Her Blue Mug

Magnificent Hummingbird

She emailed me and asked if I would be around to bird.  I never met her but I had heard so many wonderful things about this lady. Facebook may not be for everyone, but it can and does connect us with some of the most amazing people.  Over time and through the birding community, we find out who is legit, mass murderer or authentic:) I knew I would be meeting a legit person thanks to word of mouth by my birding friends.  And so at the brilliant hour of 6 AM, I met the woman who loves to put a Blue Mug in her pictures on FB.  This mug represents a happy moment or highlight from the day.  For Kathleen Cameron, it would be her first trek into Southern Arizona.  She brought a companion by the name of Zeke(or was it the other way around:)? Together we scoured the road up Madera Canyon. 

Painted Redstart

I am a natural birder with targets in mind but if I don't find them for the day, I'm ok.  But when birders come to get life birds and ask for help, the pressure is on! I want to get them all of their lifers, but sometimes the birds have other ideas. 

Canyon Wren

Thankfully, it was a great day out and every bird cooperated!  Timing is another thing.  Some windows are better than others.  For example, we dipped on the Elegant Trogon in the afternoon.  The best time for this bird is EARLY in the morning.  Most Trogons around the world are easy to find, but I have to admit that our Elegant Trogon can be a stinker to find for many visiting birders.  

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

We began our fun at the Santa Rita Lodge and did a stationary count.  Later we hiked a trail to find the Trogons. During our observations at the Santa Rita Lodge, I was fascinated by all the birds chowing down on the white moths hanging out near the lodge. It was like popcorn for them. There were 5 different species of bird all feasting on the same moth.   

Bridled Titmouse

Over the years, I have witnessed the increased sightings of Plain-capped Starthroat hummingbirds here in Southern Arizona.  Their populations seem to continue to grow.  This once very rare bird is still considered rare but not RARE like it used to be.  For Zeke, it would be a lifer.  Thankfully, the bird showed up!

Left to right, Broad-billed Hummingbird and Plain-capped Starthroat

This photo below was taken last year.  One of the field marks to look for on this large hummer is their vertical white stripe on the back.  It's also the largest hummingbird of the charm.  Even larger than the Magnificent Hummingbird featured above!

While we were there observing lots of awesome birds, I learned much about this place known as Idaho(pronounced Eye-dah-hoe).  Apparently they have birds there that include the ones I need!  From what I understood from our conversations, Idaho is a beautiful place full of fantastic creatures. However, it's about a thousand miles away and a FULL day of driving to get there. I know this only because this is what these two crazy birders did!  They got up at 4:30 AM and arrived into Southern Arizona at 9 PM!!!!!  Now that's dedication!

We went up to Bog Springs and they set up camp for a few days.  While we were there, I knew of several places where Whiskered screech owls like to hang out when they are not nesting.  Of course, they are never there when I take birders to see this would-be-lifer.  So I was just going to tell them to keep an eye out in a certain area for this pretty awesome owl.  As I pointed to the hole, everyone just dropped their jaw with several indiscernible words coming out of our mouths.  This was a moment!  Quietly, we all took our photos from a distance careful not to disturb this beautiful creature. 

We spent a longer while observing this often-heard-but-rarely-seen owl.  Talk about luck! This was a Christmas miracle especially now that their nesting has finished. Many will begin their migration back south during the month of August.  

Whiskered-screech Owl

We continued on after seeing an increase in people around the canyon.  Owls make people crazy and even if a person isn't a birder, they still go bananas for them.  So to keep the owl safe and protected, we casually moved up the trail not attracting attention. 

As for that blue mug?  Well, I got to hold it with my new friends!

Photo by Zeke Watkins-an ebird reviewer in Idaho

Here's a little info on Kathleen Cameron.  She is a birding guide based out of Idaho.  Founder of her company, Majestic Feathers Birding Tours, she leads tours into wonderful places like Peru, Costa Rica, Panama, etc etc! In fact, Colombia is on their agenda for next year. Over the past couple of years, Colombia has really become a safe place for birders and tourists to travel.  In fact, this year I have been getting many positive reports from birders and travelers alike about the country.  For birders, this is an AWESOME opportunity to explore one of the birdiest countries in the world.  After spending the day with Kathleen and Zeke, I can say I would love to bird again with them both.  My trip to Mexico zapped a lot of my bird energy.  With the temps rising and my energy levels disappearing, I had to return home to regenerate again:)

Kathleen also produced a documentary called Connecting With Owls.  This is a great DVD full of owl info and fun.  To purchase her DVD, you can click here. The Whiskered screech owl, a bird that only makes it up into Southern Arizona during the spring and summer, was a new owl for Kathleen which made the day a whole lot more special. Maybe it was her blue mug that brought us such fortune? Anyhow, birding is awesome and so are the people.   

And speaking of owls, here is the lastest update on the ones I've seen this year.  It has been a good year indeed! For more fun about birds, check out I'D Rather B Birdin' over at Anni's blog! Until next time friends.....

L to R
Barn, Western screech, Ferruginous Pygmy Owls
Northern Pygmy, Great Horned, Burrowing Owls
Long-eared, Whiskered screech, Snowy Owl(in WI this year)
Spotted, Elf and Great Horned Owlet