From a small town to a big city...
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A Birding Blog
By Jared Conaway
From a small town to a big city...
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I don't think I've ever seen even just 1 lifer on the way to school, except, I miracuously saw 3 on Febuary 16th, and ALL members of Calcariidae... My NBB (non-birder brother), Brian, was driving me to school on Feb. 16th, 2017. A couple minutes from our house, there's a small experimental farming field. Often times, it's filled with Snow and Canada Geese and cranes during spring and fall migration, but this time, it was filled with something different. Under normal circumstances, it's actually void of any birds at all, except maybe for a flyover raven or eagle. In Alaska, winter is usually the worst time to see lifers, or any interesting birds for that matter. This time, however, the desolate Alaskan winter bent the rules quite far.
It was windy. Snow was being swept off the ground, and trees were swaying with the strong wind. A huge flock of little birds erupted from underneath and around the car, flying sporadically and very frantically. The birds were flying ahead and alongside our car. For a few moments, I honed my sight on a peculiar bird lagging behind the flock. Almost all the birds came and went in a flash, not enough time to identify colors, but a bird in the back looked like a snowball with wings, it gleamed like a beacon because it was so white, and despite being identified as a closely related but different species, it confirmed what species the entire flock consisted of. Once we reached the round about, A thought snapped into my head, I knew what they were, they were too distictive for me not to no what they were. Loose, sporadic flock movements & low, swooping flight pattern, white coloration, and a field chosen as suitable wintering habitat, I told Brian that the birds we'd just seen were SNOW BUNTINGS! The all-white bird, however, just seemed different, somehow. It gave me a gut reaction when we were going the same speed as the bunting for those few moments. The bird was also flying with a couple of other snows, and definitely looked bigger, possibly just because it was also whiter. After I reported my Snow Bunting flock sighting on ebird, it became a popular trend on AK Birding (a Yahoo group), as Snow Buntings typically winter in remote areas in Alaska. I also was seeing the Buntings often, almost everyday when going on errand-runs. When a fresh layer of snow blanked the neighboring field in March, little circles of buntings formed underneath the massive ravens (they literally huddled underneath the ravens)! Among the buntings, about a hundred LAPLAND LONGSPURS were reported by most AK Birders, also a lifer! Ever since I made eye contact with that "different" bird on Feb. 16th, I pondered and pondered its ID, until my ponderer was sore (Grinch reference, sort of). By early March, I triumphantly announced its finalized identification to Bob Whinkler at a Ma-Su Birders meeting. he was the county's ebird reviewer and, at the time, president of the Mat-Su Birders Club . I told him what I was sure it was, a MCKAY'S BUNTING. I explained to him about my direct size and color comparison, and he said he'd let the sighting go through with the ebird filter, so it would still show up on the public database and not just my ebird Life List. Normally, rare birds are flagged and ebird reviewers notify you via email that without a photo or reasonable details, the sighting will not end up in the ebird public database. I was surprised to hear from Bob that he would allow for the sighting to go through, as usually that is not the case, because I didn't usually have a camera with me, or even my own camera, for confirmation of rarities. So with that, I added the McKay's Bunting to my ebird checklist for that day, and was incredibly happy about it. Here's a little bit about the bird: The McKay's Bunting is known to breed on only 2 or 4 islands in the entire world, but possibly a couple more! It winters on the west coast of mainland Alaska, the Aleutians, and the Pribolif islands on beaches and agricultural fields. They often mix flocks with Snow Buntings, and sometimes stray south and east of their normal winter range. Because food abundance and famine fluctuate, McKay's Buntings are prone to wander out of range in search of food, alongside a large flock of Snow Buntings. I don't know if this nomadic habit has ever taken them out of the state of Alaska, but many reports in Canada and the lower 48 have been mis-identifications, turning out to be Albino House Sparrows. In December of 2011, Carol Griswold discovered a McKay's in flock of 100+ Snows, even being lucky enough to photograph i!. That bird was seen in Seward, which as mentioned in a previous post, makes for a very interesting birding location in Alaska, because of its geographical placement. The McKay's Bunting also has an incredibly limited range, breeding and wintering only in Alaska, and with a total estimate of less than 6,000 birds! In winter, it is an uncommon yard bird in far western towns in the state, such as Nome. Lastly, my McKay's Bunting sighting did not stand alone that winter. Bob had allowed me to confirm my sighting without a photo because he too, had seen a McKay's Bunting that winter, on a different experimental farm, and multiple were reported by an AK Birder in Sutton, a remote location in the Mat-Su CO! With all those MCKAY'S BUNTINGS reports, it's very obvious that the 2016-2017 winter was an eruption year, and my first eruption winter I've ever had the opportunity to experience & witness! WOW, what a crazy adventure that was! Who sees a McKay's Bunting on the way to school?... I'm Jared Conaway, and stay tuned for my next TIMELINE post!
