A Birder's Pilgrimage

I'm going to tell you a story about a little gray flycatcher that made history.  

The journey was rough, but it was an important one for many birders.  For some time, birders across the US have been waiting for the arrival(or discovery) of the Pine Flycatcher in the United States. 

 This bird looks like every other empid and so it took time for the confirmation to happen.  The Pine Flycatcher lives in the montane forests of Mexico and Central America.  When Dave Stejskal and his wife went camping in a remote part of Arizona's Santa Rita mountains, they discovered a different sounding flycatcher in this little shaded oasis. 

Dave spent a couple days with the experts and went over the calls making sure it was really truly the first ever US record of a Pine Flycatcher. 

The Range map for this bird

When the news came across the internet, birders were a buzz.  For me, I was thrown off.  A Pine Flycatcher?  I pride myself in knowing most of my Mexican birds but somehow this one slipped past my radar! A birder we've met on Las Aventuras, Bruce Berman, asked me "the" question. "Chris, you've birded in Mexico quite a bit.  Had you ever heard about this bird?"  I know it sounds strange, but I hadn't!  Bruce felt relieved that he wasn't the only one who was shocked by a new bird.  It's like saying there are actually unicorns in this world. So like I do with all my new birds, I studied this particular flycatcher and the call!

After the relentless heat, this shaded oasis with a breeze made me want to hang out the entire day! But I knew the heat would continue to rise and we  had to get out of there before it would become intolerable.  Heat stroke is real. 

At first, I didn't know if I would be able to make the trek alone because the conditions were too rough, but near the 11 PM hour that night I received a text from a birder by the name of Jeremy Medina.  And the next thing I knew, we were on the road bright and early 4 hours later!  During the night, I tossed and turned.  Was this a safe decision?  The roads were rough and in remote areas. What if we didn't have cell service?  Water?  Etc etc.  But in the morning, we played it safe and drove carefully on the road. We brought extra water just in case we got stranded.  At one point, we parked and hiked the remainder of the rough road into the wooded glen.  The message here?  Team work.  When we work together, we can achieve anything. 

The 10 foot water tank told us that we had reached our marker.

We were greeted by a male Elegant Trogon calling along the creek. 

A small group of birders met together in almost a religious style ceremony. It struck me that we all made this sacred pilgrimage for a historic bird. There is something very special about the treks we do.  And it cannot be put into words. We watched this amazing flycatcher hop and spin around the trees as if it were a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 

It was a wonderful group of people who were all very respectful of the bird's space.  Together we observed it collect nesting material. 

A Gila Woodpecker tells everyone to keep it down out there!  The babies were trying to sleep!

Other birds wondered what all the commotion was about:)

There were other gray birds there like the very vocal Plumbeous Vireo below. 

We collected data on the bird and made careful observations for ebird and the ABA Bird Record's Committee.  I need to get an app to record audio.  Instead I've been using my video part on the camera.  I felt like a real tool asking everyone to stay still and quiet while I took a 20 second snippet of the bird calling.  It was important because these birds can only be ID'd by their calls sometimes.  However, I can say that the behavior on this flycatcher was rather distinct from the other similar looking flycatchers that I have observed.  If approved, this flycatcher will be an exciting addition for those who list with ABA as it will become "legit". For me, it was an amazing life bird. 

Pine Flycatcher

What an exhausting and wonderful day out in the field discovering a new bird for the United States! It has been projected that with Global Warming, the state of Arizona will see more Mexican vagrants enter into our state over the next several years.  We are seeing once rare birds like Rufous-capped Warblers, Black-capped Gnatcatchers and Elegant Trogons expand their range northward.  It was just a matter of time before the Pine and Tufted Flycatchers made their way into Arizona. Blue Mockingbirds and Aztec Thrushes have also been reported.  Yes, things are going to get interesting.  Birders have seen this global warming  trend happen for some time now with our bird populations. 

