The Good-bye Chronicles Chapter 8: It’s Never Too Late for Another Life Bird!

Western Screech Owl Life Bird #385

Pam’s Backyard View of the Catalina Mountains 7-23-10

Black-throated sparrow on Ocotillo 7-23-10

Juvenile Abert’s Towhee 7-23-10

My friend and IBA partner has invited me to come to her house near the Catalina Mountains to see the Western Screech Owl that hangs out in her eaves.  I have never seen a Western Screech Owl, so I am eager to visit and see this bird for myself.  But there is another reason for me to go.  Pam will be leaving soon for a three month long trek around the western mountains.  She will leave on August 1st and I will be gone before she returns. This is my last chance to see her before I go. I arrive at her house around 9 a.m. and she shows me where “Olivia,” as she has affectionately named her, hangs out. I peek quietly around the corner at the object of my desire and marvel at the soft gray beauty of her.

Pam and I spend the rest of the morning drinking ice water and chatting in the shade of her back patio.  We talk about the future and our plans and where we have been and where we will go.  It all seems so casual and normal to me and finally the hours have ticked away and it is time to say good-bye.  Another friend has come to visit and Pam introduces us and then we walk to my car. I say a calm good-bye and get inside and close the door.  Pam and friend turn their backs to walk into the house through the garage.  All is well, but then it hits me like a load of limestone!  I will not see her again!

Suddenly I am out the door and chasing Pam into the garage. “Pam!  Pam!”  I call out frantically. I run to her and hug her. I am crying now.  “I will not see you again,”  I say!  “I am going to miss you!” Pam hugs me back as I cry on her shoulder. Now we have said a proper good-bye. I wipe my eyes and turn back to my car.  Now I really know.  Now it has really hit me.  I am really moving and there are more good-byes to say. 

This one is just the beginning.My World Tuesday 

 

Birds Seen at Pam’s House today:

Location: Pam's backyard
Observation date: 7/23/10
Notes: Watched birds with Pam from her yard. Storm clouds over the Catalinas. Hot and humid. Got pictures of screech owl. My first time ever seeing one!
Number of species: 18
Gambel's Quail 2
Turkey Vulture 4
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
White-winged Dove 15
Mourning Dove 6
Western Screech-Owl 1 ****Lifer! It hangs out on the patio under the roof line on top of a brick ledge.
Costa's Hummingbird 2
Gila Woodpecker 1
Common Raven 1
Purple Martin (Desert) 2 Chasing Cooper's hawk
Verdin 1
Cactus Wren 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
Abert's Towhee 1
Black-throated Sparrow 2
House Finch 12
House Sparrow 4
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Birding from Dawn ‘till Dusk Day 6: Mt. Lemmon

On April 12 my friend Kathryn and I took a drive up the Catalina Highway to Mt.. Lemmon. When Kathryn visited me two years ago we went birding in several places.  This time we went to all new places for her.  Mt. Lemmon is a totally different experience from Patagonia or Saguaro National Park. As we headed up the highway we stopped at several overlooks along the way. At one of our first stops I looked back over the Tucson Valley to see Houghton Rd running like a straight line through the desert.  Houghton Rd runs from the Catalinas at its north end to the Santa Ritas at its extreme south end.  It is the ribbon that connects these two mountain ranges that are part of the ring of mountains that surround Tucson like the rim of a bowl.

At the Babad Do’ag parking place I learned that Mt. Lemmon is known as the “Frog Mountain” to the native peoples. I think that name is much more colorful than Mt. Lemmon, and who knew that the name “Tucson” means “at the foot of the black hill.”  In researching this information I also learned that during WWII a Japanese internment camp was located at the base of Mt. Lemmon. Know by the ironic name of “Catalina Honor Camp” the detainees were forced to work on the construction of the highway. One of these “internees’ was a Japanese–American by the name of Gordon Hirabayashi. In 1942 Hirabayashi openly defied curfew and was sentenced to 90 days in jail.  With the backing of the ACLU he fought his conviction all the way to the supreme court. When he lost  he was sent to the Honor Camp. Years later his conviction was overturned and in 1999 the Catalina Honor Camp was renamed the Gordon Hirabayashi Recreation Area. I have driven by this place so many time and always wondered about the funny name.  Now it doesn’t seem so funny any more.  Now I want to go back there and visit this area named after such a courageous person.

Farther up the roadway we stopped to see the cascades of Seven Falls. At windy point we marveled at the rock formations and gazed below at the ribbon of asphalt we had just driven up! Though we were always on the lookout for birds, the high winds kept many of them down.  At this location we did see a common raven and 2 white-throated swifts. The swifts were life birds for Kathryn.

