Beginning birdwatching tour in Spanish at Wings Over Willcox festival

Of the more than 900 species of birds that live in the United States and Canada, more than half can be found in Arizona at some time during the year. Some are here year round while others breed in Arizona and then migrate south to Mexico and other areas in Latin America for the winter.

For some birds that breed in the northern United States and Canada, southern Arizona is their winter destination, and January is the perfect time to see some of these species. Sandhill Cranes, ducks, sparrows, hawks, and many more species spend the winter months here before returning to their breeding grounds in the north in the spring.

The 17th Annual Wings Over Willcox Birding and Nature Festival will offer a special Beginning Bird Watching field trip in Spanish. Whether you are a native Spanish speaker or would just like to improve your own basic Spanish skills, the tour will teach basic bird identification skills, including how to use binoculars, how to use a field guide to identify birds, and more at the Willcox ponds and nearby areas.

Tour leaders Juan Caicedo and Jennie Duberstein have many years of experience teaching about and studying birds in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America and they will be the guides for this three hour excursion. Binoculars and Spanish field guides will be provided for use during the tour if needed. The tour is free but requires registration. For more information or to register, contact Karla: 520-284-4122 or 507-1029.

Arizona Game & Fish releases pronghorns into new ranges

If you are the type to geet excited when you glance out your RV window and see pronghorn, America's fastest land animal, streaking through the prairie grass, then you will be happy to find that Arizona Game & Fish is releasing pronghorn back into two native ranges tomorrow (Sunday and Monday, Jan. 10th and 11th).


About 30 animals will be given a new home at the Raymond Wildlife Area east of Flagstaff and another 50 southeast of Safford. This southwest icon will be joining and strengthening existing herds, and increasing the chances of us road rangers of even more pronghorn sightings.

Are you the rugged outdoor type?

Do you like the outdoor life? Do you crave a life of adventure? Do you have what it takes to be a wildland firefighter? The Bureau of Land Management Gila District (southeastern Arizona) is recruiting applicants for seasonal employment during the 2010 fire season. To serve on a fire crew, persons must be at least 18 years of age, have a strong work ethic, be able to pass a pack test and maintain good physical fitness, be available to travel out of state for extended periods of time and be willing to contribute in a team-structured environment.

Applicants will be notified in May regarding their selection for one of the 20 positions on the crew. Recruits will receive classroom and field training that will enable them to safely and effectively tackle wildfire suppression.

The crew will be trained and ready for assignments starting later that month. While most fire duties will be in southeastern Arizona, some assignments may be out of state and last 14 consecutive days plus travel time. Emergency firefighters are hired on a call-when-needed basis and are only paid during training and fire assignments; pay is $17 per hour.

Those who think they have what it takes to be a wildland firefighter and who seek meaningful employment for several months should contact Jon Ziegler or Lathe Evans at the Gila District fire office located at the BLM Safford Field Office, 928-348-4400.