The Flycatcher group is not an easy one, but with practice and study, they are a snap to ID.  For beginning birders, I recommend meeting up with an experienced birder and learn how to distinguish the various behaviors by observation since most of these empids look similar. For example, Gray Flycatcher pumps the tail downward.  The Dusky Flycatcher pumps the tail up.  The Hammond's Flycatcher has ADD as it constantly flicks and ticks:) 

And yes, the life bird list keeps slowly inching up. The Pine Flycatcher makes life bird 716.  Will I make it to 800 by the end of the year?  Who knows?  But I will tell you that the work behind each bird has increased.  Every new addition has a cost both personal and financial. I'm just glad most of us have spouses who understand our addiction to this lifetime of ours.  The desert is getting too hot and that means it's time to cool down elsewhere.  Las Aventuras: Home continues.

The Hourglass

Kristen captures a Tucson sunset at Saguaro National Park

Even though final exams finished, I knew I wasn't done.  As I signed off at work, my biggest  challenge was about to begin. 5 visitors in 5 days!

Blue Grosbeak

My friend Kristen was staying at our place for a rest before heading to Los Angeles.  While she drove to Tucson, I met up with another friend, Pam, at Saguaro National Park.  

Saguaro National Park

Eventually, everyone found each other and we chased sunsets.

Antelope Jackrabbit

As we said our hello's and good-bye's, I was off to help other visiting friends find Arizona's amazing owls. Day 2 began. 

White-winged Doves on a Saguaro Cactus

I met with Khanh and Walker in Madera Canyon before sunset.  There, we owled for several hours. 

Elf Owl

These two guys were completely enamored by our beautiful owls. I don't blame them.  They are pretty amazing. Sometimes they forgot where they stepped and took a spill.  After the second time watching Khanh take a fall and stabbing himself with a cactus needle, I was concerned. It would have sucked to twist an ankle on the first night! Lots of blood was shed that day:)  I forget how tricky our terrain can be for visitors. Plus owling in the darkness is challenging. 

Whiskered Screech-Owl

After successfully finding Whiskered Screech-Owls, Elf Owls and Flammulated Owls, I went home for a several hour sleep.  The next day was even more challenging!  Lots of hiking!  When people come to Arizona, they want to see everything!  Living here allows me to focus on places and absorb.  Now if I were traveling here as a visitor, I'd have to pick and choose which birds I'd want to see.  Florida, you know I'm talking about you:)

Northern Goshawk

Anytime, we are on the trails, we HOPE to get satisfying views of our target birds (but sometimes they don't always play nice).  Khanh wanted Montezuma Quail and Elegant Trogons.  He got them both but it wasn't easy.  For me, it was challenging because the Montezuma Quail are VERY elusive.  Many times birders stumble on them by accident.  Now I had to intentionally find them.  I know how to do it, but they don't often cooperate for photographers.  I taught Khanh about their habitat. He was able to hear the birds call AND eventually, he was able to see them.  

And while searching for the quail, we discovered nesting Northern Goshawks!  These photos above are a first for Las Aventuras.  This accipter species is EXTREMELY difficult to capture on camera.  We had to play a game to get the shot. In the morning, we had accidentally flushed the bird from a tree.  It was quick to disappear and went almost undetected. But my ears honed in on a moving branch. Khanh quickly spotted the bird as I pointed to the area where the noise was made. 

Khanh at the infamous "Split Rock" searching for a Spotted Owl in Miller Canyon

Secretive in nature and known as "Gray Ghosts", they are fast operatives in montane forest.  Anyhow, we left the area and returned back in the afternoon to see if the bird returned to his original spot.  He did.  And for a few brief moments he didn't notice us from across the creek watching.  What a pretty spectacular sighting!

My weekend would continue and by Sunday I was really needing my rest.  Then Monday would come and I would meet up with a wonderful lady by the name of Bonnie from Wales.  We had a great time as we discovered a Wood Duck, several rare Tucson Inca Doves, and a wonderful look at a Wilson's Warbler.  She also was able to observe the Mexican subspecies of Mallards nesting in our park while I also helped her get two lifers, the Vermilion Flycatcher and Lucy's Warbler. She had great views of both! 

