The Wildest Birds

They say that after 400 state birds, it gets interesting. The chases are more intense and often times, our treks take us to the far reaches of the state boundaries so that we might try and add one bird. And sometimes that bird isn't even a lifebird!  Here's a look at the crazy vagrants(or not) that have come to visit Arizona. Warning: some of the photos presented today are of really BAD quality!  It just shows that being a birder is a 24/7 kind of job! At number 400......

Prothonotary Warbler State Bird 400

The Prothonotary Warbler hid in the Arizona Cottonwood leaves during a warm spring day.  It wasn't hard to find but it did require a little patience.  This warbler was close to home and obviously a no brainer to chase. 

Nutting's Flycatcher 401(upper right hand corner) The rest are all the similar looking Myiarchus species!

Then came the Nutting's Flycatcher.  I hate this bird.  It's not exciting to me NOR was the crazy drive to Lake Havasu.  To be honest, it was one of the last of my "expected" birds on my state list to find.  When you get to the bottom of the barrel, you do what you gotta do.....rent a crazy monster truck to the top of a rugged road and find this uneventful number. To make things worse with this bird?  It was in a remote area.  While it was beautiful, there were moments I panicked. Never again.....

                                                                   Black Rail 402
To make things worse, we went to find a Black Rail on the same day. When I decide to rip the bandage off.... Of course, I knew that spotting this lifer and state bird was most likely not going to happen because 1) It's a rail. 2) It's a tiny rail. and 3)Birders rarely ever see this bird. Many times it's a count as a heard only bird. So I brought my phone and took this vocal recording of the bird.  After many mosquito bites and hearing the bird, we drove away from the dark Yuma night for another several hour drive home.  

Red-headed Woodpecker 403

Things started to get exciting when this Red-headed Woodpecker made its way into Arizona and hung out in a very hidden and secret location. This bird was closer to home BUT we needed a sturdy vehicle to get there.   Thankfully, we had one!

Pine Flycatcher 404

An ABA first(first time in the US), the Pine Flycatcher, was a hike and a rocky road trip that had us all biting our nails.  After a little sun and heat along with drinking lots of water, we found this female flycatcher making a nest in a sacred glen.  Magic!

Berryline Hummingbird 405

I'd chase this next one, the Berryline Hummingbird, often and dip. And I would always dip on the bird since it came to visit during my international treks.  So while I sat at the hummingbird ramada of Miller Canyon, I was shocked and surprised to see this bird casually fly to the feeder.  There was no plan.  It just happened as it happened. Right place; right time.  The way real birding should happen.

The heat of the summer came and so did a rare Hudsonian Godwit.  This lifer was seen with a scope demonstrating that not all state birds, or lifers, play nice for viewing. 

Hudsonian Godwit 406

On a beautiful trek up to the White Mountains, we finally discovered the American Three-toed Woodpecker!  It only took 5 attempts!

American Three-toed Woodpecker 407

Then.  A major fallout happened from Hurricane Newton.  I paced my classroom after hearing the news about crazy ocean birds dropping from the sky.  During the last bell, I shooed my students out the door and grabbed my umbrella to witness storm-petrels in the desert!  The drive seemed like eternity.  It was an event I'll never forget.

Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel!!! 408

The shadows from the clouds of the hurricane made photography nearly impossible.  We watched helplessly as this Least Storm-Petrel(below) perished in the waters. So adding state birds can also be a sad one. 

Least Storm-Petrel 409

But some birders held hope when we saw a healthy Black Storm-Petrel fly around the ponds of a water treatment plant days after the storm. By nightfall, we believe this bird made it back to Mexico(which isn't too far away).  This bird has occasionally strayed into Arizona as it lives off the shores of Baja California.

Black Storm-Petrel 410

Some state birds don't play fair. Here is the case of the accidental pretty bird. During work (and during yet another storm), we were all having lunch when Margie spots this rusty orange and black bird from the office windows.  "Chris, what is that bird?"  OH. MY. GODS!  A rare Orchard Oriole came to visit and I did not have my camera.  So Margie snapped a shot with her IPHONE.  The bird took off afterwards and wasn't seen again. 

Orchard Oriole 411

A boring bird to add to the state list, the California Scrub-Jay, was more of a technical trek.  I don't really care for those too much but we were able to hear the bird and check it off the list. 

California Scrub-Jay 412

Another stormy (do you see a pattern here?:) and fun day out after work had me using my cell phone to snap a picture of the Common Tern.  I don't always bird with my camera now.  Sometimes I just want to be a birder with binos and not bring that heavy camera. 

Common Tern 413

The furthest and most stressful bird of the year, the Lesser Sand Plover, had me in suspense for a couple weeks.  It was a state first/lifer that required MANY hours of driving.  Thankfully, it waited for us before disappearing into the unknown THE NEXT DAY!  Talk about luck! Afterwards, we slowly birded our way back down to Tucson visiting with friends and not wasting gas on one bird. The whole trek took 3 days long.  

