The World of Horicon

Sandhill Crane

Close to my home and near my heart is the magical world of Horicon National Wildlife Refuge.  It's a large area full of incredible birds and peaceful walks. 

Eastern Wood-Pewee

As a child, I remember taking the winding country roads through aging little towns with my grandparents.  Returning as a birder, I saw so much more! 

There were so many stops along the way that I forget where we saw all of our birds.  I just remember having a good time spotting several species that are often difficult to photograph in Arizona. 

Eastern Kingbird

On this day, we would search for Gordon's lifer Bobolink.  And we found plenty:)  

Bobolink

While we search for the Bobolinks, a soggy Song Sparrow pops up to see what we are doing in the prairie grasses. 

Song Sparrow

Tree Swallows shine like sapphires against the bright sunlight. 

Tree Swallow

And Black Terns fish along our gravel path. 

Black Tern

My heart gets beating when I see one of these birds in breeding plumage.  I quickly walk forward.......

......and almost trip over this rock......

......WAIT!  NOT ROCK!  A Snapping Turtle! 

Thanks Gordon for the heads up:)

We had a great morning out at Horicon National Wildlife Refuge.  It's a large area so it definitely requires many more visits.  

Clay-colored Sparrow

Until next time.....

When The Heart Calls

The road into Portal.  The "V" of the mountain is where we are going.

Over the next several weeks, there will be many magical moments to share from the road.  For now, I am enjoying Arizona and celebrating its last monsoon hurrah!

The temps begin to fade.  And hummingbirds and warblers make their last push back into their wintering grounds.  While I hate to see them go, I am thankful for the much cooler temps that will follow in their wake. 

Horse Lubber

How does one properly say good-bye to these incredibly beautiful birds?  

Mexican Sulphur on Salvia

After this labor day weekend of exploration, a sleeping dragon awoke.  The birding energy begins to grow again. It's September. The year begins to wane.  And the cooler temps will be arriving soon.

At Willow Tank, AZ

I really love all my birding buds.  They are the best.  We motivate each other to do better and keep going.  Had it just been myself at this place, I would have sat down in the middle of the forest in my tent up at Rustler Park and considered hiking:) The park itself is a great place to watch birds.  No need to hike far. But with the buds, we pushed each other to keep it moving.  

Mexican Fox Squirrel

It's easy to get lost in the moment and so before we all knew it, it was time for us to go back home. But what a show!

Green Stink Bug

It had been over two years since my last visit to Portal which has been waaaaaay too long.  I don't know a person who does not love this place. There are two reactions from people when the word "Portal" is mentioned. "Where?" and "I love that place."  That's how remote this little town is. It should be a top 10 must see in the US.  The Chiricahua Mountain range is a sky island that is home to several unique species of reptiles, insects, birds and mammals in the US. No where else in the US can you find these critters. 

I would also mention that the wildlife here outnumbers the human populations.  The residents of Portal love the isolation from the rest of the world.  There is barely any WIFI in the tiny town.  In fact, in most of the places there isn't any connection at all!

Red-tailed Hawk takes flight from the canyon wall

It is easily one of my favorite places in Arizona.  There are comfy lodges and one restaurant:)  Bring a cooler full of goodies just in case:) Also make sure you have enough gas in your car because the nearest station is 19 miles away:)  If you love nature, you'll love Portal.  Until next time friends.....

Blue-throated Hummingbird

Here At The End of All Things

We explore the mountains of Costa Rica

Step boldly forward.  Change my footing so that my legs do not become tired.  Step beyond personal limitations.  

I fall in love with the Andes mountains between Argentina and Chile.  Sunset was magical

Always remember those who helped me get to this point in my life and keep learning. 

The lagoons of Semuc Champey, Guatemala reveal to me that there are truly magical places out there

Grow bored. Experiment.  Face a fear.  Question this self-inflicted reality. Encounter new people.  Embrace change. 

My first real life challenge....and life change.  Growing up.  Cape Verde taught me many things.  I will go back and confront that life lesson again. 

New bird challenges are interesting.  A birder can play it safe only for so long before s/he hits a "life bird wall".  The risks are higher and the payoffs are either an extreme success or a very disappointing low.  

An island of ancient people live their lives in the middle of Lake Titicaca, Peru.  I see the Milky Way for the first time in their cold clear dark skies.  No light but the stars.  I know nothing. 

One group of experts is replaced by another.  Many territories are unexplored.  It's an opportunity to become an explorer while stringing missing data and personal hunches together to help save our birds. Neil Armstrong. Marco Polo. Vasco Da Gama. Hernan Cortes. Sacagawea.  Any one of us can still discover if we choose.

We climbed Machu Pichu like everyone else.  It tests my physical endurance and my fear of height.  At one point, I break down and cry because of the physical stress.  I move inches to the top.  I discover I can do it. 

That's also the danger.  The uncomfortable truth.  To find a new life bird, I have to challenge myself to be open and smart about what's around me.

Color is life.  Cuzco, Peru

Keep an eye open for strange human behavior, wild animals foreign to me and ever changing environments.

