As Far As The Condor Flies

We had an adventure planned to the North Rim this past weekend.  It was to find as many nesting birds as we could.  And we did. We discovered so many nesting Williamson's Sapsuckers, Western Bluebirds, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and Brewer's Blackbirds!

Nesting Brewer's Blackbird

For many of us, it was to exhaust our pent up energy from being trapped inside of our homes. The desert is too hot right now to explore.  And so our hungry eyes and eager ears went to work as we scoured every nook and cranny of the much cooler North Rim.

Western Tanager

For many of us, our journey to the North Rim began with the infamous California Condors at Marble Canyon.  In many ways, I consider them the sentinels of the North Rim.  Travelers have to cross a magnificent bridge into a magical area known as the Vermilion Cliffs. It was here that the Condors circled and soared around us. For many in the group, these birds were lifers.  For me, I watched the birds and the people's first time reactions as they all stood in awe of these massive creatures in flight. 

California Condor

Our journey would lead us into the canyon down gravel and dirt roads. 

We set up our base inside an unknown and remote area.  No bathrooms or hotels.  Just our tents and coolers.  And it was magical. 

The rough camping isn't for everyone, but I thought it was a lot of fun.  I haven't done this kind of thing since college! Plus I got to camp with my birding buddy Gordon. 

Weidemeyer Butterfly

The area is not birded very well and so we did a lot of research on habitat as well as ask ourselves, "Can we find these birds here?"
So we searched for the elusive Dusky Grouse, Three-toed Woodpecker, and Flammulated and Northern Saw-whet Owls.

Two large vehicles of people drove through the dirt roads while sitting outside their windows and in the back of trucks filming everything around them....including the birders:) It was fascinating! They wore handmade outfits and unique hairstyles that I haven't seen in about two decades. Anyway, there were a lot of happy faces in the group waving at us. 

What lies beyond the horizon? On the following day, our incredible group of birders continued surveying the area along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We had plenty of laughs in our exhausted bodies.  The Flammulated and Northern Saw-whet Owls kept me awake!

In my zombie state, I pulled out my recorder to capture the Flammulated owl's soft calls.  It was a lifer for me.  

Having a couple laughs with Magill and Gordon

I watched Stellar's Jays go after nests.  Sometimes they would snatch a fledgling and eat them.  The parents would desperately chase them or try and lead the Jays away from the nest.  In the wild world, anything can happen at any moment. Everything must fight to survive. 

Evening Grosbeak

On this trip into the cool wild west, we made many wonderful discoveries.  It also allowed us to escape the heat and enjoy the majestic Grand Canyon. 

I'd like to thank Eric Hough for organizing this trip through AZFO. It was a real pleasure helping out. For more birds from around our world, check out Wild Bird Wednesday. 

And the adventure continues next week from another part of the world......