Final Exams and Birds

Lewis's Woodpecker

During my final exam period, I find it hard to go birding with all the grading I have to do.  I force myself to go out and keep up with the challenges even though I've seen most of Arizona's birds many times. I'd rather sleep. I do it because when spring comes, I'm often asked to guide.  And it's good to keep fresh with our key species here like the Rufous-capped Warblers, Black-capped Gnatcatchers, Red-faced and Olive Warblers, etc. 

Arizona has large pecan groves and during the winter, it's always a good idea to check these trees for not only the Lewis's Woodpeckers but other species as well like the Red-breasted Sapsucker. Some of these groves are on private property and others grow in city parks or abandoned lots.  

Savannah Sparrow

It was a good weekend out.  The sparrows are back again and I enjoy sorting through all of them during my counts.  And of course, the month of December always seems to be a banner month for wintering Lawrence's Goldfinches as they feed from the seed heads of a particular grass that grows here. I couldn't believe the numbers at each of the stops we made!

Lawrence's Goldfinches

On Saturday, I went out with Micheal to the town of Patagonia to bird the Patagonia-Sonoita Nature Conservancy and look for the reported Carolina Wren. We didn't see it but I get a sense that it's probably the same bird who showed up early this year at Patagonia Lake State.  We had a nice hike and found lots of great birds, mammals and a male tarantula below. 

We laughed at the antics of the juvenile Coue's Whitetail Deer as they jumped around in the fields chasing one another.  In total, we counted around 36 deer!  Apparently, there are many many more.  I sat at the end of our walk on a bench speaking with the volunteer.  According to Micheal, we spoke for over an hour about birds.  How does that even happen?  I felt bad so I treated him to dinner.  I could have camped there that night.  It was so beautiful.  

Coue's Whitetail Deer

While on the trails there, I heard the distinct electronic sliding "ZEET!" call of the Black-capped Gnatcatchers. So I began taking pics for photo documentation to submit to the report.  When I got home, I discovered a Blue-gray had slipped into the middle of my Black-capped Gnatcatchers just to meddle with my ID abilities.  These can be extremely difficult birds to ID.  Thankfully I had pics of both species.  When documenting this "rare(but growing)" population of Black-capped Gnatcatchers, it's important to ID 4 key items.  The important part is to see the under tail of this species for the white pattern.  A long narrow bill is helpful but not always easy to figure out when the bird is alone.  There is also a brownish tone to the back of these birds in winter. Lastly, their call is distinct.  If you have audio equipment, try to record their call for your ebird report. But if the bird is silent, make sure you ID that under tail. It's always easy when you spot a male in summer with a black cap and an almost all white under tail. 

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

We finished up our trek to Patagonia successfully.  Then Sunday arrived.  I hung out with my friend Hollie to bird around her area in Green Valley.  We had a blast exploring new areas that are now open for birders to explore. It was a crazy day full of rare birds. To make the day even better, it was cold and foggy!

Daylight forces me to be smart about where I bird.  Sometimes all I can do is bird my local patch. 

drake Canvasback

After work, I rush over to Reid Park to do my weekly bird count.  It rarely disappoints. 

When you're a drake Wood Duck, it's hard not to be conspicuous

As I finish up with grades, I am also planning for 3 upcoming treks over the next several weeks.  Some of these treks are for specific birds.  We'll be road tripping back into California for possibly the last time as we search for the Yellow-billed Magpie and Mountain Quail.  That's all I have left for species on land in Cali. I lived in the Bay area once and I remember observing the Yellow-billed Magpies often, but I glanced at them.  And I wasn't a birder.  So we're going to make it official and fun in the process. 

Neotropic Cormorant

There are other birds that are like that for me in the US.  I call them "clean up" birds because they live in out-of-the-way areas that often require special trips due to their range restrictions. 

The Big Feet of an American Coot

Finally, I'd like to address something that has bothered me over the past several weeks.  The birder's club is just like any kind of human social group. It has good members and a few naughty ones.  Often I love my birder peeps, but there are some that break the rules and ruin it for everyone.  I dropped off the AZ Listserv after I kept getting emails from every Tom, Dick and Henrietta about reporting owls.  It got annoying.  Before that, I was irritated by birders who don't follow land rules and trespass. If you're reading this, I'm preaching to the choir.  Apparently, I'm not the only one.  The Green Valley Water Treatment Plant must have also been annoyed because it took time to create this monstrosity of a sign.  Birding continues to grow and with it, we must all teach the newbies the rules. Or we lose important places to bird, not bird watch:) "Bird Watchers" made me laugh.  We are birders.  When someone says bird watcher, I think of robin strokers which is not birding.  Bird watching is like sitting at your window and not knowing what you're seeing.  You just like the birds. And that's ok. I will even admit that I bird watch from my dining room window. Birding is a whole lot of "work"!

Ok.  I'm off my soap box now.  Final exams are notorious for making teachers grouchy.  Teenagers are sneaky.  Soon, I'll be able to finish up my grades and fully commit to travel again.  Next week we join my one and only CBC for this year up on Mt. Lemmon. I'm hoping we have some cool weather with some cool birds.  Until next time......

