A Balancing Act

My voyage home to Wisconsin focused on family and several target birds.  Last year, I discovered Long-tailed Ducks in Maine but wasn't able to obtain decent photo documentation.  I scheduled my birding treks during the day while everyone was working and carefully targeted several of Wisconsin's finest harbors along beautiful Lake Michigan. 

Long-tailed Duck

I needed ice chunks and an enclosed harbor to find this duck above.  The temps had warmed up and the ice was rapidly disappearing.  In winter, the Long-tailed Duck likes to hang near harbors full of ice.  We headed north where it was colder and the ice still remained.  On the way up to Door County with my parents, we stopped in a town known as Algoma.  It had a harbor with all the right conditions.  As I looked out over the frozen piers, I spotted what looked like trash in the water next to several large ice chunks.  Jackpot!  What an amazing bird!

The Amish return from their Sunday services

While I preferred and spent most of my time on the lakes, harbors and rivers, I needed to explore the country.  There were several birds that liked this marshy field area. So I went to Collin's Marsh and entered the land of the Amish.

American Tree Sparrow

Here I picked up two lifebirds with several new year birds including a rare Snowy Owl!  The problem?  I got so caught up with all the cool birds that I forgot about my lifebird targets.  However, the American Tree Sparrows wouldn't let me forget that I needed to see them.  I sat for a good ten minutes looking at the sparrows confused.  They weren't Chipping or Song or Swamp Sparrows. These sparrows were like a combo of these three birds....rufousy yet gray with a central breast spot.  Then it clicked within my head that I wasn't dealing with any previously observed sparrows.  I still think about that moment of confusion and marvel at the power of observation.  Sparrows are way cool!

Rough-legged Hawk pursuing a Red-winged Blackbird

However, I spent a good part of my morning locating several Rough-legged Hawks at this marsh with my cousin Erin and her boyfriend Josh.  After years of thinking I saw one, I was finally able to safely pull off the side of the road and watch several of these hawks in action. There are always a few in Arizona every winter, but every time I get close, I have a line of cars behind me and the bird flies off!   

Black-capped Chickadee

Other birds thrilled!  The common birds were as cool as the rare ones.  I observed lots of nesting Bald Eagles.  

Greater Scaup

Family events are always fun.  My family likes to be outdoors and we had a night out at Point Beach State Park eating chili in the cold temps.  These are all of my nephews and nieces from my side!  And that doesn't include several on the way from both our sides of the family!

What's that angry bird doing here??!!!

Lake Michigan is like the ocean. It's vast. People who have never been to the Great Lakes Region are always surprised by how large these bodies of water really are. Many people cross the bridges or drive along the lake not really looking at all the cool birds hanging out in the waters. They seem to look at the horizon wondering what's on the other side. 

Common Goldeneye

When I reported a Red-throated Loon, they were surprised.  So I pulled out the pics to show the loon make its awkward landing in the chilly waters.  The following pics are field pics not worthy of anything art.  Just cool moment shots in poor lighting conditions. 

Red-throated Loon-lighter overall with a speckly back in winter plumage.  No barring at all on this bird which eliminates Common Loon.

Also of great interest to me were the numerous White-winged Scoters found along the shoreline.  Now again, this isn't a great shot, but it's cool.  I watched this Scoter chow down on some mussels along the pier.  

Hooded Merganser

I find the photography of a new life bird at times irritating because I want to observe their behaviors instead of focusing on the shot.  Don't get me wrong. I love excellent photos but I'd much prefer sitting on the pier watching the birds.  So when I'm searching for new gulls(another favorite of mine to ID), I'm always happy.  Gulls play nice and don't mind posing most of the time.  

Left to right.  Glaucous Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, several Ring-billed Gulls(smaller) and Herring Gulls

On this journey, I studied a lot more about gulls.  In the photos above and below, there are 4 different gulls.  My targets were the Glaucous, Thayer's and Iceland Gulls.  

For the Glaucous gull, it was fairly simple to ID.  I had to look for a larger gull that was plain gray.  These gulls lack any black coloration.  Soon I hope to be advanced enough to pick out the much more difficult Thayer's and Iceland Gulls. 

Ring-billed Gull

Finally, I went looking for Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs and ended up with a Northern Shrike.  This Shrike was shy and didn't hang around long enough for me to enjoy a decent observation. But I got to see one finally!

