Playa Tamarindo

While visiting Liberia, we had set a day aside for a trek to the nearby Playa Tamarindo.  We were hoping to find some sea birds along the beach and estuary. 

One of the biggest discussions for this trip was whether or not we'd rent a car.  It's easy and many tourists do it. We spoke with several of them about their experiences and for the most part, they were glad they had their car. However, it is also costly and can be stressful during severe weather situations.  Sometimes the conditions of the roads were terrible.  Sometimes we observed that parking was an issue. And other times, we discovered that having a car would have added hours onto our route because we couldn't short cut via boat or train. Local transportation in Costa Rica is sound.  And it's also cheap. So we began our early trek at the Liberian bus station.  Here's a tip for people thinking about using the buses here. ALWAYS find out when the last bus leaves an area and you'll be ok. Schedules change often so speak with the person at the counter selling the tickets. My greatest fear was missing that last bus back to Liberia. 

The local bus stopped at every little town on the way to pick up people wanting a little beach time.  Some people worked in Tamarindo.  Little did we know, but it was also a huge tourist magnet. And there seemed to be plenty of surfers. 

Green Heron

But that didn't stop us from birding.  We were asked by several people if we wanted a nature tour.  The price was around 20 dollars per person.  Knowing that we'd do treks like this in other places, we opted out. Plus, I've found that we're our own best guides. 

Orange-chinned Parakeet

One of our target bird groups was the hummingbird.  Where in the world were they?

We certainly saw signs for them.  And where were the sea birds?  Where were the gulls and terns??!! None of them would have been a lifer but I was looking forward to observing a few of these birds along the beach. From my Central American experiences, I actually think the Caribbean side of Central America is better for sea birds along the coast during the summer.  I was, however, surprised by 2 Brown Pelicans and 4 White Ibis!  Definitely not on my radar. 

It came time for lunch.  Picking a spot was difficult because there were a lot of great places to eat.  I wanted something Costa Rican while the other two wanted something different.  So we found a nice mix of restaurants with general outdoor seating. It was popular with the young surfer crowd.  I listened to the conversations that I once had myself not so many years ago.  "Where are you from again?" "I'm from California. I'm sorry, where did you say you're from?" "I'm from Switzerland." And then on and on.  When will they mention the party? There's always a party involved.  And as if on cue, "Did you go to last night's party? I drank 9 cups of______" The conversations were deep and full of the standard self-absorption that you'd expect to find with young adults. That still didn't stop me from eavesdropping🙂 "Yeah, I've been here and there." And blah blah blah. At one point, one of the dude's asked the Cali girl if she remembered him from the night before.  And she replied straight out, "No." and walked away.  Ouch.  I guess they won't be "hooking up" anytime soon. 

Green Iguana

Sex, alcohol and our crazy youth.  They used to be part of the every day adventure. Not anymore.  Now, instead of the thrill of the party; it's all about finding wildlife.  It's weird how our life priorities change as we get older. We left the surfers behind and no one noticed the "old" people leaving.  Ouch!

Great Kiskadee

Back on the beach, we slowly moved away from the crowds of people and headed towards the estuary hoping to find a Boat-billed Heron or pirate.  We didn't find either, but we did see this....

A parent Mantled Howler Monkey watched as its offspring fed from the lower branches of a tree. 

I kept my distance because I know how powerful these monkeys can be!  Over the years, I've had one try and bite me in Peru.  Another threw poop at me in southern Costa Rica.  And yet another monkey nearly hit me with a mango in Panama.  Thankfully, the longer lens allows us closer viewing. 

At one point, this little one stared into the eyes of Gordon.  He probably thought that Gordon looked like Charlton Heston from Planet of the Apes.  "Look, it's a man!"

The skies became darker and we could hear a storm in the distance. 

Streak-backed Oriole

As we headed back to our bus stop, we paused to look at some birds we have observed in the past.  

White-fronted Parrots above and below. 

