Seasonal Disorder

Whiskered Screech-Owl peeks out of a Willow Tree

After our Hawaii trip and during my first week back to work, I had to also prepare for Tucson Audubon's Southeastern Birding Festival the following weekend. It was a week of transition and overlapping responsibilities. So I happily put on my guide cap once again to help lead several treks around the Sierra Vista area. 

They see their first Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers

The weather this time of year can be nice, super hot and terrible or just downright dangerous.  On this weekend, the weather seemed to cooperate knowing that we were going to have a festival. 

I play the recorded Common Raven calls and compare to the calls of the Chihuahuan Ravens.  Folks are able to ID their lifer Chihuahuan Ravens recognizing the calls.  These juveniles sit and watch us at the Ft. Huachuca Cemetery

It's hard to transition sometimes from one trek into another.  From birding two weeks in Hawaii, I felt what the word extinction really meant.  And it hit me hard.  You could say I was in a funk.  Then I get back to Arizona where life and birds are fun again.  Our birds are happy here.  There's lots of birds and none are really endangered.  Organizations like Tucson Audubon have helped protect Southeastern Arizona from many human disasters.  And it continues to do so.  So the vibe here is a happy and adventurous one. One could say that birding treks can be very bipolar. Hawaii was my first sad discovery and several friends have warned me that it won't be my last last.

The Hepatic and Western Tanagers are in good numbers around the canyons

That alarm went off early Saturday morning at 4:30 AM and I reluctantly got out of bed.  I headed over to the hotel where all the participants were eagerly awaiting. Their positive energy and excitement boosted my spirits.  My teacher mode clicked on and soon we were in two vans with the fabulous Hollie driving and co-leader Ken following along to one of my most favorite places of Southeastern Arizona, the Cienegas Grasslands. 

Eastern Bluebirds(the Mexican subspecies) breed on the Huachuca base

The following day Ms. Jennie would lead our group to Ft. Huachuca for a full day trek into Huachuca and Garden canyons.  And I got to kick back and co-lead on that one.  Co-leading is great because I get to be the supporting actor and not the one to have to make the big decisions.  I don't mind group leading at all, but it's more fun to be the co-leader because you can play with the participants more. 

the ancient petroglyphs of Garden Canyon

Both days were amazing.  With 40 participants and our tours full, we all had a great weekend(and they saw birds!). My energy levels were boosted and I felt happy.  

A Gray Hawk played with me.  I told the participants one was calling from somewhere in the area.  As we were driving out, I caught the bird sitting on the branch!  Lifer! Several people very happy:)

I have to say that my eyes are terrible.  I was calling out the birds and they were spotting them.  It's funny but I have found most people don't bird by ear, but instead with their eyes. I try to bird with my eyes but the bird has to call for me to find them:) They'd say, "How do you do that?" and I'd respond, "Language is what I do."  Bird language is no different from the human kind.

Western Wood-Pewees continue to nest during this late time of year when other birds begin to migrate south

People would groan when I said "group pics!" but it's important to remember what we accomplished on those days.  When will we all ever be in the same space again? Maybe never.  It's important to remember these moments in our lives. Even if it's just a snapshot. 

Exhausted after a wonderful morning, it's now time to cool off and head home.

The more I get into birding; the more I realize how special these times are together.  Some birders who I have had the privilege to bird with are gone now. So I try to remind everyone to take a moment and share in it together. 

One of several Pronghorn seen in the grasslands around Empire Ranch

I would say that the Sierra Vista, Sonoita and Patagonia areas are my favorite places to bird in the state.  During my grassland tour, I always train people on the vocalizations of the Grasshopper, Cassin's and Botteri's Sparrows.  Then I have them ID their own sparrows once we've done a few practice ones together.  For me, it's important that they are able to leave my tour successfully ID'ing these two difficult sparrows on their own. When you find something on your own, it has more meaning.

We spy Lazuli Buntings at this cattle tank

I like to surprise participants with some fun birds that they didn't expect for their lists. After doing this tour now a couple times, I can somewhat predict some of their questions. During this time of year, transitioning Lark Buntings are found around the Empire Ranch.  For some reason, people forget about them until I hear someone shout, "What are those black birds?!!"  Then, we stop the van and look alongside the road. "Are those Lark Buntings?!!"  I award them an A+ for their astute observations.  If I feel the bird is going to vanish quickly, I will call it out, but otherwise, I think it's important for birders to find their birds on their own in a natural way.  Then they ask their questions and I help guide them to the ID of their bird.  That is how I interpret "guide".  I know where the birds are.  If I hear them, I'll lead the peeps over and then step back and watch their faces as they discover a new bird for the first time. I like that much better than pointing to the bird and saying, "There it is."  

