For The Journeys Ahead

Northern Harrier

Sometimes we wait in a holding pattern.  But it's the anticipation of the next big adventure that excites the imagination. 

The Knob Hill Fire burns in the Dragoon Mountains

In the meantime, I scout areas and collect data for several birders who will be coming to Southern Arizona for their own adventures.  They too are excited about finding new birds to add to their life lists. It's a job I take seriously.  

Sandhill Crane comes in for a landing. 

The winter months are the only times we are able to observe certain birds.  Every year, I head down to Willcox and Cochise Lake to be among the Sandhill Cranes.  Everyone says to go to the Whitewater Draw.  I love it there too, but it's not the same as Willcox.  If you are a photographer, you head to Willcox.  The birds fly right over your head and land just a few feet away.  It's pretty spiritual. 

Our wildfire season is early this year.  Fire started this weekend on private property and spread over 2 thousand acres on the Dragoon Mountains. While observing the cranes, we watched the fire spread over a section of the mountain.  

Another fun challenge was finding ONE Eurasian Wigeon in the near thousand population of American Wigeons. 

American Wigeons

Can you find the bird?:)

A Eurasian Wigeon

I have written this before and I'll write it again.  I wish I could bird in this weather all the time. It was comfortable.  

On my weekly observation at Reid Park in Tucson, I watched our beautiful wintering Zone-tailed Hawk take flight and stay in the air for nearly 2 hours!  Often it flew right over my head looking for prey. Other times it looked like it just wanted to fly for enjoyment. 

Zone-tailed Hawk

During one moment, I thought the bird had lost its head. 

However, the hawk was just preening.  This is the second observation that I've seen of this species preening in flight. This bird is an acrobat!

On another outing during the week day, I just wanted to bird in a different location.  So I went to Agua Caliente Park for an evening count. 

Agua Caliente Park

I hadn't researched this location.  I just wanted to bird.  Birding keeps my skills sharp for the people who rely on me to find their birds.  Maybe you've noticed this about yourself with certain species of birds?  I tend to glance over some species while with others, I look at more closely.  Such is the case with sparrows. My gaze lingers a little longer with these bubbly happy-go-lucky birds. 

a beautiful Swamp Sparrow

I enjoy sparrows.  I don't know why. Most people don't get into these birds but I could spend hours watching them hop around bushes.  During that evening, there were a couple Lincoln's Sparrows in the area and I was enjoying their fine plumage design when I noticed this Swamp Sparrow(above and below) next to them!  Wow!  It's a rare bird for Pima County in the winter, but it was a most welcome sight!

We went on other adventures, mostly for the walk.  I just needed to bird pretty spaces after those past couple weekends of gross agricultural habitat.  It was really really nice. 

We take a lovely stroll in Ramsey Canyon of the Huachuca Mountains

While up on Mt. Lemmon, I met two people who signed up for our trip with Tucson Audubon to the Huachucas in August.  I had a blast getting to know them and we had a great time finding birds. It was fun hearing their excitement as I got them on great birds. My reports are below. 

Northern Flicker

This year's theme is all about family and friends in other places.  I am working on one trip now and looking forward to the challenges ahead.  While I wait, I will continue to count birds around the state.  I try to balance it all out. People in my life will sometimes say, "I wish I could travel like you do."  A lot of them could, but often it seems like it's outside of their personal comfort zones. I've just made it a personal mandate.  I've earned it.  There's no looking back.  Only forward.  You only get one life.  Own it and find happiness.  Until next time.....

For Agua Caliente Park, click here. 
For Willcox Lake, click here. 
For Mt. Lemmon, click here. 
For Reid Park, click here. 

Picking Up The Pieces

Where do I begin?  How does one deal with tragedy after extreme happiness? Most people prefer the company of others.  I need space to breathe.  And I did a lot of birding alone in nearby locations to pull myself together. It is my coping strategy for sad moments.  

American Wigeons

It took me a couple weeks to process what had all happened.  The wedding.  And then the funeral. Why??!!!!  She was so young!

If Aunt Deborah had stayed in Arizona and not come to Colorado for our wedding, would she still be alive today?  My last words to her in Estes Park were, "I love you."  I then gave her a big hug.  When I did, I could see that she was very sick. She was frail and had lost a lot of weight over the past month. Whatever it was, it was much more serious than we had thought. 

Lesser Scaup

It had been two months since we last saw her.  She had been going to the doctors during that time to try and figure out what was going on with her health.  At the time, she didn't know if she would make it to Colorado.  But for Deborah, it wasn't a discussion. She'd be there. Period. 

My mother-in-law and her sister Deborah.  They were inseparable and always there for one another

In fact, she has ALWAYS been there for her family.  When her 5 grandchildren's lives were in jeopardy, she, along with her sister, saved them from their "mother", Deborah's estranged daughter. As a single woman on a very tight budget, she raised FIVE kids with the help of her sister.  When I first met her years ago, I had nothing but admiration for this incredible woman. She had a heart of gold. The best kind of person one could ever know. 

