Las Aventuras: Bookends

One of my favorite moments from this year in the grasslands as Pronghorn come to get a sip

As a person who has blogged for about 8 years, I have seen myself transform into many things.  Over the years so much has happened.  There has been so much change. I began as an amateur gardener and photographer.  I am none of those things anymore. I miss that carefree me, but I love that I am more certain of the work I do now. With certainty comes calculation and focused study. 

a very cold Red Fox in Maine

As I have begun branching out into the world birding arena, I have experienced frustration, joy, excitement, fear and anxiety.  This was the year I'd learn to leave my comfort zone, challenge my fears and face the changes that are happening around this world. 

watching youth get excited about birds in the Caroni Wetlands of Trinidad was a hopeful moment

For me, Trinidad was a wonderful exploration into a world of beauty and the unknown. This was a culture I was unfamiliar with and it was out of my comfort zone. Just when I thought I was free of all the child learned fears I had been taught; I discovered they were still there inside.  And when unleashed, I found myself out-of-control in the middle of a rain forest panicking.  It turns out that I was my own worst enemy.  Everything had been fine really, but I had unwittingly caused my own torture.  Afterwards I was embarrassed by my outburst. Thankfully, a kind man told me to take a deep breath and that it would be ok. While people spoke English on the island, I didn't speak their English and it took time to understand. I've traveled and lived all over the world and this was a first for me. 

the guide means well but this capuchin was not having it.  He was throwing branches at us to let us know to stay away. This wasn't the first encounter I've had with this species.  Once I had a mango thrown at my head on Coiba Island!

But not all things were a fiction of my mind. Over the years, my experience anywhere has told me to be cautious. I experienced a drive-by-shooting and heard daily stories of people having their throats slit at random which included my host's cousin while I was there. To make things worse, I was near a church where the daily funerals happened.  Was this really what it was like for a Trinidadian every day? Like everyone else, I learned to lock myself indoors at night and tread lightly during the day alone with my hidden camera gear. A dog barking at night scared me but a dog on the property made me feel safer. With 3 dead bolts on my door, I knew not to answer my door after sunset. Most of all, I learned what frustrated locals were suffering at home on a daily basis. Crime, like drug trafficking, happened anytime and everywhere. It was exhausting to be vigilant at all moments.  Thankfully, Asa Wright brought me comfort while I was there.  I could bird freely without worries. But outside of the property lines, it was a whole different world.  

My amazing room at the Asa Wright Center.  I loved it!

The Asa Wright Center was magical and safe. Locals and tourists joined together here and had dinners. It is a very special place. I met some incredible people who made my experience on the island amazing. And I am thankful for their friendships. 

The Scarlet Ibis were one of the many Trinidadian Highlights

Even after everything I have written, Trinidad was one of my favorite trips this year.  It was here that I learned how to cook again in the kitchen.  It had always been there, but I had gotten lazy in the US. Being on a budget forced me to cook and it brought me joy. 

Fresh produce markets inspire and I become inspired back home and find my own way of getting fresh produce.

When I rented my apartment outside of the Asa Wright Center, I went shopping daily for fresh vegetables. Now because of Trinidad, I eat fresh food every week and am naturally losing weight because of a healthier diet. 

The amazing Oilbirds of Asa Wright!

After a near month in Trinidad, Micheal and I headed over to Maui for a relaxing vacation. And while Hawaii was also magical, I came face-to-face with humanity's need to destroy and replace. It was incredibly beautiful and sad at the same time.  I felt hopelessness on a couple of these islands as the endemic birds face the uphill battle of global warming and mosquito infection/malaria.  So when I found my endemic lifers, I didn't feel joy. I felt this huge empty sadness and anger.  

the 'Apapane is one good looking Hawaiian endemic!

Leaving my Tucson world of birds was a good thing. Developing global views of the birding world outside my comfort zone gives me a deeper understanding of this planet. Every step I make outside of my comfort zone brings me one step closer to enlightenment. For all the good that this world does, it's also outweighed by more habitat destruction and population growth.  And that weighs heavily on me. That carefree birder I knew only a few years back is gone.  I'm not quite jaded yet but I am not as naive as I once was. 

a security detail goes ahead of me as we count birds like Red Warblers in this private sector of Malinche

On a special trek, I had a security detail come with me to bird an off limits area of the Malinche volcano in Puebla. It was such an honor to be able to bird this area and also add invaluable ebird information to this private forested sector of the volcano.  A special thank you to my host sister for arranging this incredible day of "work". 