Lark Buntings are still in their breeding plumage, but several, like the one above, is beginning to transition into winter plumage

In the pic below, the crew is looking at 2 Elegant Trogons.  During a scouting mission, we found a nice number of them in Huachuca Canyon.  I had the participants listen for their repetitive dog bark to prep them for the visit.  And they were able to locate them:) Jennie gets credit for finding those birds!  They can be tricky this time of year.

The crew spots and male and female Elegant Trogon

Life has been chaotic since work has begun.  It's like two worlds are beginning to clash.  There's the one that I love and then there's the one that I must maintain.

This appears to be a juvenile male Blue Grosbeak as there is some slight blue forming on the plumage

The heat of course is still challenging and by afternoon, we all began to slow down:)

We watch a Painted Redstart steal the show

When I am not needed, I hide in my kitchen and cook. After Hawaii, I didn't have the desire to bird as much.  Instead, I read through piles and piles of books and did a lot of internet searches on the islands. I can't let it go. 

Black-tailed Prairie Dogs are doing well now in the grasslands.  They were once extirpated from the area due to ranchers poisoning them.  Today they have established themselves once again in these grasslands.  Their populations continue to increase.  Their burrows are also homes to Burrowing Owls.  Unfortunately we did not see any on this day.

It's amazing to me how each place has a different feel for birds.  I think in Arizona, it's far more accessible for people to come and bird.  We have a few quirky things to know like bring water, lock your doors, watch out for poisonous wildlife and watch for quickly changing weather conditions.  In Mexico, it was watch your camera. In Trinidad, it was watch your camera and don't go out after midnight because people get murdered.  And in Hawaii, it was relax and bird, but with a heart breaking sadness. An international birder has to learn how to go with the flow.  When we travel, we discover how locals view their wildlife.  And sometimes it sucks. 

The two biggies in Arizona that we constantly fight are wildfires and limited water.  Human morons are constantly trying to drain the last of our rivers in already bone dry conditions.  They are the life blood for much of our wildlife.  That's why I support Tucson Audubon and others.  This year, our Saguaro cactus seem to be taking a hit with development in areas like Oro Valley.  Careless developers destroyed many natural homes for our local Purple Martins, owls and flickers. This year I've lost my colony of Purple Martins at my work site.  It was heart breaking.  Lightning blew out the cactus and with it, the family of martins.  Broke my heart. There is one colony left.  Yesterday 12 of them gathered and are now preparing to migrate south. 

Jennie gets the scope ready to view a nesting Violet-crowned Hummingbird!  They add lichens to their little tea cup nest. See in ebird report below.

Life is a journey.  It is painful sometimes.  People can be the worst creatures of this planet.  And then again, they are some of the best.  These people give me hope.  I am hopeful.  I try to be hopeful. 

The crew ID's Western Kingbirds and a Botteri's Sparrow

Birding continues to grow more than ever.  This year our festival numbers doubled from last year's event.  I watched our coordinator, Luke Safford, keep his sanity over those busy days managing day treks and the overall festival conference. That's no easy feat!  He did an amazing job.  I've been in his shoes before.  So had Wrenegades member Sara Pratt.  We both laughed and were glad it wasn't us coordinating. I'm now too old to even contemplate such a monster of an event.  Luke, you did an amazing job!  Thank you for making this festival a great success!

We end our day happy with many Buff-breasted Flycatchers bouncing around us with their "whits"

For now, I'll help whenever needed.  I much like working with people and helping them find their birds.  I am working on new adventures, but have been dealing with painting our place, paying bills, and living a mortal life. October promises to be an exciting one as does November and December.  I am 23 lifebirds short of my goal.  Where will I go next?  Stay tuned for more!
For our adventures, click on the here.  
For the Las Cienegas Grasslands, click here.
And for Huachuca Canyon, click here.  

The Cyclone Bomb

An Eastern Gray Squirrel takes a sip from a warm bird bath to stay warm

At first, it was a snowflake. Then two. And three. Followed by a billion. The forecasted cyclone bomb finally hit. 

Every time Gus heard the words "Cyclone Bomb", he would moan. Why does everything have to be sensationalized?  It was just a good ol' blizzard!

Kathie searches for that elusive Barred Owl on a branch.....somewhere

It was a beautiful disaster.  I watched in fascination as the world came to a screeching halt. The silence of a blizzard is rather spiritual. 

A Blue Jay is one of many birds that use the heated bird bath for a sip

The steam rose from the heated bird bath and kept the wildlife from freezing. We sat with tea watching this historical event unravel before our eyes. 

