A Goose Chase

The antics of the Rosy-faced Lovebirds at Granada Park

So Magill texts me and the Gordon asking, "Hey are you both up for a White-eyed Vireo search?"  We say, "Yes." Will we find a White-eyed Vireo?  Who knows?  Prescott is an area full of secrets.  Rumor has it that there is a cult bird leader who keeps everything secret from the outside world. There's a special hotline for a special few in his group.  That's fine.  We're birders and we'll find them on our own. I love a good challenge. And it's fun to bird with Magill and Gordon.  Together we all find something rare no matter what. 

So Gordon says to me, "Hey do you want to check out Granada Park before we head up?"  I say, "Yeah.  Sounds like fun."  So I drive up to Phoenix from Tucson.  And I remember quickly that there is a person shooting at cars along the interstate. 

"Oh geez." I say to myself. "What is wrong with this world? Why are there so many stupid morons out there?"  I think about my odds as I drive the sparsely populated interstate during the early morning hours alone.  I safely reach Gordon's place and we take off quickly to survey Granada Park.  Holy cow!  There are lots and lots of Rock Pigeons and Rosy-faced Lovebirds flying around!

I swear these little cuties are taking over the Phoenix Metro area.  We get to Magill's place and see more Lovebirds flying over our heads!  

Then, I get excited spotting a Canada Goose.  There are not many of these birds down in Tucson, but in Phoenix, there are quite a few.  Why?  Phoenix people love their water.  And they have lots and lots of watering holes around the metro area creating perfect Canada goose habitat. 

Canada Geese are cool.  We don't see them often in Tucson

We get on the interstate and once again escape the shooter.  Now we're heading to Prescott.  But I have Catholic guilt.  I'm not Catholic anymore, but the brainwashing still works on me:)  Why?  Well, my bud Cynthia lives up in Prescott.  I was planning on going up there two weekends ago to hang out with her and Mr. Roger.  We were going to do some light birding and have some fun around town BUT a certain someone, ME, flaked!  I am not going to lie.  I have been exhausted lately.  It's the weather and the darned humidity.  And it probably has something to do with a wedding, a crazy neighbor, and work:) Plus I still need Sundays to get the laundry done!  

An early arriving Ring-necked Duck

Anyhow, we weren't going to be in Prescott for long, but I still felt guilty.  So Cynthia, I am going to apologize now to you..... I AM SO SORRY!  

This bee demonstrates pollination at work

We get to Granite Lake Basin and start looking for the White-eyed Vireo.  It starts off hotter than blazes.  But we hear lots of birds around a drainage ditch where this bird is supposedly hanging out. So we check out all the migrating warblers.  While doing so, we end up getting excited about the bugs flying around the area.  

Take for example this hummingbird imposter, the White-lined Sphinx Moth.  This is for my friend Ragged Robin who loves moths.  These bugs are often confused with hummingbirds because of the way they fly and look.  Fascinating critters!

White-lined Sphinx Moth

This is the caterpillar form(below) for that moth above.  I was watching a Robber Fly get close to this caterpillar.  When it "touched" the caterpillar, the caterpillar swung down and knocked it off the branch.   Magill says, "Um, hey can you guys help me over here?:)"  Oh that's right, we're birders. 

A Robber Fly gets smacked off the leaf by a Whitelined Sphinx Caterpillar

So we start moving towards the area where birds are chirping and we find this Metalmark below.  Cool!  

Mormon Metalmark

We spot Wilson's and Townsend's Warblers.....and then a rare Chestnut-sided Warbler(below). I told you we'd spot something rare and not on the list:)  Magill commands me to take pics of the bird to post on the listserv:)  I lock on and get an ID-able photo.  It's cool but not as cool as a White-eyed Vireo.  Where is that bird??!!!  We inspect every plant around the area and just keep turning up Dark-eyed Juncos, Chipping and Rufous-crowned Sparrows and of course, more of the expected warblers. 

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Eventually, we give up and go for lunch.  By this time, the area has cooled down with thunder boomers growing above our heads.  We decide to head to Willow and Watson Lakes.  The shorebird activity is wonderful and we count the birds.  We notice another early bird for this area, the Greater White-fronted Goose making our day really....a goose chase:) 

An early arriving Greater White-fronted Goose sans the white front

As for the shooter?  Well it appears they've caught several of them.  But there are still a couple other incidents that need some explaining. Why do people do this kind of stuff?  It's bad having one person do it, but to have "copycats" just makes it worse.  Ahhh humanity. Anyhow, I'll stick to nature. It's a lot safer:)  Until next time.....

