Trachet, Joan 1989 Journal 17. Hila River near Cliff Creek Cr., New Mexico. Elevation 4500 ft. August 1: some discontinuities, composed of large Fremont Cottonwoods, mainly 50-60' (COT) tall, 3-5'dbh. In some stretches, the woodland was basically all cottonwood with little understory. Other areas had significant cover parts of willows, box elder, and walnut, and dense understory vegetation, too (but nowhere as thick as was everywhere in the Bird Habitat Conservation Area). Very fine thin grasses were pastures, mostly well-grown grass. There were several scattered patches of Helianthus and some lesser quantities of thistle seen, as well as other wildflowers. Goldfinches were everywhere fairly numerous this morning. There are too many free ranging cows to set up nets, so I collected by gun today. Weather today: foggy at dawn (~06:20), lifting by 07:15. Sunny until 10:45 when thunderclouds began building. Rainy candy ~13:30. Brief, heavy thunderstorm 14:30 accompanied by high winds, then cleared by 16:00. Clouds visibly dispersed around 17:30, with more heavy showers more or less continuous after 19:15 until well after sunset. Temperature range 60-85=70°F. Species List: Amphibians: Bufo microscopus - 3 Rana (Lepid frog) sp - 4 Rana catesbiana - 12 Reptiles - Two Rigid - 2 E. Force Rigid - 30 Birds: Great Blue Heron - 2 Green-backed Heron - 1 Weldland - 4 Crowned Warbler - 5 Turkey Vulture - 10 Osprey's Hawk - Nest + 3 juv. Cnemidophorus sp - 20 Taurophalus sp - DSR Cranan Black Hawk - 5 (2 juv) Red-tailed Hawk - 6 (4 juv) American Kestrel - 2 (1?, 1 4 o.) Grouble's Quail - 40 Kilber - 10 Spotted Sandpiper - 6