The Wrenegades Awaken

Pic courtesy of Sara Pike

Each year, I tell myself I'm not going to do it again.  And then I do:) Why? I like the crowd.  I like the challenge.  Raising money for Tucson Audubon is a good thing especially when our current US administration is cutting funding back for many of our conservation programs around the US. 

Tim's secret plans

Each one of us is in charge of something on this 24 hour crazy-thon.  We go a full day straight looking for birds in Southern Arizona.  Tim is our excellent organizer and planner.  Every bird hotspot is carefully chosen with a timed response.  This means we have to find as many birds as we can in our window timeframe. Then we are whisked away by our drivers Sara, Matt and Tim.  

Copulating Killdeer

 I am the documentation guy.  I ebird every hotspot conscious or not:)  I keep the lists and photos of our journey for our donors.  After it's all over, we process the data and pics so that the group can send their supporters all the highlights and fun from our treks.  

Long-billed Dowitchers, Least Sandpipers

But I have to admit.  There are some spots I love more than others.  I love Willcox, AZ.  I love that after our search we stop at the Mexican restaurant to grab something to eat.  It's essentially the calm before the storm.  

American Avocet

 I love owling with the crew on Mt. Lemmon.  I don't like birding alone in the dark.  And you'd be surprised by how many random cars we see at night around 3 in the morning.  It's hard to see who is in the car since the windows are all fogged up:)

Scaled Quail

This year our team made some interesting discoveries.  At Cochise Lake, we found 4 Western Grebes.  I haven't seen these birds here before so it was an interesting observation. Also at Cochise Lake, we discovered, for the AZ birding crowd, a cute little Snowy Plover.  

But a big surprise was about to happen during our night out on Mt. Lemmon.  Our team has suspected for a long time that we had been hearing Northern Saw-whet Owls near Summerhaven over the past couple years.  We just never had visual confirmation.  Until now.  

A new bird to my Pima County list! Northern Saw-whet Owl

 Thanks in part from a tip by Brian Nicholas, a Tucson birder and really great guy, we went to an area near his coordinates.  Almost immediately, we heard a high whinny call that was NOT a Northern Pygmy Owl.  We knew we had a different and very rare owl on the mountain.  Any sleepy thoughts I had were quickly erased as I became super alert.  While the group was excited by the discovery, Matt and I grabbed the spotlight and flashed it up to where the call was being made.....and my camera got one shot and that was it. For Matt, it was a lifer.  For me, it was a significant discovery that will now lead me into a new investigation.  Is there a tiny population that breeds up there?  OR are they migrating through the area?  This bird alone made the trek worthwhile.  

But the fun didn't stop.  At dawn, the bird chorus on the mountain is overwhelming.  It began at around 4:30 AM and continued for 30 or 40 minutes.  One call in particular lead us to this hard to photograph warbler, the Virginia's Warbler.  For the first time in 6 years, I was able to get long and satisfying looks at this normally secretive warbler. This is one of my favorite pics from our trek. 

Virginia's Warbler

 As we continued throughout the morning, I began to get more tired.  It was cold and then it wasn't.  In fact, it got nasty hot.  And I hate birding in the heat.  But when doing a birdathon, birders have to keep going. 

Western Wood Pewee

 And we did.  The heat began to get closer to 100 degrees and my body was not having it.  

Hermit Warbler

At one point, I nearly passed out.  I couldn't do it anymore.  We were at the DeAnza trail in Tubac when I lost the energy to bird.  

the Davis Pasture in the Cienagas Grasslands-pic by Matt Griffiths

While Matt, Jennie, Sara, Corey and Tim kept hiking the 90 degree, chigger sensational DeAnza trail, I sat in the park under the ramada and counted birds.  I am, after all, a mere mortal.  I should have taken two days off instead of one but finals have arrived and students need their teacher for support.  

Matt, Jennie, Sara, Corey, Tim and me in the back

By the end of the day, I acquired new information that I can now use for my own research.  The team was exhausted but we did it. And it felt good. Not only did we raise several thousands of dollars, we broke our old record and surpassed our 180 bird species goal in a 24 hour time period with 182 birds.  I really like these people a lot.  

 We cross paths throughout the year but really only bird on these two days together each year as a team.  It's a tradition that I hope we keep going every year.  If you'd like to track that tradition, here are some links to our past searches and how we've grown as a team. 
 2014-Blur  2015-Veni, Vidi,Vici 
 2016-Return of the Wrenegades

And as a side note, I'd be remiss if I forgot to mention how Tim is always attacked by some wild mammal. One year it was a rabid skunk.  And while not wild, this year it was a mother cow.  Good times!  Until next week:)

A Future To Believe In Part 2

I remember looking up into the broken sunlight of the leafy ceiling. Birds flew from one branch to another. Just shadows really. In the grasses, he pointed to a hidden deer skull. Everyone in my 2nd grade class was in awe. 

