Flat Landon and the Endangered Bird

Recently, I went on a trek with a good friend from Wisconsin, Flat Landon. He wanted to know what it was like to live in the state of Arizona.  

Stanley loved the California Poppies!

Landon was very happy to be in Tucson.  He told me that it was very cold in Wisconsin this time of year.  And I told him that it was one of the reasons why I moved to Arizona so many years ago. I asked him if he wanted to do some hiking outdoors with me to find a very special and rare bird.  Landon was excited!  So I gave him a pair of binoculars and together we set off to find a rare Rusty Blackbird. 

Curve-billed Thrasher

Before we took off, I had to talk with Landon about hiking in the Arizona deserts and mountains. 

So he put on his seat belt and off we went. 

Rule 1.  Always bring water with you.  The desert is hot and dry.  Water is very important during a hike.  So Landon brought along a reusable plastic bottle to fill with water.  He wanted to reduce the amount of plastic bottles thrown away.  What a smart guy!

Brewer's Blackbird

Landon found several blackbirds but they weren't the Rusty.  At one point, he forgot about our Saguaro Cactus(pronounced saw-gwa-row)!  He accidentally got stuck on one of our massive native Sonoran plants! Rule 2. Watch where you step. 

Landon pretended to smile.  But deep down, I knew he was hurting.  I've also fallen into several cactus myself during my hikes.  It really hurts!

As we moved into the mountains and along the great Salt River, Stanley asked me, "Why is the Rusty Blackbird so important?  It's just a bird."  

The Rusty Blackbird!!!

I told Landon that all life is important to our planet.  And we must protect these amazing creatures from extinction or we could face our own extinction. The Rusty Blackbird is in danger of disappearing forever and within our lifetimes:(

Landon was shocked!  He thought all endangered creatures were only found outside the US.  When he discovered that we had endangered mammals, birds, frogs, etc in the United States, he was sad.  I told him to keep hope.  When I was his age, there were only 22 California Condors left in the wild.  But today, after conservation efforts, there are over 425 Condors alive.

Just then, wild horses caught Landon's attention!  "What are those doing here?"  I told him that they were the last of the wild horses in the West. He responded, "Like from the time of cowboys?"  Yes. Now while I knew that these horses weren't good for the natural habitat of the Salt River, I kept it to myself.  It's good to let kids dream.  For now, it was a magical moment. 

Then Landon asked me what we could do to help out the Rusty Blackbird.  As I was about to respond, I noticed Landon walking along the rocks not paying attention.  As he was about to put his foot down, I yelled, "WATCH OUT!! YOU'RE ABOUT TO STEP ON A RATTLESNAKE!"

  Landon screamed.  And I screamed with him. Rule 3. Don't step on snakes. He was about to throw rocks at the snake.  When I stopped him from doing so, he asked me why we shouldn't kill the snake.  I told him that while I'm not a big fan of snakes, they serve a very important role in nature.  "But you screamed too?" And I may have messed my pants a little. My response was quick.  "In the desert, we have to watch where we step at all times." He smiled, "Wow!  You've got to keep your eyes open all the time.  Cactus, snakes, heat....what else?"  I thought about telling him about giant spiders and cats, but a snake was enough for one day. 

"Landon, you are the future caretaker of this planet.  The Rusty Blackbird migrates through Wisconsin in spring.  You asked me what you can do to help.  I'll tell you.  Today, we are going to record this bird and report her online to help scientists figure out a way to save her species and protect her home."

"So even I can save the Rusty Blackbird?", he asked.  "YES. We ALL can." For 25 minutes, we observed this special bird feed with the other birds along the shores of the river. 

After a wonderful day out, Landon was exhausted from the sun and the desert adventures. Once we returned back to Tucson, we submitted all the necessary data into ebird and AZFO.  Landon told me that he had a fun day out and wanted to go birding some more. YES!  A future birder!

I told him that we would go birding in the morning, but for now it was time to sleep.  Then he saw bats hanging from his ceiling.  However that is another story.  The Sonoran Desert is one of the most spectacular places on this planet. 

  Landon will have lots of stories to share when he heads back to Wisconsin:)  Until next time....

When Tomorrow Comes

First off, I'd like to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season!  For my US readers, I hope you all had a peaceful and delicious Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends. 

