Estero El Soldado

Originally I scheduled a trek out to San Pedro Island, but the water was too choppy and the trek was cancelled.  These things are to be expected during hurricane season. So I followed up on Plan B, the mangrove estuary of El Soldado between San Carlos and Guaymas. 

If a birder is looking to get away and enjoy the beach life for a bit, s/he should check out San Pedro Island, the El Soldado Tidelands(or Estero El Soldado), and along the rocky beaches of San Carlos. 

When the island trek was cancelled, I started going over this area with my friend Tami because there were several requirements for our group on this day.  A little bit of swimming, drinking, eating and hiking along the water's edge.  The Estero provided all of those things easily.  

There was a resort nearby that also had gardens.  And birds.  Lots and lots of birds.  There were ocean ones, and coastal ones and garden ones.  And MANGROVE ones!

Genus Callinectes

 It's not often I get to bird a mangrove living in the desert.  And it often shocks me to know that even in the harshest of climates, the miracle of a small mangrove can happen in the craziest of climates. For a moment, I was transported to the tropics.  In fact, San Carlos and Guaymas are truly the beginning ranges of neotropical birding.  It is here we find such wonderful birds like the "mangrove" Yellow Warbler, Mangrove Swallows and Great Kiskadees.  It is exciting. 

Ocean birds won't disappoint either!  While none of these birds were lifers, they were a thrill to see again.  

Royal Tern

One of my favorite groups of the birds, the gulls, were in good numbers.  Terns, Royal and Elegant, were also seen in good numbers along the coast. 

As I laid under these palms while the group went out for a swim, I watched the world pass by me.  I closed my eyes to the cool shade breeze and smiled.  We all agreed that this was a great way to kick start the summer.

Laying on my back, I aimed my camera up into the air and shot pics of birds flying just several feet above me. 

I loved this place so much that next time, we're staying down here in the resort along the estuary.  

A Magnificent Frigatebird hung right over my head in hover mode, defiant against the strong winds. I love these birds.  You could see fleets of these air pirates off in the distance over the rocky coastal crags.

And while this was an excellent birding spot, our group was humbled by an observation between the estuary and ocean.  An adult Brown Pelican defended a recently deceased fledgling/juvenile and tried protecting the body from intruders like beach walkers and vultures. Nature can be very cruel, even from within the artificial boundaries of "paradise".  We like to humanize things when we see such terrible moments in the animal world.  But to watch this adult defend this lifeless body made us a bit somber. 

The thing I love about birding now is that when I see something like this, I have a deeper understanding of the bird world.  Our human side says, "See! These creatures do have emotions!" My scientific side says its instinctual.  Maybe they're both right. There are so many "experts" out there and they all have their professional opinions.  For me, the important part was to gather notes on this observation and learn. 

I heard someone say that they were going to chase that Turkey Vulture away.  Then it was time to explain to that person that nature has to play out.  It's not the Turkey Vulture's fault that the fledgling died.  It has to eat as well.  They are Mother Nature's natural garbage disposals. They play a role as well.  Most of you know this but for those of you who don't, here goes. Why don't Vultures have feathers around their heads?  Well if they eat dead and rotting things, then having feathers would be a bad thing.  They'd pick up diseases and bugs, etc from the carcass.  So no feathers.  Nature is cool!

This summer is going to be an absolute thrill.  Two months of exotic trails on different islands will hopefully yield lots of new and interesting birds. My first trek begins in a few weeks to Trinidad and Tobago.  I need this vacation after this stressful Spring. Much like my Monterey, CA trek a few years ago, I'll be in a private cabin at the Asa Wright Nature Center for a week.  Then I've rented a wonderful apartment in Arima for other area visits.  I can't wait to get out of this heat!

For the Estero El Soldado checklist, click here.  Summer is just beginning and it's time to cross the 1000 bird mark. Can we achieve it this summer?  Stay tuned for more!

The Emerald Green and Sapphire Blue

With such views, people often forget where they are standing.  Is it the Caribbean sea?  Or is it Central America?  There are times when I think I finally understand why warblers migrate to the US during the summer.  Wisconsin, during the summer, is humid and rainy. There's lots of forest area for nesting. No different from Costa Rica or Panama. 

Winter Wren

Almost embarrassing to admit but I hadn't ever seen a Winter Wren before.  So I spent an afternoon on this one species in a dark wet forest. Just to give you a "real" picture of what I was working with here, I've included the actual lighting of this forest. Personally, I think this photo below is much more magical and true to form.  When one speaks of a perfect moment, this is what I envision.  An emerald green background, a calling wren, no one around and a magical birding moment.  Perfection.  

