The Rubberband

Oh trouble was brewing at the Rohrer household.  A little demon child known as J-man kept his Uncle and Grandparents busy. His ailing grandfather needed some quiet time to heal after his heart surgery. And so his uncles and grandma kept both he and his adorable baby sister busy. 

Baltimore Oriole

Birding with family can often be difficult. Still, it can be done, but it requires careful planning.  Here are some things I've learned from over the years to accomplish my birding goals while spending that quality family time that is much needed. 

Family fun at Bay Beach.  Also near the site of secret breeding Piping Plovers!

1. Find ways to include light birding while spending quality time with family.  My personal goal is to blend birding into the outdoor activities.  We have to begin somewhere and teaching our young minds is important to the future of birding. It starts off with curiosity.  A trip. A pair of binoculars and some hands on experience with birds. Toddlers are tactile.  So are Canada Geese. 

Over a hundred Canada Geese overtook J-man and one gave him a little nibble. The child who caused terror to others was terrorized himself, for a moment. There was a scream and then some crying involved. He flew up to Grandma for protection and for fun, I threw a little more corn around Grandma's feet to hear her yell out. I'm terrible.  I know:)

2.  Stay close to home. You never know when you will be needed for.....
a. family pictures  b. family dinner  c. babysitting
d. running errands or e. all the above:)

A fledged Chipping Sparrow

3.  Be clear on what you want to accomplish.  You can't do it all, BUT you can knock off some birds from that much wanted list. 

So many nephews and nieces

During my trek home, I was only focused on warblers and sparrows.  There was a possibility of adding two new lifers to the list. The Hooded Warbler was one of those warblers.  It was only 10 minutes away from my parent's home. 

Hooded Warbler

4.  Do your birding in the morning or early afternoon.  Birding is best in the morning, but sometimes there are errands that have to be run.  Most people work during the day.  Family generally meets at night or on the weekends.  If you can't go in the morning, try for the early afternoon when the grandkids or nephews/nieces are down for their nap. 

Family photos are NEVER easy. 

But they are always memorable and a necessary evil:) Never take those moments for granted because you don't know if you'll get the same opportunity again.  So much can change in a short time. 

My lifer Hooded Warbler in the dark forest of Point Beach State Forest

5.  Challenge yourself and stay within your own county.  You may have seen a Wild Turkey a million times in a million other places, but did you see one in your hometown? Be a kid again and play detective working on hunches.  

Wild Turkey

6.  Remember to stop birding as well. I speak to the choir here when I say it's hard to turn off the birding gene, but try and do it.  I was proud of myself this summer when I could completely let it go and not keep looking at every bird flying past my radar. 

I feel like Cambrie in this shot.  Trying to get that perfect family pic is NO easy task. 

7.  Carefully choose the places you'd like to bird. Keep the family in the loop where you plan on birding.  Keep it a half hour or so, no more, from home. 

American White Pelicans hang out near the Manitowoc Marina

8.  On occasion, treat yourself to a full day of birding.  Don't feel guilty.  It's your holiday and you deserve some quiet time away from the family. 

Cerulean Warbler

Even though I had seen the Cerulean Warbler once before, I wanted to see it again.  It's one of my favorite warblers.  And it was on my short list of birds I wanted to see while back home. 

Purple Martin

9. Let yourself just flow with the family plans.  Ebird wherever the family goes.

My brother Adam bought a pontoon and it allowed us to count birds along the river in his backyard.  We discovered several new bird species breeding along the river like Spotted Sandpipers. 

10. Create new hotspots for the public. You know your hometown best. 

When I was home, I discovered this beautiful rare Horned Grebe(below) near my brother's cabin.  There was no ebird hotspot so I created one. We can discover new birds by just paying attention.  This Horned Grebe completed an atlas block for someone. They were thrilled. 

A rare Horned Grebe!

I am more aware now of the world around me. Birders can make anything work with a little ingenuity. I use the word "rubberbanding it".  I'm never too far from home and if I'm needed back home ASAP, I am able to "snap back" in a second. I don't see it as limiting in any way.  It just makes me a little more creative with my birding. 

Who added the dog?!  

Hope you found these tidbits useful. Everyone has a different situation so do what's best for you.

Until next time.....

Stretched Thin

Sweetwater at sunset

Browns and golds.  It seems to be this year's theme. Some of the most difficult birds have been very accommodating lately.  Sometimes I'm alone.  But lately it seems, I'm meeting lots of new faces.

