Southeastern Arizona's Hawk Watch

Peter Collins searches the sky for raptors moving North

If January and February were about revisiting our regular neighboring feathered friends of southeastern Arizona; then March is about new beginnings. 

Red-tailed Hawk

The trickle of migration begins as raptors make their migratory move north along the Santa Cruz and San Pedro Riparian areas. It's an exciting time for birders as they complete their Arizona winter bird lists and wait patiently for the first signs of the spring migrating raptors during this first week of March. By the third week of March, the faucet is on full force!

The Snowbirds are on the move

 As I have pulled documentation photos from the past years, I smile from all the happy encounters I have had from these raptor gatherings.  So many snowbirds come together to see these amazing daily shows that it has become a social event for many birders.  Sometimes, it's the only time you see these people.  So my suggestion is to take it all in and enjoy the company. 

A pair of Common Black Hawks

So when and where does a birder go to see this spectacular event? And what do you need? I'll go over all of that in just a second, but let me begin with a basic first tip.  During the morning and sunset hours from anywhere in Southeastern Arizona, look up over any water corridor like the Santa Cruz river. Or at parks with watering holes.  Sometimes it's that easy.  Normally raptors move along the riparian corridors north, but from personal experiences, I can tell you that I've seen some random and cool sightings from my own home in midtown Tucson. 

Everyone gathers around the scope of a juvenile Bald Eagle.  What is it about that bird?  Well for this area, it's rare. 

So where can one go to see amazing raptors like the Common Black Hawk or Zone-tailed Hawk?  Let me begin with Tubac and the man who puts all this together every year, Peter Collins. This guy has a great sense of humor and a heart of gold.  In March, he counts raptors every morning from around 8 AM until noon (or beyond) at the Ronald Morriss County Park. For specific details, click on the link here. Bring a chair and a scope. And maybe a nice warm beverage. 

watch for eagles!

As the temps warm up, get ready for lift off as raptors begin to ride the thermals from the budding Cottonwood Trees.  Many hawks will fly right over your head! Every year I am surprised by a random rare bird sighting.  One year with Peter, I had a first record juvenile Bald Eagle fly over us.  I got the shots and we were able to document the bird.  As we were focusing on the eagle, a White-tailed Kite flew over!  Another amazing bird!  And when everything gets going, people will be calling out birds left and right.   

juvenile Black Hawk

Where does one park at the Ron Morriss County Park?  Inside the park!  There's enough parking space for everyone.  And if there isn't, you can park at the intersection of the road leading into the park and walk in.  DON'T park on the bridge.  DON'T congregate on the bridge.  You'll want to do it because you'll see a Common Black Hawk fly over your head.  You might hear the call of an early Gray Hawk as it flies out of the Cottonwoods.  And if you're on that bridge while it all happens, you might also see police lights flashing at you.  It's no joke so be careful NOT to congregate on that bridge. There's a resident who's watching. He's not looking at hawks; he's waiting for a birder to break the rules! Come inside the park and....park! 

A kettle of Vultures

As the coffee or tea courses through your body, you might feel the need to visit a bathroom.  You'll be happy to know that this park does have a nice restroom nearby. Also layer your clothing.  It's cold in the morning but as it warms up, you'll want to peel some of those clothes off.  

Zone-tailed Hawk

You'll learn about all the different types of Red-tailed Hawks.  You'll see numerous Common Black Hawks fly over.  Peter has been keeping track of their numbers for many many years. If you're lucky, you might even spy a very rare Short-tailed Hawk that likes to pass through the area every year. 

Red-tailed Hawk

You'll see large kettles of vultures, both Turkey and Black, mix into the aerial parade above you. While hawk migration can begin as early as the last days of February, the real show begins during the second and third weeks of March.  

Black Vulture

This year, we are expanding our hawk watch to Canoa Ranch lead by Mr. Brian Nicholas.  I am excited to join him for this new adventure.  I don't know what to expect, but that is what is exciting about this count.  Canoa Ranch is going to be something special as Pima County completes the wetland portion of the property by the end of this month. The water is already flowing into the cienegas. 

On a wet and overcast day, the newly created cienegas fills up with water....and promise. 

