My First Real Bird Observation

Before I get started with today's write, I want to apologize.  Blogging has become difficult with everything going on here in Southern Arizona.  I have been extremely busy with work and along with cooler temps, I have been out in the field more working and doing photography shoots. I'm back today again and look forward to catching up with everyone.  I have some amazing stuff coming up.  On one shoot, I actually killed my battery for the first time in camera history.  Thankfully I now have a spare camera:) Now for today's write.

My first real bird outing began back in June of 1997.  I write this post because a funny thing happened.  I've begun to document the work from my world travel.  And for the first time EBIRD questioned my data.  This is okay.  Thankfully, I know I am not losing my mind because I have photography from my college days(before I could afford a great camera) that support my memories. I loved photography as much as I do today. Today I'll take you into my first trek as a birder.  And surprisingly, I hadn't a clue that this day would be the first of my birding documentation.  It also made me smile because another birder by the name of Phoebe Snetsinger was still out there birding.  And in some strange way it made me smile.  Perhaps we crossed paths at one point during my crazy travels.  She was one serious birder while the other(me) blindly went partying with the people absorbing language data:)

My friend Kathie taught me about using EBIRD.  And it's a GREAT idea!!!  But she also warned me that I may get emails from bird doctors and specialists studying data.  I understood that and have no problem whatsoever clarifying my work and observations.

Mostly all of it has photo documentation to go with it.  I feel that if I don't see the bird or animal, it doesn't count as a sighting.  And if I don't get it on camera, it does not count as a real sighting.  Recently, I submitted a special day in Costa Rica back in '97 dedicated to my mother who loves all things parrots.  I combed the beach for the last remaining flocks of Scarlet Macaws at Corcovado National Park. We raised Macaws from eggs at my house.  My mother is a crazy parrot lady and many times our house in Wisconsin would sound like the Amazon rain forest.  I am not one for birds in cages and wanted dearly to see these amazing birds in their natural habitat.  So I researched and found the last remaining areas where they roamed freely.  And in the summer of '97 I left for Costa Rica in search of the Scarlet Macaws.

This is the 2nd flock with 26 macaws. You need to blow this pic up to see the specks:)

We arrived at the park via a truck early in the morning with our only food in a backpack and mosquito net.  We fought mosquitoes, boa constrictors, and caiman.  It was like the Lost World of Jurassic Park.  And my 3 friends and I walked alone along the coast of the Pacific Ocean.  One day I left them behind to observe Scarlet Macaws.  It would become my first serious documentation of birds and I needed pics to show my mother. I studied their flight patterns and eating habits.  I spoke with locals(thank you Spanish!) and figured out where they'd be hanging out.

First flock of 21.  There were more but the camera only caught part of the flock.

And I waited.  Loud squawking could be heard nearing my position. And it was exciting.  I'd see them....these magical birds.  3 flocks during my morning observation would pass over my head.  I'd track them to the trees and write down their behaviors etc to send a letter back home to my family.  In all I had counted near 80 of them and it was incredible. They were like scarlet clouds along the tropical edges of the forest.

The 3rd flock leaving.  

Back to EBIRD.  A question came back to me.  This number seems incredibly high.  I was saddened by the possibility that perhaps these birds do not number as they once did.

So I pulled out the old dusty photo album and counted the black specks in the air and confirmed that my numbers were accurate.  I was disappointed at the time because I wasn't able to get the shots that I do now, but somehow last night I was happy to be able to see the dark specs in the sky.

Since my journeys to Costa Rica, I have also spotted them in the Amazon Rain Forest during a breakfast with several curious monkeys:), and heard them on the isolated island of Coiba near Panama.  But since I am taking this birding thing seriously now, I can officially tell that for me, my documentation began during the summer of 1997 in Costa Rica.  While it was specific to only the Scarlet Macaw, it still counts as a valid bird outing.

 More tomorrow....

