Turning Over A New Leaf

Western Screech-Owl near my work site

I am healing.  I am getting stronger, but it's slow. You'd think I was out every day looking for birds, but I am not.  I have three really important goals right now.  Walk more.  Lose this stubborn belly fat.  And drop the weight. 

A pack of Javelina or Collared Peccary cross a pumpkin patch to get to a river

On the financial level.  Save money.  Stay at home.  Make this year about birding Pima County well. It's a huge county, but I know where to go.  There are just a few people who know Pima a little better.  But I've made notes over the years for a year like this one.  And it has paid off so far locating certain difficult bird species. 

This brillaint Lillian's Eastern Meadowlark is a favorite of mine

I had habitat picked out.  Just never had the time to do the slow investigation that was needed.  But I'm glad I made the notes as it has made my job so far a breeze.  Some birders get angry that I hide my reports about certain rare birds.  That's ok. I learned my lesson a long time ago.  I told someone and they told others.  And then the bird was never seen again. I'm a quick learner. If you are a true birder, you know and understand a bird's habitat requirements. And with that knowledge, you can find the bird you are looking for. I need birders to know that the bird's safety comes first. So far, I've been excited by the owl discoveries.  From Long-eared Owls to Barn Owls to Burrowing Owls, the trickiest in my county, to the easier Western Screech-Owl and nesting Great Horned Owls.

The Round-tailed Ground Squirrel peaks up from a hole to make sure it's safe to search for food

This slow methodical approach has really allowed me to absorb all the habitats more.  Take my time.  Explore new mapped out spaces for certain species. Granted the beginning of the year is always the easiest. 

Work has taken up much of my time allowing me to bird once or twice a week. 

It has been a wonderful time connecting with birders.  Just sitting on a bench and helping a visitor ID a new bird or a difficult sparrow.  There is nothing new anymore here in Arizona except for the personal connections I make with birders and their love for birds.  It makes me smile.  The more I do this; the more I realize I'm beginning to fill in vacant roles that were once filled by birders who are no longer with us. In a way, it's a very sobering thought.

The subtle beauty of a Lincoln's Sparrow

I have changed as a teacher this year as well.  I am more relaxed than I have ever been with my students.  We talk and I teach.  When I'm done with my lesson, a student shares with me a bird they've seen.  They show me a picture and I ask them about the bird and if they know what kind of bird it is, etc etc.  

A Common Raven comes in for a sip of water

 I speak to a new friend on the phone.  An opportunity arises for my students.  I am excited.  So we begin to brainstorm.  I begin to write down a strategy to see if we can maybe make this student trek to our national park happen. What if it was an overnight 2 day event?  And what if we could give them the hands on experience necessary to excite their minds for a future of protecting our beautiful and sacred Sonoran desert?  I am very grateful for the conversation and also for the opportunity to get to know another kindred spirit.

A Pied-billed Grebe hunts for larvae in the murky water

 At home, I find a Canyon Tree Frog in my garden!  I watch my new friend sit every day on one of my Mexican pots as it bathes in the sun.  The nights get cold and I wonder if the frog will make it.  In the morning as I put oranges out for my Verdins, I check to make sure the frog is okay.  And there the frog is.  And I smile. 

A wonderful and shocking surprise in my garden, the Canyon Tree Frog, sits on top of my Mexican pots.  Where did it come from?  I never touch that part of my garden.  Has it lived in the soil of that pot for a long time?

 In the quiet of my office, I research and plan for my July trip to the Darien Gap in Panama.  I purchase a ticket for the entire month.  The first half will be grueling as we hunt for the Harpy Eagle.  The second half will be my vacation. I'll sit in my rocker on the veranda overlooking the gardens and coffee plantations in Boquete wearing my sweatpants sipping on something warm. I will meet up again with Ivan in Gamboa.  And I sense I'll finally get to meet some "friends" from Facebook for the first time in person. 

A Botta's Pocket Gopher comes up to grab a bite of grass

Each year is a new chapter in our life.  We can let it pass us by or we can make each day an event. After being stuck at home to heal for several months, it's good to feel stronger.  And it's good to get out again and be a part of the community.  The pause in my life was a good thing. 

There are goals to be achieved for sure during this important year of 2020. We'll meet up with Nancy and her sister for a wonderful hummingbird hunt in March. We'll explore new birding hotspot, the Canoa Ranch and do a Hawk Watch in March with Tucson Audubon. We'll also visit the garden at El Presidio as I add several new native plants to our property. Then our friend Dr. Steve from Wales comes in April to chase Arizona lifers.  Our Tucson Audubon Big Day will be some time in April/May as we, the Wrenegades, try to find as many bird species as we can in one day. And there are so many more things that will happen.  But for now, I'm birding at my own pace.  I'm sleeping in during the mornings as much as I can.  I'm still a birder but a much more relaxed one now. Until next time.....

