| Ownership |
Private, one owner in California,
the other in Portales area. |
| Habitats |
Riparian woodland, Shrubland (lowland arid), Grassland |
| Land-use |
Agriculture, Hunting |
| Threats |
Disturbance to birds |
| Site Criteria |
State conservation species (D1) |
| Site Description |
Boone's Draw is a fairly
large, isolated patch of cottonwoods, salt cedar and seep willow 15 miles
southwest of Portales, NM and surrounded by grassland, sand sage, and
agricultural fields. The area is located a mile south of mile marker 7 on
NM-480. The road in is a dirt track and may not be passable in wet weather.
Since the trees are down in the draw, only the tops are visible from NM-480. The
forested area is shaped like a barbell oriented in a north-south direction.
The sections are referred to as the north woods, the narrows, and the
south woods. The narrows is primarily salt cedar with scattered cottonwoods.
The north and south woods are primarily cottonwoods with the south woods being
more open. Birds are found throughout, though the north woods and north half of
the narrows tend to be more productive. There is no permanent water. |
| Birds |
This area attracts a large number of migrants and
the diversity can be incredible. In particular, the number of flycatchers is
sometimes astounding. Flycatcher numbers during the summer and fall migration
average 35/day with a maximum seen of 72/day. |
| Conservation Issues |
There have been problems
with hunters, beer parties, and campers. The
fire department has been called out to put out ground fires. |
| Conservation Plan |
|
| Monitor(s) |
None assigned. |
| Nominator |
Christopher Rustay, 1824 Stanford Drive NE,
Albuquerque, NM, 87106 |
| Sources |
Personal observations (PO), e-bird (E) |
| Links |
eBird
New Mexico Hot Spot |
| Directions |
The area is located a mile
south of mile marker 7 on NM-480, 15 miles southwest of Portales, NM.
Private land, do not trespass. While the north grove is not
fenced, gated, or posted, the narrows and south grove are fenced and have
clearly been posted. |
