A Weekend With Cheroot

Greetings everyone!  Before we begin this week's adventures, I wanted to let everyone know about a new feature to the Las Aventuras Blog.  We have a Las Aventuras store! We've had a lot of requests from over the years, and it has taken us awhile to figure this all out. On the left bar, you'll find a link that will take you to our products that range from fun pillows, cards, clocks, key chains, mugs, and acrylic prints. This has been a work of love from over the years and we are finally ready to share our work with you all. I have sold my work to magazines, individuals, books and businesses. Currently I am working with an owner of a birder bed and breakfast here in Southeastern Arizona where we will supply those final touches to the walls, beds and towels. I have been thrilled to see what people have done with my work and I figured we'd do the same with our own home.  We will be releasing new work every day from owls to hummingbirds and more! If you don't find something in the store and have seen it in the blog, let me know by sending me an email.  Now for this week's adventure! 

White-faced Ibis at Willcox

On my days leading up to our annual White Mountain trek, I did some quiet birding alone.  My work and this heat has drained me.  Every year I forget how much it all takes a toll on me.  I often think there is no end in sight.  Then a trek up to the White Mountains reminds me that the cooler weather will arrive soon. 

Mountain Chickadee

This year I had the pleasure of meeting a new friend by the name of Cheroot. My friend Celeste adopted this older furry little guy and brought him with us on our trek to Springerville.   

Clark's Nutcracker

I didn't know how that would go, but it was actually a lot of fun.  Whenever I introduce myself to new dogs, I let them smell my hand first so that they can get to know me.  This was especially important for Cheroot since he is nearly blind. 

On our lengthy trek up to the mountains, Cheroot trembled.  He was anxious about the travel and perhaps anxious about the idea of being abandoned. We believe Cheroot had a difficult life before Celeste and Cheroot found each other.  As an animal person, I tried my best to have him relax in my lap.  Yes, this little stinker made it to the front seat with me where he fell asleep on my lap.  Celeste and I both would take turns in the passenger seat.  It was easy to fall in love with this dog.  He definitely loves his new friend.  

There were moments I saw that little puppy emerge.  There were times I could feel his doubts from his past owner's neglect. There were moments when he played with us just to see what our reactions were going to be. And then there were moments when I observed the older pooch emerge. But it's quite clear that unconditional love makes Cheroot keep going. People who live with animals understand this emotion quite well. Unconditional love and trust. 

The views and the weather were wonderful.  Cheroot did our several mile hikes every day like a trooper. We'd have the morning to play and then the rain would arrive like clockwork at noon. 

There were times when Cheroot would become passionate about protecting his friends from other dogs.  

Celeste would do her best to curb his passionate growls and barks at the other dogs, especially the ones that weren't on a leash!

Once everything was in the clear, we'd continue walking the trails and looking for birds and anything else that would come our way.  

While we were there, we heard wolves in the distance and viewed lots of amazing birds. 

Western Tanager

Migration was upon us and so that meant we needed to keep our eyes open for rare eastern vagrants, which we did.  And we added a nice Eastern Kingbird to the state list. These birds are usually one day wonders and we just happened to be in the right place at the right time. 

Summer Tanager

The walks were amazing.  Cheroot took a moment to sip from the fresh mountain water. 

We kept our eyes open on our way down through the Salt River Canyon for Golden Eagles. 

Golden Eagles love to fly high around cliffs

On the Butler Trail, Celeste spies her first American Three-toed Woodpecker. 

female Three-toed Woodpecker

This bird can be tricky for birders in the state of Arizona. It's just a tricky woodpecker in general as they are dark and like to feed from the higher portions of the tree tops behind lots of tree branches. 

Yours truly is trying to shed some pounds after my treks to Maine and Wisconsin this summer.  The heat in Tucson has curbed my walking so I try to find ways to get my steps in.  For example, I walk more at work inside the buildings instead of outside. I'm also watching my exposure to the sun more now.  I don't want skin cancer!

Red-tailed Hawk

We trekked around Springerville, Greer and Pinetop finding all the specialties that occur in those areas EXCEPT my nemesis, the Dusky Grouse. 

Cliff Chipmunk 

A Common Raven snatches something weird from the ground at Sheep's Crossing.  Maybe it's better we don't think too much about what it is that the raven has in its bill. 

Common Raven

We weren't the only ones who had hiking in mind.  People from all over the west were in the White Mountains enjoying these wonderful temps. 