And while we saw quite a few birds, I'm not sure we picked up anything new. I know Gordon added his lifer Blue-gray Tanagers to the list.  Still, it was a fun trek to the beach.  

Hoffman's Woodpecker

The most interesting observation for me on this day came from the Brown-crested Flycatcher. It's important to note that this bird is of the Ometepe subspecies. I've noticed that ebird has started listing subspecies for this flycatcher. As we'll find out in several posts, I'll explain why it's often important to add the subspecies listing when possible. 

Brown-crested Flycatcher(Ometepe subspecies)

The nerdy bird discussion must have gotten the best of Micheal.  While he said he was still birding, I caught him using his binoculars for other interesting beach sightings:) 

Then a crocodile nabbed him!😉  Seriously though, we did see two of these large reptiles near the estuary.  Some of you may have heard of a surfer a couple years back attacked by one of these ocean crocs in Tamarindo.  It was a rare incident. From what I saw, the public beach was busy and full of swimmers and surfers.  Crocs prefer the shallower calm waters near mangroves.  As we neared the estuary, where they like to hang out, we kept on the lookout.  There are signs but as we know, not everyone reads them.  Overall, it's really a beautiful place to surf and enjoy the beach.  

For our Tamarindo report, click here.  Until next time.....surf's up!

To Be Young Again

Verdin

Spring.  It's an unofficial holiday; a celebration and renewal of all things centered around life.  For many in the US, it's a happy time as the weather warms up and those dreary gray clouds disappear.  Then the green and colorful blooms begin! In Southern Arizona, we start a little early. Our true spring begins in March. In May, "spring" really feels like the start of summer.  However, nature still tells us that it's "spring" around here with all the little critters making a fuss. 

Brown-crested Flycatcher collecting food for the recently hatched young

We had cooler temps in the mornings this past week and I wanted to take advantage of them while I still could.  So I got the equipment ready to do some serious documentation on the nesting and breeding birds at several of our local parks. 

I'm always surprised by how quickly the young grow up.  I mean.....this can be said about any species! Even humans! My nephew is already going to be a sophomore. Where did the time go? How did my family get so old??!!!  The only conclusion I can come up with is that they live in Wisconsin.  I haven't aged a day here in Arizona:)  So you ask about the gray in my beard?  Well, that's easy. I spray painted that stuff into my hair to look wise and Gandalf-like so that my family wouldn't feel any different :)

Red Torch Cactus

You know what?  I hate teaching.  Or so I say:)  When it comes down to it, I love my kids. I hate the politics behind teaching....and also some of the bad parenting happening out there. #stopenabling  It was so very sad saying good-bye to my Seniors as they will leave for the military or college or.....nowhere in a few short weeks.  The free spirits told me that they just want to explore.  WOW!!  I remember those days.  Now I'm bogged down paying for health insurance, home repairs, protecting our environment, fighting that asshole of a man known as Trump and cleaning the kitty litter(I swear he's been crapping in the litter! I know he's been doing it to our country. For example, take his 3 AM tweets on the toilet) But back to being young. I still explore because it's in my blood.  So I tell my Seniors......explore.  Be safe.  And discover! 

Baby Mallards

In my life, I've had near misses myself.  They were scary.  Almost losing my sister on a Guatemala trip was something that to this day has scared the hell out of me. One year, a faithful Spanish student of mine went off to explore the world and was nearly killed when a motorcycle hit him head on.  I know it's not my fault, but I couldn't help but feel partly responsible for encouraging him with my words to explore the world. It took years of rehabilitation. Just a couple weeks ago, he graduated from college.  And I am so proud of him. And I'd still tell him the same thing.  Explore!  But be careful!

Female Gila Woodpecker feeding the young.  Look at that amazing Saguaro cavity!!!  That is amazing!

Youth.  Inexperience.  I wish I could telepathically share with them all my life experiences.  Be careful when dating.  Be careful settling for something that you are not ready for.  Don't take out too many student loans.  Stay away from those damn drugs. But have fun!  How do I pass that information on to the future generations? Were they listening to my lessons? Quite simply, I have to let them go.  They have to leave the nest at some point. It's something they have to EXPERIENCE on their own. 

