My World: There's No Place Like Home

Peregrine Falcon in Sycamore Canyon 2-13-10

(Photo by Gusto! with Nikon D80 and 70-300mm lens set in sports mode.)

The GBBC is on and Gus and I have been out counting birds for the past three days. We spent Friday in Santa Cruz County counting birds in Rio Rico. Saturday and Sunday have been spent in Corona de Tucson and the Tucson area counting birds. As we were heading home from a full day of birding on Saturday that included Agua Caliente Park the sinking sun cast a golden glow over the desert. As we turned into the road to our neighborhood I spotted a raptor on top of one of our utility poles. Like everyone else in the Tucson area, we have plenty of Red-tailed hawks. Still, I checked this one out, just in case. As the bird came into focus I started exclaiming to Gus: "Pull over, Pull over! It's a peregrine falcon!" Gus pulled the car off the road and stepped out with the camera. I watched through my bins and started counting the rest of the birds in the area. Amazingly a red-tailed hawk was sitting in a palo verde tree just across the street from the falcon. However, it flew off as I got out of the car. The following series of photos were taken by Gus. They aren't quite as sharp as he would like but he was shooting up at an angle and we did keep our distance. We did not want to scare the bird away from its prey. I know how hard they work to capture a meal. We watched until the falcon was done feeding and flew off, then I counted birds for the rest of the mile segment. In that short distance and time we saw the peregrine falcon, a red-tailed hawk, and an American kestrel! All in Sycamore Canyon! Like Dorothy says in the Wizard of Oz, "There's no place like home! Enjoy the following photos which all click to enlarge and be sure to visit the rest of the world by clicking on the link for

My World Tuesday!

Today is the last day of the GBBC, so I am off to count birds. I haven't even had time to submit all my lists yet but the birds won't wait! I'll be back later with an update!

The GBBC Has Begun!

It's just after midnight on the 12th and I have been listening to a Great-horned owl hooting from a rooftop across the street. It is so loud that I can here it from inside my house, though I did step outside to see if I could see it. No chance! It's pitch black dark out there! Still, it will constitute the first bird of my bird count today. Gus and I are going to see how many checklists we can acquire in a variety of places and habitats. He will be taking photos while I count the birds! We hope to put Corona de Tucson and Rio Rico on the GBBC map!

Good birding everyone. Now get out there and count! (click on the button above to learn more or to enter checklists. By the way, you don't have to be an expert and you will have fun!)

Counting Birds

House Finch and White-crowned sparrow 4-12-09

Many birders and bird watchers are also listers. Though I had heard of keeping a Life List for all the different species I have seen many years ago, I did not know about the habit of keeping birds lists for every state, town, area, yard or walk until a few years ago. The Great Backyard Bird Count is what got me started with counting birds and actually going out to search for birds in different areas instead of just waiting for them to drop by my feeders or seeing them when I moved to a new state or went on vacation. Participating in Project Feeder Watch honed my skills even more. Then, I read a book called The Big Year. It was the first time I had ever heard of obsessive listers or a competition for bird lists. While I don’t think I am that obsessive, I do like counting birds and keeping lists. Being able to enter my bird counts into eBird or the Great Backyard Bird Count makes me feel like I am contributing to the growing knowledge of birds and bird migration. Knowing what bird species inhabit an area can lead to protection of that habitat and adds to the enjoyment of bird watching.

Santa Rita Mountains 8-25-08

So, when I first moved to Sycamore Canyon at the base of the Santa Rita Mountains two years ago I started listing the birds I had seen here. At that time I was not eBirding or blogging, so the list was only for my own information. When I started my blog, it seemed a natural thing to add the list to my sidebar. When I started eBirding it made it much easier to keep track of my bird lists. When I heard about the possibility of the Rosemount Mine going in right on the other side of the mountain peaks that I can see from my own yard, it became important.

