A Tucson Spring

It's spring here in the desert.  I've kept it local for several weeks because I need to budget my money for a bigger trek coming up.  It has been an enjoyable challenge because I am forced to play within the perimeters of my own area.  It's a different kind of birding, but it's still quite enjoyable. 

Mallard duckling

Outsiders often visit the Old Pueblo in April and ask the locals, "When is your spring?"  People living here KNOW that spring is subtle.  Our trees leaf out and release terrible amounts of pollen:) But our trees aren't bold and tall like the ones found on the eastern part of the US. For birders, we visibly see the migration happening before our very eyes. 

While waiting for my master lens to return from the shop, I took cell phone pics and used a smaller lens for some of these shots.  Imagine going to your work place and finding this Great Horned Owlet staring back at you?!  It was hard to focus and listen to the adults talking in the room:)

Least Sandpipers

While Tucson doesn't have a lot of watering holes, we do have a few that attract some special migrants.  This time of year is good for rare sandpipers.  The most common are Least, Spotted, Western and Solitary Sandpipers.  Pectoral and Stilt Sandpipers are good birds but they are not always reliable. I have found that I need to be in the right place at the right time to spot these passing migrants.  The key is to place yourself in those spots for a possible sighting. 

Solitary Sandpiper

 Staying in one area also allows for a VERY in depth look at our local birds.  Take for example this Killdeer below. 

Many of us know that a Killdeer parent will act injured to draw a predator away from the nest. While I am not a predator, I am clearly a danger in a different kind of way.  

Almost every living creature on this planet uses some form of communication.  As a birder, it's my job to interpret that communication for a better understanding of the birds.  It offers a very satisfying observation as well. 

In this particular case, I knew I was near a nest.  I stopped quickly and scanned the area.  Had I made a few more steps in the wrong direction, I might have stepped on these eggs.  Thankfully, I understood what the bird was telling me. Look at how much this Killdeer's eggs look like the surrounding rocks!  Nature is amazing. 

I believe that Coachline, or El Río Preserve, will be one of Marana and Tucson's premiere birding spots when it's all finished.  It has been a wonderful success.  A walking/bike path have been put into the area making this premiere birding spot even better.  There is now a parking area (with a ramada for lunch and shade).  As a local, I can tell you that I am super excited about this transition.  And my tires are glad as well.  No more gravel/sharp rock parking:)

Several years ago, friend and birder, Magill sat with me as we did a Big Sit and counted birds under the awning at this place for the day.  It was a lot of fun as we ended our observations with lots of Lesser Nighthawks flying around us. 

Black-crowned Night Heron

 After two weeks, my master lens returned back to me repaired and I was so excited to get the darn thing that I headed to Reid Park to film Great-tailed Grackles collecting mud.  It. Was. Great.  Even if they were just Great-tailed Grackles:)  That's how happy I was!

But during those grueling two weeks of waiting, I did some research for our upcoming Wrenegades event.  Every year, we get together to raise money for the birds of Southern Arizona.  It helps support Tucson Audubon's projects. 

I spiced up my treks but kept it cheap.  A really nice place to bird on Mt. Lemmon is the Rose Canyon Lake area.  But I didn't want to pay the hefty entrance fee so I parked off the highway and hiked down to the lake.  Another woman did the same but as she was hiking down into the area, she didn't realize how far it was:)  So I kept encouraging her to keep going.  "Where is the damn lake? My kids better be down there."  I told her not to worry.  We chatted the mile hike down and got to the lake.  She didn't see them but from her conversation about her kids, I guessed they'd be at the floating dock fishing.  And there they were.  That trek, for the day, landed me a Lewis's Woodpecker. 

I also scouted around for the ducks.  Again for our birdathon.  There are a few wintering ducks still around....like this proud drake Ring-necked Duck. 

A Round-tailed Ground Squirrel eats some refreshing Barrel Cactus fruit on a hot near 100 degree day. 

And my research takes me into new areas around town locating new Burrowing Owl locations.  The one at our airport is now gone which means that the construction crew destroyed the burrow:(  Thankfully birders saved the birds and had them relocated.  It was very sad to see them go.  But it also forced me to scout out new locations which was fun. 

Next week, I join up with my fellow Wrenegades to find as many birds in a 24 hour time period as we can.  Will we break our old record?  Stay tuned for more.....

The Long Way Home

A very cooperative Crissal Thrasher in Prescott, AZ

Once the Lesser Sand Plover was seen, it was time to have fun and bird our way back down to Tucson.  This trek would take us to Prescott and then into Phoenix.  And along the way, we'd visit with wonderful friends Cynthia and Roger and Gordon and Chuck.  