A male Gila Woodpecker pokes his head out to see what's going on

Life is dangerous.  It's also beautiful.  As I listened to the young birds call for their parents, I worried for them.  Get away you Cooper's Hawk!! I watched our nesting Common Ravens get bullied by this bird.  One of the ravens actually whimpered.  Again, I wanted to tell the raven, HEY!  Wake up!!! You're bigger!  Kick that bully away from your nest!  Years ago, I realized I cannot change the world nor control the outcomes of others. So, it gave me a certain freedom knowing that it's my life that I need to take charge of.  It's not my responsibility to try and "fix" others. But I can hope that both Common Ravens will stand up to that nasty Coops:) Birds are like people; people are biological creatures.....and we are all connected.  Their story is our story. And vice versa. 

Northern Beardless Tyrannulet

I walked around more and heard our infamous Northern Beardless Tyrannulets.  Everyone comes to this park to see these tiny flycatchers. On this day, the parent Tyrannulets were training their young one to fly from branch to branch.  I stood a safe distance and watched as one parent flew under the shade of the mesquite calling "PIU PIU PIU!" Translation:  Ok.  Fly here. The little one would respond with not quite the same call and fly to the branch.  The parent would then reward the little one with food. And over and over they did this in the hopes that one day, this little Tyrannulet will one day fly off and live its own little life. 

I watched a Bell's Vireo collect nesting material.  I asked myself, Is this the second clutch?  OR Did the first nest fail?  In the mind of a bird, a failure means try again.  Move on.  And do it again.  There's a message in there somewhere. 

As I walked out my classroom door, another Senior stopped and told me that he was thinking about taking a bird watching class at his university.  I had a huge smile on my face and told him that this made me very happy. While my objective is always teaching the Spanish language, I also try to connect my lessons through life experiences.  In the background, I'll have a bird on my SMART board.  When I disappear for that one day at school, my students know that I'm not sick but instead chasing a rare bird:) And it's my obligation to show them my results the day after:)

Arizona Bell's Vireo collecting nest material

I have one more week of school to go.  The forecast will be in the 100's again.  So I called my a/c guy to check our unit because I HATE the heat and want to prevent disaster from happening!  I climbed up on my roof and sat with him as he went over each of the specs. I thought to myself, Why don't I live up here?  It's beautiful!  Anyhow, everything looked good to go.  If there's one thing that stresses me out, it's the fear that our a/c unit will die in the middle of summer.  I have a secondary unit back up but still.....

So I'm ready for summer.  I've said my good-byes. And now it's time to move forward because life doesn't wait for any of us.  I've been stuck at 759 lifebirds for too long! If I remember correctly, there are over 10,000 bird species out there that are waiting for me to find!  And you know what that means.......

The many owls I've seen this year! Most shared with people I love.  Thank you all for your friendship. 

An adventure is waiting to happen.  Here are my reports from this past week.  For people coming to Tucson, you'll find these areas easy to access.  Go early before the heat. Birds are active from 6 AM to about 10 AM.  And don't forget to bring water!

1. Reid Park
2. Lakeside Park
3. Agua Caliente Park

Until next time........

Life's Unexpected Surprises

The Mexican Spotted Owl was one of my first "target"birds. 

Since June of 2011, after my trip to Panama, I began "bird photography".  I climbed mountains and wandered canyons alone.  I had considered myself a photographer and gardener first.  I still do, but something incredible happened on September 9th of 2012.  It would change the direction of my focus and broaden my views about the world.  For it was on this day, I met Ms. Kathie Brown.  It was also on this day that I would embrace the label "birder".

Saguaro National Park

We decided to meet at Agua Caliente park. She said that we were going to "bird" and I said, "Ok." I wasn't really a true birder at that point as I was still in denial.  Birders were weird people that I didn't really understand.  That's why I did everything alone.  I didn't want to be categorized.

