The Legacy Challenge

Little Blue Heron

It's no lie.  I am pretty much done birding in Arizona for now.  It's too hot.  The mornings are great but I'm taking them back and sleeping in again like I used to do several years ago:)

Now hold on.  It doesn't mean I've given up birds.  Far from the truth.  I just chased an easy state bird, the Little Blue Heron up in Phoenix last weekend. It was a beautiful morning out. At one point, it was just me and Little Blue at one of the ponds before the birders realized where s/he had gone.  Then s/he flew at the sight of the little kid birder making aggressive moves along the shore to get that perfect photo. And that was my cue to go home.  By that time, it was hot. 

Lark Sparrow

And it has been hot forever since.  So I began working on my bird feeders and water features at home.  My neighbor and I both put our huge fountain together in the center of the courtyard to prepare for the hot and dry month of June. This is the best month to observe wildlife because they come from all over to get a drink from scarce watering holes around the desert. The feature is up and running and birds are nesting all over the place in the oak trees.  Our Rock Squirrel has found our courtyard as an appropriate place to live. 

 I like having the little one around.  Most people hate squirrels at their feeders, but I don't.  I've waited 10 years to have one visit our yard.  S/he burrowed under our water fountain and lives the life.  In Midtown, there's very little in the way of wildlife(besides birds and feral cats)

Dark-lored White-crowned Sparrow

With finals happening now, and after all the public school mayhem, it's time to settle down and research.  And watch my bird feeders.  I actually enjoy it.  I get to see all the mischief happening around the property between the Curve-billed Thrashers, rare midtown Cactus Wrens, Abert's Towhees and nesting Brown-crested Flycatchers and Broad-billed Hummingbirds. They rely on me to provide them with fresh water and food:) Every year they come back to me. On an excellent day, I will have 24 species of bird come to my yard. 

male Hepatic Tanager on Mt. Lemmon.  If this guy came to my feeder, I'd crap myself. 

Solitary confinement is what I have been craving the most.  It's always an honor to be asked to events for organizations.  But after all the public outings are said and done, there is nothing I love better than the quiet solitude of home. 

I have been out in the garden more.  I am working on paint colors and a bird house project for my Lucy's Warblers next year.  I know House Finches will nest in some of those boxes, but honestly, I don't care.  When you walk around El Presidio, it's full of bird song and butterflies.  We even have lizards and geckos. 

On Mother's Day, we had a get together.  As a Spanish teacher, I needed to understand better the properties of a good chocolate mole from Mexico.  It's a sauce that goes over chicken normally.  So we assembled the team and the Aribabi crew got together and made this time consuming mole.  

I was in charge of the chili peppers which act as a base for the sauce. Jim was in charge of the special ingredients that went with the chili base.  And Mary Ann made sure we followed the directions. 

For once, it was nice making dinner for Kathy who usually makes all of our meals for us while we're down in Mexico during our counts and mammal tracking.  

However, we had to watch Jim because he slipped in several more chocolate disks to the mole:)

I'm proud of the work we did.  It's definitely a full morning of work with maybe some prep the night before. It tasted amazing and went down well with Jim's awesome margarita concoctions . 

During the week with my students, I was exhausted.  I'd work and go home to sleep.  This is the way of the final exam schedule at my school.  Meanwhile, all of my friends are in the Midwest for the Biggest Year.  This is an event I'll never be able to attend thanks to finals:)  By the time I retire, I'll have found all the North American Warblers I need and not have to participate in this event.  

Pine Siskin

Instead, I've been preparing for several major trips. One begins next weekend.  This year, I have been very interested in Mexico and connecting the dots.  I love the Sonoran desert very much and have wanted to do a study in San Carlos for years.  The last time I was there was back in 96. 

So many good memories.  I remember a perfect moment from that trip.  After a beautiful day at the beach at our friend's condo, we sat watching TV enjoying a beautiful Mexican sunset.  No worries.  No stress.  Just existing in the moment. 

