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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Well guys, here we are, at the end of the year, end of the decade in fact. A few things before I get it poppin. 1: I haven't forgetten to blog, I've just been lazy. 2, which I think I announced this in an unfinished blog post: I'm going on a cruise in April 2020, to the islands of Jamaica, Cozumel, and Grand Cayman. I'll talk about that more in the upcoming first annual year recap. Basically birds, birds, birds. Cool birds like Jamaican Lizard-Cuckoo. Anyways, lets get into this thang. Ajo. It's probably more fire in the summer than all the songs I listen to. However, it's winter now, so it's shockingly cold. So, what's in Ajo? Nothing if you're not a birder, except for a golf course. Which means something besides golf to us bird nerds. Guess what showed up there? A Blue-headed Vireo. Some were bold enough to call it a bright Cassin's Vireo. Caleb and I made plans the 16th to go chase it on the 17th. He also brought up the idea of a trip to California afterwards. the drive was about 2 hours from my house, and we played the entire Trilliam 1 album by Aha Gazelle for a portion of the drive. Upon getting out of the car, I initially thought 'it's not really that cold' I took that back a minute later. It was the high temperature of 34 degrees, which is just 2 degrees above freezing. Even the ground was frosty. we did loops around the general area the BHVI had been seen, without any sign of it. I did find a frozen puddle though... Even more amazing, at long last, I actually got a good photo of a Gila Woodpecker (GIWO). This is a female as she doesn't have the cute little crimson cap. It's taken me a while, but this picture is really nice- the vibe even looks cold & crisp (also the lighting is nice). Here's a GHOW hoo might attack you if you stare at it too long. GHOW give you the OW. Yellow-rumped Warbler is another birb that has been a wait for a decent photo. Not quite 5 stars, but this pic rewards the patience well enough. We also saw a Myrtle YRWA in the same tree. Another good bird we had at the GC was a cismontanus Dark-eyed Junco (DEJU). unfortunately we dipped on the vireo, but we had more day left to see a really nice bird. We had a second cismontanus boi at a spot in Buckeye. Maybe you remember that time I had it as a yard bird in Glendale. To be honest it's kind of an ugly subspecies... We didn't see anything really good until we got to Hazen Road, where Ruddy Ground-Doves have wintered. Sure enough we found this female that was chilling with an Inca Dove. While it wasn't a lifer, it was only my 2nd one for life plus the first time getting to observe & enjoy. This ground-dove looks a lot like a small Mourning Dove, but it gives off a friendly vibe. Cool fact: It's round. The RUGD is much more common in Mexico, but Hazen Road has been a wintering paradise for up to a dozen individuals for the past few years. This is the western subspecies, which just so happens to have dull colored females, which isn't the case in the eastern population. Basically western males are identical to eastern females, and eastern males are a really rich pink-brown color (some might say ruddy). And that's the end of this part of the post, but we just getting started. I finished 2019's birding in probably the best way I possibly could. Early Morning of the 18th, Caleb & Tommy came to my house to pick me up. We were going to San Diego, California! (first the Salton Sea) It was about a 4 hour drive to get to the north side of Salton, where we started the day off looking for a Black-headed Gull that has been wintering in the area for years. This was my first time birding California beyond the border, so that fact made the trip pretty significant. Also significant were a group of Hooded Mergansers (HOMEs): it was my first time seeing adults in the wild. the male HOME is one of the most beautiful ducks, and has a really cool display. For real, this tiny merg will always remain a favorite. In the background are American White Pelicans. At the spot we met a group of friendly dogs, one of them was a particular pupper. Everytime a pet her she jumpy jumped around and waggy wagged the taily tail. Tommy and I really enjoyed her cutie cute presence. I didn't take pictures of the pupper with my camera cuz I didn't have many pictures left so I had to limit my non-bird pics, but I have some on my phone I can add later. Anyways here's my first decent picture of an American White Pelican. Everybody's surprised they're found away from the ocean, but tbh I'm smh rn ngl. AWPE is a really massive bird, one of the largest flying birds actually, with a 10 ft. wingspan and weighing up to 30 lbs. It breeds on inland lakes in northern states, and obtains striking alternate plumage during summer: a large nob in the center of the upper mandible, bright orange-red pouch, and long plumes on the nape/rear crown. I've only seen them in basic plumage, which is still a beautiful bird. Our best bird we received was Yellow Warbler, which is only good for the season. I miss the pupper already. Our next location was a campground at the north shore of the Salton Sea for a rare duck from Asia. The Salton Sea is the largest lake in California, and the surface is over 200 ft. below sea level. The shore around it is made of salt deposits, barnacles, and fish bones. The water is very salty, so not much lives in it. To the north and south of the sea are miles and miles of agricultural fields. To the west are multiple mountain ranges, including the San Bernardinos in the north, and Mnt. Laguna southwest of it. There was a large flock of Bonaparte's Gulls in the cove that had our target duck (hopefully). The flock of loud BOGUs flushed a few times, disturbing the teal. We searched for maybe 30 minutes trying to find it within a large flock of Blue-winged Teal. We actually found it foraging with a few BWTE on the shore where we were looking for most of the time. What is it though? Our target was a duck a long way from home: the Garganey. It is in the same genus as BWTE, CITE, and NOSH: Spatula. An alternate male is a very striking small duck; a broad white supercilium, blue-white flanks with fine vermiculation, a brown head, and breast with a fine scaly pattern. The bluish wings have black plumes with white central stripes. It kinda looks like if you flipped the colors around on a Blue-winged Teal. Our bird is an adult female, which has a unique facial pattern that is only similar to Indian/Eastern Spot-billed Ducks, and Pacific Black Duck. A question though: can you find it in this digiscope view? While observing the GARG Caleb pointed out a Black-bellied Plover- my first shorebird lifer in a while. BBPL I could've easily seen in Alaska or even Arizona, but I never did. I was hoping my lifer would be a gorgeous spring bird, but I'm fine with this dull gray creature. I was most likely going to see a lot more on this trip. If you see a bird that looks just like BOGU but it has a red bill there's a good chance it's a Black-headed Gull (BHGU). Here's the one really good shot I managed. It's one of the best common NA gulls right behind Heermann's because it's hooded and is very tern-like. Black-legged Kittiwake is just as cool. You guys hear me saying "one of" a lot. That's because most birds I've seen aren't the best of the best. Arctic Tern is one of the few exceptions. Behold. It took a while but the Garganey came close enough to be above identifiable. It is the smallest Spatula duck as far as I know, at 14 inches (same size as Green-winged Teal) and has a very normal-shaped bill. Even from a distance the contrasting facial pattern is diagnostic. It is found across Asian and Europe in the Nearctic region, wintering in central Africa (European birds) and southeast Asian (Asian birds). In NA it is considered code 4, with quite a few records from both coasts but also a number in the Midwest. GARG was my 433rd lifer. Tommy and I were enjoying the GARG when I got a call from Caleb: "I got a Black Scoter". I grabbed my scope to rush over to my boy. From a distance the Black Scoter looks like a Ruddy Duck. Adult males are completely black with a yellow-orange nob on the bill. The puffy white cheeks contrasting with a dark crown is diagnostic for this species. BLSC is pretty significant since it's my last scoter, and one I looked for for the past few years. I really should've seen one while I lived in Alaska, but that wasn't the case. The BLSC has 2 populations in NA: one that summers in Alaska & northwest Canada, wintering on the Pacific coast; and one that summers in eastern Canada (primarily Quebec), wintering on the Atlantic coast. A similar species lives in Western Europe called Common Scoter; it has a black nob plus some yellow on the upper mandible. San Bernardino Mts (3 Surf Scoters in the foreground) Mt. San Jacinto (peak of the San Bernardinos). I went back to the cove where the Blue-winged Teal were actually blue-winged. And I refound the GARG! Look at that drip though... Tommy and I really enjoyed the Garganey Caleb all by himself. It was fun watching the GARG lead a pack of BWTEs. Here's an ok comparison between females of the 2 species. While Caleb was with us the flock of scoters flew in, including the Black Scoter (to the right of the others) If only it was in focus... We eventually had to leave the Garganey to explore a 2 mile stretch of shoreline. We scored with another primarily Asian duck: a very distant young male Eurasian Wigeon. It was very distant at first and it took me a while to actually spot it. The flock of wigeons flew off before we could get close. That bird was my 4th EUWI I've seen in my life. I'm not sure if it was just my first time visiting, but the Salton Sea is just eerie. For starters, it's a giant salty lake in the middle of the hottest desert, and on one rock, you'll see words praising God, and on one nearby, you could see satanic stuff. For example, after birding another area of shoreline I saw a triangular rock with the illuminati symbol. could be kids messing around, could be an actually insane person, ya never know here at the Salton. I mean, it's pretty far away from any major city. It's also dangerous to live there because there's radioactive crap. So yeah the SS is sort of unsettling. A juvenile Reddish Egret flying by was epic though, my 2nd for life! Mt. San Jacinto dramatically rises 10,000 ft above the sea, adding to the eerie atmosphere. The next few photos I took are pretty significant. for once, White-throated Swifts actually weren't unidentifiable blurs in my camera. I don't care that this isn't the best photo. The fact of the matter is: it's presentable. Don't tell me this bird doesn't have drip (as in don't tell me this bird doesn't have style). Not only is it a sky-tesla, but look at the tux! This is among the fastest birds in the world. WTSW= bomber plane, OSPR= cargo plane. I can't take myself seriously sometimes. After that excursion we discussed where we'd be going next. Tommy and I both had mountain birds on our minds, and Caleb agreed. It was a long drive through desolate crap, but eventually we were driving through Ponderosa Pine, Jeffery Pine, and Bigcone Douglas-Firs. We stopped at an adorable lake where we came across this blackbird. It's not a Red-winged Blackbird, it's the endangered Tricolored Blackbird- a species mostly found in California. Similar to Red-winged, it has red shoulders, but a white instead of buffy-yellow bar below that. The females are also much darker. The conifer it's perched on is a Jeffery Pine. Male Brewer's Blackbird looks pretty nice. We arrived at Paso Picacho CG for the main show of mountain birds. Above is my lifer Oak Titmouse (Cali's Juniper Titmouse). Purple Finch was yet another lifer, and it completed the Haemorhous (House & Cassin's) trifecta for me. All females, which at least look better than female HOFI, but the males are really pretty, resembling Eurasian rosefinches the most out of the 3 species. From this grainy of a photo, you might think you can't definitely call this a PUFI. You can. The bill is huge, with a rounded culmen (that combo eliminates CAFI, which has a huge triangular bill, and HOFI, with a smaller rounded bill). Then there's the 2 broad white stripes on the face plus dark auriculars, and very crisp streaking (broader than CAFI but not blurred gray in-between like HOFI). The final characteristic is almost no streaking on the undertail coverts. I also received a mammal lifer: a few Black-tailed Deer. A cooperative Mountain Chickadee foraging in a Coast Live-Oak was the definition of a borb. a bird orb. I don't have to tell you that he's very round. I wish I could've patted his puffy head. Just like in AZ, Acorn Woodpeckers were abundant. The difference is pacific birds have 15 percent longer bills. A new tree for me was California Incense-Cedar Surprisingly these are my first photos of Steller's Jay that you can actually see most of the jay. I'm hoping to get really lit pics in AZ soon. These pacific birds lack the white eye-arcs and instead of white lines on the forehead they're blue lines. North-Pacific STJA are the darkest. CA Incense-Cedars in the foreground, Jeffery Pines in he back. Pacific ssp group of Hairy Woodpecker. I managed this poor shot of a Nutall's Woodpecker (CA's version of Ladder-backed). Another accomplishment was seeing Sugar Pine up close. It's the best pine, period. It's actually the tallest pine in the world (over 300 ft. sometimes). It's also in the white pine species complex (which seems to attract more birds than other complexes). The pinecones are also the longest of all pines. (up to 26 inches). Lastly, the excessive sap crystals on the end of the cone scales are the reason it has its name. I had a few unphotographed lifers at the campground as well: California Scrub-Jay, California Quail, and Mountain Quail. Cali Scrub-Jay I did photograph, but I deleted the pictures as they weren't that great (worse than the STJA) but mainly because I didn't have much pictures left on my memory card (so throughout the trip I had to delete bad photos). Cali Quail & Mountain Quail were both heard only. At this point my life list had 443 species (11 lifers on the 1st day!). On the way out of Paso Picacho this Band-tailed Pigeon posed on a snag. I'm happy I acquired a photo that shows all the field marks. This is a big pigeon. Unlike AZ birds, BTPIs in coastal states actually stay where they breed during the winter (some birds do move to lowland areas). Birds in AZ migrate to Mexico/Central America. By the time we got to San Diego, it was dark out, so we wouldn't bird it until next morning. We stayed at a motel with one bed: Tommy got the bed for half the night, Caleb slept on the floor, and I had a couch-chair for half the night (Tommy and I switched places). I woke up from half-sleep to Caleb whispering, "Jared, the Heermann's Gulls are calling your name." Tommy The Black Rail and Caleb The Boy assured me we'd see plenty of them at La Jolla Sea Watch, our first location of the day. They teased me on the way there by pointing out every Western Gull since before the trip I asked if we'd for sure see them. There was a group in the parking area that let me get super close so I took advantage of that. Western Gull (WEGU) is pretty much the most abundant bird on the pacific coast, and it is among the larger gulls. Its hefty shape, large bill, and dark gray mantle, and dark eayes combined differentiate it from other white-headed gulls. Juveniles are also hideous compared to juveniles of other species. Southern WEGUs have yellow irises with brown mottling, whereas ones in the north have dark brown irises (like Glaucous-winged). Speaking of, those 2 hybridize so much in the Pacific NW: hybrids are called Olympic Gull. Hybrids of Glaucous-winged X Herring are called Cook Inlet Gulls. 3rd Year WEGU. And what's that shorebird in the background? You'll find out soon. California Sea Lion was another new mammal for me. There was one male, a bunch of females, and 2 pups. Last WEGU I promise. The Pacific Ocean was a sight for sore eyes: the only open water I've seen for the past few years are so called lakes in the middle of the desert. The smell was refreshing too. I got kinda addicted to the crashing waves. I added another cormorant to my life list: Brandt's Cormorant. I eventually walked over to where they were nesting so I could get bomb looks/photos. With the cormorants was this rotund Black Turnstone (the shorebird I mentioned earlier). The moment you've been waiting for. I walked back over to Caleb & Tommy to get some targets before the light would be better for the BRCOs. Looking through the scope, I lifered on very distant Black-vented Shearwaters (the only shearwater you can regularly see from shore in southern Cali), and Heermann's Gulls. The shearwaters were tiny white dots. The Black Turnstone (BLTU) was still vibing with the BRCOs. BLTU breeds in Western Alaska, wintering along the pacific coast. Like the Ruddy Turnstone, it has a striking wing pattern. They're also called turnstones for a reason. Fnally, a decent photo of Snowy Egret taken by yours truly. They were cool enough to do courtship displays multiple times. Man though, I did not expect to get such bangers of these beautiful birds. The cliff they were nesting on was adjacent to the sidewalk, so I was just feet away from them. They are the best looking cormorant, change my mind. Brandt's Cormorants are found from SE AK, to Baja California. These birds dive into the ocean to catch fish, so their plumage is watertight. Its species name- penicillatus, refers to the stiff white plumes it has during alternate plumage. Adult Brown Pelican in alternate plumage. Black Turnstone looking so mad. Cute Cali Sea Lion pupper. Tommy and I wanted to get some photos of nearby Allen's Hummingbirds, which was another lifer. So we walked down a path that went through a garden/lawn with some bright red flowers that attracted quite a few hummers. Allen's Hummer is the last Selasphorus hummer that I needed to complete the buffy-flanked squad, and my 6th new hummer this year. It's extremely similar to Rufous Hummingbird, with minor differences in the tail shape and back coloration. ALHU has thinner rectrices than RUHU, and more green on the back, especially the rump. The latter feature is on average, while the tail is considered the best way when disregarding distribution. Speaking of which, these lil homies are endemic to California & Oregon, wintering in south-central Mexico (except birds in southern Cali). They also migrate through SEAZ, sometimes wandering to the Gulf Coast like RUHU the light shining through the sunset-colored rectrices was really cool, and would've been epic if it spread the entire tail. Of course I had to visit the cormorants one last time. Song Sparrow - subspecies heermanni. The moment you've been waiting for. This is a Heermann's Gull: The Littest Gull in The West. You can literally see every major field mark on it despite being in a less than decent photo. A red bill, *almost* completely black wingtips, light gray underside, and a black tail. More importantly, Tommy and Caleb were wrong. This was the closest and last Heermann of the day, and saying "Here man" didn't make it come closer so yeah. I'm a cow. I'll do some quick life history on it anyways: It is a gull. In the genus Larus (white-headed gulls). They breed almost exclusively on Isla Rasa, in the Gulf of California, Baja, Mexico. However, they disperse all across the pacific coast from southwestern BC to over halfway down Mexico. This gull is epic- I'm looking forward to the better pictures next time I go to Cali. Adios, La Jolla Cove: with your dank sea lions and lit cormorants, you will be missed. Our next stop was Kendall-Frost Marsh Preserve, where I finally lifered on distant Brants & Black Skimmers. This is the best photo of Black Skimmers. Ever. You can also easily see the ducks in the photo are ducks. We were mainly at the marsh to see Nelson's Sparrow, but the low tide wasn't in our favor. nonetheless I enjoyed the Black Skimmers through my scope, even seeing the distinct short upper mandible. I should get better views/photographs on a cruise that is literally just a few months away. Next we pulled up to a Baseball Field adjacent to San Diego River Tidal Mudflats for a Rusty Blackbird: a rare bird in the west (but one I already have it, because Alaska boi!) On our way there Black-bellied Plovers were abundant on the soccer fields. A close Whimbrel was a bit more appealing than the distant Rusty, so I focused my attention on this odd lifer. With it was a much larger curlew species: Long-billed Curlew (the largest regularly occurring shorb in the ABA) Even though it was a very overdue lifer, I couldn't help but hope the rump would be buffy-orange in flight (a feature of the much rarer Bristle-thighed Curlew). Not this time. The Whimbrel was very skittish, so photos were challenging, but I turned out getting this one. You can see bristles on the thighs just like you would on a Bristle-thighed Curlew. Whimbrels are a very widespread shorebird; breeding in Alpine Tundra & arctic circle of North America & Eurasia; wintering along the coast of every continent except Antarctica. While the common name is funny, the latin name is much more intriguing. The genus name- Numenius - means "New Moon", which refers to the the cresent shaped beak. This bird looks dank honestly. Long-billed Curlew In the parking lot, we found the Rusty Blackbird eating a croissant. He do be looking kinda fresh though. Rusty is usually a negative connotation, but this bird wears it well. It is one of the most beautiful birds in basic plumage. In Alaska I saw my lifers at Reflections Lake, where its unique song rang all over the place. Rusty Blackbird is a threatened species, which is why in my home county of Matanuska-Susitna, dring the summer, they do surveys to count them. We took a break from the RUBL to scan the tidal mudflats, which turned out to be rewarding. Here's a hideous picture of my 4th Egretta species: Little Blue Heron. The picture's terrible, but my views through the scope were pretty nice, and man it's a stunning bird. This is another species I should see plenty of on the upcoming cruise. A sketch I did of this species back in February. Black-bellied Plover in basic plumage. I'll see them in their gorgeous alternate plumage this April. Marbled Godwit (MAGO) Another Whimbrel; this time foraging on the tidal mudflats. "Takin' off like: N R O O O O M !" (Willet) For whatever reason the shorebirbs got startled and flew through the ravine. This picture shows 3 uncommon species that I had in AZ in one day: REEG (upper left), MAGO (furthest right), and WILL (left of MAGO and one flying left of the REEG). The remaining bird is Black-bellied Plover (BBPL). My only picture of an American Crow. He was vibing with the blackbirds. Tommy and I were accommodated by a very tame RUBL this time around.