My week ended and I was exhausted.  What an amazing time out with some wonderful people!  Southern Arizona is one of the most beautiful places on this planet.  Its' harsh conditions and epic landscapes make it a "must see".  Time is often a factor when planning a trip here.  If you can't fit it all in, there's always another trip:)  Until next time......

They Grow Up So Fast!

Our personal gardens can be a safe haven for many nesting birds. Just recently at El Presidio, I have been fortunate enough to document a very special hummingbird nest in one of our trees. It took me years to develop this garden and only now am seeing the greater benefits of my work.

We added a water feature several years ago and it has attracted many interesting birds into our shady Mexican courtyard. I also have feeders up near my observation window which allows me to document the birds visiting our bird baths, trees and cactus.

In March, I saw a male Broad-billed Hummingbird on the property catching bugs above our fountain.  It didn't take long before I noticed a female joining him.  This was a first for this species since we've owned our home.

I heard the rattle one day leaving my bedroom door and saw the female fly by me.  My eyes followed her back to a nest right above my cactus garden.  About two weeks passed as she sat on the nest everyday. Then she was gone.  I got nervous and thought, Oh no!  The nest failed! It's hard not to take personally because a lot of sweat and blood went into creating the gardens. There is ownership in that kind of work. But I noticed something different.  There were little black fecal sacs around the edge of the nest.

A few days later, I saw two swords sticking out of the nest.

They became larger.  And Mom guarded their nest.

All around our property, she collected bugs and nectar to feed not only herself but her offspring.

They continued to grow.  I kept asking myself, "Does Mom do ALL the work? Where is Dad?"  I kept observing and eventually had my questions answered. The babies grew.

Eventually one sat in the nest.  The other.....

Hopped out and flew to the nearby tree and fence.  I only saw the little one once.  I was so nervous for the baby.  The mother kept protecting the nest by chasing off birds like House Sparrows, White-winged Doves and Verdins. 

Then I saw the father return and feed from the Orange Jubilee that grows in my garden.  While Mother kept the little ones safe, the Father monitored a larger area protecting his family.  A male CANNOT take care of the little ones.  His bright colors would lead predators straight to the nest.  That's why the females are a duller color in most of the bird species.  Nature knows best:)

It's hard not to worry about the little ones.  It's very human of me.  The birder knows best, but it's the human part of me that FEELS and wants to PROTECT them.  The only thing I can do is make sure the hummingbird feeders are changed out with fresh nectar.  Another recommendation by Sheri Williamson is to add fruit to the nearby feeders to increase the bug activity.  Mom would often drink from the feeders and capture bugs which would then be fed in the form of a "slurry" to the nestlings. 

Male Broad-billed Hummingbird

Meanwhile in our oak trees, nesting Anna's hummingbirds were also busy getting ready to raise their own family. I believe now that I am going to construct a hummingbird bath and place more butterfly and hummingbird wildflowers into the garden this summer. Their nesting took place in a very short 3 week period!  That is incredible! And they are still around feeding at my feeders:)

Many moons ago, when we first bought our home and before the time of birds, I remembered seeing a blue and white hummingbird.  The dolphin with wings.  It was distinct.  I remember it well because it would always hover right in front of my face while I was working out in the garden. Was it a rare(for Tucson) Violet-crowned Hummingbird?

Straight out of my garden!  What an amazing flower show!

Today the pool has been replaced with our fountain.  El Presidio is once again a safe haven for ALL hummingbirds. By adding a water feature, we've added an attraction for visiting and neighboring birds. Our yards can be some of the best places to bird. No gas needed:)  Until next time.....

