Sorting Algorithms

I can travel anywhere in the world and fall in love.  But there's something extra special about my state of Arizona.  I love it here.  I really really do. 

Sure.  I've taken a hit in pay for living here.  And sure Arizona ranks at the bottom in teacher pay and education.  The politicians here are made up by mostly savage greedy and uncaring people, but there is a glimmer of hope that things are changing. Our #RedforEd movement worked.  Kyrsten Sinema won and will be our first female democratic senator in Arizona. Katie Hobbs is Arizona's secretary of state. And Kathy Hoffman will watch over our public schools as the new state superintendent of public instruction. We can breathe a sigh of relief.  Maybe now, we will begin progress and get our schools to where they need to be.  Before, special interest people who owned charter schools were in control and they were bleeding monies from the public school sector!  That has been stopped.  For now.  We still have a ways to go!

I didn't move here for those reasons though.  I moved here because I feel a connection to the Sonoran desert, the grasslands, the Mexican people and specifically for the beauty and quirky nature of Tucson.  There is something that makes me feel happy here.  And no matter where I go, I miss my southeastern Arizona world. 

We did my Bisbee birding loop trek this weekend which encompasses the Whitewater Draw, Bisbee and the San Pedro House outside of Sierra Vista.  I was feeling craney and wanted to spend some time with the gathering Sandhill Cranes of the Whitewater Draw.  So Micheal and I took a road trip to the Draw.  

Then Micheal asked, "Are we going to eat in Bisbee?"  Of course!  We tried a new place that I had scouted out last year while on a fabulous student trip.  I'm sorry I didn't take many pics in the town of Bisbee but if you visit us here in Arizona, you really need to check this place out.  It was BUSY!

We spent the late morning/early afternoon with the cranes.  You can watch these birds for hours.  At the right time of day, they put on quite a show.  Many photographers go to the "Draw" to capture the cranes in action.  It's a great place during winter for waterfowl and 10's of thousands of wintering cranes.  More importantly, you can find the near threatened Bendire's Thrashers in this location on Bagsby road into the Whitewater Draw.

I needed this weekend to try and figure it all out.  Watching these birds while doing some relaxing birding helped me organize difficult ideas. 

Since our place has been painted (and now paid for), I'm ready for the next home project.  I've been working out in the garden putting in hummingbird plants and feeders.  Our next big scale project is the AZ outdoor room.  It will be great to open windows and not worry about the cats getting out.  

Juggling the birding adventures and home improvement projects are no easy task.  And yet they have to get done.  I mean, they don't, but I'm not one to sit and wait for something to get done.  The only way to get it done is to do it yourself.  The whole project costs about $3,300 dollars and will be worth every penny.  I'll feel safer, have an extra area for secured storage and an open room for the cats to enjoy being outside but not outside:)

A sleepy Screechy

Sometimes when I get stuck, I just go birding and let my thoughts sort themselves out.  And like these Sandhill Cranes that never crash into each other, travel and home improvement can also line themselves together to achieve the bigger picture. 

Everything eventually sorts itself out.  The chaos of this world can be overwhelming at times. 

I just need to remember to breathe and enjoy the moment. 

This week's photography took place at the Whitewater Draw near Bisbee and the San Pedro House along the San Pedro River near Sierra Vista. 

Greater Pewee

The special bird of the week is this lovely Greater Pewee that has been hanging out at Reid Park near our place. 

Winter has arrived.  There are so many options out there.  Where to go next?

Western Whiptail Lizard

Until next time.....

Winter's Final Grasp

Every year, I make my winter trek down to Willcox or the Whitewater Draw and say good-bye to the Sandhill Cranes and Chestnut-collared Longspurs.  For some, this experience is comparable to a holiday or birthday celebration.

It's also my way of saying good-bye to winter.  It's hard to let go of the colder days knowing that those unbearable hotter ones are only a few months away. I now can sense when the migration is beginning to move. I can't explain it.  I can't plan it. I just know.  

