Stop to Smell the....

Hooded Skunk on the Proctor Trail near Madera Canyon

I never forget that while on our little adventures to look up every now and again at the epic landscapes around us.  Today’s post is about watching where we step and noticing the “bigger picture”.

Willcox Lake

Part of the fun from birding comes from the great eats and hikes along the way.  And the views are to die for!

Bisbee, AZ

Most of the time, it's quiet.  No planes.  No cars. No people!  Just the wind blowing through grasslands.

The Whitewater Draw-Male Northern Harrier

There are moments of pure perfection as the sun sets or rises.

It's  during those moments I smile and think about how magical this trek continues to be.

Agua Caliente Park, Tucson

Along the way, I have faced cold and hot temps, blowing dust, whipping frigid winds, and some close wildlife encounters.

But the views keep me coming back.  As do the birds:)

Lakeside Park, Tucson with Great Egret

We inspect every blade of grass, hilltop, treetop, river, lake, and rock.  Movement catches our eyes and we spot a coyote(below).

And then there are moments of lazy birding around foreign feeders.  White-crowned sparrows and a Pyrrhuloxia dazzle the eyes.

San Pedro House near Sierra Vista

Sometimes the birds take you to secret hidden places most people don't know about.....like the waterfalls of the Santa Cruz river.

Santa Cruz River on a cold day

A solitary tree against the backdrop of snow covered mountains energizes the soul.  What lies beyond that next canyon? Or mountain range?

Friends make everything better.  A hot cup of coffee with Ms. Kathie Brown makes the outing even more special.

The birds surround us. Again. No cars. No planes.  No people.  Just nature.

And not all is perfection when there are factors that push the human limits.

Sometimes people get dragged along for the ride:) They enjoy the spectacles for brief moments before saying, "Enough is enough!"

And of course, I have to watch where I step.  This little guy almost sprayed me while I was taking his pic.  Instead, he sprayed a rude family with a dog!  As I walked back to my car, I heard the scream and then....oooh no!!!  Kharma.  Always pay attention to your surroundings.  And if you bring a dog that is going to bite people, you probably should leave them home.

This last photo warmed my heart while we were at Reid Park and it is one of two pictures from this post that are my favorites. I have always been an observer since I was a kid.  And for the first time in my life, I am seeing things clearly.

Reid Park, Tucson

Bear Creek Nature Center

Life is incredible.  While visiting places around the world or near home, I always try to keep it close to areas protected for wildlife.  For many people, they'll just see a bird or two because they have kids or a dog on the trails.  It's natural for animals to "disappear" during the very busy human afternoon hours.  For wildlife photographers, the best time is when there is NO ONE around.  Nature should be shared by all.  Understanding this mentality, makes the wildlife/photographer aficionados plan carefully around the general public's schedule. 

White-winged Dove

We planned a family trip to Bear Creek Nature Preserve in Colorado Springs during the holidays with few people on the trails.  I love the walks but I also break off from time to time to explore the "quiet" spaces.  I discovered a fox and it got my heart beating real fast.  We were very close and I kept absolutely quiet, but I felt upset about discovering the spot where it was hiding.  I kept it quiet.  But as I do when looking for birds, I am super stealthy around corners and that's where the fox was hiding.  It felt trapped and that's the last thing I wanted for it to feel.  If it had been a bear or mountain lion, I may have found myself on the ground:)  But the fox slipped off into the shadows looking back at me from time to time.

Mountain Chickadee

Some animals or birds, don't mind the visits or creepy people filming them.  And sometimes you'll find yourself in dark tunnels with bikers:)

Either way, Colorado Springs is a real joy to visit.  It's a city full of life....human or wildlife.  In fact, it's one of the healthiest cities of the US.  People are out everywhere running, biking, hiking, and whatever else one does to stay fit.  It did get cold here though.....

Steller's Jay-unusual coloring for me, but these are the CO variety

The one thing unusual about this town is the early sunset.  Because of the mountains, everything goes dark early in the afternoon.  And it gets cold!  The weather is unpredictable and when we left, there was a huge snow storm! 

Knowing the fox was nearby, I snuck around one last time to spot this gorgeous creature.  But it was the last time we saw each other again.  I had not expected to get such beautiful closeups of this creature....ever!

During the month of February, I'm going to show some other critters I glimpsed in and around Tucson.  I'm finding that birding stronger has also allowed me to spot so much more than just the feathered critters.  It's incredible how camouflage plays a big role with all of these animals.

And during the month of February, I have some truly marvelous finds for you all. Of course, Ms. Kathie Brown and myself have joined together to find all of the birds in Arizona.  Well maybe not:) But just wait until you see what we turned up on our search around the state of Arizona during our BIG JANUARY!

For now, I'll leave you all with this parting shot of the fox.  Stay tuned for more next week.....

