Hummingbird Migration

Ever wonder what goes into hummingbird research?  Well, it's quite the lengthy process and one that I had wanted to see for myself for a couple years now.  So with some friends, we headed out to one of the survey stations on the Ft. Lowell military base on Sunday morning to check out the studies going on during hummingbird migration.

During the months of August and September, Southern Arizona becomes a hot spot for migrating hummingbirds.  Places like Audubon, Cornell University, etc. want to know more about which types of hummers are coming through a particular area.  Several feeder stations are set up with a loose net on top.  When everyone is ready to take readings, the net is dropped and the hummingbird count begins.

Very carefully, several volunteers gently retrieve the birds from the feeder nets and bring them over to a carousel where several more people are waiting to record data.

They are placed into open netted bags and then put on the carousel.  Once that carousel is full, the volunteers stop collecting the hummingbirds from the feeders and open the net up again allowing the charm of hummingbirds to feed again.  Another volunteer constantly monitors the sugar water and changes the feeders out at a regular basis.

But back to the birds on the carousel.  They are taken one at a time where they are weighed, measured, ID'd, etc.  It's a very delicate process.  Another person records the data as the lead scientist relays the data while she measures.  As you can imagine, they cannot be bothered by outsiders while this pertinent information is collected.  Hummingbirds were also monitored for disease.  At one point, it was determined that one was sick.  The loose bag that carried the bird had to be destroyed to keep the disease from spreading to other hummers.  The bird was released back into the wild.

I found it really interesting to observe the entire process.  There wasn't a shortage of hummingbirds on this rainy day.  From my counts alone with Ebird, I documented mainly Rufous and Anna's Hummingbirds.  Black-chinned, Broad-tail, Broad-bill, 2 Magnificent's and a Violet-crowned Hummingbird were also present at the feeders on this day.  80 were documented around the feeders during the first part of the AM hours.

Once the readings have been taken, the hummingbirds are released back into the wild.  Visitors, at this point, are able to offer their open hands for launch.  Sometimes they will zip right out of your hands.  Other times, they will just gently sit for a few moments before taking off.

Youth are encouraged to participate. Children(and adults) need to keep their voices down while approaching the stations as the citizen scientists are taking the readings.  This is a great way to get kids to interact with nature and learn a thing or two about hummingbirds.  Perhaps a future birder will be born?

These hummers have a long trip ahead of them.  They're still at the midway point of their journey as they head back to Central America for the winter.  Feeders provide them the much needed food for their journey.  And studies like these help scientists around the world understand such things like population numbers and migration patterns.  Wishing all these little beauties and safe trip home.  More to come.....

Early Holiday Deals

Sometimes the best birding spots are the ones often overlooked.  After a rainy trip up to Greer in August for a couple days, we stumbled on this little gem near Winkelman on the way back home. Sadly, I must report that Santa was not seen in this thick mesquite forest.

Rocky Mountain Toad or Woodhouse's Toad

So if Santa didn't live here, why would someone call this place Christmas?  Apparently on Christmas day in 1902, this mine was staked out and a town would be born. However, it is now a ghost town.  Some old abandoned buildings remain around this area including an old playground.  For three decades, the former post office here was a popular destination for letters postmarked, "Christmas."

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

I suppose it was like Christmas because I finally was able to obtain decent photos of a Canyon Wren!!!  For months, I had sworn to myself that this bird had it out for me.  I'd hear it, see it and try to get it on camera.  It would jump out on a rock and do its " ascending to descending" call right in front of me.  By the time, I'd get my lens fixed, the bird/s were gone!!  We heard the Canyon Wren calling down the verdant path and we quietly made our way over to where this bird was singing. Both Kathie and myself were able to get some of our best views ever on this bird.    So it was the best Christmas ever!  No cookies or milk were needed for this visit!

Canyon Wren

We marveled at this riparian area as it was full of life.  But Kathie mentioned that she wouldn't want to bird here alone.  I agreed.  Apparently Santa had some homeless elves living around the river as there were elfish things left around various places.

It should also be noted that under the dense mesquite forest, his reindeer pooped a lot.  However they looked more like cattle than deer, but I digress.  I couldn't find a red nose in the bunch.  But we did spot a Vermilion Flycatcher!

We continued under rainy skies searching for birds.  There were several paths and we followed them down to the river.  We were cautious because the river began to rise from the monsoon flooding north of our area.

We found a swing over the river. Not sure if this could hold Santa or not, but it looked like a great way to cool off on this hot and muggy day.  I imagined him taking off that shirt jumping into the muddy waters below.  It wasn't pretty.

Kathie had thought she had seen a Common Black Hawk up on our ride to the Greer area as we passed Winkelman.  We confirmed it once we heard and saw a juvenile Common Black Hawk taking flight.  Now that was pretty thrilling!  I'm not one for the crazy holiday season but I will have to say that this was probably the best Christmas ever.  I also learned that Santa was a miner and cattle rancher in another life:)  More coming up......
Today I'm linking with Wild Bird Wednesday.