At this point the post is so long it is getting very difficult to add photos & text (loads really slowly and won't go in the freaking correct spot). On top of that the vertical line in front of text isn't appearing so it's throwing me off. In short, I'm splitting this into 2 parts.
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I'm leaving right where I left off, properly. The RUBL is so good looking in basic plumage. "Hey! A man has fallen into the river in Lego City!" Make this image a meme please. After vibing at the tidal flats/ baseball field and showing birders the RUBL, we went to the Poggi creek Greenbelt apartment complex to look for a long continuing Thick-billed kingbird & Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. 2 bizarre vagrants in the same genus, and only the latter I've seen. Sadly, we dipped on them, as in: we didn't find them. I did get some photos of California Towhee so it wasn't a complete waste of time. Our next destination was the hot Tijuana River Valley, near Hollister St. Bridge. The location is brushy coastal scrub and primarily Willow riparian. Calif Red-shouldered Hawks were a huge highlight, as these are my first photos of the species. This was a picture I wasn't expecting to take. You rarely see the upperside of a hawk in flight. It's sriking color/pattern is the reason it is the prettiest American Buteo. A close contender is the black Zone-tailed Hawk. Townsend's Warbler Our other highlights were Bushtits & a very late Western Tanager on the way there. A big anticipation of this trip was wanting to see California Gnatcatchers & Wrentits, so we went where they were very likely. Hiking a little up a hill from a dirt pullover resulting in striking a flock of Wrentits. Wrentit is much larger than I expected, and isn't related to the similar Bushtit. Like them, they skulk, but usually are eye-level or lower and don't move around as fast, thankfully. Wrentit has a unique, loud vocalization that is described as a ping pong ball hitting a table. It's taxonomy, like the Turkey, is very bizarre. it isn't a wren or a tit (tit as in chickadees & titmice, I know the name is weird). It is actually closely related to the old world warblers (Syllviids). WRTI is associated with coastal chaparral/scrub/woodland along the Pacific coast, from Southern Washington to northern Baja CA. I love this bird a lot too, such pretty eyes and the small crow-like bill is cute. It was my 20th lifer of the trip, which makes it #453 on my Life List. Further up the hill I heard a sound that is best described as a very high pitched whinny kitten sound. It just sounds sad. It comes from the endemic California Gnatcatcher; my 4th & final NA gnatcatcher. My first picture of the CAGN! A pair of them was harassing a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in their bush. I promise more photos! It was nice to see Golden-crowned Sparrows again, although none of them were accommodating (this one kinda was). These were very common in the mountain ranges of Alaska, often outnumbering White-crowned Sparrows. This basic-plumaged individual doesn't represent how beautiful they are. We got to a bench that was pretty high up the hill, where we rested for a bit. Tommy decided to go further for an exercise walk so I followed him in case he found anything. I t ended up being me finding something cool. I came across a few pairs of Cali Gnatcatchers, and this one stayed still for a moment. This was only the beginning though. when I got back to Caleb, a Cali Gnatcatcher came right up to us (inches away from me), but remained in a dense bush. Things got better when we re-encountered the first pair, this time they came out into the open, at eye-level. It is frickin frackin cute, I don't need to say it. Of the birds I've seen, it might be the one with the tiniest distribution. It is endemic to southern CA/Baja CA, and was originally considered a subspecies of the Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. Out of the 4 NA gnatcatchers, it has the least amount of white in the tail, and is the darkest colored overall. Also now you know what my newest cover photo is. After enjoying them for a while, I decided to do some playback for California Thrasher since I should've seen it by now, and was running out of time to. Immediately, a male responded, and was easy to find. California Thrasher (CATH) is endemic to CA & some of Baja, and is closely related to Crissal Thrasher. Like most thrashers, it tends to keep its distance but tends to be more out in the open than Crissal & LeConte's. I now realize I should get decent recordings so you guys can hear these birds, as Calif Thrasher has a beautiful song, Calif Gnatcatcher sounds different from other gnatcatchers, and Wrentit has a unique call. Since Tommy really enjoyed the gnatcatchers, he wanted to enjoy them again and Caleb & myself did too (not going to see them again for a while). I wasn't able to outdo the previous pics, but I still turned up with good stuff. Thank God that our photos turned out way better than we were anticipating, and also I'm so thankful these tiny balls of floof exist. I was kidding about being done with WEGU. We were at the final stretch of the day, the sun beginning to set. We hit up a spot where a Little Stint has been chilling since fall. My final lifer was a gorgeous Royal Tern flying around, which put me at 456 total species. My first decent photo of Pied-billed Grebe! This bird has a bit of odd history for me: it is the very first rarity I chased. It is also the most abundant grebe in NA. Let that sink in. My first decent photo of Eared Grebe! My LAST WEGU! We dipped on the Little Stint, and decided to finish the day off at San Diego Bay. Oh yes! The pelicans are vibing! My only photo of Brant geese. As Caleb & Tommy scanned the bay, I went to the shoreline to get as close as I could to this female Surf Scoter. There was a semi-close flock of male scoters that I hoped would swim over. I was surprised because one of them did come pretty close... This Surf Scoter is officially my last photographed bird of 2019, which is very cool if you ask me, considering I live in AZ.
The trip to California was a major highlight of 2019, and very fitting to be practically at the very end. Some accomplishments made on this expedition: my first true Asiatic vagrant: Garganey; hitting 450+ species; receiving the 3rd regular NA scoter; can't forget this was my first time birding coastal California; receiving the 4th NA gnatcatcher; receiving the 3rd American Rosefinch: Purple Finch; and finally seeing the California Ocean after 13 years. There really wasn't a better way to end 2019. In the words of Raul Garcia: "On the Wesside feelin' like a great/ and I'm lookin' up to God like 'what a day'/. God bless y'all. So I moved. Like, a while ago. I now live in Goodyear, AZ (west of Phoenix, near Buckeye). Being on the westside of the valley now, I have some interesting birding opportunities. I'm near Verrado, Estrella Mountain Park, not too far from Arlington, and closer to Tres Rios Wetlands. Not to mention my neighborhood is clutch enough. I live near a frisbee GC, and there's paved paths that go all over the place, so there's irrigation that keeps everything moist & green. Just yesterday I got my first NH American Robin (AMRO), which confirms Rufous-backed Robin is definitely a possibility. Other stuff I've already had since September are; Black-throated Gray Warblers, Spotted & Green-tailed Towhees, Lark Sparrow, Bronzed Cowbird, Burrowing Owl, and just yesterday a Neotropic Cormorant. So birds are around, and rare ones are bound. Alrighty tighty, with that crap outa the way, I went to Verrado this afternoon. Last winter through spring, I went to Verrado with the main objective to see Lewis's Woodpeckers, because it was a bird I'd never seen before. I also thought it would be unique to see my first one in the desert. May 5th, 2018 came around, I didn't see them in Verrado that day even though I looked around, but I ended up seeing 4 near the peak of Mt. Ord. Like I said, we moved to Goodyear. And guess what; Lyndie Mason Warner found one in Verrado November 11th. Evening of November 12: I yeeted over there. I didn't see the crapper. Nov. 21st, the LEWO continues. Today, November 23rd, at 2:10 P.M., I arrived at Founders Park. Before I could even see a Gila Woodpecker (I did here one though), I looked up to see it in a Date Palm behind the building... He gave me moments to identify him before yeeting across the lawn over to a Southern Live-Oak. Here it yeets into the oak tree (also called flying). He probably did that cuz I called him a sucker. No, actually he was foraging some acorns to stash into his palm tree. He looked so elegant up there. We just got hit by a huge storm November 21st, so his feathers were all outa wack. Dang, though, this woodpecker is stunning! I've said it before: this is my favorite woodpecker on the continent. Photography was difficult since the LEWO tended to stay in the shadows, but these are a serious approvement from my lifer pics. Ya know though, woodpeckers have always been difficult for me. One of my favorite visual traits of the LEWO is that iridescent turquoise upperside. Southern Live-Oak After a while, it finally flew into a nearby live-oak. Now you can see the pink underside. You can also see that unique tail. All woodpeckers have long sharp tips on the central rectrices. The tail itself is also very stiff and immobile- both of these are a special adaptation that allow a woodpecker to balance in a upright posture while scaling a tree trunk. I had to act super quickly when it went into flight, because I wanted to get those shots too. He was too fast to get anything good, but on the bright side, that first in-flight pic is just hilarious. Unless it's just me. He flew into the live-oak across the lawn. Something really noticable about a flying LEWO are the enormous wings. They're substantially broader and longer than other woodpeckers in this genus. This is because they are least sedentary of the western Melanerpes; between northern birds migrating to the southern mountains, and adapting a nomadic behavior in years of short food supply. That brought me to some Gila Woodpeckers (GIWO) closer to the ground. Despite how much I see these woodpeckers, I have no beyond-average-quality photos of them. So my 2nd objective was to do just that. This was a start, but a lot more bird is preferred. That's what I managed. I always hope that my woodpecker encounters end up like the one with an Acorn Woodpecker in the Huachuca Mountains... Yeah, that one... Dang. This is a photo I'm actually proud of. Glory to God though. Cool fact: these 3 species of woodpeckers are in the same genus: Melanerpes, and Lewis's is the largest of all by far (almost a foot long, with extra large wings). It was really weird seeing this mountain species in a palm tree. I mean, there's plenty of high elevation birbs that migrate to southern lowlands (including Red-naped Sapsucker, another woodpecker), but Lewis's Woodpecker is substantially more infrequent in desert lowlands. I'm actually going to keep a list of high elevation species I see in the lowlands of Maricopa County eventually. Of course, that makes LEWO the newest addition. Below is my very first LEWO- also in Maricopa: I'm honestly so happy I could actually complete a blog post in one night. I've done stuff between July through November, but I've been pro-level procrastinating. So here's one to break the silent trend.
