A Walk In The Park

Yellow-rumped Warbler

 When this past weekend arrived, I didn't know what I'd exactly do.  I looked at my calendar and remembered that Tucson's CBC was coming up.  I also had a free ticket for the Reid Park Zoo which gave me an idea. Why not cover the ENTIRE Reid Park area(including the zoo)!?!?

Canvasback

 The Tucson CBC, or Christmas Bird Count, is going to be held this week during my work schedule so I am not able to attend. HOWEVER, if YOU are in the area and interested, click on this link here.  It's a wonderful way to discover great birding spots around town while helping our bird populations around the US.  This will be Rich Hoyer's last CBC for Tucson.  Thank you Rich for all the years you've organized this event. We will miss you. 

Rich is on the left.  This was during an epic trek into Chiapas over a year ago. 

Anyhow, while I can't attend the Tucson CBC this week, I helped scout local patches for the team that will cover my neighborhood.  So I made the decision to do some responsible birding this weekend and kept it local. 

Redhead

 In just under 3 hours, I covered the zoo, outside park ponds and baseball fields finding a nice total of 49 bird species. Lately, I have been less about chasing and more about doing investigative work on known species in areas closer to home. 

Wood Duck

 Plus, I need to save money for pretty much everything which includes 2 out of state treks and one out of country adventure for this year and next.  And of course, there are the other costs like maintaining both home and car:)  As I've said before, there really isn't anything left to chase in Arizona anymore SO I have chosen to bird responsibly.  It's nice to pick and choose where and HOW I'll bird.  

a wintering male Broad-billed Hummingbird

 Reid Park is a wonderful green patch in the middle of the city.  With a variety of vegetation, both desert and exotic, it can be a great place to spot rarities. 

Vermilion Flycatcher

 In fact, I've been spending a lot of time here at our parks.  Last weekend, I spent a quiet count at Agua Caliente Park.  Before that, I went to Ft. Lowell Park, etc etc.  Reid Park is the closest to my home and is probably one of the best spots in town for the most avian diversity. However, I will say that Tanque Verde Wash, Coachline and the Sweetwater Wetlands are pretty darn good as well.   

a captive Blue-crowned Motmot

 Oh I still dream.  I visited the South American aviary and watched the Blue-crowned Motmot.  I wondered if they had updated the motmot complex with the actual name of this bird since it was split into 3 different species this past summer. Somehow I didn't seem to care.  It was a passing thought as I forgot about my surroundings and just enjoyed watching this bird up close under the shadows of the giant bamboo.  Spanish teacher day dreaming............

House Sparrow with Peacock feather

 Meanwhile House Sparrows collected Peacock feathers to build their nests.  I searched and searched for a rare Harris's Sparrow or Golden-crowned Sparrow in the vegetation but didn't have any luck.  

Orange-crowned Warbler

 I searched for rare warblers in several warbler flocks but didn't find anything extraordinary.  I followed up on my rare Tucson Inca Doves that I've been monitoring at the zoo.  It took me awhile but I found them. 

Inca Doves

So while I had fun playing detective at my local patch, I was able to help my Tucson CBC friends for their big counts this week. 

the acrobatic Verdin on Bamboo

While these past two months have been challenging due to health reasons, I have learned how to adapt and find joy with my birds closer to home.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it is not something that has been easy for me.  I'm still in shock that people elected this guy known as Trump for President....I don't know why anyone would vote for this loser, but they did. It's hard to believe that Clinton won with over 2 million votes and still "lost".  I have to let it go, but watching this all unravel is a nightmare. Anxiety attacks are not fun.  After that election battle, there was a darkness I had never felt before and it is a scary feeling. A Bush in the White House is not the same as a Trump in the White House. I feel like there is a global war building and I can't stop it.  

at the Flamingo exhibit

And then there is work.  I tried managing 180 kids without a break all day long so that I could pay off my student loan early.  Yeah, not going to happen. The body speaks volumes about how much stress we can handle.  Thankfully, that crazy stress will be over by the end of the semester.  The night comes quickly and leaves little time to bird after work which has thrown off my meditation.  When the weekend comes, I sleep whenever I can and bird for a few hours to just....exist.  As the year comes to a close, I'll be heading to the arctic north where I'll gladly don my gloves and scarf.  My mind takes me to icy waters where the snow falls around me. I still have some work to do in Arizona this month with Deborah Vath's CBC.  We'll be taking our youth out and searching for birds next weekend.  Have a great week everyone and until next time.......

