Swiftly Passing By

 I spent a whole week debating what I would do....chase birds or just relax and bird a favorite hotspot.  There are more birds I need to find but they are simply too far out of range to observe properly within the short amount of time given.  Everything now points to California but I only had the weekend for birding.  And I didn't want to be on the road driving for most of it. 

Sparrow love.....Vesper Sparrow

When I am conflicted with direction, I know what I must do.  Bird the Whitewater Draw.  I think it has to be one of my absolute places to visit.  The location feels like I'm back in the Great Lakes region again.  It's a pretty special place. 

Now if we took the mountains out of the shot above, this could be a wetlands somewhere in central Wisconsin. During the winter months, this place becomes a hotspot for many birders as thousands of Sandhill Cranes congregate these waters and surrounding farmer's fields. As one might imagine, lots of waterfowl also hang out here. 

It's a little too soon for all of these birds, but we did have one large flock of Cinnamon Teal hiding out in the reeds.  We did a little walk around the area and flushed over 60 of these ducks!

It's still warm and it's still wet in Southern Arizona.  Another storm passed through our area from the Pacific Northwest and it pushed down several more migrating Vaux's Swifts. 

Vaux's Swifts are pudgy swifts with short tails that breed between Southern Alaska and central California during the summer.  As they head back to Central and South America, several will pass through Arizona. Many times, this bird can be seen riding the winds in front of major storms around watering holes.  In my case, Hurricane Odile helped me locate one around the Sweetwater Wetlands. This year has been a very good year for many birders in Southern Arizona with all of our monsoon storm activity. 

There were lots of brown and gray birds from our adventures.  From top to bottom and left to right.  
Merlin, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Red-tailed Hawk
Loggerhead Shrike, Killdeer, Mississippi Kite
Common ground-dove, female Lazuli Bunting, Vaux's Swift

Perhaps the most significant part of this trek was observing migrating swallows as they gather in great numbers heading south.  The highlight of our day is captured below on this fence line. Swallows tend to be tricky birds to capture on camera.  And it's rare having 3 different swallows sit still long enough for a picture. As I've stated in previous posts, a lot of birders have a hard time id'ing swallows above them because they fly so fast.  On this trek, they surrounded us in great numbers.  We stood inside their cloud amazed by their acrobatics.  There were lots of bugs....including chiggers.

L to R- Bank Swallow, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow

The bug life increases with heat and moisture.  This Great Swallowtail below found our citrus trees at El Presidio, laid the eggs and is now in the final stages of butterfly life. A bit like Charlotte's web. 

Giant Swallowtail

There is a birding loop I make if we go to the Whitewater Draw.  We drive through Benson and Tombstone and count birds along the way.  Once we arrive at the Whitewater Draw near McNeal, we spend a good portion of our time birding.  At around lunch time, we head over to Bisbee for break and then head over to the San Pedro House near the San Pedro river for an afternoon of birding there. Then it's visiting our relatives in Sierra Vista and back home in Tucson. 

And Arizona sunsets are always amazing.  If you haven't birded Arizona, you're missing out.  Over the next several weeks, my journeys will take me to Globe, Colorado and a return back to California.  And the adventure continues.....

For more fascinating finds, check out Wild Bird Wednesday!

The North American Swallow Challenge

Tree Swallow

I sat back one day and thought, "How many more types of swallows are out there for my North American needs list?"  After reviewing my Sibleys and National Wildlife Federation guides, I found out that I need only one more.  If you are a birder, try to figure out which one it is.  If you're not a birder, which swallow is your favorite?

My first documented swallow was the Tree Swallow back in Wisconsin.  The vivid shiny blues caught my eye.  We saw our first one here in Tucson during early spring.

Bank Swallows

Bank Swallows are one the plainest of the swallows, but they have a cute look to them.  They are easy to ID by the collar or necklace around their necks.

Barn Swallows

Barn Swallows are easy to ID with their vivid marks and long scissor-like tails.

Violet-Green Swallow

But add a little green and you've got yourself a Violet-Green Swallow.  It's funny how swallows can be overlooked by birders. 

Each nest is created in slightly different ways.  This Barn Swallow above prefers to build on the sides of buildings etc.  They make a little basket.

I wasn't able to post any of these shots until I had the vast collection of photographs completed.   If you look at a lot of telephone wires, you'll find these birds hanging out.  They tend to do this early morning or late at night.

A swallow that is found all year round in Tucson is the Northern Rough-winged Swallow.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

It's another plain brown swallow, but it's body is much bulkier in flight and reminds me of an odd shaped submarine.

Cliff Swallow

The Cliff Swallows like to build nests under bridges, etc.   They are quick to fly as are all swallows.  Again note the shorter and round tail feathers.  The wingspan is shorter and the head pattern/coloring is different.  They fly quickly and when there are hundreds of them in the sky, it can be a tricky job sorting all the birds out.