When you drive the Catalina highway it is as if you are driving from Mexico to Canada in 27 miles, for the road starts out in the Sonoran desert at 3000’ in elevation and ends at 9100’ ft. in forests of Aspen and fir. Because of this there are many and varied habitats with the accompanying bird populations. We started out seeing Turkey Vultures and Western Kingbirds and ended in Summerhaven for lunch where we saw Yellow-eyed juncos and Stellar’s jays!

We also saw Acorn Woodpeckers and this is really the only bird photo I got.  The Stellar’s jays were high in the pines and deep in shadow where their cobalt blue and black plumage makes them virtually disappear in the foliage. Still, it was a great day and we had such a good time, which included a stop at the Palisade Visitor’s Center where Kathryn got her first look at a Magnificent Hummingbird!

Birds seen along the Catalina Highway:

1. Turkey vulture
2. Common Raven
3. Western Kingbird
4. American kestrel
5. White-throated Swift
6. Cooper’s Hawk
7. Magnificent Hummingbird
8. White-breasted nuthatch
9. Yellow-eyed junco
10. Acorn woodpecker
11. Stellar’s Jay (my first AZ sighting!)
12. Lesser goldfinch

And that’s…

My World Tuesday!

Birding From Dawn ‘till Dusk Day 5 Ramsey Canyon

With only a short break for lunch we were soon on the trail up Ramsey Canyon. Ramsey Canyon is own and operated by the nature conservancy. The $5.00 you pay to get in is well worth the experience. A perennial stream flows down the mountain side, a refreshing sight and sound here in the desert.

The creek is bordered by Sycamore trees.  I love the speckled bark and the sculptural shape.

This female broad-tailed hummingbird fluttered about in the limbs along the trail.

Like long green tresses the leaves of this tree fluttered in the breeze making me believe in wood nymphs and sylphs.

We stayed as long as we could, but soon the gates would be locked and we had to leave. As we exited to the parking lot this Cooper’s hawk stood guard in the sycamore overhanging the creek, a watcher in the woods and king of all he surveyed.

We did not see many birds here but we saw some important ones, including a Magnificent Hummingbird, another Lifer for Kathryn. The sun was setting as we drove up the road into Sycamore Canyon, tired but content with a long day of birding and comfortable companionship.

Birds Seen at Ramsey Canyon:

Location: Ramsey Canyon Preserve
Observation date: 4/11/10
Notes: w/Kathryn - walked to first overlook view.
Number of species: 7
Cooper's Hawk 1
White-winged Dove 1
Magnificent Hummingbird 1
Black-chinned Hummingbird 2
Acorn Woodpecker 1
Mexican Jay 6
Pine Siskin 12

Kathryn also saw 3 pygmy nuthatches in the parking lot when we first arrived. I was too busy getting stuff out of the car and I didn’t look.  Stupid me! another Lifer for Kathryn!  I have seen them on MT Lemmon near Tucson, but that’s the only place.

Birding Dawn ‘till Dusk Day 5 San Pedro House

Wilson’s Warbler San Pedro River Sierra Vista 4-11-10

Sunday was probably the best day of birding for Kathryn and I.  We drove to Sierra Vista first thing in the morning and made our first stop San Pedro house on the San Pedro River just east of Sierra Vista on Highway 90.

Though it looks like snow falling through the air as Kathryn raises her bins to check out a black-chinned hummingbird, it is really cotton from the towering cottonwood trees that surround San Pedro House.  The house itself is a gift shop with information about the area as well as books and other gifts.

We find several white-crowned sparrows feeding at the feeders or hiding in the brush…

…along with female red-winged blackbirds and white-winged doves!

Birds seen at San Pedro House:

Location: San Pedro House
Observation date: 4/11/10
Notes: Birding at the house area with Kathryn
Number of species: 15
 
White-winged Dove 6
Mourning Dove 14
Black-chinned Hummingbird 14
Rufous Hummingbird 1
Gila Woodpecker 1
European Starling 2
Yellow Warbler 2
Green-tailed Towhee 2
Lark Bunting 4
White-crowned Sparrow 24
Pyrrhuloxia 2
Red-winged Blackbird 40
House Finch 7
Lesser Goldfinch 16
House Sparrow 12
 
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

San Pedro River Trail

We followed this trail out towards the river where the trees appear as a flowing green ribbon in the dry brown grass… ..and yellow warblers sing from catkins like gold confetti against an azure sky.

