On a road trip to end them all, I sacrificed part of my soul to finish finding the two most difficult birds in our state. It just took an Arizona Big Year contestant, Brian Johnson, to nudge me into chasing the birds:) The Nutting's Flycatcher is probably THE most difficult bird in the state of Arizona. There are only a few of these birds in the state and they look similar to 3 other birds that are all part of the Myiarchus(my-ark-us) genus. And to add to the difficulty level, two of those similar looking species were there in great number along with the Nutting's Flycatcher! Gulls and Terns are EASY compared to these birds!
Roseate Tern
Today's post title, refers to some of the harder birds that people usually put at the bottom of their life bird list to chase because of their distance, visibility and/or difficulty factor. And who wants to drive 4 hours to just HEAR a bird?!
Nesting Red-tailed Hawks
The road into the "Nutting's area" is remote and requires a tough vehicle. So we rented one with high clearance. There was NO cell service. Water packs had to be used. AND it was hot in this forgotten world of emerald green vegetation.
The remote immense jungle off of Planet Ranch Road
The riparian area is beautiful, but it is not for the faint of heart. In fact, not so long ago some birders had to be rescued. Luckily they found a spot where there was cell phone service. While we were there, we didn't have any signal at all so they were very lucky! We had to memorize the Nutting's Flycatcher calls and separate the voice from the Ash-throated and Brown-crested Flycatchers.
Following a wash in this remote riparian area
It wasn't a day of art. It was all about finding these difficult birds. Most of our morning was spent hiking in the heat and shrubbery. Eventually, we found one bird for sure. We may have spied a second but the bird flew off before I could get my binos on it. Nor did it call. Satisfied, we headed back towards the parking area. BUT where was the parking lot??!!!!
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Thankfully my compadre, Brian, had a compass and we were able to find the mound of vegetation that we had to crawl through to return to our vehicle. By that time, I had run out of water and needed some shade. Cold water made me forget the nasty mosquito bites I received all over my legs:)
Western Wood-Pewee
While the Nutting's Flycatcher isn't a popular bird to chase because of its' remote location and difficult ID, it is a bird that many need for their list if they are doing a Big Year(which Brian is doing). ABA listers also need to chase this bird to stay in the competition. While it wasn't a lifer, it was a new state bird for me. These birds are quite common in Mexico. Like the "Western Flycatchers", the Nutting's is a part of a confusing group of birds that look alike or what scientists call "Cryptic Species".
Left side-Brown-crested Flycatcher(top); Dusky-capped Flycatcher(bottom) Right side-Nutting's Flycatcher(top); Ash-throated Flycatcher(bottom).
Most birders cannot just look at the bird and call it. They have to listen to their calls for the ID. The Nutting's, if it screams, "WHEEEP!", is then an easier bird to ID. But if it doesn't do that(and it didn't), it can be a bear:) Anyhow, no more of that business. Again.
Birding, for me, is not a competition. It's an art. The experience behind the bird is as important as the bird itself. My lifer Nutting's will always be in the tropics of Mexico. I'm just thankful I was with Brian during this trek because I wouldn't have done this alone.
Another headache for some....the "Western" Flycatchers Top:Cordilleran Flycatcher Bottom: Pacific-Slope Flycatcher
I went a tad extreme on this day. Driving the distance we did for the Nutting's Flycatcher was one thing, but to do it again during the same day for a Black Rail was crazy. But I was sick of making excuses for this bird. I'm a "rip the band-aid off" kind of person.
Top from Left to Right: Great-crested Flycatcher; Brown-crested Flycatcher Bottom from Left to Right: Ash-throated Flycatcher; Dusky-capped Flycatcher(in Guatemala)
The Black Rail is another bird a lot of people put off chasing only because it's mostly a "heard only" bird. It's easy to hear, but extremely secretive! That's why I'm calling this lifer a two parter. While I heard it only in Arizona, I plan on going to Texas to the Anahuac NWR and the Yellow Rail Birding Festival, LA to get photos.
Night Falls over the ag fields in Yuma
But for now, it was a fascinating stop into a buggy area. In the darkness, we heard two of the birds call. We were bit up during my video recording by hundreds of mosquitoes. This is why my camera is shaky.
KINGBIRDS!!!!
Birding has its challenges. On that day, I was once again almost up for 24 hours! Thankfully Gordon let me crash at his place to get an early start for Lake Havasu. By the time I returned home to Tucson, it was around 2 AM the next day. What an exhausting day!
Corvids!
Some of you may ask, "Then why do it?" I'll be honest. I'm also fascinated by the birders who go on these chases. I'm finding as I work with many different people that the birds mean different things to them. One weekend, they become a number for a fundraising event. On another weekend, it's about staying number 1 in the state of Arizona. During another weekend, I find myself up at midnight working with only owls. Another weekend, I chase a rare warbler. And then there are those who just want to see pretty birds. And for me, it's about many different things. Birds=adventures=science=passion=life's greatest journey.
All my photography work is my own EXCEPT for the photo below:) This Black Rail is a cool bird and one you all need to see a picture of. Maybe one day I'll have one of my own to share with you all. For now, I'll share my audio:)
Black Rail from Wikipedia
"Looks like we made it!" through this post:) To break up the headaches, we were able to see Barry Manilow in concert before he retires! Cell phone pics are pretty great!
