Wrenegade Madness

Summer Tanager

It started around 5 PM on a Saturday night. The Tucson Audubon's Birdathon began.  Our members Matt, Jennie, Sara, Tim and Corey all gathered for the most exhausting trek ever.  We began our journey into Wilcox at Lake Cochise. 

The winds of change came upon us as a storm blew through Southern Arizona.  But we were prepared. 

Hermit Thrush

At the top of Mt. Lemmon, we nearly froze to death as dense fog brought the kind of cold rarely experienced by desert birders.  A wet chill tried to dampen our spirits, but we weren't having any of it. 

And down the mountains we went into the grasslands of Sonoita. 

White-winged Doves, Inca Dove and Lark Sparrow

There it was warm.  So we hid in the shadows with this Rufous-crowned Sparrow counting birds outside of Patagonia. 

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

We looked up. And down.  And all around. And would you believe it if I told you we found lots of birds?:)  Thanks to fundraising events like these, we'll hopefully continue to protect our birds for generations to come. 

During a reprieve, we settled down at some feeders and watched....more birds. 

Yellow-breasted Chat

Before we knew it, Sunday had come and gone.  Our once a year birding event would come to an end. And every year, we ask ourselves, "Why do we do this crazy thing?"

But we remember quickly that it's all about protecting our planet's birds and the habitats they use.  We raised money.  We had a lot of fun.  And we found 174 birds in one day!  THAT is a good day indeed!

The Wrenegades

As the marathon came to a close, we said our good-bye's quickly so that we could get into our comfy beds and sleep forever.  The Wrenegades will return another day. 

Barn Owl

Until next time.......

Remember Me

I left my good camera behind for a nice walk, but thankfully I had my cell to capture this wonderful moment.  It reminds me of UP!

Locked inside of urban sprawl, green spaces provide places for birds to live, nest, or rest (during migration). They are "islands" surrounded by an ocean of concrete buildings and roads. Is it possible for both humans and birds to coexist together in a shared space?  As I am discovering, it is a very complicated story for each bird species. 

It seemed that the entire coastline was "owned" and for much of it, our ocean views were blocked. Many homes had lots of non-native plants around their very green gardens.  Currently, much of California is in a severe drought right now. It was very obvious who had money and who didn't as the landscapes either reflected green or dusty brown. 

One of our target birds was the California Gnatcatcher.  It took us a couple hours to locate several of these birds around a protected estuary.   This species is very endangered in Southern California due to habitat loss.  It prefers the coastal scrub along the ocean that humans also enjoy.  I discovered that a lot of people in the general public were very angry at this little gnatcatcher.  The CAGN was referred to as "That bird." Apparently, "that stupid bird" was blocking progress!  For the first time in my birding travels, I heard anger from the opposition. Those who were not angry were apathetic.  Real estate was MORE important. Never have I encountered this attitude while on my treks for endangered birds. 

Hermit Thrush

As I stood in the "wild" space being passed by joggers on their cell phones, bikers, and cars, I strained my ears to listen for the catlike call. I was beginning to see why this bird was in trouble.  All around me, there were people and buildings along the border of the estuary.  Airplanes and helicopters flew overhead. Boats passed through the waterway. I was beginning to have my doubts.

Downy Woodpecker

It made me miss my open Southern Arizona landscape.  How do birds do it?  How do they survive within this massive human sprawl?  Turns out that some like it while others, like the CA Gnatcatcher, could unfortunately disappear from the area in the near future.

Western Grebes

After really studying the Orange County landscape well, I discovered that there wasn't really much space at all provided for these birds.  Hence the declining numbers!  Much like the Florida Scrub-Jay, its habitat is in decline.  These birds are now locked into areas, or fragmented, from other California Gnatcatchers. How will they maintain genetic diversity within their populations?

Savannah Sparrow(Belding's Subspecies)

It's amazing to me that so many people are apathetic about saving an endangered species. If this type of thinking was left unchecked, we'd be in a really bad place today. Some say it has already happened. On a global level (and locally), we are losing little battles here and there.  At the end, all of these little losses will add up into something very sad and big.  But who cares about a little gray songbird that looks like all the other gray birds out there? I do.  And so do a lot of other people.  

Whimbrel

Now don't get me wrong, we had a blast.  I always enjoy the new challenges that come with the new territory.  So it was easy finding lots of new birds all cramped into these "green" spaces around Southern California.  The secret to birding around Cali is finding a central place inside the city and plan trips to nearby hotspots. Don't plan anything too far or you'll be on the road ALL DAY!  I learned that lesson well when I lived in the Bay Area many moons ago.