Coda watches the birds in her first blizzard

I looked down and found Coda watching the winter wonderland outside.  That's when I knew I had fallen in love with her.  It's amazing how quickly I had become attached to this pooch. As she looked out the sliding door, I knew I would miss my little Coda burger.  But there was a bigger question brewing in the back of my mind. Would I ever get home? I was only a couple days away from flying out of the state.

Dark-eyed Junco

Thousands of passengers were stranded along the East Coast in airports as all of their flights were cancelled.  Could Maine get their roads cleaned up in time for my flight back home?  I wish I hadn't worried about such silly things, but I needed to get back in time for work.  So I just threw those thoughts away and enjoyed the views. 

The night before the storm, Mainers hit the grocery stores pretty heavily.  They purchased all of the bread, tomatoes and milk from the shelves.  What a weird combination!  We, on the other hand, purchased lobster meat and other seafood things. 

Gus prepares lobster rolls

A very excellent man by the name of Gus made us lobster rolls.  So we had wine and lobster rolls.  Ok.  What I'm about to admit is embarrassing. 

The magic that is a lobster roll

Gus remembered that I had eaten three of these Maine delights the last time I came to visit. No way!  He was right!  It took three of these lobstah rolls once AGAIN to fill me up.  I was such a pig!  I do not eat fish or seafood in most places, but in Maine, it all tastes SO good!  And like with my visits in Wisconsin, I left Maine 10 pounds heavier.  My doctor had a nice conversation with me.  Now why in the world would I schedule a doctor's visit right after the holidays?   

A Wild Turkey is like a dinosaur

The Wild Turkeys were wild.  They often chased the smaller birds away. It was Coda's job to keep the feeders open for all birds as she chased the turkeys back into the woods.  

Kathie purchased beef suet for the woodpeckers.  This is a really cheap option that you can purchase in the meat department for a couple bucks.  I know it looks gross but it helps the woodpeckers(and other birds) stay warm in these cold temps.  We had 3 species of woodpeckers visit this station, the Hairy, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers were regulars.  

A male Downy Woodpecker feeds from the frozen beef suet to keep warm

That night I put on my pajamas.  I snuggled with Coda until she had to go to bed. Kathie assured me the roads would be clear the next day. How on earth was that possible?  I lost consciousness that night and woke up to plowed roads!  My gods, she was right!

A juvenile Bald Eagle swoops low to catch a gull

That next bipolar day, the sun blared down upon us as if there had never been a blizzard.  We went to my first landfill in Bath to count gulls.  It was amazing. 

There were thousands of gulls flying all around us.  As many as 10 Bald Eagles flew around the trash to grab a gull for dinner.  I was in awe.  I could've sat there for hours. However, the smell from the trash after awhile made me a little nauseous. In fact, if I lived there, I'd bring the lady at the visitor's drive thru window some lunch.  There she peered down upon us from that trailer window with a smile probably thinking to herself, These people must be crazy.  We visited this epic landfill twice.  There was trash EVERYWHERE! And birds!

But no Glaucous Gulls. I documented every quadrant with gulls in flight and on trash.  I spent several hours scanning photos at home searching and searching for the gull but no luck. Kathie will have to come visit me in Wisconsin during the winter to get her lifer gull. 

Bald Eagles are epic. Two years ago, I had a hard time getting a decent shot of one.  However, 2017 and the start of 2018 have been good to me in the Eagle department. 

As we left the landfill, a snowflake fell.  Then two. And three. Followed by a billion.  I thought it wasn't supposed to snow again.  Then it did. This is the way of Maine. 

During our final days, we'd freeze again as the temps went below zero.  The gray skies were weighing on me heavily and I began to miss Arizona. I love Maine but I could never live there. The magical thing about home is that it feels good to leave, but it feels even better to come back. 

We had such a great time birding in the challenging conditions. It was even better spending time with Kathie, Gus and their kids. 

the beautiful drake Common Eider

The ocean birding was pretty epic.  

We'd stop in wooded areas looking for berries and marvel at flocks of Eastern Bluebirds and American Robins feeding from the bushes. 

An Eastern Bluebird grabs a berry or two to survive the temps

Our last lifer for the trip was a Black-legged Kittiwake.  It's almost embarrassing to admit that it has taken me this long to find one!  We stood along the frigid rocks of the Acadia National Park Peninsula and watched a smaller looking "gull" fly with several Ring-billed Gulls. 

Black-legged Kittiwake

As the sun set, we were still able to get nice views of the bird in flight.  I couldn't feel my fingers. I thought I was pushing my shutter button but nothing was happening.  So I took off my gloves and forced my finger down on the button again.  The camera made painful, almost drawn out, clicks letting me know that the cold was getting to her. It was -12 and the wind was acting quite angry. 

Another snowflake fell. Then two. And three. Followed by a billion.  

This poor man was frozen solid. There was no saving him from the brutal freezing temps.

