On a road trip to end them all, I sacrificed part of my soul to finish finding the two most difficult birds in our state. It just took an Arizona Big Year contestant, Brian Johnson, to nudge me into chasing the birds:) The Nutting's Flycatcher is probably THE most difficult bird in the state of Arizona. There are only a few of these birds in the state and they look similar to 3 other birds that are all part of the Myiarchus(my-ark-us) genus. And to add to the difficulty level, two of those similar looking species were there in great number along with the Nutting's Flycatcher! Gulls and Terns are EASY compared to these birds!
Roseate Tern
Today's post title, refers to some of the harder birds that people usually put at the bottom of their life bird list to chase because of their distance, visibility and/or difficulty factor. And who wants to drive 4 hours to just HEAR a bird?!
Nesting Red-tailed Hawks
The road into the "Nutting's area" is remote and requires a tough vehicle. So we rented one with high clearance. There was NO cell service. Water packs had to be used. AND it was hot in this forgotten world of emerald green vegetation.
The remote immense jungle off of Planet Ranch Road
The riparian area is beautiful, but it is not for the faint of heart. In fact, not so long ago some birders had to be rescued. Luckily they found a spot where there was cell phone service. While we were there, we didn't have any signal at all so they were very lucky! We had to memorize the Nutting's Flycatcher calls and separate the voice from the Ash-throated and Brown-crested Flycatchers.
Following a wash in this remote riparian area
It wasn't a day of art. It was all about finding these difficult birds. Most of our morning was spent hiking in the heat and shrubbery. Eventually, we found one bird for sure. We may have spied a second but the bird flew off before I could get my binos on it. Nor did it call. Satisfied, we headed back towards the parking area. BUT where was the parking lot??!!!!
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Thankfully my compadre, Brian, had a compass and we were able to find the mound of vegetation that we had to crawl through to return to our vehicle. By that time, I had run out of water and needed some shade. Cold water made me forget the nasty mosquito bites I received all over my legs:)
Western Wood-Pewee
While the Nutting's Flycatcher isn't a popular bird to chase because of its' remote location and difficult ID, it is a bird that many need for their list if they are doing a Big Year(which Brian is doing). ABA listers also need to chase this bird to stay in the competition. While it wasn't a lifer, it was a new state bird for me. These birds are quite common in Mexico. Like the "Western Flycatchers", the Nutting's is a part of a confusing group of birds that look alike or what scientists call "Cryptic Species".
Left side-Brown-crested Flycatcher(top); Dusky-capped Flycatcher(bottom) Right side-Nutting's Flycatcher(top); Ash-throated Flycatcher(bottom).
Most birders cannot just look at the bird and call it. They have to listen to their calls for the ID. The Nutting's, if it screams, "WHEEEP!", is then an easier bird to ID. But if it doesn't do that(and it didn't), it can be a bear:) Anyhow, no more of that business. Again.
Birding, for me, is not a competition. It's an art. The experience behind the bird is as important as the bird itself. My lifer Nutting's will always be in the tropics of Mexico. I'm just thankful I was with Brian during this trek because I wouldn't have done this alone.
Another headache for some....the "Western" Flycatchers Top:Cordilleran Flycatcher Bottom: Pacific-Slope Flycatcher
I went a tad extreme on this day. Driving the distance we did for the Nutting's Flycatcher was one thing, but to do it again during the same day for a Black Rail was crazy. But I was sick of making excuses for this bird. I'm a "rip the band-aid off" kind of person.
Top from Left to Right: Great-crested Flycatcher; Brown-crested Flycatcher Bottom from Left to Right: Ash-throated Flycatcher; Dusky-capped Flycatcher(in Guatemala)
The Black Rail is another bird a lot of people put off chasing only because it's mostly a "heard only" bird. It's easy to hear, but extremely secretive! That's why I'm calling this lifer a two parter. While I heard it only in Arizona, I plan on going to Texas to the Anahuac NWR and the Yellow Rail Birding Festival, LA to get photos.
Night Falls over the ag fields in Yuma
But for now, it was a fascinating stop into a buggy area. In the darkness, we heard two of the birds call. We were bit up during my video recording by hundreds of mosquitoes. This is why my camera is shaky.
KINGBIRDS!!!!
Birding has its challenges. On that day, I was once again almost up for 24 hours! Thankfully Gordon let me crash at his place to get an early start for Lake Havasu. By the time I returned home to Tucson, it was around 2 AM the next day. What an exhausting day!
Corvids!
Some of you may ask, "Then why do it?" I'll be honest. I'm also fascinated by the birders who go on these chases. I'm finding as I work with many different people that the birds mean different things to them. One weekend, they become a number for a fundraising event. On another weekend, it's about staying number 1 in the state of Arizona. During another weekend, I find myself up at midnight working with only owls. Another weekend, I chase a rare warbler. And then there are those who just want to see pretty birds. And for me, it's about many different things. Birds=adventures=science=passion=life's greatest journey.