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Hello Kingbirds! If y'll have checked out my Alaska Photo Gall, then you know of Denali Highway! The views are BREATHTAKING right? I guess that's a rhetorical question. Denali Highway IS BREATHTAKING! No question about it. What I haven't told you you about Denali Highway, I hit one of Alaska's best breeding birds it has to offer! It's a flycatcher. An Empid to be exact, and no, I didn't hit the bird with a car, I hit it hard and fast with my binos! This Empid is widespread during migration in the east, casual to accidental in the west, and breeds across the taiga belt in Canada. Despite being uncommon, birders go through a lot of trouble to see one in the east, and few ever get to witness this bird in the upper Canadian taiga, let alone Alaska. There are onlt 2 known breeding pops of this bird in Alaska, according to my handy dandy Sibley. From the Yukon territory, their range barely extends into South-east Fairbanks county, plus an isolated pop in central Alaska. In Alaska, Hammond's and Alder Flycatchers greatly outnumber this bird where all 3 species' distributions overlap in the state. To give AK birders an even harder time, this Emp's breeding populations are in vast Black Spruce/Tamarack expansions. I'm talking thousands upon thousands upon thousands of acres of breeding habitat have the potential of holding very small amounts of these flycatchers! Believe me when I say, the land around Denali Highway is HUGE! THOUSANDS of Lakes and ponds dot the landscape, while MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of trees blanket the vast taiga/tundra! To top it off, far off in the distance, 12,000 ft. tall mountains loom like giants over the land! Anyways, let's get on with the story! We left the house at about 4:00, and because it was mid-summer, it was by no means dark out. The sky and trees were nearly lit up from the sun. On our drive, we were to go from Palmer, AK to the city of Fairbanks. That's a very long drive, especially because we were to drive across the 135 mile long Denali Highway. I was pumped up, and so glad that we were getting away from Palmer for a bit! North of Talkeetna, a small tourist community in central AK, we stopped at a MAGNIFICENT overlook of Mt. Sanford, one of the largest volcanoes and one of the highest points in North America at 16,237 ft., and Mt. Wrangell, which rises at 14,163 ft.! It was quite chilly, as the sun was just peaking above the mountains. The view was astounding, and both peaks were about 100 or so miles away to the southeast! Then, on the way back to the car, I heard an unfamiliar song beaming from some willow thickets. I bright little flycatcher popped into view at the minimum viewing focus of my binos, which is 6 ft! I could see every last detail so clearly, and the bird appeared very fresh in its plumage, feather edges, wing-bars, and eye-rings were were very prominent and bright white. I thought, "this couldn't possibly be an Alder Flycatcher, it's far too bright, and its song was quite different." The bird also had a tell-tale bright green-yellow belly underside. The birds wings were also blackish, with a crisp white patch on its wings as well. I think by now you've all identified this mystery flycatcher, but at that point I was still confused. I knew of only 2 other regularly occurring Empids that were brighter in color and pattern than Alders, Hammond's and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers. Although Hammond's is generally not as drab as Alder, their plumage is overall gray green, with thin grayish white wingbars and a prominent eyering. Their beak has a distinctive dark lower manindible, and they share the white tertial edges and white secondary patch with Yellow-bellied, though the white appears much crisper on the latter because of blackish wings. Unlike other Empids, the Yellow-bellied does not have a rival species. While Willow and Alder, Hammond's and Dusky, and the Pacific-slope and Cordilleran Flycatchers pair together, the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher stands alone. So, at the end of the day, I confirmed my sighting as the YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER! The overlook that I saw the Emp was probably 50 miles south of its normal haunts, but central Alaska is such a vast region that many areas remain unbirded, so there's potential that the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher's breeding distribution in Alaska extends farther south and west than originally known. That's why birding is so exciting, there's potential for a ground-breaking discovery around every corner! Anyways, I was so excited for my discovery, not only because it was an AMAZING lifer, but, do you realize how spectacular the view was? It was fantastic to see a small, bright flycatcher against one of the most amazing Alaskan backgrounds I've ever seen! However, that was just my first lifer of the trip, over 12 hours later, my Life List was looking pretty great! Soon afterward, we stopped at a little tundra pond that was teaming with ducks. There were 3 BUFFLEHEADS, 17 GREATER SCAUP, a REDHEAD DUCK, SOLITARY SANDPIPERS, and a lifer that was long overdue, a pair of WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS! Then, we hit Denali Highway (or, rather, Denali Highway hit us) It was clear blue skies as far as the eye could see, and as a bonus, no wind! It was perfect birding weather, if a plover was flying across the tundra, or A Jaeger was soaring in the sky, I had great chances of seeing it. No clouds to obsure my view, and no wind to make me shiver while holding binoculars, I had high hopes for this road trip!As we drove at a maximum speed of 35 mph, we flushed hundreds of Savannah Sparrows, and a few GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSHES, a lifer! Many of what I passed off as sparrows were more than likely LAPLAND LONGSPURS and a Savannah Sparrow look-alike, SMITH'S LONGSPURS! The latter of which is a potential lifer, and apparently the highway is a great breeding location for them. I didn't think of it then, but it's possible that the Smith's Longspur may find a place on my Life List soon! So many birds flushed, that it's more than likely that some were flocks of Smith's Longspurs. Eventually, we stopped for a reason I can't remember. I know it wasn't a bear or anything, but probably roadwork or something going on in front of us, because we never exited the car to look at scenery or birds. Anyways, I used that time to my advantage. I looked for any soaring birds over the tundra or something when, I spotted a pair of gulls or raptors circling above a hill-ridge. They had very long trailing central tail feathers, black caps and white undersides. They were incredibly graceful and beautiful, with a slender, tern-like physique, and small hooked bills. I was amazed to be looking at a pair of LONG-TAILED JAEGERS! They are commonly encountered birds out on the tundra, but were a nice addition to my Life List as well. We also found a pair of previously reported TUNDRA SWANS, in a little roadside pond, and a family of 6 TRUMPETER SWANS on a huge lake. We stopped at Susitna River bridge, and while there was about 200 CLIFF SWALLOWS, and some Mew Gulls, something cool happened. I was sitting in the car looking through an open door when a petite, large headed olive-brown bird peaked and hovered above the brush, then disappearing never to be seen again. It was without a doubt an ARCTIC WARBLER! Before the road trip, Arctic Warbler reports were popping up on my ebird alerts almost every day on the Denali Highway (Matanusku Susitna county areas of the highway), and were typically near or at the Susitna River. Although I was disappointed it was a brief, no-photo look, at least I finally got that bird! Elsewhere in the county, these Old World warblers are rare, so I thought I wouldn't see one before our move to Arizona, but I did anyways! In addition, we photographed a Beaver swimming and tail-slapping below the bridge. We eventually stopped and got out of the car to look at an astonishing view when we heard a hissing sound. 2 words, Flat tire. We took the poor tire to MacClerun River Lodge, and we were there waiting for the tire to be fixed up for 2 hours. I saw about 500 Cliff Swallows, a possible baby HORNED GREBE (lifer) and a pair of Solitary Sandpipers, I guess they aren't solitary after all! Also, a WILSON'S WARBLER flew across the baby grebe's lake. After Mr. Flat Tire was fixed up, we continued on to Fairbanks. I never saw any more lifers after that, so I don't feel the need to blog about our 2nd day (We stayed the night in Fairbanks). Although I missed some great birds that I'd longed to see, like American Golden Plover, Semipalmeted Plover, Gyrfalcon, Upland Sandpiper (that one's mean to birders), and Sharp-tailed Grouse, I did see; YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, LONG-TAILED JAEGER, GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH, RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, a SPRUCE GROUSE, LAPLAND LONGSPURS, most likely SMITH'S LONGSPURS, ARCTIC WARBLER, and possibly HORNED GREBE, or just another Red-necked Grebe, additionally, I saw my first for Alaska AMERICAN KESTRELS before we reached Fairbanks! So, it really was quite the birding success! 7 lifers!... Sure I didn't get everything, but I will be back to clean up Denali Highway... (In birding terms, to "clean up" means to make sure you obtain expected lifers, and be back to finish the job if you don't see every expected lifer, like in my case). Lastly, you can view the full list of birds I saw that day @ http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S38294544 http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S38294353 http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S38294401 Mt. Sanford, not as seen from the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher's overlook (I'm surprised Dad didn't photograph that view) WOW! That was one unforgettable adventure that I had last summer! Be sure to check out my Denali Highway pix in the Alaska Photo Gall! And, if you're going to Alaska, Denali Highway has tons of potential for great discoveries and lifers! It's a must-visit if you have some AK adventure plans in mind! I'm Jared Conaway, and stay tuned for my next TIMELINE POST! Note: Denali has some huge bumps, so hold on to your stomach, and don't hit your head on the seats or dash board! When there's a bump, brace yourself. CAUTION: The views are so INCREDIBLE, you might never want to leave!