This ranch also sits along a major flyway for many birds.  So I'm looking forward to see what comes our way. The hawk watch at Canoa Ranch starts March 12th-16th from 10:00-1:00 each day at the ramada on the north/east side of the lake. Canoa Ranch is just south of Green Valley along the interstate.  Take the Canoa Ranch exit to get there. 

White-tailed Kite

During this time of year, several local birders will also count vultures/hawks along the washes of Tucson in areas like Ft. Lowell Park OR the Tanque Verde Wash east of the city.  It's fun!  I'd say if you haven't seen a Common Black Hawk or a Zone-tailed Hawk, head to Tubac with Peter Collins.  They're easier to spot there, but if you've "been there and done that", come and check out Canoa Ranch.  It'll all be brand new for everyone! 

Gray Hawk

We'll keep our eyes out for Gray and Swainson's Hawks.  Maybe a wandering Golden Eagle will pass over us.  There are so many wonderful possibilities.  Spring is a time of renewal.  It's also a time of beauty and excitement. 

Swainson's Hawk

As for Canoa Ranch, I'll be there on March 14th which is a Saturday.  I'm pretty excited about the possibilities.  Maybe I'll see you there?

Brian Nicholas leads his Saturday morning bird walks every Saturday at 8 AM. 

Solitude In A World Of Chaos

This female Bobcat joined me in m my hike with her offspring behind. 

So much noise everywhere.  Have you ever tried to find a place where there wasn't any noise?  No construction.  No planes flying overhead.  No children screaming in the background. No TV or radio. NO TRAFFIC!  Just silence? 

A surprise Cassin's Vireo

Over the past couple weeks, I tried finding those spaces.  It was difficult.  But on one particular walk, I had a whole wetlands to myself. Free of human noise. Finally. I touched the bark of the willow and listened to the Marsh Wren rattle off his morse code to another bird in the reeds. A Song Sparrow shouted out his melodious sing song to a curious female. The signs of spring are upon us again. I stop to absorb everything around me.  Not just the birds. 

A Red-tailed Hawk takes flight at sunset

It's the birds I know best, but I had an amazing experience that made me geek out on the trails. 

Cats! As I crossed a path, I discovered a Bobcat doing what cats do best....cleaning herself. What I didn't know was that there were two of them!  Her offspring came out from behind a bush near me!

Like the deer with Celeste several weeks ago, or the Greater Roadrunner, or the Javelina, here I was again joined on the trails by one of Mother Nature's coolest feline species, the Bobcat.  I wasn't frightened.  They were close and moved towards me.  There wasn't any malintent.  One of the bobcats was talking to me like my cats do when I'm home.  It made me laugh. I understand "cat" well.  One time many many years ago, back in the 90's, I stumbled upon a Mountain Lion in the alley while I was taking the trash out in the early morning. Again, I laughed and said in a nervous voice, "Hello kitty." I then proceeded to slowly walk back inside the house never leaving my eyes off that huge cat.  Her body language wasn't threatening, but she was wild and it's better to be safe than sorry:)

I was like a giddy kid in a toy store.  It was the best way to start my Saturday!  Body language is everything in the animal world.  And there is a thing about getting too close to a wild animal.  The cats strolled along the path with me for about 20 minutes before they went off to take a nap.  Amazing!

Black-chinned Sparrow almost completes my sparrow set for the year in Pima County

It's those moments that center me.  They are intoxicating addictions and one of the reasons why I love my mornings!  It's the discovery.  The connections to nature.  And my happy place. 

Dark-eyed Junco

Next, I went to Mt. Lemmon.  The mountain was FULL of tourists. So when that happens, I usually go to the trails along the mountain. Most tourists never see the real beauty of this mountain because they're so focused on buying a cookie at the top of a mountain!  Anyway, a hiker walked past me and said there weren't any birds in the forest and that it was quiet.  Had she not been conversing with her friend, she might have heard their little chips.  They were all there.  I pished further up the trail and woke up the little birds.  Suddenly we were surrounded by kinglets, chickadees, and all three species of our Arizona nuthatches!  And in a first for that location(for me), 2 turkeys popped out of the forest to see what was going on.  My owls were still there.  And all was good.  Just doing my yearly check up.  

