A Matter of Perspective

Hi all!  Just a quick hello to let you all know I'm around but it's quite busy right now. Of course, my work and posts are collecting and waiting for a write up but I don't know how quickly I'll be getting to them.  But in the meantime.....

None of the work today is my own.  These are from Mr. Micheal Ada.  He's a close friend of mine who wanted to try his hand at photography in Saguaro National Park.

He takes some brilliant shots and adds a different "flavor" to the shots I would normally post.  With his permission, he gave me the green light to post his work.

We work as a team often scouting various locations to film.  In the shot below, he captures a Turkey Vulture lifting off from several hieroglyphs.  Epic!!!

I'm loving his new lens because it captures all the detail on the bird's wings.

The Turkey Vulture begins to catch the thermals and rise.

Meanwhile, the Saguaros continue to bloom and the birds take advantage.  Below the female Gila Woodpecker enjoys this easy food source.

I taught Micheal how to pish birds out.  And he did!  I'm so proud of him for doing this!!!  While he's not a birder, he does have a steadier hand than I do with the camera.  Not that I'm jealous, but he captures this Black-tailed Gnatcatcher perfectly!

When I was reviewing the shots, I was stunned at how well these photos of this bird turned out!!!  Really excellent work on his part.

To be honest, it was nice to not have a camera and snap shots.  I occassionally enjoy going without the camera just to call things out and observe with the naked eye. 

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

Things are going to get crazy right now.  I have a lot on my plate but I'll post at least once a week next month.  There'll be coverage on the Phoenix Comicon(non-bird:), Guatemala(national parks and birds/animals!), and several personal triumphs over these past weeks on the road searching for elusive critters.  But for today, I'd like to thank Micheal for his contributions at Las Aventuras!  If you're visiting Tucson, bring plenty of sunblock, a hat and of course, water!!!  More coming soon!

Run Lola Run!

Stilt Sandpiper

When nature calls, you run!!! A Stilt Sandpiper in Tucson????  No way!!!  "Hurry up Pat!  Drop everything and get in the car!!!" 

Neotropic Cormorant

I froze and pulled myself together.  Get camera.  Get keys.  Grab phone.  Lock door.  Laundry can wait!

Killdeer

We get to Lakeside Park in Tucson and scan the artificial shores for the birds.  Southwest corner.  Southwest corner.....where is that? We located the Southwest corner and moved.  It's not everyday one sees this bird AND in breeding plumage!!!

Brown-crested Flycatcher

And there we find the Stilt Sandpiper!!!  Just one!  We hold very still and zoom in with the camera lens.

A gorgeous bird and yet another lifebird for me.  I got the shots and moved away to count other birds.

As we continued on this windy day along Lakeside Park, we noticed two dogs running along the lake towards the Sandpiper, Killdeer and family of Mallards.  Two dog owners let their dogs off the leash and the birds flew off.  It happened in a matter of 20 minutes.  Had we hestitated; we would have dipped on this bird.  Within the blink of an eye, the birds flew off and the ladies disappeared with their dogs.  We were upset and by the time we got back to the spot, the birds were not found.  Later on in the day, one of the birds was found with a damaged wing.  It was taken in by a Wildlife Rescue crew.  Just a good reminder for dog owners to keep their pets on the leash. 

Western Wood Pewee

The day would continue as we had great views of some fantastic birds.  While the Western Wood Pewee(above) was not a lifebird, it was the first time I was able to get a great shot of this bird.

Flower on Tree Cholla

And along the way, we found lots of other colorful characters........

Lucy's Warbler on Saguaro Cactus

.....which made for the best day ever:) 

Western Tanager