Look at the above and below shots.  One is the Cliff Swallow while the bottom is the Barn Swallow.  Maybe you can see why I'd confuse them at first glance:)

Finally, we come to the large and spectacular Purple Martin.  I was at a pool near open desert land when I saw these cool birds watching me from above.  They come to Tucson and nest in our Saguaros.

Purple Martin

They are indeed purple but can appear black in different light situations. So who am I missing?  Or who is your favorite swallow?

I still need the Cave Swallow.  They are found around southern New Mexico, Texas and Mexico. Once and awhile, one or two will fly into Arizona. I hope you enjoyed this showcase on swallows.  More to come.....

Birder Acknowledgements

Photo of a Red-necked Phalarope taken by Gordon Karre

I wouldn't be the birder I am today if it weren't for several people I've "met" along the way. Of course, I continue to grow and learn everyday. I'm a fast study with an appetite to know more.  Blogger and Facebook have been wonderful resources for hooking up with others to find those rare birds.  NONE OF THE PICTURES TODAY ARE MY OWN(except one really bad one!)  These were shots taken from treks we've been on together or like the shot below, from the mega rare bird we all saw on the same trail.    Hopefully this post will be a resource for new and old birders alike.  I've seen these birds, but as we all know, the camera doesn't always capture what we truly see.

Photo of the Buff-Collared Nightjar by Chris West  

First, I'd like to thank Chris West from The Southwest Wisconsin Birder for his fantastic Facebook page known as The Facebook Bird ID of the world.  There are times that we become stumped by a bird.  We don't like to do it often because our pride may get in the way, but sometimes a second opinion is necessary.  Over the past year, this site has helped me pay better attention to the details on those blasted gulls, flycatchers and sparrows!  Now the story behind the pic above.  The Buff-Collared Nightjar is a mega rare bird in the US.  It has stayed around the Madera Canyon area for quite awhile now.  Each night, birders from across the country come to listen and see this Mexican bird.  Chris West and Laurens Halsey captured it perfectly on our AZFO photo documentation page.  To capture this bird at night is super tricky so I just enjoyed watching it fly over my head and hear its call.  A lot of people were walking around the scrub with their torches(flashlights). This area has rattlesnakes and large centipedes.  One of our local experienced birders got stung.  Not cool. It's also an area full of illegal border crossing.  In fact, on the night we went, there was a border skirmish.  We were all too occupied with this fantastic bird to notice, but a birder left early and caught all the action on the road. In these types of birding situations out here, go with a buddy. Kathie even mentioned she wouldn't have night birded alone without me. I feel the same way. If you are interested in finding this bird, it's off of the Proctor trail at Madera Canyon in the primitive campsites(near campsite 7).  I believe there is more than one bird now which is great news.  But anyhow, this is a great shot(above) of the night bird. Now why didn't I get a shot?  Well I did, but this is how it turned out....

The flash caught the eye and made it glow. It flew right over my head along with a lot of bats:)  It's impressionistic art:)  Feelings about night photography.  In all honesty, nocturnal birding is one of my favorite things to do.  It's a breeze for my ears.  It's more about listening than anything else.  My eyes are terrible at night, but I can zone in on the bird with my ears and find the bird quickly.  I'm extremely helpful for those who can't hear very well. Usually I will be the first to pick up several light sounds and clue the group in.  On this night, I heard two.  Many thought it was just one, but there were two distinct calls....one from a distance and the one photographed by Chris above. Most said that there was one bird, but several days afterwards, there were reports of more Nightjars calling confirming my suspicions. I hope to capture this bird one day on film along with the Mexican Whip-poor-will, Common Poorwill, etc.  I had thought it impossible to capture these birds with my camera until I found the Lesser Nighthawk by accident.  It just proves that it's not impossible. But it is tricky.

Photo of a Bank Swallow by Gordon Karre

Another group of shots comes from my birder friend Gordon Karre from Birding Adventures.  We are both searching for lifebirds.  I am hoping that maybe we can plan trips together to different countries down the road. We will go to Mexico this upcoming weekend which isn't something many birders around here wanted to do.  Mexico, around the border, can be tricky. But I have the Spanish and background info that eliminates some of the risk.  I have found Gordon to be a powerful ally in the research behind the lifebirds.  He says he's not extreme, but I may think otherwise:)  He's a chaser with a plan. And I really enjoyed birding with him.  I am by no means an expert at all, but if you give me a list, I will learn the trails and memorize the calls quickly.  During one of those days on the trails, I was more focused on getting him birds for his lifelist and Arizona list.  So I became a little lazy with my camera:)  I'm not always in the mood to be a photographer.  Sometimes I just want to watch birds. As was the case with this bird below......