A Poverty Of Loneliness

“In order to be open to creativity, one must have the capacity for constructive use of solitude. One must overcome the fear of being alone.” ~Rollo May

While on our trek finding the Pelagic Cormorants, we observe all kinds of people including fisher people hoping to catch something

No one may understand this.  I don't even think I understand myself why I do the things I do.  This was perhaps the strangest way I could have spent the holidays.  Alone.  And not just alone but among people who don't have money nor the family or friends for support.  Thankfully, my birding plans and two new friends kept my mind busy during this important trek.  After all, the year is coming to a close and I'm running out of time to find new birds!

A beautiful Christmas Eve day at Imperial Pier with Bonnie and Libby!

Birders begin to hit the "Lifer Wall" and we have to go beyond our comfort zones so that we may discover more life birds.  From here on out, life birds will become expensive.  Many of us will share hotel rooms or find the cheapest rates out there to stay within our budgets.  Birds will also guide us into areas that most tourists never see.  So on this trek during the holidays, I found myself surrounded by so many who were alone. The only difference is that I had a choice.  They didn't.

The quiet of sunrise allows me a chance encounter with this beautiful skunk

This was probably the hardest thing I had to do. I want to understand and experience what it's like for a person doing a Big Year.  My family, and even Pat, wanted to know why I had to go and do this trek.  Logistically, it is the best time to go.  Birders plot all the time.  It's the end of the year.  But what's difficult for most birders is this human ritual need of "holiday".  However, the roads are empty and the rates for hotels are super cheap.  So in between all of this push and pull, there is a compromise we all have to make.  I've always been with family and friends during my 41 years of life.  But this year, I wanted to know what it was like to be on the other side of the fence. The homeless Vietnam Vet at Lindo Lake.  The mentally ill woman on the pier.  The single elderly woman who celebrated Christmas Day dinner alone.  The poor families living out of a hotel....alone. I even went to the San Diego Zoo to be among families on Christmas Eve day to experience the world as a single person.  Let me just say it in plain English.  It sucked!

Libby has to wait in line!

Now my new buds Libby, Bonnie and Patty were there to help keep my chin up.  They were so wonderful and even invited me to their potluck, but I had to stick to my route...and budget!  How I would have loved to stay!  Bonnie sent me off with Christmas cookies(lembas bread) that kept me from getting hungry on my hikes:)  SIDE NOTE *I had such a great time with you both!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for such an amazing adventure! We'll see you again next year! 

We spend a gorgeous night out in Chula Vista(pic by Libby)

So on Christmas Day, I couldn't handle it anymore.  Instead of getting a visual on the California Quail that I heard at Discovery Lake, I hightailed it back home to be with Pat's family. And by early afternoon, there I was inside my clan of crying babies and loud children with their exhausted parents.  Together we ate too much of everything including turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and egg rolls.  And I am grateful for this.  I will never understand the need for physical gifts because for me, it has always been about sharing meaningful time together. 

Young cocky surfers could learn so much from the pros. 

The left side of the pier had the older surfers who were pros!  On the other, we found the beginners learning how to catch the right wave.

While I had a successful birding run into SoCal, I won't forget the experience anytime soon. What will happen to the homeless Vietnam Vet?  People sat with him on the bench and listened to his story while I glanced at the endangered Tricolored Blackbirds.  What will happen to the mentally ill woman on the pier?  I think of her the most.  I don't know why her image continues to linger in my mind.  While observing surfers and watching birds, I listened to her conversations with people around the pier.  She was lonely and needed human contact.  We all do. 

This Ring-billed Gull reminds me of most people going for the last piece of ham on the platter!

No matter how much I try to distance myself from people outside of work, I realize that I am no different than anyone else. These human rituals are important and ingrained within us. We are pack animals and need one another to get through this difficult life. On the lonely road into Southern California, I thought about many things on this birding trek.  And maybe this is what it means to be a birder.  An explorer.  Birds are just a piece of the entire experience.

Red-throated Loon

As I approach 600 life birds, I begin to feel the weight of each new bird. What happens to one at 700 or 1,500?  We change.  Each bird exposes me to yet another human reality or connection to the greater world. 

Pic by Libby.  

This is Patty.  I fell in love with her while visiting with Bonnie and Libby.  So many people do not understand Rock Pigeons.  We think of them as pests and yet I found her to be rather endearing. I also discovered that all she wants most is to be with others. I learned a great deal from her in a short amount of time.  Rock Pigeons, like people, prefer to be in the company of others.  Patty also showed me some of her moves! Pretty cool stuff!  More to come....

Surf's Up!

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Right now, the watering holes around Arizona are hot with migrating waterfowl from the north.  Birders are rushing to these areas to pick up a rare bird or two for their checklists.  

Thousand of tiny bugs catch the last light of the day.  

Over the past week, I've left work and headed straight away to our local parks and watering holes to see if I can catch a gull, duck or rare goose. 