  Ruby-crowned kinglets flutter from the treetops… …while Wilson’s warblers stay low in the willows along the wash…

..and this surprise flew over our heads and landed in the tree above us.  We craned our necks trying to figure this beauty out.  I took several photos of it as I was unsure of what I was seeing and I also noticed the bird had a band on its right leg.  After studying the photos and consulting several bird guides I have concluded it is a Fox sparrow but if you think I am wrong, please tell me and tell me why you think it!

The trees were full of vireos and this one is a Cassin’s as it has the spectacles and the yellow wash along its sides. We saw so many birds here and we had a great time.  We left shortly after noontime and headed over to Ramsey canyon which is really a short drive away.  What a Birdy Day!

Species seen at San Pedro house along the San Pedro River Trail:

Location: San Pedro House
Observation date: 4/11/10

Notes: w/Kathryn - trail from house down to Green Kingfisher Pond then up along the river back to house.
Number of species: 23

Mallard (Mexican) 3
Turkey Vulture 3
White-winged Dove 2
Gila Woodpecker 5
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Vermilion Flycatcher 12
Cassin's Kingbird 1
Western Kingbird 1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 3
Canyon Wren 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 6
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Yellow Warbler 7
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 5
Common Yellowthroat 5
Wilson's Warbler 2
Green-tailed Towhee 1
Song Sparrow 2
White-crowned Sparrow 1
House Finch 2
Lesser Goldfinch 8

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

And that’s…

My World Tuesday!

Birding From Dawn ‘till Dusk: Day 4 Rio Rico

Gus and Kathryn stand on the brow of Hawk’s Hill on the side of the San Cayentano Mountains 4-10-10

 

We start the day Saturday in Rio Rico eating lunch at Nonna Vivi Pizza. The pizza is made fresh with organic ingredients. We just discovered this place two weeks ago, though it has been open for a year already.  Yum!  I highly recommend it! Click on the link for address and menu.

After lunch we take Kathryn up to Hawk’s Hill on the slopes of the San Cayentano Mountains. Looking west over the Santa Cruz Valley I watch birds while we all enjoy the view and the wildflowers.

Birds Seen at Hawk’s Hill:

Location: Hawk’s Hill
Observation date: 4/10/10
Notes: w/Gus and Kathryn
Number of species: 5
Turkey Vulture 1
Red-tailed Hawk (Western) 1
Verdin 1
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher 1
Black-throated Sparrow 3
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

A brief stop at the Rio Rico pond yields a short but important list of birds, including Black-bellied whistling ducks, a life bird for Kathryn.

 This smudge on the wires is a Gray Hawk seen best through Kathryn’s scope. We did not do a lot of birding this day but the day was full and fun. We know tomorrow will be another big day of Birding from Dawn ‘till Dusk!

Birds Seen at the Rio Rico Pond:

Location: Rio Rico Pond
Observation date: 4/10/10
Notes: w/ Kathryn.
Number of species: 7
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 9
Mallard 1
Turkey Vulture 2
Gray Hawk 1
Vermilion Flycatcher 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 4
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Birding From Dawn ‘till Dusk: Day 3 Vail and Tubac

Mourning dove on nest in Vail, AZ 4-9-10

We started our day with coffee and birds at a friend's house in Vail, AZ. Vail sits at the vase of the Rincon Mountains and at the edge of Saguaro National Park.  Because of this it is rich in bird life and my friend Judy has numerous species in her yard…

… including a nesting family of Harris Hawks! This is the nest in a silk oak tree right next to the Judy’s pool! The hawks and humans mostly get along though the hawks did eat the family cat last year.  You can just see the little baby’s fuzzy face just peeking over the top of the nest.

Meanwhile Mamma or papa keep watch from the utility pole at the corner of the front yard while the rest of the family is off searching for dinner!

Harris Hawks live and hunt in family groups.  This nest site was successful last year also and the family is growing.  I do not know how big it will get before they decide to branch off into another breeding pair.

Mexican Poppies and Desert Bluebells 4-9-10 

When we left Judy’s house we drove along a roadside covered with wild flowers.  I just had to get out and photograph this wild beauty.

