A Look Back At 2019

The 2019 year of birding was one of the most difficult years of birding I've had in a long time. It was full of highlights and unfortunately several good-byes.  I covered a lot of ground in 9 US states to do some detailed US birding.  And we took an international trek over to Wales for some fun birding.  I guided.  I lectured. And I may have burned myself out a little BUT I accomplished my goal of finding over a 111 new bird species for that life list. 

On the macro level in the birding world, we lost an important birding figure, Bill Thompson III.  At the local level, Arizonan birders lost Mary Jo Ballator who had a beautiful yard to watch such great birds as the Lucifer Hummingbird and Montezuma Quail. Today her home is a sanctuary.  And at a personal level, I lost my friend Kathy Cooper who organized treks down to the Aribabi Ranch in Mexico. Micheal also lost a dear friend to colon cancer at the young age of 45. My father almost suffered a fatal heart attack and Kathie's husband Gus had a stroke!  Thankfully, today both gentlemen are feeling better. Overall, it has been a tough year, but I managed to get some birding done.  Wherever you are, be all there!  And that is what I did. 

Lesser Prairie-Chickens

I think it was some time in April while watching the Lesser Prairie-Chickens on their lek that I thought, This is amazing and I don't need to find any more new birds.  I'm good for the rest of the year. And honestly, I just birded local spots with friends for the rest of the year. My personal goal was to ebird at least once a day. It is challenging!

This year's superstar, the White-throated Thrush.  A first for Arizona

I added 5 new birds to my state list and 14 new birds to my Pima County list. I'm now taking a break and relaxing at home watching my birds and critters from my windows. I've been working in the garden.  And on a tough day, Ms. Janine McCabe surprised me with two wonderful native plants for my birds in the garden, a saltbush and wolfberry bush.  Apparently a landscaper thought my saltbush looked like a weed and pulled it! It's specifically for my wintering sparrows that visit my garden.  Landscapers were fired this year and me and my neighbor now manage the property gardens. Thank you Janine so much:)

Willow Ptarmigan or Red Grouse

One of my goals this year was finding grouse, or the "chicken birds".  I did well and observed several species on leks.  I saw Ruffed Grouse, Dusky Grouse, Lesser Prairie-Chicken, Willow Ptarmigans, Black Grouse, Red-legged Partridge, and Mountain Quail. These birds are not easy and I found Mountain Quail to be the trickiest for photography!

Atlantic Puffin

Speaking of the photography department, I was finally able to get better shots of the Black-throated Blue Warbler, Cerulian Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Northern Gannet, Atlantic Puffins, Common Murres and Razorbills. Another goal was to get my friend Kathie across the ocean to Machias Seal Island for an intimate observation with several birds that we had seen from afar.  I felt bad my first time observing Atlantic Puffins with Kathie because she was sea sick.  But this time around, we had a wonderful experience. It was the most perfect pelagic I've experienced in awhile. And I think Kathie had a great time. 

Northern Gannet

A few of my favorite treks included Machias Seal Island between the Maine and Canadian border, Holyhead in Wales, World's End in Wales, the snowy magical world up in Washington Pass in Washington state, Proctor Road outside of Madera Canyon and in the grasslands near Roswell. 

We kick started the year searching for a Red-flanked Bluetail in the busy urban area of Los Angeles. We had a crazy burst of energy to chase that bird and it was the by far, the most illogical and fun trip we took to search for a new bird this year. Early on in the year, I knew I would be finding most of my new birds during the first half of the year.  

European Robin makes MANY vocalizations!

So my favorite birds of the year? (so far)

White-throated Dipper

All of the grouse. But especially the Lesser Prairie-Chickens.  The Water Rail in England was a favorite as were the Dunnock, Northern Lapwing, Rooks, Reed Bunting, Eurasian Blackbird, Jack Snipe, Red-billed Chough, AND my British favorite, the White-throated Dipper! Of course there are so many birds to mention, but I remember getting really excited about observing these birds in the wild.  Other birds that really made me smile, but weren't lifers were the Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills, Northern Fulmar and Common Murres. 

Philadelphia Vireo

There are some birds that don't thrill as much but they are what birders call ticks.  A Carolina Chickadee looks very similar to a Black-capped Chickadee so it didn't really dazzle. A Philadelphia Vireo was difficult to find but I did it.  And I was glad that I won't have to search for that bird again. Some people love woodpeckers. I like them alright, but when Kathie spotted our lifer Black-backed Woodpecker, I was excited for her.  I snapped a shot and was glad to be done with that chase.  Don't get me wrong.  All birds are amazing, but there are some groups I like better than others. 

