As The Caspian Tern Flies

As I balanced family outings with birds, I found the Caspian Tern always nearby. 

Purple Coneflower

I tried focusing on the birds, but there were schedules to maintain and lots of fun family outings. If we weren't watching the little ones, we'd find them drinking out of the bird bath!  Baby J was taking birding to a whole new level!

My sister looked into the flames to glance the future.  "The night is dark and full of terrors."

Meanwhile my mother's own dragon, her macaw, sized me up.  "To bite or not to bite?  That was the question."  He let me know that I could rub under the wings but he wouldn't guarantee that he wouldn't bite me.  So.....that was a no go. 

Azul, our Blue-and-gold Macaw

Between the fun, I'd run to the shoreline and watch birds.

Or we'd take the nephews and nieces out to have some fun at several of our amazing nature centers. 
Hopefully, their curiosity grows into something lifelong. 

My nephews were fascinated by the fish. 

I think I spent most of my time outdoors and as much time as I could along the lake.  

Great Blue Heron

On this one perfect day, the wildflowers gave off a scent along the lakefront.  Have you ever had that moment of perfection standing alone in nature?   You know.  The kind that overloads all the senses at once and gives you a natural high?  Picture this. Brightly colored wildflowers swaying against the shore as the waves lap against the rock. The fragrant air gently kissing the skin. And when touch, smell, sight and sound all work together, it makes the body tingle with happiness. 

Family snaps me out of my reverie. And on that same day we replace an old light fixture with a fun one. 

Then it would be back to the lake watching birds again. 

Lesser Yellowlegs

Sometimes we had double trouble:) Both bird and human alike!

And there were yummy dinners.

And then it was back to the lakeshore.  Or river. 

Song Sparrow

After an expired milk mishap, both my younger sister and I cleaned out our parent's fridge. Lots of expired foods had to be thrown out. When carrots start looking like the one below, it tells you something. However, this carrot is still edible. Or rather.....was edible. 

On Game of Thrones night, we had homemade Frey Pie.  Very tasty!

Our lives contain many different chapters.  The birds are timeless fixtures that dot the background of our life story. Whenever I see these birds now, memories surface from the moments I first saw them. And they take me back to that page in time so that I can reread it and savor the moment all over again.    

As the Caspian Tern flies, I stand with Chuck Sontag, my Dad, Gordon, and countless others reliving our first moments together observing these birds.  My very first moment with this bird was with Micheal at the Salton Sea in California. I was just beginning this grand adventure. After years of birding and thousands of miles later, I am at a different place now in my life.  The great seas await me.  Unexplored birding territories in the Spanish speaking world require my eyes. 

As I end my Wisconsin journeys, I reflect on THIS chapter of my life. I am so happy that I could share so many years with my Grandmother as we birded her backyard together.  Just last year, she discovered the Eastern Phoebe. She had seen it for years but never knew the name.  Now whenever I see an American Goldfinch, Baltimore Oriole or Ruby-throated Hummingbird, I will think of her because those were HER favorite birds.  She would tell me to continue my journey and write more chapters! 

In October, we head back to Colorado for some fun. 

And I still have to write 2 more posts from our Costa Rican adventures! I also had some fun with Tucson Audubon as I lead several trips to our grasslands and the infamous Madera Canyon.  I'll also be heading back to Mexico at the end of the month to do my final and last good-bye to a ranch that gave me several important lifers. There will always be good-byes and hellos. And that has taught me to cherish each and every moment. Next week, we'll be heading back to Costa Rica and exploring the beautiful Talamanca Highlands with Serge Arias.  Until next time..... 

The Short of It

In our last post, The Long and Short of It, we set out to look for both the Long and Short-eared Owls.  Today concludes one journey and begins another. 

The wind gusts were extreme.  And so was the birding! 

 We journeyed into the heart of the Pacific Northwest with VERY challenging photography conditions.  Not only that, we had to find a difficult group of birds in these conditions.  