Acorn Woodpecker

There are so many wonderful California birds.  They have their own gnatcatcher, towhee, thrasher, gull and quail!  The Nuttall's Woodpecker featured below is also a California favorite....and a first for me!

Nuttall's Woodpecker-female

In all of this, I am somehow losing my mind as I try to process what is happening around me. There's no such thing as "It's just birding." anymore.  It's an obsession.  And to be honest, it scares me a little.  There are times I could just scream.  A new bathroom renovation or a trip somewhere exciting?  I get antsy.  I pace.  I need to explore and learn more stuff now.  There are times I get so tired that I don't want to do anything. But then someone will report something special and I'm back on the road! The fact is I feel good when I go out and do this. 

During our weekend trek, we stopped to check out the Tijuana estuary and walked 8 miles without even realizing it!  Micheal keeps track of our hiking.  Along the way, we meet weird people that tell us to follow them and see this "eagle" on a telephone pole.  Turns out the "eagle" is really a hawk. Another tells me about how her son would go out and shoot birds on the estuary and then tell her kid, "Hey son that's illegal. You're not supposed to do that."  From her "shared" stories on the trail, I don't think he ever listened to her. Then she told me to take a pic of a Great Egret that was too far away.  When is she going to turn off the trail??!!! Our nature trail connected with the local neighborhood for a time. Thankfully nature took over and we left the homes far behind. And the strange locals.

California Towhee

Officially we hear things are "protected" and yet, many times, there isn't anyone out "there" patrolling for poaching, shooting, etc. In many places, I see park officials stuck in information booths collecting entrance fees. I know they want to be out there working in the field.  So many of my friends in the business have told me about the endless paperwork that comes with the job.  And let's not mention all the time that goes into applying for grants to help cover the costs needed due to federal cuts, etc. We spend billions on war and killing and yet we don't have enough money to properly maintain and staff these wild areas.  Birders see it all. 

 Oak Titmouse

Imagine an oak tree without its tree sprite, the Oak Titmouse, jumping around the branches.  Or the empty holes in trees once used by the common Acorn Woodpecker. I couldn't imagine the landscape without these birds. Each species contributes something important to our environment. What will the fate of the California Gnatcatcher be?  Do we really care enough to protect it?  The real estate world is eyeing up their habitat for development and have not let this bird alone. They are pushing to have it taken off the endangered list this year.  Could they eventually win this seemingly uphill battle? 

California Gnatcatcher

For more about birds from around the world, check out Wild Bird Wednesday. 

It's A Dry Heat

Yellow-eyed Junco collects nesting materials

June has arrived here in the Sonoran Desert. And it is hot hot hot!  Birders get up at 4:30 AM to start their day! They can bird "comfortably" for a few hours before being forced to return home. The retired birder gets up early and birds.  Then they take an afternoon nap:)  For me, I am trapped inside my house during the day because of all the projects/conferences/appointments going on.  However, I still try to bird up on the mountain for some cooler temps and even cooler birds when I get the chance.  

Just a couple weeks ago, we lost yet another hiker on a popular trail in Phoenix.  The cause?  Not enough water to stay hydrated.   He passed out and never woke up.  These sad stories are always difficult to hear. For us desert rats, they are important reminders to carry lots of water.  Of course, no one should be hiking in the deadly afternoon sun for so many reasons. So what's a birder/hiker to do? Go early. Let someone know where you're going. Or go with others. Bring lots of water or a camel pack.  Wear a hat and sunscreen. 

Painted Redstart

So I went hiking up on the cooler Mt. Lemmon because I despise the heat. I followed several trails near the UA space observatories. At one point, I sat down observing the birds calling around me. 

House Wren

In one location, I sat near a puddle of water in the woods.  Here warblers and thrushes came down for a drink.

Red-faced Warbler

As of late, I haven't been able to really do any serious birding because of various projects.  El Presidio needed a parking lot makeover.  And so I supervised the project and funding.  After it was done, it looked so beautiful that I didn't want to park on it at all:)

El Presidio gets a little TLC

 As a reward for surviving the late morning temps with the parking lot crew, I quickly took a break and drove to a local park to find a rare Canada Goose. These birds are common everywhere but Tucson:) 

So I quickly walked and sweat my way in 111 degree temps to find this one bird.  It took 15 minutes and then it was back in my car. 

Canada Goose at Columbus Park

When I become antsy, I sit down, edit photos and watch my feeders from the windows.  

American Robin

I've been playing around with a different photo program on an Apple computer to enhance the details of the pics better. 