Willow Lake in Prescott with Cynthia and Kathie

We spent a night in beautiful Prescott with Cynthia and Roger.  And it was here that Kathie was able to explore for the first time the beautiful Watson and Willow Lakes.  

Juvenile Gray Hawk at Sweetwater Wetlands

And along the way, we spotted so many wonderful birds.  Outside of Phoenix, Gordon took us to find Kathie's lifer Juniper Titmouse.  

Juniper Titmouse at Seven Springs

The heat was still killing my spirit, but we were all together and so we forgot about the melting ice in the cooler:)  Until we braked and my back felt a wonderful splash of ice cold water!  I don't know where the time went but it all flew by much too quickly!

Kathie at Bartlett Lake in Maricopa Country

We watched a Yellow-headed Blackbird casually stroll along the shore to Kathie's delight. 

Yellow-headed Blackbird at Bartlett Lake

Kathie was quickly reminded how hot it got in Arizona.  I think part of her missed Maine.  I understand that feeling. But the Arizona landscapes are way more picturesque.  Perhaps I am a bit bias:)

Gordon and Kathie search geographical locations to visit from Humbodlt Peak

To be honest.  Coming straight from Monterey, I had birded for a full week and it was showing.  My birding powers were waning. So I was grateful for Gordon and Cynthia taking over their lands and showing us their worlds.  Cynthia is from Yavapai country while Gordon represents Maricopa.  I am Pima. 

Townsend's Solitaire

Eventually, we made it back down to Tucson where we took it "slow" and birded locally.  Even then, we had lots of rare birds pop up on every one of our counts!

Black Vultures at Coachline "Lake" in Tucson

Quite honestly, I don't know where the time went, but we had a lot of fun.  Kathie noticed that I wasn't myself.  And she was correct.  I had wanted to bird for a full week during my fall break and we sure did bird. But I was tired!  From Monterey to Flagstaff to Prescott to Phoenix to Tucson!  During my first weekend alone, I slept!  What a wonderful and deep sleep it was!

One of 2 Wood Ducks reported at Reid Park in Tucson

 But our time was winding down and I was reminded that soon I'd be back to work. 

Celeste threw a party and we had a wonderful time saying good-bye to one another over several bottles of wine:)  It's hard saying good-bye.  I just hide it better than most.  Life revolves around birds for me BUT life is more than just the birds.  It's about the people and friendships that form because of the birds. 

By the end of the week, I felt like we had done an amazing job exploring the world of Arizona.  A special thank you to Celeste, Dom, Gordon, Chuck, Cynthia and Roger for one hell of a week. The Lesser Sand Plover trek lasted 4 days total and what an amazing trek it was!  Kathie, I miss you and love you.  Our next trek will be to Monhegan Island.  You will not get sea sick.  And maybe Gordon will join us?  For now, I am going to rest.  My body and mind are both exhausted.  Life is a wonderful adventure but I sure do need my sleep:)  Until next time.....

The Desert Rains

CRACK!  A bolt of lightning streaked through the sky splitting a desert mesquite in half. It falls into a major road nearly hitting a car. My cat looks toward the sound.  And I begin to hear the winds and torrential monsoon rains crash down upon us. 

Two hours pass and nearly three inches of rain trap homeowners. And while they are trapped, they discover the unwanted leaks in their roofs. I can't keep the rain out of our house because it's not raining down.....it's raining sideways!  Another tree is blown over and comes racing down a wash(now raging river) and takes out a truck.  Emergency vehicles are everywhere.  Streets, I mean rivers, form and block people from leaving their homes. The world comes to a standstill. 

Coachline "Lake" is back.

Meanwhile, Mother Nature reclaims her desert from human kind.  Dams and supports that were placed along areas to feed the ag fields, are destroyed.  The water returns to nature and feeds the land once again.  This birder rejoices.  A lake has been reborn!

Tiger Whiptail

Cacti flower.  And lizards take advantage of the puddles of water.  There they sip from the tiny pools and replenish their reserves. 

A rare Snow Goose gains strength and flies.  Perhaps someday it will return to the North where it will breed.  But not today. Apparently it prefers the desert over tundra:)

Snow Goose

During the month of August, strange birds pass through our state.  Some are expected while others are very rare.  But chasing them in the heat isn't always fun.

 However, if they're easier to find, it makes the trek worth it.  Monsoon will begin to wind down now.  And that's okay with me:)  It means the high temps will also disappear:)

Tricolored Heron

Until next time.....

A Wandering Gypsy

On a rainy day, we decided to travel the magical Gila River circuit. We began our route on Highway 77 and circled around the towns of Winkelman, Globe, Florence and then back down to Tucson. 

Tubing down the Gila River

Some people can float down the river and throw their beer cans in the water without a thought.  Me, on the other hand, needed to clean those beer cans up before they were blown into the river. So with Micheal's help, we grabbed most of them off the beach. 

