you might be a birdnerd if

Vacation Birding II

2011-08-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

To continue with our adventures "back east", I forgot to tell you about something else my lovely wife did for me. While we were talking to Tim Griffith in his Wild Birds Unlimited store, he showed us the new Crossley ID Guide for Eastern Birds. They haven't distributed the Western Guide yet, but as Tim says, about 40% of the birds in the Eastern Guide are found in the west as well. Tim actually used the Crossley Guide on our birding trip the following day. The cool thing about the Crossely Guide is that the pictures are photographs, like the Audubon guides, but have several different angles, in flight, male and female. So when you look on a page for a particular bird, you see that bird in a flock, on a wire, in flight, on the water as well as posing nice and big for the camera with it's family. This proved very helpful on several occasions as we got a glimpse of a bird flying into a tree line, or trying to hide in reeds and grasses. When we looked there was a picture that looked very similar to what we were trying to figure out what it was.

When I got home from the birding trip with Tim, talking like a schoolboy about our adventures, lying on the table was the Crossley ID guide, with a note on the inside cover and signed by Tim Griffith. See why we have been together 30 years?

Anyway, from Indiana, we drove our "new" car south to Georgia where more family live. There again, I can't tell you how nice these people were. They made it a point to show me places to go looking for birds. We rode bicycles through large wooded parks where I was able to get the Red-headed Woodpecker, a lifer for me and got me excited. My nephew-in-law(?), who was riding with me said, "Shoot, if that's all you want I can show you where there are lots of them near the house. They're everywhere." He was right, they were rather common for Georgia, but not so much for California. Same thing for the Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebirds, Eastern Meadowlarks, and more. Indigo Buntings were a target bird of mine, and they were literally everywhere. For them it wasn't very exciting, seeing their normal birds, but for me even the ubiquitous Northern Cardinals were worth a stop and look.

Georgia was also pretty humid and warm, but not quite like we experienced in Indiana. We were taken out on a boat for part of the day one day, and floated and talked lazily in the warm water. I was surprised to see a few Canada Geese still hanging out on the lake. I was able to see Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures soaring along the shoreline while we enjoyed the sun and water.

They pointed me to a trailhead and soon I was hiking along the Chattahoochie River where people were floating on all sorts of devices, including kayaks, canoes, inner tubes, air mattresses and more. Some were fishing while the current took them downriver, while others dozed. I hiked along the shore and found myself in a thick forest with deer moving in the shadows, birds on the branches and peoples voices in the distance. It was beautiful.

(The view from the trail along the Chattahoochie River)

(The trail along the Chattahoochie River)

After our visit we decided to drive along the Gulf Coast toward home. My wife looked on the map, (yes a paper, real map), and looked for anyplace that had NWR (National Wildlife Refuge) after the name. We discussed our time constraints, distances, money and more and agreed to stop at certain places where we may have the best chance to see some of my target birds. I wanted to see Swallow Tail Kites, Aninga, Roseate Spoonbills, and more.

On our way I read a little about the area and it explained the difference between a swamp and marsh. Basically, a swamp is a wet forest, where a marsh is more of an ever changing wetland. Huh.

I think I saw a Mississippi Kite while we were traveling along the freeway, as the bird I saw looked a lot like the Kite in my new Crossley Guide. However, I didn't trust my 70 mph identification and didn't count it on my list of 30 lifers.

We were trying to find one of the NWR's and driving through farmland when I did see something flare off to the right. I asked my wife to stop and I jumped out with the bino's. Yep, off in one of the open fields was a small flock of Black Bellied and Fulvous Whistling Ducks. I saw some more later, but always in singles or pairs, not the eight or ten I saw on the farm. Off we went again.

I found out something on this trip that I knew in my head, but it didn't really sink in until I experienced it for myself. Birding is dangerous in the south.

In the desert, the terrain is open and you can see for miles. Landmarks are large trees, boulders, or mountains. In the south, once you are in the forest, swamp, etc, many times you are engulfed in thick forest and grassy undergrowth. Beautiful but hard to keep your bearings. Also, in the desert there are things that bite. In the south, there are things that will eat you. I found alligators in Alabama, Louisiana, and got up close and personal with one in Texas. In one pond I counted 28 in Aransas, Texas.

I was hiking along the coast trail in Aransas looking for Roseate Spoonbills, when the trail got grassy and brushy, then overgrown with trees. I came around a blind corner naively trying to look over the growth the see the beach and hopefully the Spoonbills, and met an eight to nine foot alligator resting just off the trail. I didn't try to measure him accurately, it is an estimate. Big should suffice. That got the adrenaline going, but I did take a couple pics with our little pocket camera.

(Big ol'gator in Aransas, Texas. I didn't get a picture of the pig.)

While I was edging around this fella, I heard a grunting noise in the brush behind me. That got my adrenaline free-flowing. Having nothing to use as a weapon, except for my small bino's attached to a harness on my chest, and a camera the size of a credit card, I turned and shouted at the wild pig making its way through the brush. That was enough for him, and I heard him go through the brush away from me grunting and snapping twigs as he moved on. Now I noticed the sun was setting, and the trail ahead was going deeper into overgrowth. I just knew that I would find the other dangerous animals they had been warning us about during the whole trip, water moccasins. I moved rather rapidly along the trail, eyes glued to the ground looking for any irregularity in the leaf litter. I finally made it to a wooden plank trail and was able to see the beach, but no Spoonbills. I finally showed up at the car as the sun was dropping behind the horizon, much to my relief and calming my wife's imagination. Like swimming in the ocean, it is a good idea until you are out there and remember there are sharks there too, this was a good idea until we remembered we were miles from anywhere and just about the only people in the park. I did get a good pic of an alligator, though.
The experience did raise my respect for you birders in the south, though. Give me a rattlesnake any day.

You might be a birdnerd if...you forget you are in alligator country and don't to look down until it is too late.

Vacation Birding

2011-08-12T20:02:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! It took a while to get to the new post because we took a short vacation. My wife and I flew to her sister's in Indiana for a visit, and to buy their car. They had just purchased a newer car, and we bought the old one from them.

My sister-in-law is a relatively new birder, having put up bird feeders in her back yard and becoming aware of the species coming to visit. We have talked on the phone and exchanged emails about what kinds of birds she should expect to see, what to look for in the way of identification and more. So, I thought I would do two things to help fan the flame if you will. I brought her my copy of the Sibley guide to birds, and my old spotting scope that I rarely use anymore. As it turns out she can sit on her patio and look over a couple acres of open grassland that is bordered by tall trees on two sides. It is very comfortable to sit on her patio and scan the flocks of Red-Wing Blackbirds, Sparrows, Cardinals, and Dickcissels.

While we visited I picked up a couple lifers just watching her back yard feeders. One was a Brown Thrasher(Toxostoma rufum), who was a regular visitor each morning I was there.

My in-laws were so very gracious and hospitable, they made sure there were birding locations nearby that we went to nearly every day we were there. They live near the "Tri-State" area of Indiana, so they literally can be in Kentucky, Indiana, or Illinois within an hour. So we hiked and birded John James Audubon Park in Kentucky, Weselman Park in Indiana and Hovely Lake. I added the Indigo Bunting(Passerina cyanea), and Carolina Chickadee(Poecile carolinensis) at the Audubon park. My wife picked up a Kentucky Woods Bourbon Barrel Cake, which satisfied our sweet tooth.

My sister-in-law buys her feed from Tim and Margi Griffith who are owner/operators of the Wildbirds Unlimited Nature Shop in Evansville, Indiana, (email; wbuevansville@gmail.com or website of www.wbu.com/evansville). She really wanted me to meet Tim as he is knowledgeable about birds in the area. One day we drove to the store and found Tim. We talked for a little while about birds, birding locations, and he wrote down a couple locations for us to visit. Then he asked us to wait a minute, went to the back of the store and returned a short time later. He asked me what I was doing at 5:30 the next morning. When I answered in my very articulate, "Uhhh..." He said if I would meet him in the parking lot at 5:30 the next morning he would take me to a place to see the Blue Grosbeak, and other potential "lifers".

I cannot say enough about this as I am a born and bred California boy, who wouldn't take a complete stranger out in the woods to do anything, much less "bird". However, he offered, I accepted, and by golly we were somewhere deep in the corner of Indiana where there were open farmlands, riparian areas along a riverbank, marshland. It took a little work, but we did find the Blue Grosbeak,(Passerina coerulea), several egrets, Blue Herons, and many Dickcissels. We saw a couple coyotes as well that seemed very healthy. People were driving up and down the dirt roads and to my amazement several stopped to talk to us. It was as if I was in my home city where I met several people I knew and caught up on what they are doing, only these were complete strangers. An odd experience for me.

