光心臟者長壽

Coon Bluff

Finishing a year of travel and birding is always stressful and sad at the same time because come January 1st, birders begin again.

Cedar Waxwing

So why keep doing it over and over again?  Sometimes it's the challenge while with other times it's curiosity.  For me, it's always about the birds and it's always about bettering myself.  I will say that I have become much more relaxed now in the field than I used to be.  

Greater Yellowleg

It certainly makes for fun birding.  During this past weekend, I joined up with Gordon once again to find rare birds, fun birds and every other bird in between. One of our stops was at Coon Bluff along the Salt River in Arizona.  While we dipped on a rare Reddish Egret, we observed many Greater Yellowlegs and Long-billed Dowitchers in their natural settings and not at some artificial water treatment plant.  That was amazing.

Gordon searches for something rare on his birthday!

And then we headed over to Gilbert Water Ranch and enjoyed the bird show over there. 

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Eventually we moved over to Scottsdale and enjoyed the company of a Red-breasted Sapsucker.  And for fun.....

Mandarin Duck

....we went to find a random wintering Mandarin Duck.  These ducks are not native to Arizona OR the US, but there are several feral populations.  In Arizona, they aren't ABA countable, but since I don't follow that list, it doesn't matter.  ABA stands for the American Birding Association.  If you play their game, you can only count the birds that they have listed as "legit" from their list. While I understand their logic behind the birds considered "countable", I don't follow it because ABA only works for Canada and the US.  It should count for Mexico, but it doesn't.  So I don't agree with that bit.  If you're doing North America, do ALL of it.  Some birders don't waste their time on non-countable ABA birds.  For someone like me, that thinking is rather confining especially when I consider myself a world birder. Anyhow, this non-countable Mandarin Duck is one of many birds that spark a debate between birders every time:)

Mandarin Ducks are found in east Asia but their populations are in decline in countries like Russia and China.  Japan has a healthy population at about 5000 pairs.  In the US, these birds found in the wild are considered either part of isolated feral populations or birds who have "escaped".  There is a small population in Sonoma, California and it is quite possible that their range is expanding according to recent reports.  Either way, this is one beautiful duck!  It's closely related to our Wood Ducks here in the US. 

Wood Duck

 And while I've been out having fun in the world of birding, I've totally been neglectful of my garden!  When I went to go get my mail, I found this one single persimmon fruit on a lonely branch!  It was VERY exciting!  This tree hasn't produced fruit for two years!

Persimmons Fruit-variety Fuyu

So I honored the plant and ate the fruit:)  Then it was off to find a Brown Pelican in the desert. 

Brown Pelican

In December, Arizona birding is quite hot (in the good meaning of the word) and is often overshadowed by the holidays.  There are several people doing "Big Years" in Arizona and I know how stressful it can be during this month.  Last year I did that challenge for the US!  My challenge for this year has been to find as many birds as I can in North America which includes Mexico! It has been a lot of fun, but my days are numbered:) For the ladies competing for that top number one spot, good luck!  I think you're all pretty great. Best of luck to Susan, Barbara, and Janine!

And when it's dark outside, I sit back and reflect on those exciting challenges that have happened over this past year. 

I'm not finished yet, but for now, I sit back and enjoy the wonders of the wild.  And this beautiful piece of owl art from my friend Kathie Brown!!!  This is simply awesome!  Thank you!!  And below, I have taken some video of these two rare and special birds. Until next time!

 The post title means,  "A Light Heart Lives Long".  It's Mandarin for Mandarin:)

Black Friday Birding Specials

Crested Caracara-we counted 26 of them! 

Oh there's nothing like waiting until the last minute for those special items......

The stress.  The mad rush to get those last minute birds before that big day arrives. 

Juvenile Crested Caracara

To find them, you have to get a little down and dirty.

Red-breasted Sapsucker-snapped this past week in Madera Canyon 

I can't order these specialties online nor do I seem to find them anywhere on the racks.  "Limited edition!" I'd say.   

A favorite!  The Arizona Woodpecker.  

But I got up early before everyone else did!  Not fair.  Who cut the line?

Sexy sexy Lark Bunting

Did I go to the wrong place?  But the advertisement said......

A common color for birds out in the Flats is yellow.  Western Meadowlarks(above), Savannah Sparrows, Horned Larks, etc are just some examples.  All were in great numbers on this trek. 

.....there'd be one available down this way!  I even had the right GPS coordinates!

American Pipit

Well I guess I'll do the best I can. That's really all I can do to get ready for the big day. 

Last week after school I went to capture a shot of the geese near my school.  Snow Goose(left) with Greater white-fronted Goose

Thankfully we all teamed up and switched to Plan B.  It's always good to have a Plan B even if you didn't know you had a Plan B. Luckily we found some Mountain Plovers together.  

Mountain Plover!  We counted 6 of them.  A much needed "new" bird for the year. Nothing like waiting until the last minute:)

Better to team up and share the experience!

December 31st is approaching quickly.  Just how many more birds can I find before the year is over?  This has been an amazing experience.  Part of me just wants to bird like a normal person again.  The other part wants to keep going.  And the other part worries that I might be obsessed with birds:) A special thank you to Magill Weber for driving and suggesting a trip out to the Santa Cruz Flats. Laurence Butler also joined in on the fun and together we conquered the Flats. (Or so we thought.  A group of wise ancient birders covered the same area and found a rare gem to AZ known as a Black-throated Blue Warbler!) I swore I wouldn't go out there again unless I had to!  I even tried to get my Mountain Plovers in Colorado but that plan didn't work out.  So back to the dirty Flats it was. Even if you bird from the car, you will get dirty! But I will say that the Flats have one of the best raptor shows in Arizona during the winter. Just be prepared to take a shower when you get home:) More next week.....