Quarantinis

Gambel's Quail

As I watch lines around stores form and snowbirds fleeing the city in the thousands to get back to their doctors in their home states, I stand on the sidelines watching humanity unwind.  Meanwhile, bird migration is happening on schedule as if nothing was really happening, giving me a false sense of security.  I am absolutely fascinated by it all. 

Copulating Killdeer

I counter crowds by finding my secret spaces to find birds.  I run to all the places I need to go before quarantine takes hold. I pick up house and garden project stuff.  I get the oil change done.  I visit Holly at the bamboo ranch to get my plants for spring planting.  And for the most part, I am ready to stay indoors full time. People are no different from birds.  They also have habits that can be predicted. 

Great Egret

As of today, Covid-19 has killed more than 2000 Americans in the US. Globally, it has killed so many more people. It's quite a show watching this "President" and his Corona task force deal with this crippling blow to the US. And now I watch this house of cards finally collapse around him at the cost of his supporters and everyone else who lives in this country. I cannot believe that some people think this is just a hoax!  

Curve-billed Thrasher

I'm not angry anymore.  I just don't care.  I feel for those infected.  If I get it, I'll be okay as well.  Humanity needs a shaking up. We have been abusive and complacent in this world.  I try to do my best to make progress.  I switched out all plastic bags this year for cool grocery purses that I can reuse over and over again. I got rid of plastic bottles for a hydroflask.  But the environmental damage Trump has done to the US is unforgivable. And now, here we are with this disease thanks in part to poaching and the illegal trade market in China. Middle and western African countries are going to take yet another hit on top of all the other things they have been dealing with like HIV, Ebola, bad economies, etc etc.  We are all connected.  And we are all to blame. 

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

I also think that there is more about this disease we DON'T know like when did it really start?  The first US case was reported January 21st.  NOW, let's go back to October when I traveled to Oregon.  If you've been following this blog, you might remember that I had a severe illness for a couple months.  I went to the ER twice.  The doctor's had said everything was fine.  I experienced GI issues, difficulty breathing doing easy things and in November and December, I had the desire to just die. 

Black-throated Sparrow

I am now feeling better.  There is still a smaller issue, but I went to the doctor again this past week to hopefully obtain the last bit of antibiotics I need to take out the last bit of this GI issue. Thousands of dollars and no answers to every single test they had done on me really made me frustrated. 

Anna's Hummingbird

Now let's fast track after winter break during the month of January.  Students were getting sick for more than several days.  In fact, they were out for weeks at my school.  I know this because all the teachers spoke about it.  We didn't get all the make up work in until that first week of March!  In my 24 years of teaching, I have NEVER had a flu take out that many kids for that amount of time.  Our attendance specialist was overloaded with absentee calls from parents.  The last three weeks of January and first week in February were terrible. This wasn't an ordinary flu.  Several students also lost their parents.  It's natural to lose a parent sometimes, but to have several students lose a mom or dad in a semester was not only sad and devastating but horrifying.    

female Anna's Hummingbird at my feeder

THEN, a teacher who is always healthy had an issue the last week of January.  She was sitting at her desk working when a student came up to ask her a question.  As he was speaking to her, some of his spittle hit her lips.  She remembered being grossed out by this and told me about it.  The next day, she couldn't function and disappeared for 4 days!  We were worried about her, but she came back the following week her normal crazy self. 

a very furry Nova chills on top a stack of freshly cleaned bathroom towels. 

Now if you're saying, "Chris but......" First, let me say this. These are just observations from a teacher of 24 years. Not fact, just observations. Here's the thing.  I work at a school where parents have weird jobs.  One student proudly told me her dad had just come back from Wuhan on a business trip after it was announced that the virus began there. We weren't taking it as serious back then. People travel over winter break and it doesn't take much for a disease to cross over and begin its work. Now these are just things that I began piecing together since my own mortality scare in October.  I NEVER get sick.  I don't trust this government we have now because they lie all the time.  I think things were building up to this moment back in January.  It was the silent enemy hitting pockets of humanity.  Now, there's no avoiding it.  In Arizona, we still can't get tested unless we are showing all the symptoms.  Trump is an idiot. We DO NOT have enough testing kits and WE ARE NOT ready. And now the US will pay the ultimate price.  But sure, Bozo.  Throw money at us.  That will fix everything!