It was along one of these dirt roads that I saw one my most exciting lifers, the Prothonatory Warbler (Protonotaria citrea). A beautiful little bird with a yellow body, and gray-blue wings. There were Wood ducks, Black Terns, Eastern Kingbirds, Eastern Meadowlarks, Henslow's Sparrow(which I would not have gotten without Tim's help)and more at this magical place. I wish I could tell you where it was, but we drove on dirt farm roads without markings for so long I can't hazard a guess. So I would suggest that if you find yourself in or near Evansville, Indiana, you contact Tim or Margi Griffith at the above websites or at (812)476-BIRD, and they will help you out.

(Tim birding early in the morning.)

(This was where we saw the Prothonotary Warbler. Tough to find in this stuff.)

As we were leaving, we flushed a Northern Bobwhite to run along the road for a good look. We had heard them all morning calling their name, "Bob White!" but hadn't seen one until we were leaving.

Tim was telling me how much trouble he gets into when he is birding and is late for opening the store as we returned to the parking lot. We weren't too late, and he immediately set about the opening process as the car barely came to a stop. He took time to shake hands and wish me luck, then off to work he went. I hope Margi and the others working in the store went easy on him as he performed a work of kindness to a fellow birder. I was so surprised by his offer, and appreciative of his knowledge and enthusiasm. Saying Thank you is not enough.

Weselman Park and John James Audubon Parks are old growth forest that has been protected for many years. As such they are beautiful, and full of life. At the Audubon Park my sister-in-law and I hiked a couple of the trails, and found toads, turtles, skinks as well as Chickadees and Blue Jays and more.

(Marcie, my sister-in-law hiking in John James Audubon Park, Kentucky. Note the Grapevine and Poison Ivy growing on the tree.)

This is where I learned Eastern Birders have many more challenges than Western Birders. Western Birders have heat and dust to contend with, and sometimes wind, but Eastern Birders had the oppressive heat and humidity combination that sucks the breath from you by 8:00 or 9:00 in the morning. We hiked several places in deep forest with a thick canopy of trees overhead that did nothing but hold in the thick humidity. I was dripping sweat and fogging my glasses. Add the most annoying millions of mosquitoes and ticks and there are a lot of distractions for the average birder in that part of the country.

Also, the old growth forest houses a ton of great wildlife, but makes the birding very difficult as it affords a lot of places for birds to hide. There were several times that I could see leaves moving, catch glimpses of a bird in the branches, but they were so hidden I couldn't make the id. This is why birders from these parts are so good at birding by ear. You can't see to make an id!

This brings up an old story that I love. A birder friend of mine was brushing up on bird calls by using a CD in his car stereo while driving along a long stretch of road in Utah. He was stopped by the local gendarme because apparently he was weaving over the broken white line. When the officer asked if he had been drinking, he answered no he hadn't. When he asked if he were tired, the birder said no, he was listening to bird calls on his stereo and got distracted. He turned up the stereo so the officer could hear. The officer laughed, "That's a first for me, you can go. Have a nice day!" He walked all the way back to his car laughing.

You might be a birdnerd if...you use bird calls to get out of a ticket.

Checking with the Kids

2011-06-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Well, the kids are almost grown now. We have empty nest syndrome for our Hummingbirds as both the babies have fledged.
I was able to grab some photos of the little guys before they left and include them here. We are so proud.

(This is a couple weeks prior with both little ones still in the nest)

(This is the last one just before flying away)

Also, the geese are nearly as big as their parents and getting their adult plumage. I haven't seen them attempting to fly yet, but have some pics of them grazing with their mom and dad.

We may have lost a baby mallard or two but there are still a few following the parents around the pond. They are in adult plumage by now as well, but still hanging as a family unit.

Speaking of kids, my sons came home for a little R&R and discovered a couple things for me. They went out to the golf course as the sun went down, and my oldest (a naturalist that manages the Los Cerritos Wetlands near Long Beach), came into the house and told me I had to come see the bats over the pond. I went out and there were easily 60-80 Mexican Freetail bats, as well as 7-10 Nighthawks, as well as several Tree Swallows in a veritable feeding frenzy over the pond. This was fascinating for a few reasons, one of which was this event was virtually invisible from our house. The animals were unimpressed by us standing and staring at them, oohing and ahhing as if watching a fireworks show. They flew within a few feet, diving and turning abruptly to snag the little bugs rising from the brackish pond.

I have been out several times since and it is always a thrilling sight.

One other thing my boys introduced me to was a new place to explore, called the Thousand Palms Wildlife Refuge. My son bought a book by James Cornett, a local biologist, that described the location and others. It is a preserve mainly for the Fringe-toed Lizard, but also for the Desert Pupfish, and the series of oases that the palm trees grow around. Mr. Cornett wrote in his book that he counted only 700 palms in the area, we didn't count on this trip. We were impressed by the area and the things we saw.

We wandered along the well marked trails starting about 7:00AM to avoid the high heat. As we rounded a corner into a palm grove surrounding a good sized pond, we heard first then saw two Kestrels that were focused on something high in the trees. Soon a Barn Owl floated from one of the trees and immediately the Kestrels were on it. The Owl flew to a tree and dove into it. The Kestrels continued their noisy haranguing until the Owl again flew to another perch, which they immediately dive-bombed him as he flew. This continued for three or four more times as we ran around the trails to get better looks, until the Owl decided another area was more suitable.

As I moved along the trail I noticed little House Finches were also putting up a racket and staying close to one area. I then saw some movement on the ground. I noticed a baby bird moving in the detritus on the ground until it found a hiding place under an old palm frond. There the little guy sat and stared out at me, confident he was invisible.

We continued wandering along the trail to the end near a large sand dune that was the Fringe-Toed Lizard habitat. As we worked our way down the loop we saw several lizards, and finally one good-sized Desert Iguana. This guy was about 1 to 1 1/2 feet long and not to concerned with our presence.

(My boys leading the way down the trail)

(The Desert Iguana, notice the ridge down his back)

It was a terrific hike, and beautiful for all the different animals, the water, the different geology we could see from the vista point, sand dunes and more. This is definitely another place I will have to explore more. We met Ginnie Short and Don who manage the preserve. Today they were harvesting crayfish out of the ponds in order to make it more hospitable for the Desert Pupfish they expect to re-populate the ponds. They were very kind and took time from their efforts to talk with us and share information. The visitor center is a quaint little place that at least looks like an old log cabin in the middle of a stand of palm trees, and is closed during the summer months. However, they do check voicemails left at the phone number regularly.

We almost outsmarted the heat, but not quite. By the time we were back to the car, we were out of water and pretty tired. We then drove back to Palm Springs for a smoothie at another new discovery for me, a vegetarian restaurant at 611 S. Palm Canyon, called the Palm Greens Cafe. It was cool inside and they had the March of the Penguins playing inside which made it cooler still. The smoothies were good, the hike was fun, and it was good to share these things with my sons. A good day all way round.

You might be a birdnerd if...you feel a bit of loss when a bird fledges its nest in your yard. Will they return? Will they write? or call? Will they bring their family to introduce you to them?

We have new babies!!

2011-05-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

No, not in our house, but on the golf course. Let me explain myself.

I was curious as to why a pair of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) had not left with the rest of the flock. I watched and last week saw three babies accompanying the parents around a pond on the golf course. Ahhh, mystery solved.

Then, today, I saw two separate families of Canada Geese, one with three new goslings, and one with two. Now the babies are about half the size of their parents and following them around. It was fun to watch the little ones mimicking their parents. When the adults dipped their bills into the pond, so would the babies. I will keep an eye on the new arrivals and keep track of their progress.

I also noticed something while taking the family photos. One of the adults, the female I think, has a narrow white ring around the base of the neck and was somewhat smaller than the other. I thought it was an Aleutian, but the bill seems too long and the ring on my bird was too narrow according the picture in Sibley's guide. I thought it might possibly be a Cackling Goose, but the head was not round and the bill too long on my bird, although the neck ring is narrow and more subtle on the Sibley guide picture like my bird. I am wondering if it is just a variation of the more Common Canada Goose, with a necklace, or a hybrid Aleutian and Common subspecies? I am open to any suggestions, please email me at philparker02@gmail.com.

Note the subtle ring around the base of the neck of this bird. It is hard to show here, but this is somewhat smaller than its' partner.

This is the partner and clearly a Common Canada Goose, (Branta canadensis), for comparison.

While following and watching the geese, I saw a family of Mallards, (Anas platryhnchos), swimming in the pond. It was great watching the little squadron moving in a controlled manner around the edge of the pond.

I also saw what I believe to be a Spotted Sandpiper, (Actitis macularia) working its way around the edge of the pond. This one had the particular bobbing behavior I read about. This means the bird probed the mud along the waters edge, then looked like it was going to sit down, then changed it's mind and stood up, then sit, then stand, bobbing up and down three or four times. It would then walk along probing the mud, then bob up and down three or four times again.

