The US holidays have arrived. All the chaos is human caused. So I recommend that we all take the time to just BE.
A gentle stream flows along a trail in the Santa Rita mountains
Even if for a moment from our often stressful lives. I will never buy into the "we have to do this because it's what we do" mentality. That's all a bunch of crap.
A Brown Creeper finds a spot full of insects
Last weekend, we spent a moment on the trails watching birds along a lovely stream in the Santa Rita mountains of Southern Arizona.
A Townsend's Warbler is seen in a warbler flock
After the hike, we went to the Santa Rita Lodge and watched their thirsty male Coati get a sip from the hummingbird feeders.
Well. It was more like a long sip.
After he was finished, he headed off into the forest for a break.
It's often common in winter to find a solitary male Coati roaming trails where there are opportunities for food along riparian corridors
The world is changing. With our warmer temps, we are seeing more and more Broad-tailed Hummingbirds sticking around for the winter.
A rare Broad-tailed Hummingbird
It was a beautiful morning out.
Painted Redstart
It felt more like fall than winter. The canyon trees are in the middle of their autumn colors.
Mexican Jay
During this time of year, there is a "lull" in bird numbers as many of the northern birds are still migrating south. However, it's also the time of year when random birds begin to show up.
Hepatic Tanager at a feeder at the Santa Rita Lodge
The bird of the week is this juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker(below) hanging around a Tucson neighborhood. It's a rarity that shows up during this time of year. Our most common wintering sapsucker in Tucson is the Red-naped Sapsucker. The second likely choice for sapsuckers if it's not Red-naped would be Yellow-bellied. And the rarest, but also seen during most winters here, is the Red-breasted Sapsucker. And in Tucson, it's possible to add Williamson's Sapsuckers to your county list as several hang out on Mt. Lemmon OR in our parks around areas of old growth. Imagine! 4 species of sapsuckers! If you're lucky:)
Look for holes on trees to find sapsuckers. A good birder listens for tapping and drill holes on trees to find sapsuckers
Next week we chase a gull outside of Phoenix and play around in the grasslands. I celebrate a state milestone while planning for another trek to Sonora, Mexico. Until next time....
The brisk cold winds of change came soon after my return to Arizona. One week after the warm border searches, it was time for some mountain fun. Winter had indeed arrived to Southern Arizona.
the snowy Huachucas
With state birds in mind, I joined a walk I had been wanting to do for awhile in Sierra Vista. Last week it was the Streak-backed Oriole and today, I was hoping to find the secretive American Bittern at the Sierra Vista EOP(or Environmental Operations Park) It's a secured area with group lead access only on Sunday mornings. With the recent snowfall during the weekend, I couldn't resist the photography bit in both the Huachuca mountains and Cienagas Grasslands. And this is where our story takes place today.
A Loggerhead Shrike at work. It's Vole dinner
On our way through the gates, a participant in the group noticed a vole speared onto a branch. It was evidence that the "Butcherbird" (aka Loggerhead Shrike) was nearby. While the group examined the fresh kill, we tried locating the bird. No luck! But as we left, we noticed that the vole was gone:)
Loggerhead Shrike
Afterwards, I took a solitary walk on the snowy paths of Ramsey Canyon. There, melting snow fell upon my head. I was a tad wet when I left this winter wonderland. BUT WOW!
My favorite tree in all of Arizona. It's old and ancient. Someday I'd like my ashes to be placed around this very large tree. I call it the Heart Tree. It's at the center of Ramsey Canyon, one of my top ten favorite places in Arizona.
During my walk, I was surprised by how quiet the birds were. I can only imagine how dangerous it might be as a small bird dodging the huge snow chunks falling from the trees. It was dangerous for people! I suppose it would be the equivalent to an aerial avalanche. I made note and realized that most birds flew just below the snowline where they were active and feeding.
In the soft crunch of snow beneath my shoes, I watched a Coati run towards me on our now shared route. We both stopped for a moment and watched each other before he turned off and headed towards the nearby abandoned cabin.
I very much like the cold. I don't like the eternal gray skies that can sometimes come with the snow, but I do prefer the frosty temps over the hot sweltering ones of our summer months.
One path leads to another. I stopped in the nearby grasslands and hiked some more. Birds were present, but I was more interested in quiet reflection. Things are changing. I can sense it coming and I need to be ready for those changes.
Lesser Goldfinches mob the thistle feeder
"They" say change is good and inevitable. Sometimes it's about saying good-bye to the ritual and people involved around these loving spaces dedicated to birds and wildlife. I sat at the now named Tucson Audubon's Paton Center for Hummingbirds alone. Thankfully Tucson Audubon was able to purchase this home for current and future generations of birders. It's a great spot for all kinds of birds and a traditional stop for many birders and tourists coming through the Patagonia area. It's a piece of feathered folklore written in a sacred text for those who worship the bird.
