The 34th annual Trogon census took place with special permission of the Horseshoe Two Fire incident commander and the Douglas Ranger District of the Coronado National Forrest. The results are being reported on several blogs and websites:
After the Fire: Cave Creek Canyon, Trogon Census
Art & Other Adventures with Narca
Surfbirds.com
The count was considered low, 6 Trogons on the day of the post-fire count were found in South Fork canyon but with a high diversity of other bird species in this and other areas. These results compare favorably to the pre-fire count from the 2011 Huachuca Mountains Elegant Trogon Census which counted a total of 14 birds with 2-3/canyon, which was also considered a low count. Distinguishing the effects of the fire from other environmental factors will be difficult but a statistical analysis of the historical data from both mountain ranges should provide clues to the fluctuations in numbers.
Listen to the Elegant Trogon from Cave Creek Canyon.
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Update:
ReplyDeleteSee this video showing the condition of Cave Creek Canyon and South Fork birding areas, taken after the Horseshoe 2 Fire and before the forest reopening.