Botteri's Sparrow-lifer for Bernie

He continued to lead us into the woods pointing out a beautiful Cedar Waxwing and American Robin.  Bernie reminded us to walk quietly.  We did our best. For most of the time. I mean...we were still kids after all:)

The darker Grasshopper Sparrow of the West

Later in life, I joined yet another nature walk with Bernie.  I was now in 7th grade.  We were looking for owls.  Their hidden locations were revealed as we watched them silently sleep on their perches. For many of us, it was our first wild owl we had ever seen!

One of the many deer I saw this summer at the Woodland Dunes

By now, I knew these woods well.  We played along a creek that once ran freely into the Dunes. I hid in the forests with my friends and built secret fortresses.  We also snuck out of our homes before the parents noticed that we hadn't done the chores. No one could find us if they tried.  It was our secret hiding place.

Eventually they cut down our secret forest and covered the creek with dirt and ugly factories. Angered adults and kids watched helplessly as the chainsaws shredded the trees to the ground. Today, those same factories that destroyed our natural playland sit empty because the work has since gone elsewhere. They had also tried to cut down the Woodland Dunes many years ago, but a few stood firm and protected this sacred area. Bernie lead the grassroot efforts to keep it free from "progress".  Many locals didn't get it. land=work=$$.  Oh if they could have seen their futures.  Today, nothing is left of the city I once knew.  The city continues to shrink and locals struggle to find work.  It is a shadow of what it used to be.  But the one thing that still attracts people from all over?  Our beautiful coastline and forests. And I gotta say.  The birding in Manitowoc County is pretty awesome.

Horned Lark

Later on in life, I returned back to the Dunes as a birder and an adult. Now I could truly understand the scope of what Bernie had set out to do. He was still there banding owls and educating us, the public. But it wouldn't be for long. Now, he was training others to do what he had done for decades.  It only took me a couple decades to catch up with Bernie and understand why the Woodland Dunes had been so important.  A few people knew early on, like Bernie, that the Woodland Dunes was an important wildlife area that needed to be protected for migrating birds, nesting songbirds, etc.  I have very few regrets in life, but there are times as a kid when I wish I would have spent more time and attention to the people and the important work they were doing. 

He was still the kind person I remembered as a kid. I watched him handle the owls with ease as he taught others the proper way to band them. 

After listening to his stories about banding birds, I realized that there is still so much I don't know. He even banded the trickier ones like Chimney Swifts! 

Bernie's Hermit Warbler

And now it was my turn to help this wonderful man out.  It was an honor and privilege to aide him in the discovery of our birds here in Southern Arizona.  We found Bernie's last warbler for the US and North America. Afterwards, we headed to the grasslands where we were able to watch a herd of pronghorns casually stroll through the verdant hills.

He gave me his "needs" list and I smiled.  While I love birding in the mountains, my favorite habitat to bird is in the grasslands.  And he needed quite a few of the grassland birds!  We had beautiful views of his lifer Botteri's and Cassin's Sparrows.  He discovered Cassin's and Thick-billed Kingbirds. And of course, the Hermit Warbler. 5 lifebirds!

Time is precious.  And although I only had a day to bird with Bernie and his son Jeff, I was so happy to do so.  It's the least I could do for a man who has done so much for us.  Thank you Bernie for your life long work.  Thank you for keeping areas like the Woodland Dunes safe from development. I don't recognize much of my city anymore, but I do remember my childhood playgrounds because they were protected and made safe by people like you.  When I enter the Dunes or Point Beach State Forest, I am neither child nor adult. I exist in a timeless space where it all comes together as one. I am surrounded by happy thoughts of my past.  I am reminded of my present. And I see future generations of kids exploring these places like I did when I was a kid.  Your life long work continues to inspire us and will continue for as long as people treasure these beautiful spaces.  Thank you for all that you do!

Not my photo but from the Woodland Dunes website.  I remember these days in the 70's and early 80's.  A sunny day with wet snow and yet still cold enough to wear gloves.  Bernie educates us about the nature.

Until next time.......

Sassy Pants

In the words of my Grandma's husband Bob, "Sassy pants!" Oh the joys of birding!  After our warbler work on Mt. Lemmon, we put together a report for our fellow birders on the listserv.  It's a place where birders can go to find out which rare or difficult birds are being seen around the state of Arizona.  During the work, we found a Spotted Owl up on Mt. Lemmon.  It's not the first time I've seen them there, but I don't report detailed info on any official site and keep the location "undisclosed". I ask my birder friends to do this if I'm with them while we're out in the field. Our specific reports are hidden from the public view. Here is a response we received from one of the birders responding to the listserv report. I shall name her "Sassy Pants". 

"If you have birds where your location is "undisclosed", why bother reporting it to the listserv?  Frankly, I think it's rude and bragging that you report birds that other people can't chase.  So the next time we have a rare bird in our gated community I'll make sure to report it to the listserv as a "private residence".   Both of us were shocked by Sassy Pants.  This owl is threatened and as a policy, we do not give exact GPS coordinates on federally protected species! 

There's a reason why we keep an owl's location a secret.  There is a LOT of background info here that I have obtained from over the years of owl surveys, etc.  So to be short here, many people cross the lines with these birds.  Take for example, this Northern Saw-whet Owl below.  I was invited to join this banding crew in my hometown while back in Wisconsin.  But I was not allowed into the area where the owls were collected for banding.  Reason?  A past "volunteer" was secretly poaching the area and selling these birds in the illegal pet trade!  Eventually, this individual was caught and taken into custody.