When I finally located a Winter Wren calling, I observed the bird for about an hour absorbing the call and behavior. I watched the bird move from one patch to another. Photography is sometimes about prediction.  I saw a spot that was good for this bird to perch and the gamble paid off. It's naturally mousy, fast and difficult to see!

We hiked through a lot of forest.  Sometimes we had little people on the trails with us. 

And sometimes I was alone with no one around for miles.  I had an entire forest to myself!   Well, and the deer:)

One of the places I monitored nearby home was at a preserve known as Woodland Dunes.  In fact, much of my work was done here while I was home for the last week. It's quite a large area and unfortunately, I did not have the time to cover it all.  

White-throated Sparrow

I did, however, find several rare nesting birds in this area.  There is nothing more beautiful than the song of the White-throated Sparrow.  During my hike for the Winter Wren, I came upon 3 of these sparrows in the forest.  As one sang, his melodic voice carried over other bird song. The song was both haunting and beautiful at the same time.  I write haunting because I also imagine a serial killer coming along the trail to take me out.  And I imagine that it's the last bird song I'll hear.  Of course none of that happened.  If you haven't figured it out yet, I would like you all to know that I have a VERY healthy and active imagination.  The only blood spilled on this day was from the mosquito activity on my legs. 

Osprey

I did some other work at the "Dunes" with director Jim Nickelbine.  One day we took the pontoon out and surveyed nesting Sedge Wrens, Ospreys and Bald Eagles. That was a fun and relaxing way to bird.  Plus the company was wonderful. 

Cindy Lupin and husband were just a few of the characters I kept bumping into while birding.  They were really nice people and her hubby made a delicious apple pie!

 I met up with my owling mentor Bernie and his wife for lunch.  The Lupins brought the pie and invited me to have a piece with them.  That is the beauty of Wisconsin birding right there.  People mix food, socializing and birds together.  That's what birding is all about!  There are some great conversations that come from it all!  I learn so much from everyone on the trails.  

Bernie trained us several years ago about banding owls.  He joked and called me the paparazzi:)  Maybe he wasn't joking....:)  In any case, this guy is the main reason why the Woodland Dunes exists.  Today it's home to hundreds of species and becoming an international destination for birders.  He is retired now but his legacy lives on.  This guy is another major player in the Two Rivers/Manitowoc area for preserving important lands.  With a lot of work and I'm sure stress, he saved the Dunes from becoming a factory wasteland.

During our conversation, I find out that at least 12 or 13 warbler species nest in the Woodland Dunes area. That is amazing considering that some of them should be nesting further north.  But for years, these warblers have relied on the Woodland Dunes as their preferred nesting area.  I also found out that Bernie needs a Hermit Warbler. I invited him down to go chase this warbler and I think it will happen!! It's the least I can do for all the stuff he's taught me. So after lunch, it was back into the woods to try and find another one of those sneaky warblers. 

Mourning Warbler

Sure enough.  There were Mourning Warblers.

Ovenbird

And the loud, yet secretive, Ovenbirds. There were lots of them! They are also considered warblers.  

Pine Warbler

And by the gods, if there weren't Pine Warblers.  Somehow, these warblers flew under my radar!  Now I know.  I dipped on two other warblers, the Canada and Hooded Warblers.  They aren't supposed to nest in the area but they do.  They are not as common, but they are there.  It just means I'll look for them again when I'm home during the summer. 

So many of you are probably thinking, Where is Gordon?  Well, he's coming up.  We spent several months putting this bird expedition together and I have been organizing those photos and blogs into a coherent line of thoughtful writing:)  I was home alone for a week after Gordon left so that I could spend time with the family.  It worked out really well.  Anyhow, there are some funny tales to be told.  A post titled, The Kingsguard, is by far the most memorable experience this year.  Stay tuned.  There's lots more reporting and storytelling to do from the beautiful state of Wisconsin.  Until next time.....

To the Canadians out there, hope you had a wonderful Canada Day! And for the US readers, Happy 4th tomorrow! Be safe and remember to be careful where you shoot those fireworks:) Arizona, let's keep the fires down to a minimum. Like 0 minimum:) We're just about done putting out the ones started in June!

In A Galaxy Far Far Away.......

  Around the sandy dunes along the shores of the Sea of Cortez, we searched for life.  The blinding hot light of the sun bleached the vast and often barren landscape. 