Adios. So you know; I have 2 more posts relating to Texas upcoming when I finally get around to finishing one, and starting the other, so just hang tight. Hi, it's been a while. I can't say I've been too terribly occupied, I've just had other things on my mind. Birding has mostly been on the backburner, but man that doesn't mean I've been longing to do it again. So, I was given the chance by my Dad to plan a birding trip on my own. Of course the Chiricahuas come to mind right away, because at the time a Berylline Hummingbird was discovered on a trail in those mountains (and come on is there a reason not to go to the Chiris? *no*). On top of that, a family of White-eared Hummingbirds had been found nearby. I haven't ever chased rare hummers before, so I thought it was worth a shot. Except this shot was almost 5 hours away. You know what though- we were going to make it work. Oh, and these hummers were on the southeast side of the Chiris; a new location within a mountain range I love, and it is considered the best by birders. This was the view from the car window; we drove down a dirt road that ran through the Chihuahuan Desert. With the abundance of creosote bushes and flatness of the landscape it reminded me of southwestern AZ. Thankfully, there are forest lathed mountains in this region to differentiate from that... monstrosity. From there it took about 30 minutes for us to have this view of the gorgeous Chiris. I had hopes that we'd find a Elegant Trogon in a canyon shaded with oaks, sycamores, and maples. The lower exposed slopes of this range are dotted with Redberry Junipers, Sotol, Ocotillo, and a few Optunia cacti species. Botteri's Sparrow and Lucifer Hummingbirds utilize this habitat during summer. Arizona Sycamore: Cave Creek Canyon had plenty of these, including some very large mature individuals. Birds are coming soon. But first... A Mexican Carpenter Bee. At this point we were at the Cave Creek Ranch, a known birding hotspot with excellent landscaping. It even has a large Arizona Cypress in the front. It didn't take long for us to get our first excellent bird. The Blue-throated Mountain-gem (BTMG) is more than decent that is for sure. This is an adult female based off the yellowish throat. Back in January I saw my first one ever, which was a young male. I said in that post that is the largest hummingbird in the US, well here's how big it is. The hummer on the left is a Black-chinned Hummingbird (BCHU). It has a personality opposite of Rivoli's- our other massive hummer. The Rivoli's flees from hummingbirds half its size, and doesn't fight back. But you see, the BTMG goes out of its way to attempt to impale other hummers. Trust me, I observed it. I would love to see this beast next to a Calliope Hummingbird. There was also a male BTMG, and I detected them by the unusually loud "seep" that sounds like a Turdus thrush. They were more skittish than I expected. Immature male Anna's Hummingbird (ANHU), but that's a Phoenician bird. The male BTMG yeeting to one of the porch feeders. I promise there will be more pics of this epic species. A decent photo of a juvenile female BCHU. There were also a few Broad-billed Hummingbirds, but I didn't get good photos of them that time around. But keep reading. Pictures only capture the essence of southeast Arizona to a certain degree. They say pictures are worth a thousand words, but I just can't use enough adjectives to describe what it's like to experience this place in person. You should visit this region, if you already have then there's nothing wrong with going again. We walked along a trail for a bit going through oak forest to a beautiful view. There was a family group of Mexican Jays and a flock of Bushtits. You know I have to photograph these hyper gregarious birds. This is a juvenile MEJA by the bicolored bill and dusky gray face. These corvids are just so lovable. Close up of a Emory Oak with pronounced serrates. Thank God for overlooks. The Chiricahuas have more caves & crevices than other sky islands from what I've noticed. Historically Jaguars would've utilized this crevice as a den to raise cubs. After our little hike, we went over to the Southwestern Research Station. This place is awesome: College students spend the summer working there while studying the biodiversity of the Chiricahua Mountains. In the town of Portal most of the residents are actually retired biologists and professors. Juvenile Chihuahuan Spotted Whiptail. This genus of lizards includes a species that is only female: the Desert Grassland Whiptail. It took a while, but I finally did it. I took killer photographs of a Yellow-eyed Junco. There was also this cute Coue's White-tailed Deer in the parking lot. Every time I encounter Acorn Woodpeckers, I always do my best to photograph them, as they are one of my favorite birds. They also are a defining species of North America's western mountains. I tried to top my picture I took at Carr Reef earlier this year, but as you can see I didn't. However, a little bit of editing fixed this up well. After spending some time at the SWRS, we went to our main destination: Crystal Cave Trail (we'll call it CCT). This is what the place looks like: It's very oaky. But that's okay. What we have here is typical mid-elevation Madrean Sky Islands evergreen woodland. The first hummer was this juvenile BCHU. The Chiricahua Fox Squirrels added to the Texas vibe. It's an endemic subspecies of Mexican Fox Squirrel in Arizona, and these were my first ones I saw so far. This is not a Berylline Hummingbird. This is another Blue-throated Mountain-gem (female). The largest population of these north of Mexico is in the Chiricahua Mnts. This is one of the dopest pictures I've gotten of this thicc species. You can't not love the BTMG. Oh yeah I almost forgot; there were other birders at the sight. One of them had one of those hefty cameras, the one you have to work out for & save up. Many are surprised by the Chiricahua Fox Squirrel's ability to yeet. ...What's this? Hmm... Looks kinda like a Broad-billed Hummingbird or something. But it looks more like a Berylline Hummer. In any case she flew off after staying in the dark. Minutes went by, and so Guy With Thick Camera walked off. ...After 15 minutes since its first visit (and after an application for car insurance) it showed up again. I felt bad for Guy With Thick Camera; if only he waited... Now you can see the violet tail better. This creature has an emerald green neck that makes it very distinctive. It also has rufous outer tail rectrices, and the underside is tan. Another 15 minutes went by and the BEHU showed up again. This hummer is the only one north of Mexico with iridescent flight feathers, unless you count Blue-throated Mountain-gem, but that species only has iridescence on the upper side of the wing (referring to primaries & secondaries). Also, this individual is a female: the front of the neck has white spotting. This is actually one of the less sexually dimorphic species of hummingbirds. The upperside of the wings have a unique amber & black pattern that recalls Varied Thrush (one of my all time favorite birds). Heck I should do a blog post on the first time I saw one, which would also include waterfowl, shorebirds, and gulls. Anyways something also notable about this bird is the bicolored bill (red lower mandible). She also has little cottonball feets. Out of the 3 visits the BEHU made, I wasn't able to get a picture of it on a natural object, because every time it did land on a branch it was behind other branches. This gives the camera a hard time. And me. However, I'm still satisfied with what I got. Lastly, it did call after flying off the first time (and I think when it flew in the second time). I remember noting to my self it sounded like a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. After enjoying the rare hummingbird we ascended to Rustler Park to look for Mexican Chickadees. To the north some pretty ominous clouds came in. They wanted to yeet some lightning at us. Anyways, going up I observed the classic elevational habitat change. Oaks turned into pines, pines into firs. The view to the east was kinda epic. A Greater Roadrunner (GRRR) was a pleasant surprise at over 8,000 ft. I'm so used to seeing them in lowland desert. The roadrunner is basically a really huge cuckoo that eats thrashers, hummingbirds, lizards, snakes, and fruits. It also has a really dope plumage pattern & colors. Another crazy thing is that their skin is jet black. In the it flares its mantle feathers to revail the black skin, and the rising sun warms it up. It looks like a velociraptor too. I also saw a Azure Bluebird (tropical subspecies of Eastern) perched in a snag on the way up. It was my first time seeing one (remember it was a h/o at Carr Reef Trail earlier this year). Barfoot Park; Arizona Pines, White Firs, and Douglas-Firs, typical habitat for Mexican Chickadees (MECH). Rustler Park was flourishing with White Firs & Douglas-Firs, and even had a cold mountain stream running through it. The park is at almost 9,000 ft. above sea level. It isn't actually a park; there is a meadow right there with burned trees and that's what those open burn areas are called. After a little pishing I brought in a male Wilson's Warbler right in front of me. They're a tiny bright yellow warbler with a black cap. Apparently I've never taken photos of one before. I should do that this upcoming spring. A cactus I almost stepped on. Scarlet Cup Hedgehog Cactus Moss & Lichen in nooks & crannies. If you think about it, it looks like an airiel view of mountains in the Pacific NW. I walked along the stream to search for the endemic Chiricahua Leopard-Frog. It was in a little ravine, so standing above the creek looking to the other side, I saw a small brown bird spiraling the trunk of a Douglas-Fir. It was a Mexican Brown Creeper (BRCR). Remember this subspecies can be identified visually by the dark brown back contrasting with light gray-brown head. Northern birds the back & head are the same color (light brown). Then, my dad pointed out a bird (like he always does). I was thinking it'd be a House Wren or something brown, for whatever reason. But then it flew down to the creek. I felt a rush of adrenaline as soon as I saw it. The bright yellow head combined with a plain whitish underside and blue-gray wings with white wing-bars is characteristic of this warbler. This little cutie is a Hermit Warbler! Basically, I've been to so many places and at the right time of year, yet I hadn't seen one until this moment. Yeah, it was a nemesis bird. it only took me 5 migration seasons! The plump warbler hopped down into the creek, drinking & briefly bathing. He then flew up to a plant that was pretty close to me, and was there for a few seconds. Despite being out in the open at that point, my camera was more interested in what was behind him. But this last picture is satisfying. I was afraid my lifer experience would be one high up in a tree, and I wouldn't have a camera. Here's some life history on this puffball: For one, the alternate-plumaged male is an absolutely stunning bird; the head is striking yellow (no green auriculars like in fall)with a black throat and black nape; the wings are mostly black with bold white wingbars (and white edging on flight feathers), and the back is gray with black streaks. The underside is snowy white for the most part, and the rump is black. They summer in the lush coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest- from mid Washington to northern California (plus populations in central and southern). It migrates through California, southwest Nevada, and throughout Arizona south of the Colorado Plateau. We did get some Mexican Chickadees by the way, but they were heard only every once in a while. I have yet to see them well. Think Mountain Chickadee but no white eyebrow. And there was this tachinid fly. And this is the park. The view from Rustler Park... We had a group of I think 8 Red-tailed Hawks soaring over the ridge. This is an interesting individual. It's a juvenile dark morph. You can tell it's a juvenile by the whitish spotting underneath, but also the pale eye (which is barely noticeable in this picture). Now you might think with this picture it would be extremely difficult or even impossible to distinguish from the similar Harlan's RTHA. That's not the case. For one, the upper breast streaking is barely visible, blending into the dark head. A typical juvenile Harlan's would show white on the face (in front, below, and behind the eye), and the breast streaking would be bright white, appearing to be on top of the black rather than under; the throat would be whitish. The inner wings would have less noticeable of streaking on Harlan's, and the wing coverts would be neatly rather than messily spotted with white. Lastly, the banding on the undertail coverts is more obvious on Harlan's. Adult light morph RTHAs molting flight feathers & rectrices. Adult RTHA we saw on the way down. Some white in throat and tail pattern typical of the southwestern subspecies. The Chiris always provides scenery if you need it. Trust me, SE is way better than northern AZ. We stopped at a breathtaking pullout spot about halfway down the mountain where I had a mixed flock of passerines. Yeah, my HUVI bad photo streak continues. You can still easily identify this thing as such from this photo because of dark feet, vireo bill, the big fat vireo shape, white eyering, and no black carpal bar (stripe after the second wing bar) You know what this lil crapper is? It's a Hermit Warbler (HEWA). I couldn't really tell what it was when I photographed it. The other warblers present were Black-throated Gray. Near the SWRS I saw this Gould's Turkey from the car. It's essentially the Madrean subspecies, and one of the largest. This is also my first picture of a WITU! Even with a little bit of grass the turkey is still great at hiding. "But when the world needed him most, he vanished." The MEJAs at the SWRS were flexing jewelry. It's part of an ongoing population study from 2011. I always take pictures of these weirdo scrub-jays at odd angles. I kinda wish I took photos of the SWRS now that I think about it. I want to say this is a WIFL, if it is, this is my only pic of one. We spent the night in New Mexico at a hotel. The next day we drove back to portal to look for the White-eared Hummingbirds. Early in the morning the next day we drove over this large Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. Fortunately we didn't hit it with the wheels, so we turned around to take pictures. The Western Dback has broader black bands on the tail than Mojave. Funnily enough this was only my second wild rattlesnake ever, and second seen in the Chiricahuas. The mountain ranges in SEAZ are so far away from major cities, so the pollution-free sky is often vibrant blue. I don't know if this sky was bluer than in the Huachucas because, well, y'all have seen how blue that was. Our first birding destination for the day was Cave Creek. Then we came across this Gold-banded Skipper. Most skippers are tiny, but in the south quite a few are larger, with 2 inch wingspans. Cave Creek is such a beautiful area. Along the shore are some of the largest Arizona Cypresses in the state (and possibly world since they're practically endemic to AZ). I can't help myself: AZ Sycamore is a very pretty tree. SEAZ is the goat don't @ me. The best scenery, the best birds, and the best flora. Here's a horrible photo of Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, also known as a very overdue lifer. He was vibing in an Arizona Cypress near a creek bed. The story behind it is; I spotted the bird flying into the tree with my binos, but I forgot where he was when I used my camera so I basically just took photos of the tree in hopes the flycatcher would be in it. I don't have to share this photo, I mean it's not appealing, but I'm a true photographer so if the best photo I got is a bad one, I'm probably gonna share it. I try to get banger photos as often as I can, but the results are determined by how cooperative the bird is. Just thought I'd be real, carry on dear reader! Plumbeous Vireo Plumbeous means: "The color of lead". My boi really is as sketchy as graphite though. Female Hepatic Tanager Meridian Duskywing Yellowspine Thistle Arizona Cypresses, extra thicc. Male Tonto Dancer Arizona Black Walnut Bridled Titmouse - I love these so much, I was glad I could at least get average quality photos. You can still see clearly that it is a floofy lil birb. BRTI is common in Arizona, mostly found in wooded canyons and sometimes lower riparian areas during winter. In the US they are only found in Arizona & southwest New Mexico. Driving on the paved road through the canyon brought us to much more lush riparian forest. Male Black-headed Grosbeak (BHGR) - This bird has drip! Red Rock Skimmers- a lifer dragonfly- were gracefully hawking the creek. It is one of my favorite Odonata. My attempt at an aesthetic photo of a sycamore leaf. Marine Blues were abundant at the creek, mostly just vibing. After birding the creek for a while without turning up any lifers, we went to another area past the Research Station where a family of White-eared Hummingbirds were found. Nesting WEHU has rarely ever been recorded in the US, s this would be a very cool opportunity. We ended up dipping on them, but the scenery was enjoyable nonetheless. I am hopeful that this next summer WEHU will nest again in the Chiris, or even better; the Huachucas. On the way home, I asked my parents to stop at the ranch again for BTMG. The Berylline Hummingbird was exciting, but I consider the nest events the highlight of the excursion. Male Black-chinned Hummer My objective was to get bangers of a male BTMG, which was possible since him and his girl were present. It was slightly impossible because the enormous hummer decided to be skittish. I had to act quick when he would finally come to the feeders, so I ended up with blurry pictures before things started looking up. Female Rivoli's Hummer This photo of him in an AZ Cyp was a step forward, one that actually led to one of my best sketches, but it still doesn't showcase the intense sapphire gorget. Blurry Boi Immature male Anna's Hummingbird with rainbow iridescence. It took a while, but it finally happened: While these aren't the best photos of this species, it captures the namesake characteristic in its entirety. The contrast of the indigo gorget with the soft emerald & gray of the rest of the bird is really stunning, especially in person. I was so happy that this bird came right up to me after an hour of anticipation. It completed the Hummingbird Hour. I really love this everything about this bird: it is the ultimate combination of subtle & conspicuous. Our journey wasn't done just yet. Broad-billed Hummingbird - female, Dave Jasper's yard Just outside of portal is a property owned by Dave Jasper that is open to birders, and it has tons of feeders, oranges, and plants for the birbs, it's great. This is where I had a very unexpected experience. I approached this immature male Broad-billed Hummingbird, which surprisingly let me get pretty close, and he spread his wings wide. Normally I'm too early or late to capture an experience like this, but this time was different. This was so amazing that I honestly don't care it's not an adult (which would be completely blue-green on the underside and the head). This also made up for not seeing Lucifer Hummingbird in Jasper's yard. A very sad Canyon Towhee Oof. Someone else ate the orange. Juvenile male Northern Cardinal on the left, and juvenile female Pyrrhuloxia on the right. Both species were in decent numbers at Jasper's. Looks like they are vibing, like most birds in this post. Notice how different the Pyrr's bill shape is. To finish this lengthy post off, here's a photo of a juv. male Pyrr plus 2 females.
