Wings Over Willcox

Let the birding begin! We took our first official trips with the Wings Over Willcox Birding and Nature Festival today, with Dick going in one direction and myself in another. Since I'm taking his trip tomorrow, we'll see if our lists come close.

Tom Whetten, a professional nature photographer, lead us on an all day photography adventure. We started waayyy before the crack of dawn for Whitewater Draw to catch the Sandhill Cranes leaving their roost for the day. They flew over by the raucous thousands, as I shivered in the cold. Having worn extra warm clothes needlessly at Muleshoe, I decided to tough it today, and regretted that decision until the sun actually warmed us around 9:30. After that I was glad the thermals were still at the motel! I suffered a setback when my memory card failed during the morning, losing what surely would have been award winning photos of a Great Horned Owl, some White Crowned Sparrows, two Shrikes in a bush, and the eagerly awaited Vermilion Flycatcher. Sigh... Replacement card inserted, I reshot those birds I could find again, except the Vermilion Flycatcher, but tomorrow is another day.

RTP means Red Tail on the Post, and we saw scads of them. I suspect that Red Tails were not as populous before people started putting up power and telephone poles in this treeless country. Two Red Tails treated us with an aerial display, ignoring the Harrier who harassed them throughout the morning. The Great Horned Owl sat on a tree branch snoozing in the warm morning sun. Although Barn Owls often roost in the same area, none were around today.

Although the Sandhill Cranes were off foraging, Pintail and Cinnamon Teal ducks joined the Snow Geese sharing the lake, along with a Sora - my surprise find! One of the other people on our trip promised to send its photo, since it ran into the cattails before I could get operational.

Just sit back and enjoy the Sandhill Cranes from the comfort of your computer chair.

Stargazing has changed a lot since I last tried it in high school. We joined a group on a dark hillside to watch the stars, serenaded by the Friday night Coyote Chorus just over the hill. The International Space Station sped overhead shining as brightly as Venus. Our leader used a telescope with a GPS finder and built in data on each item queried. As a motor aimed the scope at the correct part of the sky, the leader used a laser pointer to outline each constellation. The stars filled the sky and we examined several star clusters and the Andromeda Galaxy easily with our birding binoculars. We Star Wars and Star Trek fans tend to forget how far away those stars really are. Standing in the Arizona Desert in the cold makes it much more real.

Muleshoe Ranch

Muleshoe Ranch is about an hour and a half drive from Willcox (when you stop for every bird you see. Other people may not take so long.) down a dirt road. The Nature Conservancy and Bureau of Land Management (the BLM and TNC to the In Crowd) run the place. It is a terrific place to visit, but I must admit that this city girl can't imagine living that far away from everything all the time. Ah well, back to the story. Birding was great! We saw the wished for Roadrunner on the drive in, and several Red Tailed Hawks. The Red Tails really appreciate humans who put up all those tall poles just for hawks to perch on while looking for lunch, since there aren't many trees for this purpose. Female Cardinals impersonated the Pyrrhuloxia, which is going to be the next bird on the wish list. Western Bluebirds met some Lesser Goldfinches and House Finches for breakfast. We heard a Kingfisher along the river, and saw several Yellow Rumped Warblers. The most exciting find for today were the Golden Eagle and a Caracara!! So we are the first on the bird list for the festival. The Caracara was outside its normal range, and we kept thinking it was a Red Tail, until it turned and we saw the crest on its head. Life is simple - eat, sleep, bird.

So far, we have concentrated on the Sonoran desert, but Muleshoe is in a riparian area - and that's a big thing in Arizona. Riparian means having water, especially flowing water. The site is home to many springs, including some hot springs, which help support a fine community of tiny fish and algae drawing green art in the stream. When we learned about the hot tubs, we thought it would be close to the casitas, but this was a longer walk than we wanted to take in the cold dark night. The stars though.... Wow, it's been literally years since I have seen so many stars at night.

Today's big activity was a hike down the Bass Canyon. Can you believe this crystal blue sky!! I love it! One of our leaders is a fish specialist. Ducks and fish in the desert - my assumptions about Arizona are dropping daily! We learned about the native fish, and her reintroduction of a few species. On the hike, she carried a net, and captured some to show us, up close and personal. The water was crystal clear, and you could see them swimming around in the sparkles of sunshine. Some did the fish version of "pumping iron" as they swam upstream in the swift riffles as fast as their little fins could go. We also learned about controlled burns to encourage the right growth of grasses for this area. Controlled burns use an incendiary called ping pong balls and just do a literal spot burn, so you have to be in an airplane or the middle of the burned area itself to know there was any fire at all. The river flows for a while, then just disappears into the sand. You can tell that the river beds are huge for the flash floods in summer. The power of the water washes out large trees and large rocks equally.