It will be nice to revisit this area again.  It's 6 hours south of Tucson near the ocean village of Guaymas where Mexico truly begins and the border culture begins to fade away. 

My "work" will include an area count around the ocean front. Margaritas will be the main meal:)

This weekend we headed down to Nogales, an hour south of Tucson for a medication run.  Or as I like to call it, a drug run!  Medication is half to a third of the cost of what it runs in the US.  Many seniors can't afford the rising costs of medical bills here in the US because of their limited budgets.  Yes, the US is a disaster right now.  Thankfully, Mexico is nearby and we can get prescriptions at a normal price.  Then we stopped at La Roca for lunch.  Yum!

I've already droned on too long, but recent events have again made me pause and reflect.  Last week, I lost another former birding mentor, Bernie. I wrote about him 2 years ago in this post while we searched for his last warbler in North America.  He lived an amazing life and protected important lands from industrial development. At first I was sad that he wouldn't be there when I went home to visit, but then I thought about how lucky I was to have gotten the chance to work with Bernie over the years.  He was brilliant with his conservation work. His bird banding projects were genius. I remember Bernie sharing with me a story about banding Chimney Swifts! 

Our final time together would happen during our Hermit Warbler search. It was an honor to have had the chance to take him out one last time to find life birds in Southern Arizona. I worked with Winnie, the cranky Park Ranger.  I banded owls with Bernie. And I was a student of Doc Sontag. Doc is the last of this holy trio.  Without these people, Two Rivers and Manitowoc would have developed precious land along the Lake Michigan Shoreline.  They made a difference. Today, birders and nature lovers alike visit my hometown in mass numbers to visit these important natural spaces.  Places like Woodland Dunes, Point Beach State Forest and the Manitowoc Impoundment are protected thanks to the dedication and leadership of these amazing people.  Bernie leaves a great legacy behind. 

Lance-tailed Manakin

 What will our legacies be? Spanish was always my passion, but it lead me to the birds. This next month will be my birding anniversary.  It's when I accepted the label "birder" into my life.  Several Manakins on Coiba island "sparked" my passion for birds.  And for the better, it has changed my life forever.  Like many of us, we have gone through periods in our lives when we look back at our past reflections and wonder how we ever thought or acted the ways we did. I changed. And I am focused now. At a recent photo shoot I did for Altrusa, a group that fights illiteracy around the world, the spokeswoman reminded her members that the work they did was incredibly important. "Your legacy will come from the work you do everyday.  Do not take that for granted. You are valuable."

I remember sitting on that island in the Pacific Ocean all alone, away from the modern world thinking about the great adventures ahead.  At first, they were clueless treks into the unknown.  But I had to start somewhere.  That guy in the pic above was so naive and innocent.  However, it was a pivotal moment in my life that I will never forget. 

On the eve of this celebration, I will be heading to Trinidad and Tobago this June to research and observe new birds.  My goal this year is to reach 1000 life birds.  This island trek will be the first big mission to complete that task.  I'm hoping to observe such birds as the endangered Trinidad piping guan, oilbird, honeycreepers and the national bird of Trinidad, the Scarlet Ibis. But it's the Manakins, that I hope to observe in great detail.  Bernie, my Grandma, Melissa, and all those who have passed remind me to seize the moment and discover. Until next time..... 

History(And Birds)

Mexican culture is alive at the La Fiesta de Tumacácori

Years ago I moved to Arizona.  Then I traveled the world just to confirm how cool Tucson really was. Maybe there was some place even more amazing?  But after all my adventures, it was Tucson that I would, without a doubt, call home. As I have invested myself into the community over the years, I have become part of the Tucson fabric.

My first true passion, before birds, was the Hispanic culture, specifically the Mexican one. 