All my photography work is my own EXCEPT for the photo below:) This Black Rail is a cool bird and one you all need to see a picture of. Maybe one day I'll have one of my own to share with you all. For now, I'll share my audio:)
Black Rail from Wikipedia
"Looks like we made it!" through this post:) To break up the headaches, we were able to see Barry Manilow in concert before he retires! Cell phone pics are pretty great!
We woke up the next day. No tour bus. No guide. Just us. And it felt good. We could go and explore on our own and at our own pace. The 5 days of tours were brutally intense. Now it was time to slow down. Or at least that's what my body was telling me.
We kept it local and returned back to Sumidero Canyon. Once again, we strapped on our water packs and began the hike into the clouds and canyon.
Lesser Roadrunner
One of the target birds that we missed from our treks was the Lesser Roadrunner. Here in Arizona, we have the Greater Roadrunner. We couldn't leave Chiapas without spotting one of the "Lessers". As we walked further up the road, the mist let up some. It was enough to allow us a brief glance at a "hazy-what-looked-like-a-roadrunner on the road" creature. Gordon became excited and said, "That's a roadrunner! I know it is!"
I'm like, "Yeah right Gordon. And monkeys fly out of my butt.":) Note to self. I need a shave badly!"
And me? I was skeptical. I had heard that this bird was real but I didn't believe it. When I saw the bird, I thought, "It can't be. Therefore, it isn't:)" We hurriedly moved forward. The heavy mist took over and the bird disappeared. WHAT IS IT WITH THIS WEATHER AND NEW BIRDS!!!???? There are no such things as Unicorns. And there are no such things as Lesser Roadrunners. Then the cloud lifted and all was revealed.
In true Mexican fashion, it was like witnessing the Virgin of Guadalupe opening her cape with hundreds of roses falling about her. But in our case, this was real! I do believe in Roadrunners! I do believe in Roadrunners! Beep beep!
juvenile Rusty Sparrow
Then we had a visit from a Rusty Sparrow! This made us scratch our heads because it wasn't like the ones we had observed on our trips. Come to find out. This was a juvenile. Awesome!
Gray-crowned Yellowthroat
And the clouds got thicker and thicker making the birding a real challenge!
This Ent almost pulled Gordon under:) But in reality, it's a beautiful Amate Fig tree with a nice looking root system
I never miss home while I'm traveling, but I guess if I did miss something it would have to be the lighting conditions. Everyday is practically a nice day in Arizona. And the birds seem much more cooperative than these neotropical ones.
Streak-backed Oriole
Take for example this Streak-backed Oriole. Why in the world does it only pop out for pics in cloudy conditions? Don't they know we are only there for a short amount of time? Apparently they didn't get the memo:)
This pic above is really great.*cough*cough* Some of my best work. Ever. We finally have the Oriole sitting on a branch in full cloud "lighting" and I know the pictures will not turn out very well. In my mind just like my father does during those trying moments, I begin humming that tune by Colbie Caillat, "All you have to do is try try try....."
As we continued our walk, Plain Chachalacas flew or hopped from branch to branch. The jays were active. And so was the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl calling.
White-throated Magpie Jay
As we ended our trek, I noticed something positive happening near the roadside of Sumidero Canyon.
Along the way, we noticed how many homes were built close to the road of this "protected" area. It was definitely a poor neighborhood. And it got me thinking a random thought. In the US, most people with money want their places along the edges of parks etc. But here in Mexico, it's usually the opposite. Why? Poverty. Cut wood for fuel. Poach animals for food. Raise crops on the areas you just cut down, etc etc. Most of the hill was bare thanks to obvious clear cutting.
It is unclear to me whether this happened before the park was put into a protective status or after, but we did witness something positive. I will end here on this note. As a teacher, I am happy to report that there was a program teaching kids about planting trees. Good for them! And great for the park! Hopefully in 10 years, the hillside will have a new forest instead of grass. If we don't teach our young about protecting our planet now, we will be in very bad shape down the road.
So while I was writing this post, I thought about what people might be asking as they read it. And I think I have it figured out. The question that came to me was....."What is the difference between a Greater and Lesser Roadrunner?" Here's a pic comparing the two species.
Top: Greater Roadrunner Bottom: Lesser Roadrunner
And finally. This month you can find my work in the latest August edition of Watching Backyard Birds. This is from the publishers of Bird Watcher's Digest. It was a fun experience putting everything together. So a big THANK YOU to Dawn Hewitt and team. If you are paperless, you will find that they have a free online preview of this edition to check out.
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