Osprey

But wherever the salty ocean kissed the shores, we were able to find some very special birds. 

Red-breasted Merganser

I have observed most of the birds, like this Red-breasted Merganser above, in the bitterly cold waters of the North. To observe them swimming around a desert oasis was quite simply....amazing!

We walked the endless shores covered in sea shells.  In the distance, we found the elderly dabbling around the water for little treasures.  In the background, Surfbirds formed a large cloud and flocked to another area to find their own little treasures.... for food.

Surfbirds fly in the distance

The tiniest of crabs scurries away from the great giants towering above this almost invisible crustacean.

Alien birds. Alien landscapes.  Nowhere to phone home.  Really!  There wasn't any cell service:)

Reddish Egret

It's a harsh landscape full of drama and danger.

We are intrigued by it all. We wonder how this magnificent wildlife can survive this harsh and sometimes terribly polluted environment.

Hermit Crab

Yet somehow it manages. We are fortunate to experience it all.  

Wilson's Plover

We can look at something and say, "How can anything survive in this?"  When I look at this landscape, I think of places like Tattoine, a desert planet, from the movie Star Wars. The desert that surrounds Rocky Point, Mexico is a barren one to the naked eye. 

Bufflehead and Red-breasted Merganser

But if one takes a closer look, they will find it full of amazing life.  Until next time......

The Mark of Gideon

Orange-crowned Warbler

Captain's log.  Stardate 47634.44.  We have entered an area overpopulated by a humanoid species known as the Californi.  Their population continues to increase at an alarming rate while their planet suffers from an extreme drought.  Almost every square inch of their land has at least one humanoid on it. Our mission?  To aide and assist the feathered species of the planet who "share" this space with these fascinating humanoid characters.

ISN'T THERE ANY ROOM LEFT ON THIS PLANET???  THERE'S NO ROOM TO MOVE!

While on this mission, Captain Weber joined me from the USS Hattie.  Under the principles of the Prime Directive, we dressed like the native peoples of this area so that these humanoids would not notice us.  We put on shorts and colorful "beach" shoes.  The Californi wear little to no clothing in a settlement known as San Diego.  We have found the temps to be extremely hot.  Their planet seems to be under some sort of "global warming".

Osprey

Our mission included several popular "bird" areas known as the Rosecrans National Cemetery, a tidal mudflat near a place called Ocean Beach and the Cabrillo National Monument. 

Rosecrans National Cemetery

At Rosecrans National Cemetery, we surveyed the area.  There were very few people at this burial site because most of them were deceased.  It was a curious sensation to not have people around us. In fact, I personally enjoyed this space the most while we were on this "trek".  It was so quiet and peaceful.  

American Crow

We found a lot of avian life flying around the tombstones.

Black Phoebe

It was cooler at this location and located above the city of San Diego.  Rosecrans National Cemetery is known as a great location to find rare and migrating birds who need to stop for a break during their long journey over the ocean waters.

After we had a nice report from this location, we battled the Cabrillo National Monument.  There were many humanoids of every kind here in this small space.  It was difficult to find anything, but the views were amazing.  I can understand why the Californi would live here.  Unfortunately, the wildlife was not present.

Cabrillo National Monument

It was difficult to navigate around the crowded paths, but we somehow managed avoiding the larger groups of humanoids.

We eventually moved to the mudflats where avian life was reportedly high.  And it was! We were in constant danger as these Californi raced up and down the paths while we tried to count the avian species.  There were several moments that had us at RED ALERT! A transport vehicle almost ran me over while observing a Red Knot.  Others ran in large groups with strange leaders shouting at them. Some of the Californi were angry and complained about how crowded every space was.  We agreed!

A Californian trying out the latest trend

During our mission survey, we discovered a rare anomaly.  Above us, Greater White-fronted Geese flew over our heads.  It was an amazing moment.  This was deemed rare by Admiral Nunn who thought we had made a mistake, but I assured him with my tricorder readings that these were indeed the GWFG.  These kinds of moments are the reasons I became a Captain in Starfleet. The exploration, the unknown......

A rare sighting of 26 Greater White-fronted Geese

And while there were many humanoids in the area, we had our highest count of birds at this tidal mudflat.

San Diego River-tidal mudlflats near Robb Field

Our mission was a success.  We now prepare for a mission that will take us deep into the waters of the Pacific Ocean. 

Until next time.  Live long and prosper friends.