The closest I could get to Mexico (and still be in the US) was Arizona.  I didn't want Texas, New Mexico or California.  I wanted Arizona.  My 8th grade trip to Flagstaff forever changed my life.  When I went back to Wisconsin after that magical summer in the canyons and mountains, I knew that one day I would leave my hometown for good.  Then during another magical trip to Mexico City my Senior year of high school, I altered my course once again.  Spanish. As I did my research, I discovered a little city(at the time) known as Tucson. This city had the best of both worlds.

Cactus Wren

This weekend, we took the history club around Southern Arizona to visit all of our amazing landmarks. It was such a fun time.  Not only did we combine the old missions and the mining towns of Tombstone and Bisbee, we were also able to watch live performances of traditional Mexican dance.  (And on the side), I had the students point out the birds that they were observing. It was the ultimate wildlife, historical and Mexican heritage tour ever.  Seeing Southern Arizona through their eyes reminded me of my love for this state. 

The Earps meet in Tombstone at the OK Corral

The trip was organized by my friends Lori and April who then invited me along for the fun. They hadn't been to many of these places before and I had mentioned that I often go to bird around these historical sites.  Once we packed the students up in the vans, our adventures began!

Common Raven

How often do I pass these places and not really look at the majestic churches or old towns?  Well in my defense, I'm forever looking for or at birds:)

the mission of San Xavier Del Bac

During our trip, I ran into a former student who graduated with a Natural Resource and Spanish degree (and was working at Saguaro National Park!)  My dream job!  She was at a booth in the festival promoting National Parks. I was so proud.  She told me she earned her Spanish degree because of my class. And that's always good to hear. Better than a paycheck. Then a current student met with my now much older former student and it was so strange! I saw the beginning of the end.  The teacher becomes the student again. And his former student becomes a mentor with wonderful advice about getting into the national parks system. 

Lark Sparrow at the Tubac Presidio Museum

 The current students had fun role playing at the Tubac Presidio.  Imagine being in this old classroom.  It has style!  I'd love to have a classroom like this!

I introduced the students to Mexican Jays. Or was it the other way around?:) Jays are always cooperative birds....with a little food.  Again, a student brought Ritz crackers and was munching on them when the jays heard the crinkle of the package and then........we had pretty blue jays all around us.  

Mexican Jay

We strolled along the roads of Bisbee doing a little holiday shopping in the wonderful fall like temps. 

the old mining town of Bisbee

Wherever we had wildlife, we stopped to look at it just like we would if we were on a tour in a mine or museum. 

White-tailed Deer at the Chiricahua National Monument

It was a beautiful weekend out. 

Lori and April at Tombstone

On a side note, if these posts feel like they are up and down emotionally, they are.  During this trip, my Grandma's husband finally passed away. Life doesn't care.  It forces me to keep going but it's amazing how I can go from laughter to tears each day. Between my Grandma, her husband Bob, my cat, the political scene here, conservation attacks, tours, it's amazing I haven't gone bonkers.  But writing has helped me process all of these emotions. This past weekend I took a bad spill on a road while hiking.  I was telling a student to be careful and as I said it, I tripped and did an acrobatic feat that I didn't even know I could do.  My training has taught me to roll.  So instead of breaking a bone, I have some nice scrapes and bruises on the left side of my body. I always wondered how people fell.  Now I know. It sucks.

I am reminded that life is full of surprises and I have to roll with the punches(and scars:). I do know that we had an amazing experience this weekend and I'm grateful for those moments. There is yet so much more work to be done and by educating our youth about these historical and wild spaces, we are helping the young understand the importance of these much needed landmarks. They are, after all, why I moved to Arizona in the first place. Until next time.....