Northern Fulmar

It was fantastic to meet a new friend and birder.  Over the years, our mutual friend Bonnie said we'd get along famously and told me to fly to Wales.  I've always been a Central and South American fan.  Britain wasn't ever really on my radar.  In short, I fell in love with Wales.  And I loved the atmosphere and people.  And the birds were fun too!

Broad-winged Hawk

Birds and birders go hand in hand.  I'd like to acknowledge several people who really made this birding year a lot of fun. 

First, I'd like to thank Gordon for his work getting several treks together.  We make a good team and I value his detailed notes and planning. I'm also really grateful to get to know Laurie Foss and Bucky better.  She made the Austin area birding a lot of fun.  Still not a fan of BBQ but it was an amazing trek full of great birds.  Thank you Laurie for your hospitality and sharing your knowledge!

And then to Bonnie and Steve.  I'm still thinking about our beautiful trek to England and all of Wales:)  They were wonderful hosts and really gave us a wonderful introduction to Wales.  We had a lot of laughs and I'll never forget the lesson of ordering a "starter".  It's not an appetizer for everyone.  Best line of the year?  "Aren't you being a little bit greedy Chris?" LOL!  I tried ordering several starters, thinking they were appetizers, for everyone and the waitress thought that I wanted to eat them all myself!  We still laugh at that moment.  Thanks Bonnie for clarifying! And that passport incident will never be forgotten. 

Steve spies a Red-billed Chough

Stephen, or Steve, was amazing.  I had so much fun just birding across the country.  That was so beautiful!  AND the two of us bird alike.  I can't wait for him to visit this spring in Arizona.  It's going to be a fun trek!

In fact, now that I look back at it all, I brought rainy and cold weather with me wherever I went this year.  Everyone said it was unusual, but I loved it!

Red Kite

And in between the travel to various US states and Wales, I hung out here in AZ guiding and helping others find our amazing birds. 

Elegant Trogon

I'd like to thanks Travis Moore and Nancy Gill for the fun times we had in Wisconsin this summer.  Nancy opened her farm up to a banding team from Milwaukee to help band Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.  And to Travis for making a dream come true with the Henslow's Sparrow.  What an amazing bird!  He shared with me tips about finding certain birds in Wisconsin.  We also were treated to a beautiful Cerulean Warbler observation!

I try to imagine myself a father and sometimes I think, I'd be a great dad and then there are times I think NO.  I made the right decision. I love all my nephews and nieces and am glad to have had the opportunity to spend time with them. 

I led birders with friend and fellow birder Hollie for Tucson Audubon's Southeastern Arizona Birding festival.  There we studied one of my favorite groups of birds, the sparrows!

I also introduced others to the beauty of the San Pedro riparian area. 

One of the most beautiful moments this year?  Jeff came down to Portal to find several birds like the Mexican Chickadee.  It was in the middle of migration and a huge cold storm front passed through the Chiricahua mountains.  I know Jeff wasn't crazy about the weather, but he got to witness a very rare event, lots of Western Tanagers on the move!

Scariest birding trek?  Along the narrow cliffs of Wales!  My legs felt like rubber.  Heights are not my thing, but I wanted to see Northern Fulmars on their breeding grounds!  At one point, Steve told me to focus on his steps and not look out across the ocean and down the sharp side of the cliff to my death.  At another point, I turned around and he came back for me.  Thank you Steve for giving me the encouragement to face my fear. It was an absolutely beautiful view.  Even better was watching several people far below sipping their hot beverages wondering if we'd fall off the cliff.  Free entertainment:)

I spent the month of June with my dear friend Kathie and Gus in Maine.  Together we saw so many birds and explored new birding hotspots together.  There were several days that were so wonderful.  And all of the them were blackfly free.  Oh my gods!  I hate blackflies with a passion. I got bitten up so much while we were there.  My favorite day?  Shopping with Kathie at the outlet mall at LL Bean.  Not even birding.  It's weird, but with this lady, I will chat on the phone and do things I normally hate doing.  On our last day together, we discovered Kathie's 500th lifer, the Little Egret. 

I also met up with Magill in Maine to do some birding on Monhegan Island.  We also did some chases during the winter months in Arizona. My favorite moment with Magill was finding a Common Loon on a nest. She showed me some great birding hotspots that were underbirded.  It's always fun checking out spots that the general birding public don't usually visit. 