Hi all! The word "rarity" intimidated me when I was 14. I thought surely if it was casual or accidental, I would NEVER see it, or it would be highly unlikely. Well now after chasing an accidental, I know now that casuals and accidentals are just as obtainable as any common bird. Rare bird reports happen every day here in Maricopa. Most are locally and county rare, but sometimes, like before I was a birder (back when I used the term "birdwatching" and couldn't tell you which was a Greater Scaup or a Lesser Scaup) something unbelievable shows up. Like the BAIKAL TEAL at Gilbert Water Ranch (yeah, the same place with the Northern Parula) in 2010!!! My rarity that I chased wasn't an Asiatic, or a South American, rather, it's a bird that's very common in the Lower 48, but very rare in Alaska. I hope that doesn't drive you away from this post, because seeing this bird against an Alaskan backdrop is something truly unforgettable!
The story started on August 13th, when Mom and I had a bird walk planned at Reflections Lake. As mentioned in my first TIMELINE post, at Reflections Lake I either turn up with nothing, or lots of somethings! When we arrived, we were greeted by Cole Talbot, the trip leader, and many other birders. We introduced ourselves and all that, and within a few minutes of walking, Cole stopped us to point out a singing NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH. PERFECT, I thought! The Northern Waterthrush is uncommon to common throughout central Alaska and southward across the state. It was also, at the time, a potential lifer for Jared. I really wanted to see it, so I volunteered to flush it out into the open (a birder's got to do what a birder's got to do). When I ventured into the dense Alder thickets, many birds burst over my head, including some robins, sparrows, warblers, and the Waterthrush! Yippy! I was so glad to have gotten that common warbler off my plate and onto my Life List! Eventually, the group came to a halt when I spotted a peculiar looking bird. After observing it for a few, I was extremely excited to see that I was looking at an OSPREY! I had longed to see that bird all summer, and finally, I got killer views. Cole Talbot even showed me it through his scope. Now, it looked more majestic than before. I had always wanted to see one so much because of their absolutely spectacular diving display! I love the way they extend their legs all the way out and bend and curve their wings in such a graceful and fluent way! Ospreys are SO AWESOME!!!! In Alaska, they also have a different status. Like many iconic Lower 48 birds, their range only goes into the warmest parts of the state, but even then they migrate south early and are rare to uncommon. Also like many lower 48 birds, they look so much better against the Alaskan Backdrop. Other notable birds of the trip were; WILSON'S and MYRTLE WARBLERS, a BELTED KINGFISHER, and a MERLIN at the end. Part 2 of the walk was going to the library so that Cole could show us how to use ebird. I had heard of the site, but had never used it until December of that year. Cole was showing us his ebird Life List, when a special bird caught my eye. "Where did you see the Pied-billed Grebe?" I asked. Cole relied that he saw it just a COUPLE OF DAYS ago at Jim Lake in Palmer. Palmer is where I live, I thought! I couldn't stop telling Mom how amazing it was that a Pied-billed Grebe was right here in Palmer. "Mom, we HAVE to chase that bird!" We decided that Dad and I would the following day. Shortly after church, Dad, my brother Ken, and I set off for a Pied-billed Adventure! When we driving through the rugged, wooded terrain of Maud RD (road to Jim Lake) I spotted a brown and white streaked bird flying low and in distinctive accipiter profile very quickly before disappearing. "I just saw a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, it's a new bird!" About 15 minutes later, we arrived at Mud Lake (because we thought it was Jim Lake at first). There I spotted a pair of very distant PACIFIC LOONS, and a pair of very close SPOTTED SANDPIPERS. After that, we found out we were at the wrong lake. Jim Lake was just a minute or 2 away. Jim Lake had about 50 COMMON GOLDENEYES, and too many Red-necked Grebes. Jim Lake is very interesting, it's had the uncommon Northern Saw-Whet Owl, a very rare WESTERN SCREECH-OWL, a local population of HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS, a common species in central Alaska, but very rare for that region, and also a local breeding population of Pacific Song Sparrows, which in Alaska, are never found more than a few miles from the ocean! When my Dad discovered a good viewing point, I saw a bird way out on the lake through my binos that really looked like the grebe. I was not going to put it on my Life List though, not until I had great views of it, nothing less! About 25 minutes later, 2 women arrived with a huge scope. They saw that our stand point was good, so they walked over to us. After some moments of silence, one of them asked if we saw the Pied-billed. I directed my finger to where I saw the mystery bird. Quickly, she got to work setting up the colossal scope. Then, she said those few words that were music to my ears; "Ope, I see the grebe!" I got excited, she handed the scope view to me, and just then, it had already dove. I handed her the scope view, and once again, she saw it. once again, she allowed for me to look through the scope, but this time, I was incredibly happy to see the PIED-BILLED GREBE in such magnified view!!!! YES! YES! YES! And, it was actually the same compact chicken-billed mystery bird that I saw earlier, because it was in the EXACT same spot! So the mystery bird was the grebe all along! My brother Ken also saw the bird through the scope. So did Dad. Many High-fives went all around, and we celebrated. Apparently, a Pied-billed Grebe had not been seen in the county in over half a century! WOW, more than 50 years! That's a code 5, or ACCIDENTAL status bird! Unfortunately, the bird was WAY to far out for photographs, but a few people, had gotten photographic evidence by canoeing across the lake. Among them was Lynn Barber. She was doing an Alaska Big Year at the time, and her adventures inspired me to bird more aggressively, and start prioritizing birds I'd never seen before. The Lady that showed me the grebe, also said it was stuck here for another 2 weeks because it was missing most primaries (indeed, the last report was on Sept. 5th, 2016), whew, if I knew that earlier, then I wouldn't had been so stressed about not seeing it because I thought it might fly off before I got a chance at seeing it. What a relief! I thanked Dad for taking me, thanked the lady for scope views and confirmation because of it, and most importantly, thanked God for sending powerful winds to blow this beautiful bird to my hometown of Palmer. Just as I said at the beginning of the post, seeing a PIED-BILLED GREBE against the magnificent Alaskan backdrop, and on a beautiful large lake, is truly, an unforgettable sight! 4 lifers in 1 weekend, what a birding success! I'm Jared Conaway, and stay tuned for my next TIMELINE post! Hi everyone! I was thinking of doing the posts chronologically, but I really want to start with some of the more memorable posts first. I've kind of given myself a headache trying to remember all the buildup that came before the lifers in early 2016. This story, however, is definitely impossible to forget. I've always wanted to share this amazing story with others.