No Day But Today

Vermilion Flycatcher during one of my weekly surveys at Reid Park in Tucson, AZ

"The heart may freeze or it can burn
  The pain will ease if I can learn

  There is no future
  There is no past
  I live each moment as my last 

  There's only us
  There's only this
  Forget regret-or life is yours to miss

  No other road
  No other way
  No day but today!"-Rent

Another routine check at El Río Preserve in Marana, reveals a mile long string of Yellow-headed Blackbirds passing by the moon at sunset

On the trails this week, I did a little bit of tactical, studied and artistic birding.  It was a crazy week full of super early mornings, even by a birder's standards.

a Scaled Quail at Cochise Lake

We came back from Colorado and stopped at the beautiful Cochise Lake in Willcox, AZ.  This was my artistic birding. We had to prioritize our stops. So we skimmed through New Mexico in order to watch the beautiful sunset over Cochise Lake.

a Javelina feeds from the grasses of the golf course at Willcox

It was so peaceful and beautiful.  As the sun went down, several hundred Sandhill Cranes flew above our heads.

Sandhill Cranes at sunset

That is the true art of birding. It was a magical way to end our day.

Greater White-fronted Geese at Willcox

Days would follow and it would be time for studied birding.  Studied birding is my way of doing regular visits to local hotspots and recording important information. This year I have chosen Reid Park and several other hotspots to do my weekly counts to better understand bird patterns.

juvenile male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

On this day, I went to the Santa Rita Lodge and sat with out-of-town birders helping them ID unusual birds.  Sometimes, I just throw myself into the mix.  They don't know who I am and I don't know who they are.  But it's the most natural way of meeting good people.  I spent my morning helping these birders ID female hummingbirds(which can be tricky).

Rufous-winged Sparrow

I also studied several lower elevation birds that weren't supposed to be at the feeders.  Across the map, we are noticing birds moving up in elevation due to global change.  Take for example the Rufous-winged Sparrow ^(a Southern Arizona favorite) and the Lark Sparrow below.  Both of these birds should be found at the lower elevations of the Santa Rita Mountain range.  But here they were.

Lark Sparrow

Then there's tactical birding.  Tactical birding can be interesting.  Or it can be terrible.  A Wood Thrush was reported in a very remote and unlikely place in our state.  I needed this bird for the state AND I also needed better views of this bird.  I've only heard these birds calling from the dark areas of the woods in Maine and in Wisconsin. 

I didn't want to drive nearly 2 hours to this place called Dateland.  But any chance to get better views of a bird that I had only heard in my life was worth the trek.  We gambled and were rewarded with stunning views of this normally secretive thrush.

Wood Thrush

People have asked me how I balance it all out.  It's tricky but I make the time.  Just like people make time to exercise, etc., I make sure I put in the time for my birds. So many birders have said, "You can rest when your dead." And they're right. There's work.  There's home.  There's family and friends.  And there's birding:) 

Until next time.....

Las Aventuras: Arizona Sparrows

A beautiful Baird's Sparrow taken in the pristine San Rafael Grasslands near Patagonia

Continuing with Arizona birds, I thought I'd focus on sparrows today.  And only sparrows(because there are a lot of them!) This is a group of birds that will challenge beginners.  While some are easy to ID AND find, there are others that are quite the opposite:) I won't be including towhees or longspurs or those Lark Buntings:)  This is one of my favorite groups of birds and this past week was an exciting one for birders in Southern Arizona.  But more on that later.....

Today we'll look at the common and rare sparrows found in Arizona during both our summer and winter months.  Let's start with the Baird's Sparrow.  This is a secretive wintering sparrow found in the grasslands of Southern Arizona.  While it is common within its habitat range, it's a difficult bird to view due to its mousy nature in the grasses.  I spent a weekend with a group of sparrow researchers to learn about this particular species.  It was fun and very rewarding to aide in their research. Birders sometimes have difficulty separating this sparrow from the Grasshopper sparrow.

a plain Savannah Sparrow near Sonoita, AZ

In fact, a lot of people groan at sparrow ID.  But over the years, I have really come to love this group of birds and their habitat.  Another wintering sparrow in Arizona is the Savannah Sparrow.  There are many subspecies of this bird and often birders are confused at first by the majority of Savannah Sparrows found here.  Their lores aren't as yellow(or no yellow!) as their subspecies counterparts.  Look at the photo above to get a better idea. 

