Withdrawal Symptoms

A Mallard approaches us

Have you ever closed the curtains to your windows so that you could just keep the outside world out?  Lately, I have been unmotivated and tired.  But I made a promise to myself at the beginning of the year that I would work on my US list.  My only goal?  To stay within the top 100 in the national scheme of things.  So far so good.  

I'm tired of the chasing.  I'm tired of the ebird reports and most of all just feeling a bit confined for the moment. The home requires a little TLC and I'm working on several projects right now that will add a little spark to our place.  

Black-capped Chickadee at one of the hotspots I created for Ebird in Colorado Springs.....Quail Lake

So I understand that there are birds out there that need to be seen for the year but their locations are rather uninspiring. What does that mean?  Well, there are cool birds that can be found in trashy locales full of sketchy people or hot desert scrub in the middle of nowhere. I'm much more inclined to sit in my pajamas with a cup of coffee during the weekend and read a good book. 

Bucks hidden in a secret canyon outside of Colorado Springs during hunting season

Granted there are always birds that amaze me....even the common ones.  But after a year of chasing (and this last road trip to Colorado), I'm about ready to hang up my birding vest and cap.  Next year I'll be stepping back from the birding scene and just focusing on new life birds.

American Avocets in Bosque Del Apache, New Mexico last week

For now, I've made the New Year's Resolution "find and re-find as many new and old birds as I can" a reality.  It's not as easy as it sounds.  Family, weather, money, work and home have interfered with my focus at times.  Time is everything. 

People will ask me, "What has been the most challenging part about this birding trek?"  Time and money are a challenge especially when there is a full-time job to consider. I've only hit half the necessary hot spots in the US to stay in the top 100. With more money and "free" time, I could plot and strategize better. Another challenge?  Locating grouse!  They are some of the most difficult birds to locate.  Some of the grouse that have eluded me so far this year have been the Dusky, Spruce and Gunnison sage-grouse!  They are VERY difficult.  It took me two years to discover the secretive nature of this Montezuma Quail below!  Hearing the bird is one thing but to watch it watch me only inches away was quite a learning experience.  The bird was completely camouflaged by the grasses and for me it was one of the hardest things I've had to do as a birder this year!

Montezuma Quail

BUT! The Montezuma Quail live here so I've been able to constantly go back and study their habitat. This has allowed me to get a better idea about how they interact with their environment.  But the other grouse?  Not common here in Southern Arizona and when I'm in their territory, their environment and habits are completely alien to me. Rails also fall into the same category.  There are several in December that I hope to locate.  Sometimes finding mammals are easier than spotting birds!  And let me tell you, if I were a hunter, I would have done very well this last week. Thankfully I use a camera to shoot.  Then I whisper to the deer, "Stay safe."

So as I slow down, for now, I am learning to just enjoy the simple things and pull back from my personal challenge of "finding all the birds".   I have one last big trek for the year scheduled into California.  For the time being, I'm drawing my shades and just relaxing a bit before going back on the road again.  I'm not going to let the competitive birding out there drive me insane:)  Maybe it's too late for that?

Sparrow love-Brewer's Sparrow.  Yeah it's brown and plain but.......what a cool bird!

Currently for the year, I've seen and documented 450 species of birds. I'm not done:) Last year, I observed 452 species.  While out on the road this year, we had a little fun on our treks around Arizona.  The mastermind, Tommy D, loves putting together birding videos while on his Arizonan treks.  In this state, a birder can go from extreme heat to snow within a half hour!  Sometimes we desert rats forget to prepare for the colder terrain while on that chase for a rare bird.  Here is one of my favorites he filmed while looking for a super rare bird in the north country!  Check out Tommy D's Birding Stereotypes.  Arizona truly is an awesome place to bird.  Where will we be next weekend?  Stay tuned for more from Las Aventuras. 

Don't forget to check out Wild Bird Wednesday!