Photo of a Clay-colored Sparrow by Kathie Brown

None of this would be possible without my friend and mentor Kathie Brown from Kathie's Birds.  I will be forever grateful to her for taking me under her wing.  We work well together.  Because of Kathie, I have become more aware of things.  She taught me about ebird. She showed me the places.  Together we search new areas that we might not have visited alone.  The above pic is of the Clay-Colored Sparrow. We noticed at least 2 sparrows doing something different near the Whitewater Draw.  I was driving and not able to get real great shots of the bird.  Remember to shut off your car to minimize vibrations while trying to take pics. As a team, we both snapped shots of the birds from different angles.  This bird could have easily been seen as a juvenile Brewer's Sparrow, but my shot from a different angle helped ID the bird as a Clay-colored sparrow.  Unfortunately, my shot wasn't clear and crisp like this one.  People ask me, "Is it better to bird with others?"  The answer is yes....sometimes.  I have found a birding group with about 4-5 people to be alright.  It just depends on the talkers:)  I like talking, but it distracts my hearing which is the only way I can find the birds.  But many times, birding with 2 or 3 people is the best.  Without my photo, this sparrow would have been listed as a juvenile Brewer's.

Photo by Gordon Karre

Gordon really took great shots when he came to visit me a couple months ago.  They said Red-necked Phalaropes were seen.  I know what they look like as I had seen them before, but I was too lazy taking shots of them.  This is where Gordon and I differ in styles.  He is a perfectionist when it comes to photography and from what I've observed, he is "on" at all times when birding.  I sometimes get distracted:)

Photo of the Snowy Plovers by Gordon Karre

I have really enjoyed birding with so many wonderful people.  If there is one universal truth about life; it's that we work better as a group when we're all working together as a team towards a common goal.  I see what we are capable of, but it became more clear as I began to bird with others. We really can achieve anything.  And there isn't any shame in asking for help.  Whatever it is we do, it's better with a friend.  

White-rumped Sandpipers Photo by Gordon Karre

And speaking of friend.  I wouldn't be able to do any of this without the support from my partner in crime.  Micheal will sometimes go with me and bird, but he tolerates my obsessions.  He's the one who purchased those blasted cameras for my birthday!!! As a result, he created a monster.

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher taken by Micheal Ada

He does have the birder ability.  While it's mostly about the photography stuff, Micheal now enjoys calling out birds like this Black-tailed Gnatcatcher.  Like most people, he is fascinated with the colorful and odd acting birds. Finally, I'd like to thank people like Laurence Butler, John Williams, Deborah Vath, Mark Stevenson, Andrew Core and Rich Hoyer for their expertise and experience in the field.  Their chases have made me an addict to chasing as well.  If you ever question why you blog, don't.  I have met Cynthia White and Kelly Rishor out on the trails. These two are amazing.  I first met Cynthia out on the trails in Prescott searching for the Tundra Swans.  I met Kelly on the trails of Catalina State Park.  In fact, Kelly helped me get a mini-weekend in Mexico organized by hooking me up with another wildlife lover.  So thank you!!!  Both of these ladies became virtual friends as I suspect will several other bloggers during my upcoming trips around the country and elsewhere.  I have always believed that blogging is an educational tool for all of us.  A social way to network and a great place to meet new people who share similar interests.  I am not an ornithologist, but I am getting "home schooled" in the ways of birding.  Coming up on Las Aventuras.....a weekend with Gordon Karre in Mexico and my Guatemala travels.  More to come.....

Tipping The Scale

Scaled Quail

I search for something. I stare at the grasses.  I stare at the landscape.  I listen to the wind, to the water, to the trees........for it.  For that which I seek.

When I hear.  When I finally see.  I stand in awe.  For finally it has happened. The target bird.

There is really no other way to put it, but finding that target bird is such a reward.

Snowy Plover

We all begin finding birds.  It's fun and relatively easy.  As the lifelist narrows down, it becomes much more challenging taking us to habitat unknown and unfamiliar.

So when that lifebird is found later on in the bird quest, it's much more thrilling and exciting. 

Barn Swallow

                     Along the way, other creatures make themselves known.  And that is also exciting.

Horny Toad

I will now begin my official international birding.  While I've done it in the past for only those "cool" birds, this time around it's entirely and completely different.  My eyes are open.

Bank Swallows

I will be out of the country for a month and turning off the internet.    

Red-necked Phalarope

I have 3 posts scheduled for the month and look forward to sharing my Guatemalan finds with you all when I get back.  So if I'm not writing you back, you know why:)  It has been a crazy ride since school has finished and it will continue until July.  My goal is to add on 100+ lifebirds on this trip to Guatemala.  Some will be easy.  Some will be familiar.  And some will surely challenge my birding skills.  Stay tuned for more. 

I'm linking to Stewart M's Wildbird Wednesday.