People turn their backs to the strong gale force winds on Cannon Beach

The wind and rain were constant.  And so were the low clinging clouds.  To be honest, it was all very beautiful, but it challenged the photographer inside. 

Haystack Rock-home of the nesting Tufted Puffins

We'd raise our binos up to look at a bird and they'd fill up with water.  Our cameras took a beating.  We crossed our fingers and hoped for the best.  Portland's light conditions were the most challenging.  

Just when you'd think the rain was done; it would begin again!

And most of the birds here didn't care.  I suppose they deal with this kind of weather every day.  We observed many Mew Gulls and added this new lifer to our slowly growing list. 

Carefully taking field notes on this exciting lifer that can sometimes be mistaken for a Ring-billed Gull

 I love gulls so much and this was truly an exciting search for me.  I'll write more about them in my yearly larus report coming up in a few weeks. We'll focus on the Pacific Northwest and the challenges birders have when ID'ing gulls.  If anything, this trip really upped my gull ID skills.  But I won't say that too loudly as I'm still learning lots.  

Mew Gulls-note the smaller yellow(no markings) and somewhat drooping bill

 Oh but the rain.  It continued to eat away at our sanity.  The darkness.  The depression.  The sadness. How do these Portlandians deal with the heavy gray skies?  

Harlequin Duck on Haystack Rock

This Arizonan complains about the heat all the time, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I missed the sunshine.   I don't think we saw the sun ONCE while we were in the city. 

But behind every cloud, there was a bird.  We just had to walk through the mist to find it. 

Song Sparrow

Under ferns, on moss and lichen, there they sang.  But would Gordon finally find his Short-eared Owl?  Could WE find the Short-eared Owls?

Spotted Towhee(the Oregon subspecies)

The clouds clung to every cliff, hid every tree and made the roads slick and dangerous.  The traffic was the worst, especially if there had been an accident. 

In that damp darkness, we saw a shadow. As we moved closer, I watched Gordon get excited.  He toggled ISO switches on his camera, cursed the wet conditions and observed this magical moment under the gentle rain.  Finally, the bird gods granted him this lifer moment. 

Short-eared Owl

Over the next several weeks, we'll explore the beauty and wonder of the Pacific Northwest with our guide and friend Khanh Tran.  It was a hard fought, exciting (and exhausting) time into some of the most beautiful places of the United States. Until next time....

The World of Horicon

Sandhill Crane

Close to my home and near my heart is the magical world of Horicon National Wildlife Refuge.  It's a large area full of incredible birds and peaceful walks. 

Eastern Wood-Pewee

As a child, I remember taking the winding country roads through aging little towns with my grandparents.  Returning as a birder, I saw so much more! 

There were so many stops along the way that I forget where we saw all of our birds.  I just remember having a good time spotting several species that are often difficult to photograph in Arizona. 

Eastern Kingbird

On this day, we would search for Gordon's lifer Bobolink.  And we found plenty:)  

Bobolink

While we search for the Bobolinks, a soggy Song Sparrow pops up to see what we are doing in the prairie grasses. 

Song Sparrow

Tree Swallows shine like sapphires against the bright sunlight. 

Tree Swallow

And Black Terns fish along our gravel path. 

Black Tern

My heart gets beating when I see one of these birds in breeding plumage.  I quickly walk forward.......

......and almost trip over this rock......

......WAIT!  NOT ROCK!  A Snapping Turtle! 

Thanks Gordon for the heads up:)

We had a great morning out at Horicon National Wildlife Refuge.  It's a large area so it definitely requires many more visits.  

Clay-colored Sparrow

Until next time.....