Lesser Sand Plover 414

While not ABA countable, I'm counting this one.  Monk Parakeets have been breeding in this state for awhile and if the birds breed successfully, I count them. For the ABA listers out there, I actually got my countable Monk Parakeet in Florida several years ago. If it's one bird group I enjoy the most, it's the parrots/parakeets.  So I have been studying their populations around the US for quite some time. There were several AZ populations of the Monk Parakeets years ago but then they mysteriously disappeared.  Over the years, we have tracked down their disappearance and in the process, have also relocated their last breeding colony. Several colonies were taken out by wildlife management as they were considered invasive.  And the neighbors didn't really appreciate the noise:) This is a bird of interest for me in this state.  I'll continue monitoring the small? population.  There are rogue birds discovered every year in strange places around Phoenix.  

Monk Parakeet 415

After finding the Pacific Wren 2 years ago, it was time to locate the Winter Wren.  Easy. But the little buggers are tricky to capture on camera as they act like little mice with wings!

Winter Wren 416

Then a Christmas miracle happened.  A happy male Long-tailed Duck came to visit for quite some time.  And he made many birders happy:) It was strange observing this one in the sunny Phoenix area.  Back home in Wisconsin, they love the icy waters! But this one had a taste for the desert:) A true "snowbird"......

Long-tailed Duck 417

The Rose-throated Becard was tricky.  I tried once for this bird in Arizona but it hung out in a remote area. I dipped! And I had to have my car aligned after driving on that washboard of a dirt road! I've seen the bird many times in Mexico and Guatemala but never in the US!  This year several RTBE were seen along the DeAnza trail and I was able to add this bird to my state list.  It felt good!

Rose-throated Becard 418

The Mexican bird species all played nice for me this year.  Normally the elusive Green Kingfisher doesn't like to hang around for a pic.  But thankfully two stuck around this winter in Patagonia for a photo shoot.  Finally!

Green Kingfisher 419

I didn't chase a Palm Warbler outside of Tucson because I knew one would eventually come to me.  All I had to do was be patient.  It has been a good year for adding warblers!

Palm Warbler 420

And more recently, I finished with yet another "FINALLY!" as we spied this Tennessee Warbler.  State birds after 400 are not easy and it gets trickier as we climb the ladder towards the top.  There are no prizes other than the smiles and satisfaction that happen when we find difficult birds. I should also mention that I wouldn't chase many of these birds without the help and support of friends like Brian, Magill, Gordon, Muriel, Kathie, Jeremy, Janine, Babs, Micheal and so many others. Let me put it this way.  When you are dealing with remote areas, always...ALWAYS bring a friend for safety. I now sit at 421 and wait. Who will the next state bird be?

Tennessee Warbler 421

The Arizona 400 Club

Prothonotary Warbler

Well, life is good when you first begin birding.  It seems like everyday is a new bird day.  And for two years, it's pretty easy stuff. Then you hit the 300 wall.  In Arizona, it's easy to get over 200 birds for your state list.  But it's not so easy going from 300 to 400 birds.  Today's post is about the spectacular journey that took a difficult two years to achieve.

California Condor

It happened on April 30th, 2016.  A random Prothonotory Warbler had been migrating through one of our desert washes.  I was in my pajamas watching Game of Thrones.  My friend Magill texts me and tells me to get off my butt and go get the warbler.  I was playing with my cats and quite honestly had no desire to chase a warbler.  They are so hard to spot and always give me a headache.  But it would be a lifer and help me enter the 400 club for Arizona. So I reluctantly got into my car and went to the wash.

During my drive, I remembered my 300 start that began back on September 17th, 2013 with a Black-bellied Plover. I thought, "I'll never make it to 400.  Who cares, why try?"  I forgot about the number, yet curious birders would ask me what my state total was often and I'd reply, "I don't know."  The birds in the 300 category are majestic, difficult(to find and ID sometimes) and mostly in areas outside of my Southern Arizona birding zone.

The California Condor for me is THE bird of my 300 list.  It's the one I love the most.  It's the one Micheal loved.  And it's in the area furthest away from civilization......the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  One of the most beautiful places on this planet.  And I'll be honest.  This bird made me cry. The sighting gave me goosebumps and made my eyes water up.  I always dreamed of seeing these birds in Arizona and around the Grand Canyon as a child. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd get the chance to see them in my lifetime. They were near extinction and I remember in 8th grade that I felt incredibly sad after our Biology teacher's lesson. I have always loved nature as a child, but today I have fully accepted it into my life. My life's work is only getting started. Thanks to many hard working people, these birds are slowly making a comeback today. 

Blue-footed Booby

Stranger things have happened.  A juvenile Blue-footed Booby made it into the Patagonia State Park. Kathie was still living in Arizona and we stood there marveling at this incredible ocean bird in the desert.  How in the world??!!!!

