The Bluewater Lake Christmas Bird Count was restarted in 2013 after a hiatus of more than a decade. This is a count of birds in a large swath of the Zuni Mountains west of Grants, NM, at elevations ranging from 6600 ft. at Bluewater Village to 9256 ft. atop Mt. Sedgwick. The count circle extends from near Prewitt in the north to Ojo Redondo in the south, and from Bluewater Village in the east to Cottonwood Gulch in the west, with Bluewater Lake being the most significant landscape feature. The early date of this count is necessary since we want to get it accomplished before the lake freezes over.

Participants can expect to be on foot moving over uneven ground most of the day. You should therefore have a daypack with food, water, toilet paper, and suitable clothing for changing, usually cold weather conditions. A thermos with a warm beverage wouldn't go amiss. Good footwear is a must. Rubber boots would be useful in wet canyons in two or three areas. A GPS to get back to a vehicle or other safe place out of the weather is also a good idea, in case of white out conditions. Depending on preceding weather, some parties may benefit from snowshoes or cross-country skis.

If you are interested in participating, we will meet at 6:30 a.m. at the Bluewater Outpost (Dairy Queen) off I-40 at the Bluewater Village exit, Exit 72, about nine miles west of Grants. At the end of the day we will have a tally supper, at a location to be announced at the morning gathering.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Count leader:

John Trochet
trochetj@gmail.com
916-841-5392

Pacific wren. Image courtesy of Mason Maron / Macaulay Library