Within Limits

Least Tern at Sweetwater, marks the 300th bird

Pima County, Arizona is an amazing place to bird.  It's one of the birdiest areas of the US! Thanks to our mountain, canyon, grassland and desert habitat, it's home to so many wonderful critters. 

Yesterday was an important day for me as I hit the 300 species mark in Pima County. A rare Least Tern flew into Sweetwater Wetlands helping me achieve this unintended goal. The highest species count for Pima County is 445 birds.  Here is a look back at some of the gems discovered around Tucson and surrounding areas. 

                                         Black-capped Gnatcatcher on Proctor Road
Pima County has a special group of birds that most birders need on their lists. Eventually they have to make their way to Southern Arizona:) It's amazing how many people just care about getting these birds on their US list.  And then there is that ABA list!  If they aren't on the ABA list, it's not important.  I don't get that thinking.  I understand it, but I'm not the kind of person that likes having someone tell me whether or not a bird "counts".  All birds matter! Either way, these two birds are countable and very much desired! I had seen both of these birds in other countries first.  Later, I added them onto my US list.  

                                           Rufous-capped Warbler at Florida Canyon 

Articles have been written on both of the Black-capped Gnatcatchers and Rufous-capped Warblers.  Thanks to global warming, these birds are beginning to expand their range. 

                                               Sage Thrasher
It's always a treat to find birds migrating through our various areas like the Sage Thrasher(above).  A central to lower US state bird, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, erased my terrible day woes last year as it flew right past me at Sweetwater Wetlands!  It perched on a branch for a few moments reminding me that work is just work.  Life is more important.  While work is important, it doesn't define who I am.  I am more. 

                                       Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
I think I can speak for most birders this year on these birds below.  Trumpeter Swans flew into the Sweetwater Wetlands shocking the local birding establishments!  People wet their pants and dropped whatever they were doing and ran to Sweetwater! I'm serious. I'm going to write something here that speaks volumes about us. We could be in the most serious conversations.  Maybe we are signing divorce papers, attending a funeral, etc. But mention a rare bird and watch your birder friends secretly slip out the door:) These incredible swans stuck around for the day allowing many birders to join together on this unofficial holiday. They were one day wonders! And I would say that these two swans have been the best birds so far in Pima County this year. 

                                        Trumpeter Swans at Sweetwater

Another excellent bird for us this year has been the Heerman's Gull.  There have been several sightings over the past several months!  This is a pretty cool gull and a bird I hadn't thought I'd add to my Pima list anytime soon!  They are found along the coasts of Southern California and Mexico.  It's a pretty sexy gull and an easy ID for people who aren't great with gull ID. 

Heerman's Gull

One of my favorite birds is the Common Loon. Never in a million years when I first started birding did I think Tucson could have visiting Loons.  As a young child growing up around Wisconsin and Minnesota, I remember their magical calls.  An all-time favorite movie, On Golden Pond, always comes to mind when I see one of these majestic birds. 

Common Loon

So here's a weird one.  The Black Scoter.  On a cloudy and rainy day, a massive storm front delivered a Black Scoter to the Old Pueblo!  There, for several months in a random deep pond, a female scoter hung out.  An ocean bird in the desert!

                                            Black Scoter

Other shockers included this Juvenile Tricolored Heron on a golf course. 

                                                                                        juvenile Tricolored Heron

Or this random Whimbrel in the middle of the desert.  And just for fun, it hung out with a Long-billed Curlew to mess with birders:)

                                                Whimbrel

Other birds, like this Barn Owl, are sometimes hard to come by! What a treat to have seen one here within the Tucson limits!  Again I don't advertise their locations as there are a few photographers who who will cross unethical lines. Since when is a picture more important than the welfare of our birds?  One of the tenants of a good birder is to never intentionally disturb a bird out in the field.  If I see them eating or nesting, I keep my distance.  I have met several birders/photographers in the field who bait their birds(i.e. hawks, etc) for a better photo.  Or they cut a branch down to get that "annoying" thing out of the way.....for a better photo. This is unethical. And that is why this particular Barn Owl left the tree.  Thanks to some crazy owl fanatic who decided to cut down a couple branches, this Barn Owl didn't return to that spot. 

                                         Barn Owl at Sweetwater

Mt. Lemmon is a prime location for finding nesting Red-faced and Olive Warblers during our summer months! 