In the early morning of Aug 27th, we were heading out of a small motel on the outskirts of the smallest "city" in Alaska, a fishing community called Seward. Seward is located on the north-east side of the Kenai Peninsula, a vast peninsula with some of the best birding locations in Alaska. The peninsula is cleverly positioned so that Prince William sound on the east side separates it from southeast AK. On the west side, Cook Inlet separates it from southwest Alaska. Because of the clever positioning, JACK SNIPE, BRAMBLING, HAWFINCH, DUSKY THRUSH, SIBERIAN ACCENTOR, and REDWING THRUSH have blown in to the Kenai Peninsula from the Aleutians, and they were blown in to the Aleutians from Asia. Meanwhile, reports of RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, WESTERN SCREECH-OWL, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, and COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD flood in every few years! In a way, I got a taste of this on a smaller scale the next day. Anyways, the 27th was to be our next day in Seward, and after an exhausting attempt to find an available campsite the previous night, today we were content on finding one. At last, we found one! After setting up camp, I set out to discover what small passerine was flitting above in the Sitka Spruces and making husky calls. As it turns out, they were CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES! That's a long over-due lifer at the time, after all, after the Black-capped Chickadee they are the most common Chickadee species in Alaska! I also was delighted to get within a few feet of a roadside foraging STELLER'S JAY. The funniest birds had to be the NORTHWESTERN CROWS. One of them was trying to pull a sprite bottle out of a camping chair cup holder! An adjacent abandoned campsite had Crows lining up single file, grabbing some cheddar flavored chips one at a time, and moving to the back of the line again! Another highlight were tons of BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES and GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS. Kittiwakes are always really cool to watch! Then came Aug 28th... Before departing from Seward, we stopped over at Benny Benson Lagoon. A single BARROW'S GOLDENEYE FM was swimming across the lagoon. I checked it once, then twice, to see if maybe it was a Long-tailed Duck. Nope. I believe we were searching the embankments for about 10 minutes, till I spied a bird on the other side of the lagoon lying on a rock. It had a peculiar pattern, one I really recognized. After much careful study, I concluded it to be a HOODED MERGANSER! It was a juv. bird, with a coal-black back, white shafts on its tertials, a narrow black and yellow bill, and brown head. He was sun-bathing or basking, with his feet sticking straight out behind him. His wings were slightly held out to the side to soak up the sun. I was really skeptical at first, in fact, I wasn't sure till later that day. I had my reasons, because Hooded Mergansers are rare at pretty much any location they are found in Alaska. They are also an incredibly elusive species in the state. They reside on lakes in the middle of nowhere, so a report could come up weeks, or even months after a previous one. They are quite reliable at stream-sides and ponds splitting off from large mainland rivers and surrounded by cottonwoods. Even then, southeastern Alaska is only accessible by ferry or plane! So yeah, Hooded Mergansers can be extremely difficult to find in Alaska. What a remarkable bird! On the same rock, his cousin a RED-BREASTED MERGANSER FM was standing right in front! Not a lifer, but one of my favorite birds. The last detail is that it was incredibly windy! None the less, my Dad and I high-fived and celebrated. We also stayed for nearly an hour at the entrance of the Lost Lake Trail (check out that place in the Alaska Photo Gall). We were surrounded by GIANT, awe-inspiring Western Hemlocks and Sitka Spruce. Many GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, BROWN CREEPERS, and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES popped in and out of sight as most foraged and sang high up in the 150 foot tall conifers! Many were nearly on the ground in the baby hemlocks though. One of my favorite birds ever, a VARIED THRUSH flew over the canopy. The wave of lifers continued on once we were on the road again! We stopped at a small roadside pond to look at a duck that was swimming around in it. It was yet another long-awaited and long over-due lifer, the REDHEAD DUCK. Like the Hooded Merg, they are exceptionally difficult to come across in every region of the state. Unlike the Merganser, however, they are far more widespread in the last frontier and slightly more common. Like the Goldeneye and Red-breasted Merg it was a female. That leaves the final lifer of the day! We were driving alongside Summit Lake when my Dad spotted 3 large, white-breasted brown birds on the lake. I told him they were loons. Then I said my most memorable phrase of the trip. "Maybe they are Yellow-billed's." At the moment, nothing said they were Yellow-billed Loons, but since I never thought twice about checking Common Loons, I'd thought this time I would. It was sunset at the time, we were still on the Kenai Peninsula, and the lake shone a spectacular golden. We stopped, and right away I located the birds. I made sure to check all of them, and from nearest to farthest from me, I collected an tell-tale field marks. I remember this really excited felling that fell over me when the nearest loon turned its head to reveal a large yellow bill. I thought, "OH THANK YOU GOD!!!!!! YOU ARE SOOO AMAZING!!!!"One after the other, they ALL had yellow bills, the distinctive straight culmen, and sandy brown coloration with bright white feather edges on the scapulars and wings. They were Juveniles. I also remember being in disbelief and awe at the same time. I thought maybe I was seeing things, but a nearly a year later, My Sibley Guide allowed me to close my case. There is no doubt that rests in my mind now of what I saw that day! I enjoyed the birds after my insane identification, and like the Hooded Merg from earlier, we high-fived and laughed. The funny thing is, on a bird walk exactly 2 weeks before, I asked the bird walk leader, Cole Talbot, about where to find those 2 species (and Chestnut-backed Chickadee)! That story, is coming soon, as well as the next day after that's story, which has a huge connection to the other story. Now, I'm so glad to get it off my plate to tell that amazing story! If you think about it, I saw my favorite species of chickadee the CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, 3 of my favorite birds, the HOODED MERGANSER, the VARIED THRUSH (non-lifer), and the YELLOW-BILLED LOON! And of course, we can't forget the adorable REDHEAD (the duck, not a human girl)! So with that being said, it was the day of the Yellow-billed-Chicka-Merg-Duck! I'm Jared Conaway, thanks for reading this spectacular birding success, and stay tuned for my next TIMELINE post! WOW, this story sounds even greater now that I've written it and it's no longer stuck up in my thoughts!!!!!!!! It was a sunny day in May, 2016... A walk around Reflections Lake was agreed upon. Reflections Lake is an interesting birding location, because a lot of times it is dreadfully boring, but then there are times it hands out great lifers like free candy! Because of its usually dreadfully boring reputation, I have stopped going there with high or even low expectations. I used to expect