I do research in the local gardens around Tlaxcala and find a migrating Nashville Warbler

The drug wars are on the rise again.  The issues in Venezuela, Mexico, Trinidad and other areas are real. The US is the major reason for this bloody war south of our border.  Travel in these areas can be tricky.  I really wanted to see an amazing sparrow found outside of Mexico City.  The bird is endangered and found in a very sketchy area. For the first time since becoming a birder, I hired a guide to help me access this area safely.  We were right on the border of a drug route and it required the "safety in numbers" rule. It was an amazing day out but it made me upset.  This isn't the Mexico I grew up to love. Tlaxcala, one of the safest states in the country, has now experienced some crime.  My friend and sister told me that Tlaxcala used to be safe.  I remembered those times fondly.  At a dinner, she warned me to be careful with my equipment.  "Guero, things are not the same.  People are now getting robbed in daylight. Be careful." But while I was there, I was the giant with all smiles because I genuinely feel my happiest there. If there were no borders, I'd own a home in this beautiful little village.  I love the people.  I love the culture.  And I feel at home. I could take people on bird walks here and they'd have fun.  For the most part, it's really a safe state to explore!

Happy and fresh produce with Delfina!  She makes my favorite cream of pea soup!

However, when someone says to me that bird watching is fun, I get a little irritated. Yes it can be fun, but it's called birding and it requires a lot of strategic savvy.  And quite a bit of it is NOT easy. I've spent hours upon hours researching all these places organizing the work.  

We discover the southern most range of Evening Grosbeaks in central Mexico and it blows my mind away!

And if there is one connection to everything else about this blog post, it's that Tucson has witnessed a rise in crime. It's not just happening everywhere else. It's also happening in our backyards! My neighborhood has seen an uptick in homeless people and theft. Why?  Drugs, like meth, are out-of-control. It has forced my hand to upgrade security measures on our place in midtown Tucson.  So I budgeted in $$ for a better car and a new secured patio which then cut into this year's birding budget.  All of it is good. But one has to go with the ebb and flow of things.  There are no short cuts in this life. Safety and security are important things.  From plenty of past experience with our crazy criminal neighbor and theft in the neighborhood, I can tell you that the police are not reliable in this city.  So we have to fend for ourselves most of the time.

Black-legged Kittiwake in Glendale, AZ!!!  Worthy of a state chase!

Stepping aside from the human condition, I'll now show you some of the rewards and highlights from these incredible treks and why I would go lengths to see these birds. I began my year with my lifer Black-legged Kittiwake in Maine with friend Kathie Brown. It was cold outside and simple.  I knew that it would be the most relaxing and stress free bird outing of the year.  I felt a calm before the storm, even though we were birding from within the historical cyclone bomb of Maine! The blizzard was the most peaceful thing I had felt this year because for one glorious moment, I forgot about the orange clown who is ruining my country, the attacks on public school teachers and the undoing of environmental protections. While I traveled throughout this year, I went on a major teacher strike to save our public schools,did some guiding to make up for the loss of my work paychecks, sold some of my photography and had several articles published in magazines. The birding kept me sane!  We did some amazing fund raising for Tucson Audubon.  And at the end, I added a rare Black-legged Kittiwake to my Arizona state list.  It was a fitting way to end my 2018 birding year. 

Here's the thing.  Birding in Arizona is pretty epic.  If you're a birder looking for a great place to live, I highly recommend this state.  I mean LOOK^^^at these crazy birds!  A little Mexico, east coast and California coastal stuff going on here!  Plus a first record of a Ringed Kingfisher!!  I took some of these pics, like the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Short-eared Owl and Slate-throated Redstart, in other areas because they were difficult to get pics of......the Ferrug, I didn't want to disturb because they are skittish. 

In Arizona, I added 18 new bird species to my state list.  In Pima county, I added 11 new birds. And for my life list, I added 120 new life birds. 

This is just some of them!