I saw this bird while photographing the geese, and when I walked toward it saw it disappear on the near bank of the pond. I walked to where I saw it vanish, and couldn't find it. Then, within a foot of my, well...foot, the bird flushed and flew to the far bank and went about it's business as if nothing had happened.

I saw a couple other birds while wandering around the golf course, one was an American Widgeon, (Anas americana), sitting with a pair of Mallards. I don't know why this one did not leave with the flock of several hundred that come each year and leave in April sometime. Any ideas?

Also, skimming the top of the pond for bugs was a Kingbird, (Tyrannus verticals).

You might be a birdnerd if...you spend a beautiful Sunday morning walking the golf course taking family photos of the birds who have taken residence there.

Last Birdwalk at CV Wildbird Center for the year

2011-05-07T22:07:00.000-07:00

Awww! Today was the last birdwalk of the season for the Coachella Valley Wildbird Center. Sandy Swan led the group, fighting through a case of laryngitis to do so. Elizabeth and her fiance helped spot birds, calling out from time to time. He was amazing at spotting birds without using binoculars. Well done, sir!

It was an amiable group of about 13 people who braved the rising temperatures to wander around the wetlands searching for birds. Or perhaps in order to earn the cinnamon rolls Linda York was baking back at the main house. Either way, it was fun.

We started out on the ponds, but today the only thing we saw on the closest pond was a "No Swimming" sign. It was a good thing there was this warning, too, as it would have been very difficult to swim there safely. At one point a Canada Goose with two adopted goslings walked across this pond to sit lazily in the shade behind the main house.

We walked, talked, and called out birds we saw as we chattered away walking from the ponds, to the large Cottonwood trees at the east end of the property. We then wandered along the fence toward the ponds and had a Killdeer, (Charadrius vociferus), very upset at us for getting too close to her nest. The vociferus portion of this bird's name is very apt. During our walk there were several Killdeer being very vociferous. We never found a nest, but the birds made every effort to gain our attention and take it away from the nest. They called loudly, ran in front of us, flew in circles close by trying to draw us into a chase away from the area. The only thing we didn't see was the injured wing act, in which the Killdeer drops one wing down and drags it as it limps away in order to make the predator believe it is injured and vulnerable, only to fly away when the attacker tries for the easy meal. As Sandy said, we walked past in order to keep the Killdeer from getting a heart attack they were so alarmed.

We saw a small flock of Yellowheaded Blackbirds that disappeared before I could get a picture. At the ponds we saw male and female Cinnamon Teal, (Anas cyanopthera), Redhead, (Aythya americana) as well as Shovelers and Mallards, Coots and Moorhens.

Sandy was able to help some of us tell the difference between the Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) and the Redhead. The Redhead, which we had at the ponds, has the blue bill with the black tip and the darker gray body. The body is gray as the Canvasback, but the Redhead is a little darker, which is a good secondary feature to look for, but the bill color is a clincher as the Canvasback is black.

(A Redhead between two Eared Grebes)

Don, one of the leaders of the birdwalks at The Living Desert, called out Eared Grebes(Podiceps nigricollis) on the first pond, but no one else saw them. They turned out to be on the second and third ponds, in full breeding plumage. Someone called him the Nostradamus of birdwatchers, seeing birds in the future.

(A pair of Eared Grebes that Don predicted would appear)

(A Ruddy Duck in full breeding plumage)

Later, Elizabeth found a Western Grebe, (Aechmorphorus occidentals), in the last pond we strolled around. This was after she retrieved a used Marsh Wren nest and proudly displayed it as she walked back to the group.

Speaking of Marsh Wrens, (Cistothorus palustris), there were many in the reeds around all of the ponds. One of the wrens was building a nest near the tower. I was able to get closer and got a couple pics of the little fellow industriously weaving his nest. It was fun to note that he used wet pieces of reed that had fallen into the water as material to weave together as a nest. I always marvel at their skill in nestbuilding, without the use of hands. I can't build furniture from IKEA with directions and a helpline, as well as hands and opposable thumbs, so using feet and a beak is amazing to me.

After wandering the ponds and seeing Caspian Terns, White-Faced Ibis flying overhead, a Red-Tail Hawk landing in a large Cottonwood tree near the entrance, we went back to the main house where the cinnamon rolls were ready. Coffee, cinnamon rolls and a couple bird guides were on the table as the count of the day was tallied. Linda's baby ducks, Burrowing Owl, Kestrel, and other patients were witness to the last day of the season. I am sure they were, like us, looking forward to October when the birdwalks will start up again.

(Elizabeth and Sandy on the left working on the count of the day)

You might be a birdnerd if... you hike for hours for cinnamon rolls.

Backyard surprises

2011-05-07T21:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am retired and hanging around the house a lot. I have had the opportunities to do a lot more birding than I have before, such as all the Christmas Bird Counts, outings at the Coachella Valley Wildbird Center, The Living Desert and more. It has been great.

So, while I am puttering around the house I noticed something different at the feeders. This is late April early May, so Spring is ending and all the snowbirds (both literally the migrating birds and the Canadians who come to the desert for winter), have fled to cooler climes. So this time of year we see several birds come through our yards, such as the Black-Headed Grosbeak, and Hooded Orioles. Every year I see a few Brown Headed Cowbirds show up at my feeders. This year I have seen flocks, sometimes fifteen to twenty at a time. Today, in amongst the Brown Headed Cowbirds, I saw something different.

I was sitting with Andi, my lovely wife of nearly 30 years, on our patio talking, when I jumped up and ran to the bedroom, (now, now, this is a family blog!) grabbed my camera and rushed back. There he was, a Bronzed Cowbird, (Molothrus avenues), was feeding at one of my feeders. As you can see from this photo, it is larger, and has a very red eye. It wasn't a life bird like I first thought, but it had been years since I had seen one. I apologized to my wife, but by this time she was very understanding.

The next day or so I walked by an open window at the front of my house and looked over at the golf course that we live across the street from, and saw something exciting. I again rushed for my camera, and out into the golf course I went in my flip-flops and dirty t-shirt.

I stalked my prey and was able to snap some photos of a mother and father Mallard duck,(Anas plantyrhinchus), and their duckling.

But my real prey was much bigger. Literally, two Canada Geese, (Branta canadensis), were herding their three goslings around the pond on the course. I was allowed some photos with promises of some wallet sized for their albums, and share them with you today.

Notice the size of the baby goose compared to the Widgeon, (Anas americana), that is full grown and really should have left for the north a couple weeks ago. Now he is the favorite uncle and helping out the proud parents.

You might be a birdnerd if... you lose all your manners and rush to see a new bird in the middle of a conversation. You might be married to a birdnerd if you understand completely, because it has happened so many times before.

Birdwalk at Living Desert

2011-04-14T14:12:00.000-07:00

This is the year for new things. Today I got to do something I did not even know we could do, at least until a couple weeks ago. The Living Desert, a local small zoo that specializes in desert flora and fauna, hosts a morning birdwalk on the third Thursday of each month. They don't hold the walks during the summer, June, July, August and September, as it is too hot for both birds and people. I got to go on this month's walk. Since I started volunteering there at the beginning of this month I have found out several fun things that are going on. The birdwalk was just one event the Living Desert holds, including the upcoming Brew at the Zoo event that features music, dancing, tours, and of course beer and wine. There are campouts called Starry Safari, tours of all kinds, dinner events, concerts and interpretive tours of the park for all ages.

I remember some of the events from when the kids were younger such as the Starry Safari, but that has been some time ago, and they have made many improvements to the park since then. If you haven't been in a while, it is worthwhile checking out.

I looked into volunteering at the Living Desert earlier in the year, but they only have so many training days for their volunteers and the last one for this season was in late March. I attended that and had my interview the following week. Judy Greene is the coordinator for the 500 or so volunteers at the Living Desert, and my interview was with her. At that interview, Ms. Greene told me she only had an opening at the Hummingbird and Butterfly exhibit and would that be ok. For a birdnerd? You kidding?!! Anyway, I told her that would be fine and started the following Saturday.

I walked inside the exhibit and it took my breath away. You have to go through a double door system to get in or out of the exhibit, which helps keep the creatures in while the people come and go. As I entered the second door butterflies of all sizes and colors were floating around a full garden of flowers, small trees, water fountains, and more. Hummingbirds zipped about inside the enclosure. As I walked around inside, there were several small nests, some with eggs, at least one with small birds beaks sticking out. In short, a heavenly place of solitude and life.

I have had a terrific time watching families come into the enclosure. While the kids try to get butterflies to climb onto their fingers and show off to anyone who will look their prizes, the parents marvel at the surroundings and numbers and colors of the floating butterflies. Everyone smiles. You can't help it.