Mexican Jay

Mexican Jays surrounded us and casually foraged around the trail.  

This life is not easy.  It certainly seemed easier when I was younger, but as I age, the weight of the world seems to get heavier.  On Friday night, the day before my birding, I set a trap to catch drug dealers on our property. Living in midtown is wonderful, but it also comes with a few negatives. No one messes with my sanctuary.  I alerted my neighbors and called the police ahead of time knowing that it takes them forever to arrive at the scene.  And on that same Friday night, those drug dealers were shoe'd off the property for good:)  Nature walk was back on again for Saturday morning.

Sunset with our local Snow Goose

And then the worst news of all. I found out a former student had taken his life.  I couldn't attend the service, but I found out he was buried in a cemetery where I bird. After work, I went to the freshly dug site and sat on the bench.  There were birds. So many Vermilion Flycatchers around. I try to make sense of it all. That cemetery never had a personal connection for me. Now, I'll never look at it the same way. He better be ready for birds visiting his grave.  There were several empty bird feeders hanging there in a tree.  So now every time I go, I'll be bringing bird seed to place at his site. I've worked with thousands of students over the years.  When something like this happens to one of them, it's like I somehow failed them.  And I know deep down I can't save all of them.  It's just hard remembering their happy faces in class knowing that their adventures ended way too early.   

Working with the public takes its toll on a person. I wouldn't have it any other way except maybe be outside more:)  In my late thirties, I discovered the world of birding.  Almost 10 years later, my understanding of the natural world gets stronger.  In times of stress or loss, I am thankful it's there away from all the chaos.  And in that solitude I am reborn.

Our cat, Aurora, is in decline health wise.  There's nothing we can do except make her comfortable and happy.  She is 15 years old and I believe has a cancer that's slowly taking its time.  She can still jump and she can still eat.  So we give her all the extra love while we still can. 

Until next time.....

Slow But Steady

A Rock Squirrel keeps on the look out for a very hungry Red-tailed Hawk in the area

Before my trek to Oregon, I began to feel pain around the left side under my rib cage.  This routinely has happened to me since I was 32 and always during the same time period.  I'm not sure what it is, but I end up in the ER every time and every time they tell me I'm fine.  And then I throw money out the window. Money that could be used to pay off bills OR go on a birding adventure. 

Chipping Sparrows at Reid Park

For the remainder of the year, I have decided to stay in Tucson.  I was going to head to Mexico City over the holidays, but I think I need to let this body rest.  I will say that it has been nice NOT having plans over break. Instead I'll be working on making better habitat for my birds in the garden. 

American Pipit at Canoa Ranch

While the pain has subsided quite a bit, I still don't feel 110 percent. I'm running at 80 percent right now.  I've found that if I relax, everything gets better.  I've been go go go for so many years that I think my body is telling me to stop and just be present in the moment. 

A Verdin interrupts a Brewer's Sparrow's alone time

And not so far away from my home, I can find so many wonderful local birds and still be home by the late morning.  I get anxious if I don't go birding.  I have to bird at least one place once a day for at least 15 minutes. So it's fun birding my own backyard and I am thankful for my feeders. 

Grasshopper Sparrow at Canoa Ranch

And for everything that has happened over these past weeks, I have a better appreciation for those who want to bird but struggle with health or aging issues while on the trails. 

A Red-tailed Hawk hunts and jumps off a perch

I find that birding keeps my mind distracted from my own issues. And birds are amazing. 

Vesper Sparrow

And while I'm resting, I've been doing research on several countries for next year's treks.  Travel is a marvelous thing and reading up on new species of bird takes time. My office is cluttered with bird books and magazines. 

Phainopepla

I bird the local parks with vigor observing closely the birds that I know well.  And with that pent up birding energy, I've discovered some amazing birds without having to drive far.

Black-crowned Night Heron, juvenile

Winter has arrived in the Old Pueblo.  As of this write, yet another rain storm is projected to hit us by Thanksgiving. 

Black-tailed Prairie Dog

Like always, we keep our eyes out for rarities.  So even when I'm sick, I still make a little time to look for something new at a local hotspot.  Hopefully things will get better and I'll be on that road again soon searching for new species.  To all of my US readers, have a wonderful Thanksgiving. And to everyone else, hope you have a great week ahead.