or dream of a long wanted Northern Harrier to fly in over the vast marshland below the observation tower. Every visit, I scanned the fields and trees with my bins for minutes on end, only to come up with nothing. Anyways, let's get onto the good stuff! I don't remember much of what we saw at the beginning, but here's a list of what we saw before 2 very special birds; A pair of TRUMPETER SWANS, many RUSTY BLACKBIRD males, MALLARDS, a couple Red-necked Grebes, Black-capped Chickadees, Robins, MYRTLE WARBLERS, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, a NORTHERN PINTAIL, BARROW'S GOLDENEYES, and a higher number of LESSER YELLOWLEGS than what I've seen. Dad and I walked along the edge of the lake, and through some birches I could see a little lagoon-pond flowing out of the lake, and the habitat looked very marshy. From there, I could see a small goose with a white ring around its neck. hum, maybe it's a Brant. Quickly, I caught up with Dad, and told him about the tiny goose. Momentarily, him and I found a little path that lead straight to a narrow embankment along the edge of the lagoon-pond. I got a little worried about not seeing it again, but I didn't see or hear it flying away. After searching through some SHOVELERS, Teal, and Mallards I caught direct sight of a brown and white bird's backside. This bird I confirmed was a goose, and it was small, so it the goose from a minute before. The only problem was the bird did not turn its head once, not ONCE. When eventually I lost all hope of him turning his head to the side to look at his ring, a duck swam right into my view, as its head slowly disappeared behind an embankment, but this time I got excellent views. I don't know if I'd cleamed my binos recently, but for some reason I saw everything so vividly. While I didn't see the birds bill very well, Everything else was in clear view. Its white forehead, chestnut on the rest of its head, black tertials, black tail end, and gray flanks and back, were so sharp and clear, I knew nearly instantaneously what it was. I pondered if it was a Redhead, a locally rare Mat-Su CO. bird, but I confirmed it in a few minutes afterward to be a surprise EURASIAN WIGEON!!! They are a rare but annual spring migrant in the county! I feel so lucky to have seen a crisp breeding plumaged bird! As for the goose; For the longest time, I was sure what I'd seen was a Brant, however, Brant was not put on the county list until 2017, when my great friend discovered 4 at goose bay (Cook Inlet. He had obtained poor but diagnostic photos. On my bird, I'd overlooked a fieldmark of even more significance than the "necklace". Instead of dark gray coloration diagnostic of Brant, my bird clearly had the silvery-brown coloration of a Canada or Cackling Goose. Now, in 2018, I realize what I was seeing all along, an ALEUTIAN CACKLING GOOSE!! The Cackling Goose is an uncommon spring and fall migrant, and the Aleut subsp I think has occurred in the county a few times. I remember the goose being absolutely tiny, and definitely had a necklace, so I'll call it an ALEUTIAN CACKLING GOOSE! Not a lifer like the Eurasian Wigeon, but the coolest subsp of Cackling Goose and an amazing find! That day in Reflections Lake and even birding history, has to be one of my best and most unforgettable Reflections Lake days! I'm Jared Conaway, and stay tuned for my next TIMELINE post! P.S. Note that the Timeline series takes place before I had a camera, so most will be photoless unless I post scenery pix on some from my Dad's camera.
Hello everyone! I have thought now for the past few days that I should publicly exhibit some of my best birding stories in my career. These stories are all in the past, from early 2016 to before my move to Arizona. In other words, this is a travel back in time, and to a place called Alaska! I'm Jared Conaway, and stay tuned for my next post (which will literally be in a few moments)!
Hello all! I haven't been able to find time for birding this weekend, but I thought I'd send an update on my companion's life. Here are some bulletins representing the different things that have happened in these 31 FULL DAYS of Jamin!
Jamin with a cricket in his mouth. You can't see it, because before I had a chance to photograph him striking his meal, he'd already stuffed it in his mouth! AMAZING FACT: Cichlids have 2 pairs of jaws! The first pair is the visible mouth that grabs its prey and chews it. Then the second pair in the throat clamps down hard on the food, and crushes it into powder and pulp. I can actually hear my cichlid crunching on his cichlid pellets, you have to be very close to hear it, but it's distinctive. This crunching sound must be coming from his second mouth, because the first mouth hardly moves, but you can see the throat muscles vigorously contracting and retracting as the 2nd mouth squashes its food so much and clamps down so tightly that the food is guaranteed never to see the light of day ever again! How cool is that? More pics of Jamin! Thanks buddy for being so cooperative for photos! I REALLY look forward to the many hours, many days, many weeks, many months, and many years I get to spend with Jamin! He's certainly got an unmatched passion for eating!
I'm Jared Conaway, don't forget to vote for 2017 Jared's Bird Of The Year, and stay tuned for my next post! Hi everyone! Today's post is a 2-parter, and I plan on going chronologically, so with that being said, dive in! January 12th: "A Miracle Dove:" I had just finished math, I was outside enjoying some polluted air when suddenly, out of nowhere a dove swooped from behind me, past my head and over the wall. Huh, was it just the light playing tricks on me or did that dove seriously gleam orange in the sunlight? Just a few minutes later, when my Dad was out there a dove came from the same direction the other one had gone. This time, it swooped around to the front of me so I was looking at its side view, and was surprised to see a stubby little tail. As it flew by, 2 Inca Doves raced right ahead of him, and they all turned back around to land in "the Lovebird Tree." I raced back inside to grab my trusty binos, as I had I feeling about what I had just seen. When I was out, I scanned every last branch leaf and section of the tree, only to have Inca Doves in my sights. Soon there after, all the doves took off to regroup in a tree across the street from our front yard. I must have been attempting to relocate the bird for close to an hour, to no avail. When I finally gave up the search, I decided it was now the time to consult my trusty field guide (David Allen Sibley, you are awesome! Your field guide has helped me confirm bird sightings far better than the outdated Audubon field guides). I knew what species to study, the Ruddy Ground-Dove. According to the ultimate guide, Ruddy Ground-Doves are found in well irrigated lawns and associate with groups of Inca Doves often. Well, lots of greenery and irrigated lawns are abundant in my hood. In fact, it was only a matter of time before this Mexican vagrant was to be found in my part of town. My sighting of a Ruddy Ground-Dove has been far from the first of this species being reported in Maricopa CO. All winter, I've kept a close eye on the reports flooding through from almost 10 locations! This winter has been a extremely great winter for this species, perhaps from the unseasonably warm weather. Anyways, all reports have bored me with their far distance or happening to be somewhere we've never been before. It's been a much-anticipated bird for