Red For Ed Part One

March and April have been two extreme months of highs and lows.  I'm glad the month is over, but not without great cost. 

During these past 2 weeks, Arizona teachers have walked out in the thousands to speak up for students, teachers, support staff and school funding. These are difficult times for many people.  With 150,000 teachers walking out of the classroom, most schools have shut down across the state.  It is a historical moment. 

Some districts fully supported their teachers while other districts pretended to wear the red shirt. But when push came to shove, they were forced into making decisions they were not ready to make. Some districts even threatened their teachers! And yes, I joined the thousands of teachers, students, and parents and walked to the capital.  And during that time, I also did our yearly fund raising campaign for Tucson Audubon's Birdathon AND guiding!  Yeah, it was crazy switching from one thing to another.  There are too many stories to be told and I cannot share it all in one post.  

Currently we wait for the Governor's announcement for how he will fix this educational financial crisis.  If it goes south tonight, I don't know what will happen.  I'm hoping it ends soon because I need to be in the classroom with my students!  Arizona ranks 49 in educational funding and falls way below the national average for teacher pay and student funding.  I can tell you that it has gotten worse.  It's hard to find anyone who wants to teach anymore in this state.  Most of my friends have left the profession for better paying jobs.  Who will teach our kids if we can't find qualified people?  Oh and there are many shades of red to Arizona education, but I don't want to bore you anymore than I already have.  

I will just say that this is such a challenging time.  There are nights I don't sleep.  We are all stressed out but we can't live like this anymore. Enough is enough.  

As the weekend approached, I eagerly looked forward to meeting up with Steve and Kathy to help them find some amazing birds that they can brag about back home when they finish up their vacation here.  And it was an intensely fun weekend chasing crazy birds like the Sinaloa Wren, Rufous-backed Robins and Rose-throated Becards. 

We found the Sinaloa Wren skulking in the shadows along the stream of a SECOND nest!  Apparently the male builds more than one nest to attract a female.  

We were lucky and found all three species but it took time and some hiking to get to them in the extreme Arizona heat. 

Together we found amazing birds like the Hermit Warbler above and the.....

......western subspecies of the Warbling Vireo.....

.....a cool looking Abert's Squirrel......

......gorgeous views of the Black-headed Grosbeak......

......and amazing views of the often secretive Spotted Towhee.......

.....and finally seeing the beautiful blues of the Steller's Jays who happened to be mimicking hawk calls while we were there. Then it was over. 

And we were back in the 100 degree temps fighting for public education. 

Life is always interesting.  And it has been a roller coaster for me.  We manage our finances well but these past days have put us to the test.  It's hard not to think about things.  Do I sign my contract or walk away from the job?  If I don't sign my contract, I'm done.  The angry side says walk away, but the rational part of me says stay and fight the good fight.  

Our birdathon was only a few days away and just thinking about it sapped the energy out of me.  

We are all fighting for a good cause.  Change is not overnight.  Whatever the verdict is, Arizona teachers, both Republicans and Democrats, united together to fight the fight.  

And while I would much rather cross sketchy bridges with awesome people searching for our amazing Arizona birds, 

...it is teaching that brought me to this place in my life.  And no matter what, I am an educator at heart whether it be in the classroom or outdoors. 

I will fight to protect the wild spaces of our planet and I will fight to protect public education because I am a teacher.  This is what I do. 

Next week, we'll finish up with part 2 of this series.  We'll find out what the Wrenegades were up to, what Governor Ducey decided and I'll share with you our discoveries.  It includes a letter, the Butcher, and Raccoon Bob.  Please keep the Arizona teachers in your thoughts, until next time.....

Stretched Thin

Sweetwater at sunset

Browns and golds.  It seems to be this year's theme. Some of the most difficult birds have been very accommodating lately.  Sometimes I'm alone.  But lately it seems, I'm meeting lots of new faces.

Regal Horned Lizard

A couple friends came from out of town last week to search for some rather rare and secretive birds.  One was an ABA lister and she needed two birds for her list. So I started out by scouting for the wintering Rufous-backed Robin.  This is a bird that is not impossible to see, but it is a bird that is normally quite secretive. After a couple hours, I was able to locate the bird near a mountain stream at Catalina State Park.  I snapped photos for my friend Gordon who was hosting these two ladies for the weekend.  He manages the Phoenix sector and I am the Tucson sector.  Together, we created a route that would make sense and flow accordingly around their travel time while making sure they found their two target birds. 

As the snow melts from Mt. Lemmon, mountain streams form and run through Catalina State Park

And so they came down from Phoenix and went searching for the Rufous-backed Robin first. I sent Gordon landmark pics so that they all knew where to look. As for me?  Well I was stuck at work:( The issue with finding this bird came from lots of talkative hikers and their furry friends. After an hour of searching, the crew was able to get wonderful views of the bird.  Mission accomplished.

Rufous-backed Robin

During this same week out(and side note), I also decided to stop by the Butterfly Magic display at the Tucson Botanical Gardens.  When I asked a volunteer if my tropical butterfly mentor was around, he began to squirm.