As amateur geologists we were fascinated with all the basalt, and how it lies in layers of big boulders along the river banks. We crossed the stream to see an archaeological site with grinding holes and petroglyphs made by ancient man. If my life depended on recognizing tracks in the sand, I'd end up dead pretty fast. I couldn't tell a coyote from the cougar tracks we found. Guess which one this is!

And there was morning and there was evening, of the fourth day, and it was good. Tomorrow the actual birding festival begins in Willcox.

Saguaro National Park

Saguaro National Park is divided into two parts, one on the east side of Tucson, and the other on the west side. Today we visited the east section as we headed to Willcox for Wings over Willcox. Two immediate things - it has fewer Saguaro cacti than the west section, the result of cattle grazing for a longer period. Also, it seems more colorful, even in mid-January, which isn't really reflected in this picture. Take a look at this purple Cholla and you can see part of the color. The desert mistletoe has a reddish tint too, and grows more often than the park staff would prefer I bet. We headed down the loop drive, stopping for overlooks, a bird song heard through the car window, or just a chance to walk down a trail for a while.

Desert Mistletoe A bird sang sweetly from the top of a cactus, and at first we thought it sounded like a Mockingbird, changing songs frequently. However, when we actually found it, we saw the most curved bill ever, and knew it was the Curve-billed Thrasher, a relative of the Mockingbird. As we walked along, it seemed to follow us down the trail, just to make sure we were properly appreciative of it's talents. When we tried to approach, it swooped down to the ground and disappeared in the brush.

The top of a cactus is the favorite place for a little Gila Woodpecker gossip.

OK, I admit to having a vivid imagination sometimes. I keep seeing Saguaro as people. Guess it comes from those Christmas ornaments with Saguaro in costumes. Sometimes, they are doing a square dance like this cacti couple. "Swing your partner" has a new meaning in the desert! Other times I picture them signaling to each other in semaphore with the position of their arms. Do they hold their arms in those same positions after people are gone? Do they send different messages when they are alone in the desert? We'll never know, will we, since they resume the last recorded position whenever someone looks again. The ones with arms hanging down must have been talking the longest and got tired. I kept expecting to see the Lone Ranger and Silver galloping around the rocks and cactus in some spots. Waiting for the Lone Ranger. High Ho Silver!

Raptor Free Flight

We just spent the most marvelous day at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and did not get to do everything we wanted. But they have the best raptor program I have ever seen, and I see all I can go to. The program is on the grounds, among the Saguaro Cactus, rather than in a building - important point #1 - so these birds could fly away any time they want to. They fly from perch to perch, buzzing the heads of the viewers. I told Dick they must not like his red hat, he got strafed so often.

I could make about 5 separate posts here with just the pictures from each raptor we saw, let alone the other desert birds and landscape. Let's cut to the chase, and just go for the photos, which became easier after I saw the handler putting little bits of meat on the next branch the bird would go to.

They have a family of Harris Hawks who all came at one time in the afternoon show. It's amazing that no other raptor lives and hunts in a pack, essentially. The female is always in charge of the family.

This Chihuahuan Raven chuckled as he lightly touched someone's head while flying over. "Every time," quoth the Raven. "Ole"

Don't think this American Kestral is just a sweet tiny bird. It is a mighty hunter.

I wouldn't want a Ferruginous Hawk smiling at me from a branch. Looks like she's giving us the eye as her next breakfast! Her mouth is so wide she can swallow her prey whole if necessary. I know, this isn't a raptor, but a Cactus Wren. They are all over the place, and noisy in the wren tradition. I was surprised to see they are about the size of a Robin, not the small eastern wrens I am familiar with.

And there was morning and evening of the second day, and it was good.....not even mentioning the little Costa's Hummingbird and Broad Billed Hummingbirds we saw. I can't spell Phainopepla without looking it up again, but we saw a bunch of them. Wishing has made it so once more - our first Western Tanager was in the aviary! Next on the wish list is a Roadrunner - meep! meep!

Ducks in the Desert?

With a map from the rental car company , some directions from a phone call to the Tucson Audubon Society and LOTS of determination, we found the most unlikely place here in Arizona. Part of the challange was overcoming the closure of most exit and entrance ramps on I-10 in downtown Tucson!

The Sweetwater Wetland is a sewer treatment pond, which attracts hundreds of ducks and other birds. I never would have thought of looking for ducks and water fowl in the Arizona desert, but we have always had good luck birding at water treatment ponds. We saw more varieties of ducks here than I normally would see in Kentucky or Indiana. Northern Shovelers were the most common, although we also saw:

American Widgeon, Mallard , Northern Pintail** , American Black Duck , Blue Winged Teal , Cinnamon Teal**, Green Winged Teal , Bufflehead (female) , Ruddy Duck (female)

As the sun set, a noisy flock of Red Winged Blackbirds, Yellow Headed Blackbirds and Brewer's Blackbirds sailed in for the evening and perched like bright yellow flowers.