this winter, I didn't want to wait all the way into next year. I was incredibly happy when at last, I confirmed it as a RUDDY GROUND-DOVE! This bird was also a very well placed lifer, as it was my 290th species total! Also, it's a rarity that I discovered, making it all the more surprising and special! I'm Jared Conaway, and stay tuned for part 2 of my weekend adventure! January 13th: "Coconino County: The Fun First Five!:" We were all sick of the city, Dad wanted to hike, I wanted to bird in the forest again, and so sprouted the idea that as a family, we head off to hike in my favorite county: Coconino! As you know, it's been over 2 months since my last visit to beautiful city of Sedona. A revisit has certainly been long overdue, and that changed on January 13th. When we arrived, I was very eager to listen to the songs of Coconino National Forest's resident birds. The habitat looked very promising and STUNNING! Already I caught sight of the dramatic red cliffs and towering conifers that erupted from the ground. I could here the un-ceasing chips and chatters of little gray birds in the trees above. They were my favorite subsp of the Dark-eyed Junco, RED-BACKED JUNCOS. I even managed to get some decent shots of one a foraging a few feet from my feet (say that 5 times fast)! Then, something more serious happened. I heard a bird call note that had to have been a woodpecker. Just a few moments later, an instantly distinctive black and white woodpecker took flight from the direction of the sound, calling, and landed at the base of a tree not far from me. I was exhilarated, it was the very recognizable ACORN WOODPECKER I'd just seen! This woodpecker is one of my personal favorites, and one I have been dreaming so much of seeing since we'd moved here. As the bird quickly scaled the Sycamore, I had to franticly take my camera out of my pack. By the time I had it in hand and ready, the bird was at the top of the tree. Unfortunately, I had just gotten a back shot, but I could try again on the way back, and I could get better binocular views, I really wanted to see the birds distinctive face, that looks perpetually surprised. Anyways, once we got to hiking, the beauty of this place really started to pick up. MOUNTAIN CHICKADEES Chickadee'd throughout our 7 mile hike, echoing their songs across the immense canyon walls. We were hiking West Fork Trail, a famously stunning hike through Oak Creek Canyon. At the beginning of the hike, I just couldn't stop gazing straight up into the crowns of trees that were clearly over 100 feet tall! Then, an unforgettable sight on the ground caught my attention away from the trees. It was SNOW! My first snow I've ever seen in Arizona! So I picked some up and flung it at my Brother, Brian. Ha ha ha! There were a lot of stream crossings through the canyon, but getting a little wet wasn't a big deal. And it certainly paid off! Before long, I spotted my 2nd lifer, the PYGMY NUTHATCH, 2 of them! I pointed them out to Dad, and also thought it was a nice change from the many RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES we'd already observed and heard throughout the hike. Earlier in the hike we'd also seen a BROWN CREEPER creeping up a fir tree. They don't call them creepers for nothing, right? They're also one of my favorite non-lifer to see on birding outings. In addition, I got my best views yet from a CANYON WREN as many echoed their songs across the canyon walls. I also became more excited about a couple of HAIRY WOODPECKERS since the day I first saw one! The reason is because, unlike in Alaska where they're a typical suburban woodpecker, here they are found in remote and high elevation stands of very large conifers. Back up in Alaska, the Hairy Woodpeckers seem to prefer decidous trees. The 3rd and final woodpecker sp present were 2 NORTHERN FLICKERS. As we progressed on, I started to gaze up at even larger trees than before, a few being 150 feet and taller! The 2 large trees that dominate the Oak Creek Canyon are WHITE FIRS and PONDEROSA PINES. ROCKY-MOUNTIAN DOUGLAS-FIRS are in lesser numbers in the canyon, and don't grow nearly as enormous as the other 2 conifers. While we're still on the subject of the canyon's flora, I also obtained a few Tree-Lifers; COLORADO BLUE SPRUCE, ROCKY MOUNTAIN MAPLE, GAMBEL OAK, TURBINELLA OAK, EMORY OAK, GRAY OAK, ARIZONA OAK, VELVET ASH, ARIZONA WALNUT, ARIZONA ALDER, and a rare species, KNOWLTON HOPHORNBEAM were newly obtained lifers! I even got a couple new maples, including; BIGTOOTH MAPLE and BOXELDER MAPLE. With the abundant diversity of trees large and small, this magnificent canyon has to be one of the most beautiful birding locations I've ever visited! So with that, back to birding West Fork Canyon (Canyon that branches off of the main Oak Creek Canyon). As we nearly made it to the end of the hike, a group of nuthatches noisily foraging in a sycamore above us caught my attention. Among a few Red-breasted Nuthatches, I found a single WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH! My 3rd lifer so far! That's not the end of it though, the trail is not a loop, so you go as far as you can through a narrow canyon passage, until the water forces you to persist no further, unless you have the proper hiking gear, which we didn't. From there, you have to turn around for another 7 miles to get back to the trailhead. For some reason, on the way back I noticed much larger trees than I had going the other direction. I would run up to enormous trees, and gaze up in awe at their unbelievable size, as well as obtain killer-shots on my camera. The largest Ponderosa Pines and White Firs I estimated could not possibly be any less than 230 FT. IN HEIGHT!!!!! Many Colossal trees and younger ones even, were scarred from a fire many years ago. The Ponderosa Pines faired much better than the White Firs, most Firs that had been burned were dead, whereas the Ponderosa Pines were still going strong! Also, many little gray birds chirped and skulked up high in the trees, which a later confirmed as Lifer #4, BUSHTITS, and Lifer #5, JUNIPER TITMOUSE! At the end of our hike, I got semi-distant shots of an Acorn Woodpecker, and one showed its face! What a successful trip! Note: The dense foliage means I wasn't able to photograph the other 4 lifers, but the foliage itself became the main subject of photography, so please understand the difficulty of bird photography and please enjoy breath-taking pix of this beautiful place below! The ACORN WOODPECKER! ENORMOUS conifers! The largest White Firs and Ponderosa Pines could have been over 240 ft, but I can't make exact measurments And let's not forget the 700 ft tall canyon walls... It's also awesome to step out of the cold, dark, shady areas of the canyon and into a sunny grove... And here are some lifer trees... from left to right moving in rows; ROCKY MOUNTAIN MAPLE, ARIZONA ALDER, COLORADO BLUE SPRUCE, TURBINELLA OAK, and KNOWLTON HOPHORNBEAM left to right; Abert's Squirrel and WESTERN GRAY SQUIRREL RED-BACKED JUNCO and a few more trees... Pictures really are worth 1000 words... I ABSOLUTELY LOVE West Fork Canyon and CNF (Coconino Nat. Forest), and I'm am very satisfied with my first 5 290's birds! So you know what that means, hopefully on my next birding outing I will see my final 5 birds before 301! Looking at these photos, I'm already getting sick of Glendale again, I'm ready any day, to visit this beautiful canyon that has been carved into the earth by God himself! I'm Jared Conaway, and stay tuned for my next adventure!