Discovering the international world of birding.  I hired a private shrimp boat to get to Bird Island off the Rocky Point coast in Mexico. 

It was a lonely place.  I would take treks to islands, canyons, and mountains alone.  And I would become excited about discovering new areas and new birds without being able to share it with a friend.  My other half Pat likes the "cooler" birds but like many of our spouses, they are not birders. I have always been a globe trekker and love to travel! There is this insane curiosity to know more.  

Great Horned Owl

Agua Caliente was a park I had known well.  I went there in the past to look for Cedar Waxwings and discovered not only those masked bandits but a Sora and Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet.  Little did I know but I had discovered some incredible birds without even realizing it.  I took pics never thinking anything more of it.

Northern Beardless Tyrannulet

I had no idea that there were other people out there who shared my same love for nature. Well I knew they were out there, but how could I meet them? People share many things together like football, running, etc.  When I told people I saw a Cedar Waxwing, they just looked at me weird....like "great".   I would later find out that my brother Adam discovered a Cedar Waxwing as a kid and fell in love with the bird on his first bird outing.  My mother loves parrots and knows everything about them. But they are not birders.

Cedar Waxwings getting drunk from the dates on the palms at Agua Caliente Park

I'd go to parks and spot birds while trying to capture the moon rising above a mountain.  I couldn't ID the birds!  So I went online and googled the descriptions of these birds and found Kathie's blog.  She would electronically help me ID these birds even though we didn't know each other.  It wasn't until our friend Gaelyn said hey, "I know this blogger and she's coming back to Tucson.  You should get in touch with her."  Wait!?  Don't I know her? She's the bird expert! I was going to meet someone from blogger?  It made me uncomfortable.  So on our first meet at Agua Caliente, we both let our significant others know where we were.

Brown-crested Flycatcher on Ocotillo at Saguaro National Park

Then we met in person.  I could see right away that she was a different kind of birder.  One that was human and friendly. I also saw something in her that I hadn't seen in many people during my own travels....a curiosity.  Most people in my life are happy with the status quo and don't push the boundaries, but she was curious.  I've always been one to explore but again I would do it alone. Why should one investigate every little nook and cranny?  I was born wired for exploration.  She was the same.  What we didn't realize on this day was how much each of us would make an impact on the other's life.

That brim of the hat below is just an example of Ms. Brown's constant search for birds. At Agua Caliente park, I would discover how to live my life again.  It would change my world as we discovered hidden birds that I wouldn't normally see on my usual outings.  A Bewick's Wren.  A Green-tailed Towhee. And on and on. Without Kathie's help, I wouldn't have seen the birds or even known how to ID them.  We sat and chatted about EBIRD after our outing.   Turns out I knew nothing.  I still feel that way:) She put me on a path to help me focus and train my abilities for not only birds but other things as well.

So I began to EBIRD and I began to listen.  And I began to open my eyes.  Kathie became not only a friend but my mentor.  Then something else happened.  I started having a lot of fun again rediscovering Arizona with my new friend Kathie.  We traveled the state and explored so many new and old places together.  All of it fresh and exciting as when I first made my move to this state years ago.  My friends began to ask me what was going on in my life and why I was happy again.  Our spouses raised an eyebrow.  I had found my "football" buddy.  

I began reading and researching birds left and right.  And then I found I couldn't stop.  It was really interesting.  Kathie taught me more about Ebird and for the first time since my days studying Spanish, I found myself wishing I were back in college getting my degree in biology/ecology instead of teaching a foreign language.  I have had to do a lot of soul searching on this matter and have decided that I'll retire from teaching and begin my second career in ten years.  But interestingly enough, I now utilize my Spanish skills abroad to find birds.  Perhaps this was all meant to be. Either way, I'm happy with my daytime job and after school passion.  

