A Poverty Of Loneliness

“In order to be open to creativity, one must have the capacity for constructive use of solitude. One must overcome the fear of being alone.” ~Rollo May

While on our trek finding the Pelagic Cormorants, we observe all kinds of people including fisher people hoping to catch something

No one may understand this.  I don't even think I understand myself why I do the things I do.  This was perhaps the strangest way I could have spent the holidays.  Alone.  And not just alone but among people who don't have money nor the family or friends for support.  Thankfully, my birding plans and two new friends kept my mind busy during this important trek.  After all, the year is coming to a close and I'm running out of time to find new birds!

A beautiful Christmas Eve day at Imperial Pier with Bonnie and Libby!

Birders begin to hit the "Lifer Wall" and we have to go beyond our comfort zones so that we may discover more life birds.  From here on out, life birds will become expensive.  Many of us will share hotel rooms or find the cheapest rates out there to stay within our budgets.  Birds will also guide us into areas that most tourists never see.  So on this trek during the holidays, I found myself surrounded by so many who were alone. The only difference is that I had a choice.  They didn't.

The quiet of sunrise allows me a chance encounter with this beautiful skunk

This was probably the hardest thing I had to do. I want to understand and experience what it's like for a person doing a Big Year.  My family, and even Pat, wanted to know why I had to go and do this trek.  Logistically, it is the best time to go.  Birders plot all the time.  It's the end of the year.  But what's difficult for most birders is this human ritual need of "holiday".  However, the roads are empty and the rates for hotels are super cheap.  So in between all of this push and pull, there is a compromise we all have to make.  I've always been with family and friends during my 41 years of life.  But this year, I wanted to know what it was like to be on the other side of the fence. The homeless Vietnam Vet at Lindo Lake.  The mentally ill woman on the pier.  The single elderly woman who celebrated Christmas Day dinner alone.  The poor families living out of a hotel....alone. I even went to the San Diego Zoo to be among families on Christmas Eve day to experience the world as a single person.  Let me just say it in plain English.  It sucked!

Libby has to wait in line!

Now my new buds Libby, Bonnie and Patty were there to help keep my chin up.  They were so wonderful and even invited me to their potluck, but I had to stick to my route...and budget!  How I would have loved to stay!  Bonnie sent me off with Christmas cookies(lembas bread) that kept me from getting hungry on my hikes:)  SIDE NOTE *I had such a great time with you both!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for such an amazing adventure! We'll see you again next year! 

We spend a gorgeous night out in Chula Vista(pic by Libby)

So on Christmas Day, I couldn't handle it anymore.  Instead of getting a visual on the California Quail that I heard at Discovery Lake, I hightailed it back home to be with Pat's family. And by early afternoon, there I was inside my clan of crying babies and loud children with their exhausted parents.  Together we ate too much of everything including turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and egg rolls.  And I am grateful for this.  I will never understand the need for physical gifts because for me, it has always been about sharing meaningful time together. 

Young cocky surfers could learn so much from the pros. 

The left side of the pier had the older surfers who were pros!  On the other, we found the beginners learning how to catch the right wave.

While I had a successful birding run into SoCal, I won't forget the experience anytime soon. What will happen to the homeless Vietnam Vet?  People sat with him on the bench and listened to his story while I glanced at the endangered Tricolored Blackbirds.  What will happen to the mentally ill woman on the pier?  I think of her the most.  I don't know why her image continues to linger in my mind.  While observing surfers and watching birds, I listened to her conversations with people around the pier.  She was lonely and needed human contact.  We all do. 

This Ring-billed Gull reminds me of most people going for the last piece of ham on the platter!

No matter how much I try to distance myself from people outside of work, I realize that I am no different than anyone else. These human rituals are important and ingrained within us. We are pack animals and need one another to get through this difficult life. On the lonely road into Southern California, I thought about many things on this birding trek.  And maybe this is what it means to be a birder.  An explorer.  Birds are just a piece of the entire experience.

Red-throated Loon

As I approach 600 life birds, I begin to feel the weight of each new bird. What happens to one at 700 or 1,500?  We change.  Each bird exposes me to yet another human reality or connection to the greater world. 

Pic by Libby.  

This is Patty.  I fell in love with her while visiting with Bonnie and Libby.  So many people do not understand Rock Pigeons.  We think of them as pests and yet I found her to be rather endearing. I also discovered that all she wants most is to be with others. I learned a great deal from her in a short amount of time.  Rock Pigeons, like people, prefer to be in the company of others.  Patty also showed me some of her moves! Pretty cool stuff!  More to come....