Orange-crowned warbler hiding in Palo Verde tree 3-24-09

Last week I took a walk once again in the Sycamore Canyon Wash. While I have yet to make it to the top of the canyon I have explored the section closer to my house. I often walk there and many of my bird photos have come from this area. However, I had become lax in updating my Sycamore Canyon bird list until I spotted some new birds here this past week. When I went to update the list, I realized I needed to add six new species! The total count of birds that I have personally seen here in Sycamore Canyon is now 76 species! Unfortunately, the birds do not always cooperate with my attempts to photograph them. Very often the birds are in the thickest part of the brush out in the wash, as seen by my attempt to photograph an orange crowned warbler last week in a Palo Verde tree. Our native Palo Verde has tiny leaves on numerous green twigs and branches. The flowering tree attracts a variety of insects that Verdin, vireos, and warblers glean off the leaves and buds. It also makes a perfect cover for birds and horrible conditions for photographing them! Very often trying to get bird photos is just like this. It takes a lot of patience and being in the right place and the right time in the right lighting conditions! Of course, it also helps if you have a good camera and a powerful lens!

On Easter morning, just as the sun rose, I decided to take a look out the back door. To my utter amazement a Hooded Oriole was drinking form the nectar feeder. I was going to go back to bed, but instead I grabbed my camera and watched birds for the next hour. I tried all day to get a shot of this oriole, but this was the best one I got. I show this not to show the bird, but to show what a challenge photographing birds is. However, my early morning bird watching did pay off when I looked out the den window and discovered the bird below.

Hooded oriole hiding 4-12-09

House Wren in my yard 4-12-09

The elusive House Wren I had been watching out in the canyon decided to come to my yard! It was much more cooperative than the oriole and I was able to capture a photo of it in the brittlebush on the north side of the house.

To make counting birds even more interesting, eBird has added a new feature where you can see the Top 100 eBirders in any given area. So, if you log into eBird and click View and Explore Data, you will come to the link for Top 100 eBirders. You have to be a member and sign in, but once you have logged in you can click on that link you can enter an entire state, or search by counties. You can also break your search down into years. (By the way, eBird also covers Canada and Mexico.) I was amazed to find out that I am the top eBirder for Androscoggin County Maine, even though I have not lived there for almost 5 years! While I only lived in Androscoggin County for 18 months, there really wasn’t much else to do besides count birds. I have 3 or 4 notebooks full of bird counts and bird notes from those 18 months. I have barely started to enter these counts into eBird.

Beth, of Beth Stories is on the list of top 100 eBirders in Androscoggin County also, though I bet she doesn’t even know this. Beth is a beginning Birder and she has already made a difference. I am writing about this to encourage any of you to become an eBirder. It is really very simple and the information you provide can really help the birds. There are some areas of the country, like central Maine or the mountain west that are really under reported. Idaho, Wyoming, parts of Montana and both North and South Dakota could use some new eBirders. I haven’t lived in Idaho for over 20 years and I am still in the Top 100 eBirders in Butte County. I like to bird where others don’t. I feel like I am filling in the gaps. You don’t have to live where you eBird. You can eBird your lists from vacations and trips. eBird, Project Feeder Watch and The Great Backyard Bird Count are all administered by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology which is located in Upstate New York.

Cassin's Vireo in Sycamore Canyon 3-24-09

eBird has excellent information on how to do your counts. They have recently published some new articles to help you even more.

• The Trouble With X-Why you Should always estimate numbers.
• Are You Reporting All species-Here's Why it's Important
• Bird Counting 101
• Bird Counting 201

So, even if you are only a beginning birder, you can help the birds by eBirding and you can even get into a little friendly competition if that interests you. For me, I like to think that even when I am dead and gone that my bird list will help the birds and the scientists who study them.

These are the most recent additions to the Sycamore Canyon Bird list with the dates the birds were first seen by me. To view the complete list, please see the sidebar.

