New Mexico is known as the Land of Enchantment, and if you’ve visited the Manzano Mountains HawkWatch you know why. Just as we hit the peak of migration and crews begin counting the majority of the 5,000 raptors that migrate through each season, the leaves begin to change, providing the perfect setting to practice your raptor ID skills.
Plus, this year’s crew includes lots of seasoned hawkwatchers, who are ready to help you hone your skills!
Tim Baerwald
Tim is from Michigan and has an extensive background in avian fieldwork. He has worked on projects including hawk counts, raptor banding, waterbird counts, and shorebird nest surveys and banding. This is Tim’s third season counting with HawkWatch International after two seasons at the Bonney Butte HawkWatch and his first at the Manzano Mountains HawkWatch.
Carrie Coonan
Carrie is excited to return for her second year of migration at the Manzano Mountains HawkWatch! Originally from Southern California, Carrie moved to Scotland for her bachelor’s in Ecology & Conservation and a master’s in Animal Behaviour at the University of St. Andrews, where she observed the foraging behaviors of crows for her thesis. Since then, she has studied breeding seabirds on the Farallon Islands and nests of bald eagles in the Sonoran Desert. In her free time, Carrie engages in typical California hobbies like surfing, skateboarding, and yoga. She is eager to explore more of New Mexico and to continue the hunt for Bigfoot that last year’s team began. Her biggest goal this season is to catch her favorite raptor, a Prairie Falcon.
Mia Cinello-Smith
Mia is ecstatic to return to the Manzano Mountains HawkWatch for their second fall migration season! After their first season of hawkwatching, they worked as a herpetology technician at the Jones Center at Ichauway in the Coastal Plain of Georgia, assessing the amphibian presence, particularly the cryptic gopher frog. While out East, she was able to see Swallow-tailed Kites and Red-shouldered Hawks and was blown away by how gorgeous they were in person! Before graduating from BSU with a B.S. in Biology with an emphasis in ecology, evolution, and behavior with a minor in environmental studies, she was involved in a variety of research projects centered on conservation across multiple taxa, such as plants, invertebrates, and mammals. When not working, they play video games, read, edit media, and hike. Back home in the west, their favorite raptors are the Swainson’s and Broad-winged Hawks. Mia is most excited to be back in New Mexico and living on raptor time.
Jacie Osier
Jacie comes from Fargo, North Dakota, and recently graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead with an Ecology and Health and Medical Sciences degree. She has previously done nest searching and protection for Florida Grasshopper Sparrows, nest searches for urban Merlins and point counts in the tallgrass prairie of Minnesota, and point counts in the Sierra Nevada in Northern California! She likes to weight lift, run, and play (and watch) soccer! Jacie is most looking forward to getting better at her raptor ID. Her favorite raptor is the Crested Caracara because of her time in south-central Florida!
Matthew Kline
Matthew recently earned a BS in Biology from Wake Forest University. In their spare time, they enjoy birding, mammal watching (especially bats), and herping. Their favorite raptor is the Amazonian Pygmy-owl. This season, they most look forward to working directly with raptors and seeing new species.
If you need help planning your trip or are curious about how the count is going throughout the season, join our “Friends of Manzano Mountains HawkWatch” Facebook group! You can chat directly with our crew and other bird nerds excited about the fall count.
This blog was written by Sammy Riccio, our Communications Manager, as well as our 2024 crewmembers. You can learn more about Sammy here.