I stand in a dark forest along the Pacific Ocean in Costa Rica tracking Howler Monkeys and Scarlet Macaws.  My first experience birding.  I stand alone in the forest and feel frightened.  I am truly in the wild. Alone.

Some places may be safe.  Sip your tea and watch a Blue Tit at a new friend's feeder.  Or climb to the top of a jagged mountain and find a Himalayan Snowcock.  Each bird brings with it a story.  A connection. 

We explore Chile.  Even at great heights we find fish in a small frozen lake.  How is this even possible?

It's time to leave my desert nest and begin the gamble.  1000 life birds?  Is it possible to reach that epic mark in a year or two?  We'll see.  As I leave my safety net of "knowing", I enter a strange world of the new and bizarre.  It will require me to study thousands of strange new species that I've never heard about before.   

I explore a beach for sand crabs

Live the daily routine.  Pay the monthly bills.  And explore when there is an opportunity to do so.  I'm a Cormorant stretching my wings out......waiting for them to dry.  

We explore the Mediterranean Ocean around the Italian coast.  Still not a birder. Sigh. 

For soon I will take flight across the oceans of the world, to the tundra of the North and the glaciers of the South, and touch the sun baked pyramids of the great African desert. 

My travels sparked with this amazing group of people.  I learned a lot about myself....who I was, how to speak another language, how to party like a rock star and......and discover this amazing world.  Today we are all 20 some years older.  The girls are women.  One is a mother!  This year I will return to visit them again.  It has been too long.  Ahhh Mexico!

These pictures were the beginning photo documentation pieces of my work.  Later they would evolve into this blog.  All I can say is that my life has done a complete 360.  It began with culture, plants and photography.  Today, this process has naturally led me into birding and travel. For anyone thinking about blogging, I highly recommend it!

Barcelona, Spain

Everything changes now. In a way, it's sad to part from the crazy road treks around Arizona.  Now my journeys will only focus on life birds.  Arizona still holds a few, but my eyes now wander south to the lands of Mexico.  To the North, Alaska is home to many incredible birds.  San Francisco calls to me again.  The prairies of middle America are home to the ancient mating dances of several types of grouse.  And this "thing" that I have only just begun goes on and on.  Here at the end of all things, I am both sad and happy.  One chapter ends.  Another begins.......

Bunche Beach

Piping Plover

Shorebirds once intimidated me.  On my last big birding expedition near Ft. Myers(and my last Florida post), I was determined to count every small bird on Bunche Beach.  It became a hotspot when I did research on the plovers found around this area. I had my pick of places to go but the word PLOVER played over and over in my head.  I love plovers.  They are cool birds and as it happened, there were two new ones I could add to my list....if I could find them. This was definitely a case of personal preference. Similar to my love of all things "owl", the plovers trumped the other bird species on this very early morning. 

Bunche Beach

This experience is not for everyone.  There were thousands of little shorebirds along the beach.  For a birder, it's a great big treasure chest.  For someone who is a casual birder or traveler, this might be considered rather boring. I battled hundreds of no-see-um bites all over my body.  As I write this post today, my body is still recovering from those terrible attacks.  I prepared as best I could, but it didn't matter.  It was the price to pay for finding the endangered Piping Plovers. 

Wilson's Plover

As a sign from the bird gods, it also began to rain and thus ended my birding adventures in Florida.  BUT NOT before finding my very first Wilson's Plover.  I was very proud of this moment in my life.  Again, I did it alone without any fanfare. There was a time I couldn't ID a single shorebird.  On this day, I knew all of my birds and learned many new calls.  The Wilson's Plover made a sharp trill that led me straight to the bird.  It was the only one I observed on the beach among all the Sanderlings, Dunlins, Sandpipers, etc.  And it was here I gained an imaginary birder medal.  I helped an out-of-towner and bird guide find the plover on the beach.  Then as a sign that enough was enough, it poured buckets of rain.  

Piping Plover stands alone on a sand bar

I ran back to the car all bitten up with my camera tucked inside my vest. And I watched it rain.  Rain.  To a desert rat, it's the most beautiful thing in the world.  I felt happy that I got up early and went to this epic beach to bird.  It's really a lovely place to visit because it's natural and untouched. It IS for wildlife aficionados. Not for the casual tourist. 

Black Skimmer

I hated the idea of returning because I knew I could do so much more in Florida.  So many people are very open with their time. I envy them because I am constantly battling it. Yes it's all enjoyable but there is a definite time table for out-of-state trips.  I don't have a moment to spare! There are so many birds and unique habitat areas to explore.  I could be more.  I could do more.  Even with my body covered in bites, I wanted to continue my work. 

So I tried to push it more and headed to another birding spot on my list but as I did so, it just rained harder and harder.  I parked in the middle of a forested parking lot alone still wet from the downpour on the beach. I love birds.  The idea of returning back to my "other" life was difficult.  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  

I could do more.  So much more.  But financially I am still somewhat trapped paying for those student loans after all these years.  I am itching to be free of those chains so that I can really fly and see more of the world. I am a child again playing in my neighborhood discovering amazing things.  My mind is a sponge ready to absorb observation after observation of birds. Watching a Black Skimmer skim over the waters is truly amazing. 