Cheroot loved it.  He was always with us.  It was interesting to note what pet owners have to endure as they travel with their pets.  For example, eating out was tricky.  We had to find a hotel that was pet friendly.  There were extra charges for having a pet, but it was possible.  During this trek Cheroot broke two rules!  He slept on the bed with his buddy!  Plus, he used his puppy powers to jump up on the bed!  

Black-throated Gray Warbler

And of course, he made it clear that he wasn't having the back seat anymore.  It'll be the front seat if he has his way from this point on:)

Cooper's Hawk

It was a fun weekend out and it flew by much too quickly. Until next time....

Happy Cheroot

The Silent Land of the Artifact Glass Shards

At first the lake looks quiet.  Then we pull out the scope and discover it's rather active.  No one is in sight for miles.  If we are murdered, no one would ever know. 

Every time.  Every single frickin' time.  We try not to mention it.  Or whisper it.  Or even think it!  But then something happens.  Magill and random adventure mishaps go hand-in-hand.  We always find great birds together. So it's worth the risk:) Right?

We targeted the main body of the San Carlos Lake.  In my mind, this is where I'd expect to see the jaeger.  Deeper water, more fish, with gulls or terns near by and opportunities for the jaeger to grab someone's meal

Magill's tire light went on and we were in the middle of nowhere.  Literally, there was no one there at all.  No birders.  No Apache Indians.  NO ONE.  While trying to chase a state bird, we encountered millions of pieces of shattered glass everywhere we went on the reservation.  That. And plenty of garbage which included lots of metal fragments. 

This was a national campaign during my childhood and it's still true today

While the western world loves polluting our environment with plastics, it seems the native americans on the reservations prefer smashing glass bottles everywhere.  While trying to set up the scope, we navigated unsuccessfully through the glass shards. That's when the light went on. We gave up on the chase and prayed to the bird gods that we would get back safely to a place where we had an internet signal off the dirt roads for road service if we needed it.  

My first sighting of a Parasitic Jaeger off of San Diego.  Fortunately, this one was easy to ID. 

We were chasing a Parasitic Jaeger, a super rare bird to the desert.  I am in love with all things "gull" or "gullish" or "gull-like".  I was looking forward to seeing this bird in Arizona.  Normally, it is seen flying around the ocean.  This year, a storm blew 2 of these birds into Arizona.  And they stayed. I've seen all the Jaeger species of North America, but to be honest with you, I still can't tell the difference between a Pomarine or Parasitic Jaeger in their non-breeding plumage. I have to look at the flight patterns to figure out the species. Once I found a jaeger on the way to Catalina island and called it a Parasitic.  The ebird reviewer responded back to me in a sassy tone, "That's OBVIOUSLY a Pomarine Jaeger."  Um, not so obvious to me.  I consider myself a good birder but when those two species are not in their breeding plumage, they are a dickens to ID.  Several friends who are pelagic guides told me not to be too hard on myself because they are difficult to ID even for the ocean birder pros. But to see a jaeger in Arizona?  That would be a dream. 

We drove over this old dam and I prayed to the bird gods that it didn't fall apart. 

My bird knowledge was put on hold as we focused on our survival skills. Thankfully, we were stocked with water.  While it wasn't super hot, it was still hot, with a slight breeze. But hot. Both of us got into our serious modes.  Me, the teacher, trying to come up with a Plan B or Plan C just in case Plan A didn't get us back to Globe. I struggled to figure it out while Magill read mileage info to me.  It was like an hour glass with the sands trickling down ever so slowly.  We had both made mental notes of tire places and internet zones while on the reservation. There were a few spotty sections around the San Carlos Lake that we could hike to if needed.  

A Monarch

Praise be to the bird gods!  We made it back to Globe in one piece and weren't stranded for long.  After our issue was resolved, we headed back to the tricky-to-navigate roads.  I had theories about where the bird might be seen.  Every dirt road looked the same, full of broken glass and twisted metal.  We drove both sides of the lake and then....committed ourselves to one spot.  The bird was there, I could feel it.  

HOW DO WE GET THERE???  All the roads looked the same and some were full of ruts.  Oh and GPS markers were off.

We stood on that last final road exhausted from the trek.  Both of us said to each other, "Why in the hell do we do this to ourselves?  Why do we chase birds?" Then the Parasitic Jaeger flew our way and it was a high five moment.  That's why.