Grasshopper Sparrow at the Cienagas Grasslands

Also found in the same wintering grassland habitat as the Savannah and Baird's Sparrows are the Grasshopper Sparrows.  They can be secretive as well during the winter months. But during the summer months, they are much easier to spy on their breeding grounds. Arizona is home to Grasshopper Sparrows all year round.  We have a specific subspecies(Ammodramus savannarum ammolegus) that lives here.  It's a bit darker than its subspecies counterparts. However, in winter, two subspecies can be found together in the grasslands making it a fun study session.

Rufous-winged Sparrow at St. Gertrudis Lane near Tubac, AZ

Sparrow ID can be challenging, but this is what makes birding a lot of fun! Understanding a sparrow by their call, movement, and knowing their habitat can help make ID'ing the bird easier. 

Rufous-winged Sparrow near Amado, AZ

Thought to be extinct many decades ago, the Rufous-winged Sparrow is a sparrow found in only a small habitat range in the Sonoran deserts of southern Arizona and the northern state of Sonora. Today, these sparrows are doing very well as their numbers appear to be growing again.  Recognizing habitat was a major factor for saving these sparrows, a plan was put into place to keep cattle grazing out of certain areas. In 1936, the species began to recover and today they can be found once again in good numbers around washes, grasslands, mesquite forests, etc. This is a sparrow that birders specifically look for here in Arizona as it cannot be found in other states around the country.  It is what we call an endemic to Arizona.

Chipping Sparrow along the DeAnza trail

Chipping Sparrows are common and widespread across the country.  Here in Arizona, Chipping Sparrows can be found all year round at the right elevation.  During the winter months, MANY Chipping Sparrows can be found around the state wherever there is water, grass and some trees:) They seem to enjoy the forest's edge. 

Black-chinned Sparrow near Mt. Ord

Black-chinned Sparrows are beautiful.  This is an easy one to ID but finding them can be difficult.  For example, trying to find one in Pima county is tricky.  They are found in a very specific habitat and elevation around places like Mt. Lemmon and Florida Canyon.  These sparrows become an easier spot up in the Phoenix area around places like Mt. Ord. When ebirding, be careful not to confuse the similarly named Black-THROATED Sparrow with Black-chinned Sparrow.  I've done that more than once:)

Lark Sparrow at Lakeside Park, Tucson, AZ

Lark Sparrows are another easy and widespread sparrow for Arizona.  During the winter months they are found in many of our hotspots in large groups.  What's cool about this bird is that it makes a buzzing fan noise that sounds like an insect. 

Rufous-crowned Sparrow at the Patagonia Rest Stop

One of the largest sparrows is the Rufous-crowned Sparrow.  It's also very common and widespread in the right areas all year round.  Sometimes from a distance, I think I am looking at a Canyon Towhee until I get closer. 

The next sparrow is a rare wintering Clay-colored Sparrow.  Now, they aren't common, but they're also not uncommon.  The bird will always be flagged on ebird.  If you have a camera, make sure you can get a pic of the cheek patch to help distinguish this bird from the similar looking Brewer's Sparrows.  It's a very subtle difference but an important one if you want to add it to your Arizona list. To make the ID even harder, the bird usually doesn't make its buzzy call like it does during the summer months.  Brewer's Sparrows at the beginning of their winter migration have fresh new plumage that can look bright like that of the Clay-colored Sparrow.  So cheek patch and divided crown are important field marks for this sparrow. 

A rare Clay-colored Sparrow at Bartlett Lake Marina, Maricopa County.  Often seen during the months of September and October passing through the area to their wintering grounds.  And sometimes one of them stays for the winter. 

