My Winter Plumage

Between artistic and tactical birding, there has to be a balance.  This past weekend, the artistic and explorer side took over, but not without great "cost". 

A Gray Jay

Over the next several months, I have scheduled some very important journeys into various places.  Some will include new birds while others will just extend my knowledge of known birds.  

The Alpine level of Pike's Peak

My heart craved the frozen temps of Colorado and so we went.  After Cabo and the above average temps back home in Arizona, I needed to feel the sensation of being frozen.  I wanted to remember what the cold was like again. 

My nephew brought his Doritos with him and the package crinkled.  I heard a sound from the depths of the forests. A gray figure moved towards us. Then more. That's when I taught him about Gray Jays. I forgot my package of nuts in the car but we did have a few chips to hand out. Apparently this wasn't the first time these jays have heard such crinkling sounds:)

Doritos are bad choices for humans and Gray Jays.  Bring unsalted nuts and that'll get their attention. 

I was at the Alpine level again.  It was so nice to be there.  Everything was frozen around us and I felt at peace. When you endure the onslaught of hot temps on a daily basis, you CRAVE the cold. 

Here, the few year long species of birds danced around us in circles where they zeeted and chicka dee-dee-deed from inside of the trees. 

Mountain Chickadee

Meanwhile, back in Arizona, I was losing the tactical advantage.  Rare eastern vagrants decided to show up in mass numbers.  None of them were life birds but they would have been STATE birds for me. I missed 4 possible new birds for that state list! 

I had a good laugh.  It was bound to happen because it happens to every birder!  We make plans and then there we are.  Thankfully, the birds weren't once in a lifetime rare.  It just would have been nice to add a couple new birds onto that every expanding state list:)  But then again, I didn't entirely care either. I have to remind myself that birding isn't a competition.  It's why I took myself off that crazy top 100 hundred list.

Black-capped Chickadee

The Bob Ross in me had taken over.  I collected data for several hotspots that I had created for Ebird in Colorado several years ago and at one point, I just sat down on a wooden bench and smiled.  Life is awesome and about to get better.  And hanging out in this cold weather revitalized my energies.  Hot beef barley soup and hot coffee.  THAT is my habitat of choice. 

In this pic above, Quail Lake in Colorado Springs, I snapped this shot of the fall colors.  5 years ago I put this lake on the ebird map. It was just coming into its own.  It was bustling with a lot of energy.  And birds.

So I proudly wear my winter plumage as the season begins!  Until next time.....

Far Over The Misty Mountains Cold

I was fascinated by the coastal forests of Oregon.

It was haunting and remote.

Often times, everything was clouded in mist.

We heard Mountain Quail calling from the darkness.

We also saw signs that a savage people lived in the area.  It was a bit scary.  I don't think I would have come here alone.

A lumber company regulated this forest but there was no sign that they were there.  Occasionally, we saw an abandoned tractor here or there.

We searched for the Sooty Grouse. But no luck.

Photography was difficult but it was there I spotted two very quiet Varied Thrush.  Lifers.

A special thank you to Khanh Tran for a fun trek around the states of Washington and Oregon. And to Robert and Khanh for their warm hospitality!  And to both Gordon and Khanh for driving!  It was a crazy week that went by too quickly.

I will return but it will happen during the summer.  For now, it's back to the desert southwest.  It's time for a little sunshine:)

Sprucing It Up

Sometimes a lot of effort goes into one bird......

The hours.  The miles.  And the hikes.  But it's more than that......

It's having the experience.  Knowing the terrain.  And playing detective.  All for one bird. 

Gray Jay collecting nesting material

As we wade through the wet snow, Gray Jays and Pine Grosbeaks entertain us.  But it was time to break the grouse conspiracy.  If we found the rare, for Oregon, Spruce Grouse, it would break the absence of grouse on the life list.

the town of Joseph, OR-named after Chief Joseph

And it took team work to find this bird.  The woods were silent except for the crunching of snow beneath our shoes. 

Bohemian Waxwing

Thanks to Khanh's knowledge of the bird, we were able to explore a known territory for one of these birds. 

The snow got deeper.  A dark shadow, brief as it was, caught my attention in the dark woods.  Then I heard the faint calling of a female bird nearby.

Khanh spotted the fresh tracks of the Spruce Grouse in the snow.  He looked up.  And I looked down. A black object blended into the dark shadows of the Spruce tree. Could it be?  Would this moment happen?  Just breathe Chris, it's the bird!!!  I pulled Khanh back and silently pointed to the dark object near the base of the tree. 

Magic.  Pure joy.  The male watched us as we watched him. 

Spruce Grouse

Locals call this bird, "the Fool's Hen" because the bird often stays in one spot believing s/he is camouflaged.  And for the most part, the camouflage works. We would have walked right past him had we not been playing detective. 

The Franklin's subspecies may possibly be split down the road into full species status. This grouse was named after the arctic explorer John Franklin, who led expeditions in the Northwest Territories in the 1820's. 

Khanh!  He's right there!

So with one grouse down, could we find others?