Kathie's Birds

Cactus Wren in Saguaro National Park 3-10-2013

While Arizona boasts so many unique and endemic birds, the bird sound that I most associate with Tucson and the Sonoran Desert is the Cactus Wren, which also happens to be the Arizona State Bird. I have seen so many Arizona rarities and endemics while living here. Photos of some of them are posted today on Birding is Fun so come on over and say good-bye to some Arizona birds with me!

• Saying Good-bye to Arizona Birds
• A Winter’s Dream –my newest poem

 Barn owl in Tucson 9-17-13

It’s been over a month since my return from our trip to Yellowstone and Utah. While I am still busy processing photos and writing blog posts, I have also still been out birding. With migration practically over, I have seen the changes in the bird populations around town and in my yard. Autumn has brought a return of our winter raptors, while the summer birds have flown away. One windy, stormy day  as I sat on the balcony watching birds I added three new yard birds in one day with a Black Phoebe that was blown into my yard, as well as a Northern Rough-winged Swallow seen flying overhead. Then, to my utter surprise, I saw a couple of Vaux’s Swifts! A few days later a Ladder-backed Woodpecker came by increasing my Tucson Yard List to a total of 67 species of birds! I saw this Barn Owl at Sweetwater Wetlands one night when I met my friend, Chris Rohrer there in the late afternoon. As evening fell we found this bird hiding in a willow tree.

Cooper’s hawks are here year round, but it seems we see more of them in winter. After a calm period during the month of August the Cooper’s Hawks have returned in force to my back yard and have been hunting my feeders on such a regular basis that all the birds have become skittish and I rarely see them at all during the middle of the day. There have been times when the Coop’s has swooped down repeatedly, or taken up residence in either my front or my neighbor’s backyard mesquite tree. Sometimes I do not know it is there until I hear its “bark” as its calls from deep within the foliage. But the birds know it is there, and they vanish, and my yard falls silent.

I continue to count birds at Michael Perry Park and was amazed to find a Northern Harrier there one day in late September.

Chris and I found these Turkey Vultures one Saturday in September along Mile Wide Road just west of Tucson. It’s funny that the Turkey Vultures usually leave Tucson for the winter but can still be found up in Phoenix. We saw some at Gilbert Water Ranch when we went birding there this past weekend.

Western Kingbirds on Mile Wide Road 9-20-13

These are probably the last Western Kingbirds we will see until next spring.

I love puffy cloud days and this one was a beauty back on September 20th. I took this shot in the Tucson Mountain District of Saguaro National Park. Little did I know back then that the government would shut down and I would not be able to go back into the park for over two weeks! In truth, I have not been back since it has reopened. So, I am equally glad that I visited the Rincon Mountain Unit with my friend, Celeste of Celestial Ramblings on September 24th. We had a breakfast picnic at the Javalina Picnic Area, one of my favorite places to bird.

As we sat sipping our tea a young Cactus Wren popped up to say hello!

A little Antelope Ground Squirrel came begging.

Then a Rock Squirrel came by!

One of these moved into my back yard recently and excavated a huge den. I saw the beast a few times climbing my trees and scurrying over the rocks, but suddenly I have not seen it al all and I wonder what has happened to it.

After our picnic Celeste and I drove the 8-mile loop road through Saguaro NP and we were pleased to find this pair of Coues White-tailed Deer peacefully meandering along the roadside. This species of White-tail is much smaller than its eastern counterpart but nonetheless serene looking with wide soft eyes.

Like everywhere else, our days are getting shorter and our temperature is fluctuating. Last week it seems we had a stretch of endlessly dull days with clear blue skies and warm temperatures and no wind. I start to feel dull and stupid myself after a few days of sameness like that. I like a little drama in my sky and in my weather. Yesterday a cool front blew in some clouds and though today the wind has died down, there are still a few lingering clouds and a few strong gusts of winds to remind me that change is in the air and the dullness is blowing away!

My Grandson, Xavier running his first Cross Country Meet 9-30-13

I feel such need for a change, to do something different; to be creative. I have spent a lot of time recently playing with my photos and creating pictures for my Artsy Fartsy Fridays. This has helped dispel the dullness that I feel, and it just makes me smile. I have also had fun writing poetry and creating pages and poems for Halloween. I have a Halloween Post scheduled for this blog, and for over a week I have had poems and pictures on Kathie’s Poet Tree. It is all kid friendly, so bring your children and grandchildren by to see the pictures and read the poems. There is even a link to a You Tube recording of Mother Ghost Nursery Rhymes, a recorded book from back in the 1960’s which I remember from my childhood and which my grandson, Xavier just loved when I played it for him. Yes, I have also been a busy grandma baking cookies and going to my grandson’s first Cross Country Meet. With a family that is obsessed with running we are all glad to see him take an interest in this. Perhaps next summer he will be ready for the annual Adams Family Road Race!

