Hi,
I received a lot of good information on Socorro, New Mexico,so I am hoping it will work out that we are able to take a few days off and do some birding, end of April or second week of May. So thanks to everyone for your help......

Having just finished the last page of The Owl And The Woodpecker, I have spent a lot of time remembering my very first encounters with owls, as well as discovering the kinds of woodpeckers I was surrounded with in Kansas, back in the day.
When I got hooked on birding, it was maybe 28(or more) years ago, I went camping with my in-laws at a my dad's small cabin in south central Kansas. I was able to use my sister in laws binos for that weekend, but was then on my own.
One day, I discovered a huge nest in a field, and as I approached it I realized it was a Great Horned Owl. I walked quickly to this nest, in full view of the nesting pair. Halfway through the field, much to my horror, one came after me, talons bearing down, and before I could hit the dirt, my cap was knocked off......I was shocked and hurt by this behaviour. Of course I laugh at this now, because I know that is NOT the thing to do, and being terribly young, I had no idea they would not appreciate my excitement over them nesting so close by.
Soon after, a neighbor to my dad's cabin informed me that there were long eared owls in the pine trees roosting at night. So that night, and several there after, I would noisily walk around peeking into the trees with flashlight in hand. I found evidence they had been roosting there, but was baffled they were no where to be seen.
When I got my first Eastern Screech Owl, it was an injured species stuck in the small zoo at Riverside Park, so I added it to my life list, I added a lot of bird species that day!
I finally got some binos, and bird book, but the Woodpecker which I did not think I would EVER see was the Pileated. (had to get to Washington for that) There is a reserve, Chaplin Santuary, something like that a good hours drive from Wichita, and I searched and searched, and was nearly in tears by the end of the day. I had NO idea what to look for, or what to listen to. I got the first edition of National Geographic's Field guide, and even got a little thin vinyl record with bird calls, but there was so little on there, and many that we didn't have in Kansas.......
Times have changed, and I found most of my beloved birds, NOT in the zoo, or escapees, I am only missing one owl, and maybe 3 woodpeckers for North America.
Anyway, I have to bird on a regular basis again, after reading this book. I cannot help myself.

Have a great weekend!
Vicki Biltz
Bonney Lake