Saturday, October 26, 2019

Welcome Surprises

A Sonoran Bumblebee stops for a look
Summer has officially left the desert and the end of the 2019 year is coming.  As we get closer to the start of the holidays, I've been enjoying some peaceful outings with friends and family. 


Our friend Bonnie from Wales came to visit. And it was a blast getting to hang out with Sherry too! We took a nice hike in Madera Canyon to find that elusive Elegant Trogon.  


After our hike, we sat at the Santa Rita Lodge feeders and watched a Black-throated Gray Warbler take a sip from the fountain. 

Swainson's Hawk
As we took my Santa Rita bird route, we had a lingering Swainson's Hawk fly over our heads.  This bird was most likely heading south for the winter. 


With the extreme temps gone now, it's SO nice to sit under a rock and absorb the natural world around us.  


A male Vermilion Flycatcher fluoresces in the autumn light. 


This year has been all about reflection. About friends.  About sharing the experience with others. I remember those days when I did all of my birding alone, but now, I can't imagine my world without these friends. 

Bronzed Cowbird
One night after a rough day at work, I went to a local park to count black birds.  Not everyone gets into the black birds, but I like this group a lot.  I sat on a lawn at a local park and watched them feed from the grasses. When I say black birds, I literally mean any bird that is black including cowbirds and blackbirds:)

Yellow-headed Blackbirds
To my surprise I discovered many of our wintering birds are coming back!  


juvenile Gray Hawk
While some of our summering ones still linger. 


I welcome the wintering birds.  I welcome those friendships both new and old.  And I welcome back these wonderful temperatures.  Winter has come.  Next week we celebrate autumn in the Pacific Northwest.  I hope you join me for our adventures with friend and bird guide Khanh Tran.  Until next time friends.....

4 comments:

  1. Hello, birding with your friends sounds like a great time. Wonderful bird sightings and photos. Some are new to me and some I have seen like the Yellow-headed Blackbird. They are pretty blackbirds. Happy birding.
    Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy new week ahead.

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  2. Wonderful set of birds - I really like catching up with birders from outside of Australia - although it does not happen very often!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  3. Sharing passions with friends provides so much more enjoyment. Hail to the cooler temperatures and the arrival of your winter friends.

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  4. Beautiful photos and the Vermilion Flycatcher is a stunning bird :)

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Thanks for stopping by!