 Bear Creek Nature Preserve

  245 Bear Creek Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 

Phone:(719) 520-6387

Everytime I hear the words, White-winged Dove, this song always comes to mind.  In fact I hum the tune to Kathie, but I don't think she knows it.  Stevie Nicks is one of my favorites:)

                                         

Making The Time

Finally!  I caught the beauty and detail of the Northern Flicker in flight.  Look at the lovely underside of this bird!

Finding the time to bird with loved ones around can be challenging, BUT I'm here to say that it's possible! I caught onto the birding phenomenon later than some folks.  It's an addiction.  Sometimes I don't even want to do the photography as I want to just count birds.  But I NEVER leave the camera at home.  If I had, I would have been disappointed missing out on these moments.

Northern Harrier

While everyone slept during the morning hours, I got up early and put on my heavy jacket, grabbed my camera, and headed out that door.  One of the things I learned from Kathie was that you don't have to go far to bird.  You can bird at feeders in backyards or you can head out to city parks.  In most cities, there are lots of parks just minutes away from residential areas. Within 10 minutes of walking, I arrived at Cheyenne Meadows Mountain Park.

Bushtit

I felt recharged and relaxed.  Remember most locals take their bird populations for granted.  For an outsider, this was exciting stuff.   I was finally able to capture a Western Bluebird with great detail as well as the Bushtit!  I had spotted this bird in Bosque Del Apache but was disappointed by the photography.  They were too far from my camera.  But in Colorado Springs, I heard them in the bushes and called out to them.  And they all flew out to greet me.....and that's when I was able to accurately ID and get detailed shots of them.

Western Bluebird

While all this was going on, there were kids playing football out in the fields.  While all this was going on, a Northern Harrier came out for some great viewing.

And while in Colorado Springs, keep your eyes open for some amazing wildlife.  It's everywhere!  The city has done a great job preserving and protecting their animals.  I wanted to stop for all the incredible deer opportunities but we kept driving past them.  They are very common apparently.

While we were in Colorado Springs, it snowed and the waters froze.  It wasn't difficult to spot birds but what was tricky was going at "birder pace" with non birders.  By the time I'd get to see a bird, it would fly off and disappear. So this stroll in the park allowed me to really observe known and unknown birds better.  The best part about most birding is that it's free while still super entertaining:)

And while birds are the primary target, animals, plants and other fun things are wonderful additions.

And all while this was going on around me......

......in bush, on ground, in the air........

.....around the snow.......

.....a lifebird......the Townsend's Solitaire(below) flew into my life.  A good day indeed!

So, I'd highly recommend visiting local parks wherever you travel because they are full of wonderful discoveries.  All you have to do is make the time:)

Bosque Del Apache

Going to a new place to bird beyond your own borders can be extremely exciting. I researched and researched all the possible birds I could see to maximize viewing.  We even planned our stay at the Dancing Cranes Bed and Breakfast.  Fantastic location with fantastic hosts.  I'll have their info below. On this trip, I was hoping to add 30 new species! But I've been known to be a dreamer:)

But being that time was tight, I only found seven.  Bald Eagle, American Crow, Pine Siskins, Bushtits, Northern Loggerhead, Snow Geese and Ross' Geese. The problems with birding on a tight schedule are plenty.  I had the evening to survey the area and the morning to work on my photography.  That's it.  So I didn't have enough time to do both!  Some shots turned out wonderfully while my Bald Eagle shots are poor....and yet we saw them.

Bosque is a large area to cover and I think a person needs at least 3 days minimum to do a somewhat complete count around the grounds.  Being that it was a tight schedule, we headed towards the Northern Ponds which allowed for us to observe the Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes....our target birds. The Southern Pond was quiet but had many worthwhile birds in hiding.

And it was sure Birds of Prey heavy!  Raptorville everywhere you looked!  Ravens, Crows, Harriers, Hawks, Eagles and Falcons!

No matter how many times I see them, American Coots make me laugh.  They are so lazy when it comes to flight.  In the pic below, they try running on ice. Not such a great idea.

I love how they huddle all together and it made for great picture taking.

One thing I was able to do better was observe Dark Eyed Juncos.  They were everywhere in New Mexico and Colorado.  I now have their calls down.  So if you're driving through New Mexico and wondering what's worthwhile to see, think about putting Bosque Del Apache on your list of "must sees!"

Of course, winter is cold in New Mexico.  So bring layers to keep yourself warm in the morning and shed a couple by afternoon.

During the time of this shoot, it was freezing cold.  You can see the ice on the waterways in the above pics.  I sometimes forget that most places outside of Tucson are cold.  Glad I remembered my pants:)

And if you're looking for a great place to stay, give Jim and Jana a try!  Their yard is full of bird feeders and lots of cool birds.  The White Winged Dove, Sandhill Cranes, Dark Eyed Juncos, White Crowned Sparrows, a Belted Kingfisher, and Great Egret were all just some highlights!

For more information, visit this post as it's a place off the grid and there really isn't any official website for the Bed and Breakfast. It's legit folks and the hosts love what they do so if you are a wildlife aficionado or just a lover of the great outdoors, they'd like to meet you. And you'll love to meet them. You'll be glad you did.  The adventure continues next week......