Red-faced Warbler

Once birders believed that Elegant Trogons(below) could not be found in Pima County.  Then last year, the infamous Florida Canyon sported a pair.  And they were in Pima County.  This year they are still there!

During my beginning days as a birder, I went to see the visiting Brown Pelican during our monsoon at a nearby park. I was hot and sweaty, but I sure enjoyed viewing this pelican. During monsoon, it's common to have a Brown Pelican or two blown into the deserts.  Many times they are rescued and taken back to San Diego, CA.  A small few have remained and can be found up around the Phoenix area. Pelicans in the desert. 

                                           Brown Pelican

Finally, several years ago, a Groove-billed Ani came to the Sweetwater Wetlands and got me excited.  I love Spanish and the tropics!  Nothing says tropical like an Ani!  I fell in love with this bird so much, I went back several times to observe it.   This is one of my top ten favorite birds...for now:)  The Audubon guide who discovered this bird flipped out! And this bird put Tucson on the US map for a week!

                                                Groove-billed Ani

As you can see, birding within your own area can be fun and exciting.  It's a challenge like everything else, but all these birds add up over time. Have you tried birding within your own county?  If so, what were some of the cool birds you've discovered?

                                    Black-bellied Whistling Duck

I have several key trips planned this year that will hopefully propel me towards the 800 life bird mark.  In June, I celebrate my 4th year as a birder.  This life journey continues to change me forever.  We'll be heading out of Arizona to several states this summer while also traveling to Southern Mexico. 

 On a whim, I followed a theory and discovered a 2nd tern on my own in the city of Tucson!  That was a bonus!  Here it is flying about at Lakeside Park.  Pretty cool!

Above and Beyond

Cascarones and Cinco De Mayo

It has been utter chaos.  Too much going on! The above picture is how I felt this past week.  Final exams, a retirement party and a whole lot more!  So I'll try to piece it all together the best I can. 

Coach Dee in the middle and Ms. Tami(aka Zumba Diva)

First off, we had a retirement party for an amazing teacher.  We are going to miss Coach Dee's loud and crazy antics around school.  I don't do work parties or really hang out with work friends, but this woman is an inspiration and I, along with so many others, will miss her. 

Red Yucca-a good choice for Tucson!  Anna's Hummingbirds will love this plant while it is blooming!

Meanwhile, we're seriously planning for wedding stuff and trying to get everyone on the same page for the October event.  I'm overwhelmed with finals preps and grading.  None of it is very fun.  So on my breaks at work, I walk outside and just find a corner on campus and listen to the birds singing.  There is so much nesting going on!

Scaled Quail

During the weekend, I worked with Magill on the "Big Sit" and Cornell's "Global Big Day".  This was way more interesting! Saturday began with an idea and evolved into something more.  We headed to Willcox Lake and counted the birds which was productive, but the idea of sitting around this lake for a full day was a bit much.  We decided to combine these two events into one. 

Gambel's Quail

The Quail were posing as were the Orioles, Tanagers and lots of other interesting birds!  Eventually, we get to Coachline Lake and set up our gear for the Big Sit.  I pull out the cooler and chairs. We get the snacks out and I pop open a nice cold beer. After a day of hiking, it was good to sit down and relax for about 4 hours under a tent. 

Magill made awesome shirts for our Coachline "Big Sit".  Little Ground Squirrels kept us entertained while we counted the birds under the big tent. 

We ended the day on a high note as 60 Lesser Nighthawks serenaded about us catching insects.  It was quite the sight!

Round-tailed Ground Squirrel

We both went home exhausted but happy.  It was a nice day out.  Sunday, I wanted to really hike and take advantage of the nice cool temps. So on Mother's Day, Micheal and I headed out to the beautiful Miller Canyon. 

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Again, we had a wonderful day out.  There was lots of hiking and lots of great finds.  While we didn't find the Flame-colored Tanagers, we did see Mexican Jays chasing a Northern Goshawk, a nesting Blue-throated Hummingbird, and lots of amazing critters.

Yarrow's Spiny Lizard

For nearly 4 years, I have been birding.  June will mark my 4th anniversary as a changed man.  During these years, I've only had two sightings of the rare Chiricahuan Leopard Frog.  My first time was in Ramsey Canyon.  And my second time was in Miller Canyon on Sunday while crossing a stream.  

