Golden Opportunities

Female Phainopepla

When one bird is found, another is just waiting to be discovered.  Of course along the way, previously discovered birds continue to present themselves in better light and require another photo.

Western Bluebirds

I'm still waiting for better shots of the Western Bluebirds.  Of course there were lots of them flying around this mesquite but nature doesn't really care if you get the shot or not.  You get them when you can and so I wait for that better Bluebird shot.

Male Phainopepla

Now while one bird may not be ready for their pictures, some sit perfectly in the right light.

Northern Mockingbird

And even though I may have better pictures, who can resist taking more postcard perfect pictures!??  It's not everyday we pass by the Phainopepla population:)

And on this day, we'd work hard for our new and old discoveries.  But they were all worth it!  And we got a great walk on top of it:)

Female Broad bill Hummingbird

In the beginning of this post, I mentioned finding one bird and then looking for another new one.  I had discovered what I still think was a Golden Eagle the previous day but didn't have enough observation time with the bird to call it.  Several other "pro" birders felt confident and called the shot.  Coming up this month, I plan on getting better shots of not only the Golden Eagles but the Bald Eagles in New Mexico.   But on this day at Sabino, we were able to observe two wonderful eagles together.  It was amazing.  I'm really learning flight patterns and looking for those field marks.

Golden Eagle

The Rock Wren below sounds like a police whistle.  I had heard it and counted it before but was never able to get the shot.  Today the opportunity would arise.  But this photographer has to remember where he was going while trying to capture this bird.  I lost myself behind the camera and when I came back to reality, I discovered I was on a rock ledge with a pool of nasty water 2 feet below me!  That would have been nasty.

Rock Wren

And another sparrow would present itself on this day. In 1886, the Rufous winged Sparrow was considered extremely rare where before it had been VERY common.  At one point it was considered extinct until 1936 when the species was rediscovered. Some of these birds held on and today, their populations are once again expanding however slowly.   Loss of habitat as a result of overgrazing and urban development is believed to have had the greatest effect on populations.  They are considered a treasure by many birders as they are still uncommon.  In fact when I posted the shots on my Facebook, several birders proclaimed that we did indeed have a good day:) Yeah for us, but I hope this bird  becomes common once again.

Rufous-winged Sparrow

This guy grabbed my attention while Kathie was snapping shots of a Rock Wren and Black-throated Sparrow getting into a tiff.  Golden opportunity.

Whether it's an "old" bird or "new" one, it's still fun observing the world of birds.  It's a fantastic world. All you need is patience and a good eye.

Black-throated Sparrow

It also helps when your birding buddy is shorter:)  More tomorrow.....

White Throated Sparrow

Sparrows.  The bane of my existence.  They are so difficult to ID, but thankfully this little guy had all the right markings in all the right places:)

Easy to ID.  Not a common fellow around these parts but one that is welcome, the White Throated Sparrow does indeed have a white throat and yellow lores(fancy term for some yellow splash around the eyes).

Another first bird for Las Aventuras as we watched this bird dig around the dirt at Sweetwater wetlands near the bridge.

If you live in Tucson or are visiting, remember to look near the entrance by the bridge for all the little birds.  They like to hang out in the bushes and along the stream. It's where I've spotted many of my warblers and sparrows.  Cute little sparrow and one that doesn't take an expert eye to figure out.  My kind of bird:)  More tomorrow....

White Throated Sparrow

Art With Art

Female Anna's Hummingbird

Here's the female Anna's Hummingbird.  It may be "winter" in Arizona but these year long residents visit our feeders often in Tucson.

If life imitates art, then perhaps this is a perfect example.

I was chatting with Kathie and waiting for her to get her tea all prepped for our trip.  And while she was getting everything all together, I saw her hummingbird feeder busy with activity.

It was surprising because I can never get the hummers to come to these glamorous feeders.  They tend to like the cheap ones, but the key here was that this was in the shade.  And that made all the difference in the world.

Get ready for some incredible fun coming up on Las Aventuras. Let's have a kiki!  December is just warming up. Let the festivities begin.....

