A Taco Salad and a Ringed Kingfisher

I watched a herd of Pronghorn with Indigo at the Empire Ranch in the Cienegas Grasslands

Over the past 2 weekends, I've had the pleasure of birding with some great people searching for some excellent state birds.  And mammals. 

Scott scopes Lake Pleasant

Scott was free to bird one weekend and so we took off to find the rare Iceland Gull at Lake Pleasant near Phoenix.  It was a juvenile gull first discovered by the talented Melanie Herring.  

We find Usha and Janine already on the gull

Birders from all over the state went to go find this bird.  Last year, the Thayer's Gull was lumped back into the Iceland Gull species.  This was the trickier Thayer's subspecies.  It looks similar to a juvenile Herring Gull but has softer, more muted tones.  Even in the adult form, this subspecies can be tricky to ID. 

We get to the shore and start planning the rest of our afternoon after the gull find

This was a great opportunity for the two of us to study this bird up close.   

This subspecies of Thayer's now goes officially by the name, Iceland Gull

And like any gull, the Iceland's was no different.  Where there was food; there was the opportunity to eat. I captured this adorable scene along the lakeshore.  What an absolute thrill to see this bird in the state!  Gulls are amazing.  In North America, we are very lucky to have so many interesting gull species. 

This little girls lectures the gull on sharing something of which gull nor geese are known to do. 

While this wasn't a life bird, as they are found in Wisconsin during the winter, it was an Arizona first for both of us. It has been some time since one has been seen here. So I celebrated with a taco salad at lunch:)

I wish all birds were as cooperative as this gull.  This past weekend, Magill asked me if I would go down with her to find the first state record of a Ringed Kingfisher.  Honestly I groaned a bit.  I had gone several weeks earlier and had a VERY brief sighting and I'll be honest, it sucked.  So I gave hope a chance. When we bird together, we always get our bird. It just took patience and some skill. 

Along the way, we stopped and looked at water birds. The trek to Safford is a long one from Tucson.  In my head, I worked out a plan.  I helped Magill find all the places I had previously investigated on my first attempt.  We were meticulous.  The person reporting the bird threw the rare kingfisher on a general marker without telling anyone where the bird was. And that's ok. This wasn't our first rodeo. We spent the morning canvassing map points around the various ponds careful not to trespass onto anyone's property. 

A Long-billed Dowitcher struts around this other onlooking bird.  The bird appears to be saying, "What's up?"

The park ranger played coy with us because she was concerned about the safety of the bird.  And the birders.  Apparently, Safford is run by savage gun owners.  We did not see any bad behavior by the locals at all. They were very friendly with us. But maybe that was just with us and our Wisconsin charm. We had fun playing detective. I mean, we were also the same team who investigated the Tundra Swan mystery with several golfer ladies in their carts.   

a drake Green-winged Teal

I remembered the lovely weekend birding for the Iceland Gull with Scott.  Nice habitat, easy bird and great company. Why couldn't this bird hang out in nicer conditions for us?! I wouldn't say that the habitat is exciting nor is it my favorite place to bird in the state. But I was thankful for the great company as we did quite a bit of laughing. We stopped in this restaurant that smelled like a church. So I ordered cheese curds to cover the smell. Then the moment of truth happened after eating our taco salads.  Before lunch, I was getting to that grouchy birder phase, not quite giving up but not wanting to bird until I had some food in my stomach.  We both decided to hit the pause button and grab a bite to eat. The taco salads hit the spot.  A quick scene replay. 
Magill, "Does this taco salad have romaine lettuce?" (Romaine lettuce is getting recalled right now in the US and has been taken out of many of the restaurants)
The Waitress, "Huh? It's just lettuce!"
So we took our chances:)

scenic Lake Pleasant on a cold morning

During our meal, we played the roles of psychologist, scientist and of course, birder.  Then we went after our bird narrowing the list of possibilities down to 2 hotspots.  

Wilson's Snipe chill in the mud clumps

And VOILA!  We found this tricky devil perched quietly in the shadows. We legally observed the bird from the public road.  When it came time to ebird this information, we had a serious conversation about publicly sharing the hotspot. We hid the spot for a couple hours to have our talk.  Eventually we came to the conclusion that we'd share the spot for other birders who have been wanting to see this bird as birders have shared with us their special birds. 

a distant photo of the Ringed Kingfisher

Because it's a first state record, a lot of birders have been wanting to see this kingfisher. The problem is that humans are nuts. I don't know what is true or not, but I trust several of my friends who saw birders illegally trespass! We knew the rules before looking for this bird. Anyhow, there was drama the next day.  So part of me wishes that we had hid the checklist.  I do it with owls and other endangered birds.  Some birders didn't know the whole situation but had their 2 cents to add.  We saw the bird, never trespassed and waved and said hello to the neighbors sporting this pretty pond.  No issues. We did our documentation and left the bird to hunt alone. 