It only took me 6 months to write this post. Y'all. I made it to Texas! About a week ago, my parents decided they wanted to go to Texas and take me with for a bit of birding. I did all the research on birding locations and frequencies of birds present via ebird to determine where I wanted to go. 3 spots really caught my attention: Warbler Woods, Landa Park, and the beast called Mitchell Lake Audubon Center. Mitchell Lake was absolutely the best option, with over 340 birds found there. however, it was in southern San Antonio, which was out of the way and meant that we had to drive through the huge city just to get there. Its hours were similar to HRP, which meant we either had to work our schedule to include it on the way there, or on the way out. I was absolutely fine with excluding it from the itinerary, as it would be pretty slow anyways. I was mainly interested in it because of easy waterbirds, a pair of Audubon's Orioles (which hadn't been seen since late May), and because Pauraques appeared to have a good sized population there. Fortunately Landa Park was also great for waterbirds (except Roseate Spoonbill) and Warbler Woods had potential for Paurauque. However, I didn't think I'd see a Pauraque anyways. The reason that Mitchell Lake is a bit different than the other locations, is because it is partially in the Rio Grande Valley, making it more tropical. That valley is the reason Texas is such a phenomenal state for birding. I really hope I make it there in the near future. So, Landa Park and Warbler Woods weren't eliminated, which meant I could still get a decent amount of lifers in the short time we had. A little after 3:00 in the afternoon on June 27th, we departed to begin the very long drive to get to Landa Park in New Braunfels, TX. New Braunfels lies within Comal County, and is a part of the now limited ecoregion known as the Edwards Plateau "hill country". My first bird that I would consider great was Chihuahuan Raven. I always look forward to seeing these highly intelligent corvids whenever going to southeast Arizona. Despite seeing them on both my trips to the region, I only just now thought of the idea to photograph them while in the car. I'm pretty sure I've brought up the fact that my camera has a focus issue, so pulling this off is pretty much impossible. Not to worry though, because on the way back I used my Dad's camera. They were surprisingly uncommon, with only 1 seen for every 100 telephone poles. I saw a group of 3 once, and a few times 1-2 individuals flew by. Chihuahuan Ravens (CHRA) inhabit the lowlands of the Chihuahuan Desert; overlapping with Common Raven near mountain ranges, but absent at mid to high elevations. CHRA flies around mountains to get places, but CORA will fly through lowlands to get places, which is where the confusion comes in. I don't want to bore you right from the start, so I'll go over identification later. There is nothing better than a Swainson's Hawk. If you want to be random, involve the Swainson's Hawk. "I love riding Swainson's Hawks." "I like Swainson's Hawks." "I saw a Swainson's Hawk beat up Dwayne Johnson." Using the Swainson's Hawk as a way to be random is a hundred percent guaranteed to confuse your friends. Try it free today or your time spent reading this paragraph back. Alright so basically the SWHA is a Buteo- meaning it is a buzzard, which literally means it's a hawk. Pretty creative Latin name, huh? It's not as cool as Common Buzzard: It's scientific name is Buteo buteo, and the nominate subspecies is Buteo buteo buteo. Yep, its Latin name is Hawk Hawk Hawk. It proves the idea that Latin names are fancy wrong. Common Buzzard is much more elaborate. Anyways, I thought I'd throw that interesting fact in there, as it's pretty funny (to me). While we're on this topic something cool to do when you have free time is to look into the meaning of these Latin subspecies names you see on my Life List. I just googled the definition of "caerulescens" (see Snow Goose). It means cerulean, which means blue. This makes a lot of sense considering Snow Goose has what's known as a blue morph. Not all these can be found, such as "strepera", which just took me to articles about Gadwall. The Swainson's Hawk is closely related to Red-tailed Hawk, but with longer wings, and different plumage patterns. They have dark, light, and intermediate/rufous morphs. SWHA breeds across the taiga belt, montane forests, deserts, and grasslands. wintering in open habitats in some of Central America, and in southeast South America, making it a long-distance migrant. Let's take it back over to CHRA for a second. As you can see it's perched on a telephone wire. I've never seen Common do this, and I've seen hundreds of thousands of them. This most likely has to do with the smaller feet of CHRA. This also applies to hawks: RTHA perches on thick branches and telephone poles, whereas smaller Buteos such as Rough-legged and Red-shouldered perch on thinner branches and telephone wires. We drove through the Dragoon Mountains, the landscape was really unique, as is expected with the Sky Islands. Oaks grew amongst the many rock formations. As we passed the ominous Chiricahuas, an epic lightning storm commenced in the dusky clouds. As the sun set, we entered New Mexico- a state I've never been in. Couldn't see anything in New Mexico. At about 1:00 in the morning we stopped at a rest area in western Texas. Bizarrely, I heard a bird singing, and it was completely black out. I thought it could be a nightjar, but it sounded very passerine like. While my parents took a nap, I listened to the peculiar song that I heard about every 10 minutes. After a while, I began to think what it could be, and before I could think too hard, I knew exactly what it was. It was one of the few birds songs I had listened too prior to the trip on Macaulay Library (online resource for bird sounds). As it turns out, it was a Cave Swallow- my last regularly occurring swallow for America. CASW is in the same genus as Cliff, and often nests alongside them under bridges. CASW is found mainly in Texas and Mexico, with smaller populations in southernmost New Mexico plus the Caribbean. I took a nap after we had started driving again, and when I woke up I could see the hill country. We eventually stopped at a rest area, which woke me up right away due to potential for birds. There were some groves of Texas Live-Oak. Many Western Kingbirds flew around, peeping and squeaking. Adult female Vermilion Flycatcher. Remember the post when I first saw the glorious Vermil'? Man, that feels like so long ago. I now see them all the time on my golf course. Very dark American Robin. I'm beginning to think that the reason that Pacific and Eastern birds are darker is because the humidity possibly affects the pigment. In any case, the American Robin is a neat creature. The sun rising over the hill country was magnificent. Finally, it was light out and we arrived at a Love's gas station. There weren't really any birds, so I decided to photograph some Texas Live-Oaks. Here's another one. So many of the trees had these spiky gray clumps on them, which I just found out from inaturalist are called Small Ballmoss; a type of air plant. Air plants are plants that grow on trees (so their roots are in the air). Apparently they are also in the mountains of southeast Arizona. They seem to be closely associated with oaks. We stopped at a Denny's in Boerne to break the fast, and upon recommendation we took Hwy 46 to New Braunfels. We drove through some beautiful juniper-oak woodland, with some sections of pure oaks. I saw what I seriously think was a Barred Owl on a fence post. It definitely was a bird, and certainly not a hawk. Its head was turned but appeared large. It lacked ear tufts. Man, you got to love those mystery birds, especially the ones that are potential lifers. It took us 18 hours, but we finally made it to Landa Park. Landa Park is a large park with a golf course that utilizes natural spring water and is one of the main birding hotspots in Comal county. It has stands of mature riparian trees plus many oaks. It is situated near central New Braunfels, and is adjacent to Schlitterbahn water park. Right across the street is a gorgeous riparian location called Panther Canyon natural trail. Upon getting out of the car, I was blasted with humidity, and cicadas were singing absolutely everywhere. Mom said they sounded like sprinklers. These were Superb Dog-day Cicadas; a large species. We decided to bird Panther Canyon first. It definitely reminds me of Oak Creek, and Madera even more so. Towards the trailhead was a very huge American Sycamore. American Sycamore has very unique leaves; the projections are a lot shorter than Arizona Sycamore, and with serrated edges. It was a new tree for me. Do you see the deer? #I'vebeenphotobombed. This is an Texas White-tailed Deer. In Arizona we have the Mexican subspecies, which is a lot grayer, called Coue's White-tailed Deer. I'm not sure what species of tree this is. I've looked into mulberries and Texas Ash, but they don't match. Panther Canyon was dominated by Texas Live-Oak, Southern Live-Oak, Lacey Oak, and some Post Oak. Cedar Elm, American Sycamore, and Texas ash were also present. As we walked through the canyon, chickadee-dee-dee was heard often. It was the vocalizations of Carolina Chickadee. Living in Arizona, the chickadee I've heard & seen the most has been Mountain. Let me tell you, every time I here them, it reminds me of the happy memories I made with the Playful, inquisitive Black-capped Chickadee. Carolina Chickadee (CACH) is very similar to Black-capped in all aspects, and takes their place in the southeastern US, and is just as personable. They are very common within their range, inhabiting deciduous forests and hardwood swamps. Like Black-capped, they love seed-filled feeders, and often except food right from the hand without hesitation. CACH does have distinguishing features that differentiate it from BCCH; The main one is the lack of white wash on the wings. Other than that, it is softer toned overall with inconspicuous contrast. The flanks are less buffy, and the white on the auriculars is less extensive and bright. The nape is grayish rather than white. CACH is the smallest chickadee alongside Chestnut-backed at about 4.75 inches long. Carolina Chickadee was a beloved lifer for me. You know, this bird is significant because it is the very first identification challenge I learned (Carolina vs. Black-capped). It nearly completes my North American Chickadees, leaving only Gray-headed. This CACH is foraging in a Cedar Elm, focused on the Small Ballmoss. Moss pillowed the twisted branches of oaks abundantly. Living in an oven caused me to appreciate the presence of lots of moss. I love moss. Black Vulture- I saw so many of these on the way to Landa. Early in the morning I saw kettles of 30-40 on large steal power poles. They outnumbered Turkey Vultures 50 to 1. This guy was very fast compared to the BLVUs in Arizona- and much lower in the air. There, they are higher because they rely on Turkey Vultures to find food, and then they steal from them. However, with Black being much more abundant in the east, it might be the other way around. Ashe Juniper- this conifer defines the central TX hill country, and is an important species for nesting with the endangered Black-capped Vireo and Golden-cheeked Warbler; the hill country icons. These junipers were common, but the distribution has dramatically decreased as woodlands have been cleared for grazing land, neighborhoods, and cities. Pretty much right after the chickadee, I heard the slurred warble of White-eyed Vireos. I never saw them in the canyon or Landa Park. They're a really dope bird that is common in the east. I found a pair of Bewick's Wrens which foraged in the Small Ballmosses. the ballmoss seemed really favored by all the birbs. In the southwest, Bewick's Wren lack brown tones, and have barring on the wings. Eastern ones are like chocolate chips, lacking wing barring. The narrow supercilium, unmarked wings, smaller size, and gray underside distinguish them from Carolina Wren. Cedar Elm Eastern House Wren, once again jumping around the ballmoss, looking for small insects. I have now seen all 3 subspecies groups for HOWR in North America. We walked about halfway through Panther Canyon before walking back to bird Landa Park. American Sycamore at Landa. Many eastern birds favor this species, such as vireos. Here is a domestic type Muscovy Duck. This duck is a very large species, in fact the largest in North America. Wild Muscovies are much more amazing, with red facial skin limited to the eye area, additionally having a glossy green-black body and white wing coverts. Wild MUDUs are very rare in the United States, with near annual sighting very close to the border of Mexico along the Rio Grande River. Close to Panther Canyon in a grove of Cottonwood, Walnut, and Sycamore trees I heard the rattle of Golden-fronted Woodpecker. It sounds identical to Gila Woodpecker, which threw me off. Unfortunately it didn't show itself, but vocalized a few times. afterwards I heard a Ladder-backed Woodpecker. The Comal River runs through Landa Park, and in fact is the main reason people go here. There is even a hardwood swamp in the river. The enormous tree in this picture is a Baldcypress- one of my favorite trees. It is an epic conifer, with the largest specimen being freaking 39 feet wide! The once vast Baldcypress swamps of the southeast were the home of the elegant Ivory-billed Woodpecker. The IBWO was the 2nd largest woodpecker in the world at 21 inches, only smaller than the extinct Imperial Woodpecker. It is extremely tragic that both these beasts of woodpeckers are potentially gone forever. The swamp within Landa has Eastern Cottonwoods, American Sycamores, Southern Live-Oak, Eastern Black-Walnut, Texas Ash, and of course Baldcypresses. Egyptian Geese were very common at the park, and are actually countable for my Life List. Their situation is similar to the Rosy-faced Lovebirds of Phoenix. I'll provide life history on both species when I make it to Africa. #winkemoji. Hardwood swamps define the Southeast region of the continent, and is an absolutely beautiful forest category. Many of the eastern warblers migrate through them, gleaning off the the rich insect life. The Baldcypress is awesome because it's a conifer. Texas Cooter turtle. This was an abundant reptile lifer, often basking at the base of the oak trees at the water's edge. I walked across a bridge that went over the river to be greeted by the most adorable thing ever: a family of Wood Ducks. Don't tell me I didn't warn you. Wood Duck babies are infamously cute. There were 3 little ducklings, plus a female and 2 males. I've never seen WODU chicks, but man... they were cute. Upon noticing the male that wasn't in eclipse plumage, I saw a perfect photography opportunity. The intense colors of a male Wood Duck were the only thing that was powerful enough to draw me away from the sheer adorableness of the female & babies. Last year, capturing shots of WODU was difficult as they stayed in the shadows of overhanging branches, and were reluctant to come out from behind the foliage. These WODUs were a lot different, as they stayed out in the open. The elegance of a male Wood Duck is so recognizable that even nonbirders are familiar with them. This is thanks to their widespread distribution, having eastern and western populations that meet in Montana. WODU's range is expanding north to southeast Alaska, and the eastern population is extending west. This duck is a small species that nests in mature trees, and a few days after hatching, the ducklings free fall out of them to follow their mother to a pond with vegetation. In a natural setting, this would be a hardwood swamp or deciduous forest in the east, and a redwood or coniferous forest in the west. However, many parks and ponds in an urban setting are ample enough. This is why the 2 populations are less separated by the Great Plains now. Everyone loves the Wood Duck. I left the WODUs alone after just a few minutes to let them keep being adorable in peace, and so I could find some more lifers. A bunch of little chestnut birbs caught my attention. They constantly chased each other from one tree to next, and they sang while they did it. These tiny rambunctious passerines were Carolina Wrens, yet another lifer. Like the other small wrens, standing still was not on their agendas. I followed them around, turning the camera on only for them to move. One of them flew into a juniper, allowing for a backlit pic. Carolina Wren (CAWR) is larger than the other species of small American wrens, and is monotypic to the genus Thryothorus. Allaboutbirds.org describes it as "a chunky bird". It is a small chungus indeed. CAWR is primarily found in the moist shaded deciduous forests of the southeastern US, and may be expanding west. It has a bright reddish-brown upperside, prominent white supercilium, and buffy underside. These hyper fluffers are very common within their range, often skulking in hedgegrows and other compactly dense foliage, gleaning insects from the leaves. They will eat from mealworm feeders. Landa Park had an extensive amount of mature oaks, and very large Eastern Cottonwoods and Eastern Black Walnut. Eastern Cottonwood is very similar to the Fremont Cottonwood of the southwest, except the leaves are serrated. Just like Fremont, it is a riparian species that attracts migrating warblers and vireos. With it being mid-summer, I didn't expect to see any warblers. The Baldcypress is closely related to the Coast Redwood of California, but unlike most conifers it is deciduous, hence "bald" is in the name. Pileated woodpecker utilizes this tree for nesting, and many passerines eat the seeds from the cones. We came across a massive oak that was growing horizontally that had a bunch of cooters & sliders, and 6 male WODUs in eclipse plumage. WODU with a receding hairline- or in this case: featherline. Red-eared Slider be flying for miles. That ball below his neck is a snail: the slow mo's are together. The American Sycamore steals the spotlight once again. Below is a closeup of the leaves: My dad and I walked to the other side of the park where there was a lot of oaks and picnic tables. Picnic tables equals an abundance of Fox Squirrels. Fox Squirrels are a large species that is common across its range across eastern North America. They are always associated with oaks because their natural diet consists of acorns. They are often mistaken for Eastern Gray squirrels- and the other way around- but they can be easily distinguished by the Fox Squirrel's buffy underside (Eastern Gray is white underneath). "Gib me da acorns an I show you da way to da Golden-fronted Woodpeckers." These rodents were everywhere, and I mainly focused on 2 that followed each other around. They allowed very close approach, suggesting they accept handouts. The pale silvery colored air-plants hanging from this oak are Spanish Moss. They weren't on every tree, but were fairly common. Spanish Moss highlights the large trees in humid southeastern swamps; sometimes trees such as Baldcypress are covered in them. Surprisingly- but also not- they are in the same genus as Small Ballmoss. It's surprising because these 2 airplants are very different shapes. however, I definitely see the similarities. We walked around underneath a grove of Texas Live-Oak, and upon doing so, my dad did something pretty awesome: He pointed out a Golden-fronted Woodpecker! This an adult female GFWO. Her bright yellow forehead is the reason for the name. When she rang her classic melanerpes rattle call, another one responded from a nearby oak. They called to each other quite a bit, and I tried to keep up with her as she quickly moved up and down the tree, and flying to others. It didn't take long for the other woodpecker to fly out of its tree, but man, it took a while to capture his glory. This is an adult male GFWO; a real stunner. He stood still on this branch for about a minute, but I only got a couple good photographs. I also looked at him through my binoculars. The GFWO is almost exclusively found in Texas in the United States, with a little of the population in southwest Oklahoma. It is very similar to Gila Woodpecker, sharing the zebra-pattern back & wings. However, it is larger, with a scarlet- rather than red- crown with orange on the nape & a yellow forehead. The body and head is a lighter tan color, more like gray. The rump is completely white and the tail is entirely black. They eyes are also brighter red, and the bill is longer. The call is identical to Gila, but higher pitched than Red-bellied. GFWO inhabits oak and mesquite woodlands at low to mid elevations. Their diet consists of grasshoppers, crickets, acorns, berries, and other fruits. 