Discover Gila County!

Parker Creek in the Sierra Ancha Mountains

Exploration.  Study. And new Arizonan ground to cover.  This weekend, I attended an AZFO conference in a very unexplored area of Arizona.....Gila County! 

Brown Trout are found in a stream fed pool

Mountains, like the Pinals(specifically Pinal Peak), had some of the best birding.  Here we were able to observe Band-tailed Pigeons(difficult to get pictures of!), Cassin's Finches, a Lewis's Woodpecker, Sage Thrasher, and a strange covey of Gambel's Quail!

The camera shy Band-tailed Pigeon finally poses on Pinal Peak

While attending the conference in Miami, Arizona, birders from around the state and country had the opportunity to meet each other.  Lectures included Gray Hawk diet and expansion, the differences between the fairly new Sagebrush and Bell's Sparrow split, the Desert Purple Martin, global warming and warbler migration, etc.

White-tailed Deer watch us through the branches as Gordon and I search for elusive birds

While I didn't find any new birds for the year (or life birds), I did gain A LOT of information about the birds found around the state of Arizona.  Our visits marked new areas for ebirders in the state.  Bird populations around Gila County are relatively unknown.  While ornithologists know what birds can be found in the area, there isn't much birding data entered for this Arizona county.  So we explored the rough roads and along the way we discovered wonderful flora and fauna.

Jones Water Campground

On this trek, I went with my birding bud and friend Gordon Karre.  I really appreciate the times we get to bird together as they are few and far between.  Each birder has a mission.  Our mission this weekend wasn't necessarily finding new birds but exploring new and unknown areas.

Empress Leila butterfly

The conference was rather large this year which suggests that this birding addiction is catching on.  There were birders of all ages and that was encouraging!

Ground Beetle-Pasimachus  A special thank you to Doug Taron for helping me ID my bugs better

The participants also came from a wide variety of backgrounds ranging from photographers and artists to professors and wildlife specialists.  So on our outings, we had lots of knowledgeable people who knew their plants, bugs, lizards, birds and what to do when a sick bird was found like this Great Horned Owl below.  

The team came together and secured the owl for transportation. 

If you live around the Phoenix area and find an injured bird or animal, contact Liberty Wildlife at 480-998-5550.  

Check out the talons on this GHOW!

I'm hoping this bird makes a full recovery.  So send out your positive thoughts and well wishes for this poor owl.

Photography was "meh" when it came to the birds this weekend:)  I put together this collage highlighting several of our interesting finds.  From top to bottom and left to right.  
Band-tailed Pigeon, playful Common Ravens
Red-naped Sapsucker, Brewer's Blackbird, Brown Creeper
Turkey Vulture, male Cassin's Finch 

Alligator Lizard

I'll be back on the road again next week searching for new North American year and life birds.  Birding is a science.  It's an art.  It requires quite a bit of dedication.  It can be social. But most of all, birding for me is something quite special. I never take any of my treks for granted. Every moment matters. Many of our common birds face an uphill battle in the years to come.  Extinction will continue as our carbon emissions rise and the world's human population explodes across the globe.  Humans are using up water resources and spreading over land that is utilized by our planet's wildlife. Compound that with poisons used in agricultural fields and traffic deaths for low flying birds/crossing mammals and it doesn't paint a pretty picture. Many of these critters are getting "squeezed" out of their habitats by us.

The artist Narca Moore-Craig gets up close and personal with her amazing discovery of the Alligator Lizard

My mission will be to continue my studies with organizations like Audubon, Ebird and AZFO(Arizona Field Ornithologists).  We live in a very complicated world.  With opportunities like the ones presented this past weekend, we can help explore these "new" wild areas and contribute our knowledge for the better protection and conservation of these areas.

Gila Country offers wonderful vistas and lots of great Arizona wildlife viewing!

 For more about birds from around the world, check out Wild Bird Wednesday. 

An agave stalk

Below is an overview of the Workman Creek Falls in the Sierra Ancha mountains.   Our trek into Gila County was fantastic!