The Borderlands

The borderlands of the US are some of the wildest and most remote areas of the American Southwest.  It's often best to go with water, friends and a good vehicle for these treks. 

Ferruginous Hawk

After I returned from Wisconsin, I had wanted to go to Yuma and find a rare Streak-backed Oriole.  It's a three hour drive and I didn't want to make it alone. The trek to Yuma can be...somewhat dry:) When my friends Gordon and Muriel said they were chasing the bird, I asked if I could join them. They still thought I was in Wisconsin.  And I actually was at the time of my text:)

Streak-backed Oriole

They were very kind and let me hitch a ride on this very early morning trek. Since it was the first day of the year, we felt that it was important to start the year off with a "proper" bird:) That's the birder rule.  The other birder rule is to record every bird you see on that first day.  On this day, we would find the beautiful Streak-backed Oriole from Mexico:)

Burrowing Owls

We also made lots of other discoveries on our way back home.  There were plenty of Burrowing Owls around the farming fields. But as we were counting birds, my body decided it couldn't take the stress anymore and I crashed.  I had just returned from Wisconsin and slept for 3 hours before getting back on the road again in Arizona!  I think at one point I did some snoring.  

Can you see where the border is?  Hint:  the left side is Mexico and the right is the US.  The dry creek bed is basically the dividing line. 

I also had signed up previously to help out with the Atascosa CBC count around the California Gulch and Warsaw Canyon areas along the Mexican border the following day.  So as I said good-bye to Muriel and Gordon on Saturday, I was off with Dave and Ron on Sunday doing more area counts of birds. Yes I was still exhausted. But it was for a good cause and a way to help out Tucson Audubon. 

We print a map and find a new riparian area to bird along the Warsaw Canyon area.  I write in my notes that water in winter is very important for the Five-striped Sparrow.  There was a springs/creek along a rocky outcrop. And it was here that we found one of these sparrows.  On the other counts for the day, several other FSSP were discovered around similar spots. 

As we walked along the springs of Warsaw Canyon, we found wonderful birds like the Elegant Trogon, Five-striped Sparrow and Black-capped Gnatcatcher.  The roads along the border were rocky and steep, but somehow we managed to get to our very isolated locations. 

Common Hog-nosed Skunk

This area was full of fantastic wildlife.  Throughout the day, we had excellent views(!) of the very secretive Montezuma Quail!  Their numbers were quite impressive, but that didn't stop them from disappearing quickly into the vegetation. 

Female Montezuma Quail pretending to be a rock. It took me 5 minutes to locate her!  That's how "invisible" they can be!

The border can be hot and dangerous.  My tip to birders/historians/hikers/off road junkies/herpers/wildlife trackers, and everyone else who wants to visit these areas?  Bring food and water with you.  Use a sturdy vehicle that can handle off road conditions.  If you can, try and bring a friend or two with you. And always keep your eyes open. Cell phone service is spotty and doesn't work much of the time. Most of the time, the border crossing folk won't do any harm. I've been into other areas when I first began birding that had opened my eyes up to what is "THE BORDER".  It's the reason why I now carry a cell phone that has a tracker on it. I went 12 years without a cell phone! Now I'm addicted and straying away from my story so....With all that said, I have NEVER had issues in this area(Ruby Road/Peña Blanca Lake), but I have heard stories. Water and flat tires should be your main concern. And keep it all locked up. 

As we chased a Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, we found a water depot for people crossing this very isolated stretch of desert. A church organization from Tucson supplies water and food in this hidden location. These "watering holes" have been controversial as this church has been in the news several times for its humanitarian work along the border. I have no opinion on the matter, but I do hate the trash left behind in the nearby wash!

As Dave drove his all terrain vehicle up the sharp and rocky "roads", I laughed. I think it's something I do when I'm nervous.  But it was kinda fun:) We were going up some steep inclines! Luckily none of us had to use the bathroom! 

Northern Beardless Tyrannulet

As the day came to close, I thought about how crazy my start to the New Year had been. From snow to desert and then back to snow again.  I feel like I've finally hit my stride as a legit birder and that everything I've done has lead me to this moment in my life. And yet I still have so much to learn! My focus this year is on finding new state birds for Arizona. Over the next couple weeks, we'll explore the beautiful Ramsey Canyon, Lake Havasu and the Willcox area.  If you haven't done a CBC(or Christmas Bird Count) with your local Audubon, I highly encourage trying it out. And throughout the year, your local Audubon will have many other events planned! Check it out! It's good for the birds and it's a great way to meet new birders and make friends. And of course, learn about our feathered friends. Until next time.......

"Passing By"

The name of the game today is "Passing By".  On our trip this past summer from Tucson to San Diego, we took the long, and sometimes boring trip on Highway 8 to the Pacific Coast. To make it more exciting, I brought my camera.  The rules for this photography game were simple.  One person drives and the other person snaps pictures.  You can't stop the car or get out of the car BUT you can take pictures from your seat.  Rolling down the window is okay:)  Over the past couple weeks, you've seen some of these "passing by" shots at 1 PM each day.   I'm working on my photography now to improve my work on this blog.