Eventually the list narrowed and the really difficult chases had to happen.  The Ridgway's Rail is one of the trickiest birds to find.  Not so hard to hear, but I wanted to SEE the bird.  When I finally saw my first one, I felt a heavy weight lift off of my shoulder. 

Ridgway's Rail

And then it came time for Mountain Plovers in dusty fields along junky roads that were tough on tires. And with Kathie again I spotted my first Mountain Plovers.

Mountain Plover

Then swifts.  Yuck.  They are sooo fast and give me headaches as well.  It required alone time without the pressure of other birders around me to find this lifer.  After two hours alone in Tucson, I was able to call my first Vaux's Swift.  But it took two years to get this photo below!

Vaux's Swift

Then it was time for the Grosbeaks.  One of my favorite group of birds. Searching for the beautiful Evening and Pine Grosbeaks are often difficult to find in the state....especially the Pine Grosbeaks because they are in a very tight habitat. And yet, they do live here.  Evening Grosbeaks are more common in Arizona BUT I have had to drive into higher elevations further north in Arizona to find them.  However, my first poor looks at one happened in Summerhaven up on Mt. Lemmon.

Evening Grosbeak

A several mile hike lead us to an amazing Mexican migrant. The Tufted Flycatcher.  Sore bodies healed over the week:)

Tufted Flycatcher

There were easy ones. Not always.  But they were a welcome break from the intense hours of chases. 

Greater White-fronted Goose

Some required us to work together.  After waiting a couple hours, a tropical Purple Gallinule would appear. 

Purple Gallinule

Some birds required us to find specific habitat in the state that attracted birds.  Lily pads(rare for Arizona)= Purple Gallinule  

American Dipper

Moving stream at the right speed(rare in Arizona)=American Dipper

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Drippy sappy mesquite tree during winter=Red-breasted Sapsucker

Elusive American Bittern

And sometimes you gamble.  And often you can lose, but sometimes you strike it big and find a rare American Bittern in a small area of wetlands.

Chestnut-collared Longspurs

If you REALLY want to get to the 400 club in Arizona, you have to know your longspurs.  More headaches BUT I honestly love these birds.  After a blowing dust storm and major headache, I found my McCown's Longspurs among the many hundreds of brown and yellow ground birds. 

McCown's Longspurs

Sometimes, you get shot at by stupid hunters, or nearly trampled by horseback riders or find fish hooks embedded to the bottom of your shoes.  Such was the case with the amazing Rusty Blackbird.

Rusty Blackbird

And then there are stupid ideas.  Black-billed Magpies.  We were camping near the beautiful town of Greer during the summer and decided to go chase down these birds. We thought it was a "closer" drive but it turned into HOURS!  We finally get to this weird town known as Teec Nos Pos on a practically empty reservation near the 4 corners and attempt to look for the birds. It was ugly. What did we find?  Shattered glass bottles, needles and oh.....a drug user. There were disagreements and discussion.  How far does a birder go if it jeopardizes their safety? We never did find the birds and it was the biggest fail ever.  

Later on, I returned with Micheal to visit our family in Colorado.  We tried once again to find these birds on an amazing road trip into Gunnison, Colorado. I decided to make the route go through Teec Nos Pos, AZ for a quick check.  Turned out to be the right idea and one of the most beautiful western routes to take during fall. And voila!  3 were hanging out along the highway.  All I can say is NEVER AGAIN!

I have great pics of these birds BUT I wanted to show my AZ friends that they really do live in Arizona:) And in that weird town of Teec Nos Pos!  I swear it's a Klingon Settlement.

The 400 list can also be based on hunches.  During a "hunch", I followed my heart to a nearby park in June and discovered an Elegant Tern for my birding peeps.  Never in my life did I expect to find this beauty.  I expected something.  Just not this very cool tern. 

Elegant Tern at Lakeside Park

As I finally arrived to my destination, I stood near the Tanque Verde wash full of Cottonwoods. It was all rather uneventful.  No one knew but me what this bird meant. A yellow caught my eye.  Western Tanager.  Another golden flash.  Yellow Warbler.  Female Summer Tanager.  Yellow-breasted Chat.  Black-headed Grosbeak!  Of course!!, I told myself.  This was after all a warbler.  Then I spied a chunky lemon throw itself into the tree in front of me.  I saw the butt of this bird and knew that Arizona number 400 was about to happen. I predicted where the bird would perch and focused my lens.  Experience paid off and I got my shots of the amazing Prothonotary Warbler.  It was about a 2 minute observation but it was one of those wonderful moments that seem to last forever.  

During the weekend, I glowed.  What a very special bird to mark my entrance into the AZ 400 club.  This year I have some truly special places that I will be sharing with you all.  I can't wait to visit them and report back. The life bird quest is about to begin again! Until next time......