I leave my car and listen carefully to the wind and focus on longspur titters in the grass

So I moved quickly on my day off to see the cranes one last time.  When I arrived, they swirled high above me.  Then......

......they began their descent all around me. Again, I can feel their patterns.  I can't plan it.  I just know the moment when they are going to do it.

  I am in sync with certain species while with others, I still have a long ways to go.

Their departure marks the end of winter and the beginning of our spring migration.  I am excited about what's to come, but I will miss these cold and windy days.  These are the days when I can play outside all day long and just enjoy the weather.

As we finish up with the AZ winter series over the next couple weeks, we'll begin a new chapter of exploration.  Stay tuned for more.....

Dancers In The Dark

White-faced Ibis flying over at Sweetwater, Tucson

There is no denying the specific bird calls that happen while out in the field.  As a photographer, I try to get the best shots that I can with the species seen for the day.  A relatively new issue for me happened when I went to a location to find Elf Owls and Whip-Poor-Wills.  The shadows of night are mysterious and wondrous but provide little in the way of photography.  I would love to snap shots of these nocturnal birds, but I won't.  I'm afraid the flash on my camera will do harm. 

Arizona Woodpecker at Box Canyon

On a recent outing in Madera Canyon, I searched for the Whiskered Screech Owl.  While waiting for this bird to appear from the nest, I heard the unmistakable sound of the Elf Owl.  Two other night birders were with me.  My eyesight isn't so good but my ears are spot on to the sound and it helped me locate the bird from within several feet of its location.  For the next step, my new birder friends helped me locate,with my terrible eyes, the tiniest owl in the world!  It looked like a knot on the Sycamore tree along the creek.  I had my camera.  I had the flash ready to go and my human OCD nature really wanted to snap that shot.  But I couldn't.  I wouldn't.  I watched the bird with my new friends and we were extremely happy.  Then the little nub flew off the branch into oblivion.

Cedar Waxwings in Box Canyon

Sometimes birders will talk.  I am guilty of this as well, but I try to limit the chat so that I can use my ears to hone in on the bird.  On this night while sitting in the breezy grassy field, the unmistakable sound of the Mexican Whip-poor-will echoed through the canyon.  Another excellent bird.  I studied the calls before doing my nocturnal birding.  Common Poorwills, Nighthawks, etc etc.....

Sandhill Cranes near Willcox

And yet sadly, I can only write about the experiences instead of sharing pics with you.  So I chose the theme of silhouettes for this post to visually show you what I see at these times of twilight.  On a recent outing, Kathie and I stayed out near Sweetwater past sunset.  It was there that the Great Horned Owl "hoo hoo'd" on top of a tree.  The tip swayed with the bird as the wind moved it from side to side. The owl appeared too heavy to stay aloft the Aleppo Pine's tip.....and yet there it remained.  The other owl silently flew near us.  A Lesser Nighthawk also shot out in front of my car.  I have really enjoyed these night time birding adventures.  When I'm with other people, I feel comfortable.  When I'm alone, I get a little creeped out. 

Snow Geese in Bosque Del Apache, New Mexico

My biggest challenge is to find a way to get better pics of these birds without compromising their well-being.  I don't use flash in bat caves and I won't use flash at night.  So then how will I get pics of these elusive night birds??  Any advice?:)

Our adventures are going to be taking us to some really extreme places.  My other half, Pat, is a little skeptical.  It's definitely not the forests of the north nor the lush Sonoran desert but it's new territory for Las Aventuras.  Stay tuned for more fun.....

Lesser Nighthawk

In The Thick Of It

Sometimes people are surrounded, enshrouded, wrapped or blanketed by nature. Sometimes we go to see them specifically in the thousands.  And sometimes the thousands cover us unexpectedly.....

.......and while humans are distracted, a Coati eyes up a photographer's car, smells the crackers in the front seat of the open car door and...........