My "Spark" Bird

I had recently read the book about Phoebe Snetsinger's addiction to birding called Lifelist.  It was an interesting read full of new vocab.  So I wrote down the new words that birders use out in the field.  I found it a fascinating read.  While it wasn't complex or full of deep revelations, it did make me think about my own beginnings.  And the word "Spark bird" was used.  I think I thought about this for 2 weeks.  What was my "spark bird"?  How did this crazy addicting photography challenge happen?  Instead of visiting every Spanish speaking country, which is still my goal, I found myself targeting places that have interesting birds and critters to capture on camera.  

RIP Phoebe Snetsinger

A very funny man by the name of Ivan in Panama told me that I was a birder whether I admitted it or not. And that I was going to become one whether I liked it or not.  I thought he was crazy.  A birder?  NO WAY! Those people were weird and have addictive personalities. Detective work. ID'ing. Research. All things I love to do. Um....yeah:)

Ivan in the blue shirt at his B & B in Gamboa and me the giant with  the Spanish crew.

This past year I have stayed close to home because there is much work to do at El Presidio PLUS I had a limited budget etc.  And that was okay because I realized I had a lot of work to do here in Arizona before attempting to take it elsewhere. 

In a lot of the photography, you may notice that I like birds in motion.  Whether it be a Kingbird going after a bug, a Vermilion Flycatcher with a dragonfly in its beak, a gull dipping into the water, etc.  Those are the shots I'm working on everytime I go out into the field. I just don't want to be that birder who crosses that line to get a shot of a tiger only to find himself taking pics of his final moments. 

Lance-Tailed Manakin- My "Spark B ird"

After much thought about my "Spark bird", I realized it wasn't a Scarlet Macaw or a Crimson-backed Tanager......it was the Lance Tailed Manakin on Coiba Island.   I remember sweating to get those shots of this blue gem on the branches.  There were several flying around me and I thought, these are the most beautiful birds I've ever seen in my life.  And I love owls!  But they are in a different category....beyond birds:)  I'd call them Gods.  I also wondered if "Mourning Doves" were a spark bird for several birders.  I'd love to meet them:) But the simple truth is that all birds are cool.  It just took this bird to get me hooked.

Sandwich Terns-I'm not sure I'd like to eat them

And then, it would roller coaster into everything else.....a better camera, crazy adventures, finding plants that would attract the birds to the gardens here, meeting awesome people, setting up bird feeders.....and oh yeah....that life list:)  The latest craze for me has been my work on flycatchers and seabirds.....like Terns!  Who calls a bird the "Sandwich Tern?"    Putting a sacred thing like sandwich with a bird is just wrong. 

As I review my work, I realize how much stronger my observation skills have gotten but thanks to EBIRD and Kathie, I realize I have to do a better job on counting and bringing that notebook along during my treks.  I had been going through my photo albums to help me ID the birds and I realized that I had seen so many birds that I didn't document.  Thanks to EBIRD I've spent many hours recording info.  In fact, I spent 2 hours on one bird outing to get the details right!  But going back on the albums revealed something more........I could ID the birds easily.  And the ones I couldn't ID then are now possible!  If it hadn't been for that "Spark bird" on Coiba island, I wonder if I'd even have a thistle seed feeder now in our gardens here at El Presidio:)  What's your "Spark bird?" And if you're not a birder, do you have a "Spark Plant", "Mammal"?  I know this blog focuses a lot on the critters but I truly do love plants:)  And I'll be updating soon.  I've been working on lots of things.....and updates will be coming:)

Kiskadee

Spark Bird=The bird species that initially stimulates an interest in more serious bird watching or birding. Spark birds vary for every birder and might include a unique or rare bird sighting, a favorite and familiar bird species or a bird seen when introduced to the hobby by an experienced birder. For many birders, spark birds are unknown species that lead to a curiosity about identification, and after successfully identified, the beginning birder is curious to learn more about both familiar and unfamiliar species as they discover the diversity of birds.