View of wildflowers with the Rincon Mountains as a backdrop 4-9-10

Townsend’s solitaire on St. Gertrudis lane 4-9-10

Kathryn and I spent the rest of the day down in Tubac where we ate lunch and meandered through the little village viewing art.  As a final stop for the day we visited Santa Gerturdis Lane, a local birding hotspot just down the road from Tubac.  It is a private road with no through traffic but rich in bird life since the Santa Cruz River flows by.  To bird there you must park on the frontage road and walk in. As Kathryn and I searched the hedgerow for birds I caught sight of this plain looking bird.  At first I thought it was a mockingbird, but something wasn’t quite right. The posture was too upright, the beak too short, and there was no white in the wings. Plus, it had a white eye-ring. Suddenly it struck me what I was looking at and I couldn't believe my eyes for this bird has eluded me for 5 years!  It was a Townsend's Solitaire!  This bird is in the thrush family with robins and bluebirds. A bird of open forest and woodland edges, it is called “solitaire” for a reason.  It is never seen in flocks. The bird perched quietly in the dense brush but I was able to zoom in and catch a ray of sunlight on its body illuminating it just enough for this photo!  Life Bird* number 378 for me! However, this is a yard bird for Kathryn, but she still enjoyed seeing it.

*A Life Bird is the first time a birder see a particular species of birds.  Most birders keep a Life List of all the bird species they have seen in their lives.

 

Sycamore Canyon Update: Today is cool here in Sycamore Canyon with a morning low of 40 degrees at 4:30 AM after a cold front moved through late yesterday afternoon and dropped out temps from 80 to 70 in little over and half hour.  With it came a brief but fierce rainstorm and high winds.  Our low temperature for yesterday was reached late last night. It was 46 degrees at 10:30 PM which was the last time I checked. We started the day yesterday at 63 degrees! Don’t worry, sunshine and warmth will return tomorrow!

Birding From Dawn ‘till Dusk: Day 2 Organ Pipe NM

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument 21 mile Loop Rd 4-8-10

Kathryn and I get up with the sun and head west across the desert to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.  It is a long drive to get there and I have never been past the town of Three Points, so I have no idea what to expect. We travel across native lands and past Kitt Peak where I spot a Crested Caracara flying alongside the road. Though traffic is traveling at 65 to 70 mph in this area the road is narrow with no shoulders and steep drop-offs to the cactus studded desert below. There is absolutely no place to stop and get a picture for miles, though I do try, but by then the bird is too far away. I let Kathryn take over driving now and scan the desert for birds.  We are seeing Harris Hawks, ravens, and Red-tailed Hawks and then, to my utter surprise, our second Crested Caracara perched atop a saguaro right near Sells! We get as good of a look as we can driving 65 mph down the road.

Organ Pipe Cactus 4-8-10

After a brief stop at the visitor’s center for info and to eat our picnic lunch we decide to take the Ajo Mountain Loop Road. Though it is 21 miles long, we break it into 5 miles segments for eBird and count birds as we go. I have never been here before and I am captivated by this desert beauty.  It is no wonder that this is a National Monument.

  The beauty of a cactus bud.

We come to the Arch Canyon Trail and decide to get out of the car and walk a bit.  Though the trail is only 3/4 of a mile we don’t go far because it is so hot and we only have sandals on our feet. This seems a peaceful place with beauty all around us.

We marvel at the arch overhead…

…and gaze at the mountains beyond…

…the canyon lies invitingly before  us…

…and wraps its arms around us in a rocky hug!

We see and hear Phainopeplas softly asking us, “What?…What?” And then, just as we are settling in, a dark shadow looms!

“Who are you and what are you doing in my canyon,” the Turkey Vulture seems to say. It is soon joined by another and they swoop ever lower and closer to us…

…until one is so low that it is too close for my 70-300mm lens!

We decide to leave and beat a hasty retreat back to the car. We are halfway around the loop road by now and the day is fading fast. As we continue our drive we stop at various points along the way finding most of the birds along the desert washes. 

Reluctantly we say good-bye to organ Pipe Cactus national Monument with its vast and prickly beauty with wildflowers and solitude in abundance. It is long after dark by the time we arrive home but we are so glad that we went!

Birds seen today on the drive to and in Organ Pipe Cactus NM:

1. Crested Caracara
2. Turkey Vulture
3. Gila woodpecker
4. Raven
5. Northern Mockingbird
6. Black-throated sparrow
7. Phainopepla
8. Kestrel
9. Mourning dove
10. Costa’s hummingbird
11. lesser Goldfinch
12. House finch
13. Harris hawk
14. Gambel’s Quail
15. Cooper’s hawk
16. Verdin
17. Cactus wren
18. Curve-billed thrasher
19. Northern Cardinal
20. Scott’s Oriole
21. Red-tailed hawk
22. Loggerhead shrike
23. Cassin’s vireo
24. Blue-gray gnatcatcher
25. Rock Wren