Female American Wigeon

Deborah was a strong woman who survived an abusive husband. After she left him, she went back to school and got herself an education in the pharmaceutical world. When her now disgraced daughter began a life of prostitution, drugs and crime, both the sisters stepped in and took legal custody of the kids. It was a tough love with her grandchildren....but it was love. She sacrificed so much for them so that they could live a good life free from the troubles of her daughter's poor life decisions. There is no question about how much she loved her grandkids.  She wouldn't say it out loud.  She would blow it off and make a joke about it all with a couple foul words.  But there wasn't anything funny about the sincerity and kindness of this woman. Actions definitely spoke louder than words with Aunt Deborah.

At at birthday party years ago, Deborah lights the candles for one of the many birthday parties. 

Deborah was very humble and deflected any compliment a person would give her.  Those who really knew her, saw her for who she really was. In the last couple years, Deborah began to live again and opened her heart up to another person.  It took a long time but she really loved this guy and he loved her back. Of course, she wouldn't say it out loud, but we saw how happy she was. I mean really really happy. She started smiling again which was a shocking new facial feature for all of us:)  I've known her for 11 years and the last two years were some of her best. To see her grin again made her family very happy. Everyone deserves this feeling, but not everyone is fortunate enough to experience it. 

Reid park near my home

Going back to the Colorado situation. On their drive back to Arizona, Deborah began experiencing breathing issues.  Once they arrived home that evening, her boyfriend forced her to go to the hospital where she stopped breathing.  She was put on life support, but it was too late. 

Gilded Flicker

Meanwhile, the rest of the family was trying to scramble back to Arizona from Colorado.  As we drove down, we blew out our tire at 80 miles an hour!  We were stranded near the New Mexico border for an evening, but we were happy that nothing worse had happened. Strangely, we spent the entire morning searching for a rare tire, not a bird, in the town of Trinidad.  We were finally able to locate just one well used tire on that very stressful morning. It got us home but not in time to be by Deborah's side. 

Agua Caliente Park

When we got to the house, there were relatives already there. At the Buddhist ceremony, we all joined together in a mass chant. The chants were loud, painful and fast. Over and over and over again. Louder and stronger it went as the Buddhist Sangha lead us through our pain. It was very healing as we all let out our inner emotion. I was so glad to be a part of my new family for this time period. 

Mute Swan

Some pray.  And others will chant. I tend to escape to the outdoors and quietly walk alone for times of reflection.  

It's a complicated thing processing true happiness and then extreme sadness. But that's life, isn't it?  It's the journey we all have to make. 

In Scottsdale

During our wedding and during Deborah's farewell, I saw the beauty and power of nature around me.  It speaks to me in ways I can't even explain. It's my church, my temple, my synagogue, and my mosque all in one. IT is my faith. The photo below was taken after the funeral on a private walk in Sierra Vista.  I had a random thought of Bob Ross and Deborah together and laughed at that strange image. 

near the San Pedro River, Sierra Vista

This post is dedicated to you Auntie Deborah. Your presence will be missed here.  Do not worry about your grandchildren. They will be loved and well cared for. And you are loved Deborah more than you could ever know. I know I know. You hate compliments and would probably say something sassy back to us.  But it's that sassy part we loved about you. It let us know that you loved us back. You will never be forgotten. 

Here is a photo of Deborah's family.  When I first met Micheal, they were all little kids.  Today most of them have grown up and one is married!  Her legacy will live on within each of these kids. 

I'll be back soon blogger friends.  It just has taken me time to get back on my feet and process everything that has happened.  Writing is therapeutic for me and it helps me organize my thoughts. I'll be back soon with my upcoming projects for the final part of this year. 

A Wandering Gypsy

On a rainy day, we decided to travel the magical Gila River circuit. We began our route on Highway 77 and circled around the towns of Winkelman, Globe, Florence and then back down to Tucson. 

Tubing down the Gila River

Some people can float down the river and throw their beer cans in the water without a thought.  Me, on the other hand, needed to clean those beer cans up before they were blown into the river. So with Micheal's help, we grabbed most of them off the beach. 

Note Cliff Swallow nests in background.  Who does this??!!!

One of the cans escaped our grasp as the wind blew it into the river! Once the current grabbed it; it was gone! We are now going to start packing garbage bags in our car to get rid of the fish line, beer cans and other piggish human leftovers. It's their reckless behavior that endangers our wildlife and pollutes our few waterways here in Arizona.  And there's not enough people out there to manage these areas properly so much of it goes unsupervised. 

Cliff Swallows nest.  Note the cute juvenile peaking the head out of the nest.