A rare Ruddy Ground Dove on my survey grounds at Reid Park

Until next time friends....

The Grassland Sea

Red-tailed Hawk

If the Santa Ritas Mountains are part of the sky islands of Southern Arizona, then the surrounding habitat would be considered the "shore" followed by a sea of grassland.  I love the Santa Rita Mountains, but I love the habitat that surrounds this mountain just slightly more.  

Particularly the grasslands. And specifically, the winter grasslands.  This is a special time of year when beautiful wintering grassland species show up.  And sometimes, a special visitor, or two, shows up for several months. 

The Gray Ghost, or male Northern Harrier, flies over the Cienegas Grasslands

Between numerous Northern Harriers and different morphs and subspecies of Red-tailed Hawks.......

a rare Rough-legged Hawk

And among the countless meadowlarks, sparrows and longspurs, hide a few goodies like the Baird's Sparrow, Short-eared Owl and sometimes.....a Rough-legged Hawk.  Southern Arizona can be hit or miss with this species each year.  But this year, there were TWO in the same general area of Sonoita flying between Santa Cruz and Pima counties. Friendly Pima birder man, Brian Nicholson found one of them hanging out on Pima county lands. 

There were several birders there who needed this lifer.  The road was busy and tricky.  Every bird was a Rough-legged Hawk until it wasn't.  Northern Harriers.  So I clued them in on the behaviors of the bird.  "Look for kiting".  It's either a White-tailed Kite or not.  And if it's not, it's the Rough-legged Hawk.  As a sign from the bird gods, a hawk flew over our heads and began to hover and kite for all to see.  Then off it went up into the thermals far far away from us over into Pima County lands. 

Black Phoebe

With one mission complete, I stopped at the iconic Sonoita gas station to purchase yet another pair of sun glasses.  I lose them all the time.  

A classic and scenic gas station in Sonoita makes for a great meeting place

Then it was off to Patagonia for some relaxing birding.  This weekend was a "just me" weekend but it didn't turn out that way. It's good to be connected to the community and I enjoyed the company. There was lots of talking and meeting new people.  It's easy to do when people have the bird spark. The teacher gene is like a magnet to people and I like it because people are really interested in the habitat and birds. If I don't have anything going on, I take the time and get to know the people on the trails if they are interested in conversation.  Sometimes, I disappear into obscure places but since this rare hawk attracted all the chasers, I waited a bit for them to see the hawk and disappear.  They like to tick birds off the list and are very competitive with each other. I don't like it. So I waited. The afternoon crowd is more my style.  They want to observe behaviors and enjoy longer sustained looks at the raptors in the area. While they were there for the Rough-legged Hawk; they were also there to explore and see some cool stuff.  And that's a beautiful thing. 

A Sharp-shinned Hawk

I went to Patagonia to finish off my day in the most beautiful weather ever.  I thought I'd have alone time there, but there was a birder who asked for help ID'ing a vireo.  It was a Hutton's.  While there, we had a rare appearance of a Chihuahan Raven.  Over the years, I've gotten really good with this species.  They are not common in Patagonia, but a few do show up from time to time.  Their vocalizations are different from that of the Common Raven and when they call, it's an ID snap.  If they don't call, it can be SUPER tricky.  Thankfully most ravens are talkative in flight.  The high "haw haw haw" of the bird stood out among all the Common Ravens.  I had a birder play the call to learn the call.  The raven responded and flew near us on top of an Aleppo Pine.  Total bird nerds geeking out.  

Cedar Waxwing

I am enjoying this lull before things start picking up again.  We'll be traveling to the west coast this winter, Wales in March, a road trek with Gordon in April, June with Ms. Kathie Brown in Wisconsin, July in New Zealand, Maine in October......and December, I've left open to be spontaneous.  Life is amazing and this is how it flies by so quickly! This blog is all about exploration and discovery. Until next time....

This weeks haul from the POWWOW in Tucson.  12 dollars for 70 pounds.  Much of this will be shared to other families. This program helps eliminate food waste on this planet.  We throw away such wonderful produce.  For 12 bucks every weekend, you are guaranteed fresh veggies every week.  And you're helping the planet.  And sharing helps spread the love.