Or viewing the Semipalmated Plover among all the other birds on the beach makes me very happy.  And I love sharing it with others who love nature.  I love sharing it with Pat.  I love the random road trips.  The crazy birders.  Visiting friends I haven't seen in years. And learning.  Really really learning about myself, others and of course, the magnificent birds!

Plover love-Wilson's and Piping Plovers on top; middle-Black-bellied, Killdeer, Semipalmated Plover; bottom-Mountain and Snowy Plovers

Another adventure is coming.  Where will it be next?  Stay tuned for more next week.   Check out other amazing birds at Wild Bird Wednesday.

The Santa Cruz Flats

A Big January requires strange trips to dusty areas like the Santa Cruz Flats near Picacho Peak.  Here in this desolate part of the world, sandy dirt roads wrap around farming fields.  When Laurence suggested we go, I had to really plan and map this one out.  For such an isolated and dry area of the world, it was surprising the amount of NEW birds we saw.  On this epic outing, bird guru Rich Hoyer, Kathie Brown and myself would go where no one in their right mind had gone before.  And the day would shock and surprise us all.  In short it rocked!  And it was well worth all the dirt and grime:)  It also helped that Rich had birded this area before and maximized our time out in the field.  Thank you Rich!

Throughout the day, we found abandoned buildings and ancient artifacts from former human communities.  Some farms were still active, but there were stretches of "the nothing".  So it was shocking (as we were searching for Mountain Plovers at the Evergreen Sod Farm) to find a Crested Caracara flying over our heads.  During our day, we would encounter many birders searching for new life around the flats.  Many were from out of town while others were surveying raptors.  On this day they would count around 35 of these tropical Crested Caracaras!  Wowsa!

Crested Caracara

But we went on our merry ways.  Rich was searching for a Longspur.  Kathie was counting birds.  And I was trying to get better shots of Pipits and Horned Larks.  Spectacular birds!

And then it would happen.  The Burrowing Owls.  I smiled and smiled and smiled some more.  I LOVE owls!!!  And I finally was able to get nice shots of these beautiful birds.  Like statues along the dirt roads, they appeared as rock figures or dead branches.  

Burrowing Owl

My big lesson for the day came from Rich on thrashers.  For both Kathie and myself, this Bendire's Thrasher would be a life bird.  But like so many birders ask, "How do you tell the difference between a Curve-billed and Bendire's?"  Habitat and bill structure.  Notice how the Bendire's upper bill curves and the bottom part of the bill isn't as curvy(straighter) than that of the Curve-billed?  I put up a Curve-billed pic below to compare the differences. 

Bendire's Thrasher

Look closely between the two pics. The Bendire's is said to have "arrowhead" or triangular like markings around the breast area.  But it's difficult and not always distinguishable. So look for the bill.  The Santa Cruz Flats are perfect habitat for this bird. 

Curve-billed Thrasher

Another bit that Rich shared with us was the habitat of the Sage Sparrow.  Sparrows can be tricky for most birders but this is one sparrow that's pretty easy to ID because of the gray coloring.  It lives in extremely sparse Sagebrush plains.  It was a strange experience finding this little bird.  It was like were on the set of Star Trek filming for a harsh desert scene on an alien planet.

Sage Sparrow

I was able to photograph the Pipits and Horned Larks.  Kathie found her Bendire's Thrasher several times that day.  And Rich used his magic powers to call out the Chestnut-collared Longspur.  I heard it but didn't have enough observation time with this bird.  By the time I finally got my eyes on it, it had landed in the fields.  Did I see it? Yes.  Rich and Kathie had really nice observations of the bird in flight.  So I hope that one day, I will be able to get really nice pics of this bird. 

The trip is well worth the effort.  It's really not for non-birders as the views are...um....rather flat.  But for birders, this is an exciting place because it has birds that cannot be found elsewhere in our state or country! 

Horned Lark

Bring an atlas as the roads can be tricky.  Have a good vehicle as most of the roads are dirt.  Wear pants and if you have a scope, bring it.  

American Pipit

The Santa Cruz Flats can be found between Phoenix and Tucson near Picacho Peak and Casa Grande.  There are a lot of good birds in this area. 

Bendire's Thrasher

The day was exciting.  The birding team was most excellent. It was a real treat working with Rich and Kathie as it made for a very productive day. 3 sets of eyes are better than one.  

The Santa Cruz Flats can be intimidating for many as there isn't really a set point like in the National Parks, etc.  But start with the Evergreen Sod Farm and move back.  Bring snacks and drinks.  Wear adult diapers. No bathrooms.  If you don't like diapers, you might consider going behind a bush;)  I chose option two instead:)  Hopefully these tips help you out.  Mountain Plovers, Caracaras, Thrashers, oh my! Just think about what you could discover:)