Gordon searches the skies for birds in the cold morning temps

On our last survey for the year, the Mexico team returned back to Rancho Aribabi in the state of Sonora to replace batteries and cards on the wildlife cams.  We continue to monitor this area for the elusive jaguars.  We know they are there, but jaguars are notorious for their invisibility powers:)  

Rural Skipper

Our trek for this visit was very much needed as the highway commission was thinking about placing a road through this important conservation area.  It had many people worried, but thankfully, everyone involved saw how important this riparian habitat was. Protecting an area from development is A LOT of work and it's something the ranch owner has to deal with every day.  

The Highway Commission visits

Our group had members studying plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and bugs.  We haven't really had any specialist in the fish area, but hopefully someone will join our team down the road.  Needless to say, this area is a rich biodiverse  corridor. 

During the course of 3 days, we surveyed every nook and cranny around the Cocospera River.  It's one of the few riparian corridors within the Sonoran desert and an important area for migrating birds, endemic amphibians and of course, mammals like the Coati, Jaguar, etc. 

The group is a fantastic bunch of experts brought together by our leader Kathy Cooper.  She feeds the crew with her wonderful cooking.  And while everyone does quite a bit of hiking, we still seem to add several pounds after each trip:)

Greater Roadrunner

The birders, Gordon and myself, surveyed the area for our feathered friends.  Of course, we kept our eyes open for other critters. Our current bird species count is at 151 birds. There have been two bird species that I have not been able to ID.  Both are night birds and continue to puzzle me. One sounds like an owl and the other sounds very much like a grouse. Ebird records began in 2005 for this area.  Today, there are 17 lists submitted for this relatively new hotspot. I'll continue to monitor this "patch" as we will inevitably return. 

I must always keep my eyes open around this ranch as the critters can be very active.  I've almost been attacked by a momma Javelina. On this trek, an oddly patterned Hooded Skunk popped out in front of us.  

An oddly patterned Hooded Skunk

The nights were extremely cold and froze many of us in our tents. Herpers during the winter months have to pick up rocks and logs to look for snakes and lizards. However, I suspect many snakes went further underground to keep out of the freezing temps. 

Herper specialist Jim Rorabaugh searched near a corral for anything with scales.  I smiled to myself.  Any respectable birder knows better:)  One doesn't go lifting up rocks and rotting wood unless you're up for a sudden heart attack:) But on this rare occasion, we found something softer and "cuter".....

Desert Shrew

This Desert Shrew was a sensation!  Everyone began to document this difficult to find mammal. Afterwards the shrew signed autographs.  We then returned this little cutie back to its secure and hidden spot. 

The desert is full of life.  You just need to know where to look.  The only problem is that there are things that bite back:) Cacti, lizards, and snakes are just a few of the obstacles that a Sonoran birder faces.  But it's so worth it.  Snakes are cool.  I just don't like surprises! 

Karina is another herper and she also likes to pick up spiders.  This is a tarantula looking Huntsmen Spider.  However, it's not a tarantula and completely safe to handle. I'll pass:)

Our leader, Kathy, joins us for a nice hot cup of coffee.  

The next set of pictures are not mine but from the crew during this past weekend.  We all share our data and finds.  At night during dinner, photo cards are loaded into laptops.  Everyone crosses their fingers for a jaguar sighting, but we love seeing the coati, ocelote, bobcat, bear, coyote, fox, deer, javelina and oh so much more!

Lowland Leopard Frog, Photo courtesy of Jim Rorabaugh

There is always lots of interesting data to share.  

Gray Flycatcher, Photo courtesy of Jim Rorabaugh

I'd like to thank Dean Goehring for giving me permission to use his photo below.  There are many Mountain Lions in this area.  Here is a mother with her cub/juvenile.  There is another cub not in the picture.  The work that we do on this ranch is very important and if it wasn't for the dedication of others, I'm not sure where this ranch would be today. Cut down for a highway?  Clear cut for development?  Carlos, the current ranch owner, is a strong believer in conservation.  Without his dedication and love for this land, Aribabi might look a lot different today. 

Mountain Lion photo courtesy of Dean Goehring

For now, I leave you with a video that continues to make me laugh.  It's a skit from Saturday Night Live.  If your dinner conversation turns into chaos, just remember this moment:) Until next time....