........the photographer becomes overwhelmed with emotion as thousands of Yellow-headed blackbirds flock around him.  Everyone stops in their tracks, pulls out their cell phones.......and watch the spectacular show Mother Nature is providing.  All of it.....unexpected.  A birder watches non-birders enjoy the beauty of it all and it makes him smile.  Would this moment spark somebody into birding?

These moments don't always last long. Sometimes only a few minutes.

He knows that he must act quickly, but his fingers aren't quick enough.  He fumbles the toggles and gets the lens ready for manual focus.

And sometimes, it's an epic fail as the photographer gets caught up in simply.....observing.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, the Coati gets closer to the photographer's car.  He crosses onto human sidewalks, jumps up effortlessly from the rocks onto the cement and approaches the open car door.

Cranes land.  Blackbirds deafen humanity's ears.

And the Coati has gotten too close.  The photographer slowly moves to his vehicle and shuts the door.  His buddy also sees the Coati moving closer to her and she doesn't know whether to flee or keep snapping pictures:)  Eventually, he gets too close and she backs away:)  And then the Coati disappears into the forest again with his friends.

Meanwhile the photographer scares up ducks by accident and almost has a heart attack.

When these moments come to pass, he is always grateful to have experienced them.

January is coming to a close.  As we get closer to the end, I'll reveal more big adventures from our Big January. Stay tuned for more!

                                          

Bosque Del Apache

Going to a new place to bird beyond your own borders can be extremely exciting. I researched and researched all the possible birds I could see to maximize viewing.  We even planned our stay at the Dancing Cranes Bed and Breakfast.  Fantastic location with fantastic hosts.  I'll have their info below. On this trip, I was hoping to add 30 new species! But I've been known to be a dreamer:)

But being that time was tight, I only found seven.  Bald Eagle, American Crow, Pine Siskins, Bushtits, Northern Loggerhead, Snow Geese and Ross' Geese. The problems with birding on a tight schedule are plenty.  I had the evening to survey the area and the morning to work on my photography.  That's it.  So I didn't have enough time to do both!  Some shots turned out wonderfully while my Bald Eagle shots are poor....and yet we saw them.

Bosque is a large area to cover and I think a person needs at least 3 days minimum to do a somewhat complete count around the grounds.  Being that it was a tight schedule, we headed towards the Northern Ponds which allowed for us to observe the Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes....our target birds. The Southern Pond was quiet but had many worthwhile birds in hiding.

And it was sure Birds of Prey heavy!  Raptorville everywhere you looked!  Ravens, Crows, Harriers, Hawks, Eagles and Falcons!

No matter how many times I see them, American Coots make me laugh.  They are so lazy when it comes to flight.  In the pic below, they try running on ice. Not such a great idea.

I love how they huddle all together and it made for great picture taking.

One thing I was able to do better was observe Dark Eyed Juncos.  They were everywhere in New Mexico and Colorado.  I now have their calls down.  So if you're driving through New Mexico and wondering what's worthwhile to see, think about putting Bosque Del Apache on your list of "must sees!"

Of course, winter is cold in New Mexico.  So bring layers to keep yourself warm in the morning and shed a couple by afternoon.

During the time of this shoot, it was freezing cold.  You can see the ice on the waterways in the above pics.  I sometimes forget that most places outside of Tucson are cold.  Glad I remembered my pants:)

And if you're looking for a great place to stay, give Jim and Jana a try!  Their yard is full of bird feeders and lots of cool birds.  The White Winged Dove, Sandhill Cranes, Dark Eyed Juncos, White Crowned Sparrows, a Belted Kingfisher, and Great Egret were all just some highlights!

For more information, visit this post as it's a place off the grid and there really isn't any official website for the Bed and Breakfast. It's legit folks and the hosts love what they do so if you are a wildlife aficionado or just a lover of the great outdoors, they'd like to meet you. And you'll love to meet them. You'll be glad you did.  The adventure continues next week......