Spring Birds Along the Rio Grande. A very green spring continues to pop along the banks of the Rio Grande. Our New Wave headquarters are located on the river, at Embudo, NM, where the Rio Grande Gorge opens up to a lush valley. The river is a bird corridor, or flyway, for birds migrating up or down, in the spring and the fall. One migrant that is seen every spring is the Western tanager. The Bewick’s wrens raised a brood here last year, and we’re hoping that the male can lure in a female for this year. The Downy woodpecker seems to be around here year-long, coming and going.
Male Bewick’s wren singing.
The spring run-off has now started in earnest, with today’s (5-3-2019) reading at 2380 cfs. “Cfs” is an acronym for “cubic feet of water a second”. What is a cubic foot? Imagine a box that is 12″on all sides. That’s a cubic foot. Now imagine the amount of water contained in 2380 such boxes passing by in a second’s time. That’s 2380 cfs. Does this much water make for good rafting? It sure does.