Double Duty

nesting Northern Flicker

One of my favorite things to do while I'm traveling to a different city around the US or the world is stop by their zoo and surrounding parks.  After a fun and exhausting birding trek around Rocky Mountain National Park, we were ready for something a little more relaxing. Today we'll take you on a bird walk around the Denver Zoo. 

White-eared Catbird

Every zoo has a different collection of foreign and local birds, animals and reptiles.  I enjoy viewing their collections and learning up close and personal the names of new birds and their calls.  Each bird has a story and it's fun reading about their backgrounds. 

Paradise Tanager

And zoos can also be great places to find local birds!  Every zoo has watering holes with amazing gardens.  Plus, people are notorious for making messes on the grounds.  So while we were there, we kept tabs on the local visiting birds. Regulars, like the American Robins, Northern Flickers and Black-billed Magpies, all hung around the grassy areas. We even found a White-breasted Nuthatch jumping around a tree. 

male Crested Wood Partridge

Sadly, there are always several species at the zoos that face extinction.  Denver Zoo is no exception.  I always wonder if I'll ever see some of these birds in the wild before they disappear. I hope I do.  An older birder once told me to set my sights on the endangered birds first because they may not be around by the time I get to them.  And that is a sad thought. 

female Crested Wood Partridge

Sometimes, like the case with this Blue-crowned Motmot below, I actually get better views:)  Motmots in the wild LOVE hanging out in the shade....or at least the ones I've seen.  I've had to use careful background lighting to get decent pictures of them.  To date, I've seen 4 species of Motmot but I have decent photos for only two of the species thanks in part to dark rain forests. 

Blue-crowned Motmot

Many of the world birds that face declining populations are in places where they are illegally poached for the pet trade.  Many are losing precious habitat while others face poisons and chemicals that pollute their food supply and habitat like rivers and farm fields. If those things are affected or disappear, it can have a devastating consequence on our bird populations.  And it is happening right now as you are reading this.  I began documenting birds just a few years ago and I've already seen changes happening around several of my older reports. Even better?  Take the ebird challenge.  Visit a 10 year old watering hole hotspot and see why it's not a current hotspot.  You'll be shocked! In Phoenix, we discovered many of the old watering holes were covered by development OR the water was redirected onto private land behind a fence. Or even worse?  The water has completely dried up.  Sad.

Chestnut-backed Thrush

Some birds are so strange looking that it thrills to see them up close.  Take for example this Cassowary below.  They are large birds found in New Guinea, the surrounding islands and Northeastern Australia. These birds have been known to take out humans and their pets for getting too close:)  So today, I gawk at this odd dinosaur looking creature. 

Cassowary

The Kori Bustard, below, is listed as Near Threatened. This bird can be found in the southern parts of Africa. It likes the open grassy areas where it can run.

Kori Bustard

The Denver Zoo is also home to a Lorikeet haven. It's a fun place to take the kiddos because they get a chance to feed the Lorikeets.  There were several species of this bird in a nicely enclosed aviary.  So we purchased our dollar cups.  Micheal enjoyed feeding lots of birds as they climbed up on his hand and shoulders for a sip or two from his cups. 

Titus the Stella's Lorikeet

I noticed a shy Lorikeet watching me from a higher branch who was different from the rest.  So I carefully approached this bird and offered him a sip from my cup.  He came down and licked my fingers.  Afterwards, I asked the zoo keepers what type of Lorikeet I was feeding and they came back with a name.  "OH!  His name is Titus and he's a Stella's Lorikeet."  Apparently at one time, Titus lived at the San Diego Zoo.  

Common Grackle

While we were learning about new birds, I was counting all the local birds who were visiting the zoo.  Common Grackles were in great numbers and feeding around picnic areas.  It is not a "common" bird for us in Arizona.  Instead, we are home to MANY Great-tailed Grackles.  So it was a treat to view these birds doing what they do best......taking advantage of human slobs:)

After the zoo, we headed to the local park next door.  There were hundreds of Canada Geese and Double-crested Cormorants. On a nearby island, we found plenty of Snowy Egrets and Black-crowned Night Herons nesting in a very large rookery. But the shocker?  As I did my counts on the nests, I found two Cattle Egrets!  They were mixed into the rookery pretty well. And ONE was on a nest!  It pays to count each and every bird because you never know if there will be a gem hiding in the group. That was our best bird of the day.  

a rare nesting Cattle Egret for Denver, CO

Time was limited and we had to go back to Arizona.  It was a nice stop and break from the driving.  So not only did we have a fun local outing; we also learned about lots of new birds in the process!  The Denver Zoo has a great aviary that also houses African Penguins!  Until next time friends......

Here's a video recapping the last 4 posts at Rocky Mountain National Park and the Denver Zoo. The next Americano Chapter continues......