Kathie is a lister.  She loves lists!  Start another count here.  Do another there.  Ugh!  Sometimes it drives me crazy BUT when she's not around........I find myself doing it automatically.  I am more cynical.  I am a chaser searching for lifebirds.  She is patient and takes her time.  Her good natured personality has taught me how to live a better life. Rid the negative and focus on the positive.  Working with the public for 18 years had tainted my views of the world.  But since I began birding with Kathie, I have found a way to forget my work and negative feelings.  It has become therapy for me.  I have also learned, because of her, how to rid myself of people who drain my energy with their negativity. Life is too short to be constantly listening to people's problems.....especially the ones who would prefer to dwell in that darkness.  She has become my zen master:)

But I am a bit adventurous.  There is no such thing as "can't".  "We will."  And together there have been many moments of triumph.  She had helped me find so many life birds in those first 6 months.  Then it was time for me to step up to the plate and return the favor. And when I could help her find lifebirds, I began to feel like a contributing part of the team.  Kathie will list wherever she is and will be completely happy finding the same birds.  I'm okay with that as long as there is a rare bird in the bunch.  With her listing abilities and my detective work, we make a great team today. 

It's hard not to get sucked up into the competitive side of birding.  I just like to bird and find lifebirds wherever.  But I will admit that I had become competitive over the summer.  Kathie brought me back to reality and now I'm back to just finding life birds again. The birding world can be a nasty one.  Some like to boast about their numbers and it honestly made me feel insignificant. I had forgotten the whole purpose behind birding....the journey. Kathie reminds me of this balance for it is all about the birds.  It really is.   There are success stories and of course, the nasty dippings(missing your target bird)!  And yet when I stepped back and asked Ms. Brown, "Do you realize how much we've done in one year together?"  We both smiled and are super proud of our work and accomplishments.  The breathtaking landscapes.  The owling in the star lit canyons.  Entering a mining town and searching for birds. And so on and so forth.  The journey has been an amazing one. 

I began blogging back in 2010 about this life journey.  Today I write for Las Aventuras and Birding is Fun!(thanks to Kathie).  I will forever be grateful to her for her friendship, teachings, patience, kindness and understanding.  In only one year, I have seen so many things because of her guidance.  I have 10000 birds to find.  Some we'll find together.  Others I will find alone.  But I will always have Kathie to thank.   We have some spectacular adventures planned for the upcoming year and into next.  Football season is here which means that while Kathie's hubby is watching the games, we get to go bird! And that's the only reason why I love football season:)  I know I don't say it often but thank you Kathie for your friendship.

The DeAnza Trail and Beyond!

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Santa Cruz county(southern Arizona) this month has been hot and full of new birds!  

Brown-crested Flycatcher

Such locales like Tubac, the DeAnza trail, Tumacacori, the Rio Rico ponds and St. Gertrudis Lane offers people some of the best places to bird watch.

Black Vulture

I had been feeling a bit exhausted from extreme birding several days before and wanted to do a quick run to the Rio Rico Ponds to find the Black-bellied Whistling Ducks(below).  I had seen the bird before, but it would be a lifebird for me on Ebird.  Part of me was thrilled to see these birds in their natural habitat, but another part was more interested in the drive, good music, and an easy lifebird.

Of course, the minute I got out of car along side the road, the skies exploded with Black Vultures.  What should have been an easy morning getting a lifebird turned into......."What else is out here?"  My curiosity took over and I began to hike along the DeAnza trail.

I left the Rio Rico ponds and headed to the nearby St. Gertrudis Lane.  Birders are allowed to walk this gravel road but not drive.  So don't drive.  Plus if one could drive, they'd miss out on all the fun birds along the road.

Female Vermilion Flycatcher

As I walked down the road, I found myself entering a gate to walk the DeAnza trail.  There were too many birds calling and I forgot about where I was.  There was a particular bird of great interest....a Juvenile Gray Hawk!

Juvenile Gray Hawk

I didn't walk too far, but I did have a lovely stroll within the area.  By 11 AM, I was back home in my pj's for the rest of the day!

There's so much out there to see.  Life is thrilling.  The heat of our desert summer, however, sucks:) A fun nerdy post coming up next week.

"Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks" J.R.R. Tolkien