A family of Harris Hawks lives nearby, and apparently views this territory as their own. We saw one hawk perched on a power pole, then saw it actually fighting (talons extended and everything) with a falcon! How's that for an exciting first day birding!

A bird resembling a Phoebe, but a bit larger, perched on a branch above the water, darting out for a bug and returning to wait for the next one. Turns out to be a Black Phoebe. We also got a quick glimpse of a Gambel's Quail and an Anna's Hummingbird. At first I thought it was a Costa, but closer examination of the field guide changed my mind.

24 species we could identify and 8 new additions to the life list. And there was afternoon, and there was evening of the first day. And it was good...

A World of Watchers

"Implements for Collecting: The double barrelled shotgun is your main reliance. Get the best one you can afford for your particular purpose which is the destruction of small birds with the least possible damage to their plumage. Begin by shooting every bird you can. Pierce the bird's brain with a knife to kill it quickly. Record, label and measure carefully and promptly, noting sex, age, and contents of stomach. Fifty birds shot is a good day's work."

This is the advice of ornithologist Elliott Coues to the would-be bird "collector" in 1874. Bird collectors also had to be their own taxidermists to preserve the birds collected. Today, such advice would not be appreciated. In fact, it turns my stomach just thinking about it. However, if you substitute the word "camera" or "binoculars" for shotgun, it sounds fairly familiar.

Joseph Kastner's book, A World of Watchers, describes the history of bird collecting and its evolution to bird watching. All the birds with people names, such as Brewer, Baird, Cooper and Cassin, are named after the early ornithologists. Early bird clubs were quite exclusive in nature. The Nuttall Ornithological Club required members to live in the Cambridge, MA, city limits to belong as full members. If they missed a meeting, a 25 cent fine was charged. Good thing my club doesn't do that! I'd be broke!

Few women were involved in birding in the early days. In fact, the elite Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC) constitution allowed only men to be members at all. Women were permitted to watch birds, but not in the club's territory. How gracious of them. Sounds like male birds in the spring! Here's the kicker -- women were finally accepted in 1982! The Nuttall Club didn't admit women until 1974, after its centennial celebration!

Other than male chauvinism, why weren't women more involved? Binoculars didn't exist. One might have acquired a military spy glass, but they were heavy and not easy to use. The best way to observe the bird accurately was to shoot it and examine the corpse. Of course, it isn't lady-like for women to traipse around in the fields with a shotgun wearing a corset and long skirts . Women started bird watching using little 2X opera glasses in the field.

The phrase "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" derives from these early collectors. Shooting a bird but letting it get away didn't count. Only collecting the body counted. And why worry about running out of birds? There are so many, shooting a 100 or so here and there can't possibly make a difference, right? There are times, I must admit, when binoculars don't really let me get a good look at the bird, but then I wouldn't be a good enough hunter to collect them either. With luck, I might get as many as I now photograph!

Excerpts from birding journals make me chuckle a bit. Observations aren't limited to appearance and behavior, but the behavior is compared to human moral standards. The House Wren generated great controversy in 1915. Althea Sherman, in Iowa, described the House Wren as a deadly menace given to dangerous practices. The wren's "diabolical disposition alone prompts it to destructive acts." It is a "blacker villain" than she had thought, "why not let children raise rattlers?" Another journal keeper tended to ascribe the Boy Scout virtues to birds - loyal, kind, trustworthy, etc. If people don't display good moral behavior, why expect birds to do so?

George Bird Grinnell, the founder of the American Ornithologists Union, called for the formation of a society to protect wild birds, naming it the Audubon Society. 40,000 enrolled in the first year. A group of Boston women, the Massachusetts Audubon Society, began the crusade against using bird feathers in women's hats. The tactics taken in the struggle are fascinating. Bird protection laws were drafted and passed by most states by 1910. The Migratory Bird Protection Treaty with Canada was adopted in 1916. Of course, greed and profit can still overcome avian welfare. The Audubon Society Timeline gives more details on the club's history and conservation efforts. The Society also awards a medal to those Heroes of nature.

Sorry to dump a book report on you, they still have bad connotations from grade school days. But this story is much more involved that I would ever have imagined as an amateur birdwatcher. We are the heirs of a great movement in history, and now I can appreciate that much better. Next week we are headed to Willcox, AZ, not far from Tucson, for the Wings over Willcox festival. And I promise, I'll only be shooting birds with a camera.