Northern Shrike

It's difficult. I have birds in my head all the time.  I wish I could get them out, but there's nothing like the addiction of fresh air and the excitement of something new and wonderful just waiting to be discovered. 

Usually towards the end of the trek, I wear myself out. Then it's just fun hanging out with the gang.  If you come visit Wisconsin, you have to check out the sausage and cheese factories. BEST sausage and cheese in this country! Unless of course you are a vegetarian:)

Sausage fest!

 My cousin and her boyfriend were visiting from Colorado which made for a fun week. They loved the beef sticks. Be careful how many you eat or you might have a sore stomache:)  And like everything in this life, it all flew by much too quickly.

I'm going to apologize to my family now for my insane intensity.  I can't shut off this crazy addiction.  Here is the best way I can put it. I've always been an explorer and will continue to be one until the day I die.  I've realized that the days ahead are some of my best.  I will never have kids and I do want to leave something behind for the world.  I'm hoping I can contribute in some way to the preservation of our world no matter how dark it may seem sometimes. The more I know; the more sucked into this adventure I become.  

My pops or as the grandkids say.....Grandpalf The Gray. "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

 Take for example the Ruffed Grouse.  It's a bird on my list but like any grouse, it requires a bit of study.  While we were up in Door County, we studied this bird's habitat. I then went to a local zoo where they had this grouse for me to study.  I was able to listen to the low hum and vibrating vocalizations, observe movement, etc to get an idea what this bird was all about! Meanwhile my nephew and niece were getting slimed by a couple giraffes:)  Classic.  

Never have I become so acutely aware of time as I do now.  Time with friends and family and birding seem to all collide.  I want to do it all, but I can't.  And when I do it all, I'm exhausted from wearing myself out in the field all day.  But WOW!  I go to bed at night happy.  I know that someday my light will dim, but for now, my appetite for knowledge grows leaps and bounds. 

Woodland Dunes-home to the Pileated Woodpeckers and Northern Saw-whet Owls

I am back in Arizona again, but my adventures will take me south once more into Mexico. So for now, I want to say thank you to my family for a wonderful time.  I love you all.  See you in a few months! 

A Governor To Trust

Warning!  This post looks innocent, but I think it's what we bloggers call a rant:) I wanted to delete it but the topics all connected together so nicely:) During our trip to Wisconsin, the big vote was happening.  Would Scott Walker be recalled or would he stay?  We decided to skip Illinois in case the borders were closed due to massive fighting between various sides of the recall.  We hid in a little village called Dodgeville and ate cheese curds and sausage sticks until the vote was over.  Thankfully everyone behaved and no one threw tear gas at one another.  We stayed in the Piney Lodge which felt more like a retirement home.   But what could we do for a day?  In recognition of the Governor and all the cheesehead craziness, we headed to Governor Dodge State Park.  It's one of the largest state parks in Wisconsin.  It has some of the best preserved prairie land around the state. 

Most people go to Governor Dodge for the waterfall, but you won't see that here on this blog.  BORING!!!  Well to be honest, my pics were kind of bad.  The lighting didn't work with me:) BUT the action was happening on the prairie grounds with the birds, butterflies, and crazy bugs!! Oh and let's not forget the fields of Lupine!!!!  What an incredible display of wildflowers all around!

Common Buckeye

Word has it that the bees are making a comeback again and the population is on the increase.  A mite was found to be passing the disease onto hives around the country.  Apparently a little strip inserted into a hive will keep this mite from infiltrating the colonies of bees all over the world.  I'd hate to miss out on pics like this one below. 

Desert dwellers are always shocked to discover the cute little chipmunks that live in Wisconsin forests.  If I had to sum up Wisconsin critters, I'd have to say that they are full of every type of rodent you can imagine!  My Dad discovered a Woodchuck for the first time and people are always trying to figure out the various rodents.  It's not uncommon to find people drinking beer and discussing what they may have seen in their backyard.  My father sat with his buddy Tex on the porch looking at the Woodchuck. Was it a beaver, muskrat, groundhog, etc etc?  It came down to the tail and after another beer, my dad was finally able to identify the critter as a woodchuck.  PS.  Tex is as colorful a character as his name suggests.  My Dad is recently retired and needs a hobby.  If I lived back home, I'd haul his butt with me on my walks.  I know he likes to do this stuff but he is um....not so motivated:)

And look at this nest below!!!!  I think it's made of spit from a bug, but I could be wrong.  I had forgotten about these alien constructions, but very cool to see out in the wild!