The Violet-crowned Hummingbird-an established resident of Tucson Audubon's Paton's Center for Hummingbirds
Before Tucson took over, a guy by the name of Larry Morgan kept the feeders running for years after the homeowners, the Paton's, passed away. You'd see him outside with his smiling face helping people spot their lifer Violet-crowned Hummingbird. When Larry and his wife said they were leaving to begin a new chapter in their lives, I was both happy and sad. It wasn't quite the same without him there on this last visit. It just proves once again how we all can make a difference for so many people. And how Larry has made a huge impact for thousands of birders across the world. How can I write down this feeling in my Cheesehead lingo? It's like having coffee cake with your friends on Saturday morning for many years and then.....no more Saturday morning get togethers. You eat the coffee cake alone. And it doesn't taste as good. Anyhow, I'm going to miss Larry and my Patagonia routine. He's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet! He's in Tucson now so hopefully we'll get to do some birding together now that he's closer:)
My reflections continued into the Ciénagas Grasslands near Empire Gulch where I walked alone against the biting wind. I strayed into the old abandoned buildings looking for owls and other goodies. This is another top 10 favorite spot for me in Arizona. There are 3 grassland sectors in this general region.....the San Rafael Grasslands, the Ciénagas Grasslands and Buenos Aires Grasslands. ALL are spectacular!
The overall weekend was a lot of fun and full of quality alone time. Every person has their favorite place to bird(or just visit!) While all birds are amazing, their locales are sometimes not:) This weekend was about connecting with the places I love the most.
And as for my new state bird? Yes, I achieved my goal. I found that rare stinker of an American Bittern that has been hiding out for several months in Sierra Vista. The bird would have silently flown off had I not heard the rustle of reeds nearby. I was able to get everyone onto the bird before it disappeared into the far distance. I'd like to thank our group leader Bill Brown for the opportunity to bird this spot in depth. He did an outstanding job with everyone involved. And it's always a plus working with people who are kind and friendly. Bill is as we say in Wisconsin "good people". Leading a bird tour isn't is as easy as it looks as I'd soon get to experience personally. But that story is for next time.
American Bittern in flight during our Sierra Vista EOP walk
On a final note, one of the things I do with new birds is study them in various locations around the country. The picture above is from the actual bird we saw. It is countable. The one I studied in Utah, below, is not as it was in a large aviary. I do hours of study on each new bird before trying to find them in the field. And this is where I think aviaries are important as they can be a living classroom for birders and people interested in wildlife. I can read about birds and memorize their sounds, but understanding their movement and behaviors in a closed setting helps me "observe" better out in the field.
American Bittern
From volunteer to participant to bird guide, my January continues in a most spectacular way. My quest within the state of Arizona for new state birds takes me north into unexplored territory. Stay tuned for more.....
Sometimes people are surrounded, enshrouded, wrapped or blanketed by nature. Sometimes we go to see them specifically in the thousands. And sometimes the thousands cover us unexpectedly.....
.......and while humans are distracted, a Coati eyes up a photographer's car, smells the crackers in the front seat of the open car door and...........
........the photographer becomes overwhelmed with emotion as thousands of Yellow-headed blackbirds flock around him. Everyone stops in their tracks, pulls out their cell phones.......and watch the spectacular show Mother Nature is providing. All of it.....unexpected. A birder watches non-birders enjoy the beauty of it all and it makes him smile. Would this moment spark somebody into birding?
These moments don't always last long. Sometimes only a few minutes.
He knows that he must act quickly, but his fingers aren't quick enough. He fumbles the toggles and gets the lens ready for manual focus.
And sometimes, it's an epic fail as the photographer gets caught up in simply.....observing.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, the Coati gets closer to the photographer's car. He crosses onto human sidewalks, jumps up effortlessly from the rocks onto the cement and approaches the open car door.
Cranes land. Blackbirds deafen humanity's ears.
And the Coati has gotten too close. The photographer slowly moves to his vehicle and shuts the door. His buddy also sees the Coati moving closer to her and she doesn't know whether to flee or keep snapping pictures:) Eventually, he gets too close and she backs away:) And then the Coati disappears into the forest again with his friends.
Meanwhile the photographer scares up ducks by accident and almost has a heart attack.
When these moments come to pass, he is always grateful to have experienced them.
January is coming to a close. As we get closer to the end, I'll reveal more big adventures from our Big January. Stay tuned for more!
My friend and colleague, Cris Robson, just came back from a trip to Costa Rica. She teaches Environmental Science and Biology at our school and LOVES what she does. Cris got into teaching after she worked in the science field for awhile. Today she's taking over this blog with her pics from the Costa Rica trip and you'll see some of the places she went to visit. A first for Las Aventuras, here is guest photographer Cris Robson.......
The Coati can be found in Tucson. Here they seem almost domesticated. These animals are very much like racoons:)
I wonder if the tails up, like with cats, means....TREATS! They look pampered:)
A termite nest
Look closely.....Iguanas on the move!
A form of gunnera....a very large plant and one of my favorites:)
This DOES NOT grow in Tucson:) I know....I've tried.
The active volcano Arenal covered in clouds.
Costa Rican fun along the coffee side of the world.
Waterfalls are both mysterious and beautiful.
I look forward to sharing our Panama adventures with you. When Cris came back, I was really excited to hear her stories about Costa Rica. While I've been to these places, it's always fun to hear others reactions. Tomorrow is another first of some fun photography shoots in Arizona. I hope you enjoy as we take a break from the final part of my plant journal.
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