"What is going on???"

This Barn Owl, below, in Tucson several years ago had an idiot photographer cut down the branches to "clear the vegetation" away for a photo. The owl never returned back to that spot.  This year, people had posted Barn Owl photos up in the Phoenix area and birders found gun casings along with two of the fledglings dead. Another photography group in Phoenix bated young Burrowing owls onto a piece of a cholla skeleton with mealy worms. ILLEGAL!!  And there are more stories like this all over the country.

So to "Sassy Pants", there are reasons we do not give exact gps coordinates for owls and why our reports are hidden. You should be happy that we mention in the report that these owls can be found in the general area. PLUS, if you're a birder, you're going to know that they are in the area.  You don't even need us to tell you where one can find an owl.  That's lazy Sassy!

In a message back, one might write this to you.....
"Dear Sassy, 
 If you want to "chase" a Spotted Owl, there are plenty of well known locations in Arizona to do so. It's incredibly "rude" of YOU to chastise someone for not reporting the specific location of a federally listed species, and you're the one "bragging" about keeping everyone out of your fancy private gate community.
There are thousands of members on the AZNM Listserv and probably fewer than 100 who actually post bird reports on it.  Think about what you wrote--you're very upset towards someone you don't even know, who bothered to go out of their way to give YOU information about birds.  If you are actively trying to discourage people like us, who actually do post bird reports, to stop doing so, you're doing a great job.  Keep up the good work and pretty soon you will have no one posting on the Listserv."  But that is a bit too sassy for me.  However, I will remember this person's name and if she needs help, I'll be busy. Such vulgar behavior.  

As you can see, the birding world can be a fickle one.  There are beautiful people.  Crazy people.  People who actually look like the birds. Funny people.  Mean people. And people who don't even look like birders.  We are a diverse group!  I am the gypsy birder. I go where my heart takes me. But once and awhile, I'm reminded that there are those who would try to suck the beauty and art of birding dry.  So my advice to these meanies!  Be nice! And understand that we are protecting the wildlife that we all love and treasure dearly. 

Owling Around

Northern Saw-whet Owls

On my trip to Wisconsin, I had hoped to find the Northern Saw-whet Owls that were migrating through our area.  Several weeks in advance, I called a local birder by the name of Bernie.  He's a really nice guy with lots of great stories.  Two years ago I reported on Woodland Dunes from my hometown and it's a fantastic place to bird! And the walks are incredible as well!!! But I wanted to see something I had never seen before....the banding process behind Owls.  I knew it was done with little birds and hummingbirds, etc, but with owls!!!???  So I set something up with Bernie so that I could watch.  They were getting ready for their big Owlfest that weekend.   But we were heading home before that time.  So I'd like to say to Bernie, "THANK YOU!" for that opportunity.  It was fun hanging out with other owl aficionados and the evening was incredible.

So how is it done?  Well I arrived at the specified time and place given to me and reported to the crew.  The areas studied are off limits to outsiders which included myself.  Three NSWO's were ready to be banded when I got there and I watched as the crew began to ID the birds.

I'm a huge owl fan and have to say that this was really interesting.  The crew measured the wingspan to determine age, etc.  There was a chart that determined the sex etc of the owl based on the measurement, etc

This little guy went upside down into a cup and was placed on a scale to measure.  When that was finished, the banding began.

After that process happened, the owl is ready for release.  This little one is held this way so that the wings are kept in place.  The feet go between the fingers with the hand closing around the feet to keep the owl in place.

Our next owl went through the same process.  I watched as they marked the wing feathers on this bird.

And then this Northern Saw-whet Owl goes through the same process.

This is a great example on how the owls are held when they are ready for release.  Being a wildlife lover, I sometimes have a difficult time with the idea of banding, but I understand the importance of studies and migration, etc. For me, handling owls is a sacred thing.  The owls are held captive for that time period and there is a lot of trust that goes into this banding process. Bernie's crew did an amazing job going through the steps together. During this entire banding process a lot of education went on between the members and it was wonderful.  Then it was my turn to help release. 

Here is a team learning how to band owls.  They are in training and obviously a lot practice and observation goes into something like this before a person can begin to band.  And then I was able to release the last owl. I can't describe to you all the excitement I had taking the little one back out to freedom.  As I set him on the ground,  we looked at each other for a moment and then......flutter flutter!  The owl disappeared.  It was the most thrilling evening ever.  A northwestern wind blew in that night and carried many more owls into the Two Rivers area.  I heard many of them in the night skies.  Evening birding is truly exciting.  And a little banding to boot!

A special thank you goes out to the dedicated members of Woodland Dunes who shared with me that special night.   If I lived back home, I would be there to volunteer all the time.  The Dunes are some of the last intact tracts of land around my hometown.  They are home to many many species.  Bernie, I love you!  I can't tell you how much I appreciated the opportunity.  If you come down to Southern Arizona again, I would be honored to take you guys out birding.  I'm linking up to Wild Bird Wednesdays!