This post is dedicated to Barb Padgett and Bernie Brouchoud who passed away this year.  Barb was a supporter of Tucson Audubon and the Magee Marsh.  This year, Kathie and I plan to honor her by visiting her bench in Ohio. Barb was always there for me and donated money to my fundraising events.  Plus she was a fellow Trekkie.  I mean a really really good Star Trek fan!  We shared in lots of discussions. My only wish is to find her a Yellow-headed Blackbird for her memorial.  She never saw one and joked that I made them up. I'm sorry Barb that we never met in person but I am thankful for our fun discussions.

And Bernie was a guy I knew growing up.  He was vital in the creation of Woodland Dunes.  I knew I was on nature's side when I heard a council member, who I knew well, speak of building lots of factories in Bernie's established Woodland Dunes.  I didn't agree with the guy then and kept my mouth shut because I supposedly didn't know anything. I was a stupid kid. Secretly, I hoped Bernie would win and protect this land that I used as my playground.  I knew the forests well around that area. We had forts. We knew where the deer hid. Monarchs and snails and birds loved this little woods. Then one day, my playground forest and her little winding creek were wiped out and buried for "progress". I was stunned by the emptiness.  It was GONE! Bernie's land was next to "mine" and in jeopardy but thankfully Bernie won. And those factories?  Yeah, most of them are empty buildings now because the jobs went elsewhere. We wiped out a creek and a woods for nothing.  But for all the fights, Bernie won against the establishment and today Woodland Dunes is one of our finest landmarks. Thank you Bernie and Barb for your contributions to the important preservation of this planet. 

I'll always cherish this moment.  I helped Bernie get his last North American warbler, the Hermit Warbler  I was able to properly say good-bye to him.  It was a very special day for both dad and his son.  And it meant the world to me. It seems like just yesterday that he was here. Time flies by so quickly. Bernie taught me so many things as a kid AND adult about birds.  I won't forget his lessons. 

What can I say about 2018? The more I experience with the birds; the more I know.  Birds bring people together.  Birds make us see things that are happening around us.  Sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Sometimes I feel like I'm becoming a bird.  I want to be outdoors all the time and not caged up inside a room. In November, I had a hard time piecing together a general outline for birding next year. Today, I am happy to say that I have several projects lined up for 2019 that will take me into the summer.  I had to juggle a tighter budget for this next year which made things a challenge. However, it's going to be an exciting ride!

I'm wishing you all a wonderful new year! I think January will mark a new milestone for this blog as we hit a million views.  Thank you for following and being a part of the weekly adventures! 

My Reflection

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

After our exciting day out looking for the special Mexican rarities, I took a bus out of Mexico City to my village Chiautempan, Tlaxcala. It had been 9 years since the last visit. It had been too long.

Nashville Warbler

At this point in the trek, I had two objectives.  1) See my dear family and 2) add data lacking in ebird to the Tlaxcala area.  It was here that I was back again doing my solo work. This kind of work has the most meaning for me. 

30 years ago and today

Before I was a birder, I was an explorer.  As a child growing up in Wisconsin, I had always felt the strong pull towards Mexico and the Southwest of the US.  Nearly 30 years ago, I began my journey into unknown worlds and met a woman who would change my life forever. I had been lost, not understanding my purpose in life.  When I met her, everything about my world changed. 

Year after year, I would visit this extended family.  I felt spiritually connected to them ever since our first days together.  I was their "güero" and they were my Mexican family.  They asked me what took me so long to return and visit.  And I couldn't answer their questions right away.  I bought a house, got married, began birding and had family obligations in Wisconsin.  There's simply not enough time in this life to do everything.  

But when I was home in Tlaxcala again, I felt at peace and happy.  Writing these things makes me tear up.  I feel emotions when I am here in this sacred place.  Every time I arrive to my small little town, I choose to walk the streets alone to my Mom's house so that I can breathe the air, watch the people and hear the Spanish.

Our first night together

We have all changed getting older, but what hasn't changed is the love that is expressed to one another in this family.  I am lucky to have two wonderful families.  Dreams lead me to this sacred town as a young man looking for his place in this world.  He was so innocent and naive then. 

Rare in Arizona but very common in Mexico, the Rufous-backed Robin

As we get older, life changes. Now I am a birder. There was barely any data in my town from ebird.  So I pieced together data and mapped out areas to bird.  Together we explored these areas as a family.  It was very personal and special. 

Vegetables......

Between meals and coffees, I sought areas that held birds of interest while collecting data for ebird.  My research and exploration paid off and I was able to add good data to the area about several theories I had. 