Tucson To Phoenix

 They say the road between Tucson and Phoenix is one of the worst. People say there is no greater hell than driving north into this hot inferno of evil. They say the devil lives here and acts as our Governor!!!  Can you believe the stuff people say?  Well not all of it.  The part about the highway between Tucson and Phoenix is true:)  Or is it?  Judge for yourselves at the pics today from our Interstate 10 and make up your own minds.......

Picacho Peak.  Careful driving through this corridor.  Sometimes accidents happen here and will stop traffic for hours.  And there are cops with radar guns.  Be aware of your speed in the town Casa Grande.  Many speeders pulled over in this area as well.

 The differences between Tucson and Phoenix are vast.  Tucson is a democratic city while Phoenix carries the red of our state heavily.  At one point last year, Tucson had proposed seceding from the state of Arizona.  I'm not sure I liked the name of Baja Arizona.  It was all silly really.  But it is true.  Tucsonans aren't much for Phoenix and Phoenix isn't one to travel south and visit our city.  Yet there are many that do. Most people in Phoenix will head north to the mountains and areas that surround Sedona.

One of my favorite areas of the interstate are along the Pecan groves. Gorgeous bare or green.

 It is also hot in Phoenix. Very hot.  There is usually a ten degree difference between here and there. So on our mandatory road trip up to Phoenix, which occurs once or twice every year, we took the I 10 corridor to the concrete city in the desert.  While the drive is terribly long, the best time to go is when the sun is setting.  I brought my camera to keep me occupied on this trip.

 But don't listen to what people say.  Phoenix is a beautiful city.  The Convention Center is one of the best and the landscaping is gorgeous.  While Tucson can be a bit unkept, Phoenix is a stark contrast with it's clean downtown scapes.....and it's nice.  But while the sun is setting...or rising....you will see some of the most beautiful color in our skies. And I don't care what side of the political fence you're on, I think most people in Arizona would agree that our state is pretty incredible. 

 But we rush, rush, rush.  And it was very evident once we arrived in the city.  Traffic everywhere and people not seeing the incredible sunset displays.  We are so busy running around that we take things for granted.  There is beauty all around us.  I am having a hard time these days focusing on conversations while an incredible bird flies over my head or a citrus smell permeates the air. It's these moments that matter the most. But then again....

 You see something like this below and you snap back to reality and laugh your butt off.  We will be "trekking" to the north this May to take part of the 25th anniversary of Star Trek the Next Generation with Patrick Stewart and gang.  And that's pretty exciting.  I'll have coverage and so much more...including some spectacular landscaping from around the Convention Center.  I CAN'T wait to show you some of the things that they've done with Agaves and other structural plants.  Life is too short and I'm going to live it:) It's not better anywhere else because it's all the same.  Cold weather. Hot weather. Sun. Clouds.  After awhile it all blurs together into one reality and just IS.  And Interstate 10 isn't an exception to the rule.  The pictures today were taken during our drive up and proof that it's all in the eye of the beholder.  But if you still don't believe me and have some time on your hands between Tucson and Phoenix, you can always take the "in your face!" picturesque State Route Hwy 77:)  Live long and prosper.

Cylon Gardeners and Friends

Who says Science Fiction can't have garden themes?  I found these pieces amongst several other works by robot artist Jordan Thomas.  This was the coolest looking art I saw at the convention.  Taking a break before more insight into space and the mind, here is some art from the Phoenix Comicon.

 For more information, click on this link to find his work.....

www.spaceboyrobot.com

He's also located at 3 different art shops around the Phoenix Area.

His bio reads, "I’ve been making robots for the last couple of years and it started when my love of indie handmade and my love of robots collided. I began building little robots out of wooden blocks and found/recycled items that I was lucky enough to scrounge up. Today, I still follow the same process. I personally hand build, and hand paint each robot. Each robot is a guaranteed ‘one of a kind’. About a year ago I began centering my work on steam power pseudo-Victorian era styled robots and have been working on a collection of historical ray guns from the future. I’m also working on a series of time machine oddities; although, they don’t actually travel through time…yet. "

Each of us is an artist with an imagination.  If you are interested in this art, contact Jordan Thomas at information@spaceboyrobot.com