• Mother Ghost Nursery Rhymes-Scholastic
• Mother Ghost Nursery Rhymes-Kathie’s Poet Tree

 Band-tailed Pigeon 8-29-13

I know backyard birding can be full of surprises, but I never thought I’d see the above species in my suburban Tucson backyard. I was busy blogging last Friday and sitting by the dining room window when I looked out to see a bunch of pigeons on my neighbor's rooftop. I usually don’t see the pigeons in the late afternoon, so I grabbed my bins for a better look and so I could get an accurate count for my eBird list. As I looked through the bins, I noticed there was one pigeon down on the feeder pole and it looked a bit strange. As I focused in I saw the yellow beak and yellow feet of this large pigeon. Suddenly my mind and heart were racing! What? Yellow feet? Yellow beak with a black tip? OH MY GOODNESS! I have a Band-tailed Pigeon in my back yard! Fortunately my camera was within reach and I stood up and started snapping away through the double-paned window. I was hoping to work my way over to the slider and poke the camera out for an unobstructed shot, but the pigeon saw me and took off over the wall. I have not seen it since! I have only seen this species one time before in Madera Canyon and then it was a single young bird resting underneath a bush at the Madera Picnic area. Band-tailed pigeons are woodland birds that feed on acorns, so it was highly surprising to me to find one in my own backyard!

On August 21st I had a Yellow Warbler stop by.

This was  a new yard bird for me and made species #58 on my yard list. A few days later when I was sitting outside eating breakfast and talking on the phone with my sister I was shocked to see an Osprey flying west to east over my back yard. I tried to stand up and grab my camera to take a shot, but my mistake was I did not drop the phone. Before I could get focused the Osprey was gone! I berated myself for the rest of the day for not dropping the phone. I know my sister would have understood! The Osprey was species #59!

On August 30th this hawk flew in for a look. I eBirded it as a Cooper’s but am wondering if it is a Sharp-shinned. Look how sharp and skinny those legs look! However, the bird seemed large and it seemed to have that more capped rather than hooded appearance. It’s rusty barred breast indicates that this is an adult bird. There is much overlap in size between Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks and even the experts have trouble sometimes identifying the birds in the field. What species do you think it is?

Towards the end of August we had a violent monsoon storm which flooded my yard and blew over the dead tobacco tree. For awhile the birds still used it for a perch in its horizontal position but I finally had the landlord remove it. I think the birds miss it. I know I do because I use to hang bird feeders off of it!

I was quite surprised and pleased to see this little House Wren show up on September 3rd before my trip to Utah and Yellowstone National Park. It was species #60 on my yard list!

I was standing at the sink washing dishes when I noticed the movement in the grass. Without my glasses on I couldn’t see detail but I could tell the bird was behaving differently from the finches. I always keep my binoculars nearby and when I saw what kind of bird species it was I grabbed my camera and took a few shots through the window. I did my best to focus, but the double panes do blur the image out some, no matter what I do.

The Band-tailed Pigeon is species #61 in my yard.

(You can see the complete yard list in the sidebar.)

 Warbling Vireo at Agua Caliente Park 9-4-13

Sometimes when you do something good, something good happens in return. Though I was not expecting a reward the day I took my grandson to school for his dad. My son had early meetings and did not have time to drop his son at school. It was a task I was happy to do, but since my grandson’s school is so close to Agua Caliente Park it only made sense to me to bring along my camera and binoculars and go for a short walk and do a quick bird count. I thought I would stay at the park about twenty to thirty minutes and then get home and back to work. I had so much to do before leaving for our trip to Utah and Yellowstone National Park. After a quick good-bye I was on my way.

Wednesday, September 4th was a hot and sunny day. As I drove into the park I was surprised by the lack of people and cars in the parking lot. So many times lately when I have birded here this place has been so busy! Now it was mostly quiet except for a couple of workers doing grounds keeping. As I put on my binocular harness and donned my hat and camera a stiff breeze blew helping to mitigate the heat of the day. Already I can hear bird calls and songs. I look beneath a nearby lime tree where I find a pair of young cardinals bathing in the irrigation water beneath the tree. The male flew up soaking wet to the top of the tree while the female heads for the shade of a nearby mesquite tree. The mesquite tree is part of a cluster of foliage that includes palms and other bushes and trees that line the stream and runs from the spring to the pond. The thick foliage casts a cool dark shade over the area and draws me and the birds to its canopy. This area is very active and I soon spot my first MacGillivry’s warbler of the year.

Poking around in this same vegetation I find Warbling Vireos, Canyon and Abert’s Towhees, Western Tanagers, and a Black Phoebe (pictured above)! While the sun blazes above, this area is nothing but cools greens and grays. I cross the now dry stream bed in search of the birds I am hearing.