My lifer, the skulky Blue Mockingbird

Sometimes I went alone for a detailed study.  And for others, I explored with my family.  They discovered that several areas were quite active.  The lagoons of Acuitlapilco were alive with life. 

The once active volcano of Malinche.  The forests are magical and untouched!

Over the several days there, my awesome sister set up a special trek into the forests on the dormant volcano Malinche with a crew of people. I was able to access a restricted part of the volcano and do a bird survey there. There will be a special post on that trek. 

Cattle Egret at sunset

The heart of all things is family.  I love Mexico. Everything happens for a reason. If we listen to our hearts, we'll accomplish anything. It's okay to be afraid of the unknown. Twice now I have been in the deep parts of Mexico over the past 6 months.  And twice now I have been given insight. I was just a young teenager when I first came to Tlaxcala. I was a kid about to graduate from high school. In Cabo, I saw a reflection of my younger self on board a ship. During this trip, I saw my youngest self staring back at me. Perhaps a sign from something greater, I was meant to see my past mirrored right before my very eyes. 

What a special night with everyone

During this very special night, several high schoolers from the Midwest of the US were invited to our pozole dinner.  There was a young man, in the lower left side of the pic below, who was staying with one of the family's relatives for a homestay.  I looked into his lost eyes with that wide innocent smile and saw myself from 30 years ago sitting on that couch. The poor soul didn't understand a word of Spanish and it was at that moment that I had realized that I had come a long way in my journey. Was I really that innocent?  That young? I was so open to learning and like a sponge, I was ready to absorb every bit of life experience.

Happy moments for a very special night

Perhaps, Mexico is, in a sense, my church. This place makes me feel an abundance of emotion. Our trip to Cabo in October had the same affect on me. Even shopping for vegetables makes me happy. I feel LIFE pulse through my body here.  Why?  How is that possible?

Black-headed Grosbeaks are a permanent resident in Central Mexico

And on this trip, I found purpose.  I could make a difference here and give back to Mexico as the country had done for me. I could help educate and protect the birds of this area while teaching the public about wildlife conservation. It was a strong feeling. So much work needs to be done here and I could be that change. It's not something I can do overnight but I saw opportunity. 

White-collared Seedeater(Cinnamon-bellied subspecies)

I can't wait another 9 years to visit.  That was too long.  I feel like I have lived here in another lifetime and living and breathing in this region of Mexico is like slipping into a comfortable pair of shoes. 

Tlaxcala holds a place in my heart.  The birding here held meaning. On our last day, we headed up to the magical Malinche for one last familial trek. If you visit Tlaxcala, here are several reports from several key and excellent birding hotspots. 
For the Jardín Botánico de Tizatlán, click here and here.
For the Laguna de Acuitlapilco, click here.   
For the Tlaxcalan Zoo, click here. 

De Mi Nidito

Luna is a satisfied roommate.  She helps me monitor new birds around our area everyday from the office.  However, she does not like Ebird. Just bird.

 Today I'm writing about backyard birding.  It's the easiest thing a person can do.

In the beginning, we moved into our home.  There wasn't any bird feeder nor garden.  To make matters worse for this nature lover, we moved into midtown Tucson.

I planted the plants.  I created a living "TV" for my cats and watched it all come together.  And so did our cats.
 

After everything settled, I began with one feeder.  That feeder grew into two.  Then a hummingbird feeder.  A thistle feeder.  Then another hummingbird feeder.  A nut feeder.  A suet feeder. And finally an Oriole feeder.  
 

Rufous Hummingbird

But to be honest, I didn't hold out much hope.  My friends who lived in the foothills, near city washes and parks would get all the interesting birds beyond House Finches and House Sparrows.  So when a random Rufous Hummingbird flew to my feeder during monsoon, I was happy.   A year would come.  And a year would go.  More House Finches.  More House Sparrows.

Anna's Hummingbird nesting in our Live Oaks

But then something began to happen.  I noticed Anna's Hummingbirds nesting in our Oak trees.  One of my neighbors reported a strange looking hummingbird in spring hover in front of her.  It had a red throat and sounded like a bell.  Nooooo.  Could it be?  Another year passed. The Anna's stayed this time and never left our property.