Juvenile Common Black Hawk

Greener Pastures

Through the pastures I walk.  Each new sound pulls me closer to new birds.  I watch carefully to make sure I am not chased down by a grunting territorial bull.  I move carefully over a rickety bridge making sure I do not fall into the mosquito infested waters.  I keep an eye open for anyone who may be hiding behind a tree wanting to cause me ill will.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

I marvel at the diversity found in this stretch of grassy pasture.  It sits next to untouched rain forest. I slowly move along the path keeping my eyes on the smaller movements jumping all around the vegetation.  What I see makes me scratch my head.

A hummingbird I understand, but these little tiny birds are everywhere!  And not one of them are the same!

Do I spy a warbler on the far branch?  I research warblers after my observations.  This bird is no warbler!

Look carefully to your right.......the tiny Yellow-faced Grassquit

The hummingbird reminds me that I have entered new territory and not all birds will be recognizable.  It was perhaps the most dizzying display of birds I had seen on my trip so far.  So many tiny birds and all of them lifebirds.  Now if I could only get my eye on each one......

 

The pastures were fascinating.  Situated along the Río Dulce behind a swamp area along a rain forest, these grassy hills had quite a number of birds visiting.....

Cattle Egret

No matter the time. In the mists of the morning.  During the warm breezes before a dark storm approached.  Or the scalding rays of the sun as they burned forcefully onto the pastures...........I found birds.

Tropical Kingbird

I discovered not warblers nor finches......but grassquits.

Blue-black Grassquit(male)

They lined fence posts and open branches. When they weren't sitting, they were buzzing up and down from the grasses.  Their strange movements looked as if they were a hybrid of hummingbirds and warblers. They were a lot of fun to observe. 

White-collared Seedeater(female)

The pebble paths exposed Ruddy Ground Doves.  Their constant twitching caught my attention.  If I got too close, they'd fly off in a quick burst from the ground. 

Plain-breasted ground dove

But it was the grasses that held the greatest mysteries....

For there were strange birds that took me a long time to identify such as the one below.

Gray-crowned Yellowthroat

One distraction led to the next.....allowing me better observations of the Golden-fronted Woodpecker feeding a juvenile.

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

My body at this point of the trip was exhausted.  I had mapped this area out for 3 days because I was seeing a lot of different birds at different times of the day.  I went once in the morning, again in the afternoon and a final walk at night. I was able to find 20 new species in this area alone plus add another 30 birds to my Guatemala list from the Río Dulce sector!



And then this strange and cool looking number happened by me.  I barely saw the bird, but I repeated its calls and watched it look at me from the branches for about 4 minutes. Finally, it flew off.

Common Tody-Flycatcher

But it was the evening that allowed me to capture these brilliant parrots flying back to their roost for the night. 

Red-lored Parrot

This was the first true pasture I've birded. Well one that had real water running through the area.  We don't have many of them around the Tucson area:) And there would be many more discoveries in the days ahead on this memorable trip to Guatemala.  Life is but a dream. The words to this song are beautiful and what's on my radio lately. PS. I hear a Jay at the end of this video.  Just saying:)

  I'm linking up to Wild Bird Wednesday.

Life's Unexpected Surprises

The Mexican Spotted Owl was one of my first "target"birds. 

Since June of 2011, after my trip to Panama, I began "bird photography".  I climbed mountains and wandered canyons alone.  I had considered myself a photographer and gardener first.  I still do, but something incredible happened on September 9th of 2012.  It would change the direction of my focus and broaden my views about the world.  For it was on this day, I met Ms. Kathie Brown.  It was also on this day that I would embrace the label "birder".

Saguaro National Park

We decided to meet at Agua Caliente park. She said that we were going to "bird" and I said, "Ok." I wasn't really a true birder at that point as I was still in denial.  Birders were weird people that I didn't really understand.  That's why I did everything alone.  I didn't want to be categorized.

Discovering the international world of birding.  I hired a private shrimp boat to get to Bird Island off the Rocky Point coast in Mexico. 

It was a lonely place.  I would take treks to islands, canyons, and mountains alone.  And I would become excited about discovering new areas and new birds without being able to share it with a friend.  My other half Pat likes the "cooler" birds but like many of our spouses, they are not birders. I have always been a globe trekker and love to travel! There is this insane curiosity to know more.  

Great Horned Owl

Agua Caliente was a park I had known well.  I went there in the past to look for Cedar Waxwings and discovered not only those masked bandits but a Sora and Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet.  Little did I know but I had discovered some incredible birds without even realizing it.  I took pics never thinking anything more of it.

Northern Beardless Tyrannulet

I had no idea that there were other people out there who shared my same love for nature. Well I knew they were out there, but how could I meet them? People share many things together like football, running, etc.  When I told people I saw a Cedar Waxwing, they just looked at me weird....like "great".   I would later find out that my brother Adam discovered a Cedar Waxwing as a kid and fell in love with the bird on his first bird outing.  My mother loves parrots and knows everything about them. But they are not birders.