Our first Arizona Parasitic Jaeger, looking VERY healthy

We watched it soar high as it flew around the lake. Gulls, jaegers and skuas are amazing birds.  As Magill picked the glass out of her shoe, I observed lots of dragonflies having sex. 

It did some high aerial moves and it was a fascinating show

Every good birder knows that going onto the Indian Reservation requires a lot of patience and time.  Especially when there is a good bird to be seen for the state.  We stopped at the Circle K in Globe for the permit.  Magill got both of our permits for the day at 10 bucks a pop.  Then we went to Subway for a quick bite.  I hate Subway, but they are serving wraps now.  So I guess I like Subway now:)

TWO rare Tricolored Herons show up in Pima county

After a challenging, yet fun day, on Saturday, we did some enjoyable birding in the town of Patagonia on Sunday.  We found lots of rare birds on our own and met up with friends I haven't seen in awhile.  Really really good people who I admire a lot. We had a nice lunch at the Gathering Grounds and then, I was going to do butterfly photography.  It became overcast and the butterflies disappeared.  However, the birds were everywhere and we found ourselves observing lots of crazy birds migrating through Paton's Hummingbird Center.   

This juvenile male Western Tanager is fascinated by my camera clicks

I'll be honest.  I like birding safe and fun areas.  But as we climb up this ladder on this crazy state bird list, the challenges are difficult.  Magill and I have LOTS of stories.  We've had a tire blowout on Mt. Ord, a bathroom incident that involved a guy shooting up in a dirty wash, and almost running out of gas in the San Rafael Grasslands. And there's been a few others that included tumbles, nearly throwing up, an emergency call back to shore because a guy hit himself on the rail and went unconscious, getting questioned by a suspicious woman(while researching the disappearance of the Monk Parakeets of Casa Grande, a little golf cart ride with women who already had a few drinks, and misdirection(mostly by me-I'm a bad navigator:) Both of us come from Wisconsin where the birding is gentle and kind.  Arizona can be an adventure and most often, some of the rarest birds are found in rough terrain.  With both Magill and Gordon along for the adventures, we find some of the craziest things in this state. 

Stunning views, lots of broken glass, and epic bird=great memories

We both achieved our personal goals. And to answer our own questions, I think the reason as to why we do these few state chases is for the adventure and storytelling.  Before the Parasitic Jaeger arrived, I had never birded San Carlos Lake.  Now I have.  And that's what it's all about!  Discovery.  Until next time.....

The Red Army Part 2

At the midnight hour, the day before we were supposed to return back to our classrooms, the deal fell through.  Anger.  Rage.  And once again, a trip up to the capital in the thousands is what many Arizona teachers did.  

"20 By 20" was Governor Ducey's response to the public education crisis in Arizona.  In other words, a 20 percent raise by the year 2020.  Originally it was 2 percent, but Arizona teachers had had it. Classrooms falling apart, support staff gone, and the loss of amazing teachers to other states were just a few issues that set off the Red For Ed movement.

Now at the midnight hour, literally, we were in the legislature once again in Phoenix.  The legislature wasn't going to pass Governor Ducey's proposed budget.  With thousands in the mall, legislation building and inside the legislation room with our lawmakers, we made it known that we weren't leaving until that budget passed.  And it did in the very early morning hours. It isn't a perfect plan, but it will do for now.  It was very clear that Arizona lawmakers didn't care about public education. They ignored the shouting from the mall and outside rooms. Their indifference spoke volumes. One representative, Kelly Townsend, wanted to fine teachers for walking out of the classroom.  Thankfully her bill didn't pass. This class act happened to be watching a movie while voting down a child care measure. Needless to say, their days are numbered. They have unwittingly created a red army come re-election night. Both Republican and Democrat teachers have joined together to stop these bad lawmakers, the Koch Brother agenda to privatize public schools and Dark Money. 

Exhausted physically and mentally by the strange hours of the strike and (not getting paid), I prepared for our fundraising event with the Wrenegades.  The crazy hours were taking their toll on my body.  I wanted to back out, but I made a promise to the team and I didn't want to break our year tradition.  

Wilson's Phalarope

 We raised lots of money for Tucson Audubon and had a very challenging time with high winds.  Each time we come together as a team, we learn lots from each other while catching up with things happening in the Arizona birding world. 

