2010 spring - Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue

Board of OfficersPresident: Julie Ito MoralesVice Pres.: Susie JensenSecretary: Inga GroffTreasurer: Debbie LoftonPage 4Board of DirectorsRoger ChaconVacantMarcia FultonJohn LinneyAbe MendozaNewsletter EditorSusie JensenThe Purpose of CDWRWildlife rehabilitation is thecare of injured or orphanedwildlife for return, where possible,to the wild. Successfulrehabilitation takes a lot oftime, a lot of effort and nosmall amount of money.It is challenging work, doneby special people. ChihuahuanDesert Wildlife Rescueis a nonprofit organizationwhich exists to help the rehabilitatorsin the El Paso/LasCruces area. Our purposes areto:♦♦♦♦♦* CDWR *El Paso / Las Crucesprovide a volunteer networkto assist active rehabilitatorsin their worksupport wildlife rehabilitationprograms financiallyprovide education and instructionin wildlife rehabilitationeducate the public aboutwildlife conservationproblemswork for the reduction ofpressures on native wildlifefrom domestic animalsand humansEl Paso Electric Co. and CDWRCollaborate to Help American KestrelsAfter Bill and Lydia Barnhouse built their dream home inthe Cielo Dorado Estates, they were dismayed to notice ahole in the top of the eave of their hanger. Bill immediatelycalled the builder, who assured him it was not a hammerhole and was possibly the result of a Northern Flicker(woodpecker). They weren’t sure what to do. Bill loves tofeed the ducks in their beautiful yard and Lydia was excitedsoon after when she noticed a bird fly in the hole. Lydiaknew they were a type of small hawk (later it was determinedthey were American Kestrels, the smallest falcon inNorth America) and the Barnhouse’s decided they wouldleave things be, enjoying the birds as they would fly in andout of the hole and perch in the surrounding trees and buildingsfor the next 14 years or so, raising many young. Until…..After having their home re-stuccoed and painted in November 2009, they noticed the “favor” the contractorhad performed. The hole had been patched and painted! Lydia watched with dismay as theKestrels looked in vain for their home. Bill,being a man of action, decided to make somecalls and through Helen Bigelow, dispatcherfor CDWR, contacted me. Bill explained thesituation and we made an appointment tomeet.John Waters in the bucket of the boom truckinstalling the inside of the nest boxC D W R * El Paso / Las CrucesKen Spence with Kestrel BoxSince I have had success in my own back yardwith kestrels nesting, I knew I could help. Ibrought along one of my favorite carpenters,Ken Spence, who also happens to be my boyfriend.We identified the kestrels, talked aboutbuilding a replacement nest box for them andassessed the situation, which was not exactlyoptimum due to the fact the a 28 foot extensionladder did not reach the peak of the roofwhere the old entrance hole used to be.Lydia wanted to maintain the integrity of their new paint job and had a specific idea of how the boxshould look. Ken climbed the ladder, tooksome measurements and went to work designingthe nest box using a proven design,adding changes to help the box lookas if it belonged on their home. The endresult was a triangular shaped nest box,approximately 6 feet long and 3 feet high.Since climbing up the ladder to take measurements,Ken knew he would never beable to get the box up to the eave and installit safely on the extension ladder dueto the fact the peak was about 31 feethigh. We would need scaffolding or ahydraulic lift to manage it.After researching costs, which were prohibitive,I called Board Member RogerEd Segura and Ken in “Supervisory” positionChacon, El Paso Electric Company(EPEC) for help. Roger referred me to Oscar Trillo, Environmental Department, EPEC and throughthe efforts of EPEC and the approval and assistance of Supervisor Refugio S. Chavez and ManagerRay O. Marquez, we were able to arrange linemen and a boom truck to assist us. (continued on back)