Ducks and more ducks!  Ring-necked Duck, American Coots, American Wigeons and Domestic Ducks are just some of the characters who show up for their picture.

The light diminishes quickly now.  By the time I arrive to my destinations, I have about one hour to bird before it's completely dark. 

Coachline Pit Ebird Hotspot

In many ways, birding around water areas is very relaxing.  I grab my binoculars and just scan the waters.  Birds float past, fly overhead or just simply appear out of nowhere from beneath the water's surface when I stand in one spot. 

Western Grebe

Recently, Arizona has seen a great number of rare birds zip through the area.  

Clark's Grebe-my first decent photo documentation of this tricky bird.  Note orange colored bill and dark above the eye.  The above pic shows how similar the Clark's and Western Grebes are.  In Pima County, a Clark's Grebe is a rare gem. This bird was seen at Sahuarita Community Lake

There have been amazing birds like the very rare American Tree Sparrow, White-winged Scoter, Purple Finch, Bonaparte's Gull, etc......

When the report of a Surf Scoter surfaced, I drove 2 hours to go find it!  And so I sifted through every American Coot floating around the boat launch until I caught sight of my target bird. 

Say's Phoebe

With the cool temps and even cooler breezes off Saguaro Lake, I sat on a rock and watched my lifebird float past me nearby the shore.  There she was.  Something special.  A gem.

Saguaro Lake

Scoters tend to stay in the deeper waters.  Most people count them with their scopes from shore.  When I heard that this bird was hanging out near the shore, it was a no brainer.  The Scoter at this moment trumped everything else being seen in the state. 

Redhead

I watched this bird chase coots and dive into the water. She was magnificent and made Year Bird 456.  Next time you are at a park, check to see if a swan, duck, grebe, coot, scoter, heron, gull or sandpiper has stopped by.  You never know who is going to show up:)

Female Surf Scoter

While on my road trips this week, I've been listening to Rose Ave's new album.  I can't stop humming the tune to this song!

                                                   

The Winds of Change

The seasonal desert changes are subtle and in some cases, almost invisible. If it weren't for the promise of lower temps in the fall and winter, southern Arizona wouldn't be such a popular place. And so when migration commences towards the end of July into August, birders know that some incredible birds will come our way. The only thing?  The onslaught of deadly heat. This year, for the first time in my life, I can actually see the changes. 

Blue-footed Booby

Nowhere is it more apparent than with the migration of birds.  Storms still blow in rare birds like the Blue-footed Booby above.

And people still escape the heat with water.  It was this way before and forever it shall be I think until the end of our days.

On a hot day with a Mega Rare, Code 4 bird(5 is the highest), North American birders came from all over the country once again to get this first ever recorded sighting of a Blue-footed Booby in SE Arizona.  I have seen these birds in the thousands on several islands off of the coast of Northern Mexico. But for Kathie, it would be a lifebird.

I just needed to bird.....really bird.  I hadn't done so for a full week.  But as is the case during this time of year, my thoughts turned towards the future.   

I have been reading about the historical birding spots of Arizona.  Some have changed.  Some have not. And some are in danger of disappearing.  Thanks to great documentation by birders over the decades, we, today, are able to walk their footsteps and glimpse at what was, is or may become.

Kino Springs

We birded Patagonia and Kino Springs near the Mexican border.  These places, thankfully haven't changed much.

Lazuli Bunting

But as birds are now heading south, my thoughts wandered more about old birder haunts that I had read about.  Birders who are now gone.  Had the birds they had seen also changed over time?

American Coot

And then there are the birds. Those magical wonderful and random sightings that happen during migration.  I watched as a Nashville Warbler went through my garden patch in Midtown Tucson(Speedway/Alvernon).  It was a show stopper. It slowly jumped around my potted plants and while it was thrilling, I thought about the long journey ahead.  For 5 special minutes, I watched outside my living room window as it hopped out of my area picking up bugs from the ground until it disappeared for good.  And then I was sad.  In my mind, I said, "Buen viaje" or Good journey.  Never had I felt that before. I have about 15 regular birds at my feeders.  This particular bird was a first!!!  We traveled hours to find this bird in Yuma during winter. But for this time around, we didn't have to do anything but look out our window. 

Nashville Warbler

And yet our weekend was full of wonderful finds in Sonoita and Patagonia.......we discovered Grasshopper Sparrows, Buntings and more!

Eastern Meadowlark

Then we stopped at a place to watch birds.  It has been historically a birder hotspot for many decades. As with everything, change is inevitable.  The Paton's passed away and today Tucson Audubon, Victor Emanuel Nature Tours and the American Bird Conservancy are trying to save the house and property.  It's a landmark for so many people.  But will it stay open?  Time will tell.  It might very well have been my last time there. If you are interested in helping save this place, click here to make a donation. This drive will happen until October 15th.

Paton's House

I watched the Pipevine Butterfly dance across flowers.

Time has changed me.  It has made me more aware and sensitive to the subtle movements within this larger world.  One cycle ends and another begins.  But just how many cycles will I get of my own in this lifetime?  I have only scratched the surface on this lifelong world journey.