El Sr. Papagayo

Northern Mockingbird

Hello everyone!  I'm back and catching up with you all. It has been an amazing weekend with a lot of finds and I can't wait to share those posts with you all. Although, I'm done with these chigger bites.  They are terrible this year!  So don't look at the bird bath.  It's disgusting and has since been cleaned.  But apparently, the wildlife doesn't care.  In fact the more algae, mosquito larvae, and less water it has....the better!

Once common at El Presidio, this Northern Mockingbird stopped by for a quick bath and drink. Residents called this bird "the Papagayo".  I have no idea what that meant but it stuck.  El "Sr. Papagayo" made lots of exotic and tropical bird noises in our courtyard at the end of May and into June right before monsoon. It was the most beautiful sound to hear and many residents left their doors open to listen to the comforting and continually random calls he learned from other birds over his lifetime.  Which begs the question, "Who were all those interesting characters he met?!"

He was indeed a "Sr." because he was looking for a mate.  When I first met him in person, I was, how shall we say, underwhelmed by the appearance.  Then our pool was removed and el "Sr. Papagayo" never returned.  Perhaps it was the water, but for two seasons his voice was not heard at El Presidio. They flew around in our neighborhood but never stopped by our gardens.....until now.

You don't realize how precious something is until its gone.  When this Mockingbird made a return to the gardens for the first time, my heart leapt.  I constantly look out my window for the new birds and when I saw our newly returned visitor, I had to contain my excitement and slowly grab the camera.

The secret?  We need to get our fountain into the courtyard and then perhaps, "El Sr. Papagayo" will return on a regular basis. So welcome back my feathered friend:)  More tomorrow.... 

Verdin Love

I enjoy birders from outside of Arizona.  They come with hopes of capturing many birds from around our state.  They usually have a list of places they need to go.  Generally, most will find more birds than they had ever hoped for:) And so my story begins with this tiny little Verdin:)

My hummingbird feeder has been losing liquid for quite some time now.  Another nest has been built near a hummer's nest and quite interesting enough, our hummingbird feeders have been popular with the Gila Woodpecker, Verdins, and Anna's Hummingbirds! The problem with these Verdins and Gila Woodpeckers?  They sure like to move the feeders and pour out some juice for their own needs:)

These pictures were taken from my dining room window(my cat's "Plasma TV").  I've been frustrated that quite a bit of the liquid gets all over the sidewalk!  But I rinse it off with a hose and have extra hummingbird juice in the fridge to fill up during the week.

I don't know why but I do enjoy the antics of the Verdin.  They are skittish little creatures and move quickly at the slightest scare.

Now for the out of town birders.  It makes me smile while I'm on a birding mission searching for that rare bird to find others searching for the birds that I take for granted everyday.  For example, the Verdin.  3 men from California were on a bridge with their photo equipment set up excited about some bird off in the distance.  When I see a cluster of people, I become excited myself and move quickly and quietly to the location to check out the action.

They are smiling and laughing like little kids and so I ask, "What do you guys see?"  They excitedly respond, "A VERDIN!!  A VERDIN!!"  I smile to myself and say, "Have fun guys.  Hope you find lots of birds."  I give them some tips to help locate other birds that are nesting etc.  And then I think, maybe I am beginning to cross the line from amateur to something else....?  It's one thing to see a bird, but now I am using my voice and ears to locate calls from various birds.  I didn't think I would get to that stage ever, but it's happening. 

Before going on a search, I now research the bird online and listen to the calls.  I have begun to do this with the Elegant Trogon. This is yet another challenge for myself this summer as they are nesting in Madera Canyon.

But back to the Verdin.  I remember my first time hearing a different voice in my bird garden this spring.  I have gotten used to the sparrows, hummingbirds, mourning doves, thrashers, cardinals and house finches along with their calls.  When I heard the Verdin's voice for the first time, it was distinct and made me focus to attention. That was the first time I understood the value of listening.

Another post is coming up where I used only sound to help located the Yellow Warbler but more on that later.  I don't mind this Verdin messing up the sidewalk because it's a real treat to have a diverse population of birds on the grounds at El Presidio. More tomorrow....