New Year Greetings

I came, I purred, I conquered.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. More important than your sleep certainly.

Don't wake me up unless the house is on fire, or it's time to eat.

I never blink first.

Mabel, look what Santa brought us for Christmas!

Now if I can just figure out how to get in these little holes.

Who says animals can't talk? Only people who never listen!
Best wishes for 2009, from our house to yours.

Christmas Magic

Childhood Christmas memories are stronger and better than any others. I remember waking up early, and going out to plug in the Christmas tree. Those big 2 inch lights lit up the entire room, and I sat there just enjoying it. Every 30 minutes or so, I'd go ask Mom, "Can we get up now? Is it time for Christmas yet?" Of course, I didn't realize at 3:00 in the morning, that she probably hadn't been asleep too long. Why isn't she excited about Christmas? By 4:30 or so, she would let me open one present, if I promised not to bother her again for a few hours. In triumph, I'd plug the lights back in and find the book I knew would be there. The Bobbsey Twins latest adventure read by Christmas tree lights - now that's a thrill!

My mother was one of six children, and all of them lived in our little town except one uncle. Grandma's house was stuffed with aunts and uncles and cousins, the windows steaming till we had to open the door to let the heat out. We made fresh chicken salad and ham salad every year, and Grandma's famous 3 layer Christmas Jello mold. Of course, we kids would only eat the plain red layer! The house had high ceilings - 10 feet at least - and we went to an uncle's farm to cut a fresh cedar tree for Grandma, one that would brush the ceiling. The first year she had a store bought pine tree I just about cried. The moon and stars always shone brighter at Grandma's house on Christmas Eve than any other place or time, throwing shadows on the sidewalk.

It's funny how the holidays tend to blur together as an adult. Maybe it's because we feel pressed by the responsibilities of our families, and just don't capture those individual moments as much as we did when children. I'll have to ask my kids if they have any special memories and see what sticks in their minds. For now, my blessings are my husband and children. Everyone is healthy and either employed or retired as they wish. In this economy, having a job is good, even if it's not necessarily the job of your dreams.

Merry Christmas, and God Bless Us Every One!

Six Random Things

A side effect of sitting before a computer in the IT Department all day is that I don't get on my computer at home unless there are some new photos to work with. Thus, it took over a week for me to see that Katdoc had tagged me for this! Sorry for the delay Kathy, but here goes. And Merry Christmas!

1. Athletic Activities: I used to go whitewater rafting in West Virginia every fall, on the New River or the Gauley. One year we went on the Upper Gauley (serious whitewater) during the remnants of Hurricane Hugo. I smashed my front teeth in on the paddle, and after three root canals to repair the damage, decided to take up riding and showing American Saddlebred horses, a safer activity! Now hiking around looking for birds is as active as I get--as long as it doesn't make me sweat.

2. Trivia: I love trivia! Jeopardy is my favorite TV show. I took the online test once, but didn't do very well, so I'll just continue being the armchair Jeopardy champion. I've always wanted to know everything.

3. Retirement: It's coming soon, and I have great plans. I want to write a book about the Falls of the Ohio using my photos. The Kentucky Raptor Rehab can always use more volunteers. I'll be the best raptor presentation giver they've ever had! Or course, we want to travel too - National Parks, Wildlife Refuges, any place with birds and nature.

4. Winter: Winter makes me SAD. It's dark when I leave for the office and dark when I come home. I pack a lunch, and don't get out at all during the day. I'd like to just hibernate like a bear and sleep until Spring.

5. Warm and fuzzy: I have a double sided fleece blanket (with cardinals on it) which is the warmest thing I've ever seen. The cat sits on my lap and we both are comfy cozy for a nice nap in the easy chair.

6. Mountains: I burned up a set of brakes (literally - there was smoke trailing behind us) in the Smokies once and have distrusted mountains ever since. At Rocky Mountain National Park, I got altitude sickness and felt just awful till we came back down to a lower elevation. I have absolutely no interest in skiing since it requires both mountains and cold.

So that's about all there is to know about me....

Now, who to tag next? I follow the same people's blogs that Katdoc does mostly. That's how I found her and her wonderful sense of humor. We have friends who volunteer with my husband at Bernheim Forest and Arboretum. They don't have individual blogs mostly, but all contribute to one jointly, so I'm going to tag several people there. If I've tagged anyone else who has been tagged a dozen times before, my apologies.

Bob Lenning at Naturewriter and Thingamabobs
Wren at Naturewriter
Tavia at Naturewriter
Terrell at Naturewriter
Swampy at Swampthings
Kathie at Sycamore Canyon
Here are the rules for Six Random Things:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they've been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.