71. Violet-green Swallow 10-12-08
72. Ruby-crowned kinglet 1-29-09
73. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2-16-09
74. Cassin’s Vireo 3-24-09
75. House wren 3-24-09
76. Gray flycatcher 4-9-09

The Path Home-one of my favorite views of Sycamore Canyon 8-8-08

I'm Out Counting Birds!

Lark Sparrow, Corona de Tucson 2-15-09 by Kathiesbirds

The laundry is waiting to be folded. The sink is full of dishes, and the mail is waiting to be sorted, but I am out counting birds on this last day of the GBBC. I've been all over Corona de Tucson and Rio Rico counting birds. If you go to the GBBC website and click on Explore the Results you can check on results from all over the USA, including AZ and Corona de Tucson. Last I checked I was the only one counting in my area so all the birds listed are the ones I have counted!

Gotta go! I'll be around to see you all soon!

Can You Count Birds?

Female House Finch in Mesquite Tree in my Backyard 2-6-09

All right already. I know I should stop, but I can't. I was already planning on participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count next weekend, but now I found out that the Northwest Nature Nut is challenging other birders and bloggers and nature lovers in general to count the species of birds seen in and from their own yards during the month of February. The only restriction is that the bird has to be seen, not heard, and it has to be seen from your own yard. It can be flying over or in your neighbor's yard, but you must be able to see it from your own yard. Many other birders have already signed up. Read more about it here.

So, join in, have fun, and if you want your count to count, consider eBirding and/or joining the GBBC next weekend where you can enter your counts into the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's data base and watch the dots grow as counts are entered from across the United States.

Try eBirding here.

If you are a teacher or homeschool your kids they even have extra info to help get you students involved. It makes a great science project and it's a wonderful way to get kids involved with birding and nature.

The GBBC for kids is here!

Male House Finch 2-6-09 Kathiesbirds' backyard.

Big January: Two "Common" Birds

Pushme-Pullyou Coot at Patagonia Lake State park 1-31-09

As many of you know, I have been competing in a Big January Bird Count with other Bird bloggers this month. Big January is when you count as many species of birds as you can see in your own state for the month of January. I participated last year after Larry of the Brownstone Birding Blog challenged me and other birders to a contest. I joined the game a bit late last year, but this year I hit the ground running on January first. This year I also know my state better and I knew where to look to find various species.

At the beginning of the month adding new birds to your count is always easier as even the familiar backyard birds are your first time for this year, but as the days and weeks pass the same species start showing up on your bird counts and the challenge becomes finding species that you haven’t already counted. I went at breakneck speed towards the beginning, but I have to confess, I sort of petered out near the end.

The weekend of January 24th and 25th I only went to Saguaro National Park West on Sunday. Though I counted birds there, they were all species I had already counted someplace else. I didn’t count any new birds the rest of the last week until Saturday, January 31st when Gus and I headed out for One Last Hurrah. I read on the Southeast Arizona Rare Bird Alert that the Elegant Trogon has been hanging out at Patagonia Lake State Park. I have never seen the Trogon, and so it would be a triumph to add it to my Life List as well as my Big January Count. We packed up our gear and headed down there to try to find the bird. What a great way to end the game, I thought, if only I could find it. Well, we not only did not find the trogon, but I did not count any new species of birds on the Birding Trail at the east end of the lake. However, just before we left, I asked Gus to stop at the beach area. I wanted to see if there was anything new or different there.

As I stood on the grassy beach with the blue lake reflecting sunlight like fractured glass a flock of Common Mergansers flew past in a line. There were 12 of them heading towards the west end of the lake. Then, two more flew back to the east. They were quite far out for a photo, but I attempted one anyway. Then, a lone duck came flying low and slow. This time I was ready with my camera. I focused and panned as it flew by. When it landed in the water I peered through my bins at a black and white duck with that unmistakable white cheek patch of a Common Golden Eye.

So, the Common Merganser and the Common Golden Eye make 108 and 109, Right? Not so fast she says.

