Wrenegade Madness

Summer Tanager

It started around 5 PM on a Saturday night. The Tucson Audubon's Birdathon began.  Our members Matt, Jennie, Sara, Tim and Corey all gathered for the most exhausting trek ever.  We began our journey into Wilcox at Lake Cochise. 

The winds of change came upon us as a storm blew through Southern Arizona.  But we were prepared. 

Hermit Thrush

At the top of Mt. Lemmon, we nearly froze to death as dense fog brought the kind of cold rarely experienced by desert birders.  A wet chill tried to dampen our spirits, but we weren't having any of it. 

And down the mountains we went into the grasslands of Sonoita. 

White-winged Doves, Inca Dove and Lark Sparrow

There it was warm.  So we hid in the shadows with this Rufous-crowned Sparrow counting birds outside of Patagonia. 

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

We looked up. And down.  And all around. And would you believe it if I told you we found lots of birds?:)  Thanks to fundraising events like these, we'll hopefully continue to protect our birds for generations to come. 

During a reprieve, we settled down at some feeders and watched....more birds. 

Yellow-breasted Chat

Before we knew it, Sunday had come and gone.  Our once a year birding event would come to an end. And every year, we ask ourselves, "Why do we do this crazy thing?"

But we remember quickly that it's all about protecting our planet's birds and the habitats they use.  We raised money.  We had a lot of fun.  And we found 174 birds in one day!  THAT is a good day indeed!

The Wrenegades

As the marathon came to a close, we said our good-bye's quickly so that we could get into our comfy beds and sleep forever.  The Wrenegades will return another day. 

Barn Owl

Until next time.......

Return of the Wrenegades

It's that time of year again when the Wrenegades unite and try to find as many bird species as we can in one day!  All the money raised goes towards Tucson Audubon.

Northern Cardinal in my yard

While it's exhausting, we have such a great time together.  Months of preparation are set into motion.  

The Hooded Oriole has just returned back to Tucson! 

On May 1st, the team reunites.  And it's going to be epic!  This year I plan to use the live feature on Facebook to chronicle our journeys.  Should be quite fun:)

We begin with smiles at midnight and end with "zzzzz's" the next day

Captain Jennie MacFarland leads the team.  Tim Helentjaris carefully schedules the routes.  I am the team recorder.  Sara Pike and Matt Griffiths are the publicity gurus and first officers of our mission.  They keep us on track and on time!

Black Phoebe at a local patch

We begin in darkness and typically end in darkness:)  It's an intense journey into the mountains, grasslands and desert landscape around Southern Arizona as we race against time to find as many birds as we can.

Lesser Goldfinch feeds from local wildflowers near my home

There are several routes I enjoy very much which include, of course, the grasslands.  You never know what you will face.  Take for example last year.  We had a rabid skunk chase us off a trail while searching for some secretive birds.

Rabid Skunk territory! Be careful Tim!

At about 2 AM, we had a Flammulated Owl fly over our heads as one of the members had to use the bathroom.  As the person gets to the outhouse in the middle of the woods, our team member shouts out, I hear an OWL!  This little owl was right over their head:)  We all had a good laugh.

A Common Black Hawk returns to a nest I monitor every year.

There is nothing like falling asleep in a van waiting to hear the "gobble gobble" of Wild Turkeys as the sun rises.

Blue-winged Teal dot the waterfowl counts

As many of you know, I do a lot of travel around the country and world to find our birds.  I am proud to live in one of the "birdiest" places on this planet.  Much of our habitat is protected or will be protected thanks in part to Tucson Audubon's work with the public and researchers.  And it takes money to keep this operation going.  Arizona has great birding but it's better thanks to these folks!

I would never bird urban Tucson at night but when we join together, nothing stops the Wrenegade!

A Birdathon Big Day is an important way to share the excitement of being outdoors and watching birds while raising funds to support the programs that make this region a better place for us all to live(or visit!) and enjoy.

The crew finds their second wind

Since 1987, Birdathon has garnered support for birds and bird-friendly habitats, and for Tucson Audubon's work to conserve these unique natural resources and to educate our community on their importance. 

Anna's Hummingbird hangs out at a local park feeding from the wildflowers

If you would like to donate, just click on the link here and scroll a little ways down. We are the Wrenegades with Jennie Wren. It's safe and secure.  A login is not required after you go to the donate button.  Every little bit counts. Our journey begins on May 1st.

Yellow-eyed Junco

 Until next time friends.....