Regal Horned Lizard

A couple friends came from out of town last week to search for some rather rare and secretive birds.  One was an ABA lister and she needed two birds for her list. So I started out by scouting for the wintering Rufous-backed Robin.  This is a bird that is not impossible to see, but it is a bird that is normally quite secretive. After a couple hours, I was able to locate the bird near a mountain stream at Catalina State Park.  I snapped photos for my friend Gordon who was hosting these two ladies for the weekend.  He manages the Phoenix sector and I am the Tucson sector.  Together, we created a route that would make sense and flow accordingly around their travel time while making sure they found their two target birds. 

As the snow melts from Mt. Lemmon, mountain streams form and run through Catalina State Park

And so they came down from Phoenix and went searching for the Rufous-backed Robin first. I sent Gordon landmark pics so that they all knew where to look. As for me?  Well I was stuck at work:( The issue with finding this bird came from lots of talkative hikers and their furry friends. After an hour of searching, the crew was able to get wonderful views of the bird.  Mission accomplished.

Rufous-backed Robin

During this same week out(and side note), I also decided to stop by the Butterfly Magic display at the Tucson Botanical Gardens.  When I asked a volunteer if my tropical butterfly mentor was around, he began to squirm.

"Sir, I'm sorry to inform you, but Dr. Elizabeth Willott passed away last year." WHAT??!!!  I have been so involved with birds, I forgot to stop and remember where it all began. How can a year fly by?  And how did I not hear about this?!!!

As many of you know, I began this blog about gardening 6 years ago today. I would work with Elizabeth often at her newly created Butterfly Magic display.  She had a messy office which is where I believed she slept at night:) I enjoyed working with her and we had a lot of fun inside the greenhouse, the office or the chrysalis chamber.  Today her legacy continues at the Botanical Gardens.  Elizabeth, you will be missed.  Thank you for teaching me the ways of tropical butterflies and about the plants they require to survive. I'd also like to dedicate this post to Tina Forrester(aka East EG Gwillimbury Camera Girl), who along with her husband, were tragically killed in a car accident this last week. She was both artist and birder. My heart goes out to their family and friends. Lately, I have been overwhelmed with good-byes. 

On Mt. Lemmon switching from stressed out teacher to stressed out birder:)

When I first began blogging, I was all alone. Six years later, I have met so many wonderful people who have become real or virtual friends. The only difference now?  I use plants as a way to find "my" birds:)  So back to our story. But we had to find a VERY tricky bird....the Sinaloa Wren. This is a bird I've seen often in Mexico and in the US but never have I been able to get great looks at this fast moving little bugger. They act like little mice in the leaf cover and are tricky to observe in the wild. One time I sang to one and it came to me but only in the shadows where it thrives. 

Look carefully.  She's nesting in a dangerous location. 

We checked into the military base(Ft. Huachuca) and were issued our ID cards.  This allowed us access into the wilderness areas of the fort. When we arrived, we headed to the location where we had previously observed this bird last year. 

The secretive Sinaloa Wren

Softly, we pished. And silently, the wren popped out from the shadows.  Gordon saw the little head pop up from an area and whispered, "Is that the wren?"  Inside both of our heads, we screamed, YES!  Silently, Gordon went back to get the ladies and quietly, I sat down on the bank waiting for the bird to make a return.  

Sinaloa Wren-the money shot.  I will no longer need any photos of this bird:)

With a soft pish, I had the bird back out feeding among the leaves. As the cameras rattled away, the bird became fascinated by us and the sounds our equipment made.

Our wonderful crew, Gordon, Peggy and Jennifer

In short, our guests, Jennifer and Peggy, got wonderful views of these naturally secretive birds. And I'd like to thank them for chasing these birds.  Normally, I wouldn't have gone after this wren had they not come to visit. So it was fun playing detective again for others. The best way I can describe the Sinaloa Wren experience is by using the word "intimate".  I was sitting only a few feet from the bird watching it hop around the leaves and feed.  Meanwhile, a VERY quiet crowd formed behind us and also enjoyed the wonderful views of the bird. It was one of the best birder moments I've ever experienced. 

A rare Baltimore Oriole swings in for a visit

Then the next day came. I was exhausted and didn't want to drive great distances. So I went alone to Sweetwater and attempted to relocate the rare Baltimore Oriole.  This year has been something very special so far.  Not only are hard to find birds appearing before my very eyes; but they are allowing me to have great looks! Whether this is the gained experience that everyone talks about from years of birding or just plain dumb luck, I don't know, but it has been a phenomenal start to the year.  Streak-backed Oriole, Sinaloa Wren, Rusty Blackbird, Baltimore Oriole, Brown Thrasher, American Bittern, Five-striped Sparrow, Sprague's Pipit, Yellow-billed Loon, etc etc. I just shake my head and think, "Wow! What a start to the year!"

