Table Manners!

Northern Flicker

We climbed through wind and snow to check on my friend's cabin up on Mt. Lemmon. I brought a secret stash of peanuts and pineapple(thanks to Kathie!) bits to call upon some old friends from last year.

Ski Valley

Getting there wasn't easy.  The desert was warm and breezy.  And yet 25 miles away, the frigid town of Summerhaven was covered with snow!  I had been losing ground with my bird count.  While my father was visiting, I had to take a backseat on the birding and it may have cost me the Rusty Blackbird.  But I still needed new bird species for this year.  I knew they were around my friend's cabin.  Just needed to call upon their appetites:)

And within 20 minutes of me calling out to them, the Steller's Jay came quickly.  I placed the bag of goodies on the wooden post and watched them fill up.  It was cold!!!

But the Northern Flicker heard me as well and popped up for a nut.....or two........good thing this Flicker had a bib;)

Steller's Jay

But I thought we were supposed to chew our food first!!! At least that's what my mother taught me:)  However, some birds, like the Jay, will stuff in as many nuts as they can fit into their mouths for later consumption.  Clever!

We had to walk through a blanket of snow to get to the cabin.  The roads had at least 9 inches of the white stuff.  And then there were the drifts! My feet took all day to thaw for this birding expedition!

But it was worth it:)  Later the Acorn and Hairy Woodpeckers would join us around the feeders.

Acorn Woodpecker

The snow was gorgeous, but as you can see below, the cars were all lined up for skiing!  Of course this happens up in Ski Valley.  We drove up to this part to see if we could find a parking place for some hot chili.....but it was FULL!   So we headed back down to the village and ate there.

Meanwhile, back at the cabin, all the birds were clearing off the food quickly.  One Jay turned into two, then three, then four, then five.....and SIX!  I can always rely on my Jays to call the crew in:)  Other birds will also follow these loud birds.  Before one knows it, there is a party going on!

And I welcomed that party as I was able to add 5 more birds onto my Pima county list.  None were lifebirds but they were all great birds to get on the list:)  Currently in the state of Arizona, I have found 185 species of the 314 birds reported!  More are on their way and things are going to heat up in March and April!

Our walk on Grosbeak road!  No Grosbeaks....yet:)

But on this day we froze:)  That's what I love about birding.  Each journey is strange and different. Personally, this was a fun day and I'm glad my friend had to check up on the cabin.

I would spot Steller's Jay, the White-breasted Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee, Hairy Woodpecker, Acorn Woodpecker and Northern Flicker.  Plus I was able to get closeups of these birds at the feeders!

I practically had to put my feet into the furnace to revive their walking powers again.  We were numb from the cold!

It made for a very productive day in the photography and EBIRD department!  I love playing detective and I especially love all the fun that comes with the birds:) And my friend's cabin was fine:)  Until next time.....

Sore Eyes

What happens when you search beyond the "Usual Suspects" while birding?

Hutton's Vireo

You get sore eyes searching for new ones!!!!  But boy is it worth it!  These shots were taken at Madera Canyon while a woman was singing a Karen Carpenter song loudly.  I couldn't hear the bird sounds very well because they were drowned out by....."Why do birds, suddenly appear, every time you are near?"  Very sick sense of humor....but I like that song.  And it makes me laugh....now:)

Tree Creeper

So while the audio waves were blocked by this mad singing siren, I had to keep my eyes focused on slight movement.  There were so many little birds flying around that it was once again hard to focus.  I'm finding that there is a certain time when all the little birds flock together and feed.  I was in the hot spot as it all happened around me.

Bridled Titmouse

On this observation, I'd pick up three more for the lifelist:)  The Tree Creeper and Hutton's Vireo were most welcome surprises.....especially the Hutton's Vireo.  I knew the bird was different because of the head formation but I put it out to the ID Bird Gurus and it sparked a long conversation on how this bird gets confused with others.  I got lost in the conversation somewhere but am glad I got that one checked off my list.  Cute bird but it can be one of the difficult ones out there to ID:)

But moving along, I observed this Dark Eyed Junco(below) along with many of his compadres as they fed around the feeders at a local B & B in Madera Canyon.  