Note Cliff Swallow nests in background.  Who does this??!!!

One of the cans escaped our grasp as the wind blew it into the river! Once the current grabbed it; it was gone! We are now going to start packing garbage bags in our car to get rid of the fish line, beer cans and other piggish human leftovers. It's their reckless behavior that endangers our wildlife and pollutes our few waterways here in Arizona.  And there's not enough people out there to manage these areas properly so much of it goes unsupervised. 

Cliff Swallows nest.  Note the cute juvenile peaking the head out of the nest.

Glad I got that off my chest.  Now for the write!  I know one thing for certain.  Wherever I go, I will find birds.  They might not always be the "target" bird for the day but there always seems to be a surprise waiting around each rock, hanging out on a tree branch, or soaring high above my head.  You can't put a price on these experiences...well beyond gas, eating out, etc.  Along the verdant Gila River near Winkelman, AZ, we stopped at several sites to check up on some nesting Common Black Hawks, Cliff Swallows(above), Hooded Orioles, Yellow-breasted Chats, etc. It was overcast, breezy and cool! I highly recommend driving from Tucson along Highway 77 to Globe. Once in Globe, let your wanderlust take over and just explore.  Go north into the forests. Go west into some gorgeous canyon country.  Or go east and head to the San Carlos Reservoir. 

Casa Grande Ruins

This past week I bought my National Parks Pass since we are going to need it for several stops this year.  We decided to check up on another nesting favorite of ours, the Great Horned Owls. We used our pass at the Casa Grande Ruins and found our old friends hanging out on the beams above the ancient structure. 

Rock Pigeon

At this point, it began drizzling outside!  If you're not familiar with Southern Arizona, June tends to be our driest month of the year.  Many years we receive little to zero precipitation.  However this year, we started the month out with some hot temps, but they have gone away thanks to rain!  Even as I write this post, it's overcast and drizzling in Tucson!  Anyhow the pics are a bit grainy from it being dark outside. 

Great Horned Owl male

On the way back into Tucson, we stopped at the superstar hotspot known as Coachline yet again for another rare visitor.....the American White Pelican. 

a cloudy Coachline Lake

It was fun watching new birders try to figure out this bird from afar. Their puzzled expressions made me smile. They asked me in their declarative questioning voices, "That's not an egret or heron."  "No." "That's not a gull." "No, but the California Gull is behind it."  "So what is it?"  I never give the answer. Too easy to do.  The teacher in me helps them figure it out on their own. It's much more satisfying to watch them process their answers. Here is what they initially saw. And you can see why they were stumped. 

What do you see?  Three bird species in this photo.  Neotropic Cormorants, CA Gull and American White Pelican

Now for you all familiar with pelicans, this is obviously a pelican.  But if you're from the desert and have just begun birding, this "rare" bird would certainly confuse.  So when the lady spoke with her questionable declarative voice, "Certainly it's not a Pelican?" Ding ding ding!!!  Then I watched them get excited.  A lifer for everyone in the party and a great way to end the day.  

American White Pelican

And "thanks" to several curious boys, the birds moved into the waters. 

American Wigeon(drake) rare for this time of year

 For the rest of my week, I just went to a nearby park to bird.  On this day, it WAS hot and I like to go towards the evening when it cools down. Plus there is adequate shade there for me to count birds. 

Zone-tailed Hawk at Saguaro National Park, Rincon Unit

 Another surprise happened at Saguaro National Park.  Because again, it was VERY hot, I went to get my Parks pass and drive/bird their 9 mile loop.  I know it sounds funny, but this is one of the ways we can logistically bird during our very hot summers in the desert.  Saguaro National Park is a great place to find all your desert critters from the comfort of your a/c run car.  At the end of the loop, I highly recommend stopping at the Javelina Picnic area.  Sit in the shaded ramadas and have lunch or walk around a bit.  This is probably the birdiest area.  You'll have all kinds of critters come to your picnic table.  I know some people don't like reptiles, but this is a great place to find all kinds of snakes and lizards.  Just watch where you step.  And like each time I visit this park, I always discover something new.  Last time it was the Gila Monster.  This time it was a beautiful Zone-tailed Hawk(above).  WOW! 

Young Common Ravens hanging out at Reid Park

 So for the books, I added three new bird species this week to the year list.  I found a Blue Grosbeak and Common Black Hawk along the Gila River and the American White Pelican at Coachline lake. This brings my species list up to 321 birds for North America.   In other news, I submitted my writing and photography to Bird Watcher's Digest.  That felt good!  Note to self.  Need to buy another external file.  Next week we will be traveling somewhere completely new:) Until then, have a great week and happy birding! 

Drake Wood Duck is yet another rare duck for Tucson in the summer