I am grateful for my family in Wisconsin.  We had a wonderful June and July together.  It's nice catching up with all of the family dynamics. All I can say is that family is everything.  And it's overwhelming at times. I am out of the loop often times and in some ways, it's good, until my Dad had heart surgery. How truthful was everyone being about Dad? Was he really okay?:)  I had to see for myself.  A Wisconsin transition requires locking myself in my room alone for the first few days. There are so many family members and often everyone is talking at once.  It takes me time to adjust to the "noise" of family. It's hard to concentrate, but I will say that it's getting better as the kids get older. And I will concede that I am a lot like my father in this way.  But I can't imagine my life without them.  When I leave back to Arizona, I miss those crazy voices. 

In other news, I'm glad that Celeste has FINALLY made her move to Tucson. She knew Tucson was amazing.  She loved her vacation home here.  She has the best backyard up in the foothills of the Catalina mountains.  I mean.....it was her destiny!  Celeste has been a good luck charm on our treks out.  We've spied a Red-eyed Vireo and Eastern Kingbird together on our trips.  

My final adventures took me out to Oregon and Washington with Khanh.  I hadn't seen Khanh for several years and it needed to happen.  We had fun birding and checking out spots around the states.  

Ruffed Grouse

Autumn weather, birds and hanging out with a friend.  It doesn't get better than that!  I absolutely loved snow birding with him in these stunning landscapes.  Sometimes there weren't any birds because the winds and snow were heavy.  That didn't matter. It was just exploring new habitat. 

And I could go on and on.  I absolutely loved meeting and birding with Homer this year.  That lucky guy had amazing views of the normally elusive Virginia's warbler. The thing is that every year is different.  This year was life changing. I'm thankful for the birding community, friends and family.  I'm hoping 2020 brings positive change and good vibes.  And of course, good birds.  Until next time:)

Those Little Pockets of Insight

One of the things that I enjoy most when birding around the world, besides finding new birds, is seeing how the birders do it.  

Steve spies a chough!

Micheal absorbs the fantastical mossy green world along the path. 

Great Crested Grebe

From one guide to another, we teach each other the tricks to our trade. And from years of experience, we "know" about our own birds that aren't on most birder's radars. I think that is the most exciting part about watching the maestros in action. 

Eurasian Kestrel

Often times while guiding others in AZ, I'm quiet processing the maximum amount of birds with the time we have given to bird.  The first few trips are always fun because the birds are a tad easier.  I watched Steve do the same thing while in the car with me. But quite honestly, I just enjoyed the ride and company.  Yeah, finding new birds was our mission, but it's also the journey.  And the more I get into birding, the more I'm really allowing myself to relax and have fun.  We had a plan and I trusted Steve.  He was amazing.   

Northern Lapwing

It's not often that I find birders with similar manners to my own birding.  Bonnie was right. We would get along well. Although I have to admit several embarrassing moments happened on the trip, but I'll get to the passports and time differences in the next post:) Steve, I swear, that has NEVER happened to me before! Really!

Common Wood-Pigeon-the biggest pigeon I have EVER seen in my life!

Steve would ask me, "Do you have such and such a bird?" And then I'd most likely say "no" and we'd make a quick stop to add on new birds to our lists. 

Whooper Swan

The Ruff is a rare bird to the US but in Wales, we saw several and it was exciting.  

The Ruff

While in Wales, I gave a lecture on AZ birding and it was a lot of fun. I laugh at what I "thought" would be the cool birds from AZ(which were the hummingbirds and the Elegant Trogon).  Turns out I was wrong.  People in the audience got excited about Elf Owls and Gilded Flickers!  They were so quiet!  In the US, it's not uncommon for there to be some sort of chatter in the background but during the lecture it was DEAD quiet. That was until I got to the Elf Owls and there was an outburst of excitement.  Then I relaxed a bit:)

Common Shellduck

Another good laugh I had was when someone asked me what I did for a living.  Normally I don't speak about my job with people I don't know because it's not who I am.  But I told her that I taught Spanish and she asked if I'd be doing the lecture in English.....or rather MY English.  I burst out laughing.  It was snarky and fun!  

Honestly if I could do a proper English accent I would, but it would take me several months to get ONE of the many varieties of English out there. Steve did a pretty fun version of a southerner. I want to say Texan?😃 I love that stuff.  Language, whether it be bird or human, is exciting. 