I think without current human intervention, these frogs would be extinct by now. I once heard a local naturalist tell another that it's only a matter of time before they disappear.  I also heard another report from a different naturalist who thinks they are making great progress.  What do I think?  Well, it's great that I saw a frog in this canyon.  Before the Miller Canyon fire, they were plentiful.  After the fire, they all but disappeared.  Finding one on Sunday was hopeful. 

And finally, here are some Southern Arizona flowers that really make a statement.  Below, the Golden Columbine is found at higher elevations around our Sky Islands.  

While this Mountain Rose Mallow is currently blooming in our butterfly garden at El Presidio in Tucson. This is one tough little plant!

Have a great week and stay tuned for more next week!

Veni, Vidi, Vici

The power and beauty of nature! at Empire Gulch

This weekend was a whirlwind as the Wrenegades united once again for a good cause to find as many birds as we could around Southern Arizona. It was a successful trek into mountain, riparian, desert and grassland habitats.  Along the way, we avoided heat stroke, falling asleep at the wheel and a rabid skunk attack!

Northern Pygmy Owl

 Overall, our team discovered 163 birds which beat our record from last year. There were a lot of great birds that unfortunately were too far for my camera to pick up. Or it was too dark!  Among my favorites were an Olive-sided Flycatcher, Flammulated and Barn Owls, and Buff-breasted Flycatcher.

Two-tailed Swallowtail

 Timing is everything on these trips and it's tricky business doing three things at once. However, I need to train and practice for this upcoming Mexico trip! Finding the birds.  Entering the data.  And photo documentation.  By the end of our Audubon Birdathon, we were exhausted. I fell asleep but woke up later with a splitting headache!  I've never experienced that kind of pain before and I think it was related to an overworked eye.  It's intense non-stop birding that really doesn't allow for a break.  So when I got home, I took a shower and fell asleep. 

Wrenegade strategist and data analyst Tim leads the team over a stream to potential birds while Wrenegade surveyor Sara carefully scans the surrounding area with her excellent spotting. 

 But our treks were successful and very rewarding. Anytime you work with a group, you always pick up something new that you didn't know before. Take for example, these Black-tailed prairie dogs(below).  They are a threatened species that have been reintroduced back into the Ciénagas Grasslands near Sonoita after being wiped out since the early 1900's.  These mammals have been doing very well and seem to be reestablishing their population once again. In the past, ranchers poisoned these "pests" off their lands. This is a keystone species for the grasslands in that other species benefit by their presence.  Without them, other species begin to decline.  Since their introduction, Burrowing Owls have returned thanks to the abandoned Prairie dog burrows. 

In other news, I have been following my heart on several other birding treks.  We were going to hike up a mountain a week ago but it had rained that day.  Working on a hunch, we headed down to Cochise Lake and scored big!  Not only was it freezing cold(very unusual this time of year) but the storm pushed a thousand+ shorebirds our way!  Hot birds for this frigid day included my first state Sanderling, a Greater White-fronted Goose, Bonaparte's Gull, Forster's Tern, and my favorite, the Franklin's Gull(below).  

Large numbers of Lesser Yellowlegs(below), Long-billed Dowitchers and Wilson's Phalaropes were also present. White-faced Ibis and Marbled Godwits dotted the lake shore as well.  It was an amazing day out. Plus shorebirds are a fun challenge. Sometimes you gamble and win!  This day was definitely one of those times:)

Lesser Yellowlegs

It's now May and my current list for North American birds is at 303 species for the year. Last year I finished the year with 476 birds(including Mexico).  This year I hope to beat that number with 500. The Life bird chase has slowed down dramatically now until I am free from work for the summer.  This year has been quite unique for me. The "Americano" chapter of my birding life feels different.  For one thing, it lacks the crazy adrenaline chases of last year's "Across America".  It's much more relaxed, but I find myself pulled in deeper to the birds that I know. For many I smile, but for others I worry. 

American Avocet

For example, the Barn Owl below.  I have been documenting a lot of dead Barn Owls this year along our highways.  This particular LIVING owl is also nearby the interstate and I worry for its safety.  They are low flyers and are often hit by motor vehicles. Their numbers seem to be in decline in many areas.  When I see an owl, I get excited, but I never want to disturb them.  I quickly snap their picture from a distance and leave.  Sacred birds, they are.  I wish this one well!  