Nova helps me

"Why don't you get tested now?"  Well because ONE I can't. There's not enough testing kits out there. And only people exhibiting the symptoms can get a test.  TWO.  I don't want to get reinfected again.  Hospitals, cruise ships, crowds and planes are a germ fest! And there are still people who want to continue their flight or cruise!  Unbelievable!  And how are children's daycares still open?  I live next door to one and there are still kids playing outside?!  I have a deep appreciation for the health workers, grocery store clerks and law enforcement agencies putting their lives at risk helping the public get through this crisis.  

Great Blue Heron at El Rio Preserve in Marana

I asked my students online what has been the greatest silver lining about doing their work at home.  It was reassuring to hear things like, "I get to spend more time with my family." or "I can learn at my own pace and take breaks when I need them." and of course the ever popular teenage response, "I get to sleep in!".  Some things never change. 

There were other responses that made me smile like, "I get to see your cats more Profe. I love your cats."  LOL!  It's true.  While I'm doing zoom or doing a video segment, I have cats who like to "help" me out.  One of the universal responses to that silver lining question was, "I get to spend more time with my dog or cat."  That made me smile. 

My Cooper's Hawk ate one of my Ladder-backed Woodpeckers

Finally, I am enjoying this quarantini moment in my life.  I am "forced" to enjoy living at home.  I am "forced" to work on my home.  I am "forced" to bird from my yard. I am "forced" to garden at home.  I never had enough time to do it all.  Now I have all the time in the world!  I choose to see the positive in this all.  It's a new challenge.  My birding has turned me into being a robin stroker...totally appropriate for the moment. And it's a treasure hunt. A game.  How many birds can I find in Pima county?  How do I stay away from the evil sickly humans who don't stand 6 feet away from each other? Seriously. And avoid the terrible people who are rude to each other in lines? This is a living video game! Avoid the crazy man who runs over the worker with his cart because there is no toilet paper(true story).  Oh it's a human shit show out there full of beautiful, sad and stupid human stories. On the plus side, gas couldn't be cheaper!

The White-winged Doves are returning to my yard again!

Spring migration is in full swing here in the desert southwest.  We all secretly whisper to each other that we are so lucky to live here because there's a lot of open spaces and a lot of birds!  But deep down, I know summer is going to be here in NO TIME!  Trump said that the virus should be gone by Easter.  Okay buddy.  Then he said it should be gone by summer because it gets warmer outside. He's a smart guy that one.  However, 115 degrees is hot and the virus has a difficult time living outside the body at certain temps.  Heck, a human can't live outside in 115 degrees for very long:) 

I head out with Celeste to do some night birding.  We listen for Elf Owls and Common Poorwills

And the other silver lining?  I control my eating.  I'm not driving an hour and half every day to school.  I can teach from my catio or side garden OR office.  Even better?  I can go for a walk in the morning like I normally would.  And I'm losing weight again!  I control HOW I do my job.  Not vice versa.  This pandemic is going to change so many things about how we do our jobs.  I'm hoping I can teach online for most of the week with 2 days of teacher supervision to make sure that students aren't cheating. And that they also get their time to socialize.  They did mention missing that aspect of school.  But I gotta tell you all.  I don't miss the classroom discipline part or the drug issues that plague most of the schools here in the US.  That's on the parents now.  I think some of them miss us:) Our schools in AZ are closed now for the rest of the year. I think everyone is in the honeymoon mode right now but it will slowly sink in as the pandemic wraps around our city more and graduations are cancelled.  Right now, everyone is acting like it's no big deal in Tucson. And that's how this disease is spreading.