Celebrating the day is just something people should do more often.  I discover my lifer Scarlet Macaws in 1996. 

Years ago, when life was simpler and my camera was film, we'd share our experiences over a meal while on the road.  The pic was taken 22 years ago, in southern Costa Rica after a day of chasing Scarlet Macaws. There's nothing quite like a meal to celebrate a moment. It has been an amazing past two weekends here in Arizona.  I think I had the best car ride home with Scott listening to Spanish music while the sun was setting over the ag fields.  Or was it catching up with Magill and her Maine adventures?  Maybe it was watching Indigo get excited about his first Black-tailed Prairie Dogs in the field? This is what nature is all about; bringing people together.  And we need to protect it.  Until next time..... 

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Sometimes it goes beyond the birds.

Zebra-tailed Lizard

It's a bunch of things.  It's people.  It's new places that weren't always open to birding before.  It's new information.  And it's about spending time with other birders.

This past weekend, birders from all over Arizona (and beyond) got together for AZFO's(Arizona Field Ornithologists) conference in Ajo, Arizona.

Phainopepla

Several of us met in Los Alamos Canyon inside of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.  For several years, this remote place was shut down to the outside world due to safety concerns along the border.  Recently, the park has opened back up again and it was time for us to explore.

The waters inside the canyon flowed thanks to a recent rain storm.  It was a rare sight.

Townsend's Solitaire

The canyon was green and lush.

Life was evident everywhere.  Check out the tadpole video from Alamo Canyon.

While there weren't any new birds to discover, it was still just fun to explore.  It was a new hotspot.

Inside the canyon, we observed thousands of tadpoles feeding in the stream.  Damselflies and other insects were breeding like crazy.

Breeding Desert Firetails

Underbirded areas are fun because there's always a potential to find something good!

We came across Townsend's Solitaires, Black-throated Sparrows and many other birds.

the Familiar Bluet

At the end of our hike, I had the privilege of having dinner with Janet Witzeman, one of the authors of the Birds of Phoenix and Maricopa County.  I was able to contribute to her book and it was great meeting her for the first time.

She is one of the great Arizona bird pioneers of our time and has made so many contributions over the years. And because of her work, she won a lifetime achievement award from AZFO. 

Organ Pipe was a blast.  We even took the time to bird a quirky little spring known as Quitobaquito.

Wilson's Snipe

It is the only place you can find the VERY endemic Quitobaquito Pupfish in Arizona as they only live in this tiny pond.

Sometimes it's all about the fish.  Not often.  Just sometimes:)

This once mining town, almost a ghost town now, is a great place to stay if you are planning on spending some time in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.  It's a HUGE place to explore and one of the few places in the state to find Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls.

Until next time......

Each And Every Day

A Northern Flicker feeds from a Hackberry Tree

With my professional lens back in hand, it was back on the trails trying to recapture pics of birds I had seen last weekend. 

It's hunting season and Micheal is letting this Mule Deer to hide better

 However, we mixed it up a bit and stopped over at the Empire Gulch to see just how badly this past summer's fire damage had been. 

Loggerhead Shrike

 As with any fast spreading fire, it twirls and whirls around vegetation.  Some spaces are left unscathed while others are torched to the ground. It looks like the wintering birds don't mind.

A patch of towering Arizona Cottonwoods still stands, defiant of the fire

  Let me show you an example.  Here is a photo of the Empire Gulch before the fire a couple years ago during our yearly fundraising event(below).

It was a shaded forest.  After the fire, the sunlight has infiltrated the canopy of the riparian area

 The Empire Gulch is/was a migrant trap for many birds.  This is the "after photo" of the same magical space that is now changed. 

This ancient and magical Arizona Cottonwood is gone.  Even certain trees hold our hearts from over the years.  It was sad to see this beautiful tree gone.

This fire, caused by a border patrol agent target practicing during the driest part of the season, caused a massive grassland fire that destroyed homes and the very important Empire Gulch.  While wildfire is important to reinvigorate an area like the grasslands, it can also be devastating to riparian areas.  Unfortunately, this area will take years to return to its former glory.  And not all of the riparian area was affected (which is a good thing).  However, several of the HUGE and unique Arizona Cottonwoods are gone.  So while the grasslands truly benefited from the fire, the riparian area will take years to recover. Each of these habitats attract different birds. This gulch is important to our breeding summer birds like the Gray and Zone-tailed Hawks.