Gypsy Moth Nest

There are a lot of trails around the park and even a spot to go horseback riding!  But these are the boring details.  It's more about the experience, right?:)  While on our hike, I noticed a strong cigarrette smell.  Wisconsin loves cigs because everywhere I turned I could smell the nasty fumes!  I HATE smoking.  Most of my family smokes or chews tobacco.  We've done a good job at respecting each other's air space.  I just don't want to be around it and they are good about doing their nasty deeds in private. But it always shocks me to see smokers leaving their truck with a hazy cloud pouring out behind them as they get ready for their hike!!!  And then they walk by and smell terrible!  Please understand that I hate smoking and not the people who enjoy smoking.  Otherwise, I'd have to disown most of my family:)  I write this because in Tucson, you don't notice smoking as an issue much. In Wisconsin they have designated areas for you to smoke at nature centers, museums, etc and they will state this outloud to everyone on the walks/guides.  In fact, they seem to have figured out the stops where people can take a break and smoke. Very clever.  In Tucson,  it rarely if ever is mentioned. Smokers band together here and protect each other from the nasty looks and remarks from others. The attitude difference?  In Wisconsin, smoke away!  We've got a spot for you.  In Tucson,  you've got a serious problem and we will not acknowledge your issues:)  Again this is just a generalization, but they are observations from our trips:)  The teenagers with clouds of smoke around them on this day just made me sad.  Apparently they didn't get the message.  Is it the cold weather that makes people more willing to smoke?  Or was it the Marlboro man?  Because he's dead now.  Plus it's expensive!!  A year supply of cigs is like a round trip ticket to most places in the world!

And whether we agree with something or not doesn't matter because it will happen regardless.  We went to Madison(because I am a curious man) to see if the capital would have some protesting AND  we found them:)  They screamed, "Indict WAAALLLKER."  School trips were still going on and parents quietly walked their children away and went to the security and asked them to remove the protesters.  They were removed from the building and did the screaming outside.  There are many people that would still like to punch Scott Walker in the face.  I am a Tucsonan so I had nothing to do with the vote:)  But I will tell you about my own family.  There are 14 adults and it was split down the middle.  Educators, health care providers vs. the parents.  It was messy but my family moved forward after the recall.  A lot of families had the same issues around the state and it was really fun to hear the discussions going on between everyone at breakfast.  Both sides had their points.  And in the end Walker won.

When we came back to our own home in Tucson, my faith in our city was rewarded with the news that Ron Barber would take over for Gabriela Gifford and it felt good.  I loved Giffords very much and I hope Barber will be a great replacement.  As for Jan Brewer......well I'd much rather not go there:)  This post is all over the place.  And people wonder why we hike and enjoy nature:) Governors come and go....but Governor Dodge has been there the longest:)  It must be his universal appeal to everyone.  More tomorrow....

Sun and Moon Jars

Greetings gardening friends,

I have been experimenting with solar lights this year to add some visual interest in the garden at night.  I've incorporated several lights in two areas, but I have to use caution because I had several lights stolen from an area.  Basically, any solar lights we use in the garden must be woven around structures and placed out of reach for people who unfortuneatly like to steal.  Today, I'd like to report on an interesting solar light idea known as the "moon jar".  This is a pretty cool idea and I have enjoyed playing around with this jar in the garden.  I have a hook that rises above human reach and that is where this jar went:)  There are several color options...there is the sun jar(yellow), the moon jar(blue), pink moon(pink), and the dragonfly jar(white lights that slowly flicker on and off).  And the last one is the one I purchased.  The video is below and it's really cool to watch....and very relaxing. There are 2 power options.  There is the solar panel located on top of the jar. One runs on the solar option and the other runs on regular battery power.  You choose your switch on how you want the jar to operate. The jars can be a bit pricey at around 25 bucks, but I had had a couple glasses of wine when I made the online purchase:)  Bad idea, but cool little gadget.  These items can be found on Amazon or at Think Geek.  My next purchase will be the Moon Jar:) And to make this post a little more personable, here is a story to share. I was a kid when all this happened.