Curve-billed Thrasher

Early in the morning and towards the evening, I would occassionally see a Curve-billed Thrasher.

Then they became common at sunrise and sunset feeding around my newly placed suet. 

My side garden continued to grow.  But I had to deal with another situation. 

Feral cats. I had seen Northern Cardinals in my neighborhood, but how could I get them to come to my feeders?  Eliminate feral cats. One still remains.  The other 3 were moved to the humane society.

Female Northern Cardinal

Then a miracle happened.  A red throated hummingbird with a tinkling bell sound floated my way this spring to one of my feeders.  A Broad-tailed hummer!

Broad-billed Hummingbird

On the outskirts of my yard, I could hear the Ladderback Woodpecker in the adjacent mesquite trees. 

Ladderback Woodpecker

My first of the year Black-throated Hummingbird came to my feeder. Things were getting interesting! 

Northern Mockingbird

In the winter a Costa's would come to my feeder but only go to one of the feeders on the north side of the building.  The Anna's controlled the others.

Costa's Hummingbird

Meanwhile my garden grew.  And a young canopy began to form. 

The Verdin uses our tree tops and slides down for a quick drink from the hummingbird feeder. 

Verdin

An Anna's joins in on the fun making me smile.  Have I created a safe haven or oasis for birds?

While common at my feeders, I can't imagine a day without my sparrows or finches. 

House Finch

We add a fountain to the property.  Wildflowers and native flowering plants are placed around this water feature.  The water begins to attract more creatures....lizards, butterflies and other species.

I see a Praying Mantis.  It sits close to the hummingbird feeder......a hummer's nightmare.

And then.....a miracle.  My first Northern Cardinal shows up.  The world stops at my urban home.  It happened!  It really happened!

In the beginning after all the plants were placed into the ground, it looked like this.

And as time went on. Others began to notice.  My cats ran for cover inside the house.  The birds were silent outside replaced with strange calls. My yard gets real.  

Cooper's Hawk

Even the dead tree near our property acts as a lookout for others. It has purpose.

Red-tailed Hawk

Some of it also included me putting out the right food.  This was my first cardinal feeder.  I used sunflowers but didn't like the mess.  I replaced this messy food source with safflower seed. It worked.  I placed dead branches and twigs in piles behind our fence.  The Northern Cardinals started having babies. 

The Gila Woodpecker comes and drinks from the hummingbird feeder. 

But I still wasn't happy.  I wanted the very common Lesser Goldfinches.  The secret?  Thistle.  Today I have many of them in my yard. 

And the Cooper's still randomly visits......

And I wanted warblers.  So I added pineapple chunks and fruit.

On the top of our oak, I heard something rare during fall migration. Turns out this flycatcher was passing through the area.

Ash-throated Flycatcher

And in spring, I hear the unmistakable call of the Yellow warbler outside my door.  I look up and see it. I don't know what to do.  Watch or grab the camera!  So luckily I was able to do both. 

And the Mourning and White-winged Doves continued by the feeders.  I discover the White-winged Doves are the ones who are making a mess of everything.  They are also the bullies of the bird world.

The House Sparrows navigate around the larger birds.

And then it really really happens.  A Green-tailed Towhee stops by at my place for several days.  I know that I have passed Mother Nature's test.  I have officially been granted a desert oasis in the city.  All the hard work has paid off.

Other birds stop by and confirm this.  I find grackles chasing beetles swarming around the dates of our palm tree. 

The Verdins are nesting in our trees. 

Red and Yellow come together in peace. 

And the Rock Pigeons?  Well they stay safely away from our yard.  There is still one feral cat and he has an appetite for these birds.  The Pigeons learned quickly that our garden wasn't a safe place for them.

Now about those White-winged doves.....:)

If you dream it, it will happen.

I thought the world ended when a Nashville Warbler plopped along the ground near our living room window.  It was passing through our yard during migration. 

And it hasn't stopped. This spring has been loaded with so many incredible birds.  

I LOVE spring migration.  It's the first Black-headed Grosbeak sighting on our property.  This all just happened about a week ago!

Patience and planning are all that it takes.  So when I can't bird on the road, I don't mind sipping on my coffee at home from my windows and seeing who will pop in for a visit.  Anything is possible. 
  

Western Tanagers love Mulberry Trees.  It's one of the reasons I placed one on our property back in 2008.  

Cactus Wren