The next sparrow loves desert hillsides.  It's also on most birders MUST SEE list for Arizona.  It's rather common in its habitat range BUT the habitat is tricky and usually requires a full day drive to the border.  I have taken many birders to find this species and I have to admit that it's fun but the rocky terrain is much to be desired. Common in a place called the California Gulch during the summer, ABA listers hope to see this bird in its breeding habitat on the hillsides. Now, this species does hang around all year in smaller numbers along the watering holes BUT they are trickier to find.  So for the summer trek, bring a good vehicle and lots of water!

Five-striped Sparrow in the California Gulch

Another favorite of mine is the Lincoln's Sparrow.  This sparrow has a finely streaked breast with a bit of yellow coloring around the malars to help with the ID.  It's common in Arizona all year round.  These sparrows winter in Southern Arizona around riparian areas and can be found up in places like Greer during the summer months.

Lincoln's Sparrow in Greer, AZ

These next birds are FUN!  But they can be tricky.  They are also present all year round but during the winter months, they are mousy and difficult to find. Many do migrate south, but a couple stay here. During a wet monsoon season, they are very vocal and active EVERYWHERE in the grasslands. 

Botteri's Sparrow at Empire Ranch in Pima County

The most common sparrows in the grasslands during the summer are the Botteri's, Cassin's and Grasshopper sparrows.  It's also the best time to get great observations of them. Study their calls and behaviors and you'll have NO problems.

Grasshopper Sparrow at Empire Ranch

A plain sparrow, the Brewer's Sparrow, is common and widespread along washes and farm areas.  During the winter months, they are often seen on fences near sorghum fields or dry washes with grass. 

Brewer's Sparrow on the Santa Cruz Flats

The striking and gorgeous Black-throated Sparrow is a common sparrow to the Sonoran Desert.  It's a bird that people want to see. The Black-throated Sparrow is an easy sparrow to ID and considered by many as one of the elegant ones:) It lives here year round. 

Black-throated Sparrow in Portal, AZ

A rare sparrow, the Golden-crowned Sparrow, might be found every great once and awhile mixed in a group of White-crowned Sparrows.  They aren't that common in Arizona and are indeed rare.  Even more rare than the Clay-colored Sparrows. To find them, find flocks of White-crowned Sparrows and carefully go through each and every bird. Who knows?  Maybe you'll find one. 

Golden-crowned Sparrows are rare in Arizona but with a lot of effort, a birder COULD find one. This was taken in Portland, OR

So let's head back to similar looking sparrows found in the same habitat at the same time.  If you haven't had much experience between a Botteri's or Cassin's Sparrow, they can be confusing.  It took me awhile to understand both these birds.

A Rootbeer delight!  The Botteri's Sparrow

So here's the skinny.  The Botteri's Sparrow(above) is a warm chocolaty color with a dash of lemon on the edge of their wings.  It has a ball drop call but it takes awhile to get to the ball drop:) Also, it's bill is quite large when compared to the Cassin's Sparrow.

A beautiful Cassin's Sparrow at the Cienagas Grasslands

The Cassin's Sparrow is PLAIN.  Sometimes there is a debate. Who's plainer, the Brewer's Sparrow or the Cassin's Sparrow?  And that's always an interesting conversation.  Or not:)  I find them all fascinating.  Why?  Well for one, the male Cassin's Sparrow LARKS during the monsoon season to attract a female.  See video below. 

It's flight is also unique as the wing beats are shallow and fast.  I might even say Bobolink like.

Sometimes there are sparrows that are seen everywhere and all the time.  Take for example the wintering White-crowned Sparrow.  I watched one take a bird bath at work during my lunch break.  Currently in birder discussions, this sparrow may be split into 2 species, both of which we have here.  Pay attention to the lores, Dark-lored(Mountain) and Gambel's(white). The bird below is the Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow. 