One of the best things about Grandparents is that they are way cooler than your parents.  They are more patient.  They don't yell at you.  And they spoil you and love you unconditionally.  Sometimes after a weekend with my Grandparents, I didn't want to come home to all my 5 siblings and raging parents:)  I am going to take you to some very special places this upcoming month from my recent trip to Wisconsin.  I will feature several stories from this Great Lakes state and from my last surviving Grandma along with several nature highlights that you won't want to miss. Anyhow, back to my story with my Grandparents who lived out in the country.  I used to collect fireflies as a kid and trap them in a jar.  Don't worry.  I released them.....in their house!!!  One of the things that I love to do is play practical jokes on people.  One of the irritations my Grandparents had with me was this evil little joke I'd play on them.  I had two options.  The first one was to release the fireflies in their room during the day, but that sometimes backfired as the fireflies headed to the front door and back outside or in the kitchen where Grandma was making dinner.  The best time to do it was at night when both of them were asleep.  I crept into their room and opened the jar and let them buzz about....and I'd run back to my bed laughing my ass off.  Why?  They would flash their little abdomen lanterns in their room and my  Grandma would wake up screaming my full name.  I'd pretend to sleep and I knew they wouldn't wake me up(because you never disturbed a child while they were sleeping:), but I'd hear about it in the morning.  Grandpa would sit me down and have a stern "chat" with me about releasing fireflies into the house.  I would lie and say that they got out by accident and Grandpa would say, "Okay, but just don't let it happen again."  But it would and I'd be labeled a "little s#$t" by my Grandma....especially when I couldn't keep a straight face at my little prank. I'd then have to capture them all and release them back by the river. But it was worth it....just for their reactions:)  That's how big families operate.  We show our love by playing practical jokes on one another.  My Grandpa taught me everything I know:) When I look at this firefly jar, that memory surfaces in my mind and I smile.  No fireflies were hurt in the writing of the post:)  Stay tuned for more....

The Milwaukee Zoo

My nieces Chachee and Princess Morgana

Today's post is about family and the Milwaukee Zoo.  While this was quite the disaster in terms of planning for our 20 plus member family, we did learn several things.  In the immediate family, we are 8....Mom, Dad, 4 boys, 2 girls.  Each of us has a partner and 4 of the 6 siblings have lots of children which number in the thousands!  LOL!  I can't keep up with all the names.  Everytime I go home to visit, I meet new kids for the first time. On my next visit in December, I'll be seeing 2 new additions.  Christmas certainly has become a packed family affair at my parent's house.  In total, there are 10 nephews and nieces.  This family trip to Milwaukee was quite the workout.  We learned that in large families, like ours, a plan must be in place.  For example, it would have been helpful to break up into 3 teams.  It was interesting to watch everyone interact with each other.  I'm kind of a nomad and don't like to be stuck in big groups.  Actually my Mom is the same way.  So we stole my two nieces and did our own thing:)

While the girls had their makeup put on, I went around and snapped shots of the various things at the zoo.  Bring food if you want to cut down on the expenses.  Coolers are important and we stored them in the car for lunchtime.  It was quite the sandwich production.  There are picnic areas for you to use.

Also bring money.  There seemed to be lots of extra costs here and there.  The water show that you'll see below, the food stands, the dinosaur show, the painting artists, and the train ride are all examples of the little extras that pop up over the day. I didn't take a lot of shots on animals.  Why not?  They're caged and there's no sport in snapping a pic of something trapped.  I understand the importance of zoos, but there are times that they can also make me sad.  Nasty people eating bags of salty gross popcorn while tapping on glass or screaming at caged animals is not my idea of fun.  Now watching my family interact with all of this excitement was another story:)  There was a lot of irritation that day on everyone's part, but this family outing did succeed in modifying future Rohrer plans down the road.  As a family grows so do the ways a group functions:)

I did have fun and it's a great way to spend the day with the family and friends.  For more information, click here on the Milwaukee Zoo More tomorrow friends....

                                      

Points of Interest

Pictures taken from stock photos last year in Wisconsin in my Mom and Dad's backyard. 

Globe Thistle

I love the form and color of this plant!