Sometimes. Just sometimes this birding epic can be a little too much. On a gamble(or was it twitching?), we did something crazy. Four and half hours later, we found ourselves along the Colorado River and in the infamous Lake Havasu area. I had never been there before and it was the last area of Arizona that I needed to explore. The purpose of our exhausting mission? Loons. Lots and lots of loons. And a certain wintering Goldeneye.
People will say that we are crazy, but I am on a quest to add state birds to the Arizona list this month. We weren't just chasing a rare Yellow-billed Loon; we were chasing a large group of waterbirds that are normally rare for much of Arizona except for the Havasu area. They have been waiting for me to add them to my state list:) This is a very long trek for many Arizona birders. Therefore it's one of the least visited birding regions in the state. Well that is until the rarest loon in the world, the Yellow-billed Loon(Diver), decided to stop in Arizona. Their population is about 10000 worldwide and very little is known about this species of loon since they breed up in the icy regions of the far North. It is listed as an endangered bird due to habitat loss, oil spills and over fishing.
Hattie points us to our FOY American Robin!
For this trek, 3 humans and a dog explored bird spaces along the beautiful Colorado River. The journey turned out to be very rewarding. We didn't have just one loon; we had an epic 4 species of loon!!! I should have titled this post "Your One Stop Shopping Center" because we added Herring Gull, Red-necked Grebe, Yellow-billed, Red-necked, Pacific and Common Loons, and Barrow's Goldeneyes. Two birds would be lifers. And 4 birds would be added to my state list! That is a VERY good day.
Ring-billed Gull
With my parks pass, we were able to get into Katherine's Landing for "free". It costs 20 dollars for people without the pass!!! As Tracy Morgan would say, "That's crazy!" I became excited when I saw water. And lots of it. There was a network of piers in the area and it was COLD! So we ventured onto moving piers.
Cold and windy, I make a fake smile. I'm freezing!
We called out birds left and right. "Clark's Grebe! Wood Duck! Golden Eagles having sex..um...copulating!" But where was that Yellow-billed Loon?
Searching for that Yellow-billed Loon at Katherine Landing
As we scanned the waters, the wind kept the piers moving. Normally I am one to stomach the bouncy waves but I think with me focusing on far away birds in a scope and a moving pier, I became a bit queasy.
Top from left to right: Yellow-billed Loon(wiki), Pacific Loon; Bottom left to right Red-throated Loon, Common Loon
Loons are amazing. They also make incredible vocalizations. ID'ing a Loon in breeding plumage is easy. It's when they are in their winter forms that can challenge even the best of birders. Loons love deep waters and most often are seen from the distance if you are on land. But apparently waving a white shirt in the air will attract these birds......hmmm. Something to try next time.
Many times a scope is necessary and even then it can be difficult. Such was the case with the Yellow-billed Loon. It hung out further away due to the human traffic. Here is the image I was able to capture(below).
When I visit Alaska and Canada, I hope to get better photos of this bird one day. The bill is large and upright making it stand out!
You can note the size differences. In the photo, the YBLO hangs out with a Common Loon. It's more upright and larger making the COLO look like it's "slouching" in the water.
Thankfully, the other loons(in the montage above) were seen from vantage points where I could get nice photos. The Pacific Loon was sick and unfortunately didn't live long after that photo was taken. I was just a newbie, but after that sad incident, I programmed our Wildlife Rescue program into my phone. Today the bird's body can be found at the University of Arizona for study. The Red-throated Loon has a spotty back and is lighter gray overall in its winter plumage. It was seen from a pier in California. My Common Loon shot was taken in Mexico just feet from the shore! But of all the loons, the Yellow-billed is the rarest of the 5 loons in the world.
I think my love for loons began as a child on the lakes of Minnesota where we'd vacation often. Their calls were the most haunting and beautiful sounds I have ever heard. My number one favorite movie of all time is "On Golden Pond". This movie heavily uses the Common Loon as a metaphor for life and relationships. And once a year, I revisit this incredible movie about this aging journey we all must make.
A rare Herring Gull-gulls are fun to ID! Really!!
As we were getting ready to leave, we heard a loud blood curdling scream. I thought, oh oh. Magill has gone off the deep end! As I spun around, I was happy to see that she hadn't fallen into the cold waters but was horrified to see that her million dollar scope was sinking into the dark waters! She was able to recover the scope before it completely submerged into the depths of the unknown. It was like that first ding on your newly purchased car:(
Common Goldeneye
It was also time to claim the Barrow's Goldeneyes that are typically found in Northern Arizona this time of year. What's interesting about these birds is that they look similar to the Common Goldeneyes except that they have a white mark on their face in the shape of a semicolon instead of a white dot.
Barrow's Goldeneye-drake
These birds can be tricky as they can blend into large rafts of Common Goldeneyes. And they often seem to hang out further away from the place you're standing:) My first view with them was with Magill through her still wet scope. Thankfully it all still worked. Then I noticed there was a pair near one side of a stretch of land with water on both sides. Since it was a life bird, I went down the walkway to get pics of the bathing birds.
Magill pointed out to me there differences between the female Common and Barrow's Goldeneyes. I think I got this one right. The bill on the female Barrow's Goldeneye is completely orange.
After this trek, it was time to call it quits. There are no big years left. There just is. And that's a good place to be. It's time to educate younger birders and give back to a community who has given me so much. As for the loons? They're currently still hanging out:) Good birding!
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