Nothing Beats A Great Pair of Legs

Today it's all about the long legged birds showing off at the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch.

Great Blue Heron in flight

Here are some shots from just of few of my favorite birds in flight. Or reflecting:)

Snowy Egret

If you're looking to refine your skills on capturing herons or egrets in flight, this is the place to do it.

They were everywhere.  I also got a chance to watch Great Blue Herons in a mating dance.  Very cool.

I'll part now and leave you with these incredible birds.  Until tomorrow.....

Great Egret in water as Snowy Egret lands next to its larger relative

Snowy Egret in flight

Scauping Around

Remembering the "Golden Rule" of birding, we looked at the large groups of birds.  At the Gilbert Water Ranch, we'd get clear shots of the elusive Northern Pintails and Lesser Scaup.

Northern Pintail

But we had to really observe.  All these ducks today are a first for Las Aventuras.  The eye can play tricks with ducks.  Hybrids, female/male ducks, and similar looking ducks like the Canvasback/Redheads can cause one to lose track and blend them all together.

Ring-necked Duck

The important rule though is to keep your ears open.  If a rare bird is spotted in your area, there's a chance that others may be around as well.  Several posts ago, I spoke about searching for the Lesser Scaup at the Amado Recharge basin near Madera Canyon.  At the time, I wasn't able to find the bird but this Gilbert Ranch experience really led us to some great observations.

But as you can imagine, the duck below was popular with families and their kids.  Just a domestic duck.  Still cute.  This particular bird was a celebrity with the crowds at the park:)

But I'm weird.  The Lesser Scaups hiding with all the others made me jump up and down. I rushed down the bridge to get close up shots!

Lesser Scaup

Both sexes were found hiding in the Ring-necked Duck crowd.  And I had to really focus and pay attention to find them. By this time, Kathie and I were exhausted and tired.  We had spent an entire morning counting birds.  We found over 50 birds but by the time we returned back to our car, our minds were drained and our bodies lacked nourishment.

The last bird I counted on this day would be another lifer for me....the Lesser Scaup.  It just took more work and mental focus to find it:)  And what little exists up in my head was then completely drained.

But Kathie and I weren't finished.  There are two more posts coming up from our adventure and day off birding.  It's serious business and it's never 1 or 2 hours with us......but an entire day.  Just wait until you see what else we found:)  What a trip!  At the end of the day, we went home and slept.  And didn't bird for several days afterwards:)

Green-Winged Teal

More tomorrow....

"Peep" Show

Long-billed Dowitchers

As a beginning birder earlier this year, I'd hear the word "peeps" used on a regular basis.  I had NO idea what that meant until I asked a birder.  From my Wisconsin viewpoint, I thought it meant "buddies" as in "my peeps" or my peers!

In the field, it's hard to ID small birds from a distance, but we know they're out there.  They are small birds that normally consist of sandpipers, snipes etc.  We can see them flying but we can't ID them.   At that point, these birds are all lumped into the category known as peeps.

What was special about Gilbert Water Ranch was that we could get up and close to these birds without them flying off from us!  And we just sat watching these incredible birds walk right past us near the shore.

Black Neck Stilt

It was an exciting morning as Kathie and I sat on the shore counting and ID'ing birds. Lighting is a constant challenge in Arizona as the sun is very bright, but I am happy with the results.

Least Sandpipers

The nicest part was watching the Sandpipers up close and observing their behaviors. But I also had other surprises.

The Green Heron below was hunting.  These particular herons are the trickiest to capture on camera and I was thrilled to peer from a bush with Kathie and watch the bird stalk its food.

Green Heron

The Black Neck Stilts were also important.  I have not been able to get a nice clear shot for a long time.  My fingers fumbled through the triggers on my camera as I was overwhelmed with closeup shots.  One bird species would pass and another would distract!  No fair!

Had it not been for Kathie's eye, I would not have been able to spot the Wilson's Snipe.  It was a total thrill to strain my eyes and lens to find this one.  With the bright sun and various browns, I almost missed out on this bird. Now if I go out into the field, I'll have a better eye for this species.

Wilson's Snipe

The "Peep" show was out of this world!  I highly recommend this preserve in Gilbert for birders/nature enthusiasts visiting Arizona.  If you're stuck in Phoenix and wanting to connect with the outdoors, this is the perfect place.  There are bathrooms and more importantly......drinking fountains at the entrance.  People forget how hot it gets in AZ(even in winter) and don't prepare for the water situation.  At least here you have a quick rescue nearby if you get thirsty:) I find that while birding I forget to drink enough water and then get light headed.  That's when I sit down in the shade and refuel.

Here is a random thought to end this post.  The opening and closing shots of the Dowitchers are my favorites from this series.  I was thinking about framing them and putting them in the bathroom.  And I can't tell you why I thought this but I want to do it.  But back to the subject.  If you're into "Peep" shows and live here, I highly recommend the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch.  From a photographers point of view, this place will give you PRIMO views!

And for those of you from the Phoenix area, I don't mean to upset:)  Tucson and Phoenix residents have definite opinions about the "other" city and these posts are written in a fun manner. But I always write from my Wisconsin point of view and consider this blog as a way to share potential issues for snowbirders and our many winter visitors that come to visit AZ this time of year.  I lived in Phoenix.  Once:)  But Tucson stole my heart.  Remember to always lock your car on bird/wildlife outings, use sunscreen, bring plenty of water and a hat.  Kathie and I both talk about securing things up all the time whether we are in Tucson or Phoenix on our missions.  I now have a cell phone because of that drug run in from Montosa Canyon near Green Valley this past summer.  So remember to be smart wherever you go and keep an eye open for suspicious activity.  Arizona is a beautiful state but in many ways it still can be quite wild and random....partly due to the border being nearby.  But don't let that stop you from the outdoors:)  Think of my attitude towards Phoenix like that of the Sun Devils vs. The Wildcats.  It's all done in jest:)  Well maybe not the Jan Brewer bits:)  I'm no longer living in the safe and comfortable world of the Shire, but I'll take a walk on the wild side to be a part of this crazy state. More tomorrow....