Today though, we met with Judy Greene and Don Hay at the front gates to the zoo, where they introduced themselves and began the walk. They led the way through the park looking and listening to the birds that have come from the wild to visit or make their home in the park. (Don Hay is the guy in the blue shirt and he was our leader with Judy Greene)
(More of our group)

As we wandered around we saw Gambel's Quail, (Callipepla gambelii), Phainopepla, (Phainopepla intense), Lesser Goldfinch, (Carduelis psaltria), and Verdin, (Auriparus flaviceps). They were all busy foraging in the relative peace of the as yet unopened park, (at least to the public). The quail were moving through the large model train exhibit the park has. The model trains are all built and maintained by volunteers and each day there is something new in the elaborate recreations of old towns, mountainsides, lakes and streams they build. As the quail made its way through the small town with wooden buildings, it reminded me of Godzilla in those bad movies terrorizing "cities" in Japan. So I named this one the Godzilla quail, (Callipepla godzillii). We will see if it sticks and makes it to the textbooks. (Quail-zilla terrorizing the small town at the train exhibit)

The thrill of the day for me was by the Bighorn exhibit. There are some good sized Palo Verde trees there, and in those trees, (across from the Hummingbird/Butterfly exhibit), was a Nashville Warbler, (Vermivora ruficapilla). The Sibley guide describes the call as a metallic spink, and this is what we heard while he flitted busily in the thickest portions of the trees, always just out of clear sight. The guides say to look for a white eye-ring, and red on the blue-grey head. I didn't see either one of these markings, but did see the yellow body, grey head and greenish back and wings. I heard the spink as well. This was a lifer for me, so it was exciting and worth the walk. (This was the best shot of the Nashville Warbler)

As we wandered and looked inside the exhibits as well as the gardens between, a Double crested Cormorant, (Phalacrocorax azurites) flew almost directly over us. Later, a pair of Hooded Orioles, (Icterus cucullatus) flew over us as well. They were a male and female pair making their way back north in a leisurely fashion. (One of the "wild" Costa's Hummingbirds spending time at the zoo)
(A female Phainopepla feeding on these beans in one of the gardens between the exhibits)

As we walked we listened to coyotes howling from their pen, recordings of various birds and animals of the world, including the famous Kookaburra bird that makes it way to all the jungle movies from the early Tarzan to modern times. The funny thing is Kookaburra's are Australian and don't live in their jungles either. They are more like a Jay in that they will take your picnic lunch from you while you are still sitting at the table if you are not careful. Don shared some information I thought was interesting, many of the names we associate today with the various birds, Nuttall's woodpecker, Say's Phoebe, and more are names of military leaders that were amateur naturalists as well. He said many would collect samples of flora and fauna and send them to professional naturalists, like John James Audubon whose namesake is the famous society dedicated to saving birds. Mr. Audubon would then honor them by naming the creature after the first person that supplied him with a specimen that hadn't been identified before. Lewis' Woodpecker was "discovered" by Mr. Lewis from the Lewis and Clarke expedition. While many of the birds' names are a description of the bird or habitat it can be found in, like the Orchard Oriole or Spot-Breasted Oriole, many are named after the people who discovered them, and many of them, according to Don Hay, were high ranking military men of the time.

So all in all, it was a very satisfying two hours or so. I got to get into the park again, saw a life bird, saw some old friends in the bird world and got outside early in the morning, a good day.

I don't like posting on the blog without at least one decent picture, so there hasn't been a post for a while. But I have to tell a story to show I haven't been idle. I have gotten onto an email list that keeps me updated on all the birds that have been seen all over Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Many are at least an hours drive from my home. However, stories like seeing 20+ Swainson's Hawks in a tree during a heavy rainstorm, and several Bald Eagles huddled together during a heavy wind are fun to hear.

One story of an unusual bird caught my attention. Someone saw a Dusky Capped Flycatcher, (Myiarchus tuberculifer) in Demuth Park, Palm Springs. The thing that is exciting about this is I can walk to this park. So I did. I stopped by twice going to and from different appointments and looked carrying camera and bins past tennis players, kids playing, and lovers in the park. Didn't see it.

I go onto my patio to do something and hear a call I haven't heard before. I look up and see the Dusky Capped Flycatcher sitting on the wire that brings my cable t.v. to my house. I ran inside to grab my camera and by the time I came out it was gone. I don't know why I work so hard at birding, hiking and all, I should sit on my patio and let them come to me.

You might be a birdnerd if...you wander around a zoo looking at the "wild" birds that aren't in cages. And enjoyed it immensely.

Something new

2011-03-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I did something I have never done before on Friday, March 18th, 2011. A good friend of mine, Amy Scheir was visiting Palm Springs with her partner, Stephanie. Stephanie is a teacher who was in Palm Springs to attend a teaching conference, so Amy had to find something to do during the day while Stephanie learned more about teaching. So, I invited Amy along and I picked her up at the hotel at a little after 7 AM.

I met with Kurt Leushner and a group of mostly faculty from College of the Desert near the Agriculture building at C.O.D., and we left in a car-a-van for a wildflower expedition. Kurt passed out small radios to drivers of their respective cars and down the freeway we went. He called out flowers and birds as we sped along on the radios.

Kurt told us we were going to Joshua Tree, as far as the Visitors Center, then back around toward Mecca, looking for various wildflowers. He led the way with his lovely wife, and two other passengers in his car east bound on the 1-10 freeway. He stopped first at the rest stop past Indio, where we took a short break, and took a look at the ponds behind the rest stop. There were Yellow-rumped Warblers in the trees near the picnic tables, but nothing else truly exciting.

We mounted up and headed further east to our first official stop, the pumping station. Kurt said he liked it there because you pretty much have the place to yourself as no one stops there. Kurt stopped looking for a particular flower, the Ghost Flower, that is supposed to be pretty rare. According to Kurt, three out of four years we don't see these flowers. We were there for a few minutes and Kurt was showing us various flowers and shrubs when Bob, (who rode with Elizabeth, you remember her from leading the birdwalk at the Wildbird Center earlier in the month), called out he had found a Ghost Flower. Kurt confirmed the find and pointed it out it was exactly where it was supposed to be, at the edge of a wash in the sandy area before the rocky bank. This was where we found our first Beavertail Cactus in bloom as well. Kurt showed us how the stamen inside the flower closed up on whatever found its way inside the flower, so that they all shared their pollen with the visitor and not just the chance one the visitor happened to brush up against. I had never seen this in a plant other than carnivorous plants, and found it fascinating.

(Kurt showing us different plants)

(Kurt showing us how the stamen close up on visitors inside the Beavertail Cactus flower)

(Beavertail Cactus flower)

After the Pump Station, we went further east on the I-10 to the Cottonwood Canyon off-ramp toward the east entrance of Joshua Tree. As we turned onto the roadway and headed north into the National Park, (us old-timers still mistakenly call it the Monument), Kurt began to call out flowers he saw growing alongside the roadway until we found a pull out with a trailhead. We parked there and took the little loop where Kurt showed us Chuperosa, our first Monkey Flower, Purple Mat, as well as Bladder Pod and Chia. The interesting thing about the Chia, (no not the pet on t.v.), was that it grew up in a spiky ball that had small flowers that sprouted from the ball. The flowers bloom randomly and at different times in order to prolong their blooming season, all around this spiky ball, not all at once for a short time like some other plants.

(Chia flower)

(Ghost Flower that we didn't find was so rare this year)
We saw Yellow Cups, Yellow Poppy's, Arizona Lupine, Desert Chicory, Brown-eyed Primrose, Silver Cholla, Fiddleneck Desert Dandelion and Dune Sunflower, and more. Kurt was happy to find Fremont Pincushion and Wild Heliotrope or Phacelia as well. He walked us back away from the loop to show us the beautiful blue flowers of the Canterbury Bell that grew along the roadside in the gravel, right where they were supposed to be.

(Canterbury Bell flowers on roadside)

Even though this was supposed to be a so-so year, walking among the tall flowering Ocotillos, looking at all the flower cacti, and small flowers of bright yellow, purples, and blues covering the rocky and sandy soil was exciting and fun for me. I kept snapping photos. Several of the flowers like the Chia, Monkey Flowers, Purple Mat and others were what Kurt called "belly flowers" because to get a good look (or photo) they make you get down on your belly to see them. We also saw more Ghost Flowers here at the stop as well.

(Monkey Flower)

We then moved up to the road and pulled off in a small turnout parking lot. There we found Monkey Flower, Desert Filaree or Storksbill, Spanish Needles Dune Evening Primrose and more. I began walking down a wash area with Julie Bornstein, another attendee, while Kurt, Amy, and a couple others went over a small hill. I was walking and talking to Ms. Bornstein when I spied a Desert Tortoise propped on a rock. The rock was on a spine of sandstone that separated our two groups, one on one side of the hill and us on the other. I left Ms. Bornstein in mid-sentence and climbed the short distance to the tortoise calling for Kurt. My first wild Desert Tortoise, how exciting! I got up close and was looking for the best vantage point to take a good close up picture when I spied a small rattlesnake along the top of the spine of rock, just a couple feet from the tortoise. This was a small Speckled Rattlesnake who was fine until the rest of the group came to investigate, then he got a little nervous and worked his way down into a hole. The tortoise sat still the whole time and we left it alone, content to take pictures. Kurt's wife explained that trying to move or handle the wild tortoise could cause it to panic and expel its stored water, or hurt itself trying to escape. She explained it was best to leave it alone, but this was hard as the tortoise appeared to be in a kind of precarious position on the edge of a rock a foot or two up.

