 FoCCC M
embers of the Board
FOCCC 2019 Officers and Board
Reed Peters President
Other Board Members
Sheri Ashley Vice President
Bob Ashley
Wynne Brown
Mike Williams Vice President
Alan Craig
Rene Donaldson
Rick Beno
Treasurer
Stevie Wayman Secretary
Ron Kaczor Cecil Williams
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Friends Of Cave Creek Canyon
PO Box 16126
Portal, Arizona 85632 Visit Our Website |
Thanks to our "Sustainer's Circle" members
for their generous support:
Tom Arny, Bob and Bettina Arrigoni, Susan Dalby & Eskild PetersonNancy and Thomas Denney, Mary George, Bill and Sally Hague, Paul Hirt and Linda Jakse, Don Hollister, Pi Irwin and Zsombor Zoltan, Ken Jenkins, Leuthold Family Foundation, Barbara Lounsbery, Patrick McNamara, John and Karin McQuillan, Barbara and Pete Miller, Patricia Parran, Tom Roseman and Paula Baldwin, Delia Scholes, Donald and Martha Squire and Bob and Sherry Zoellick.
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Please support our Business Members who have given generously to Friends Of Cave Creek Canyon. Without their assistance, we would be hard pressed to accomplish our goals. Click on their names to check out their websites.
Business Memberships start at just $50.00!
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