First of all, when I counted the Pyrrhuloxia as number 107 the other day I was wrong. I kept wondering why it was not recording on my eBird list at the end when I lined up the data according to the dates. So, yesterday I arranged the data alphabetically and found out I HAD recorded this species of bird at the beginning of the month in Arivaca. So, that makes the count 108.

Now, for another adjustment: In recording the Black-throated Green Warbler I saw at Madera Canyon I have been corresponding with Rich Hoyer from eBird. Because this is my first sighting and because I don’t have any photos and I did not see the markings on its back and because a Hermit Warbler was also seen in the area around the same time, my Black-throated Green sighting is noted but not validated. Therefore I am removing it from my Big January list and putting it as unconfirmed on my life list. This is okay. I do not want to count a species of bird that I have not positively identified. I am sure I will get my chance again one day. As for eBird, they have to do this to maintain their quality of information. It is not a slight towards me or any other birder. In fact, it can make you feel more confident in the data they release.

So, with these two adjustments and the two new species my Big January count stands at 107 species!

Bridled Titmouse at Patogonia Lake State park 1-31-09 by Kathiesbirds

Now, I have two weeks to rest up before the Great Backyard Bird Count starts on Presidents Day weekend, February 13 through the 16th.

Big January Bloggers Final count:

Larry, Brownstone Birding Blog: 100*

Ruth, Body, Soul and Spirit: 61*

Mike, 10,000 Birds: 55*

Mary, Mary's View: 30ish* (she thinks) :)

The Strobels, Bird Couple: 87*

KAllen305, Kitchen Window Birder: 37*

Anyone Else? Let me know and I will add you to the list!

*Congratulations Everyone!

GBBC: Monday's Finale

I slept late Monday still trying to recuperate from this darn cold. I wore myself out yesterday but I don’t want today to slip away. I have high ambitions but time, distance and health will probably limit the extent of my birding today. I count the birds in my yard and at my feeders while I wake up and fix my breakfast. Then, I check the bird counts and results on the GBBC web site. I notice that no one has counted birds in Saguaro National Park yet, so I make up my mind to make that my destination for the day. But first, I decide to check out two of the other sites I birded at yesterday.

I head to the park first, which is really close by. I decide I can walk the dog and count birds at the same time, killing two birds with one stone so to speak, but when I get to the park there are few birds in sight. The workers are driving their bulldozers through the desert ripping open a brown wound on the surface of the earth. Construction of the Community Center has begun. I hear a few birds off on the opposite side of the park, but all I count are 2 mourning doves, a Gila woodpecker and a couple of house finches. All the little sparrows I saw yesterday are gone for now. I will have to wait to see if they ever come back.

I bring the dog home and head to the Vacant Lot again. This time it is so quiet when I get here. It’s only 15 minutes later in the day than when I was here yesterday, but still, there should be some birds. Then, I see the red-tail soaring across the gold course with nesting material in its beak. I watch as it flies into a tall pine on the golf course. Perhaps I will get to see Red-tail chicks this spring. (Are they called chicks? I will have to look this up!) Then the smaller birds start to emerge. First I see an Anna’s Hummingbird, and then the sparrows start to move about. After awhile I see the Lark bunting again, and in the tall trees at the edge of the field I find Yellow-rumped warblers, a Ruby-crowned kinglet, an Orange- crowned warbler and a Hutton’s vireo! The warmth of the sun is making me very thirsty with this cold, so I finally pack it in and head down the mountain to town. I stop at a local park where I count a vermillion flycatcher along with 50 Brewer’s Blackbirds and 50 American Widgeons in the manmade lake, but I don’t stay here long. I soon head out for Saguaro National Park, east.

