Dark Matters

Common Raven

I don't care what anyone says, but ID'ing black birds(note that I am not writing "blackbirds":) can be a bit tricky.  There are still many to find, but here is a list on several that have made me glance once, twice, thrice........

Great-tailed Grackle

Grackles should be easy to ID and yet there can be doubt.  In Southern Arizona, a Common Grackle would be rare, but the Great-tailed Grackle(above) is very common.  So when I was in Colorado Springs, I knew I could find a Common Grackle, but the issue was that both Grackles were found there.  How would I distinguish between the two?  When I spotted several on a branch(below), I actually stood longer than normal to ID the call and look for the field marks to make sure I did in fact see the Common Grackle.  Pale Yellow iris, dark bluish glossy head and heavy bill were several of the things I looked at first.  The rain in the area made it a little difficult to pick out the bluish tones in the head and yellow eye......but I was able to see it better with my own eyes than that of the camera.

Common Grackle

But how do you tell a Brewer's Blackbird apart from a Common Grackle?  It also has a yellow eye.  The difference?  Habitat and behavior help. But body shape, slight difference in the bill and coloring also can help with ID.  The Brewer's likes to feed from the ground.  But in this case, the calls are different and I was able to quickly ID the bird.

Brewer's Blackbird

But what's this blackbird???   Before heading to Guatemala, I studied the calls and behaviors of this Melodious Blackbird below.  The call is very distinct and can be heard above all else in the canopy tree tops.  They usually fly in pairs around water ways. Both bob their heads up and down while calling to each other.  Sometimes they'll sit in opposite trees calling to one another.

But I tell you.....that call!  It is so distinct that you can't miss it.  I dropped what I was doing to capture this bird on camera.  Birding by ear can be a powerful tool.

Melodious Blackbird

Another black bird, related to the cuckoo family, is the Groove-billed Ani.  They are very common in Central America and make me smile.  They remind me of muppets with their scraggly and monster looking faces.  Again their call is distinct and I had it memorized from the time it came to Tucson.  I have it recorded on my phone because it's one of my favorite bird calls next to the Loon.   They are larger birds and appear to lazily perch on fence posts in pastures or on open branches around rivers, etc.

Groove-billed Ani

So how about those "other" black birds?  Crows and Ravens??!!!  In Tucson, it's possible to spot the Common and Chihuahuan Ravens.  But how do you tell them apart?  More common are the Common Ravens.  They generally fly in pairs, but can be seen at times flying in great numbers.  Even the experts can have a difficult time ID'ing these birds from afar.  Chihuahuan Ravens will flock around Pecan orchards here and of course, open grasslands. They have a shorter bill with long nasal bristles. However, they fly a bit differently than the closely related Common Raven.  The Common Raven "rows" its way across the airways.

American Crows

And the American Crow is a smaller bird with a large bill but much smaller than that of a Raven. The calls are the easiest to recognize. Understanding their calls, makes the ID a snap!

European Starling

European Starlings are black but very easy to ID with their body and bills.  Their starry patterns remind me of outer space.  But still.....from a distance, I have to really look.  But if I can see those triangular wings, short square tails and that stocky body, I know right away that I'm witnessing the European Starling in action.  They also tend to flock.  Again their calls are distinct.

Common Raven

One black bird(or blackbird:) that is an easy ID is the Bronzed Cowbird....if you can see the red eye:)

Bronzed Cowbird

The Brown-headed Cowbird at maturity has a black body with a brown head....hence the name. Both birds have VERY cool calls.  They sound like spacy, liquidy whistles!  AGAIN another easy ID!  Many people miss this one and I have to point it out to birders visiting from out of state. I've helped 3 birders add the Bronzed Cowbird to their life lists.  Watching someone add a cowbird to their life list makes me smile.  We take them for granted here as they are rather common.

Female Brewer's Blackbird

Here's a flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds below in flight.  You see how they could be difficult to ID?  Usually they mix with other blackbirds to add to the confusion.

Flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds

Many out of state people come to find our Yellow-headed Blackbirds.  I've witnessed this bird in the tens of thousands.  Twice I have been caught in the middle of the tornado energy and it made me smile.  My video below captures the many Yellow-headed Blackbirds making a landing in the fields adjacent to the gas station.

 I was filling up my gas once and a black cloud descended around the parking lot.  Another time I was birding in Tucson and an entire flock flew around me.  I was surrounded by magic!

Yellow-headed Blackbirds

These blackbirds are easy to ID.  Their calls are varied and diverse but thankfully their colors stand out among the rest.  Someone asked me once, "What are those blackbirds with a yellow head?"  Yellow-headed Blackbirds.  "Oh, that's easy."  Sure is. 

So is this Red-winged Blackbird below. Interestingly enough, the female looks nothing like the male.  To a beginner, they look like different birds.  Is it a Waterthrush?  A Finch?  Nope.  Just the female Red-Winged Blackbird:)

Red-winged Blackbird

Finally I end with a Chihuahuan Raven. Of all these black birds I shared today, I think the Common and Chihuahuan Ravens are probably the most difficult to ID.  This may sound weird, but when I see a Chihuahuan Raven, I just "know".  I'll mark them down wherever I am to keep tabs on their location.  On Ebird, there is a Chihuahuan Raven expert who monitors our populations and I was able to email and chat with him about his studies.  I have many more black birds to find, but here are the ones I've been able to ID so far.