The Failures

How many times will you try a plant before giving up?  Over the course of years, I've experimented with a lot of plants.  These next upcoming posts will be on plants that just don't work for me in the garden.  We are currently suffering a severe frost for the next couple nights and I have to say....IT'S COLD!!!  I don't know what's going to happen after these two days are over, but I might be adding more failures to my plant list.  Part of this blog is to keep track of the failures and learn from them.  As gardeners, we have a pile of these "failed" plants hidden somewhere in our gardens.  Stay tuned for the next series on plants that may cause Tucsonans or the "Zone Niners" issues in their own yards.  I've got a nice list of plants you should definitely not plant and some that just may not work for me......

A Snap Shot from my hometown of Two Rivers

A Dorm Room View

A view from my bright pink dorm room back in the early 90's. A flashback in time to the colder and more serene moments.  Below the window is that first spider plant I took care of myself and the beginning of many more plants to land in my care.  This one image brings back a flood of good memories of nature and life as a college student.  This weekend I'll be getting back into the garden with a post on "Repetition" in the garden.  Until then, curl up with a good book and cup of tea:)

Outside my Honeycomb apartments in Stevens Point next to Schmeekle Reserve. I was secrectly a hobbit back then:)

The Tree Hugger Society

A picture taken back in the early days of our University life....evidence that we were all heading into the natural world as professionals.  This is my dear group of friends who I have travelled, studied, and shared so many memories with...we hugged trees and studied in the very granola academic world of UW-Stevens Point.  For those of you who don't know the Wisconsin school system, this college was known, and still is, as the "Natural Resources College."  It was a wonderful experience and there was nothing like being around people of similiar mind and attitude. Today, going from left to right, my friend in the red scarf is a naturalist at a park in Michigan, I'm teaching Spanish, and on the right, my friend with the dark hair, became a Doctor of plants in New Zealand....not sure exactly what Doctors do with plants, but I do know that she is busy busy busy.  I do like when she goes out on her field  assignments and snaps pics of her wonderful world in the land of hobbits and elves. What do I hate about it all?  All of us now live in different locations!  What I wouldn't give to go back to simpler times of being broke and going on those nature hikes together in Schmeeckle Reserve or biking the Green Circle. The one thing I miss most about my youth are the deep friendships that were formed and that have now spread out across the globe.  There was nothing better than sharing those moments of the outdoors with one another.  In a future post, I'll write about the amazing Porcupine Mountains of Upper Michigan....wow!  But for now, I thought I'd share some of my tree hugger friends that are near and dear to me doing what they do best....hugging trees:)

http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/schmeeckle/

Granola Moments:)

I'm not sure what's going on here, but my friend is sure loving this tree in Yosemite!

Me in the Mingus Mountains outside of Jerome, AZ

Hanging off a tree near Poas in Costa Rica

Hug a tree!!  It'll make you feel better:)





Excited for Fall???

My favorite out of the bunch...some pics just happen...and this one turned out awesome. That's why you should always carry your camera with you wherever you go:)

Okay okay...this may be too soon, but September is just around the corner and I thought I'd jump start the feelings and emotions that happen to me and others when fall comes. I took these pics with 3 different cameras in Wisconsin last year.  My family loves my pictures but doesn't give me enough time to sit and ponder angles etc...nor do the nephews and nieces so I go out on my own. 

While it doesn't get this crazy colorful in Tucson, the plants seem to be happier here with the hot nasty summer gone and begin to flourish and become a healthier color again up until mid-December.  In my humble opinion, speaking of fall, the best places here in the desert to see leaves change would be in the northern part of the state around Flagstaff and Sedona areas, the White Mountains, or here on our very own Mt. Lemmon.

My niece at Point Beach

Ahhh Wisconsin...Mishicot! Nephew and nieces

But I'm sticking to Wisconsin for the moment.....best time to see colors change in my home state are in October....and around mid October.  However, if you are heading north, closer to the upper pennisula and in the Porcupine mountains, you'll want to go earlier as it will get cooler there faster.  Enjoy!!

We have a front today in Arizona and the temps are amazingly cool so I am taking advantage of them to clean up the property after the microburst several days ago.  Happy gardening folks....September is just around the corner:)

Point Beach

Sedum up close

I love how trees in my hometown connect!!

Hostas in their decline before winter