Try

I find chasing after a new bird has a cost because it doesn't always guarantee an excellent picture.....just a fuzzy one for that chance glimpse. And while running after that bird, many other species present themselves in broad daylight.  Ones that I've wanted to get great shots of since the beginning of this year.....but the distant call of the Groove Bill Ani calls me and I run.

Male Summer Tanager

As I run, the rare Male Summer Tanager taunts me sitting on top of a sign.  A test to see how bad I want this bird.  But I stop and hold myself together to snap shots of it.  The Ani calls again and my heart races and I must leave the bird that I've been trying to get better shots of........all for the Ani.

I walk briskly to the bird call.  Whenever there is a rare bird like the Plain Capped Starthroat Hummingbird or the Groove Billed Ani, I can't sleep well.   I memorize their calls and listen carefully while out in the field.  I hear the call repeatedly.

Meanwhile, like the devil taunting me, birds sit and stare at me giving me perfect shots of them.  "Come on!!!  Why couldn't you have done this before???  Why now!??"  The call comes again.

Rare bird indeed.  The only one in the US right now and the whole world is looking for it.  I find another birder also focusing her eyes on the same place I hear the call.

Cooper's Hawk

We look into the tree full of Grackles but a floppy jump catches my eye. "Everyone is here searching for you and we two lucky people found you."

But my eyes are distracted.  INCA DOVES!!!!!????  Come on!!!  Is this some sort of sick joke??!!!  I have searched for you all year long and now, NOW! of all times you and your friends are with the Ani in the tree.  

Inca Doves

A White Crowned Sparrow pops out....and perches perfectly for me.  I wish I had a copy of myself to observe them all at once.  But I can't.  And it's frustrating.  The Ani calls one last time and snaps my attention back like a tight rubber band. 

White Crowned Sparrow

And I catch it flying off into the reeds of the Sweetwater Wetlands.  And as soon as it all happens, it all quickly fades away.  Birders see us both get excited and MANY people come towards us.  I point the direction of the bird and they all quickly go after it.

Groove Billed Ani

"Try" happened twice for me to find this bird.  I had many sleepless nights. Finding the bird was pure adrenaline.  I won't forget that moment for a long time.  But I am a perfectionist and as a photographer, I was upset with my pictures.  I am OCD and went back the next day around the same time.  Would luck strike twice?  More tomorrow.....

The Unexpected Surprises

Harris Hawk

Today's post if full of wonderful awesomeness.  It's when you're walking and stuff happens right around you. If you don't act quick enough, you miss the shot like the photographer trying to get the Harris Hawk during this day.  I had a private smile but that smile turned upside down the next day when I missed out on the American Kestrel attacking the Harris Hawk.  You win some and you lose some:)

And my camera is always right next to me at every turn.  On my way to Sweetwater in my neighborhood, a Cooper's Hawk sat on our street light.  I parked the car, aimed the camera, and took pics.  An older lady came my way and began talking with me.  She was sweet and replied, "A Cooper's Hawk on a Sunday morning.  It doesn't get better than that.:)"  But it would get better....

Cooper's Hawk

And like the Cooper's Hawk, I flew off to Sweetwater.

What an incredible day!!!!  It was super birdy and full of a billion bird species.  I began my count and within a short time, I had over 30 birds species!!!

Cactus Wren

Birds were either hanging out or flying by me at a rapid pace.

American Kestrel

I knew a Buffelhead was in the area but I kept my eyes open for other surprises.

Pied Bill Grebe

And I found everyone on my list that I was supposed to find!

Female Buffelhead

And while some of the photos weren't super great, I did have photo documentation that they were there.

From left to right, female Buffelhead, Northern Shoveler, and Mallard Duck.

Some posts, like this one, take time to process as I need to confirm the birds spotted.

With the Buffelhead, it wasn't an issue. The markings were clear and easy to see:)

But for this new species of Warbler and Sparrow below, I had to investigate.

Orange Crowned Warbler

This Orange Crowned Warbler sat in front of me for a few brief moments and then like all warblers took off!!!

But what took me the longest to research was this sparrow below.  Before any of my posts go out, I have several eyes check and verify pics before labeling them because I want accuracy on my reports.  Sometimes I'll throw the wrong name out there just to hear people give their explanations. About 60 percent of the time, I've labeled the "confusing" birds correctly.  But not the one below:)

Lincoln's Sparrow

It took one week to get enough feedback on the ID to prep for today's report. So many sparrows will just pop out of nowhere and surprise you along the way.  With sparrows, it's just important to sit and wait for them.

White Crowned Sparrow

Of course there are plenty others that are much easier to ID like the White Crowned Sparrow.  There have been so many of them lately around here and they have such cute faces.