A Great Egret flies over my head at Agua Caliente Park

Please stay healthy.  Spend lots of your time with your furry friends.  If you have a spouse, smile at them from across the house from time to time.  Maybe check in with them for dinner?  Wait!  Is that what dinner is all about?  Touching base with the ones you love?  What a great idea? Yes.  Some old traditional values still stick and are time honored.  How cool is THAT in this ever changing world?!  Until next time......I'm hoping:)

Ramblings from a Solitary Retreat

The rains and snows of Southeastern Arizona have given us some of the most beautiful vistas.  This was taken from Summerhaven on top of Mt. Lemmon on a wintery day

As I heal, I have found comfort in a quiet cup of coffee writing from my office next to my fuzzy warm cats. 

I explore a new canyon with Cheroot and Celeste.  In the background, there is a waterfall that flows downwards into the Sabino Creek

I now have answers as to why I have had pain these past two months.  I'll need another month to know if the medication is working or if I'll need corrective surgery.  My inner gypsy is locked away inside. The birding I do now is reflective and close to home. 

A Red-naped Sapsucker eats at our local park during the winter season

And even within my own little space, there are amazing birds around me. Some of my friends understand what I'm going through, but others still think I can go go go on the trails and treks like I did awhile back.  I can't.  I'm tired of the driving.  All I want to do is listen to bird song or count birds in my backyard. 

A Greater White-fronted Goose stops by a local park for a visit

I think the stress of "holiday" and what's happening in our country started this whole mess. I've shut down the news.  I've shut down the chaos of holiday.  And even resisting these human "norms" is stressful.  No one should have to suffer expectations.  

I watch the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher forage for food

We renewed our membership at the Desert Museum.  I've taken wonderful walks with my friend Celeste and Cheroot in quiet canyons.  There's more.  So much more. As you've heard me say in the last post, 2019 has been a tough year.  Right after March, things got crazy.  People's lives began to fall apart around us.  I tried to be there for people but I failed miserably.  There were too many friends with things happening.  And then in my own family.  Internally, it stressed me out because I'm a fix it person.  But I couldn't this time. It's something they all had to do on their own. And I wasn't able to be there for them.

Then my health issues in October forced me to pull back. Remote canyons and mountain tops were out of the question.  Any place out of cell service was a no no.  Two trips to the ER, many doctor visits, tests and finally an upper GI test revealed a hiatal hernia. I've had this random pain since I was 32, but I never had an answer until now. Knowing what it is will allow me to fix my intake.  No tomatoes.  No citrus!(no fresh oj from the oranges that are coming soon in AZ!).  No soda. 

A Black-throated Sparrow perches on a Barrel Cactus at the Desert Museum

And that's ok.  I eat healthy but in some cases maybe I overdid it with the fresh tomato juice I drank every day.  I couldn't let my current tomatoes go bad so I threw them in the freezer with all my other veggies and fruits.  One day, I'll be able to sip on my perfectly created fresh tomato juice of carrots, apples, celery with a squeeze of lemon or lime.  The other crap I don't mind at all....no fried foods or meat.  That's easy.  But not using spice??!  That's going to be hard:)

A Ladder-backed Woodpecker climbs a tree at my local patch, Reid Park

I'm on vacation now until next year.  It's wonderfully cold.  There is rain.  And as I look around our home, I see things I'd like to work on.  But I have to do my walk first!

This rare wintering Greater Pewee has returned to Reid Park for the next several months

I live in Tucson, perhaps one of the greatest places to live for birding.  As you can see, just a half hour to 40 minutes away (or less!), a birder can visit different habitats and see a crazy amount of birds.  I average about 150-200 bird species a month by just birding around town.  All the birds you see today in this blog are from local visits to parks and our nearby Mt. Lemmon or Cienegas Grasslands. 

A Common Yellowthroat hops around Archer Lake at Columbus Park

And because I'm not driving huge distances or traveling crazy amounts of hours in car or plane, I have this crazy energy to pull out many more bird species than I normally would from my local parks. I blame it on the pent up gypsy who wants to find something rare.  Even if I've seen the bird a million times. I can't shut that part down. 

But these gentle walks are refreshing and revealing. 