2 more GFWOs joined them, which appeared to be young ones. At this point, they all got pretty hyper and keeping track of 4 woodpeckers became difficult. The beautiful Golden-fronted woodpecker used to be my favorite woodpecker on our continent north of Mexico, but since last year it has been Lewis's Woodpecker. After observing the happy woodpeckers, we went over to 1 oak tree that Landa Park is famous for. Landa has a massive monumental Texas Live-Oak that was planted about 90 years ago, and it is an enormous chungus. Something I noticed in Texas is that the oaks were consistently larger. In Arizona, most oaks are just tiny, with plenty that are 6 feet or under in height. Not to mention most of our oaks are smaller species anyways. I've only seen a handful of large oaks in AZ, which have only been Emory, Gambel, and Arizona White-Oak so far. But enough talk about oaks, let's move on. So basically there were some Black Vultures. Another Baldcypress because I just can't help myself (they are epic trees). We checked out another section of the Comal River to look for waterbirds, but we just came up with Black Vultures and... house sparrows (they don't deserve to be capitalized, because they capitalize native birds). We spent about 2 and 1/2 hours at the park, and that includes our time in Panther canyon. Right when we got back to the parking lot, my dad found me a lifer once again... He appeared to be selling water. I would think so considering he was perched on a faucet. I started out about 20 feet away from him. But then I got closer... Much closer now... As I approached him he flew right past me, then coming back around to get to his perch. Closer... Really close... Very close! And now I was closest. At this point I was just a few inches away! I got so close that I had to back up slightly for my camera to focus. This was a very friendly Eastern Phoebe. He flew down to the ground underneath an oak to attempt catching a Snowy Tree-Cricket. It was funny because I walked up to him, and I ended up catching the cricket- easily as well. He had to have been pretty jealous. Note the pale yellow gape; this means he's an juvenile individual. Generally with phoebes the youngins are more beautiful. The juv. Black Phoebe for example, has rufous wingbars plus feather edges on mantle & rump. Man though, he is absolutely adorable! Eastern Phoebe (EAPH) is the most widespread of the phoebes, found across the eastern half of North America, plus the Great Plains and the taiga belt of Canada. Some guy named Felipe Guerrero just found one on the Denali Highway... EAPH prefers open habitat just like the other phoebes, choosing prominent perches to scout for insects. And apparently in some cases, fails to catch a Snowy Tree-Cricket. This was a really fun bird. Once we left, we drove by more of the Comal within the park as we were redirected by a roundabout, and I began thinking that now I would see a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. Sure enough, he finally made an appearance at the same time I was pondering this. If he was a little earlier he may have gotten a great portrait. Anyways, the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron- which will now be referred to as YCNH because of the ridiculous name- was a highly anticipated lifer that is so amazing in appearance. Fortunately I have a vivid memory of this distinct heron. Compared to the plump Black-crowned Nighty, it is slender. It has a slate gray color on the underside, with black streaking on the wings, plus white edges on black secondaries & primaries. The face pattern is really dope; a white horizontal cresent on the auriculars, a black collar joining into a black nape that sharply curves halfway down the slender neck. It has a broad black stripe going through the bright red eye and joins with the nape stripe. The crown is pale yellow-whitish with 2 long white plumes . The bill is straight rather than curved, and lastly the legs are orange. The juveniles of the 2 species are very similar, so here's how to distinguish them: YCNH: The head and body are are clearly separated BCNH: the head and body are indistinctly separated, making it look like a blob YCNH: gray underneath with narrow brown streaks close together BCNH: white underneath with broad grayish streaks YCNH: gray auriculars BCNH: whitish auriculars YCNH: straight black bill BCNH: black upper mandible; yellow lower mandible; bill slightly curved YCNH: white dots on brownish back; tiny white dots on wings BCNH: short streaks on grayish back; larger white spots on wings YCNH: thin white feather edges on wings BCNH: gray feather edges on gray wings. The courtship display of the YCNH is a pretty spectacular one: it spreads out its wings, arching them, meanwhile fluffing up its spiky mantle feathers. It is mainly in the southeast US, as far north as Massachusetts, and south to coastal Atlantic & Pacific Mexico, with a few small populations in estuaries of southern California. The YCNH was a sweet lifer that I've wanted to see since I learned such a creature existed. We found a restaurant and ate some good food outside in the humid environment. I even had a Dr. Pepper. After that, we walked around central New Braunfels. After hearing what sounded like a machinegun Verdin, I looked up to the sky to see a lot of Chimney Swifts flying around. These tiny birds are often described as "flying cigars" This is because the body is semi-rectangular. It is aptly named as it nests and roosts almost exclusively in chimneys nowadays. In a natural setting, it probably would've been in a large hollowed out tree. It is the eastern counterpart of Vaux's Swift, being slightly larger and darker. Both species are tiny with long wings and have very short tails (when tail is folded it appears to be absent). We then went to our La Quinta hotel in San Marcos. While we drove on the I-10 I saw about 7 Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, another lifer. They were perched on the powerlines, but I didn't see as many as expected. They were like really trashy looking Western Kingbirds with ridiculously long tails. I'm just kidding, they were freaking epic. At first I saw many females, and couple younger birds. The males looked really distinctive with the salmon colored underside, and of course the really long black & white forked tail. I leaned either forward or backward depending on what side the powerlines were on, attempting to get pictures through the car. It didn't work. In the evening, we decided to go to Warbler Woods Birding Sanctuary to know exactly where it was and hopefully meet the people who run the place. It's pretty cool because you have to email beforehand to get the code so that not just anybody can get in (there's a lot of birding locations that get vandalized by pesky teenagers). I actually found out about Warbler Woods from looking on Google Maps, and I knew right away that we had to visit this place. On ebird it is the top hotspot for Guadalupe County, with its best birding occurring during spring migration- which makes sense because it's in the eastern US. The first birds we heard and saw were Northern Cardinals of the nominate cardinalis subspecies. The NOCAs of the east are slightly darker red, but the most obvious difference is the broad black forehead band. This area is very narrow on southwestern NOCA. The crest shape and length is different as well; long and broad tipped on southwestern; shorter and more sharply pointed on eastern. Lastly, the bill shape is different; more rounded culmen on southwestern; straighter on eastern.
A doggo came after us. Turns out it was nice doggo. His name was Ninja, and he turned out to be the owners' dog. He was a border colie, and there was another dog that was a golden retriever. Both had severe haircuts. Man though, the retriever started to lean against me, wanting a pet. They were sweet puppers. Anyways, their owner- Don Schaezler- runs Warbler Woods with his wife, Susan. I started talking to him, asking questions about birds so I had info for the next morning. He said if we wait until 9 P.M., we could listen to Chuck-Wills-Widows, but unfortunately we couldn't. I'll get Chucky someday though, right? *cries on the inside* Birds present were a few CHSWs, abundant NOCAs, CACHs, and a couple Black-chinned Hummingbirds (BCHU). We went back to the hotel with some valuable information. I managed to finish the day off with lifer #11: Common Nighthawk. I first saw a couple, including one flying around the streetlights. We stopped in a parking lot to get directions and I rolled down the window, listening to a lot of them, without seeing them. CONH is a large, long-winged nightjar that hunts for moths, often using lights to its advantage because nocturnal insects are attracted to them. CONH is found across North America, including southeast Alaska. In the west, they are found in mid to high elevation coniferous forests; in the east & north, they inhabit deciduous forests and lowland pine forest. In the Texas hill country, Common and Lesser Nighthawks are both present, but Lesser is at the Low elevations that are at the northernmost limit of the Rio Grande valley. With that said, this post is finished. So: adios y'all. Yo. I've been busy. Not. I know it's been a while, and yes I do have a write-up on the way, because I went to Oak Creek. I've been working on little things lately, like looking for birds in my neighborhood, joining the ABA Young Birders competition (ok that one's big), writing a online guide to Mat-Su birding (not finished), and studying Caribbean birds. So I have been a little occupied, but not enough to justify slacking on my blog. I believe a while ago I said I wanted to move forward a lot by expanding this blog a lot. What I haven't said yet is that I'm going to make an online guide to Matanuska-Susitna Borough (my home county) on this website. Most of the time bar charts on ebird are really good for planning birding trips, and can get you very far. Mat-Su is a bit different, because its bar charts are lacking in data. So I've studied up on habitats in the different hotspots to determine potential birds and chances at common species. Plus I have personal experience at a lot of spots. There are a lot of birds lacking in this county that shouldn't be (talking to you, White-rumped Sandpiper), so I've looked at what spots are likely to gain what new birds (location and county records). I think the burning question is; Why is Mat-Su so void of data? Even though I gotta promote it for my guide, I'll just say it: It's a boring county. Alaska doesn't have a lot of birders, and most that are just visitors. As such, Adak, Attu, Gambell, and St. Paul Island are usually on the mind, because these visitors are retired birders who can afford to see Asiatic species, and they've waited for the opportunity their whole birding life. Most of them are not looking for Alder Flycatchers. Now, there are of course birders that do live in Alaska. Perhaps they can't afford to explore the wonderful Bering Sea. However, they want lifers. They don't have Rose-breasted Grosbeak, or Cassin's Vireo. So they like to spend their time in Southeast Alaska. SE Alaska is pretty amazing, you get both Western and Eastern species setting up territory. With that out of the way, why Mat-Su county? Back to the bar charts: Mat-Su has an average amount of data for a location in Alaska, but this a very low amount compared to the lower 48. So, I want to promote data-collection for such an underbirded "county". This would benefit everyone. Anyways I said it was boring. This isn't necessarily because of lack of birds- even though it doesn't have the best geographic location- but it's rather a lack of active birders that's the problem. Even though I just said it doesn't have the best geographic location, it does have an advantage over other inland counties: it has open salt water. A good amount of cook inlet lies within the MS borough, which is essential for first records of coastal species such as Pelagic Cormorant and South Polar Skua. I mean, just last year in June the borough had its first Aleutian Tern- an astonishing discovery! This was likely an individual that failed to breed, so it could've been looking for another tern population to nest within. Failed breeding can be common- depending on year- and so this tern represents the possibility of more that could show up. Here's another example: Mat-Su county has a lot of boreal forest, but no Least or Yellow-bellied Flycatchers. Now, while birds do have a general limit to their distributions, I've learned that sometimes eastern passerines set up territory in riparian areas here in Arizona. Mexican species will do a similar thing in canyons north of the Sky Islands (for example Elegant Trogan near Payson, or Sulfur-bellied Flycatcher at Sycamore Creek). However, even though lost birds are rarely ever found in Mat-Su, there is even better chances than in Arizona. Here in Arizona, decent riparian areas are few and far between, whereas is Alaska the habitat for boreal Warblers and Vireos is extensive. So, my goal is to encourage you to visit this wonderful county, and of course provide helpful information before you embark on your journey. After all, this is my home county, and if I became a birder sooner, and knew what I know now, I would've totally through in more reps than I did. Of course I will go back, with my grand objective being to find some birds for 'dem bar charts. One more thing on this subject before I move on: what I mean by "knew as much as I know now" is that Caleb's "California birder" mentality has rubbed off on me. As in, I am always thinking about what vagrants I can find whenever I'm birding in riparian. Here's an example: Upon looking at the Creekside deciduous forest at the lower end of the Hatcher Pass road, I determined that it looked good for Warbling Vireo. So yeah, I'm always thinking about the potential stuff now. Another example is me taking note of the fact that there are a handful of reports of Hoary Redpolls near the mountain range that has Mt. McKinley ebird.org in it (forget what it's called) in the middle of summer. I theorize; "Are they post-breeding dispersals? Failed breeding? Setting up territory?" So there's that out of the way. I way follow this project up with information on other counties in Alaska. Alrighty, so here's another thing: I want to do an educational series called In Depth Identification- IDID. It'll cover type species (like northern Catharus thrushes, and solitary vireos), species types-not to be confused with the former-(example would be the different bills and calls of Red Crossbill), hybrids, morphs, variants, subspecies, and other crap. Like I mentioned earlier; I want to expand this blog by making it very educational. When I was a younger birder I didn't know about this info. Plus internet was slow in Alaska. So I want to have a ton of information on just one website. On top of that, links to articles will be included in IDIDs if they exist, and right now I'll point you to ebird.org because that is a current source of a vast amount of bird info. {[(random note)]} I see you Black-bellied Duck. Do you not whistle? So, here's what the IDID project will include: links to the macaulay library for sounds and photos, descriptions of the sounds, descriptions of visual field marks, and maps. This is a project that I hope to work on with my birding allies Josh, David, and Caleb. So, next thing: I joined the 2020 ABA Young Birders competition. The contest is held in 2019 (I know, confusing). The reason it's called 2020 is because February of that year is when the winners are announced (which is probably because Big Year winners are announced then as well). I'm going for the grand prize, so I'm participating in 3 modules: Illustration, Writing, and Field Notebook. This will be fun, but I have to amplify my skills in order to win. This next announcement is a bit sad: I did not make it on the Texas trip that Josh, David, Caleb, and Tommy went on. However be sure to check out tommy's series on it called "Texas Times." It's hard to stay sad when I have Caribbean birds to look forward to! There is another thing I'll be working on but I don't want to announce it until it is set forth. I've been birding the neighborhood recently- the only birding I've done for a while. A month ago I stumbled upon a family of Great-horned Owls that included 2 young ones and 1 adult. They were already soon to be fledged, and since then I've seen 1 a day flying around the gold course twice this week. Last week I found one being mobbed by a Western Kingbird. Recently, I had up to 4 Bronzed Cowbirds on the course (3 males, 1 female). It is a bulky shiny black bird with red eyes, purple-blue wings, and a ruff on the neck. In April I got to see a male display to a female. It was amazing: He rapidly flicked his wings running in front of the female and sometimes bowing his head. The female then ran up to him, he jumped up and hovered by spinning his wings (he wasn't just flapping them), then he fell down. Wings down, head up, and then bobbing up and down. Lastly, he puffed up and let out a piercing metallic squeak before flying onto the fence in front of me. I got the whole thing on video via my phone. Another awesome flight display that I often see on the golf course are Vermillion Flycatchers puffing their crests out and holding their heads high while hovering around. They sing as well, which is an uprising, liquid bubbly whistle. One day there were 2 doing it at the same time, they had a bit of a showdown as they smacked each other with their wings while doing the display. Then of course there's Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Cedar Waxwings in May (those were fun), Hooded Orioles in April (absolutely stunning bird), and a Western Wood-Pewee in early June. It had equally bright wingbars which made me think of Eastern Wood-Pewee. There is a pair of Red-tailed Hawks, a light morph that I think is female and a dark morph which I think is male. I watched the light morph carry a kitten while being mobbed by grackles. A few days later I was told by a resident that the kitten was dropped, and survived, and is now his pet. Western Kingbirds are there daily, guarding the California Fan Palms. Here is one of the young owls: I would say that's it. I realize I've been a bit off the grid on this blog so I wanted to let y'all know the amazing stuff that's happening/going to happen. You can like, comment, and share if you want. Have a great June & the rest of the year!