Glad I got that off my chest.  Now for the write!  I know one thing for certain.  Wherever I go, I will find birds.  They might not always be the "target" bird for the day but there always seems to be a surprise waiting around each rock, hanging out on a tree branch, or soaring high above my head.  You can't put a price on these experiences...well beyond gas, eating out, etc.  Along the verdant Gila River near Winkelman, AZ, we stopped at several sites to check up on some nesting Common Black Hawks, Cliff Swallows(above), Hooded Orioles, Yellow-breasted Chats, etc. It was overcast, breezy and cool! I highly recommend driving from Tucson along Highway 77 to Globe. Once in Globe, let your wanderlust take over and just explore.  Go north into the forests. Go west into some gorgeous canyon country.  Or go east and head to the San Carlos Reservoir. 

Casa Grande Ruins

This past week I bought my National Parks Pass since we are going to need it for several stops this year.  We decided to check up on another nesting favorite of ours, the Great Horned Owls. We used our pass at the Casa Grande Ruins and found our old friends hanging out on the beams above the ancient structure. 

Rock Pigeon

At this point, it began drizzling outside!  If you're not familiar with Southern Arizona, June tends to be our driest month of the year.  Many years we receive little to zero precipitation.  However this year, we started the month out with some hot temps, but they have gone away thanks to rain!  Even as I write this post, it's overcast and drizzling in Tucson!  Anyhow the pics are a bit grainy from it being dark outside. 

Great Horned Owl male

On the way back into Tucson, we stopped at the superstar hotspot known as Coachline yet again for another rare visitor.....the American White Pelican. 

a cloudy Coachline Lake

It was fun watching new birders try to figure out this bird from afar. Their puzzled expressions made me smile. They asked me in their declarative questioning voices, "That's not an egret or heron."  "No." "That's not a gull." "No, but the California Gull is behind it."  "So what is it?"  I never give the answer. Too easy to do.  The teacher in me helps them figure it out on their own. It's much more satisfying to watch them process their answers. Here is what they initially saw. And you can see why they were stumped. 

What do you see?  Three bird species in this photo.  Neotropic Cormorants, CA Gull and American White Pelican

Now for you all familiar with pelicans, this is obviously a pelican.  But if you're from the desert and have just begun birding, this "rare" bird would certainly confuse.  So when the lady spoke with her questionable declarative voice, "Certainly it's not a Pelican?" Ding ding ding!!!  Then I watched them get excited.  A lifer for everyone in the party and a great way to end the day.  

American White Pelican

And "thanks" to several curious boys, the birds moved into the waters. 

American Wigeon(drake) rare for this time of year

 For the rest of my week, I just went to a nearby park to bird.  On this day, it WAS hot and I like to go towards the evening when it cools down. Plus there is adequate shade there for me to count birds. 

Zone-tailed Hawk at Saguaro National Park, Rincon Unit

 Another surprise happened at Saguaro National Park.  Because again, it was VERY hot, I went to get my Parks pass and drive/bird their 9 mile loop.  I know it sounds funny, but this is one of the ways we can logistically bird during our very hot summers in the desert.  Saguaro National Park is a great place to find all your desert critters from the comfort of your a/c run car.  At the end of the loop, I highly recommend stopping at the Javelina Picnic area.  Sit in the shaded ramadas and have lunch or walk around a bit.  This is probably the birdiest area.  You'll have all kinds of critters come to your picnic table.  I know some people don't like reptiles, but this is a great place to find all kinds of snakes and lizards.  Just watch where you step.  And like each time I visit this park, I always discover something new.  Last time it was the Gila Monster.  This time it was a beautiful Zone-tailed Hawk(above).  WOW! 

Young Common Ravens hanging out at Reid Park

 So for the books, I added three new bird species this week to the year list.  I found a Blue Grosbeak and Common Black Hawk along the Gila River and the American White Pelican at Coachline lake. This brings my species list up to 321 birds for North America.   In other news, I submitted my writing and photography to Bird Watcher's Digest.  That felt good!  Note to self.  Need to buy another external file.  Next week we will be traveling somewhere completely new:) Until then, have a great week and happy birding! 

Drake Wood Duck is yet another rare duck for Tucson in the summer

A Disquiet Follows My Soul

Lovebird en cantata

By the end of the year, I was exhausted.  Then something strange happened to me after our jaunt to New Mexico for the Common Crane.  I became a bit sad.  Was this it?

My cat Luna is exhausted watching me run in and out of the house for a rare bird

What would I do now? For a week, I struggled to redefine my work and get a grasp on how I would organize my journey this year. I still need to make some birding progress because as most of us already know, life doesn't wait for us to catch up. 

Tucson's "new" premiere birding spot....."The Coachline Gravel Pits Lake"

So I called Kathie. We chatted for awhile and like always, she gave me some wonderful advice.  Saturday morning came quickly and I woke up feeling a tad better.  I headed out to Madera Canyon which remedied some of the building anxiety. Getting rid of the "chasing bird" syndrome is not an easy thing to do.