Greyleg Goose

The bird with the most vocalizations in Wales was the European Robin.  To this day, if one was calling, I'd still question myself.  Is that......? And then Steve would say, "Yes.  That's the robin."

Pied Avocet

Most days were wet and cloudy.  One day got "hot" and I'll admit that I did sweat a tad.  I think that was also the day we accidentally went down a bike path and almost got stuck.  When we backed up, Steve hit the stone wall and I heard a crunch.  It was a cringe worthy moment. We stepped out of the car and saw that one of his plastic tail lights had shattered.  In the background, there were some high society Brits judging us with disapproving looks. I loved it.  I loved it all....except the tail light part. And honestly, the bike path looked like one of the roads we were driving in Wales. So was it really our fault?:)

Black-tailed Godwits

We kept moving and each day was a unique look into the various landscapes of Wales. 

Barnacle Goose

There were so many fun days as we weaved from natural public habitats to protected reserves. Like any of us who bird our areas, we know our birds. And Steve knew his kingdom.

Goldcrest

We'd stop in forested patches.  We'd stop in reserves.  And then we'd also stop in the McDonald's parking lot for a latte and rare Hooded Crow from across the aisle.  Apparently, Hooded and Carrion Crows also hybridize so we also observed several hybrids along the way. 

Hooded Crow

The title for this blog post was inspired by this Grey(Gray?) Wagtail below.  We'd bird open areas for the common birds and then we'd search in the pockets around areas near where we birded, like the McDonald's parking lot, for the "B" birds.  "B" birds are the slightly trickier birds to find.  They are there all year around, but they are not an easy given.  In AZ, the Gilded Flicker, Arizona Woodpecker, Harris's Hawk, or even Greater Roadrunner can be "B" birds for me when I need them on the spot. We found a pair of Grey Wagtails, and it was the only time we saw them, near a crazy stream between stone walls that flowed into the ocean. For me, it was fun seeing these little pockets of micro-habitats inside the city. 

Grey Wagtail

In Arizona, we don't have to really worry about too much water except during our dangerous monsoon season.  Often in summer, I must warn birders to be careful of flash flooding.  They don't understand (until they do) and then it's sometimes an emergency.  One time, I had some friends from Idaho crash at our place because their campground was evacuated due to extreme flash flooding.  The poor souls were drenched when they arrived at our place!

In Wales, there was WATER everywhere.  It was often wet and soggy.  Sometimes water came up from the ground!  I think that's called a spring?:)

Searching for snipe

So what are the differences between birding Wales and Arizona?  Our worlds are completely different and it was interesting to note a few different birding strategies.  Steve always had a pair of rubber boots for water areas. Most water areas in AZ are off limits for walking. I was a bit worried because I didn't have the proper footwear for this trek.  And I also wondered if I'd actually see a Jack or Common Snipe on the trip but this is where I really had a nice education.  Steve told me about flight patterns and what I should see if one flushed.  And my gods if that isn't what exactly happened.  With his rubber boots, he flushed up several Jack Snipes and MANY Common Snipes.  And true to his teachings, the Common Snipes flew high up into the air and burned away into the bright grey skies into nothing.  The Jack Snipe stayed much lower to the ground.  

Jack Snipe

So in Wales, rubber boots are a necessity if you're going to see some special birds.  In Arizona, birders are surprised by our elevation differences and it can be difficult for some birders. For a few rare birds that require a mile or two up a steep climb, it can be too much.  Here drinking water is a big thing, especially during the spring and summer....and fall.  Part of getting to know someone before they bird here in Arizona is also understanding who they are as a birder and hiker.  While some just thrive on bottled water, there are others who require a camel pack(a backpack with a bladder and a waterline).  I teach them the ice trick and they are very happy to have that unlimited access to water during their often hot and sweaty hike. 

Red-legged Partridge

Before visiting, Steve had asked me what were some of the birds I was hoping to see. My initial reaction, like all birders was, ALL OF THEM! But as a guide, I know that's an impossible request and had a good laugh. I'm in love with all things dipper and lapwing.  And I got to see both.  In the process of finding new birds, I also discovered that I fell in love with other birds as well. Book guides are all fine and well but they don't bring to life the behaviors and sounds that these birds make.  Reading about something is quite different than seeing it alive. 

White-throated Dipper!!!

And in yet another little pocket of habitat we found a perfectly fast running stream with enough rocks for a dipper to dip on.  But we didn't dip on the dipper.  We found a pair! We were in a gas station parking lot along a fence. It was a secret world that most people just walked past. It was incredibly beautiful. 

