Seasonal Sightings Along the Middle Rio Grande Wildflowers

1. Seasonal Sightings Along the Middle Rio Grande Wildflowers Contact info: Name: __________________________ Phone #: _____________________ Email address: _________________________ Date: _____________ Home address: ___________________________ City: ____________________ State: ________ Zip code:_____________ This form is meant to be used as a guide and is not required in order to make observations for the project. Common Plant Name: ______________________________________________________________ Scientific Name: ____________________________________________________________________ What plant is it? Where is it? Location Description or GPS points: _________________________________________________________ For some wildflowers it will be easy to determine if they are in the early, middle or late part of their flowering period even if you are looking at just a single plant. These are wildflowers, such as Copper Globemallow or Alkali Mallow that produce all of their buds at about the same time and open them sequentially over time. Other wildflowers may only produce a single flower, such as Yerba Mansa, or may produce buds over a long portion of the growing season, such as Tamarisk (Saltcedar) , Spectaclepod, or Gypsum Scorpion-weed. For these wildflowers you will not be able to categorize them into early, middle or late flowering when looking at a single plant. Simply mark these plants as flowering if you see an open flower. Flowers: Fruit: □ Early: Only a few ripe fruits are visible □ Middle: Most fruits are ripe □ Late: Most of the fruits or (less than 10%) seeds have dispersed (90%) What is the plant doing right now? □ Early: Only a few flowers have emerged ( less than 10%) □ Late: Most flowers have wilted or fallen off (90%) □Middle:In full flower Leaves: □ Early: Only a few leaves have emerged □Middle: Fully leafed out □Late: Most leaves have withered (less than 10%) (90%) Sharing your data online To input your observations online go to: www.iNaturalist.org – create a profile and enter them into our project “Seasonal Sightings along the Middle Rio Grande” This form is meant to be used as a guide and is not required in order to make observations for the project. Or … you can mail your data sheets to: Colleen McRoberts: 111 Union Square St. SE Suite 200 / Albuquerque, NM 87102 Questions?? – Call or email Colleen at (505) 314-0398 / calangan@bernco.gov

2. Seasonal Sightings along the Middle Rio Grande Seasonal Sightings aims to engage citizen scientists to help gather data on plants and animals along the Middle Rio Grande Bosque Ecosystem. Specifically, the project is focused on seasonal changes such as animal migrations and plants blossoming, known collectively as phenology. These natural events help mark the seasons, excite amateur naturalists, and provide valuable information to the scientific community. The data will be made available to the wider public through the development of a Seasonal Sightings calendar for the Middle Rio Grande Valley. This project is ideal for budding naturalists, students, and people who just want to observe nature. To participate, post your observations on www.iNaturalist.org, join the Seasonal Sightings Along the Middle Rio Grande project, or visit www.bernco.gov/openspace to down-load forms. For additional information, call 505-314-0398 or email calangan@bernco.gov . January - Variegated Meadowhawk (dragonfly out in January), Woodpecker (Downy, Hairy, or Northern Flicker) February- Porcupines, FOS* Mourning Cloak Butterfly, LOS** Bald Eagle March - Great Horned Owlets, FOS Turkey Vulture, FOS bats, Three-leaf Sumac blooming, FOS Cliff Swallows under bridges April - FOS Black Chinned Hummingbird, Swallowtail Butterfly, FOS Spiny Soft Shell Turtle May - Wood duck ducklings, FOS New Mexico Whiptail Lizard, Canada Goose goslings June - Woodhouse Toadlets (transitioning onto land from tadpole-hood), Cottonwood cotton/seeds July  - Cicadas, FOS Rufous Hummingbirds, Tiger Salamanders August– Beaver, Dragonflies (Desert Whitetail, Roseate Skimmer), Coachwhip Snake September- Sunflowers blooming, Purple Asters blooming, LOS Blue Grosbeaks, LOS Yellow Warblers October - Chamisa blooming, NM Olive fruiting, Cedar Waxwings November- Sandhill Cranes arriving (FOS on the ground; FOS flyovers happen in late Sept/early Oct), LOS Snowy Egrets December - White-crowned sparrows, coyotes * FOS – First of season **LOS – Last of season The project aims to collect data on all species of plants and animals within the Middle Rio Grande, however, there are several species of interest that will be featured in the calendars. The species of interest include the following. Photo contest!! We are accepting photos of any of the above listed species to be entered into our calendar. If your photo is selected you will receive a free calendar. Please send your photos by September 1st to Colleen at calangan@bernco.gov.