(It may look like I planted this Tortoise for the picture, but I swear this was what I saw while talking to poor Ms. Bornstein)

(The little rattlesnake near the tortoise as he decided it was better under the rocks)

The other dilemma we had was there was a much larger group coming behind us that was led by a Park Ranger. Kurt's wife caught the Ranger and told her about the finds, but the Ranger chose not to disclose this to the group in order to leave the animals in peace.

In all the years I have been hiking in the deserts, these were my first tortoise and rattlesnake to see in the wild. working in Palm Springs I found several rattlesnakes crossing roads, but never on my hikes in their "natural environment" like this one. This was worth the entire day for me. I wonder how many I tromped past in my hikes over the years, oblivious to their presence?

Of course, there were birds as well. We saw Loggerhead Shrikes, Phainopeplas,Black-chinned Sparrows, House finches, and Ravens.

We continued up into the Park to the Visitors Center where we had lunch and got to know each other better. After lunch we headed back down and out of the Park, across the freeway and onto Box Canyon Road toward Mecca.

I really enjoyed this drive as 1) it was new to me and I like the feeling of discovery; 2) the geology was very different, with the canyon we drove through changing from varicolored sandstone to sandy conglomerate of rocks that grew in straight walls on either side of the road. Sandy washes ran alongside the roadway, and every so often an open area would appear and trees or canyons would empty into these open areas and we would stop and fan out looking for new and different flowers and creatures.

It was in one of these wide areas with a couple large trees that we saw a Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher, Verdin, and Anna's Hummingbirds. There was also a pair of Phainopeplas that were battling with a Ladder-Backed Woodpecker for position in a lone tree that surprised me. Elizabeth blithely stated the Ladder-Back was exactly where you would expect to find it, but it was a surprise to me, I didn't expect it. They apparently like dry open areas, and being woodpeckers, like trees as well. This fit the bill, but I didn't expect it when we started up this canyon.

Kurt announced he was looking for a "holy grail" flower called the Five-Spot. While we hiked around Kurt found another rare plant, the Desert Hibiscus in a small canyon off the wash. One of the participants, a math teacher whose name escapes me now, brought Kurt his pocket camera to show him a flower he found and didn't recognize. Kurt's wife and I were following a small Desert Iguana when Kurt began to call us over to him. The math teacher had found the Five Spot flower and we all got a good look, as well as photos.

(Five Spot Flower)

(Desert Hibiscus)

After hiking around and finding all sorts of cool things, we drove through the canyon and found Highway 111 and drove to Coachella, where we stopped and had Date Shakes.

All in all a great day!! I got to see some things I have always wanted to see in the wild, some things I had no idea were out there, and spent the day with a good friend and some new friends. I learned stuff, and spent some time in the wild.

You might be a bird nerd if...You take any and all excuses to get out and see what's out there, even a wildflower outing!

Coachella Valley Wildbird Center birdwalk

2011-03-05T14:53:00.000-08:00

Every first Saturday of the month there is a bird walk held at the Coachella Valley Wildbird Center in Indio. This month's was 3/5/11, and yes, I said Indio. If you want to visit Linda York and her volunteers at the center on the first Saturday or any other day, just take the Golf Center offramp from the I-10, turn south, then take the first left at the bottom of the overpass. You then drive past several industrial buildings, past the water plant, and look for a small driveway that today had a dark blue flag next to it. Over the driveway is a large gate and sign identifying the place, made of telephone poles and reminded me of the gate at Jurassic Park. It feels as if you may have to know the secret password to get in, but you can drive in unmolested. Once inside and you step into the small house where the food prep, teaching and rehab of injured birds occurs, you are greeted warmly by friendly and busy volunteers.

The walks start at 8 a.m. and today there were several people from out of town that were eager to see the birds they rarely or never saw near 'home'. Birds like the Greater Roadrunner and Abert's Towhee that I see commonly, even in my backyard, were life birds for at least two people in the party.

We started on the berm in front of the small headquarters of the wildbird center. There, Elizabeth, our leader, found a Spotted Sandpiper two ponds over and only visible through the scope. I am not sure how she found it, (planting it always seems to be a viable choice in my mind), but there it was bobbing along the waters edge. On the water were many Shovelers, Ruddy Ducks, and Coots.

Soon, Elizabeth moved us along to a large Cottonwood tree in a large field that seemed to attract Abert's Towhee, Yellow-Rumped Warblers and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and Black Capped Gnatcatchers. These are small little birds that move quickly and deep in bushes, so hard to identify. Today the Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher came rather close and near the top of a bush to give at least two of us a good look and I was able to snap a couple shots.

We caught up to the group and soon we were serenaded by many Marsh Wrens and Coots. Marsh Wrens are usually pretty shy as well, calling loudly, but from deep in the reeds by ponds and waterways. Today several were seen flying from one set of reeds to another, calling from the tops of reeds and more. Coots are common, but Moorhens are less so. It was fun to see several pairs of Moorhens strolling around the reeds as well.

(Common Moorhen foraging along the water line)

(One of the many serenading Marsh Wrens on our walk. They are mostly shy and call from deep in the reeds, but sometimes they pop up and sing close enough to get a pic).

During our travels around the ponds we were treated to a Sora sneaking into the reeds, and walking along the waters edge, and later an American Bittern. I got to see a glimpse of the Bittern as it flew into an opening in the reeds and disappeared deep inside. Others had seen it for some time as it did what Bitterns do, stand very still like a reed, but I was able to see it only when it flew.

(Views from towers built in the wetland the York's have built, you can see the cages in the background the Boy Scouts helped put together).

We finished back at the house where we were treated to coffee and freshly baked cinnamon rolls while we tallied up the species we saw. We got a total of 46 species of birds today. I find that with birders, the number of species of birds is a little like the rest of us and money, we always want to see a little bit more.

Several of us have visited the Wildbird Center for a number of years and have watched it grow. For me, I became aware of Linda York and the Center when my boys were in the Boy Scouts, and an Eagle Scout project involved helping them put together several of the large cages they employ today. It was a good project and it has been fun to watch the different birds living in the cages over the years. We have watched the 'wetland' grow as well, fascinated by the management of the facility and how it has become an important location for wintering birds.

You might be a birdnerd if...you travel to Indio for a vacation because it is a central spot for wintering birds.

Dipper trip at Tahquitz Creek

2011-02-20T16:51:00.000-08:00

(The day after--a heavy storm the night before)
This morning I went to Tahquitz Canyon to try to find the Dipper, (Cinclus mexicanus). I had heard at least one was spending part of the winter in the canyon, working the creek. For those not familiar with Palm Springs and Tahquitz Canyon, now there is a Visitors Center there, and it costs $12 per person to hike the looping trails along the creek. This has only been the past seven or eight years, before that the canyon was open and you could wander in and out from a variety of entrances. It was also uncontrolled and homeless people lived in the canyon, using the resources as I imagine the native Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians did in history.

As you know, Palm Springs is in a desert. It is a terrific place on the leeward side of Mt. San Jacinto so all the weather normally hits the west side of the mountain, leaving the east side dry and protected from the wind. You really can sit in downtown Palm Springs, which is close to the mountain, very comfortably sipping a Starbuck's, then drive a couple minutes north and be in a blinding windstorm. Windy point is aptly named, as a hapless film crew found out years ago when they were trying to set up their equipment to take some shots of inbound Highway 111. The wind kept blowing their cameras down, even with sandbags on the tripods.

I am always impressed by being able to definitely point to a location where the mountain starts and the desert stops. From just a little ways away it appears as if Mt. San Jacinto just lifts vertically out of the ground on the west side of Palm Springs downtown area. As you get closer you realize there are many beautiful canyons that keep their secrets well from those less intrepid or curious. Tahquitz Canyon is one of the more well known of these canyons.

In days past, it was a popular destination for Spring Breaking college kids, who would hike up to the falls for swimming and frolicking. Now it is very controlled, complete with flood control and guided tours so the frolicking is less, but you can learn a lot more about the flora and fauna, as well as the native peoples lore. There is also a lot less graffiti and trash. The tribal rangers make sure the place is safe and pristine.

I have read on several emails sent out on a listserv that there has been a Dipper working the canyon along the creek for several weeks. I decided to try for a picture or two. I hiked up the creekside trail and kept my eyes peeled. I ended up going all the way to the falls before I knew it. We had a pretty good storm by desert standards over the past two days, so there was plenty of water in the creek, and the falls were gorgeous.