Has this post been anticipated? Well definitely by the author. I LOVE Oak Creek Canyon, it is my favorite place in Arizona. There just aren't words for it. Except green. I've been there once before, in the winter, and it was absolutely gorgeous. You remember the exaggerated tree sizes, right? At the time I thought I was correct. Because Ponderosa Pines totally get 270 ft. tall in Arizona... The tallest Ponderosa Pine in the world is just over 270 ft., and it's not in Arizona. Alright, got that out of the way, now it's time for a more... cinematic introduction. Sorry, the video you requested wasn't found. No, I didn't start a youtube channel (yet). By cinematic I mean stylish: Oak. Creek. Canyon. A breathtaking location tucked serenely in between mesas and beautiful red-tinged cliffs. The water is cold all year long, as it is close to its originality as snowmelt. Because of the permanent creek, the trees are absolutely enormous, and healthy. The canyon includes the tallest Ponderosa Pines in the state, and potentially Douglas Fir as well. It has excellent riparian diversity with huge Arizona Sycamores, tall Boxelder Maples, and local Knowlton Hophornbeams. The sheer abundance of deciduous flora really gives an eastern US appearance. Just everything about this canyon is stunning, and magnificent, and... otherworldly. In January 2018 I went there for the first time, receiving the frosty cold, less green version of it. Ever since I really wanted to go again during late spring or summer, especially after seeing my other Arizona favorite, Ramsey Canyon. Only one can be my absolute favorite (or can it?), so I was ready to break the tie between these 2 ripe areas. Before Caleb and I went there, we walked around a spot where an Eastern Kingbird had been seen (before Sedona). It was probably too early, but worth a shot. That shot didn't end with an EAKI, but Caleb did spot a Common Black-Hawk- A.K.A awesome sauce. I really like this hawk. Why? Because I like it. I believe this was in Yavapai County. Alright, so we started the day with a Common Black-Hawk (the true kingbird), now we were headed to that place. That amazing place. We arrived at Cave Springs Campground. When I opened the car door, Immediately I heard a beautiful slurred warble coming from a bird that wasn't a warbler. While not that, it was: a lifer! Here is the creature, they call it the Yellow-throated Vireo (YTVI). He is backlit, but hey, you can see the yellow throat. This little guy was singing his ancient little heart out. He has sort of become a summer icon of Oak Creek Canyon, Staying in the same area Spring to fall, ever since 2016. That's 3 years. He probably betted with his buds over in Wisconsin that he would definitely find a mate in Arizona. He had to have betted a lot of money. Shoot, this fluffball is in debt. Little buddy better find a girl. Here's Great Blue Heron nests high up in a very tall Ponderosa Pine Adult Great Blue Heron; It went back and forth from the nest, across the canyon, collecting nest material or food. House Wren. He sang his bubbly song a lot, along with many others. Bigtooth Maples. This is one of my favorite deciduous trees in the state. For a while we birded on a boulder in the creek. Bullock's Oriole, a gorgeous bird. There were quite a few singing and vocalizing. This is my first picture of a male. Essentially it is the western counterpart of Baltimore Oriole, with a breeding range separated by the Great Plains for the most part. Plantations of trees across the grasslands has merged the 2 species, resulting in frequent hybridization. The BUOR is a welcome and beloved visitor to citrus feeders along with other orioles. These guys are often tempted by sugar water in hummingbirds feeders. Gambel Oak Young White Fir The forest in the canyon is reminiscent on the eastern side of the continent, as mentioned a few times. However, it is not reminiscent of most areas in Arizona, with none exactly like it. When ever I looked up to the really tall canyon walls, I was reminded I was still in Arizona. The southwest is signified by an abundance of canyons, something the east lacks. The tree species here are all common and flourishing: Alligator Juniper, Rocky Mountain Juniper, Smooth Arizona Cypress, White Fir, Douglas-fir, Ponderosa Pine, Knowlton Hophornbeam, Boxelder Maple, Rocky Mountain Maple, Arizona Alder, Water Birch, Bigtooth Maple, Gambel Oak, Emory Oak, Canyon Live-Oak, Velvet Ash, Arizona Sycamore, Fremont Cottonwood, Narrowleaf Willow, and Arizona Black Walnut. Above the canyon floor are the lushest Douglas-Fir/Smooth Arizona Cypress forests in the state. I went off the trail to take some pictures of a really tall Fremont Cottonwood, and when I got back on, Caleb was gone. At first I walked around the area near the parking lot, then I decided to follow the song of the Yellow-throated Vireo. It was worth it. Not only did I get great views of the vireo, but I got to see some White-throated Swifts flying by really fast. I got my best views yet of this beautiful swift. I thought that since they were low that pics would be easy. Nope. I really could've tried harder, but I was enthralled with the wise old vireo. The YTVI is closely related to the solitary vireos (Blue-headed, Cassin's, Plumbeous), and normally found in the eastern US during summer, echoeing its beautiful song throughout the lush broadleaf forests. This vireo is striking, possessing blue legs & bill which isn't noticeable in these photos. It is most similar to Pine Warbler, but here are the differences: 1. PIWA has yellow uppertail coverts (rump), YTVI has gray. 2. Pine Warbler doesn't have thick yellow lores connected to a broad yellow eyering. It doesn't have the spectacled appearance of YTVI. 3. Pine Warbler has defined streaking and yellow extending to rear flanks. The streaking defines the breast from the underside. 4. YTVI has a thick, hooked bill; PIWA has a narrow, unhooked bill. 5. PIWA has olive-yellow lesser wing coverts; YTVI has gray lesser wing coverts. Here's a poor photo of Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warbler. The woodpecker. The myth. The legend. here's an Acorn Woodpecker. Eventually I located Caleb near the parking lot, and we continued birding for a bit. Do you see the Western Tanager? If you can't see it then I'm not sure what reality is. Wowzers. While the east has its own stunner- Scarlet Tanager- we got the Western Tanager (WETA). It inhabits coniferous montane forests across the west, and while common, its presence is always appreciated. I'm hoping I'll eventually get better photos of this tanager. Amber-eyed Red-backed Dark-eyed Junco. Like the name? In this pic you can't see the deep chestnut eyes well, but in the next photos you will. We spent a few minutes enjoying this unique sparrow. There we go- now the eyes are evident. He's also the Meme Master: "You don't say?" "How about... No." This fits a variety of memes, including; "When people call amber-eyed RBJU hybrids between RBJU & YEJU." Which brings us to that subject. Rather than being hybrids, they are most likely- simply- birds that possess genes that give the Yellow-eyed Junco yellow eyes. Red-backed Junco has brown eyes, and probably has recessive genes (being a subspecies rather than a species). The Red-backed Junco is the last subspecies before Yellow-eyed Junco, which means that it is going to show traits of YEJU quite often. There has recently been a similar case with Mexican Chickadee; individuals with white superciliums- a trait possessed by Mountain Chickadee. But seeing as MECH is the Sierra Madrean version of MOCH, there's no reason to call those birds hybrids. Originally we were going to stay at OCC for a while... But the wind picked up, so we had to get to Mormon Lake to try for a Common Crane. In 2016, a Common Crane randomly showed up at Mormon Lake in northern Arizona. It is an Asiatic species. If we were to see it, it would be my first Asian bird (says the guy who lived in Alaska). And... The wind got really hyper. We got blasted by 45 mph winds, which made scanning difficult. Y'all know I've been to Mormon Lake before: September of last year. I don't think I've ever had no wind on any trip to the Mogollon Rim. But hey, maybe something blew in. Caleb sat down and clicked away all the beautiful little coots. We also had lots of Eared Grebes, California Gulls, Canada Geese, some Redheads, Cinnamon Teal, Turkey Vultures, a Spotted Sandpiper, and Yellow-headed Blackbirds, among others. Yellow-headed Blackbirds sound... terrible. It's freaky. As we were leaving one side of the lake, I thought I had heard the whinny of a Red-necked Grebe. Turns out it was just a soggy Sora sounding off. (I just want to make a quick note that I changed my Life List to taxonomical order. I even added a lot of subspecies.) We went around the whole lake without seeing the Common Crane. We weren't done yet though. We had lunch with Caleb's parents in Flagstaff, and then went back. The uncommon crane was probably curled up in a ball, sheltering from the relentless wind. Or... He flew off. We first checked out Marshall Lake in an attempt to find him there. We ended up seeing a small flock of White-faced Ibis. Caleb ran out there to see if there were any Glossy Ibis, which ended up spooking them into the air. It was epic to see their wings shimmer turquoise as the wind kept them suspended. There's something special about seeing a familiar bird more beautiful than before. We went around the lake for a second time, somehow without finding the Common Crane. I thought this bird was common. #falseadvertisment. Do not despair. Because I didn't. This crane wanted to be just like the Ringed Kingfisher, and so I'd rather not hold his decision against him. He was just an Asian crane looking for some opportunity in America, so kudos to you crane, you came a long way, and you induced many smiles among so many people who enjoyed you. You didn't make onto my life list, but respect is in place of resentment. You eluded my binoculars, which is why I respect you. I'll be back, if not for you, then for your kin. We left Mormon Lake to drive through some beautiful Ponderosa Pine forest along the Mogollon Rim. We passed a drainage with Douglas-Firs and White Firs in it. This broke up the peculiar landscape for a brief second. I've mentioned this unique region of Arizona a lot, as I been up there often. As I just mentioned, there is 1 species of tree that dominates over all others for a huge part of it. It's only on the edge of the rim, in some drainages, and at higher elevations that other conifers are present, such as White Fir, Douglas-Fir, and Southwestern White Pine. Because there's only 1 species of tree (2 slightly above the transition zone: Rocky Mountain Juniper) there is a low diversity of birds. Also, the fact that there's only 1 gives it an eerie vibe. Everywhere you look is the same. So these little sections of riparian drainages feel like separate worlds. Caleb and I arrived at a disclosed location in Yavapai County. You know, this is the first time I've had to disclose a birding place. Hey, I can't give the position of an FBI bird to just anyone. Anyways, I knew what we were looking for; it's a certain owl with long ears... we walked around for a few minutes, getting relentlessly poked by grass seed pods every second. I found this awesome ode called Great Spreadwing, the largest damselfly on the continent. It is like the ode version of California Condor. See those things hanging that look like the tail of Arctic Tern? That's what was stabbing our feet. But I had to bare and persist, I had an amazing bird ahead of me. Trying to be quiet was difficult; live-oak leaf litter covered the ground. Out of nowhere, 2 wings materialized ahead of us and flew overhead into a clump of hackberry branches. This was the bane of my camera's existence. In other words, the focus was unfocused. The skittish owl then left the party before the party could begin. Oh, but we weren't done yet: There was a nest that would be easy money for photographs... If we could find it. The Long-eared Owl had to pose a challenge, as it would be a very special bird to give me capturable moments to enjoy. We began the real search for the grand prize, which certainly wasn't easy as this owl is very cryptic, and while a nest would be obvious once located, locating it wouldn't be so obvious. The world of a Long-eared Owl is a unique place, looking out is an ocean of grass and dramatic plateaus, but looking in is dense hackberry-oak forest- and despite its confinement- you can get lost in. Eventually we came to a spot where we could see the surrounding grassland more clearly. Caleb walked around, looking up in the trees for a clump of sticks. I mostly stayed put, examining the area to find the most suitable tree. I looked up from right where Caleb was standing, and above his head was a clump of sticks. In it, a pair of eyes were locked onto me. "Caleb, It's right above you." Caleb and I stepped back in amazement, and to respect the space that this owl much needed. I can't really put this experience into words. I just can't. I really want to do this Long-eared Owl justice, so long words that are synonoms of amazing won't be used. However, there appears to be a ball of fluff next to her. If you look right at the fork of the branch going across to the front of the bird, you can see an eye peeking through... The baby LEOW kept repositioning itself, meanwhile the parent kept her eyes focused on us the whole time. Something unique about this owl is the 2 diagnostic black stripes going through the eyes. It reminds me of warrior paint, which is perhaps a gesture to the spirit of a warrior within this owl. Perhaps it is a tribute to the Holy Spirit, the One who created this beautiful owl. These 2 black stripes are even present on the chick. The Long-eared Owl is a lot smaller than it looks; only about 12-16 inches tall. It is very shy compared to owls, and often will roost in groups of up to 30 in a clump of trees at night. Some or all birds will choose a different roost site if they feel too uncomfortable. For this reason I can not disclose the location. The Long-eared Owl is relatively widespread across the northern hemisphere, foraging at night over temperate grasslands, taiga, steppe, and open woodland. This owl is prey to larger owl species such as Great-horned Owl, plus other birds, like Northern Goshawk. This is the reason for its cryptic nature. Often when scared, it will get into a defense posture; It laterally compresses itself, giving it a slender appearance that may be passed off as a branch. It is in the genus Asio- sharing a relation with Short-eared Owl. Yep, a Long-eared and a Short-eared Owl in the same genus. Throwing a wink at me for whatever reason. Alright then.