Cedar Waxwings getting drunk from the dates on the palms at Agua Caliente Park

I'd go to parks and spot birds while trying to capture the moon rising above a mountain.  I couldn't ID the birds!  So I went online and googled the descriptions of these birds and found Kathie's blog.  She would electronically help me ID these birds even though we didn't know each other.  It wasn't until our friend Gaelyn said hey, "I know this blogger and she's coming back to Tucson.  You should get in touch with her."  Wait!?  Don't I know her? She's the bird expert! I was going to meet someone from blogger?  It made me uncomfortable.  So on our first meet at Agua Caliente, we both let our significant others know where we were.

Brown-crested Flycatcher on Ocotillo at Saguaro National Park

Then we met in person.  I could see right away that she was a different kind of birder.  One that was human and friendly. I also saw something in her that I hadn't seen in many people during my own travels....a curiosity.  Most people in my life are happy with the status quo and don't push the boundaries, but she was curious.  I've always been one to explore but again I would do it alone. Why should one investigate every little nook and cranny?  I was born wired for exploration.  She was the same.  What we didn't realize on this day was how much each of us would make an impact on the other's life.

That brim of the hat below is just an example of Ms. Brown's constant search for birds. At Agua Caliente park, I would discover how to live my life again.  It would change my world as we discovered hidden birds that I wouldn't normally see on my usual outings.  A Bewick's Wren.  A Green-tailed Towhee. And on and on. Without Kathie's help, I wouldn't have seen the birds or even known how to ID them.  We sat and chatted about EBIRD after our outing.   Turns out I knew nothing.  I still feel that way:) She put me on a path to help me focus and train my abilities for not only birds but other things as well.

So I began to EBIRD and I began to listen.  And I began to open my eyes.  Kathie became not only a friend but my mentor.  Then something else happened.  I started having a lot of fun again rediscovering Arizona with my new friend Kathie.  We traveled the state and explored so many new and old places together.  All of it fresh and exciting as when I first made my move to this state years ago.  My friends began to ask me what was going on in my life and why I was happy again.  Our spouses raised an eyebrow.  I had found my "football" buddy.  

I began reading and researching birds left and right.  And then I found I couldn't stop.  It was really interesting.  Kathie taught me more about Ebird and for the first time since my days studying Spanish, I found myself wishing I were back in college getting my degree in biology/ecology instead of teaching a foreign language.  I have had to do a lot of soul searching on this matter and have decided that I'll retire from teaching and begin my second career in ten years.  But interestingly enough, I now utilize my Spanish skills abroad to find birds.  Perhaps this was all meant to be. Either way, I'm happy with my daytime job and after school passion.  

Kathie is a lister.  She loves lists!  Start another count here.  Do another there.  Ugh!  Sometimes it drives me crazy BUT when she's not around........I find myself doing it automatically.  I am more cynical.  I am a chaser searching for lifebirds.  She is patient and takes her time.  Her good natured personality has taught me how to live a better life. Rid the negative and focus on the positive.  Working with the public for 18 years had tainted my views of the world.  But since I began birding with Kathie, I have found a way to forget my work and negative feelings.  It has become therapy for me.  I have also learned, because of her, how to rid myself of people who drain my energy with their negativity. Life is too short to be constantly listening to people's problems.....especially the ones who would prefer to dwell in that darkness.  She has become my zen master:)

But I am a bit adventurous.  There is no such thing as "can't".  "We will."  And together there have been many moments of triumph.  She had helped me find so many life birds in those first 6 months.  Then it was time for me to step up to the plate and return the favor. And when I could help her find lifebirds, I began to feel like a contributing part of the team.  Kathie will list wherever she is and will be completely happy finding the same birds.  I'm okay with that as long as there is a rare bird in the bunch.  With her listing abilities and my detective work, we make a great team today. 

It's hard not to get sucked up into the competitive side of birding.  I just like to bird and find lifebirds wherever.  But I will admit that I had become competitive over the summer.  Kathie brought me back to reality and now I'm back to just finding life birds again. The birding world can be a nasty one.  Some like to boast about their numbers and it honestly made me feel insignificant. I had forgotten the whole purpose behind birding....the journey. Kathie reminds me of this balance for it is all about the birds.  It really is.   There are success stories and of course, the nasty dippings(missing your target bird)!  And yet when I stepped back and asked Ms. Brown, "Do you realize how much we've done in one year together?"  We both smiled and are super proud of our work and accomplishments.  The breathtaking landscapes.  The owling in the star lit canyons.  Entering a mining town and searching for birds. And so on and so forth.  The journey has been an amazing one. 

I began blogging back in 2010 about this life journey.  Today I write for Las Aventuras and Birding is Fun!(thanks to Kathie).  I will forever be grateful to her for her friendship, teachings, patience, kindness and understanding.  In only one year, I have seen so many things because of her guidance.  I have 10000 birds to find.  Some we'll find together.  Others I will find alone.  But I will always have Kathie to thank.   We have some spectacular adventures planned for the upcoming year and into next.  Football season is here which means that while Kathie's hubby is watching the games, we get to go bird! And that's the only reason why I love football season:)  I know I don't say it often but thank you Kathie for your friendship.