The mega rare Couch's Kingbird still hangs out at one of Tucson's local parks

 Back in town, I had to go back and get better photo documentation of the visiting Couch's Kingbird. 

Wilson's Snipe

 And also photos of one of my favorite species of bird, the Wilson's Snipe. They are beautiful shorebirds that often stay hidden in the grasses and mud clumps, but for some reason, these two birds didn't seem to mind being out in the open. 

Love is in the air between the two behind Micheal. They were the sweetest couple. 

We also explored a new place to catch a bite which is truly a wonderful piece of Americana. Micheal didn't want to go because it's a truck stop.  For years, people have been telling me about this place so finally, we made a stop at the Triple T Truck Stop at Omar's Hi-Way Chef Restaurant.  It. Was. Awesome.  If you're into people watching, this is the place. The food was great and cheap. And the service was fantastic.  

juvenile male Northern Pintail

I'm staying close to home so that I can spend more time with our Cassie.  And well, each day presents a new challenge.

I wish everyone celebrating Thanksgiving in and out of the US a wonderful start to the holiday season.
Until next time.....

Antelope Island

Bison at Antelope Island State Park

We wandered further North into the state of Utah searching for the Chukar. This bird originally hails from Pakistan but was introduced into the US as a game bird.  The bird prefers rocky and arid landscape which was exactly the reason why we had to go to Utah.

Helping us find this bird was none other than Mia McPherson.  She is one of the best wildlife photographers out there.  And it turns out that she's also a wonderful person to get to know!  Our main target was the exploration of Antelope Island State Park near Salt Lake City.  It's located within the glassy waters of the Great Salt Lake.

Thousands of American Avocets hang out near the causeway

As we scanned the causeway onto the island, we saw thousands of birds covering the patchy stretches of water around the Great Salt Lake. Today that "lake" is disappearing due to drought conditions and water usage. Waterless piers that once held skimmers are now void of any traffic.  Hopefully, Utah will benefit from the wet El Niño winter pattern that has begun to take hold for many of the Western states.  

Western Meadowlark near the empty piers

And yet, there are still areas that have larger patches of water. It's strangely a beautiful sight to see.  There were so many water birds around this island that I forgot we were exploring a drier area of the US. 

Phalaropes fly over our heads from out of nowhere!

Once on the island, I kept my eyes and ears open for the Chukar.

Several moments later, I heard "different" birds making an unusual chatty sound nearby the visitor center.  My eyes focused on the various rock outcroppings and boulders in the area.  And then......

......it happened!  I saw Chukars sitting on top of rocks.  And not just one or two but MANY!  I quietly walked down the path and turned the corner of a large boulder.  As I did, a pair of Chukars faced me only several feet away.  And in that moment of quiet, we watched each other carefully.

Chukar

Antelope Island is truly a magical space that doesn't feel anything at all like Utah.  Or maybe it does feel like Utah? I don't know.  I haven't visited enough of Utah to make a judgement, but I can tell you that I loved it. I highly recommend this state park for a visit. There were RV's parked in their camping areas and I was a bit envious that people were able to spend several nights on this island.

Sage Thrasher

The golden light of the Utah sun made for wonderful photo opportunities. A pair of Sage Thrashers popped up on greasewood for some lovely views.

Horned Lark

While Mia navigated around the island, we were always careful to keep an eye open for the many bison walking around the roads and paths.

We stopped along the way investigating unusual habitat on the island.  At this particular stop(below), Mia showed us an older Black-billed Magpie nest.  This dome creation is a piece of art!

At one point, I had my window open and almost fell asleep.  I was SO relaxed. The urban sprawl of Salt Lake City stopped at the the entrance to the causeway.  And the island was a sanctuary of peaceful thoughts.

The golden browns of the landscape can make bird spotting a challenge.  Take for example this Wilson's Snipe below.  Mia spotted the bird along a riparian area and it took me several minutes to find her snipe!!!  It was only a couple feet away from my face!  Camouflage!

Wilson's Snipe

Our adventures in Utah would continue one more day.

I'd like to thank Mia for her friendship and also for her time showing us around the natural spaces of Salt Lake City.  I will never forget this trip out to Antelope Island. 

On our final voyage into Utah, there was one other bird I so badly needed to find.  Stay tuned for more......