Note: Well, apparently I never put the Red-breasted Nuthatch on my lifelist! I was scrolling down my blog lifelist, and the word "nuthatch" wasn't popping out from anywhere. So I checked my excel lifelist, used the find and search icon, typed in "Red Breasted Nuthatch", and there was no match for it! So that's right, I have only 4 birds to go before 300! Hi all! You might be very familar with the title's date. That's right, Global Big Day! Also, if your in Alaska or have been there, you're familiar with Cook Inlet, the title's location. Something unthinkable, unexpected, unimaginable happened on that day; an unforgetable lifer. At around 5 A.M., we left to embark on my first Global Big Day! In the Lower 48, at 5 O'clock in the morning there's no sunshine, but in the Upper 1, there's plenty all summer long! Because a ton of explaining needs to be provided for the post's lifer, I'll skip ahead. We arrived at the Girdwood Gas Station at Turnagain Arm later in the morning. Because the place overlooks the inlet, it's a great place to get inshore water birds. A Northwestern Crow or 2, plenty of gulls, some Arctic Terns, or maybe a new shorebird species. I had a few lifers for that day, along with some uncommon but not rare count-birds. I had no extremities in mind, all very casual and common potential lifers. Except for... a Caspian Tern. For over 30 years, Caspian Terns have been found in the Cook Inlet area annually. They are not at all common, but they are my favorite tern species! That is why I scanned the inlet, for the world's largest tern. Unfortunately, no terns, but I did notice a peculiar looking bird surrounded by 3 gulls drifting away across the inlet. I thought, not a Caspian, but I'll give this bird a shot. When I raised my binos, almost immediately I targeted the peculiar bird. I said aloud, ooh, that looks like a Jaeger, or a Skua. This skua sp. had a heavy black, hooked bill & round black tail. wings were mostly black (white feather edges; base of wings light gray & black) with conspicuous white patches on primaries. Although slightly smaller than the gulls mobbing it, it had a heavier, bulkier physique than them. It's overall color was light ashy gray on the head, mantle and underside. That coloration is unusual for a Jaeger, they all have a black mantle that smoothly blends with the black wings. Even as barred juveniles their mantle is always the same color as the wings. Even from the first raise of my binos, to the moment I lowered my binos this bird looked highly unusual, so it came naturally that I study the bird for every last moment of my observation. I could of ran for the camera that was zipped away in a backpack in a likely locked car, but for all I new the bird could have been halfway to Antarctica by then. (That should be a clue). I decided it was better to stay put and collect as much details as I could to ultimately discover this unusual bird's Identification. At the moment I couldn't be sure what it was, just that I study it and consult an expert at the next Mat-Su Birders meeting. For some reason, I knew that those white wing patches were very important for ID'ing that bird. And, the lack of elongated tail feathers- characteristic of all Jaegers, even Juveniles- was quite puzzling. When molting, a Jaeger will be missing his central tail feathers, but this bird's tail was complete, the feathers were all even in length, although, I'm pretty sure it was missing some flight feathers. Other than that, its feathers looked fresh and even. I also have a theory for the bird being so far inland; The bird started out far offshore in in usual haunts, but followed a flock of gulls because the gulls were following a pod of Belugas because the Belugas were following a school of fish (talk about the food chain!). You see, Belugas are well known for following huligan into shallower water to feast on them, which ultimately cause a feeding frenzy among the birds. So, with that being said, all of those field marks became embedded in my mind permanently. When we got home later that evening from an awesome big day I flipped through my field guide, focusing on the Jaegers and the Skua. At that time, I had only the 2 Audubon guides (Eastern and Western), which don't show many plumages and some photos are choppy. Great Skua? No, east and too brown. Long-tailed Jaeger? No, too slender, elongated tail feathers, brown and barred as juvenile, black and white as adult, and too small of bill and size. Parasitic Jaeger? No, same as Long-tailed Jaeger. Pomarine? Like other 2, but at list with broader white patches on upperside of wings and larger and bulkier. Still, black and white face pattern, black mantle, patches still narrow, and build a little slender. South Polar Skua? OK, last one, gray mantle- yep, round black tail- yep, very bulky bird- yep, and a massive hooked bill, yes, and now we're getting somewhere! I am also aware that all Skuas have light and dark phases, and if that picture shows a smoky gray bird then the one I saw must have been a light morph, I thought. A month later on the 26th for my 15th birthday, I received the Sibley Guide (second edition)! Right after I got it, I flipped through and found the South Polar Skua- in multiple plumages and angles- nicely illustrated. The light morph bird so incredibly resembled my Turnagain Arm bird that it was almost creepy, even the way it held its wings up and angle it was flying (side view) was eerily identically to my observation. Thanks Mr. Sibley! Oddly enough I didn't consult the internet for pix of light morph individuals before recieving the new guide. As a Christian, I know that God gives us trials and that he performs miracles. I wasn't aware that he gave identification trials to birders! So, the South Polar Skua was a trial to test my identification skills, and a miracle from the Creator himself! If its identity is truly that of none other than the South Polar Skua (which I know it is) then this may be the farthest inland observation in North America, a definite Anchorage County first, and one of my rarest personal finds so far! I'm Jared Conaway, and stay tuned for my next adventure! South Polar Skua as shown in Audubon Field Guide. Although it exhibits a photo of one against its natural backround, this is the only picture in the entire guide, and a poor one at that. South Polar Skua as shown in Sibley's Guide. Although it's an illustration and the bird is against a white background, at least the illustrations are great, there's multiple angles and plumages exhibited as well. Bird at bottom left helped me settle the identification.