Saguaro National park is divided into two sections, one on the west side of Tucson and this other on the east near the Rincon Mountains. The western side has a larger visitor center and more easily accessible trails, but the east side is much closer to me and has a nice 8 mile loop drive. However, today I head to the Javalina Picnic area to eat the fast food I bought in desperation. Plus, I have found that by sitting quietly that often the wildlife will come to me. Not long after I sit down a little ground squirrel comes out looking at me with inquiring eyes. I know it wants me to drop it a tidbit, but I resist the urge. Human food is not good for these creatures and I do not want to contribute to the delinquency of a ground squirrel. Instead, I raise my camera to take a picture, but the squirrel scampers off. Soon however, the birds start to show up.

I’ve been listening to thrashers sing since I got here. Now I hear a covey of Gambel's quail calling to each other across the desert. Then, a little black-throated sparrow lands on a twig right near the picnic table. This time I am able to snap off quite a few pictures before it leaves. Then, I see a flash of feathers cross the road. I leave my belongings on the table and follow. Looking through my binoculars I see a bird that looks like a cross between a junco and a sparrow. While it has a gray head and a junco-like beak, it’s back has the coloring of a chipping sparrow. I know I’ve seen its picture before, but I can’t think of the name. I try to take a picture of it myself but this little guy is secretive and elusive. Every time I think I have clear shot it drops back into the brush again. It always manages to keep a flower, or stick between us. Finally it flies off into even deeper cover, but I’m sure of what I saw and when I get to consult my bird guides afterwards I discover it is a black-chinned sparrow, a life bird for me!

I put away the remnants from lunch and climb around on the hillside. The Javalina Picnic Area is in a bit of a hollow with rocky outcroppings and cactus covered hillside all around. Beyond this natural bowl the Rincon mountains rise in the east and with the recent rains and snow I can hear water trickling down the cliffs in a gentle cascade. Walking up the hillside I come upon the covey of Quail. They are rather tame here and don’t dart for cover as quickly as the ones in my neighborhood, so I am able to take a decent picture of some of them before they dash for cover again. I estimate their number at about 14, which is the most I have seen at one time.

While I am standing there photographing quail, a little rock wren hops up on a picnic table as if to inquire about what I am finding so interesting. Well, you of course, I think as I snap off some pictures of it. The sun is beating down on my feverish body but I don’t want o give up yet. I climb even farther up and start to circle the picnic area, but it seems all the birds like the bottom of the bowl better, for there are few up here, save for a red-tail lazily circling the sky.

I continue on my way and climb one final outcropping. The effort and the heat make me dizzy and I sit down. It’s then I realize I’d better cash it in and go home. If I passed out up here no one would see me and I’d lie here in the sun and fry to a red crisp! I’m so thirsty but my water is down in the car. I have to at least make it that far, so, I slowly make my way down trying to avoid other people’s picnic tables. I don’t want to intrude on their privacy. Back at the car I gulp what is left of my water and decide I should head home, even though it is only about 3 pm. If I was feeling better I would go do a couple of other counts before the day ended, but I must go home. As I drive south on Houghton Rd I briefly pull off to head to another park, but then reprimand myself and get back on track. I make one final count of the evening birds in my yard and call it a day. The GBBC has ended until next year.

Sunday's Story of the GBBC

Every day is warmer and drier and the birds have dispersed from my yard. Though they still show up in hordes, there is not the number or variety as there was on Friday when the storm rolled through. Today I expand my horizons and try to find some new birding areas close to home. Gus and I are both still fighting this cold, and he stays home to rest. My obsession drives me from the house to add to the greater knowledge of bird populations across the U.S.A. Besides, I am determined to have Corona de Tucson well represented in the bird count, so off I go.

I start at the local park in our neighborhood where I am horrified to see they have started to tear the desert up to make way for the community center. The area is all marked off and heavy equipment is parked at the edge. I knew this was coming but it still makes me sad to see it happening. I know how many birds and bunnies inhabit the scrub they will now tear up. Cactus will be plowed over, though some will be saved, and in the end a pool and club house will be built, all with new landscaping. New birds will move in to inhabit the landscaped areas, but the wild delicate species will be gone, driven off to find new habitats in undisturbed areas.