A Global Big Day

On Saturday, Ms. Muriel invited me to go birding with her.  She was on a trek to find several life birds, the Rufous-capped Warbler and Red-headed Woodpecker.  Both were in remote locations.  So I brought along my water pack for an epic journey into some of Southern Arizona's most beautiful places, Hunter and Gardner Canyons. 

Our first trek was a steep one into Hunter Canyon. Muriel was hoping to find her first ever Rufous-capped Warbler.  Now you all know that I've been casually looking for this bird on several treks this year to mostly study the kind of habitat this warbler prefers. 

Western Tanager

The hike was gorgeous but a killer as we crawled our way up the mountain side. With a fully charged water pack, several pound camera, and binos around the neck, it can make a hike difficult. The key these days for rare birds is documentation. And that requires equipment.  So what would we find?

I was confident we'd find the bird but I wasn't going to say it outloud.  That would jinx the find and leave Muriel sans a life bird.  Patience and knowing where to look was key......

Cordilleran Flycatcher

 Along the way, we enjoyed observing many of the more common birds.  Once we reached the stream near the hillside, I knew we were in the right spot. It took time and the recognition of the call to get our eyes on the bird.  One called from within the New Mexican Locust bushes/trees on the hillside.  We followed the call until.....

Rufous-capped Warbler

.....the warbler made an appearance. Muriel was so excited as was I.  With the adrenaline rush, we decided to go for another lifer, a rare migrating Red-headed Woodpecker in Gardner Canyon. 

Western Kingbird

We followed the directions carefully as we entered Gardner Canyon.  Muriel is excellent with such things.  I am not.  But thankfully, several birders put in their notes that a nesting pair of Red-tailed Hawks had several young.  Within moments of parking the vehicle, I could hear them calling.  It's like playing detective.  That's part of the fun....or frustration.  Several guys were camping out and we asked them if they had seen a bunch of weird birder people come through the area and they replied..."Why yes."  

Curious Red-tailed Hawk babies....CUTE!

We followed the stream past the very vocal hawk babies into a campground.  Muriel pointed to a tree and said, "Oh my gosh! There it is!"  A white flash flew before our very eyes.  What a gorgeous bird!

Then we waited to see if the bird would make a closer appearance.  So we sat down on a log. What a beautiful place to camp! Soon another birder, Ms. Janine McCabe, strolled quietly along the dirt road.  She does that.  Secretive and almost appearing out of nowhere.  Is she human?  Yes.  Does she possess magical bird powers?  Yes.  She's one of the fun Arizona birders.

Red-headed Woodpecker

As she stepped onto the scene, the woodpecker flew above our heads and there were many "ooo's and ahhhh's".  This time we both had a lifer and it was exciting!

We celebrate our lifer at Gardner Canyon.  That's a terrible pic of me with a really bad cheesy smile.  My Grandma would not approve.  As for Muriel, well I don't think she takes a bad pic at all.  She's classy even after a day of birding.  Me on the other hand.....I need a hair cut. 

We were on a roll.  So we decided to explore, the Cienagas grasslands nearby.  A storm began to blow into the area. 

Eastern Meadowlark(Lillian's Subspecies)

The winds picked up.  But the birds were active!

So were the Black-tailed Prairie Dogs!

To finish off our day, I knew of a spot where there was a Western Screech-Owl hanging out.  We went to the spot and there he was.  And I do believe it is a "HE".  There is a nesting box nearby and this is the time of year when their young have hatched.  Dad doesn't fit in the box SO he gets the boot.  Anyhow, it was the cherry on top of our banana split.  Or in plain English, a great way to end our big Global Day.  

While we were having fun, we were also helping add data to the global network of bird species! For lots of pretty pics and info, here are our reports. Hunter Canyon. Gardner Canyon. Ciénagas Grasslands. And the San Pedro Riparian Area. I love birding with Muriel. She is one of the kindest people you'll ever meet. Thank you Muriel for the invite! We'll be owling on our next trek with a new face AND a familiar one.  Stay tuned for more!  

Red-tailed Hawk