Pronghorn graze in the Cienegas Grasslands

I look forward to this new year with visiting friends.  I think they'll love the birds here.  For many of them, they'll all be new and I can't wait to see their faces as they explore the place I call home.  It's so different from their own homes. 

I mean.....look at these views!!!  30 minutes away from my home. 

On a hill overlooking Tucson

Or how about this one?  I'm walking along a trail and this Greater Roadrunner joins me.  I had to step back with my camera.  But then the bird would walk closer to me and screw up my shot.  For a quarter of a mile, the bird walked alongside me like a dog would do with their human friend.  It was so cool.  

A Greater Roadrunner in Tucson

It got me thinking about the birds I always take pictures of.....like......Greater Roadrunners, Vermilion Flycatchers, Greater Pewees, Curve-billed Thrashers, Cactus Wrens, any quail, all sparrows.......

The simple fact is that I love all of my local birding. Now don't think I won't chase new bird species, but I've hit my thousand mark (and then some) ahead of my goals which will allow me to take my time to get to 2000 birds. In fact, I'm just 10 away from another "100" post.  It has taken the pressure off of me to chase and I really like it.  

Finally, I love my Tucson community.  Sometimes I don't take the time to stop and be a Tucsonan. And I've been doing it more.  I live near our artsy and magical Loft Cinema.  A dear former student works there and I was able to visit with her and watch this terrible Star Wars Holiday special.  And it was terrible!

Baby Yoda eyes the competition

But with 400 people in attendance, it was an experience best shared.  We ordered nachos and put them under our seat for later on.  As you can see, I've circled "Baby Yoda" in the pic above.  My other half Micheal looked over and saw Baby Yoda hanging out in the aisle with us.  That was odd.  When I went to get a chip, they were gone!  Apparently Baby Yoda got hungry and found the chips under Micheal's seat.  Where was Mom you ask?  Well she was blitzed while her kids "Turkey Vultured" their way around the theater!  LOL!  

The Catio

Tucson is growing.  In the winter there are SO MANY PEOPLE.  But knowing Tucson is also knowing WHERE to go when there are crowds of people.  Take for example these last two pics.  It was a most perfect day.  In the morning, I had coffee with my "girls" as they sat and sunned out in the catio.  Then we went to renew our membership at the Desert Museum on a day that didn't have many visitors.  Why you ask?  Well thousands went to our annual street fair. We countered the crowds with another popular attraction, the Desert Museum and won!  Micheal and I both had the most special lunch away from the crowds in this nice restaurant.  And a beautiful walk in our incredible Sonoran desert. 

The winter glow of the Desert Museum

I love being home.  I have several more commitments.  Over the next several blogs, we'll be revisiting Bosque Del Apache, Colorado and explore our CBC results in the Atascosa Highlands and Phoenix area. After that, I'm going to be a hermit! And garden in my backyard.  I cannot wait for 2019 to be over.  Happy New Year everyone! Until next time....

The Long and Short Of It

Ambitious and unrestrained for 4 days, I took my birding on the road.  I didn't plan a thing.  I just let it unfold as it would.  And spontaneity happened!

We watched as this male Red-tailed Hawk captured this Western Patchnose Snake to present to the female as a gift.  A sign that spring is here and that nesting is about to begin for many birds in our desert.

We climbed the high elevations and found a pair of Arizona Woodpeckers hungrily tapping on the bark for a little snack.

Arizona Woodpecker

And then, we discovered this Long-eared Owl resting in the shadows.

So we got to thinking.......

Black-throated Sparrow

Could we find the Short-eared Owl that had been reported recently?

No luck, but that didn't matter. 

Other rarities popped up for us during our search like this Gray Catbird below!

And who could resist this beautiful Pyrrhuloxia?

Or the mesmerizing blue grays of the Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay?

Or the orange sherbert of an Olive Warbler....

Or the colorful song of a Greater Pewee?

Simply put.  It's fun to show people around beautiful Southern Arizona and help them find a lifer or two.

It's time to get back on track and seek out new life and new civilizations.  Arizona is my home but there are new birds that must be discovered!  Stay tuned for a very special Las Aventuras next week.

Crissal Thrasher