I birded, but my mind was on the strike.  How many more days would we go like this? Would our demands be met?  Would they extend our school days?  There were so many balls up in the air that it was difficult to concentrate. And my sleep schedule was all off. 

White-faced Ibis

 The birding was good and the first part of our evening passed with a beautiful reminder......

.....which was to just go with the flow.  I can't be 100 percent all the time, but I will try my best. 

Our evening was made even better when we started getting into the creepy urban wildlife spaces like the Sweetwater Wetlands.  I shared with the team why I had the heeby jeebies and they kind of all laughed it off until the person from Tucson Water, who unlocked the gate, joined us and shared a similar tale. 

There are no ghosts or goblins.  But there are strange characters that hang out at the park during all times of the day. Two such characters are known as Raccoon Bob and The Butcher.  When the lady started telling the story about the Butcher, they all burst out laughing.  I could tell that they hadn't birded Sweetwater enough to know that the Butcher was real. 

And while we were there, Raccoon Bob PASSED us in his rusty old bug TWICE!  Raccoon Bob hides in the darkness to watch mammals at night.  His favorite mammals are the raccoon.  I wasn't afraid of him.  I was more afraid of the Butcher.  He rides in an old red meat wagon and lives out of the vehicle.  Birders swear that he has been breaking into their vehicles.  And I'm also of the mind that it's the Butcher responsible for the parking lot crime wave.  We didn't see him that evening, but I knew he was around the area.  So did TEP(Tucson Electric and Power)

After the Sweetwater experience, I became a zombie up on Mt. Lemmon. I couldn't focus for the life of me.  It was 2 or 3 AM and I was cold.

In the morning, I found a letter on a rock overlooking the grand canyons of Mt. Lemmon.  The team thought I was joking around at first when I read the letter aloud, but it was a sad note.  A hiker had recently passed away on the trails after getting lost. By the time he was found, he was too far gone.  Our team member, Sara, saw his body in the bag before they took him away.  The letter was from his niece telling him that she would never forget him and that every time they looked out from that vista, she would think of him. On the rock by the letter were a pair of sunglasses and a tea packet. We folded the letter neatly up and placed it back on the rock.  It was a moment of reflection. 

Red-faced Warbler with the nest site behind

At this point, I had achieved my "2nd wind" and was excited to watch a pair of Red-faced Warblers make a nest under the roots of a tree. 

It was early morning and the woods were dark.  But how beautiful.  Then I found out the strike was off and it was back to work again getting the students ready for the finals. 

Canyon Towhee

After the Wrenegades, the strike and being back in the classroom, it was then time to guide.  Believe it or not, I looked forward to the guiding the most.  It gave me something to focus on.  

Western Screech-Owl

For 2 weekends, we chased really great birds and had success with most of them, except that blasted Arizona Woodpecker.  They were heard everywhere and yet, they were little buggers to spot.  

Western Tanager

I had a blast spending the weekends with Steve and Kathy from Wisconsin.  There is something about Wisconsin birders that I love.  Maybe it's because we're from the same state.  Maybe it's because I can slip back into my Wisconsin "don't cha no" accent and not be teased.  Or maybe because it's just nice to be around good people. 

Yellow Warbler

I take huge pride in Southern Arizona.  Showing people our secret gems from around this part of the state is always wonderful.  We are more than just a desert.  Although, I think Kathy will agree with me on this.....it's hot here!  So we went to higher elevations OR got up super early.  

Acorn Woodpeckers

We found the Rufous-backed Robins, Sinaloa Wren, Rose-throated Becard, nesting Elegant Trogons and lots of other birds.  

American Robin guarding a nest

We even spotted some weird rarities like Cassin's Finches, a Townsend's Solitaire and Williamson's Sapsucker. All lifers.  And not expected at all during their visit.  

The days fly by so quickly.  Kathy asked me what I'd do this weekend and I laughed. Nothing.  I am going to clean my house and sleep in.  No birds.  No heat.  No strikes.  No fund raising.  Just me and a cup of coffee watching my bird feeders.  

Broad-billed Hummingbird

Las Aventuras is planning 3 major treks before this "season" is over. August is the start of the new birding season. Anyhow, one trek is just exploring an area for birds in general.  The second trek will be the important one and it will hopefully propel me beyond the 1000 life bird mark.  And our 3rd will be a fun road trip to find just one bird in the US.  Stay tuned for more.......