Rainy Days and Monday

Warblers.  We needed to find more warblers! This time around, our journey took us to the beautiful Baxter's Hollow Nature Conservancy, Governor Dodge and Wyalusing State Parks. Our goal?  To find the rare Cerulean and Kentucky Warblers. And maybe a Henslow's Sparrow?  The weather conditions were severe and it made our challenge more challenging:) 

As a birder with a lifebird target list, I am not allowed to stay and enjoy an area for a long period of time. These were some of those places I wished we could have camped for several days.  There was so much wonderful habitat and not enough time to properly explore it all.  And the storms didn't help either.  To make things worse, I was eating a HOT cheese and ham croissant.  I took one bite and a squirt of the hot melted liquid cheese burned me and stained my shirt.  And I wore this shirt for two days.  How gross was I? What we do for the birds:) 

A cool stream runs along a rock wall at Governor Dodge State Park

The challenge was working with overcast skies and severe storms.  And the storms were brewing! We were only given one shot during this ambitious Wisconsin trek.  So we made the most of it and did our best with the conditions provided. 

Song Sparrow on Lupin

After chasing birds in places like Baxter's Hollow and Governor Dodge State Park, we were beginning to have our doubts about these warblers. 

Willow Flycatcher

We did have amazing birds along the way that we don't always get to see in Arizona.  And places like Baxter's Hollow Nature Conservancy offered us the potential to spot some rare-to-Wisconsin warbler action.  

We navigate the wet and slick trails under the canopy of the dark forested Baxter's Hollow

We entered the emerald green area and I felt like I was in Central America again.  The humidity was thick and drops of moisture casually landed on my head.  

Viceroy Butterfly

Red-spotted Purple

I capture "memory photos" and memorize this incredibly beautiful space. 

Indigo Bunting

At Wyalusing State Park, the lifebird list begins to tick as we hear and study an Acadian Flycatcher well.  It was a thrill to see this bird.  In fact, after this trek, I have become really interested in Flycatchers.  They may all look similar but they are quite fascinating to watch.  Each one has a unique call with different habits.  And their habitat is fascinating!

Acadian Flycatcher

This flycatcher prefers the dark shaded forest.  We watched it feed on several bugs before moving onto our BIG challenge.....the Kentucky Warbler. 

The Kentucky Warbler IS a rare bird to Wisconsin during the month of June.  We heard a chip note that was different from the rest.  The bird was circling around us watching.  The rain also began to fall causing poor photography conditions. 

Kentucky Warbler

Eventually we spotted the warbler and were super thrilled to have seen the bird. The bigger question for me was, "Was it nesting?" I discovered in Wisconsin that a lot of the warblers that weren't on our list to find were actually there in smaller numbers.  They weren't supposed to nest there during the summer and yet some did.  I wish I would have studied these unexpected birds better.  But one warbler I did study well was the Cerulean Warbler. 

Cerulean Warbler

Our final mission brings us to a bird of concern, the Cerulean Warbler. It is a stunner of a warbler and listed as vulnerable with a high risk for extinction. But here in the park, there were great numbers breeding along the wooded area. 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

It was quite easily the most abundant warbler in the park. The blues are mesmerizing but you won't be able to tell from the above pic:)  The overcast skies had now become dark! Here is a little bit of background on this bird. The Cerulean Warbler is the fastest declining Neotropcial migrant songbird. Among the many threats they face, their wintering habitat in the northern Andes is dwindling rapidly. 

Today, the American Bird Conservancy is working with its Colombian partner, Fundación ProAves, to protect wintering habitat for these warblers and other songbirds. Click on the link for more information.  Every time I add a new life bird, my knowledge base increases and my birding powers become stronger:)  This is the benefit from constant research on our planet's birds.  I listen to their calls, memorize their habitat and read about their status.  And it takes time!

Field Sparrow

While it was really exciting to watch this warbler in the wild, it was also time to move on.  It's never easy but you are given a moment.  What will you do with that moment?  

Field Sparrows, Eastern Bluebirds, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds........everywhere!  A pair of Bald Eagles hunts along a river. 

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebirds nest. 

And we continue our adventures. For now, I'll leave you with a recording of our Eastern Whip-poor-will find and video from Karen Carpenter:) Until next time......