White-crowned Sparrow taking a dirt bath

With sparrows, it's all about the details.  Brewer's vs Clay-colored, juvenile White-crowned Sparrow vs juvenile Golden-crowned Sparrow, Bell's vs Sagebrush, etc.  Sparrows are tricky!  Here is the dark-lored White-crowned Sparrow below.  Can you tell the difference between the Gambel's and Dark-lored?

a dark-lored White-crowned Sparrow Will it be split?

But one sparrow that is easy to ID with its necklace is the Harris's Sparrow.  This is a rare sparrow for Arizona and it is generally seen during the winter months hanging out with.....White-crowned Sparrows:)  Or at least, it likes the same kind of habitat.  

A juvenile Harris's Sparrow at the Bosque Del Apache visitor's center

Now how about a super tricky sparrow species?  The Sage Sparrow complex.  Several years ago this species was finally split into two recognized species.  The most common of the two is the Sagebrush Sparrow found in sparse sagebrush habitat.  To be quite honest, the landscape and habitat for these two birds are not my favorite, but I did what I had to do.  

A Sagebrush Sparrow near Casa Grande, AZ

After the split happened, I attended an AZFO(Arizona Field Ornithology) meeting to learn more about these two species because I had NO idea how to ID the very similar looking Bell's Sparrow from the Sagebrush Sparrow.  It was a good conference and I quickly learned that the Bell's Sparrow has darker throat stripes(malars).  In fact, the malars are darker than their gray heads.  Furthermore, the Bell's Sparrow likes vegetation/sagebrush that is closer together.  Studies were done in both the "Thrasher Spot" near Buckeye and Robbin's Butte. They found more Bell's Sparrows in Robbin's Butte due to the close vegetation groupings.  The Thrasher spot had fewer Bell's Sparrows due to the sagebrush being spread further apart.The Sagebrush Sparrow arrives first and is the last to leave. The Bell's Sparrows generally arrive mid-November and leave early February. So the window for viewing this bird is quite narrow.  Either way, the habitat, especially at the Thrasher spot, looks like something out of a Mad Max movie. 

Bell's Sparrows at Robbin's Butte

I smile every time I hear out-of-state birders talk about our Song Sparrow.  Like the Savannah and Grasshopper Sparrows, our Song Sparrow is different.  It's more rusty red and it's a pretty common sparrow here in Southern Arizona all year.  Now in winter, we can get the other darker subspecies, but if you spot a rusty colored sparrow that looks like a Song Sparrow, you're viewing the Southwestern version of this bird. 

Song Sparrow at Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, AZ

Now let's get into some more strange sparrows.  Swamp Sparrows can and do winter here in Arizona.  They are NOT reliable and can be VERY tricky to spot.  But somehow every year, I manage to see or hear one or two in southern Arizona.  Take for example, the Swamp Sparrow below.  While looking for other birds, this little one popped out of the reeds along Patagonia Lake for a nice observation!

Swamp Sparrow at Patagonia Lake State Park

Another sparrow that is always a treat to see (but never location reliable) is the random White-throated Sparrow.  This photo was first taken during my first year of birding. During the winter months, I was birding at Sweetwater with my friend Kathie.  I remember complaining to her about how boring the sparrows were and then I saw this one.  And she got excited.  Little did I know that I found a rare bird!  It was exciting.  First year birder me has grown so much.  Today if I met my former self, I would have slapped my face and screamed, "What's wrong with you?!!! Sparrows are cool!" The reason I said what I said? I couldn't ID them and didn't think I ever could.   

My first White-throated Sparrow at Sweetwater Wetlands

Which bring me to my first sparrow I ever found alone in the wild, the Vesper Sparrow.  Again this is a common wintering bird in the grasslands.  Its nice pink legs, complete eye ring and overall streaky appearance makes this sparrow a relatively easy one to ID.  I reached out for help and called on a friend, master birder Scott Olmstead, who helped me figure out the bird on my own by asking me the right questions.  I'm not going to lie. This bird, which is now a snap to ID, wasn't always so easy:)

Vesper's Sparrow in the grasslands near Sonoita, AZ

The Fox Sparrow is another rare wintering sparrow that ALSO may be split down the road.  Like the White-throated or Swamp Sparrows, I never expect to see one.  And then I do.  They are often found shuffling around in leaf litter like a towhee near grasses and low branches near riparian areas or watering holes. 