Along the way a California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis), came into the sun and perched on a rock sunning himself, allowing me to snap a couple shots. Hummingbirds were plentiful, zooming in and around hikers, scolding them as they zoomed past. The Chuperosa was just blooming all through the canyon and the hummers were busy at every flower. I believe there were Costa's (Calypte costae), and Anna's (Calypte anna) hummingbirds buzzing all through the canyon.

There were Ravens(Corvus corax) in a group of about 10 playing along the canyon walls. A Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), floated above the canyon for a time. As I made my way up the trail Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglots), and Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps) kept me company in and out of the bushes.

I walked all the way up to the falls, then back down, taking little forays off the trail to keep near the creek and scan for the illusive Dipper. I saw a Tribal Ranger taking a group on a guided tour and asked him where the Dipper was last seen. He told me it had been seen near the first crossing of the creek, near the mouth of the canyon, and the visitor center.

(This pair of Mallards were keeping to the foliage at the edge of a pool near the falls)

I made my way back and marveled at the amount of tourists that were hiking the trail. Many wore shirts, sweatshirts, hats and other paraphernalia announcing where they were from. Places like Wisconsin, (they were in shorts and t-shirts), Canada, Texas and more. People of all ages were making their way up and down the canyon. The hummingbirds didn't care. They scolded and zoomed about without care. The towhees spent most of their time on the ground under bushes keeping away from tromping feet. Sparrows and Mockingbirds made their way up the canyon walls one bush at a time away from trail-keeping humans.

(A small falls with the sunlight reflecting off the water)

I made it back to the first crossing and kept to the creek as I made my way slowly toward the Visitor Center. I scanned but didn't see anything resembling a Dipper. Dippers, or Ouzel's as they are known, are peculiar in that they are a small bird that like fast moving creeks. They flit to a rock in the middle of the swift water, then simply dive into the rush of water, disappearing to the bottom of the creek where they feed. Then they pop up on the surface of the water, bob to a rock and step out. Water beads up and is shaken off. They repeat the process, foraging along the creek bottom until sated. Amazing to watch. I saw one years ago in the Kern river and sat mesmerized as the little bird popped first under the water, then up and onto a smooth rock, seemingly unaffected by the swift current.

Today, I found myself standing about fifteen feet above the creek, near the Visitor Center with people streaming to and from the Center, up and down the canyon, believing there were too many people for the little Dipper to be out and about. Then I saw it. It flew right up the middle of the creek toward the crossing. I actually said out loud, "There it is!" and hustled my way through the hikers up the creek. I never got a picture or got to see the little guy do his thing, but I did verify it was there, and I will make another trip to get to see it again.

You might be a bird nerd if... you go up a popular canyon looking for a little dipper.

Surprise Canyon

2011-01-20T21:08:00.000-08:00

My sons came home for the holidays and while we were busy with other things, they went out and found a new place to hike. When they told me about their discovery, I thought I knew the area and believed it to be a desert area with little new to offer. I have seen people park and start walking into the desert in this area for years. From the road there doesn't seem to be much up there except more desert. I never took the time to investigate. What a mistake!

Austin talked me into taking the hike with him, so loaded with a water bottle and camera, off we went. I learned from the CBC's to always take my camera. I went to the San Jacinto CBC and left my camera in the car while hiking into an open field with Chet McGaugh. It was a very flat, wet and muddy, open field with one tree. We walk out, taking about a half hour or three quarters of an hour to get to the tree, and sure enough, there were not one, but two White Tailed Kites that flew up and landed on the tree. They sat there for some time, too. Chet got some good pics. I have a fond memory.

So, I took my camera this time. I was so very happy I did. The hike was challenging, but not debilitating. It took longer than we thought, but part of the time was spent looking at the views. It was amazing the changes the canyon went through. From flat desert, to steep canyon, with wide pools in a beautiful little stream with frogs, (yes, frogs!), singing. Bushes were starting to flower, and green shoots were everywhere.

The geology changed from sand to granite, to beautiful volcanic red rock. The hike ended in a box canyon with the largest fig tree I have ever seen growing on one side. Cat's claw filled a good portion of the canyon, but there were enough areas to walk around that it was private and secluded, yet with a view.

A waterfall sneaked over the top of the end wall of the canyon, that started the creek that ran down the canyon. There were frogs singing here as well. Along the way we saw a couple of Phainopepla's, California Towhees, and a Verdin.

I took my camera out and left my water bottle on a large rock next to the creek while I went up into the box canyon for a pic or two. While we were oohing and aaahing, we heard someone calling out. I figured they found the water bottle. I didn't figure to know the person yelling.

As Austin and I stepped back out of the foliage, and down the creek, I saw Michele Mician, the sustainability coordinator for the City of Palm Springs. She was with her friend Tom and she had already put my water bottle into her backpack. She returned the bottle, and we talked for a while before Austin and I headed down the canyon.

Going down was easier, and we met a few nice people of all ages and abilities making their way through the desert. Near the bottom I saw an Ana's Hummingbird. The Hummingbird landed on a bush and sat there while I snapped some photos.

All in all this was a very surprising and fun day. We had it all, nice hike, beautiful scenery, nice people, and birds. Good day.

You might be a birdnerd if you find friends in the strangest places.

Salton Sea CBC 1/2/11

2011-01-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

This has already been a good year. I got to start it birding. I took my good (birding) friend Nancy Carr with me and again met up with Chet McGaugh and Bill. We met bright and early in Mecca, at AM/PM. Those were the directions, drive south on Highway 111 until you see the AM/PM, we will meet there.

We stood around in the cold morning air watching the sun rise and watching the sky. Chet ran this one, and handed out responsibilities to groups. Nancy and I followed Bill and a very nice couple, Diane and Bill. Our area included the north side of Salton Sea and into the town of Mecca.

(Chet handing out the responsibilities).

Mecca is a small farming town with a high percentage Hispanic population. While it may not be a nightlife hotspot, many people are familiar with the area as it is a popular spot to stop and get gas, food, and use restrooms for those spending their weekends camping in and around the Salton Sea, off-roading in and near Glamis, and for farmers of everything from sod to bell peppers and hay. It is a great place to bird because many birds love the open field areas to forage for insects and worms, while others such as Barn Owls like to nest or sleep in hay stacks and find plenty to eat with the mice and voles that seem to be attracted to farms. This is a terrific area for Burrowing Owls as well. A birder is almost guaranteed to find a Burrowing Owl in their travels around the Salton Sea.

Nancy and I stayed in my truck and we followed Bill as he lead the way to the north shore of Salton Sea and we began to look around. Diane proved herself adept at finding new and intriguing birds, and usually at a distance. She giggled like a school girl when she found something and it turned out to be something interesting. Like the immature Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus),she saw sitting on a tall palm stump in the distance. I hadn't seen one at Salton Sea before, so this was exciting to me. It was too far to take a photograph that would be worthwhile, so you will just have to take my word for it, it was an eagle.
As we turned away from the eagle we saw a Loggerhead Shrike, ( Lanius ludovicianus), that was barely close enough to photograph, which I got. These are also called "Butcher birds" for their habit of impaling their prey, such things as grasshoppers, small lizards and snakes, on cactus thorns or the barbs of barbed wire fences.

(Bill, Diane and her Bill scoping out the area).

We had a good day of birding but most of what we found, such as the flock of Horned Larks, (Eremphila alpestris), that Diane also found in a field, were too small and too far away for me to get a decent snapshot. They are pretty little birds with feathers on their heads that sweep up in black "horns", thus giving them their name. Among them were Pipits, (Anthus rubescens), and plenty of Rock Pigeons, (Columba livia). We also saw several Phainopepla, (Phainopepla intense), and White tailed Kites, (Elanus leucurus). Other raptors we saw included a Merlin, (Falco columbarius), several American Kestrels, (Falco sparverius), an Osprey, (Pandion haliaetus), two Red Shouldered Hawks, (Buteo lineatus), and several Red Tailed Hawks, (Buteo jamaicensis), including a very dark "morph" or phase hawk. For those uninitiated, Red Tails can be any number of colorations, but all forms have the red tail that names them. Another marking that is tell-tale is dark shoulder "patches' along the leading edges of their wings as they fly. Most also have a "belly band" of darker feathers under a lighter chest, but the darker "morphs" may lose the light chest. These hawks can be found anywhere, and are plentiful, but in a variety of colors, so it gets birders excited and challenges them for proper identification.

(The Loggerhead Shrike).