I have been exhausted.  I DID become sick thanks to a disease spread by the Snowbird people. And I DID discover that I am mortal. One night I wasted away in my bed wanting nothing more than to sleep. This constant "GO" mode is draining.  And it is very exciting.  I continue to do fieldwork with Audubon and several other organizations while still helping out visiting birders. I don't know when this transition happened, but it just did.  The camera has taken a back seat for the most part as I have seen most of these birds many times.  And the lifers that I do see now are some of the trickiest to capture on camera!

Marsh Wren hopping around

I clean my garden and fill my feeders.  Lesser Goldfinches, House Finches and Sparrows visit,  reminding me of the simpler times before it all became so much more.  While this "hobby" is demanding, I am so fascinated by discovery and exploration that it's hard to stop and waste a moment watching TV or just doing "nothing". Courses are always being plotted.  Travel is always in the works.  And birding has become a way of life. 

Mediterranean Gecko-I have many living under the rocks in my garden!

Check out the birds seen this month.  I am no longer posting individual pics of them on this blog anymore as I have shared enough photos of them from the past.  If they are doing something crazy and I capture it on camera, I'll post them. 

While much of my work these past two months has been about helping others, it's time to work a little harder on that life list.  During the month of March, I hope to present several new birds from our treks.  Until our next encounter.....

In the video, you can hear the human f(W)REN-zy happening in the background.  

Orioles

Baltimore Oriole near Wisconsin Dells, WI

It's amazing what a year of intense birding will do to a person.  Orioles are coveted by many homeowners as some of the best birds to come to their feeders.  Even non-birders fall in love with them. (Although most people think that there is just one kind of Oriole out there)  I was part of that crowd until I began studying birds:)

Hooded Oriole-Kubo in Madera

People will do anything to get them to come to their feeders.  Fresh oranges, nectar, and jelly are popular items during spring around a person's birdfeeders.  If one comes to visit, there usually will be a happy dance by the person watching.  It's then followed by a pat on the back with the inside thoughts  "Well done me.  Well done."

Orchard Oriole-at my Grandma's house in Shoto, WI(I haven't seen the male yet in full color)

This year I discovered that there were more Orioles out there than just the Baltimore's variety I grew up with.  Here in Tucson, THREE types have moved through our town.  There is the Bullocks, Hooded, and Scott's Orioles.

Bullock's Oriole-Ash Canyon Bed and Breakfast

Orioles are a bit more standoffish than other birds I observe.  Many times I have to stay perfectly still to get them on camera or I'll frighten them off.   There are more Orioles out there and slowly they are making their way up north into the United States and Canada.  My Grandma says that by the end of May all of her Orioles will be back. They are a colorful reminder that spring has indeed arrived!

Scott's Oriole-Battiste's Bed and Breakfast

Nooks and Crannies

Baltimore Oriole

Over the course of several months, I have been collecting a group of pics demonstrating how watchful one must be out in the wild.  Somedays, my eyes are sore from investigating every nook and cranny.  For example, during our education on cranes(post coming up), this beautiful Baltimore Oriole flew out of nowhere!!!  I had to take my eyes off the instructor briefly for this shot!!  This is the male with his bright colors out for the world to see.

And then there were the Barn Swallows.  For me, these birds are very tricky to capture on camera in Arizona but while in Wisconsin I had better luck as many of them were nesting up in the rafters.

Barn Swallow

Love this particular shot.  Again, they hid among the cranes.  Sometimes they stole the show:)

And while here in Tucson, our reptiles certainly put on a great show.   This little guy slinks around a post as I try to capture a hawk in flight!

Western Whiptail Lizard

Along a trail, the edge of my eyesight sees a slight movement.  I feel the power of the heebie jeebie take over me.  My body shakes.  I turn around and keep calm to film this guy along the edges of the reeds.

Common Kingsnake

Beautiful.  Dark.  Mysterious.  I watch from a distance as this Common Kingsnake sticks out his tongue to check out what's going on in the area.  Was I food?  No.  But I better move on.....:)

Sometimes appearing as a pebble, I discover what appears to be a juvenile Abert's towhee along the path.

Juvenile Abert's Towhee

Of course other things jut out from the sides and briefly make appearances.  But the sun holds their attention long enough for me to snap a pic.

Desert Spiny

The clouds start to roll in.  Darkness begins to fall.  But there is still action going on......

A Cooper's hawk feeds in between branches.  A night snack after a long hot day.

Cooper's Hawk

And as I leave the trails, my eye catches a Night Heron hiding in the reeds. Playing detective is really enjoyable since everything likes to quietly disappear in the nooks and crannies of our cities, parks and gardens.

Night Heron

Sometimes you may walk by and not realize that a branch is really an owl.

And that's what's exciting about each and every hike.  You never know what will turn up:)