Thankfully, my flight left on time but I watched as those travelers stranded on Thursday night(night of the Cyclone Bomb) were still trying to re-book their flights home.  The trip seemed to all happen in a blink of an eye.  I guess that's what happens when you bird with a dear friend.  There are still several more adventures in store for Maine.  So Kathie, get ready to grow a pair of sea legs for several islands as we will explore alcids breeding on their home turf:) It's time to get back to sunny Arizona birding. Until next time.......

Rainy Days and Monday

Warblers.  We needed to find more warblers! This time around, our journey took us to the beautiful Baxter's Hollow Nature Conservancy, Governor Dodge and Wyalusing State Parks. Our goal?  To find the rare Cerulean and Kentucky Warblers. And maybe a Henslow's Sparrow?  The weather conditions were severe and it made our challenge more challenging:) 

As a birder with a lifebird target list, I am not allowed to stay and enjoy an area for a long period of time. These were some of those places I wished we could have camped for several days.  There was so much wonderful habitat and not enough time to properly explore it all.  And the storms didn't help either.  To make things worse, I was eating a HOT cheese and ham croissant.  I took one bite and a squirt of the hot melted liquid cheese burned me and stained my shirt.  And I wore this shirt for two days.  How gross was I? What we do for the birds:) 

A cool stream runs along a rock wall at Governor Dodge State Park

The challenge was working with overcast skies and severe storms.  And the storms were brewing! We were only given one shot during this ambitious Wisconsin trek.  So we made the most of it and did our best with the conditions provided. 

Song Sparrow on Lupin

After chasing birds in places like Baxter's Hollow and Governor Dodge State Park, we were beginning to have our doubts about these warblers. 

Willow Flycatcher

We did have amazing birds along the way that we don't always get to see in Arizona.  And places like Baxter's Hollow Nature Conservancy offered us the potential to spot some rare-to-Wisconsin warbler action.  

We navigate the wet and slick trails under the canopy of the dark forested Baxter's Hollow

We entered the emerald green area and I felt like I was in Central America again.  The humidity was thick and drops of moisture casually landed on my head.  

Viceroy Butterfly

Red-spotted Purple

I capture "memory photos" and memorize this incredibly beautiful space. 

Indigo Bunting

At Wyalusing State Park, the lifebird list begins to tick as we hear and study an Acadian Flycatcher well.  It was a thrill to see this bird.  In fact, after this trek, I have become really interested in Flycatchers.  They may all look similar but they are quite fascinating to watch.  Each one has a unique call with different habits.  And their habitat is fascinating!

Acadian Flycatcher

This flycatcher prefers the dark shaded forest.  We watched it feed on several bugs before moving onto our BIG challenge.....the Kentucky Warbler. 

The Kentucky Warbler IS a rare bird to Wisconsin during the month of June.  We heard a chip note that was different from the rest.  The bird was circling around us watching.  The rain also began to fall causing poor photography conditions. 

Kentucky Warbler

Eventually we spotted the warbler and were super thrilled to have seen the bird. The bigger question for me was, "Was it nesting?" I discovered in Wisconsin that a lot of the warblers that weren't on our list to find were actually there in smaller numbers.  They weren't supposed to nest there during the summer and yet some did.  I wish I would have studied these unexpected birds better.  But one warbler I did study well was the Cerulean Warbler. 

Cerulean Warbler

Our final mission brings us to a bird of concern, the Cerulean Warbler. It is a stunner of a warbler and listed as vulnerable with a high risk for extinction. But here in the park, there were great numbers breeding along the wooded area. 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

It was quite easily the most abundant warbler in the park. The blues are mesmerizing but you won't be able to tell from the above pic:)  The overcast skies had now become dark! Here is a little bit of background on this bird. The Cerulean Warbler is the fastest declining Neotropcial migrant songbird. Among the many threats they face, their wintering habitat in the northern Andes is dwindling rapidly. 

Today, the American Bird Conservancy is working with its Colombian partner, Fundación ProAves, to protect wintering habitat for these warblers and other songbirds. Click on the link for more information.  Every time I add a new life bird, my knowledge base increases and my birding powers become stronger:)  This is the benefit from constant research on our planet's birds.  I listen to their calls, memorize their habitat and read about their status.  And it takes time!

Field Sparrow

While it was really exciting to watch this warbler in the wild, it was also time to move on.  It's never easy but you are given a moment.  What will you do with that moment?  

Field Sparrows, Eastern Bluebirds, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds........everywhere!  A pair of Bald Eagles hunts along a river. 

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebirds nest. 

And we continue our adventures. For now, I'll leave you with a recording of our Eastern Whip-poor-will find and video from Karen Carpenter:) Until next time......