The Short-eared Owl is much rarer in Arizona, but is found more often now due to more active birding of natural grasslands in the winter. Both species have longer wings in proportion to their body length than other owls. This is because they hunt in the air, rather than using a snag as a vantage point. They will sometimes fight similar sized raptors such as Red-tailed Hawks to get a pre-killed meal. They are also migratory in the northern part of their distributions. Both species have island populations: Long-eared in the Canaries of Africa, and Short-eared in Hawaii and the Caribbean. Differentiating LEOW from SEOW isn't as straightforward as you might think. In flight, LEOW has its ear tufts folded back. For one, SEOW has fine streaking with no barring, with males white below and females dark buffy below. SEOW and LEOW are almost never active at the same time; LEOW hunts at night, and SEOW hunts at sunrise and sunset. In flight, SEOW will have a pale rump (except for Caribbean subspecies). Seeing this Long-eared Owl and its precious baby was definitely one of the most spectacular experiences of 2019, up there with Black Rosy-Finches at my feet. I'm hoping I remember this experience for a really long time, because it truly was an experience. Good night. Hello fam, what's up? The Broad-winged Hawks, that's what. I have a feeling that another post on southeast Arizona has been anticipated, though my viewers are silent. Don't be afraid to voice an ID question. When the Sky Islands are involved, you know it's gonna be good. It just doesn't get better. Unless we're talking the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, in which case, it does. I'm certain I provided some background on this region when I talked about the Chiricahuas a year ago, but here's a little recap: Essentially the area that is considered the sky islands is the northernmost limit of the Serria Madre Occidental that is primarily Mexican. It is almost entirely in the Chihuahuan Desert. In the north, these mountains are basically a transition between the Sonoran & Chihuahuan Desert. In the south, it is the transition between the Chihuahuan Desert & semitropical rainforest. So as a whole, the sky islands are home to a variety of beautiful bird species, tropical & temperate, but with Arizona being the northernmost limit gets a taste of the Serra Madre avifauna. This taste is an astonishing bite to take in. So far, I've been in the beautiful southeast corner of the state twice, but I was more than ready to make it thrice. I planned to go to the Huachucas with my Dad and Caleb. This mountain range I haven't been to yet, it is a premier destination for seeing birds. It even has the best canyon in the entire state: Ramsey Canyon. Normally I would give a rundown of previous found species, but I think for this post, it's best to just reveal as we advance through. Now that spring migration is here, I've entered hardcore beast-mode in birding, ready for the impact of fun feathered creatures. I've hit my own neighborhood pretty hard lately, getting Hooded Orioles a lot. Still waiting for vireos and odd warblers. Also, with huge eucalyptus, Brown Creeper seems to be a possibility. Cedar Waxwings have been a highlight, there is a flock of 55-60 on the golf course. The sun rises over the palatial San Pedro River, an impressive riparian forest flows alongside it from northern Mexico, to Globe, AZ. It holds 80 percent of the entire breeding population of Gray Hawks in the United States. An enormous Fremont Cottonwood distinguishes the San Pedro house in a reedy area away from the creek. The crown spread is 60+ feet wide! I took a picture on my phone, but not my camera. Y'all should recognize this bird: The magnificent Pyrrhuloxia, possessing the second name- "Desert Cardinal." They were quite common at the San Pedro house, the feeder ones allowing close approach. This is a male; distinguished by its red face and bright yellow bill. Green-tailed Towhee; one of the smaller towhees, and in a different genus (Pipilo). It is one of my favorite sparrows, as it has a unique colorful plumage pattern. They breed in chaparral and sagebrush plains in the west. It looks like he's questioning something. Female Broad-billed Hummingbird; this wasn't a lifer, but was a first time photographing this species. I've seen it before in Sabino Canyon- at the base of Mt. Lemmon. That was also a female individual. she is about the size as an Anna's Hummer, but with red on the lower mandible. Also note dark auriculars. Males are brilliant blue-emerald. This is the most widespread & common species of specialty hummer in SE AZ. Our other hummers were Anna's, a Rufous, and some Black-chinned. I believe I still have yet to feature the last in a picture. Female Pyrrhuloxia; note gray auriculars, chin, and uppertail. This is my favorite desert-dwelling bird (tied with Bronzed Cowbird) After hanging out with the birds at the house, we headed to the river and got on a trail. On kingfisher pond (1st riparian pic) there was a male Mexican Duck, a dark brown, tan-headed version of Mallard, a separate species as well. My photos didn't turn out, so he won't be on the internet for now. This is a gorgeous male Yellow Warbler, of the southwestern group/subsp. It has the narrowest red-brown streaks of the YEWAs, and summers in Riparian corridors of Arizona in abundance. Their songs rang throughout often. It is one of the most widespread warblers on the continent, and beloved for its brilliant golden plumage. The black eyes make it adorable too. These caterpillars were absolutely everywhere; you couldn't not see them. They are Southwestern Tent Caterpillar Moths: so named for forming "tents" out of silk. You could here them clumsily falling from the trees. We found many clumps like this, some even more dramatic. Female Northern Harrier, a sexy hawk. That's right. The wings are like wooden planks, in males dipped in ink at the tips; the tail is a big flopster. as a Short-eared Owl wanna-be it is band to be good looking. At least it does a much better job at being something cool than Turkey Vulture does to be Zone-tailed hawk. The harrier is a widespread north American hawk that is at home in wetlands & bogs; migrating over agriculture fields. It is often characterized by a fluffy white rump (uppertail coverts). as mentioned above, males have inky-black wingtips, along with a white underside, and pale gray upperside. The harrier has a pretty owlesque face. Cassin's Kingbird- and finally a good picture of one! This tyrant was decently common on the forest floor, hawking from tall weeds and brush piles next to the San Pedro. It doesn't eat the caterpillars because they have irritating hairs that would not make a pleasant side meal. Mexican Ducks gave me a hard time for pics, White-breasted Nuthatches vocalized, Bushtits jumped around, and a Bridled Titmouse called. White-Breasted Nuthatch was the most interesting one, as it actually breeds along the River. This is highly unusual as it is of the Rocky mts. group- which only breeds in coniferous forest with deciduous, but not that much cottonwoods. So to see one in entirely deciduous broadleaf woodland was bizarre. Only the eastern group commonly summers in deciduous corridors. A unfamiliar metallic buzzy squeaky chatter randomly proceeded once. Followed clicking calls a minute later. It was a Green Kingfisher- I highly anticipated lifer, my first of the adventure Shortly thereafter she hovered up to some overhanging willow branches. It is the most beautiful bird along the san Pedro, and pretty rare as well. She glimmers viridescently in the sunlight. White specks reminiscent of stars flicker on her back. She wears a noble black hood, and her head ends in an enormous bill a 3rd of her total length. Unfortunately, she's experienced a mishap in the past, as her upper mandible is broken at the tip. She skittishly left us behind momentarily; we caught up though, witnessing a stunning, skilled dive take place from her. She missed, but failing develops her into a master hunter. This kingfisher isn't ordinary, quite the opposite in fact. It is the smallest of America's kingfishers, and the most stunning. Her head and bill are disproportionately large- though it may seem. They even the weight so it has a perfectly distributed balance that allow her to precisely catch a fish in seconds. This hunting technique is magnificent to observe, though we only saw it once. It was something special. She hovers... And transforms into a brilliant emerald spear. This kingfisher is opposite from the others in terms of dimorphism: females lack a rufous underside, while males don't. It is primarily a neotropical species, recently extending its breeding range into southern Arizona. It has been common in Texas for a while. It is found all the way to northern South America, making it a widespread species. More caterpillars... And a White-throated Sparrow! I waited all winter to see one of these. It is an uncommon local winterer in Arizona, with dozens in the state annually. It should normally be easy to identify; yellow in front of eyes, white supercilium (eyebrow), contrasting throat (not always white, but still well defined from dark auriculars (cheeks) when young. Bill is dark, and back/wings are a beautiful chestnut. It is a Zonotrichia; meaning it is related to White-crowned, Golden-crowned, and Harris's Sparrow. It breeds in the immense taiga belt of Canada, wintering in most of the east, a little of Mexico, and regularly on the west coast. It is virtually absent from the inter-mountain west. The supercilium stripe color represents status: males with tan stripes are more desirable to females, but white-striped females are desired by all males. Velvet Ash Lesser Goldfinch, the bird with the best banding code: LEGO. This is an adult female that smiled at me. This one is weird in that I always think of them as a desert bird- but in fact they are residents on the west coast as far north as southern Washington. They are also resident in tropical rainforests of Mexico. They tend to be summer-exclusive in dry parts of the northern states. They also sound distinctively sad with a descending 'twee' as its contact vocalization. I attempted to pet her, but she decided that was close enough, leaving my presence. It has 2 distinct forms: Black-backed in the southeast & tropics, green-backed in the west. The black-backed group lacks wingbars, and is solid black on the wings, mantle, and auriculars. Tertial tips are brighter white on this form. Golden-crowned Sparrow! A bit of a throwback to the echoing songs I'd hear from them during my childhood. They represent alpine areas in Alaska, such as Hatcher Pass. We saw this bird in the morning, but I decided not to mention it. Why not- now I got photos. As a Zonotrichia, it is most similar to White-throated Sparrow. A huge difference are dark lores, which would be yellow/buffy on WTSP. This cause the GCSP to have a 'hooded appearance' the because the eyes don't contrast. The bills of both species are bi-colored, but the under manible is dark yellow on GCSP; gray-brown on WTSP. Of course the crown of GCSP is yellow, but this only comes in on 1st-year birds approaching 2nd-year. The supercilium of GCSP is dark gray (pale/white on WTSP) The throat is somewhat defined, and in breeding plumage the supercilium is black; crown bright yellow. This sparrow's song may very well be the most beautiful of its family, described as a descending "oh dear me" I love this bird so much- it has remained one of my favorites for years, and will continue on in time, remaining timeless. Here's a stubby Common Ground-Dove (COGD) if you're feeling down. I like to call it the stub-nub-dove. It has the cutest wings of any bird, you can counter that if you'd like, but I stand by my statement. After spending a while at the San Pedro House, we hiked along the river again, this time going north. Eventually I was able to photograph a pair of skittish Mexican Ducks. I'd tried to approach 3 times before this opportunity came up. Mexican Duck is a beautiful species that once was merely a subspecies of the infamous Mallard, but DNA sequences and reliable visual identification determined it is a species. Immediately the male differentiates by looking very feminine- by mallard standards that is. It lacks an iridescent green head (though crown can show variable amounts of green), pale flanks, a gray upperside, curved black rectrices, a white collar, or chestnut breast. Also note that speculum (iridescent wing-patch) is blue, not purple, and has a thin white border. Female is a lot less obvious in terms of distinction. The main thing is thin white speculum border, and I think the bill is usually uniform orange (female MALL often has black patches on the bill); overall darker than female Mallard. Mexican Duck (MEDU) is very similar to Mottled Duck; essentially a western counterpart. American Black-Duck is the northeastern counterpart of both. MEDU is limited to southern Arizona, New Mexico, and southeast California in the US. After San Pedro River, we enjoyed a lunch at Panda Express, and then headed further south to Hunter Canyon: in the Huachuca Mountains. On the way we saw a Chihuahuan Raven (which I'll get pictures of eventually) Arizona White Oak- just a quick note: I switched to my Dad's canon camera once we were in Hunter Canyon. Here is some scenery from the area: This canyon is one of the southernmost gulches in the Huachuca Mts., well known for a local population of Rufous-capped Warblers, something that is very uncommon in Arizona. Hammond's Flycatcher (HAFL). I don't have any other pics of this empid. Very similar to Dusky, but with a peaked crown. Hunter Canyon is beautiful. Southwestern White-Pine. Pale gray bark that is smooth; needles same length as Chihuahuan Pine (inbetween Ponderosa Pine & 2-needle Pinyon) and in fan shaped clumps with 5 to a bundle. A super stunning Painted Redstart (PARE)- one of 2- cooperated for us, foraging on sweet sap. It is a long-tailed warbler that is in the genus of whitestarts. Often times it fans its tail and wings, flashing the bright white patches, but this one didn't show off too much. I love this bird, and after this incredible experience, it has to be one of my favorite warblers. It is unusual in appearance, combined with a flashy personality, and a simplistic yet astounding pallet of color, all contrasting with one another to blend into the happy little Painted Redstart. I actually got a lifer in a vocalizing Dusky-capped Flycatchers (2), but it remained heard-only. Bascically it is a Myarchius flycatcher (related to Brown-crested & Ash-throated) that has a contrasting cap and smallish size. We had a few highlights that I got pictures of later that I won't mention, since I don't want to spoil anything. After an uneasy, gorgeous drive, we made it to our campsite at Carr Reef. Caleb & I immediately got to work on looking for Buff-breasted Flycatcher, which we found in a few minutes from locating calls. It is the smallest Empidonax, only about 5 inches long, and the lack of size really shows in comparison to the extremely long Apache Pine needles. It's also freaking adorable that the pinecones are bigger than this bird. Also, I didn't mess with the vibrance in this photo: The sky was that intense blue! This is pretty much the easiest Empid to identify; it has nothing similar to it. I certainly wouldn't say that he is completely hidden, but he is doing a decent job. BBFL is one of the specialty species of the Sky Islands, not limited to Arizona, as there are populations in southern New Mexico, and the Chisos of Texas. It prefers open woodlands with plenty of Point-leaf Manzanita and scrub-oaks. Even though Empids perch up high, they still are all found where there is lots of undergrowth/shrubs. I think it is because the flies and other insects they eat pollinate the flowers of these bushes. Makes sense considering flycatchers were here before houseflies (which don't pollinate anything). The scenery was absolutely fantastic, always a great aspect considering how boring the landscape is most of the time. Y'all know I live in Phoenix. A.K.A the oven. Right now we're on pre-heat. We walked around the campsite, which resulted finding a mixed flock in some oak trees. Among them wash this Bushtit in a Silverleaf Oak. Bushtits are very jumpy, but are among the more reliable birds for pishing in. In fact, a flock of these can give you an advantage to calling birds in, as they are very responsive. In other words, other birds are going to respond to the BUSHs' responsive. Often times pishing can be unproductive, because many birds aren't fooled by imitating predator response calls. To conclude; it because more believable to other birds when they observe Bushtits reacting. BUSHs love to forage in oaks. This tiny bird is found all across the US, the Taiga Belt of Canada, and all the way down to the tropical montane forests of northwestern Nicaragua. Mexican Brown Creeper in Arizona Pine. It is a part of a regional group that is a potential split. Note how dark the back is; it contrasts with the light-colored crown. Oh, and the russet rump isn't a field mark, it is paint that a scientist assigned to it. The Mexican group of Brown Creeper distinctively sounds different from the others. This is a sweet looking little bird that adorably spirals up and down large trees, particularly conifers. I actually had it as a yard bird in Alaska; I occasionally saw them on White Spruces. Coincidentally my second one was in the same tree as an American Three-toed Woodpecker, just like with the first one. Up there the head doesn't contrast with the back. Female Arizona Woodpecker foraging on Arizona Pine, suitable. The stunning Acorn Woodpecker; always a delight to see. These are my first really good photos. Again you can see just how blue the sky was. I would like to point out that the subspecies endemic to the mountain range in southern Baja California, Mexico, is really dope (word for cool). It has a broader pale space between eye and black area around bill, the eyes are dark red, the white on face is replaced with a light creamy yellow, and there is extensive black & white streaking on the underside. It is known as Narrow-fronted ACWO. After observing those birds, we joined with my Dad to take a walk, to continue birding. And that is when I got some killer shots of the breath-taking views: Sharp-shinned Hawk. It's like a baby Cooper's Hawk. Ha, no it's more complicated than that. It is a small Accipiter, meaning it's related to the Cooper's & Northern Gos'. Remember for ID to look for a combination of 'pencil' thin legs (and toes), a dark nape the same color as crown, and squared off tail. Small size is somewhat reliable, but only in comparison to nearby objects, and even then you have to determine the size of nearby objects. Zone-tailed Hawk, a gorgeous bird that I feel would be an awesome state bird for Arizona. Not that Cactus Wren is bad, but Zone-tailed Hawk is just... amazing. It is so amazing in fact, that Turkey Vultures aspire to be like them (poorly). From the lustrous silver lining on the wings, to sublimely holding them up in a V. Who wouldn't want to be described as dihedral? There was a pair of them. The Zonie is closely related to the Red-tailed Hawk, in the genus Buteo, but quite different. It breeds in mid-elevation riparian corridors of the southwest, favoring cottonwoods and sycamores. It is most closely related to the Gray Hawk. The second individual. A nice shot showing cone shape of the Southwestern White Pine. The cones get up to 18 inches long! After that walk we headed back to the campsite to eat before... Owling. Just after the sun had set was the time to look for nightjars. Nightjars are like these weird moth-bird things. The have the pattern of crumpled leaves too. The Boy, now The Man (Caleb), seemed adept at talking to this bizarre creature as we had one communicating pretty quickly. Specifically, this was a Common Poorwill. 