A Stationary Front

A Gila Woodpecker at my feeder

I wake up and follow my daily routine.  I have money, but I don't have the proper amount of time.  Or I have the time but not the money.  Can't both coincide at the same time?:) The movement I had gained this year has stalled, at least for now. I imagine this isn't unique to just my situation but for anyone trying to accomplish a personal goal. 

A Harris's Hawk hangs out in the middle of the afternoon on the Santa Cruz Flats

Instead of chasing birds in far away locales, we stayed close to home and visited several places nearby.  The temps here in Tucson are still hot so we did quite a bit of birding from the car. We went to the Santa Cruz Flats and explored this 20+ mile area for raptors and possible Mountain Plovers.  Micheal had never seen a Crested Caracara(or a Mountain Plover) before so I took him to the ag fields where they are commonly seen. We didn't have to wait long before we found a Crested Caracara flying near a tractor. It's a bit early for the Mountain Plovers so I'll check again next month. 

A Western Grebe is one of MANY water birds found in the artificial lake of Arizona City

The winter birds are beginning to arrive.  Birders flock to all the watering holes to find something rare.  Waterfowl and hawks begin to show up in greater numbers.  The Harris's Hawks hang out longer on the telephone poles now that the temps are cooling down. 

Rock Pigeons hang out at Ft. Lowell Park waiting for the people to make a mess

I have a hard time staying inside the house, but I had no desire to drive a couple hours in any one direction.  Currently, I need to find a handful of birds within the state.  One is the Mexican Chickadee.  It's a great little bird found in the Chiricahuas.  However, I'm thinking I'd like to spend a night at one of their great B & B's for some relaxing birding over a weekend. 

A White-crowned Sparrow peers at me through a bush at Sweetwater Wetlands

Other birds include the Bell's Sparrow, Rough-legged Hawk and Tundra Swan.  Over the course of the weekend, I ran errands and did some investigaton on a Southern California birding run I have planned for in December. 

Cooper's Hawk

For now, I'm just going to relax and bird. A note for my Tucson readers and snowbirder friends.  I went to Sweetwater Wetlands this weekend and did some reading up on the recent crime wave that has happened there.  Apparently, three cars were broken into over a 3 day period. In fact, the last two times I've been there, I witnessed a loose dog in the reeds and yet another car break-in. The family was in hysterics and so we had to call 911. I won't go into the details but regardless, some may tell you it's no big deal.  I don't know about you, but it is to me!  I'd like to apply money towards another trek and not towards a new car window:) 

A European Starling dazzles at Reid Park

Here's my recommendation if there aren't any cars in the parking lot at Sweetwater.  Park on the opposite side along Commerce Dr. where the businesses are located.  There are plenty of parking spaces with other cars present.  Enter the Wetlands from along the bike path along the wash.  You'll be able to see the recharge basins better anyway.  There are still lots of amazing birds and the area looks great.  Just be aware that they've been having theft issues. Sunday afternoon I was there alone and it felt weird not having others around me birding. 

A Canada Goose follows us around from our recent trip to Colorado Springs

Right now, I feel like these geese meandering....not sure which way I'll go.  But somehow I'll get there:) 

For more from around the world check out Wild Bird Wednesday.
 Also check out another one of Tommy D's hilarious Birding Stereotype videos about people who are just into ONE type of bird...in this case, hawks.  The Santa Cruz Flats are well known for some of the best wild raptor shows in Southern Arizona during our winter months. 

The Tucson CBC 2012

The Verdin

I always bird with my camera.  Not having the camera on our Christmas Bird Count would have been a bad idea.  I am a strong believer in photo ID.  And it would come in hand with an accipiter found.  Turned out it was just a battered Cooper's Hawk.  However our day would turn up some amazing species!

It had rained non stop for almost 2 days. However our morning cleared up and made for a wonderful day birding.  There were 4 of us walking the Tucson area.

We found some great birds including the Black Throated Gray Warbler and Male Summer Tanager.  It's amazing that the Summer Tanager has remained in Tucson for the winter.  The Tucson team counted a total of 6!  That's an incredible amount of Summer Tanagers for our area at this time.

Some of the regulars like the Cactus Wren put on a good show.  We found 9 of them hopping around a house.

It was cold so the birds were very very hungry.

As you can see, everyone is a little "puffed" out and huddled together.

This Curve billed Thrasher makes me laugh.  They have such a grouchy face.

And if looks could kill......

Tucson again reigns as the nation's number one Vermilion Flycatcher capital.  On this day, over 177 of them would be counted in our city.  That's a record breaker for the US.

A truly special find is the Peregrine Falcon.  This is a first time wild sighting for me and I was thrilled!

Rock Pigeons were numerous.

And so were the Broad Bill Hummingbirds.  All wonderful and lovely sightings.  Overall the Tucson CBC had one of its highest turnouts and counts of bird species within the city.  It was a lot of work but also quite fun.