My only good photo of a Fox Sparrow from Santa Cruz Island, CA

Now let's talk about the mega bird of the week!  Last week was an epic one. I love sparrows so much and this is one I wasn't expecting to ever see in Arizona, but then I did.  I had to make BIG choices.  I was at work when the report of a LeConte's Sparrow came into the birding newsroom. 

Nothing gets the heart tickin' than a good ol' fashioned sparrow chase.  I paced my classroom like a caged animal.  The problem?  I didn't have my camera!  The sparrow would be a life bird and if accepted by the state record committee, it would be the 3rd time that this sparrow has been seen in Arizona.  So it was a very good bird.  My work was close to the site.  There was no time to go home and get my camera because by the time I would have returned, it would have been dark. 

This sparrow wasn't going to wait around.  There was no tomorrow. It was a lifer, state and county bird.  When a bird meets those three conditions, it's a must go NOW with or without the camera. I rigged my IPhone and binos together to get the shot below. 

IPHONE shot of a RARE LeConte's Sparrow at Dove Mountain Golf Course

It was an exciting moment.  It took us around an hour to locate the sparrow but when the sprinklers went on around the golf course something clicked inside my head.  Sparrows like to bathe in water.  And sure enough, many sparrows were coming out to bathe.  I spotted another birder on the greens who waved over to me.  We met up and soon spotted the LeConte's Sparrow.  It didn't take long before the rest of the birders showed up behind us.  And there we all witnessed a Christmas miracle happen just a few feet away from us.  The sparrow moved closer feeding just a foot away.  No one moved.  No one said a word.  Then a sprinkler went on and spooked the bird off the greens and forced the now wet birders to retreat:)

Nelson's Sparrow along the coast of Maine/this would be RARE for Arizona

Other sparrows that have been reported over time have been a Nelson's Sparrow.  This is one cool bird and it would be a MEGA for this state.  When it makes its call, the sparrow sounds like it's dropping coins in a bucket!  

A Field Sparrow in Dodgeville, WI  But for one to show up in Arizona??!!!  That would be RARE!

Field Sparrows have been reported. That would be a cool one to chase. Again, it would be a MEGA.

American Tree Sparrow at Woodland Dunes in Two Rivers, WI  This is a very rare bird for Arizona in that it should never come this far south.  But one did!

An Arizona birder that most of us know here had an American Tree Sparrow stop by his feeders.  Yeah, that's another epic sparrow. 

If you don't understand sparrows or love them, then look at the amazing places they'll take you. How breathtaking is the scenery behind these people putting up their sparrow nets?  Any day, I get to work with sparrows is a good day

During our winter sparrow count, I met birders from New Mexico for the first time.  Above Dr. Janet Ruth releases that Savannah Sparrow.  And below a young Jason, learns how to band under the leadership of Janet.  Today, he's an expert bird bander!  

If I worked with birds in a job setting, I think that I'd focus my studies on sparrows. In fact, I probably would do a thesis or graduate paper on them. Sparrow research helps us understand how "healthy" a grassland is.  Their numbers, or lack of, help us determine if a grassland region is in good or poor health. This research speaks volumes about the importance of native grasses for these birds. The more sparrow/bird diversity found in a grassland; the healthier the ecosystem. 

All sparrows today mentioned in this post are ABA countable.  And let's not forget the invasive old world sparrow.....the House Sparrow. Sure people call it a "trash bird" here in the US, but we forget that their numbers have critically declined in Europe where they once thrived in great numbers.  Just something to think about.  Never take a bird for granted because tomorrow, they could be gone forever. 

Until next time.....