Solitary Sandpiper

And Sweetwater is also home to the rare Solitary Sandpiper that has decided to call our wetlands home every winter:) And that is another wonderful unexpected surprise.  Here he is calmly taking a stroll in the stream.

More tomorrow....

The Dark Side

Yellow Headed Blackbirds

Just how many black birds are out there??!!!!  Well on this day with Kathie, we'd discover every type of black bird and then some at Lakeside Park!!!!  There were some incredible surprises in the mix as well....rarities.  I love my birding buddy.  She's not only a cool person, but I now miss her when I'm birding alone.  Birding anytime is great but it's better when we work together as today would prove.

Great Tailed Grackles

And of course there were those that stood out from the "black feathers" only club.  But Kathie's careful eye discovered Cowbirds!!!  She was in awe and when it's something big, she says things like, "Oh my gosh Chris.  Oh my gosh! That's a...."  And we both get excited over the discovery.  

Wigeon

First, she documents and by the time she gets that camera ready, they've taken off on her. Birds are fast so I usually snap the shot and ID later.

Mallards landing

Now to be honest, blackbirds or sparrows scare me and can be difficult to ID. Or maybe it's just in my mind.  But they are birds and they are cool.  I just don't know why I feel that way because the blackbirds are incredibly interesting behavior wise.

American Coots

But inevitably, my eye is attracted to the raptor sitting in the tree.  I'm fascinated by them. Or how the above Coots gathered in a big group to have breakfast.

Red Tailed Hawk

But something captured both Kathie and my eyes.  Yellow.  WTH?!  There were two yellow headed blackbirds on the grass!  If you've ever tried taking shots of these birds, you know how difficult it is to get them on camera as they like to hang out in the reeds around water areas.  But here out in the open, there were TWO Yellow Headed Blackbirds.  And these birds do grab my attention and it was one of the many personal thrills for this day. The Vermilion Flycatchers and Herons being the other exciting finds...

But this sequence here of shennagins really got me excited and was thrilling to get on the camera.

Like hummingbirds, there was a pecking order and someone crossed the line......it was the female Grackle.

What a ^%&#!  She had to get her bill into the fold but thankfully the two young ones stood their ground......until 2 Kestrels presented themselves up in the airwaves and then all hell broke loose.  Everyone and their mother goose got up and flew the coup!

Well except for this cute adorable little White Crowned Sparrow.  They're back!

White Crowned Sparrow

The shot below of the Cowbirds REALLY got Kathie jumping up and down.  Luckily I was able to capture the two together.  It's important to note that they are two completely different Cowbirds hanging out on the same branch.   The trees were full of Brewer's, Grackles, etc etc.  And these two were cleverly disguised in the mix. And while the Bronzed Cowbird wasn't a lifer for me, the Brown Headed Cowbird was.  It was an unusual find in Tucson.  I saw my first Cowbird in Madera Canyon.

Male Bronzed Cowbird and a Brown Headed Cowbird

Kathie told me that this would happen.  She said that many times there are different birds hiding in the mix.  But my eyes were pulled to the Vermilion Flycatchers, Egrets, Herons, Raptors, Hummingbirds, etc etc.

And lately the Warblers have grabbed my full attention.  Coming up, I'll present several from my Portal visit. It was a fun day, as always, with Kathie.  But most importantly, I learned the very important lesson of looking closer.  Not everything is as it appears.  And then I joined the Dark Side of the force:) And it's appropriate.  Kathie would be the Emperor and I would play her henchman Darth Vader.  That Yellow Rumped Warbler never had a chance:)  More tomorrow.....

Yellow Rumped Warbler

White-crowned Sparrow

White Crowned Sparrow Juvenile

Just how many sparrow varieties are out there???  A lot.  And they're a difficult group to identify sometimes.  At least I know now that there isn't just one kind of Sparrow.  Today I discover the White Crowned Sparrow.

We were at Tuzigoot National Monument when I heard some rustling in the bushes. Then these two little guys popped out and jumped around on the ground.

I recognize the markings as a Sparrow but then I see the distinct crown markings on the top of the head.  My confusion begins. The problem is that when I google the description, I get a different looking bird.......and then I speak with my birder friends. 

The images that pop up are birds with black and white heads.  Come to find out that these are juveniles!!  And I guess it makes sense.  Sometimes human babies are born with a different hair color and as they get older, their hair color changes. 

Either way, they were fun little birds to watch hop around. More tomorrow....

11/25/2018-Re-reading this reminds me that we all must begin somewhere. It is a humbling experience to know that I was like most people when I first began my bird adventures.  This is a very easy sparrow to ID, but apparently not to me at this time.  This just proves we all have to begin somewhere.  We cannot grow if we do not learn.