Hello all! I had a unique and wonderful day today! After all, today was my first birding adventure centered around chasing a Thrasher- but not just any Thrasher... THE Thrasher! I think y'all no what I'm talking about: The Thrasher Lord! They say the Thrasher Lord resides at TNN headquarters, west of Buckeye in Maricopa County, AZ. So what is TNN, where exactly is it, and what does this have to do with birding? Great question! TNN, also known as Thrasher News Network, is located at the world-renowned Thrasher Spot, the HQ for TNN. Why only 1 place in the county overrun by Thrashers? Because, TNN hosted an episode back in the day, showcasing and touring the area to suggest it as suitable habitat for all western Thrashers. After the episode's very first air, it became a constant location to showcase on HGTV for Thrashers and Thrasher social media. It was a Thrasher hotspot, they all fell in love with the place, and they all moved in. This eventually lead to an awareness among birders as the best location in North America to see a LeConte's Thrasher, and yes, I had the opportunity to chase one today! I believe it all started last weekend, when reports of LeConte's Thrasher came flooding in and my city-sickness were nudging me to get out of the house. I'd decided then and there that the next time I go birding, it shall be at the Thrasher Spot. All week, I'd anticipated this trip, because I've never actually revolved a birding trip around Thrashers, and, a LeConte's Thrasher is freaking epic! Originally, yesterday was the day to chase them, but, it would have been rushed a bit due to our schedule, so today was ideal. So, at around 9:35 A.M. today, we were off, on the hunt for the world's most elusive, shy, and fastest Thrasher of all: The Thrasher Lord, LeConte's Thrasher. Today I had 5 lifers in mind; Bendire's, Sage, and of course LeConte's Thrashers, Sagebrush and Bell's Sparrows. Before arriving at our destined location, I spotted a couple PRAIRIE FALCONS, a few PEREGRINE FALCONS, 2 NORTHERN HARRIERS, and a RED-TAILED HAWK, not bad of birds for the drive. Upon arriving, a lady asked if we were here for the Thrasher. Appearently, it's a no-brainer that new arrivals are after the LeConte's Thrasher. I new what she mean't by saying the Thrasher, after all, LeConte's Thrasher is usually the only important Thrasher in the area and what makes it such a renowned spot. She said that her daughter was on one side of the road, pointing that direction, and she told us she just received a text saying she'd found 2 thrashers. She then directed us to 2 guys who'd also found 2 thrashers. hmmm, which direction shall thy go? I decided, since I could see the guys from where we were, I would follow them. When we caught up, they said they just had 2 Crissal Thrashers, and were attempting photographs with huge lenses. Since Crissal was a non-lifer, and they hadn't had any luck, Dad and I moved on. The first bird I spotted ran all over the ground, and then fluttered into the top of a saltbush. To my delight, it was a SAGEBRUSH SPARROW, my first lifer for 2018! On the other side of Baseline and Salome intersection, White-crowned Sparrows sang and foraged EVERYWHERE around the wash. Many Sagebrush Sparrows and, a very likely BELL'S SPARROW were with them as well. Sometimes, Dad would stop to play the song of our main target, the LeConte's Thrasher, which by the way, has a very beautiful song! Eventually, Dad spotted a couple of birders scouting the arid landscape in separate directions. One of them, looked like he had eyes on something, so we followed him. Before catching up, a flash of gray-brown & white caught my eye. I knew, this was our target, even from a distance, just the pale coloration, slender physique, and long tail gave it the instantly recognizable appearance of the LECONTE'S THRASHER! Even without binoculars, they are a very distinctive and unique Thrasher. Once caught up, I'd asked if he'd viewed the bird I just saw pop out of nowhere and disappear back into the brush almost too fast to spot it. He told me he had, and that he's been observing a pair of them for a few minutes. Shortly there after, he pointed out the pair of distant thrashers to me. Even with my trusty binos on them, they were still mere silhouette s. Now that I'd located my lifer, it was time to take on a new and much more difficult challenge: Photograph a LeConte's Thrasher! In case you are all wondering- getting close to a LeConte's for a decent photo is next to impossible! From about 50 feet away, the birds frantically ran everywhere when they saw me approach. No matter what angle I came at them, they spotted me long before I thought they spotted me. I kept going for a head on approach, keeping low profile and quiet. Sometimes, I would lose them, and turn my attention away when a ton of Sagebrush Sparrows flushed. When quite sometime passed, I was getting frustrated, having to move slow and keep quiet for that long is really invigorating! However, my determination and drive and commitment to photographing the bird were screaming at me to not give up. The reason for such determination: Even though we saw the bird, it was an unsatisfying gray flash, and as you know, I hate putting "flash-lifers" on my list, because as I explained in a previous post, a flash lifer is a bird I get a small glimpse or flash of, making it a very unsatisfying observation. So, long story short, a LeConte's Thrasher can't go anywhere in a photo, so I wanted a photo to remember the bird by. Anyways, eventually, like a hungry wolf, I separated one thrasher from its mate, so now I could focus on just one bird. I followed him, and at times when I was a comfortable distance away (about 30 ft!) he would forage. That's when I grabbed Dad's camera to shoot, because when a thrasher runs, it's always away from you so, all I get is a long tail sticking up and chestnut undertail coverts. The bird's face is what I needed in my shots, so when he's foraging that's my best chance. Over time, he let me gradually get closer and closer, foot by foot, inch by inch, until I decided I was done taking pics of an awesome bird! In the end, I appearently got within 10 feet of the bird, according to Dad, and that may be the closest I will ever get to infamous and famous, Saltbush-Plains Ghost, Thrasher Lord, and LeConte's Thrasher!!! Dad and I high-fived, and made our way back to the car. We bumped into the guy who showed me the Thrashers, as we were making our way back, and we told him of my encounter with the epic lifer. It was getting late in the afternoon, so we didn't go after Bendire's or Sage Thrashers, but I will definitely have to go back to this awesome place again in a few weeks, when the Thrashers will be singing much more (they didn't sing at all this trip)! The last bird of the trip before its end was a soaring TURKEY VULTURE. Check out picks of LECONTE'S THRASHER and SAGEBRUSH SPARROW below! SAGEBRUSH SPARROW Animal Skeleton, Snake, Bird, or Lizard Saltbush country: excellent Thrasher habitat. Can you spot the Thrasher? The one and only LECONTE'S THRASHER! Not the greatest pics in the world, but these are excellent photographs considering the subjected species! Some serious effort was put into taking these photographs, the subject of photography here is a very uncooperative one, and requires a ton of patience, 2 tons of quiet, and 3 tons of slowness! Believe me when I say, this has to be THE MOST CHALLENGING bird I have EVER attempted to photograph! It was well worth the effort though! What an exciting place to bird, and a location that really gives you a sense that you're in the wild, where nature's in charge, not us. I really hope that unlike most locations in Arizona, this place is kept just the way it is, and that we act upon preservation for this beautiful location, so that the future generations of birders have this place to bird now and in days to come! I certainly can't wait to visit this fantastic birding location again! I'm Jared Conaway, and stay tuned for my next post!
Note: So far, only 2 people, both friends of mine, have voted. Picks were Northern Hawk Owl and Ross's Goose, and my vote goes to South Polar Skua. 3 votes won't do, I need a big list of votes so that only one bird will win. I need more votes, the deadline was on Friday, but I think 20 votes is a very reasonable deadline. Thanks. Also, be sure to check out Tommy Debardeleben's blog, his vote went to the NORTHERN HAWK OWL, thank you so much Tommy D for voting! Click the links below for his blog and his website. I also have Tommy D to thank for finding out about the "Thrasher Spot", from his amazing website that he put a lot of effort and time into, to provide detailed info on all the greatest Hotspots in the county! He gives details on parking fees, ownership, directions from Glendale, hiking difficulty, hotspot rating, target species and etc.! The least I can do to thank Tommy, is to give him more viewers for both sites, and you guys will enjoy his sites too. Tommy D's website: birderfrommaricopa.com Tommy D's blog: tommysbirdingexpeditions.blogspot.com Happy Birding n' Blogging everyone! |
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December 2019
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