Patagonia, AZ
Dave Mozurkewich (dm@fornax.usno.navy.mil)
Sun, 14 Jun 1998 18:02:30 -0400 (EDT)
I just returned from a trip to Arizona. Some lovely days of birding, but
nothing really exciting to report. Typical of my June birding in the
west, I saw lots of nests without really looking for them. Perhaps the
best part of the trip was spending a few hours watching a Whiskered
Screech-Owl cavity accompanied by a running commentary about what all the
activity meant.
But the reason for this post: if any of you have heard wonderful things
about the Nature Conservancy's property along the Sonoita Creek outside of
Patagonia, they are true. But if you haven't been there, or are thinking
about going back, GO THIS SUMMER!
The water table is at a record low level and most of the tree's roots can
no longer reach the water. I don't know if this is due to increased
pumping or to the severe drought. In addition, a native beetle is
thriving on cottonwood leaves. It looks like the trees cannot cope with
both stresses simultaneously and are starting to die en masse. I heard
one estimate that there might be nothing left in one to two years. I hope
this estimate is wrong, but I fear it is not. Most of the trees already
have lots of dead branches in their crowns.
Even if this preserve survives, it points out how difficult it is to save
the environment by protecting small, isolated tracts.
Dave
David Mozurkewich
Seabrook, MD USA
dm@fornax.usno.navy.mil