Grey Herons weren't our Great Blue Herons but they sure looked the same. 

Little Egret

Little Egrets weren't Snowy Egrets but again they looked the same. 

European Stonechat

A bird that I didn't know I'd love as much as I did was the cute Stonechat.  

Eurasian Whimbrel

Steve knew of places where their Whimbrels and Curlews hung out.

Common Ringed Plover

There were only two owls to find and I've got to say the Tawny Owl was so vocal.  On our last night, I opened the window in our bedroom to listen to the beautiful sounds of the neighboring Tawnys. 

Tawny Owl

My first Great Cormorant was with Kathie Brown in Maine last year, but in Wales, they were everywhere.  AND CLOSE!

Great Cormorant

I was excited when Steve showed me his pal the Little Owl. 

Little Owl

Chiffchaffs were a pain in the ass to get views of but they were everywhere. 

Common Chiffchaff

Common Snipes were cool. In fact, any snipe anywhere in this world is cool.  

Common Snipes

I finally got to see that make believe Great Spotted Woodpecker and Green Woodpecker. The Green was a little stinker.  The bird was always between branches but we had nice scope views and Steve got some great shots of the bird. 

Great Spotted Woodpecker

The bird that seems to be the coolest bird for birders in Wales was the Hawfinch.  Every time we'd mention Hawfinch, birders would throw Steve some birder "respect".  Again, Steve knew where to look for these birds.  They were near an ancient cemetery. While watching the birds, I either thought about how I'd love to live in that little neighborhood or be buried in that wonderful cemetery. 

Hawfinch

Great Blue Herons, I mean, Grey Herons flew from a rookery. 

Grey Heron

I stared a little longer at another Common Snipe. This adventure made me realize that I'm a big fan of snipes. 

Common Snipe

Little Grebes are sexy. 

Little Grebe

But White-throated Dippers are sexier. 

Song Thrushes were everywhere but challenged my photography skills. Like the Robin, they also had a wide range of vocalizations. 

Song Thrush

And Blackbirds.  They are American Robins dressed in melonistic plumage because they sound almost identical to American Robins.  I fell in love with the Blackbird.  I just thought they were beautiful. 

The Blackbird

Sometimes as a guide I stress about finding my new friends as many birds as I can. When someone comes to Arizona for the first time, there's no way I can get them all of their birds. We have amazing birds at all times of the year so it's impossible to get them all.  It just requires a person to come back.  Understanding this myself, I was so appreciative to Steve for putting a lot of thought into our adventures. And so thankful to Bonnie for setting us up.

Steve has a family.  And he was also taking care of his father.  I know that birding helps keep me from going insane while the world is crashing down around me.  And yet he took the time to take me around and show me his Wales while he had so much happening around him. THANK YOU!  My home will always be open to you and when you decide to visit, I will show you the amazing world of Arizona birds. 

Eurasian Wren, once formally called the Winter Wren until recently split

Both of us are the same age and it marks a new time in our lives.  Speaking from my own experiences, it's one where I have begun to think about mortality more.  I have begun to see my parents in a new light now. Sadly, Steve recently said good-bye to his father. In a way, it is a good thing that he will not suffer anymore. Yet it doesn't change the fact that he's gone. My own father is going through a triple bypass surgery and sometimes I try to put it out of my mind and not think about it.  I know that this is the age of good-byes now. Every. Moment. Counts. So when I bird, I think about how special that moment is with the other person. My thoughts go out to Steve and his family. 

When we see new birds together, it's a new friendship. A new moment. A memory.  If I ever see a White-throated Dipper again, I'll remember that first moment with Steve because he showed me that bird. 

The promiscuous Dunnock

On a lighter note, I will also remember the mini discussions Bonnie and Steve had with me about the Dunnocks.  I won't go into great detail, but they have got to be one of the world's most amorous birds.  I remember sipping my coffee in Bonnie's home by her beautiful English garden and watching a Dunnock female do exactly what they said Dunnocks do.  I felt a bit dirty after the observation. 

This is the lengthiest post of them all.  There are two more Wales posts.  I've had three really wonderful birding treks this year and I'm still glowing from the Wales' adventures and that's all because of Steve and Bonnie. If it wasn't for their hospitality, we'd have seen Wales through a more sterile tourist's eyes.  And for that, I am forever in their debt.  Thank you guys!  Until next time......