The Hardest Decisions

Red-eared Sliders

With the cooler temps arriving and a new fiscal year of bird planning, the month of October brings me to a very personal space. I often find myself alone on the trails deep in thought remembering what it's like to walk in cooler temps.  The sweaty summer temps begin to vanish and are replaced with "chillier" temps.  Over the past several weekends, I have had to make some difficult choices. 

Botta's Pocket Gopher

I ran across this quote, "Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same." After my Grandma passed away this summer, many personal decisions were thrown into question.  My lifelong quest to understand birds, both new and old alike, took a turn.  Normally, I would target areas for new birds and go with other birders.  It has been a lot of fun and I know we'll continue to do so again.  But, I have other friends who are non-birders. My Grandma reminded me that I can't ignore that part of my life. One of my favorite trips last year was a trek out to Monterey, CA where I had the opportunity to bird AND spend time with good friends.  It was the perfect balance between birding and chilling out. 

Gray Hawk

So during that time in Wisconsin, I began to think about all my friends and family everywhere around this world that I haven't seen in a LONG time.  When a birder birds with other birders, they look for birds 24/7.  Okay, maybe we stop for a bite to eat, but it isn't for long.  There are birds to be found!

Red-naped Sapsucker

It's so much fun and it's an addiction.  When a birder finishes one trip, they begin to plan another and often with their birding pals. With these past years of travel, I've been hardcore birding and not taking the time to enjoy the other side of these treks with my college friends, etc. This is where it gets to be a tricky balancing act.  

Lesser Long-nosed Bat

I've gotten so used to birding with my bird pals that I've forgotten how I used to travel before my birding days. Margaritas over birds? Oooooh yes:) Each of us tells one another that it's okay and that we understand.  But deep down, we wish we were there with each other exploring new habitats for birds and other wildlife.  One part of me feels guilty while the other tells me that I cannot deny the part of "just being". Somehow I have to moderate my birding addictions. My non-birding friends remind me that I am human and that it's okay to sit on the beach and enjoy the waves. HOWEVER, the birder inside of me tells me not to waste the opportunity.  So I carefully study my target birds and strategize. 

Willow Flycatcher

Here are several examples that have shaped my decision making this year.  At a happy hour, after a few margaritas with friends, we decided to head to Baja California for break.  There are birds there but it's mostly about enjoying the beach and.....um....drinks:) 

a male Painted Bunting along the DeAnza Trail

My Mexican mother turns 70 years old this year in the ancient Aztec stronghold of Tlaxcala.  This is a very personal trip.  I don't speak much English on these trips because not many people speak English there. And to be honest, I never know how to plan for these visits because it's Mexican. Schedules are meaningless:) And that wouldn't sit well for many of my birding friends. You can't plan anything because everything changes on a daily basis! This is usually a trip I do alone. It's the one true place that I can be me.  In Mexico, I become a free spirited gypsy.  There's nothing like waking up and drinking a little coffee outside with your friends speaking Spanish. Here in the US, my life is a factory every day. So for me, not having an agenda is something quite special. 

a female Painted Bunting

And there's so much more to it all. It takes careful planning to achieve my goals each year. Next year, I am hoping to hit the 1000 lifebird mark. But as I have birded more and more every year, I have discovered that these journeys into unknown spaces must have heart to them.  It can't be solely about the birds.  My life will always revolve around birds but it's the heart of the journey that will tell this story of 10000 birds and anchor me as I head into unknown waters. 

I cannot live my life waiting on tomorrow because I know that tomorrow may not happen.  So living and enjoying life is more important than material wealth.  I have found that if I deny my birding side, I get depressed.  But if I deny everything else, it all feels empty.  Life has to have meaning and purpose.  

American Kestrel

While I wait for the next big trek, I stay close to home to take careful observations of my desert birds. This has been very rewarding. 

A female Anna's Hummingbird feeding from a cloud of insects

So when I'm not birding, I'm often researching new areas. Or we're having fun somewhere in town. 

When this year began, I had lost my footing.  While it was a financially tight year for me, I was still able to budget several birding treks with my friend Gordon to the Pacific Northwest and Costa Rica. I can now say that I've finally paid off some major debt known as the "STUDENT LOAN". As I get closer to the end of this year, I see a new chapter beginning in my life. It'll be one where I am with friends, both birding and non-birding alike, family and my other half as we globe trot into new places.   

Black Vulture

 For now, I have scheduled several important treks to visit people I haven't seen in a LONG time.  Several themes that I'll explore over the next year include questions like, how does a young person become a birder? Are there pyramids buried under three large hills in central Tlaxcala? And in an area that I've studied around those hills, will I find the Transvolcanic Jays? With my Jedi skills almost complete, can I find a Dusky Grouse on Pike's Peak near Colorado Springs with my family?  These are just some of the things I'll be exploring as I plan for next year.  Next week kicks off the new season of Las Aventuras.  Until next time....