Ahhhh-Oooooo!

On an overcast day, Baby J sat in his stroller listening to the strange "Ahhhh-ooooohs" being made in the distance.  He made his own "ahhh-oooh!" and our hearts melted.

I took a break from the chases.  No more for now.  It was time to hang out with the family. So we headed to one of my favorite and yearly stops at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary.  It's great for kids.  It's also a rehabilitation center for the critters.  And it's also a fantastic wildlife sanctuary. So Baby J got to go on his first birding adventure. 

At the Wildlife Sanctuary, they sell corn for the ducks and Baby J got to feed the hundreds of ducks. 

The baby J's hang out together

But he didn't get to see just ducks.  There were geese and turkeys and all kinds of critters.  

Wild Turkey

I watched his face as the ducks piled up around him. It was absolutely fun!

This is a great place for kids to experience wildlife up close.  Well maybe not too close to those Canada Geese:)

Northern Cardinal

It just so happened that we hit the day at the right time because it wasn't too cold and there weren't a lot of people walking around the park.

While at the sanctuary, he made duck sounds and wolf sounds, tried petting a Canada Goose....um.....yeah no. 

American Black Duck

He got to go down his first tree house slide, play in a turtle shell and throw milk on his uncle.  Stinker. 

The day went by too quickly and soon our adventures in Wisconsin would be over.  We had a fun last day together. 

And the real reason why I don't have kids? My family has contributed quite a few people to this planet.  Currently with a world population of 7 billion, quite a few of us will need to NOT have kids:)  So it's nice being the Uncle with all the nephews and nieces.  I'm just hoping that some of them will get the travel bug and maybe become a future birder?  

It's was nice to hang out with the family during the holidays, but it's back to the Arizona trails next week.  And the weather here is VERY nice:)  Until next time.....

Transitions

Common Raven

Life can get crazy. This past week included getting rid of a swarm of bees on our patio, preparing for Micheal's birthday and running errands for various things.  So when do I get to bird?

Willow Lake in Prescott, AZ

Well like everything else, I have to make the time.  One of the hardest decisions that I've had to make recently was letting go of the Presidency at our HOA.  As of the 31st, a huge weight and stress will be lifted from my shoulders.  More precious positive time again!

Evening Grosbeaks in Sunflower, AZ

As for other transitions? Well I also need to get back into shape again.  I've let myself go.  Yes, I hike and exercise, but it's the food!  I love it so much:)  I'm good the entire day until around 4 PM and then I go crazy.  This summer, I will be trekking around Southern Mexico and I need to get my body prepared for the high humidity hikes.

The treks make me laugh.  One week, I'm freezing my butt off on Lake Michigan.  The next weekend I'm down in Mexico birding along the beach.  This past weekend, we headed up north for a little R&R in Prescott, AZ. Talk about crazy weather extremes!

Western Meadowlark at Willow Lake

I think if it wasn't for birding, the friendships/family or my other half, I'd simply go insane.  Life is crazy.  At the beginning of the year, I thought my time out in the field would be cut to a minimum due to the wedding.  However, I've discovered that I can't let that happen. One day versus a whole year?  I just don't get the crazy need for spending thousands upon thousands of dollars for a one day event. Anyhow, I find the time to explore wherever we go now.

White-breasted Nuthatch

And of course, I enjoy the fun ride that goes with the birds. Today's post takes place at Willow Lake with Micheal and Cynthia near Prescott, Arizona.  Everything was blooming.  Allergies were high and so were the warblers!

Micheal, me and Cynthia

I marvel at it all.  From the chilly woods, to the mountain terrain, and so on and so on.  When one birds, life is an everyday adventure.  Until next week friends..... 

Pops feeds the Mallards, Canada Geese and American Black Ducks  Look lower left in pic to see the ABDU.

Withdrawal Symptoms

A Mallard approaches us

Have you ever closed the curtains to your windows so that you could just keep the outside world out?  Lately, I have been unmotivated and tired.  But I made a promise to myself at the beginning of the year that I would work on my US list.  My only goal?  To stay within the top 100 in the national scheme of things.  So far so good.  

I'm tired of the chasing.  I'm tired of the ebird reports and most of all just feeling a bit confined for the moment. The home requires a little TLC and I'm working on several projects right now that will add a little spark to our place.  

Black-capped Chickadee at one of the hotspots I created for Ebird in Colorado Springs.....Quail Lake

So I understand that there are birds out there that need to be seen for the year but their locations are rather uninspiring. What does that mean?  Well, there are cool birds that can be found in trashy locales full of sketchy people or hot desert scrub in the middle of nowhere. I'm much more inclined to sit in my pajamas with a cup of coffee during the weekend and read a good book. 

Bucks hidden in a secret canyon outside of Colorado Springs during hunting season

Granted there are always birds that amaze me....even the common ones.  But after a year of chasing (and this last road trip to Colorado), I'm about ready to hang up my birding vest and cap.  Next year I'll be stepping back from the birding scene and just focusing on new life birds.

American Avocets in Bosque Del Apache, New Mexico last week

For now, I've made the New Year's Resolution "find and re-find as many new and old birds as I can" a reality.  It's not as easy as it sounds.  Family, weather, money, work and home have interfered with my focus at times.  Time is everything. 

People will ask me, "What has been the most challenging part about this birding trek?"  Time and money are a challenge especially when there is a full-time job to consider. I've only hit half the necessary hot spots in the US to stay in the top 100. With more money and "free" time, I could plot and strategize better. Another challenge?  Locating grouse!  They are some of the most difficult birds to locate.  Some of the grouse that have eluded me so far this year have been the Dusky, Spruce and Gunnison sage-grouse!  They are VERY difficult.  It took me two years to discover the secretive nature of this Montezuma Quail below!  Hearing the bird is one thing but to watch it watch me only inches away was quite a learning experience.  The bird was completely camouflaged by the grasses and for me it was one of the hardest things I've had to do as a birder this year!

Montezuma Quail

BUT! The Montezuma Quail live here so I've been able to constantly go back and study their habitat. This has allowed me to get a better idea about how they interact with their environment.  But the other grouse?  Not common here in Southern Arizona and when I'm in their territory, their environment and habits are completely alien to me. Rails also fall into the same category.  There are several in December that I hope to locate.  Sometimes finding mammals are easier than spotting birds!  And let me tell you, if I were a hunter, I would have done very well this last week. Thankfully I use a camera to shoot.  Then I whisper to the deer, "Stay safe."

So as I slow down, for now, I am learning to just enjoy the simple things and pull back from my personal challenge of "finding all the birds".   I have one last big trek for the year scheduled into California.  For the time being, I'm drawing my shades and just relaxing a bit before going back on the road again.  I'm not going to let the competitive birding out there drive me insane:)  Maybe it's too late for that?

Sparrow love-Brewer's Sparrow.  Yeah it's brown and plain but.......what a cool bird!

Currently for the year, I've seen and documented 450 species of birds. I'm not done:) Last year, I observed 452 species.  While out on the road this year, we had a little fun on our treks around Arizona.  The mastermind, Tommy D, loves putting together birding videos while on his Arizonan treks.  In this state, a birder can go from extreme heat to snow within a half hour!  Sometimes we desert rats forget to prepare for the colder terrain while on that chase for a rare bird.  Here is one of my favorites he filmed while looking for a super rare bird in the north country!  Check out Tommy D's Birding Stereotypes.  Arizona truly is an awesome place to bird.  Where will we be next weekend?  Stay tuned for more from Las Aventuras. 

Don't forget to check out Wild Bird Wednesday!