Hermit Thrush has quite the appetite

But even that gets to be a little too stationary for me. 

On the quiet trail, I looked down upon the Tucson valley.  I could almost feel the heat from where I stood.  There was no escaping it.   One day later, we headed into the hotter city of Phoenix for Comicon. 

I love art!  This is an Effie impersonation utilizing a sweet butterfly design from the Hunger Games movie!  

 I had a difficult time staying inside buildings surrounded by thousands of people.  It was a little too much.  To ease my mind, I looked for things that were nature inspired. 

And I found lots of interesting things that included wildlife into their designs.  We had a great time, but I still needed to bird a little.  There have been sporadic reports over the years about two Mute Swans hanging out at a cemetery.  We escaped the massive crowds and braved the 114 degree temps.  People like to say that in our desert, we have a dry heat. Yeaaaaah:)  It's still hot and we still sweat....creating humidity:)  So we found the swans without any issues, but the bugs were terrible around the grassy areas. That outing lasted 20 minutes. 

Mute Swan

So what do most desert people do during our driest and hottest month in Arizona?  We take trips to cooler places like San Diego, Flagstaff, Pinetop, attend any convention or event that has lots of air conditioning etc etc. 

My brother Matt(in a Batman outfit he made from scratch!) with Deathstroke and Bane

Star Wars action!

Richard Dean Anderson from Macgyver and Stargate SG-1

A very special epic and COOL trip is about to happen this upcoming weekend. More to come from Las Aventuras next week. For now, stay in the shade and drink plenty of fluids.  And thanks for stopping by!

Check out other birds from around the world at Wild Bird Wednesday!

Whispering To Birds

Costa's Hummingbird

No matter where I go now, I see birds.  And they see me.  The magical part is that they don't run(or fly) anymore.  We just stare at each other.  In a two part write, I'll share some of the strange things happening to me while out in the field during my observations.

Northern Mockingbird

Learning a new language can be difficult for many people.  But for me, it's fun and easy.  That's why I teach it to kids and adults. It's what I do and it's what pays the bills.  But I never considered speaking "bird" or "animal" a real thing.  And yet.....

Bewick's Wren

I have been able to interpret calls, replicate some basic bird "pishes", and observe behaviors.  My voice, at first, only attracted Ruby-crowned Kinglets, but now I'm finding Wrens respond to me.  And finally, after many attempts, I was able to capture the Bewick's Wren perfectly on this branch.  And we sat looking at each other for several minutes, curious about the other.  I thought it was so cool.

Black-bellied Whistling Duck

I watch people interact with wildlife.  Black-bellied Whistling Ducks are quite humorous.  Two people walked too close to them and the ducks decided to attack the guy's feet.  And yet, when I was in their area, I was able to note that there was an imaginary border between us.  If I moved too close, the alpha duck moved closer.  It was fascinating!

As the swallows return to Southern Arizona, I am learning how to stand still and observe the swallows fly near me!

Hummingbirds are curious birds.  They are like the Chihuahuan dogs of the bird world. They are not afraid of anyone or anything.  To call a hummer out, wear bright colors on your shirts like reds or oranges.  Maybe pull out that old Hawaiian shirt from the closet.  If you feed hummers at your home and they've come to know you, they'll sit and wait for you to begin your morning.  And if you forget to feed them, they'll hover in front of your dining room window and remind you:)  Sometimes they'll feed right out of your hand.  Talk about cool!  Here is a post from my blogger friend Kelly.  She took a video of her buddy Homer.

And I expect as I learn more, my language ability will increase.  I've watched birders call before....and I laughed, but now I don't think it's so funny at all.  It's a real thing and some people can do incredible things with their voices!

So as time flies by, as it does, I will become a sponge and pick up as much as I can.  I don't know everything and never will.  And that's how I go about birding.  There's so much to learn.

Neo-tropic Cormorant

Sometimes, I'll take a lunch break.....

......and "poof".  A Hermit Thrush pops out of nowhere and stares at me eating ice cream.

Hermit Thrush

As I get up early, I walk to my feeders, and discover a hummingbird looking down at me......reminding me to get my butt moving.  They are the first to eat in the morning (as are the Curve-billed Thrashers).

I am dedicated and will learn the ways of the "force".  And so now I leave you in silence to enjoy the various birds from my walks around sunny Arizona. Remember to tread lightly:)

Female Northern Cardinal

Western Tanager

Broad-tail Hummingbird

White-winged Dove

Common Raven next to a Red-tail Hawk

Female Common Merganser(Northern Shoveler on the left)

Inca Dove