By Leslie Loomis, Prescott Creeks Volunteer & IBA Survey Coordinator
The morning of the first fall migration survey in Watson Woods Riparian Preserve, Sunday, August 24, dawned sunny and clear, after a week of light monsoon weather. Eleven volunteers from Prescott Audubon and Prescott Creeks met at the Peavine Trail for a check-in before splitting up into three teams. A total of 30 species were seen, comprised of 211 individual birds. The North team (closest to Watson Lake) had the highest numbers of species and individuals. Overall, it felt a bit sparse. Loud cicadas made it hard to hear the birds in some places. Some of the highlights on the South team included good looks at Turkey Vultures perched low in a snag. This team’s highest number was of hummingbirds—19 total, but 13 were unidentified due to all the zooming around they were doing. The Middle team spotted a Common Black Hawk and also had a lot of hummingbirds, mostly Anna’s. The North team was the only team that saw Bullock’s Orioles (3). Middle and North each saw a MacGillivray’s Warbler.
Two weeks later, on Sunday, September 7, we did it again! There had been more rain, including a big storm on August 25, so two transects had some water in the creek. On this day we found a total of 36 species and 207 individuals. Each team saw more species than on the first survey, but North was the only one to increase the number of individuals. Highlights on this day included two Wood Ducks and a Nashville Warbler on the South team. The Middle team saw a Common Black Hawk again, as well as a Great-horned Owl, an Olive-sided Flycatcher, and two Warbling Vireos. The North team saw an adult Bald Eagle, a Common Black Hawk, and a Hutton’s Vireo. All three teams saw a Cooper’s Hawk.
See Results:
To see photos and more information on these results, see the trip reports on eBird for each day. See the total species on one page or click on the “3 checklists” box to see photos and details for each team. You do not need an eBird account to see these lists.
- August 24, 2025 eBird Trip Report
- September 7, 2025 eBird Trip Report
A very big Thank You to all the volunteers who helped to gather data and make these days fun! The data we gathered helps Prescott Creeks in making management decisions for the Preserve. It also helps in the bigger picture because this data goes to eBird, so it is available for scientists and researchers all over the world to do studies and make management decisions on a larger scale.
Keep an eye on future Prescott Audubon Society newsletters and the Prescott Creekside E-Newsletter to find out when the surveys will happen in the spring and fall of 2026. If you’re interested in helping, sign up quickly! We had a waiting list for each of these surveys.