Lewis's Woodpecker near Madera Canyon

As I sat watching the Pine Siskins at the feeders, I noticed several birders approaching.  One asked if he could sit next to me and I said of course.  He proceeded to ask questions about the birds as did several other birders seated in the nearby benches.  Instead of giving them the answers, I had them work for their ID.  It's the teacher in me. And it was fun watching people connect with the birds. 
 

Pine Siskins with Lesser Goldfinches

I continued observing the birds getting quality views of them all as I've done time and time again....year after year. It doesn't make them any less spectacular.  But what would my challenge be for the year?  I was still trying to figure it all out.

Magnificent Hummingbird

Another day would pass and I'd chase the rare, for Tucson, Eastern Bluebirds and just sit and watch them feeding on the desert mistletoe berries.

Eastern Bluebird

I went to find my Yellow-headed Blackbirds for the year and discovered them in the same place around a pair of Red-winged Blackbirds.  I observed their size differences and also enjoyed viewing the male and female Red-winged Blackbirds together.  Three years ago, the female confused me. I had thought she was some rare sparrow. Silly me. Today, this bird is part of my being.

Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Red-winged Blackbirds

I move on and explore some more, spotting both common and rare birds in new and old places. And I begin to feel something inside again.  The spark. Instead of the rush to find that rare bird, I sit back enjoying the full experience.  I see two men with their scopes looking for Wood Ducks.  One of the men tells me he shot one the other day. He asks me where he could find more. I keep their locations secret. "I don't know.  I haven't seen any this year."

Drake Wood Duck. Hide your brilliance!

Two ladies are doing a big year and ask me about several birds.  I smile and share with them several areas that they should target. While they are speaking, I notice the two paired geese that have stayed in Tucson over the past month or so flying over to our location. The Snow and Greater White-fronted Geese make a landing. They have bonded now.  What if something happens to the other?  They are right by my work which makes for a nice stop on the way home. Tucson birders are very happy to have this relatively new place to bird.   Also in the water, we notice 18 Canada Geese!  For most people, these birds are common but in the Tucson area, we're lucky if we even have one stop by for a visit during the year!

A Northern Shoveler leads the way for the Snow and Greater White-fronted Geese

I continue searching and visiting areas. There are a lot of birders doing a Big January.  

Canvasback

I revisit the now annual  and rare wintering Eurasian Wigeon, but this time I try to get a picture that shows the contrast between the two wigeons.

American Wigeon with a rare Eurasian Wigeon

I find myself beginning to develop a plan as I bird with my bud Magill Weber around the Phoenix Metro.  Just what would I call this chapter of my birding career?  We explore cemeteries and random parks for species we have already seen over the years.....just not for this year:) 

People ask, "What happens after we die?"  This past weekend I discovered the answer!  Birds sit on our gravestones!

But the difference here is that we examined new areas to find these same birds and that made the challenge much more exciting. Magill counts over 300 American Wigeons at one of the cemeteries.  While doing so, she locates a rare morph Storm Wigeon! About 1 in 500 male American Wigeons are born with this beautiful "White-cheeked" morph.  Definitely won't be telling any hunters about this bird!  The fun part about this count was that the birds kept flying in and out of the watering hole during Magill's count!  

Storm Wigeon-a rare morph of the American Wigeon. 

And it's these minute details I enjoy today. The challenge of finding one bird in a flock of over a hundred or a thousand is very rewarding.  As everything begins to unfold, I realize that I am happy exploring weird spots without having the need to get a pic of the bird anymore since it's not a lifebird.  I can relax and just observe. It makes birding much more enjoyable.

Laurence's Goldfinch

We play detective and think like the birds.  And there they are.  Not always.....but most of the time. 

Say it like you mean it...STOOOOOOOOOORM WIIIIIIIIGEON!  Magill says the nickname of this AMWI morph sounds lke a 70's rock band!

And then it happens! A theme snaps into my brain for this new birding year. AMERICANO. In Spanish, the word "americano" refers to anyone from the Americas which includes the US, Mexico and Canada! The primary focus of my bird searches will happen in the West and Mexico.....especially around the state of Sonora. So a North American year it is!

A Green-winged Teal showing off his.......brilliant green on the wing:)

And just like that!  POOF!  My anxiety goes away.  It's not the US anymore but a good portion of North America. I hope to see a Groove-billed Ani again which is definitely one of my top 10 favorite birds.

One of my all time favorite top 10 birds, the Groove-billed Ani.

For now, it's all about combing the parks, cemeteries and rediscovering all the birds from last year:)  And so the new adventure begins.  Americano. 

When I pass into the unknown, I hope that I am surrounded by birds.