Out in the bright sunshine again I see a pair of Cedar Waxwings near the entrance to Agua Caliente Park perched in a dead snag. Gila Woodpeckers call and fly from tree to tree. Purple Martins soar on darkened wings against the clear blue sky chattering amicably to one another in flight. These are the sights and sounds that make me happy and bring me peace.

But the heat of the sun causes me to seek the shade once again. As I near the edge of the pond I am amazed to find a Yellow-breasted Chat working its way up through a tree. This bird is very silent for a chat, but a chat nonetheless and the first time I have ever seen this species at this location! It quickly becomes apparent to me that I will be staying here longer than twenty minutes! There are birds everywhere! While I am enjoying my time alone, I also wish that Chris Rohrer could be here because I know that he would be going nuts over all these birds! However, I decide to relax and enjoy the peacefulness and the rush of excitement each time I see another bird!

Western Tanagers were everywhere!

I hear the scolding of a House Wren, then find the tiny gray bird in the reeds!

In a nearby tree I spot a Ladder-backed Woodpecker!

It just kept getting better! There are not many ducks in the pond, though, just the typical mallards. I did happen to see a Great Blue Heron rise on ponderous wings when I first arrived, but I do not even find a coot on this day. I work my way across the lawn and past the old farm house to the trail beyond that leads into the mesquite bosque. All is still in the soft green-gray shade as branches reach across the path and form an speckled tunnel.

So many times I have wandered down this path searching for the elusive Northern Beardless Tyrannulet. I searched for it with Chris Rohrer on the first day I met him here. Earlier this spring Gordon Karre and I searched for it twice on the same day with no luck. I have looked for it on my own. A couple of weeks ago Gus and I came on a Sunday morning and sat at a picnic table by the pink house and the abandoned nest for 40 minutes hoping to see the bird, but still with no luck. The Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet had become my nemesis bird. I have been looking for it since I first moved to Tucson and became an eBirder over 6 years ago. Now I heard something! It was something different! I moved slowly and waited. There was no one but me on the path. Tiny birds moved through the thick twigs as if I did not exist. I felt as if the whole world was holding its breath, and then I saw this:

 Could it be true?

Then it flew into view and there was no mistaking it!

A Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet!

*Life Bird Number 458!

And while the tyrannulet flutters around me I also find a Nashville Warbler and another McGillivry’s! I don’t know who to watch or photograph first!

But the Tyrannulets make it easy for me when they come even closer as if to inspect me! Yes, there are more than one! Wow! What a way to conquer a nemesis bird! I had arrived at Aqua Caliente Park around 8:30 AM. By now it is after 10 and the temperature is rising. As I gaze at the birds through my bins a mom and her little son came walking down the path. They want to know if the path continues in a loop and I tell them that it does. I am happy to see this mom taking her son out to enjoy nature, but I am hot, tired and thirsty. I realize that it is time for me to go. So, I turn and begin my walk back to the car. As I emerge from the bosque trail onto the grounds of the park I spot a small sparrow in the grass.

A juvenile Chipping Sparrow!

What a way to end my morning of birding at Agua Caliente Park! When I left the house this morning I never expected this. And while I will always be more than happy to help out my son and give my grandson a ride to school I can’t help but think that finding the tyrannulet was my reward for the day and anyone who saw me could tell by my smile how happy I was! I carried that contentment and satisfaction around in my heart for the rest of the day like a tiny chirping bird!

Birding Agua Caliente Park

Time of arrival: 8:30 AM

Total Time Birding: 2 hours 17 minutes

Distance Traveled: 1/2 mile

Birds seen at Agua Caliente Park on September 4, 2013:

1. Mallards-13
2. Great Blue Heron-1
3. Turkey Vulture-2
4. red-tailed hawk-1
5. Mourning Dove-2
6. Broad-billed Hummingbird-3
7. Gila Woodpecker-12
8. Ladder-backed Woodpecker-1
9. American kestrel-1
10. *Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet-2
11. Black Phoebe-2
12. Vermillion flycatcher-2
13. Bell’s Vireo-1
14. Warbling Vireo-6
15. Purple martin-6
16. Verdin-8
17. House Wren-1
18. Bewick’s Wren-1
19. Cactus Wren-2
20. Curve-billed thrasher-1
21. Cedar Waxwing-2
22. Nashville Warbler-1 (FOTY)
23. MacGillivry’s Warbler-3 (FOTY)
24. Wilson’s Warbler-8
25. Yellow-breasted Chat-1
26. Green-tailed Towhee-1
27. Canyon Towhee-2
28. Abert’s Towhee-2
29. Chipping Sparrow-1
30. summer Tanager-1
31. Western Tanager-8
32. Northern Cardinal-2
33. House Finch-6
34. Lesser Goldfinch-14

*Life Bird-a bird species a birder has seen for the first time in their life. Most birders keep a Life List of all the bird species they have seen and I am no different! (Click on the link to see posts about other Life Birds I have found.)