It was after a pretty good rain, so the areas around the Salton Sea were pretty muddy and it has taken me a week to get my boots, the truck and my clothes properly cleaned. Sometimes the smell around the Sea can be a bit challenging, but in the winter, it is an absolutely awesome place to bird. There are American White Pelicans, (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), by the hundreds. These are larger than the more common Brown Pelicans, (Pelecanus occidentals), and they cooperatively feed. Where the Brown Pelicans will feed individually by diving into the water onto an unsuspecting fish, the White Pelicans gather together in groups of five to twenty or so, swim until they find a school of fish then surround the school. They then swim in an ever-decreasing sized circle, herding the school of fish into the middle of their circle, then they all dip their heads under the water and feed. They also fly at incredible heights when they migrate. They fly high enough the naked eye cannot see them, then they suddenly appear already spiraling down from the heavens, toward the Sea or another body of water. Sometimes it takes several minutes for them to sail down from their heights to the water.

White Faced Ibis, (Plegadis chihi), Avocets, (Recurvirostra americana), Great Egrets, (Ardea alba), Snowy Egrets, (Egretta thula), Cattle Egrets, (Bubulcus ibis), and a Green Heron, (Butorides virescens) were found along our travels as well.

The surprise of the day was for Bill, our leader. He was busy trying to identify some tiny bird at an irrigation pond, when Nancy, who had found an old bent spoon, walked up and held up the spoon with a $20 bill wrapped around it in front of him and asked he wanted to see a Spoon Bill. Ba-dump, bump. Bill tried to collect the specimen, but Nancy was too quick.

(Lesser Yellowlegs foraging in the mud).

All in all it was a good day, (when is birding not a good day?). We didn't see any lifer birds, but we did see plenty of our old friends. We didn't get to the shore of the Sea, but saw some new territory. Salton Sea holds a special place in my heart as I am excited by the sheer numbers of birds that arrive each winter, as well as the variety and numbers of species. Everything from small warblers to the large American White Pelicans come down in numbers. If you have ever stood under a flock of thousands of Snow Geese as they take flight, it is an awesome event, and never to be forgotten.

We didn't stay for the dinner and count afterward, Nancy had to get home in order to get to work on time, (something I no longer have to worry about, ha ha). After some warm handshakes, and heartfelt wishes, we took our leave and drove home, dirty, tired and hungry. What a great start to the year.

(Diane's Bill birding until the last minute of sunshine).

You might be a birdnerd if..you sacrifice your sleep in order to participate in a birding event. (You can sleep next month!).

Joshua Tree CBC, 12/30/10

2010-12-31T19:20:00.000-08:00

Thursday, December 30th, was my son's birthday and another Christmas Bird Count or CBC, this time in Joshua Tree. A good day.

For the uninitiated, Joshua Tree National Park is a high desert environment. It has massive piles of sandstone boulders that are impressive enough, but it also has its' namesake Joshua Trees, and vast fields of "Teddy bear" or "Jumping" cholla. It is probably most famous in recent years for rock climbing. There are several schools that will teach those intrepid enough to use ropes and other equipment to make their way up sheer rock faces. There are miles and miles of hiking trails, as well as a lot of open desert to explore as well. It is always amazing the amounts of wildlife one can find while wandering through the washes and rocks of the National Park. At first glance the place looks deserted, (no pun intended), but walking just a little ways out, or over a hill, down into a wash, and suddenly the place is alive with activity.

I met Bill and Herman who were two of five of us who showed up in the near freezing dawn to count birds in the Park. Seth and Jack(?) were the other team, and they went to 49 Palms campground to find and count birds. Bill drove Herman and I through the Indian Cove area to do the same.

The sky was clear and as we watched the sun climb steadily, we drove to a canyon at the extreme end of the campground. We hiked to and up the wash looking for something to fly out and introduce themselves. Bill talked of a Golden Eagle nest found on the canyon wall farther back in the canyon. We scrambled over rocks and up a wash that still had running water, carrying our binoculars and camera and wearing four layers of clothing. It was a glorious 35 degrees and a steady breeze was blowing, finding the inch or so that separated the top of my pants and the bottom of my jacket, giving me a frozen belt. I fixed this later, but for this initial foray it was amazing how efficient that wind was at finding the chink in my armor.

We didn't find anything bird-wise. We did find frozen pools of water, frozen mud, and a few interesting tracks frozen in the icy mud. After some time, we returned to our car with chattering teeth and shivering everything else. My hopes were as low as the temperature, but determined to see it through.

Then we drove through a campground and started seeing birds. A Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya), was sitting on someone's camp stove on a picnic table. A Black Throated Sparrow, (Amphispiza bilineata), flew past and foraged with it's buddies between two campsites. In amongst the Sparrows was a Black Tailed Gnatcatcher, (Polioptila melanoma), who foraged with them then jumped into the little bushes in his hyperactive way.

(Black Throated Sparrow foraging near a campsite).

(Black Tailed Gnatcatcher)

We were excited to see these little guys and were using our binoculars and concentrating on counting both the number of species and the number of birds we were seeing. At some point we realized a few of the campers were eyeing us with skeptical expressions, and at least one young lady was pausing on her way to the restroom, concerned there were three perverts between her and relief. We tried to assuage their fears by waving and smiling, but I am not sure we were entirely successful. We moved on.

We moved on to what Bill, (a former Ranger at Joshua Tree National Park), called Rattlesnake Canyon. He informed us we were going to hike up the canyon first, then down into the more open desert in our search. I wasn't too concerned about finding the canyon's namesake as it was still hovering near freezing. As we crested the hillside and dropped into the canyon, we saw a small flock of Black Throated Sparrows, and then a larger flock of Gambel's Quail,(Callipepla gambelii). We watch the flock of Quail run up the other side and run in single file up the hillside past the canyon.

(Gambel's Quail running away in single file).

We wandered up the canyon and heard a Ladder-backed Woodpecker,(Picoides scalars). We searched and soon found the Woodpecker sitting on a Yucca stump. I was surprised by this find. This is not the kind of environment I expected to find a woodpecker of any kind, Bill just smiled.

(Herman looking up the canyon, while Bill catches up, I took the high road).

We wandered up and down until Herman, who kept wandering off up hillsides, down into thick brush, the whole time snapping pictures and asking "What's that?", pointed up a little draw. We stopped and scanned the area he was indicating with our binoculars, and found a flock of about 18 Lesser Goldfinches,(Carduelis psaltria), working the hillsides. The flock let us get very close, then actually flew toward us. As we continued on our walk, the flock and another smaller one later on, kept us company as we wandered through the desert.

(House Finch)

(Male Lesser Goldfinch)

It was about here that Bill announced he 'had' a Bighorn Sheep on the ridgeline above us. We looked up and sure enough, there was a big beautiful Bighorn standing and staring directly at us. He was some distance away, but majestic looking. As we watched he worked his way down the rocks toward us. He never got really close, but kept getting closer which was exciting. We didn't have the time to wait for him to come all the way to us, (we had birds to count), so we moved on.

(Bighorn Sheep)

Bill showed us the way as we wandered down the canyon and out into the open desert. Bill told us there was the possibility of finding a LeConte's Thrasher, but we would have to hike to the border of the Park, another three miles or so, and the chances were 50-50 the birds were still there. We decided to make a shorter arc and work our way back to the car. As we walk around a pile of rocks, we see something moving on the sand between bushes. We get closer and sure enough, there is not one but two LeConte's Thrashers,(Toxostoma lecontei)! They not only stayed around for us to verify their identity, but to allow us to take some photographs as well. They seemed to relax as they realized we were only there to watch them, and went about their Thrasher business. These birds are called this because they like to use their beaks and feet to indiscriminately toss debris around under bushes looking for things to eat. One usually hears them before seeing them. I have heard noises in the bushes so loud I swore a cat or raccoon or some other animal was underneath, only to see a Thrasher pop up on a branch. These guys were no different. They were busy scratching and tossing while we froze in the wind and watched. On the way back we saw a Loggerhead Shrike, (Lanius excubitor), on a Yucca, and a Cactus Wren,(Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus), sitting on a Pencil Cholla.

(LeConte's Thrasher)

(Cactus Wren)

After lunch, and finding a Rock Wren,(Salpinctes obsoletus), we drove out of the Park and searched the little community that lived right along the boundary line of the Park. There we found a couple hundred more Gambel's Quail, Starlings, Pigeons and Mourning Doves. We also found Eurasion Collared Doves and more House Finches,(Carpodacus cassinii), and Black Throated Sparrows. Ravens were there as well as in the Park.

We finished the day at the Visitor Center where there is a nice little walk near a man-made pond where an American Kestrel,(Falco sparverius), was sitting on a Palm frond and watching our progress against the chill wind. We found a Phainopepla,(Phainopepla intense), sitting on a Cat's Claw and whistling at us. There was another small flock of Gambel's Quail running through the bush as well. We spent a lot of time near a Palm Tree because there were pellets at the base, as well as white-wash along the tree trunk, indicating this was a roost spot for an owl. As the sun was setting, we knew that at any moment the culprit would step out of the skirt of Palm Tree, stretch and fly into the night. We suspected either a Barn Owl, or Great Horned Owl, but we will not know as the culprit was smarter than we were. He stayed in where it was warmer, while we stood out in the cold looking up the skirts, nearly falling over backwards and breaking our necks.

