Avian Mitigation Success Stories We work with many clients to provide a win-win situation for both birds and business operations.  Here are just a few of our successes. These Red-tailed Hawk chicks were found in a nest along the high-wall of an active mine in northern New Mexico.  The nest was in danger, and the young needed to be rescued.  The eggs were hatched in an incubator, raised by an educational bird, and then released into the wild.  Client: Public Service Company of New Mexico  (PNM)   Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus): Hawks Aloft worked closely with PNM in 2004 to rescue injured birds and mitigate disturbance to nests.  PNM discovered an active Killdeer nest in their Belen Service Center parking lot.  Because the nest was in an area of high vehicle traffic, and moving the nest was not feasible, we transported the eggs to a rehabilitator.  Two eggs successfully hatched, and the rehabilitator raised the young and released them in suitable Killdeer habitat.    Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis): PNM discovered a Western Kingbird nest with young on a transformer they intended to replace.  After consulting with us, they insulated the transformer to protect the birds, and postponed their plans to replace the transformer until after the anticipated fledging date.  At another kingbird nest in the egg-laying stage, we worked with PNM to hold the nest for 90 minutes while their crew replaced the transformer.  We enjoy working with PNM and appreciate their interest in avian conservation.   Client: BHP Billiton Coal  BHP Billiton Coal of New Mexico contracted Hawks Aloft in July, 2004 to mitigate an active Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) colony nesting on mining equipment at the La Plata Coal Mine.  The equipment could not be left undisturbed, and the swallows had to be moved.  We worked with mine personnel to carefully remove all 27 young from the nests, including 24 swallows and three House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus).  We transported the young to rehabilitators at Wildlife Rescue of New Mexico for rearing and eventual release.  Sixteen of the 24 swallows and 2 of the 3 finches survived.  Most of these birds were released in 2004, but a few were released in 2005. Client: Central New Mexico Electric Coop The Central New Mexico Electric Coop (CNMEC) received the Hawks Aloft 2004 Conservation Award for their efforts to protect nesting Ferruginous Hawks (Buteo regalis)  in the Estancia Valley.  This rural, electric cooperative responded immediately when they learned of an active Ferruginous nest in their area.  They worked with Hawks Aloft employees Ron Kellermueller, Seamus Breslin, and Will Keeley.  They provided a bucket truck and crew to install a video camera to monitor prey deliveries to the young.  Then, after the young fledged, they returned, dismantled the equipment on the power pole, and lifted and replaced the original nest on a new, safe nesting platform.  The cost to the CNMEC was considerable.  We salute them for their proactive efforts to protect nesting Ferruginous Hawks.  Burrowing Owls Photograph © D. Powell Hawks Aloft works cooperatively with clients to ensure protection of Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia) and their nests at development sites.  Because Burrowing Owls nest in open areas, using old prairie dog burrows, they are occasionally threatened by development.  In 2004, we conducted Burrowing Owl surveys for Sandia Pueblo on land designated for a golf course.  We located 6 owls and recommended that construction activities be delayed until it could be certain that all breeding activity was complete.  The pueblo complied with our recommendations.  Our owl observations occurred near only three of the eighteen holes on the course so the pueblo was able to continue construction on the unaffected areas.  Several young were observed in early August, indicating that the delay in construction probably saved at least one active nest.