"Sir, I'm sorry to inform you, but Dr. Elizabeth Willott passed away last year." WHAT??!!!  I have been so involved with birds, I forgot to stop and remember where it all began. How can a year fly by?  And how did I not hear about this?!!!

As many of you know, I began this blog about gardening 6 years ago today. I would work with Elizabeth often at her newly created Butterfly Magic display.  She had a messy office which is where I believed she slept at night:) I enjoyed working with her and we had a lot of fun inside the greenhouse, the office or the chrysalis chamber.  Today her legacy continues at the Botanical Gardens.  Elizabeth, you will be missed.  Thank you for teaching me the ways of tropical butterflies and about the plants they require to survive. I'd also like to dedicate this post to Tina Forrester(aka East EG Gwillimbury Camera Girl), who along with her husband, were tragically killed in a car accident this last week. She was both artist and birder. My heart goes out to their family and friends. Lately, I have been overwhelmed with good-byes. 

On Mt. Lemmon switching from stressed out teacher to stressed out birder:)

When I first began blogging, I was all alone. Six years later, I have met so many wonderful people who have become real or virtual friends. The only difference now?  I use plants as a way to find "my" birds:)  So back to our story. But we had to find a VERY tricky bird....the Sinaloa Wren. This is a bird I've seen often in Mexico and in the US but never have I been able to get great looks at this fast moving little bugger. They act like little mice in the leaf cover and are tricky to observe in the wild. One time I sang to one and it came to me but only in the shadows where it thrives. 

Look carefully.  She's nesting in a dangerous location. 

We checked into the military base(Ft. Huachuca) and were issued our ID cards.  This allowed us access into the wilderness areas of the fort. When we arrived, we headed to the location where we had previously observed this bird last year. 

The secretive Sinaloa Wren

Softly, we pished. And silently, the wren popped out from the shadows.  Gordon saw the little head pop up from an area and whispered, "Is that the wren?"  Inside both of our heads, we screamed, YES!  Silently, Gordon went back to get the ladies and quietly, I sat down on the bank waiting for the bird to make a return.  

Sinaloa Wren-the money shot.  I will no longer need any photos of this bird:)

With a soft pish, I had the bird back out feeding among the leaves. As the cameras rattled away, the bird became fascinated by us and the sounds our equipment made.

Our wonderful crew, Gordon, Peggy and Jennifer

In short, our guests, Jennifer and Peggy, got wonderful views of these naturally secretive birds. And I'd like to thank them for chasing these birds.  Normally, I wouldn't have gone after this wren had they not come to visit. So it was fun playing detective again for others. The best way I can describe the Sinaloa Wren experience is by using the word "intimate".  I was sitting only a few feet from the bird watching it hop around the leaves and feed.  Meanwhile, a VERY quiet crowd formed behind us and also enjoyed the wonderful views of the bird. It was one of the best birder moments I've ever experienced. 

A rare Baltimore Oriole swings in for a visit

Then the next day came. I was exhausted and didn't want to drive great distances. So I went alone to Sweetwater and attempted to relocate the rare Baltimore Oriole.  This year has been something very special so far.  Not only are hard to find birds appearing before my very eyes; but they are allowing me to have great looks! Whether this is the gained experience that everyone talks about from years of birding or just plain dumb luck, I don't know, but it has been a phenomenal start to the year.  Streak-backed Oriole, Sinaloa Wren, Rusty Blackbird, Baltimore Oriole, Brown Thrasher, American Bittern, Five-striped Sparrow, Sprague's Pipit, Yellow-billed Loon, etc etc. I just shake my head and think, "Wow! What a start to the year!"

I have been exhausted.  I DID become sick thanks to a disease spread by the Snowbird people. And I DID discover that I am mortal. One night I wasted away in my bed wanting nothing more than to sleep. This constant "GO" mode is draining.  And it is very exciting.  I continue to do fieldwork with Audubon and several other organizations while still helping out visiting birders. I don't know when this transition happened, but it just did.  The camera has taken a back seat for the most part as I have seen most of these birds many times.  And the lifers that I do see now are some of the trickiest to capture on camera!

Marsh Wren hopping around

I clean my garden and fill my feeders.  Lesser Goldfinches, House Finches and Sparrows visit,  reminding me of the simpler times before it all became so much more.  While this "hobby" is demanding, I am so fascinated by discovery and exploration that it's hard to stop and waste a moment watching TV or just doing "nothing". Courses are always being plotted.  Travel is always in the works.  And birding has become a way of life. 

Mediterranean Gecko-I have many living under the rocks in my garden!

Check out the birds seen this month.  I am no longer posting individual pics of them on this blog anymore as I have shared enough photos of them from the past.  If they are doing something crazy and I capture it on camera, I'll post them. 

While much of my work these past two months has been about helping others, it's time to work a little harder on that life list.  During the month of March, I hope to present several new birds from our treks.  Until our next encounter.....

In the video, you can hear the human f(W)REN-zy happening in the background.