1 decided it would leave some room for opportunity. That wasn't to say it would be easy. Note how the eye is white- it is reflecting the flashlight. Caleb gave some nightjaring 101: The main fundamental is to hold it next to your head (not in front of your face). The first time I tried to approach it fluttered around like a giant moth. It does not look like a bird when it flies. It did this quite a bit. Sometimes out of fear, but also because mothes would begin to attract to the flashlight, so it would flutter upward to catch them. There it is. I walked right up to it and stood back over a few feet. Here you can see its unique anatomical features, like enormous black eyes, a tiny moth, and some ultra-camoflauge. One thing you can't see is the huge mouth. Yeah, that tiny beak is deceiving. It is designed to catch moths while on the wing, making basically a nocturnal swift. Common Poorwill (COPW) is a monotypic species found across the western region of the continent. It likes dry coniferous forests, chaparral, and desert. The one we have here represents the Sonoran subspecies, found in southernmost Arizona, and the state of Sonora in Mexico. It is crepuscular- meaning active just after dusk, and just before dawn. This is likely because moths are just waking up (evening) and beginning to sleep (morning). This means the moths aren't very good at flying at these times, being sleepy. Therefore, they are easier to catch. A few said "poor-will" repeatedly, hence the name. After that cool experience, we headed in the opposite direction to go owling. Owling is an amazing style of birding. We stopped at a spot that overlooked the Carr Canyon. We waited in the twilight, for a while. It seemed like a temporary eternity before we heard a singing Mexican Spotted Owl. It is a bit of a weird vocalization. The Spotted Owl has 3 subspecies that are all endangered. The subspecies name, "Mexican", is a bit misleading, as it is also found in the Rocky Mountains. This was actually my 400th bird total, a great milestone species. But not seeing it was a bit disappointing. I'll be in Arizona for a while though. Plenty of time to see one. I save the life history for that day. Let's get to some owls. We came upon this spot where an Elf Owl was calling. After searching all sides of the snag hoping for her to be out in the open, we concluded that she was in a cavity. She wasn't scared, but very, very hungry. She demanded her mate to deliver her food. He was nearby, but we didn't him for a while. Then he flew into the snag. If you are not familiar with this creature, perhaps you expecting something a little bigger... Perhaps a lot bigger. Nope. What we have here is a chickadee-sized plushy owl that you can snuggle with. Though there is a small compromise (sharp talons). Yeah, so this so-called owl is only 5 1/2 inches long, and about 4 inches tall. This officially makes it the smallest owl in the world! So call him a little guy- he shouldn't get offended. The female continued to be repetitive, while the male just looked at us, scared his mate would kill him. I still hope to this day we didn't mess up their relationship. Probably not, I think the female understood the situation, but just was very peshy. After a while she actually stopped, probably pretty mad. I took quite a few photos, so I was alright with calling it good. Besides, I didn't want to see a plushy kill another plushy. and that was that, we all ate pyrrhuloxias and went home. Just kidding. However we returned to the campsite. Waking up was exciting, though I couldn't really show it because I was cold. I woke up to the song of another lifer: Greater Pewee. It sang "Jose-Maria". After walking around a little I found it. It is a large Contopus flycatcher with a pointed crest. There was also a Yellow-eyed Junco that went under our van. Caleb pointed out a Mexican Eastern Bluebird that called. Unfortunately we didn't see it. This subspecies is a year-round resident of coniferous forests of the Serra Madre occidental. But today was the day: We were going to Ramsey Canyon, which Caleb said is the most beautiful place in Arizona. I've been to a lot of spectacular places in the state, so this was exciting to see just how high the bar would be set. Prior to the trip I had seen pictures and videos, and from that I already knew it would be gorgeous. This a view we started out with after driving to the trailhead. This a closer view of Carr Reef. Southeastern Arizona is such a uniquely beautiful region, can never get enough. We walked downhill into Carr Canyon first, along the Comfort Springs trail. A few Hermit Thrushes echoed their ominous songs in the canyon, bringing back the time I first saw one. Here is Ramsey Creek, streaming through Carr Canyon. Carr had some White Firs with Red-faced Warblers singing- another lifer. Grace's Warblers were a part of the chorus too. Here's a couple Hutton's Vireos. They highly resemble Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Thicker bills and larger, more vireo-like shape distinguish them well enough. Yellow-eyed Junco- a blob of cuteness. I photographed a Red-faced Warbler (RFWA), but it was unfocused. Hang in there. This is the Greater Pewee (GRPW), a large, drab flycatcher with a beautiful song. It is the size of an Olive-sided Flycatcher, but with the proportions of a Western Wood-Pewee. It is in the same genus as those 2, but uniquely possesses a small crest. In the US, it is slightly endemic to Arizona, though it is also in westernmost New Mexico. It is found south into the subtropical & tropical montane coniferous forests of Mexico, where it is year-round. The GRPW has a bright orange lower mandible. Parry's Agave. Chihuahuan Pine. Resembles Aleppo Pine quite a bit. The lowest elevation of the Serra Madre pines, found alongside other dry-slope species like Mexican Pinyon and live-oaks. It is closer related to pinyons than to Ponderosa-type (yellow) pines. Young White Fir. Saplings often form mini forests in shaded areas sheltered by larger trees and canyon walls. Border Pinyon. Here's some of the scenery around Ramsey Canyon: Carr Peak Ramsey Canyon Mule Deer Carr Peak; the sky was clear blue again today. White Fir with unripe cones. oak sp., potentially Pungent Oak. And now, we are in Ramsey Canyon. Very large Douglas-Fir, about 145 ft. tall and 5 ft. wide at the base. We encountered a multitude of large conifers in the canyon, with the largest being this species and White Fir. There were very few Chihuahuan Pines present, but one of them was very large for its species. This is because Chihuahuan Pine isn't usually close to permanent flowing water, being a dry-slope species. White Fir There it is. A hovering Red-faced Warbler; a dangerously cute creature. The wings are worth noting: The RFWA is what's known as a short-distance migrant. See how the wing is very rounded and the primaries are short-tipped? In a long-distance migrant (such as Magnolia Warbler) the wingtips would be slightly pointed and longer. Here he is with his own pet caterpillar. That he ate. This warbler is a bit weird taxonomically. It is in the genus Cardellina, the one that contains Wilson's & Canada Warbler. While structurally identical, but its plumage is completely different. Also, its range is very similar to Painted Redstart. Its favorite tree is the White Fir (this individual is in one), as it is the tallest conifer in its range, so it can proclaim its song far and wide. I took more photos of the forest with my phone, I'll see if I can add those as well. In the area this photo was taken, a female Spotted Owl whistled. Somewhere in there she is hidden, safe and sound. She remained a heard only. Ramsey Canyon is a gorgeous, phenomenal place. It has had some really amazing birds; a nesting pair of Tufted Flycatchers, Flame-colored Tanager, Tropical Parula, and Eared Quetzal, just to name a few. Our main target was Tufted Flycatcher, which we did not find. However, we plan to go back, and bird it extensively; from top to bottom. Bigtooth Maple Because It was early spring, Ramsey wasn't at its greenest. Away from water, most of the maples were barely opening their leaves, and the Sycamores haven't leafed at all yet. Gambel Oaks had buds on them as well. I wanted to stay in the canyon forever, growing a gray beard waiting for the Tufted Flycatchers to arrive, and taking advice from the wise old Spotted Owl. But alas, all good things must come to end, so we headed up out of the canyon. Our birding continued. Moss, not sure on the species. It was everywhere in the canyon, a sign that cool moisture resides 24/7. Apache Pine on the left side, not extremely long needles. This species has the longest needles of all pines, at 18 1/2 inches! Huachuca Peak Caleb pointed out my final lifer of the trip; a singing Mountain Northern Pygmy-Owl. Mountain is the common name for the Mexican subspecies. It is distinguished by a double note- rather than single- song. "fo-fo fo-fo fo-fo..." It remained heard-only. Miller Peak. Originally we were going to hike up there, but on the way back we decided we were too exhausted. Then we came across this awesome bird: The Dusky-capped Flycatcher. It is our smallest common Myarchius, with a contrasting dark brown crest. The bill is small like Ash-throated Flycatcher. It is a summer resident in southeast Arizona (and local in the Pinal Mountains & Slate Creek Divide). It is mostly found in tropical forests, where it is year-round. Netleaf Oak Silverleaf Oak Border Pinyon Gray Oak Mexican Madrone
This adventure was epic. It has been a while since I've gotten a lot of lifers in one weekend. Ramsey Canyon did not disappoint, despite not providing the really rare stuff. It will in the near-future. I really thought it would surpass Oak Creek Canyon by a lot in terms of beauty, but it didn't. It's a tie. The thing is, I've only seen Oak Creek in the winter, and I'm most likely going there the end of May. However, In terms of birding, both are amazing. Ramsey gets gorgeous rare Mexican species setting up territory there in summer, but Oak Creek gets gorgeous rare eastern US species setting up territory in the summer. In short, I'll see if I can break the tie this summer. Oh, and Oak Creek is a lot bigger. I loved being able to get into both lowland and highland riparian, getting some fantastic birds in the process. Wild riparian is always refreshing. I got 9 lifers bringing my total to 406. My goal this year is 450. Another trip to SE Arizona is already due... I think this write-up has more pictures than any other. Happy birding y'all! That's right, I am. I have some top notch posts coming up, so stay tuned. I like turtles.
Yesterday had quite a turn of events, my main man Caleb called me last minute to go look for a Prairie Warbler at Saguaro Lake. It was found the day before, but is a returning male from last year. It basically looks like a Grace's Warbler messed up on painting a house yellow. It is also very rare in Arizona, I believe 10 or less records, not entirely sure. It is normally found in the east. We left at 2:30 P.M. and arrived about an hour later due to heavy traffic. Saguaro Lake is a fairly large reservoir situated in northeast Maricopa, holding lush desert habitat. Some excellent open water birds have showed up in the past such as; Black & White-winged Scoter, Pacific Loon, Black-legged Kittiwake, and Brown Pelican. As we searched for this small fluffer, we ran into Jim Ripley. He showed us some gorgeous photos of it. As for what it looks like: There is a lot of Palos, Saguaro Cacti, and Mesquites and tons of grass representing multiple species. There are steep, red-tinged cliffs that dramatically loom over the lake, which provided an epic birding back-drop. It's always a bonus when the locality you're birding at looks amazing. We looked along the sonoran desert outcroppings adjacent to the parking lot, pishing to get the plush toy out in the open. No PRWA yet, but a Myrtle Warbler made an appearance. It should be split from Audubon's anytime now, as it is different vocally and visually. Range is different for the most part, with a few overlap zones Note that the white on throat wraps around to the sides of the neck, on AUWA this area is smaller plus buffier, with yellow in the center (this is in terms on basic plumage individuals, AUWA's throat is all yellow in summer, MYWA's is brighter white than winter). Also you can see a white line above the eye, on AUWA the white doesn't go behind the eye, giving the appearance of a small arc. Caleb then thought he heard the PRWA. We got closer to where the sound came from, and it called again, this time I heard it too. It was uphill a little bit so I had to climb a steep slope that was quite getto. When I was up, I could see it hopping around, mostly low in the tree and into underbrush. This is my second pic, which clearly shows how gorgeous this bird is. I had seen many pictures of it before hand, like every other warbler, so it was nice to experience it. It was similar to the Northern Parula in that it wouldn't stay still, but opposite in that it stayed low rather than straight up. Also, the Parula was too close most of the time, but this PRWA liked to keep his distance. In fact, from here, he kept heading uphill. I was patient with it though, because it was cute, and because we had plenty of time, as we were waiting for traffic to die down. I don't really think I need to mention that this warbler is stunning again, I mean... pictures are worth a thousand words. So I'll let those 1000 silent words speak for themselves. The PRWA then decided he was too good for us, or perhaps too cute. Anyways, he didn't want to be associated with us, so we found a boulder and Caleb set up the scope. After a few minutes he spotted a RED-NECKED GREBE, a continuing individual likely, and very rare in Arizona. It's a bird I am very familiar with as they were very, very abundant in Alaska. Ever since the first time I heard that... sound... if that's what you want to call it, they kept showing up. I saw them almost every day since then. My firs one was at Walby Lake (same place I had my first Barrow's Goldeneye, Bufflehead, and Sanderlings). My brother found a dead Boreal Owl there, which saddened me. It was only 2 minutes away from my house driving distance! Anyways, that's just too sad. Caleb impressed yet again by finding 2 female Greater Scaup, rare in the eastern half of the state. They are local along the Colorado River, but with largest concentration at Lake Havasu. They can be distinguished from Lesser by: (rounder head, more white in front of eyes (on average), and possibly darker crown. The nail on bill of GRSC is wider. In males the round vs peaked crown remains, but additionally GRSC has almost pure white flanks whereas LESC has a lot of vermiculations (zig-zag marks) The verms on he back of GRSC are finer too. There's your bird ID lesson of the day. While Caleb continued scanning, I took the opportunity to grab scenic shots. I plan on making a Arizona scenery collection on here or Facebook, but I still need substantially more locations to complete it, and I want to give some of the places a chance to become old. This blog is still relatively new, so I imagine most of these scenic shots are still fresh in your head. Recently I have taken up interest in microphotography, I had a feeling I would eventually, but now I finally did it. Gotta love moss and lichen! After that I headed down slope to look for the PRWA, and ended up hearing the voice of none other than, Barb Meding! She had come to see the lost birb as well. Eventually Caleb came down from his scoping haunts. It took us a while but we refound it when I spotted its brightness in an ironwood tree after it flew in. "That's him!" I proclaimed. I was excited because I knew Barb wanted o see this bird for the day, as it was her good way of killing time (she was also waiting for traffic to thin out before heading home). After a few minutes, the birb flew behind the dumpster. This is where I got closest to the bird. I actually didn't realize I was that close until Caleb let me know. That's probably why it was fine with me, because I couldn't see him at first. This warbler- like many- originates in the east, but has a tendency to go off course. The fact that young birds are more prone to this makes this individual interesting: It is likely he's returned since he was an immature. That's probably the case with the rest of the adult warblers. On top of that, most of these warblers aren't one-day-wonders, which says that they discovered preference for their respective locations after the original "crash landing". After a little bit of enjoying the bird as he looked for prey in the midst of crispy leaf litter, he flew into a mature ironwood. I followed him, as I felt like this was the time I would get a winning shot. I did. The preferred habitat of this little ball of feathers is forest edges & clearings, open woodland, and pine-oak savannah. On a side note, I must say that this may be one of my favorite warblers, which is pretty easy to say for most other species, but I mean it. I like its little chestnut saddle. I believe its closest relative is Grace's, another lovable Setophaga. After the PRWA, some more excitement happened. Caleb was ebirding, I was enjoying the view, when out of nowhere, a sound I thought I'd never, ever hear in Arizona, echoed across the water. I saw Caleb perk up at the unfamiliar sound, but due to my familiarity with it, I said: "That was a Red-necked Grebe." Caleb knows a lot of bird vocalizations, but this was a surprising sound to hear on a desert lake north of Phoenix. This was apparently the first time a RNGR has been heard in the state, if not then the first time noted. The crazy thing was, a second one responded! It started far away, but eventually both came in sight, We took photos, but they're a bit choppy for display on this blog, but I'll give a link to the ebird checklist which has Caleb's digiscopes. GRSC are also on there. One of the grebes was closer to alternate (breeding) plumage, while the other was still gray necked. This bird is quite beautiful: the neck is rufous, cheeks white, crown black, bill black & yellow; body gray above, white below. As for the sound: Caleb described it as a chihuahua getting crushed, I'd describe it as a constipated loon. In other words, it's an absolutely gorgeous sound to hear. It was likely they were an established pair joining up for the evening from foraging to retreat to shore, and go to sleep. Grebes are monogamous, and the way they behaved suggested they were already together. It was especially climatic when they fanned their crests in excitement. The more colorful of the 2 even raised upright and flapped his/her wings. Anyways, it was an amazing end to an amazing evening. The fantastic sunset helped raise the level of epicness. According to spellcheck "epicness" isn't a word, probably because it lacks epicness. Caleb has a high level of epicness. Birding involves lot's of epicness. This state is the definition of epicness. riparian means epicness in Spanish. Look at all those beautiful red squiggly lines! RNGR pair; just thought I'd throw one in there. Thanks Caleb! See you guys next time. Remember to #likecommentshare!
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