Today I count a mixed flock of Brewer’s, Rufous-winged, and Black-throated sparrows among the thin grasses. The usual suspects of Gila woodpeckers, cactus wrens, and curved-billed thrashers are present also. The thrashers and cactus wrens make their nests in spiny cholla (pronounced choy-a) cactus. The fruit from these cacti hang down in chains and drop to the ground to be eaten by other desert animals. When a cholla cactus dies it leaves behind a beautiful gray skeleton. This latticework trunk makes a nice addition to the yard or even as part of your interior decorating if you find a good piece. Here in nature, the birds simply use it as a perch. I’m sure for them the appeal is purely practical and they are unaware of its esthetic appeal.

From the park I simply drive around trying to find a good area to bird. A Sunday morning quiet has descended on the area but over on Houghton Rd I see and hear a bunch of birds in some tall trees in an older part of town. I pull over in front of what I later discover in the Tin Cup Lounge and Country Club for the Santa Rita Golf Course. There are lots of cars at this place, so I pull a little farther down the road and park in front of a vacant lot. This vacant lot proves to be a gold mine as I soon discover.

It’s only a small area of land about 1 ½ acres in size. To the north if a hair salon, the east border is formed by the golf course with tall pines and other trees. On the south the Country Club frames the lot with tall eucalyptus trees and some juniper. The western border is formed by the road which has a constant stream of traffic. But, here in this little abandoned and scrubby field the birds have found refuge. I’m drawn in by the chirping, tweeting, cackling sounds. Feathered motion is everywhere. Tiny birds flit from brush to bush, cactus to cactus and tree to tree. The sparrows fly up briefly, then dart into the grasses again. I find thrashers and cactus wrens building nests. Before I am done I count Brewer’s, Rufous-winged, White-crowned, and Black-throated sparrows. I suspect there are others I can’t identify.

Then I see something different and focus on it. It has a larger beak, a striped breast, central breast spot, dark malar stripe…what am I looking at? Dickcissel and Lark Bunting go through my mind, but I put down my binoculars and swing up my camera. I need to capture a picture if I want to be sure. The little scallywag runs for cover. It stays low in the grasses but I snap away. When I get home I discover it IS a lark bunting! A new bird for my bird count at least! On Sunday I count 21 species in this forgotten bit of earth. When I return here on Monday I add two more species to the count. I also observe the red-tailed hawk bringing nesting material to a tall pine on the golf course. I suppose someday this forgotten piece of land will be plowed up to make way for a parking lot or something, but for now I can only hope it stays this way for a long time to come.

Birds Counted in and around the vacant lot: 1. Red-tailed hawk, 2. Mourning dove, 3. Anna’s hummingbird, 4. Costa’s hummingbird, 5. Gila Woodpecker, 6. Say’s Phoebe, 7. Chihuahuan Raven, 8. Cactus Wren, 9. Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 10. Curved-billed thrasher, 11.European Starling, 12.Yellow-rumped warbler, 13.Canyon towhee, 14.Rufous-winged sparrow, 15.Brewer’s sparrow, 16.Black-throated sparrow, 17. Lark bunting, 18.White-crowned sparrow, 19.Phrrhuloxia, 20.Great-tailed grackle, 21.Housefinch 22. Hutton’s vireo, 23. Orange-crowned warbler.

The Great backyard Bird Count Begins (or, Look Who's Coming to Dinner!)

It’s the first morning of the Great Backyard Bird Count and I am recovering from the flu. I still feel awful but I was up with the dawn to start counting birds. I would say I was up with the sun, but today it is raining here and sometimes it is mixed with snow! All the birds look bedraggled and they are seeking shelter wherever they can get it. A house finch is riding the ceiling fan like a merry-go-round, but at least it is dry!

A female hummingbird has chosen my ballerina sculpture as her refuge.

One poor mourning dove just braces itself against the downpour.

But when I first opened the shutters this morning look what I found feeding from the quailblock! This jackrabbit forgot it’s suppose to wear feathers to dinner!