Welcome Surprises

A Sonoran Bumblebee stops for a look

Summer has officially left the desert and the end of the 2019 year is coming.  As we get closer to the start of the holidays, I've been enjoying some peaceful outings with friends and family. 

Our friend Bonnie from Wales came to visit. And it was a blast getting to hang out with Sherry too! We took a nice hike in Madera Canyon to find that elusive Elegant Trogon.  

After our hike, we sat at the Santa Rita Lodge feeders and watched a Black-throated Gray Warbler take a sip from the fountain. 

Swainson's Hawk

As we took my Santa Rita bird route, we had a lingering Swainson's Hawk fly over our heads.  This bird was most likely heading south for the winter. 

With the extreme temps gone now, it's SO nice to sit under a rock and absorb the natural world around us.  

A male Vermilion Flycatcher fluoresces in the autumn light. 

This year has been all about reflection. About friends.  About sharing the experience with others. I remember those days when I did all of my birding alone, but now, I can't imagine my world without these friends. 

Bronzed Cowbird

One night after a rough day at work, I went to a local park to count black birds.  Not everyone gets into the black birds, but I like this group a lot.  I sat on a lawn at a local park and watched them feed from the grasses. When I say black birds, I literally mean any bird that is black including cowbirds and blackbirds:)

Yellow-headed Blackbirds

To my surprise I discovered many of our wintering birds are coming back!  

juvenile Gray Hawk

While some of our summering ones still linger. 

I welcome the wintering birds.  I welcome those friendships both new and old.  And I welcome back these wonderful temperatures.  Winter has come.  Next week we celebrate autumn in the Pacific Northwest.  I hope you join me for our adventures with friend and bird guide Khanh Tran.  Until next time friends.....

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 DeAnza Trail and Beyond!

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Santa Cruz county(southern Arizona) this month has been hot and full of new birds!  

Brown-crested Flycatcher

Such locales like Tubac, the DeAnza trail, Tumacacori, the Rio Rico ponds and St. Gertrudis Lane offers people some of the best places to bird watch.

Black Vulture

I had been feeling a bit exhausted from extreme birding several days before and wanted to do a quick run to the Rio Rico Ponds to find the Black-bellied Whistling Ducks(below).  I had seen the bird before, but it would be a lifebird for me on Ebird.  Part of me was thrilled to see these birds in their natural habitat, but another part was more interested in the drive, good music, and an easy lifebird.

Of course, the minute I got out of car along side the road, the skies exploded with Black Vultures.  What should have been an easy morning getting a lifebird turned into......."What else is out here?"  My curiosity took over and I began to hike along the DeAnza trail.

I left the Rio Rico ponds and headed to the nearby St. Gertrudis Lane.  Birders are allowed to walk this gravel road but not drive.  So don't drive.  Plus if one could drive, they'd miss out on all the fun birds along the road.

Female Vermilion Flycatcher

As I walked down the road, I found myself entering a gate to walk the DeAnza trail.  There were too many birds calling and I forgot about where I was.  There was a particular bird of great interest....a Juvenile Gray Hawk!

Juvenile Gray Hawk

I didn't walk too far, but I did have a lovely stroll within the area.  By 11 AM, I was back home in my pj's for the rest of the day!

There's so much out there to see.  Life is thrilling.  The heat of our desert summer, however, sucks:) A fun nerdy post coming up next week.

"Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks" J.R.R. Tolkien