Birds on the farm in New Mexico

Saturday afternoon I did an hour and a half workshop on birds for the New Mexico Organic Farming Conference. Started out with a review of birding--how to identify birds, and how to keep track of your sightings using eBird. Then we talked about the birds of conservation concern in New Mexico, and finally how to help specific birds on the farm--focusing on Barn Owl, Burrowing Owl, Western Screech-Owl, American Kestrel, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Western Bluebird, and Bullock's Oriole. Most of these are Audubon Birds to Help--birds that while perhaps not of the highest conservation concern, are species that are easily helped by providing food, shelter, and habitat plantings. For most people, its going to be easier to get them interested in helping birds by encouraging them to try and help these species, rather than more rare or difficult to help species. Lots of good feedback from the workshop, its always a lot of fun to talk birds and swap bird stories!