The Imperial Sand Dunes near Yuma

 The Imperial Sand Dunes outside of Yuma.....

 As we entered El Centro, bales of hay were everywhere.

Green, yellow, golden bales of hay.

As we left the El Centro area and entered Alpine.  Trucks could be seen transporting the hay through the windy roads of Highway 8.

As we got higher.....

Massive giant windmills towered over cars and mountain ridges.....

And that's "Passing By".

Forgetting Oneself

 Looking for sand crabs in Santa Cruz, CA

I think the aborigines of Australia have it right. In life, we are constantly redefining who we are.  We are not the same people we were a year ago or 5 years ago. The aborigines believe that when you change something like a profession or the things you like to do that it's time for you to change your name, but only when you're ready to do so.  If you were a musician before and you decide to become a hunter today; you would then choose to pick a name around the word "hunter". It is then celebrated by the tribe and considered a type of birthday or a day of renewal in your life....born again into someone new.

On Mt. Tam, across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisico



Climbing the Rincon Mountains with my dear friends

In my twenties, I lived an adventurous life of uncertainty and excitement.  I did so many things that it felt like I lived 10 lifetimes in 12 years. At the time, I specifically loved teaching Spanish. However, I always dabbled in nature and enjoyed climbing, hiking, and anything else I could do outdoors on my off time. 

Working at Point Beach State Park  in Two Rivers
Helping tourists and busting underage drinkers, watching deer walk around the booth while having my morning coffee in the stand ......perfection.

I'm not sure if anyone feels this way about their current jobs, but I have been going through a change of my own this past year.  I used to love teaching a lot, but it's just becoming something that I do.  I switch it up, change projects around, research the latest info for the Spanish classroom, but it's not that exciting/challenging for me anymore. People ask me why I don't go into administration and at that point, I want to laugh.  For them, it's about money and leaving the classroom. I work with Spanish only in the education system because I enjoy both the kids and Spanish. Everything else is rather terrible. The kids have a blast and we laugh a lot, but there's something else inside of me that is telling me to do something new. I have a student teacher who is great and full of energy and I see a lot of myself in her when I first started out.  It's always great to watch these "kids" become young teachers. Adding another adult in the classroom allows me to help that student to teacher ratio a bit which keeps getting larger every year.  I always ask them why they want to be teachers and why specifically Spanish?  Before I take them on, I need to know that they are passionate about the language and that they are interested in helping others learn the language. Anyone who says that it seems to be the right thing to do or it just seems like I should settle down are denied:)  In any case, my job is fine, but I am looking to add another dimension to my work. I think we all get to a point in our jobs when we start questioning, "What more is there?"  I'm at that point now.  Gardening and writing this blog have shown me that I am capable of more, but I don't know what the next step is and I think with a bit more time, the answer will present itself.

A summer spent camping at the beautiful state parks of Wisconsin. Parfrey's Glen, WI

I've become so afraid of change that I don't take those risks like I used to.  And to be honest, a risk at our older ages is much more scary than the ones we make when we are younger.  You build a lot of things by staying in one spot....friends, saving, retirement, home, your own doctors, etc.  But you also can lose that edge....I've been trying to reconnect back to my crazy twenties and be more spontaneous, but it's not easy.  I would love to work outdoors for a living. The part I don't miss about my twenties is the partying, drinking, or the weird dates I went on.  For those of you dating now, I apologize, but there are a lot of whack jobs out there.  Have fun, but be careful and always meet at a cáfe first (or somewhere public). My single friends in their forties and fifties are really questioning being in a relationship again after the peace and quiet of single life. But alas, dating can be fun and they have some great stories to tell on lunch breaks:) 



Wildflowers outside of Yuma, AZ. I don't know why I was dressed so formal or where I was going, but I do remember an amazing display of wildflowers that year:) In the last pic, we were somewhere outside of LA.  It was close to Mt. Strawberry..



So the question before me now is where do I go from here?  Is this what we may call a midlife crisis?  I'm not sure it's a crisis just a new direction of interest and focus.  All I know is that I am so happy to be doing the things that I used to do and it feels good.

In the next several blogs, we're going to travel to several different areas around Texas and talk about more prep work on the Spring projects.  I don't blog all day long, but I do write everyday setting up different posts.  I am working on a report from Biosphere.  We were at the site today and I did my investigation and reporting.....but I forgot my memory card for the camera!!!!!  Thank goodness they sold disposable cameras or I would have been really upset.  Note to self, buy more spare memory cards:)  We'll see how the pics turn out.  I hope you find it interesting.  It was a beautiful day outside.  Until next time, happy gardening!