I leave you with a collage of the owls I've seen this year.  I've heard several others and will hopefully get some photo documentation on them. The Flammulated Owl still evades my camera. Although it had no problem flying over my head early Friday morning! Next week, we slow down and enjoy an event known as "The Big Sit".  If you'd like to donate to the Tucson Audubon, click here. A login is not required after you go to the donate button. Remember, we are the Wrenegades and our fearless leader is Jenny Wren:) A Birdathon Big Day is an important way to share the excitement of being outdoors and watching birds while raising funds to support the programs that make this region a better place for us all to live(or visit!) and enjoy. Since 1987, Birdathon has garnered support for birds and bird-friendly habitats, and for Tucson Audubon's work to conserve these unique natural resources and to educate our community on their importance.  Until next week friends....

Top left-Long-eared owl, Top right- Barn Owl, Bottom Left-Spotted Owl. Middle Right-Great Horned Owl  Bottom Right-Northern Pygmy Owl

Breath and Life

Cactus Wren nesting in Tree Cholla

People always ask me when they should come and visit Arizona.  Well, it's a complicated answer depending on what the individual wants to see or experience.  If you are a lover of color, warmth and amazing garden tours, then I'd suggest Tucson during the month of April. 

My attempt at impressionism(via a computer program) on a blooming cactus

This past weekend, I focused on nesting Cactus Wrens around Saguaro National Park and our very own Desert Museum. This museum is situated on a pristine track of Sonoran desert land which makes it a great area for nesting desert birds. The Desert Museum is a MUST SEE for all people who come to visit Tucson.  You won't regret it!  A museum??? Yeah I guess it's a museum of sorts, but it's not the kind of museum you'd expect.  It's a living representation of our incredibly diverse Sonoran desert.  

Coachline Lake in Marana from last week Thursday

I've been into gardening this month and enjoying my work around El Presidio.  I've also kept up with some birding, but I've been into the artistic side of it. In fact, I'm beginning to research art courses beginning next year.  I want to paint my work.  I think at some point some birders enter this chapter of their lives. For me, it's a way to reconnect to the experience and also just create. One of my friends has expressed an interest as well. So it'll be fun to have a partner in crime. I have included several of my photos above using a computer program to capture the moment. A blogger who has inspired me now for several years is Gillian Olson.  She does amazing work with her own photography and I love it. 

Northern Cardinal

I start my Saturday morning with coffee and look out my window for inspiration. Where will I visit today? Many times, I just leave my birding up in the air with several places in mind.  My first visitors are the hummingbirds and Northern Cardinals....

White-winged Dove doing a bow at my feeders:)

But on this Saturday morning, I hear the unmistakable "Who cooks for June?!" outside.  PS.  That's not the expression birders use to memorize their call.  I just made it my own:)  June is my good friend's mother and I like to think of her when I hear this call.  It's actually, "Who cooks for you?!"  Anyhow, enough of my gibber gabber.  My point is that they were all over my feeders!!!!  It's that time of year when they arrive in great numbers!  And unlike other doves, they are not shy at all!

Hybrid Torch Cactus

Their arrival means one thing.  Desert blooms!  They will feed from our blooming Saguaro cactus soon.  When the blooms are gone, many will move on to other places. Well, that's how it is here in Tucson.  Some do remain. 

Birds are nesting and life is happening everywhere.  Little hummingbirds are hatching out of their tiny little eggs. 

Female Costa's Hummingbird

As for curiosities this week.  There was one.  Below is an iguana I keep seeing at the Desert Museum.  It is not caged nor does it belong in this part of the Sonoran Desert.  Many times I will walk around the grounds and have one staring back at me closely.  So I did some research.  It is a spinytail iguana that isn't found in Tucson.  These lizards were released on the museum grounds in the 70's where they have established a colony. Apparently they are a genetic cross between the San Esteban Island Spiny-tailed Iguana and the Sonoran Spiny-tailed Iguana.  They are found in the Sonoran desert just not in this part of our desert. 

Hopefully, this guy stays out of the way of this Greater Roadrunner below!

Greater Roadrunner catches a lizard for lunch

  Next week, we will sweep Southern Arizona by storm as the Wrenegades once again reunite! Together we join forces to find the most birds in one day for this Tucson Audubon fundraising event!  Will we outdo our list from last year?  Stay tuned for more!