Dark Eyed Junco

Always a thrill to watch and never shy to the camera are the lovely and loud Mexican Jays:)

Squirrels, Lesser Goldfinches, Hummingbirds, Wild Turkey were all present.

The little birds make you work.  They are quick, fast and usually in deep shade to get on film or plain old ID.  But after all is said and done, it can be very rewarding.  On this day, I would learn much about behavior.

I want to say that the woman was annoying but she wasn't.  I got a little misty eyed.  I listened to Karen Carpenter as a child on the 8 Track.  She was one of my favorites growing up.  It was my parent's wedding song.  And today it's the featured video.  RIP Karen.  I still listen to your music and apparently so do others:)  More tomorrow....

Setting The Table

Get ready for a post full of random thoughts from an AM car ride to work:) And it's about how we began and where we are now.  Keep in mind the question, "How does one set the table?"  And as a side note before I get started, I just wanted to let everyone know that I'll be working at the Butterfly Magic exhibit in the afternoon at the Tucson Botanical Gardens on October 8th.  Come and stop by!  I'd love to meet you and show you around Southern Arizona's only tropical butterfly exhibit. On a side note, I'll be on vacation this next week heading out to some far away places after the 8th.  I'll be sporadic on blogger as I hopefully discover more incredible things. But until I return, I have lots of fun finds coming your way everyday.

As a kid, I dreamt about magical gardens, meeting strange new people, finding incredible creatures, and learning about what was beyond that next star.

Ladder Back Woodpecker

In college I would feel like I wasn't doing enough.  Not traveling enough. Not knowing enough. I thought it was something I had to fly to by plane, train or automobile.  I didn't know how to start.  I just threw myself carelessly out there. 

But as the years advance, it's about learning the subtle strokes of the painting.  The things we overlook in our lives. The things I now wish I could slow down more. 

Spotted Towhee

It's not being first at the finish line.

House Finch

There is so much chaos and noise all about the world.  We wonder sometimes, "What if?"

Mexican Jay

What if everything was perfect and all we had to do was find that inner calm?  But it's not, is it? We have friends and family who suffer from sickness and terrible situations. It's that chaos that affects us all.

Magnificent Hummingbird

Life is short.  I watched a Civil War show on PBS that showcased just how many people lost their lives during this difficult time in our country's history.  I thought about it more.  It has been well over a hundred years since the event but as a child, I remember that there were older people who had met these survivors and actually had conversations with them.  The last confederate survivor died in 1956.  My Great Grandparents was born in 1899. They came from Germany.  One set of Grandparents were born in 1911 and 1914....which was around the time the automobile was created and introduced to the world. My Grandma lived on dirt roads with horses being the main transportation to and from her village.  Her parents died of Scarlet fever.  She was 14 and moved in with her aunt on the farm.

They are all gone now. The personal stories of the Civil War, WW1, WW2, and Korean war vets have almost completely faded from our current society.  One Grandmother remains and I want to keep her alive forever.  My parents grew up in the 50's and 60's to a different world.  One where cars and the "American dream" would develop further.  You just had to follow the plan and success was guaranteed.  I grew up in the 70's and 80's.  I am the last generation of the group who could ride bikes and play with neighborhood kids before getting snatched up by a stranger.  And in the 80's began the electronic age with Atari.  Kids would begin to stay inside their homes and play video games all day. And it was safer for parents since now they had to worry about society stealing their children out of their own backyards.  A made for TV show called "Adam Walsh" would expose the horrors of child abduction. And so it would begin...obesity. I told you this was random:)

Nuthatch

The 90's seemed a peaceful time of happiness and prosperity. It was the time of suburbs and loss of more habitat.  But at the turn of the century so much would come crashing down around us.  Chaos. Anger.  Loss. Faster electronics making people move faster in their everyday lives. Fruit orchards around the Bay area of California would be replaced by Silicon Valley and the suburbs.  Faster faster faster. 

Vast areas of land as the human population swells are now having to be marked as sacred.  Do not touch.  Land which seemed endless is now measured by the google mapping system of Earth.  Every square inch is being carefully scrutinized to own or protect.  So where does that leave us today?