Chihuahuan Raven

Common Raven

Finally, I'd like to add one last thing about taking pictures of black birds or animals.  It's really difficult!!!  I find that having a very light background brings the detail out on these birds.  Below is a pic of our cat Cassie.  She sometimes blends right in with the surroundings.  

Cassie-the black kitty

Happy Halloween everyone!!!

The Cost of a Lifebird

Black-headed Grosbeak in Madera Canyon

Today's post was inspired from a thought on my way home from a major birding trek.  Just how much money am I shelling out for this birding addiction of mine?  Then I began to think about how much it costs to find a new bird each time I see one.   This post hits me at a time of burn out.  I have so much going on right now that I am fighting the impulse to bird. Really since January, I've been going, going, going.  It's almost like a target practice.  Locate the place and bird until your eyes can't see anything.

Hooded Oriole at Kubo B & B in Madera Canyon

And then the worst thing happened.  I was so lost in my ID work on sea birds while I was in California that I forgot about a major get together with a friend who had spent a lot of money on us to attend this wine and cheese social.  But because I was so lost in my work, I only realized what had happened after the event!  A personal cost.  That was terrible.  I never forget anything, but I did apparently suffer some brain loss. So I have to make that up to my dear friend.

The Red-wing Blackbird at Sweetwater Wetlands

The safety factor. While spying on a really cool lifebird, a group of homeless people along the Colorado River were fighting. Luckily I was with another person but it made me angry.  No one messes with the lifebird.  Had they approached me, I would have clocked them a good one.  There is an internal drive that I can't explain.  I want to know more.  I want to see more.  I want to know, film, and experience life through the birds.  We purchased a 35 dollar a night hotel room for two days in Yuma. 70 dollars.  Never in my life would I have thought about staying in this city, but add the Colorado River with birds and we're there in a heart beat. In fact, the birds made Yuma look much better:) And the farmer's fields are HOT right now with migration!  Then food, gas, and DRIVING to the destinations!  One weekend cost 250 dollars.  And that was cheap.  I gained about 10 new lifebirds.  Breakdown.  25 dollars a bird.  Don't forget the park passes! Or the entrance fees into parks that don't acknowledge park passes:)

Hammond's Flycatcher on the Mt. Baldy Trail, Madera Canyon

At first, it seems easy.  Birding is free!!!  You can bird anywhere you want.  But isn't that the trap?  You begin to see one bird and then you want to see another.....and another.....and before you know it, you're as some say, "In deep".  While this may be true for this year, it won't be for next.  My primary goal is centered around lifebirds from around the world.  It just so happens that Arizona has quite a chunk of North American birds here with quite a few exotics from Mexico, Central and South America. As one birder doing a Big Year told me about 2 weeks ago, "You live in a great state.  Lucky you."  Everyone doing a Big Year has to, at some point, come to Arizona.  It has been fun meeting the Big Year people while on my treks.

Common Yellowthroat

I reached a point last week during a search for the Lesser Yellowlegs in Tucson. I said to myself, "Enough is enough!"  I stood for an hour staring at the recharge basins in Sweetwater after work. I eventually saw one of the two birds reported there but being the photographer that I am, I was not satisfied with the views.  Did I see the Lesser Yellowlegs?  Yes.  Did I see the Blue-throated Hummingbird the weekend before?  Yes.  But it was quick.  For many of the birders with me, they were satisfied with the observations and checked it off their list. It was only their first time seeing the bird!!!  And it's a glorious bird!  For me, it has to be more than that......to say you saw a bird for 5 seconds isn't really "seeing" a bird.  Luckily I have observed the Blue-throated Hummingbird many times before.  If you're curious, you can check here or here.

But then some birds brought me back to the basics.  The Red-wing Blackbird and the Common Yellowthroat called out during my search for the Lesser Yellowlegs.  They said, "Here I am!!!  Look at me!"  Well they didn't say that necessarily, but it was a wake up call.  While some say I'm in deep, there are several others in deeper.  There is definitely a chase going on.  I don't know if it was like this last year. But it's certainly hot this year.  On a daily basis, people are adding new birds to their lists.  With my school finals coming up, a trip to Guatemala, a nerd fest at Phoenix Comicon, weddings, etc etc........well my plate is full.  Now I'm still in the race, but toning it down a little.  Afterall, it's about enjoying the birds.  No more forgetting personal obligations! I think the worst part is that I've converted my other half into birding.  Pat purchased a great camera and is liking the competition part.  PLUS, those little birding couple trips we take have been a lot of fun as we throw ourselves into an experience full of people, culture and BIRDS! Pat's spark bird?  The Burrowing Owl.  More on that later.  Birding is serious business.  But so is my sanity and my checkbook.  If I'm not careful, we'll be living out of a tent:)  Now that actually might be fun.......:)

White-throated Swift