Acorn Woodpecker

Our younger generations are much more educated on the preservation of nature than I was when it came to  protecting the environment.  But there isn't a sense of security like there was decades ago.  There are no guarantees and if things keep going as they do, a lot more will change.  This isn't political at all.  It's just that it's been happening all along in such subtle ways.  And I wonder about these young students of mine as they raise their families.  What will their kids face 20 or 30 years down the road?  Will all of this still be here for them?  It's not a question of when because it's now.  Today some countries and their states are making the difference and preserving spaces.  Some are not.  The difficulty is that we are all linked to one another environmentally.  We've done it with technology but now we have to do it with Mother Nature.  There is a movement but it is patchy globally.

Because what one place does, affects the other. Mexicans burn their land away which is habitat for the hummers in winter.  What if they don't have that habitat anymore?  Will they come back to Southern Arizona?  It's happening. As I sat in my 45 minute car ride to work, this is what I thought about today.  Is "setting the table?" a proper question to ask when most of us don't even sit down at a table for dinner anymore?  

Ash Canyon

This year has been the year of exploration in the Huachuca mountains.  They say your first two years of birding are the most exciting and this has only been my first year really attempting to bird.  But to be honest, I don't just bird.  Do any of us really?  If there's a cool shot, don't we always try to take it? Todays focus is on the beautiful Ash Canyon outside of Sierra Vista.  At the entrance to this gravel road, we were greeted by lots of deer. 

At Mary Jo's garden, you'll find lots of hummers gracing her wildflowers.

Or see the Acorn Woodpeckers eyeing up all the food she provides on her property.

Lots of territorial disputes.  The hummers have a hard time sharing:)

But no one seems to notice the Nuthatch going up and down and upside down around the mesquite.  This bird makes me smile.  Clever!

There are many canyons in the Huachuca Mountains.  I've only been to 4 of them.  Each unique and exciting AND full of different critters.  Ash Canyon is brighter and sunnier so wear a cap, sunscreen, and have some good hiking boots.  There is so much more to explore! 

Relentless Heat and Humidity

The Nuthatch

At the time of this write, the rains were plentiful and providing much needed water to our desert and canyons. Things are so green around here.

And of course with it comes all of the bugs and humidity which make hiking really bad.

Today's photos were taken near Patagonia on an afternoon hike.  I brought water with me but almost suffered heat exhaustion.  I was with a friend and I tried taking pictures but my eyesight was getting blurry.

There were grasshoppers galore.....and the chiggers.  In fact, the pain I suffered on this day went a little too far.  We made it back after almost collapsing. When I took my shoes and socks off, I discovered my feet had been severely attacked by hundreds of chigger bites.  This was worse than Panama during our turtle project along the Caribbean beach.

Brachystola magna
Plains lubber

Let's just say that I am glad to be done with this rainy, hot and humid weather.  It's time for gardening and cooler temps again. 

Summer Birding in Tucson

Bridled Titmouse

What's more exciting than birding in winter and spring?  Well how about birding during the summer!!!??  Yeah it's hot and miserable.  I put food out the night before and it's gone before I get up the next day which says a lot about getting up early and birding.

These pics capture the beauty of any garden full of art and nature.  This is the Bridled Titmouse checking out potted plants in a patio area.   A cooler breeze makes me happy as the sun was hot. So many of us will head to the mountains or canyons during the day.....or get up very early before the 100 degree temps start up:)

And while waiting for other birds rumoured in the area, a nuthatch joins in on the fun.

But some special guests arrive....like this cowbird.  For some, including myself, it's a lifer. Note the red eyes.  This bird lives up to its reputation.  Black with red eyes can mean many things in the bird world, but this guy is fierce.  It will kick other birds out of their nests for its own use.  How's that for vicious!?

While waiting for some more fun, a Lesser Goldfinch drops by to get a sip of juice out of this cup.

A Black Headed Grosbeak takes off in the distance.

And the biggest surprise comes from this Summer Tanager.  Move over Vermillion Flycatchers and Cardinals.....there's another red bird around:) 

Yes indeed.  It twas a fun day birding during this hot summer day:) Best times to bird?  Sun up and sun down.  Best time to hike?  Before 10 AM and after 4 PM.  Please be careful with the monsoon rains coming.  Water and lighting are very powerful things here in the desert.  Be safe!  I'll be back tomorrow from our vacation and look forward to catching up with everyone.  More tomorrow....