You might be a birdnerd if...You spend your time looking up skirts for owls.

Happy New Year!!!

(One of two Coyotes we saw on our travels, be seeing you!).

San Jacinto CBC

2010-12-28T20:57:00.000-08:00

I did it again. I attended another Christmas Bird Count. This one in San Jacinto. This was supposed to occur last Tuesday, but it was raining too hard to go out and try to find anything, in fact, the rain washed out many of the roads and access to many of the designated areas were not available. So, they postponed the count to today.

It was a gorgeous day. I got to go with Chet McGaugh, a recognized birding and biology expert in four counties. He and Gene Cardiff are great friends and are held in high esteem for their knowledge in this area throughout Southern California. Chet and I spent the day together.

Chet led the way and we began looking and counting at around 7:15 A.M. or so. Almost immediately we see two Red Tailed Hawks, (Buteo jamaicensis), flying from one high rock to another, sitting on the rock and watching us pass by. We saw a Merlin, (Falco columbarius), land on a rock between the two Red-Tails. By 8:15 or so, an adult Bald Eagle,(Haliaeetus leucocephalus), flew right over us. This was already a great day.

As we walked up the fire road into a kind of canyon, we kept hearing gunshots in front of us. We passed several signs saying in English and using the pictograph of a stick figure holding a rifle with a red circle and a line through this figure. Supposedly this is an international sign that depicts no shooting, hunting, or anything to do with a rifle in the area. Yet we heard several gunshots ring out as we cautiously approached. At the top of the road we saw several men off to one side dressed in hunting orange holding shotguns. From the other side walked three more hunters, dressed in hunter neon orange and carrying shotguns. Chet politely admonished them to pay attention to the signs and reminded them that hunting in the area was illegal. The man that appeared to be the father, looked right at us and with a straight face told us they were not shooting, it was someone else. Luckily, I don't have to deal with human crap like this anymore, and we left the issue at that and left. Once again, the worst thing out in the wild were the two legged animals with the biggest brains. Sad.

We went on to look at what was around the horse ranch in the valley. There we saw a Ferruginous Hawk, (Buteo regales), sitting in the field near the ranch. Soon a White Tailed Kite,(Elanus leucurus), landed nearby in the field. Both birds of prey are birds I haven't seen for years. While we watched these two, a flock of Red Winged Blackbirds, (Agelaius phoenixes), flew into three large trees in the ranch near the main house. In amongst the Red Wings, there were five or six Yelllow-headed Blackbirds, (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus), sitting on branches of the tree. Another bird I haven't seen in years.

As we walked through large fields we scared up flocks of American Pipits,(Anthus rubescens), and Western Meadowlarks,(Sturnella neglecta). We were surrounded by their calls. We walked the fields, returned to our cars, drove to another location, and walked some more. We took a break for lunch on the roadway, and watched a Great Egret,(Ardea alba), fly to near our lunch location and begin to hunt the flooded field.

After lunch, we walked along a muddy roadway and up the hillside into a stand of olive trees. Chet told me this was a good place for owls. He told me we should split up and walk through the trees in the hopes of scaring up something the other would see. We did, it didn't work. Nothing scared up. We didn't find any owls hiding in the trees.

We slogged our way back along the flooded roadway and fields. We did see Mountain Bluebirds,(Sialia currucoides), at the edges of the field, in a near riparian area along the irrigation channel. Chet announced it was time to go to the Chicken Ranch, (not the one in Las Vegas).

We drove over to the location and pulled off the side of the road. There was a large puddle in front and a good number of Ringed Billed Gulls, (Larus delawarensis). Now, I would have left it at that, but Chet pulled out his Kowa scope and began to scan the flock. There he pointed out a Thayer's Gull,(Larus thayeri).

Chet then led the way to the ranch proper where large bulldozer's were moving small mountains of chicken manure. Perched all over these mountains were an estimated 2000 gulls and Cattle Egrets, (Bubulcus ibis). Once again, Chet began scanning with his scope. Soon he was oohing and aaahing, and dancing like a small child needed to find a restroom. He looked, stepped away from the scope, and looked again. Then he made a phone call. I asked if he found something good, and he said oooohh yeah. He put the bird in the scope and explained to me what I was looking for, and there it was, a Lesser Black Backed Gull, (Larus fuscus), a much larger and darker gull compared to the many Ring Billed Gulls surrounding it. Chet knew it right away, this was a bird not seen in this Christmas Bird Count before. It was also a lifer for me. In fact, both the Thayer's and Lesser Black Backed gulls were lifers for me. Another good birder arrived and verified the find, and Chet was able to take a couple photos of the bird. My camera would not take a good photo of the bird as it was too far away for the lens I currently have. Later, we also found a Western Gull,(Larus occidentals), that was rare to find at this location, but not a new bird for the count. We spent some time at this place.

We looked at a couple other locations, then decided to go to the Coco's we all agreed to meet. There we met the other participants in the count, including Gene Cardiff and Dori Meyers who worked Lake Perris. After all was said and done, Tom Benson, (a co-compiler with Tony Metcalf), announced we had all seen a total of 154 species this day. This was a CBC record for at least the five years Tom kept the records. Nice day. We all went home with slightly sunburnt faces, a little tired, (having walked anywhere from 4 to 9.5 miles, Chet and I walked nearly 7 miles according to his wrist pedometer), and very satisfied.

You might be a birdnerd if...you walk toward people with guns holding only a pair of binoculars.

Christmas Bird Count 12/26/10

2010-12-27T12:18:00.000-08:00

Tis the season!! I know, it is after Christmas, but this is the season for Christmas Bird Counts throughout the country. Here in Southern California there are several in diverse areas, mountains, desert, shores and even a couple in the ocean, (called pelagic trips). The idea is two fold. You get to go out with birding experts and learn more about birds, their behaviors, the sounds they make, ecology, biology, and much more. The other is actually participating in science. It is called citizen science, and volunteers throughout the country go out and actually find and count the birds they see. These counts are compiled and sent to Audubon, which is compiled into a paper that is published each year. This does a few things, it shows patterns of bird species in general, such as the numbers and locations of Red Tailed Hawks, or Bell's Vireos, or Peregrine Falcons. This gives scientists a snapshot of what is happening on a particular day that they can compare to weather patterns, ecology, habitat changes and more. As birds are relatively easy to find, (compared to say, gophers, badgers, and mountain lions), and many are very sensitive to environmental changes, they are a good bellwether of changes and their effects. Therefore, this citizen science is an excellent way to compile accurate information across the country. It is cost effective, a scientist or college (such as Cornell University), does not have to pay assistants or graduate students to travel across the country and count birds, or buy expensive technology and place it all over the country. Now they can get this same information and more from one location, the National Audubon Society.

All the various branches of Audubon sponsor Christmas Bird Counts. This particular count was sponsored by the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society, (www.sbvas.org). If you go to their website there is actually a part you can click on that gives you a list of all the Christmas Bird Counts and the person in charge of each count. You can pick the one you would like to attend, let them know via email, and show up the morning they show. You will be put with others in teams. Each team will then get a location, or set of locations, to go out and count birds. If you are a beginner, don't be intimidated, you will be put together with those more experienced birders who will take you to their favorite locations, as well as point out birds and help with identification tips. Especially if you are a beginner, the Christmas Bird Count is a great way to learn the area and birding.

Years ago, I decided to attend a Christmas Bird Count in Joshua Tree. I asked if my oldest son, Taylor, would like to attend. He was in High School at the time. He agreed and we got up early on the specific day and drove up the hill in darkness. We arrived first at the entrance of the Park and watched the sun rise. One of the first participants to arrive after us was a reporter for the local newspaper. She thought it was a great story for a father-son team to be out birding and contributing to science together. My son allowed the interview and even a photograph to occur, but he was mortified. Hours later it occurred to him that he didn't know anyone in Yucca Valley, so he was probably safe. We spent the day hiking around Joshua Tree, (which is always a good day), watching and counting birds. We meet the other members of the count, (all volunteers), at the local pizza place for the compilation and pizza. Taylor was happy with the pizza and tolerated the banter of us "old" people discussing the events of the day. That is until a reporter for our local paper in Palm Springs showed up and after the initial introductions, thought it was a terrific idea to feature the father-son team who had helped out with the citizen science in Joshua Tree. My son was mortified and on the way home decided he was reasonably safe, as he didn't know anyone who actually read the newspaper at school. Hopefully, no one would see his picture in the paper, and certainly wouldn't read the article.

I still have the articles. I told you that story because I attended the San Bernardino Christmas Bird Count with my now-adult son, Taylor. He could only attend half of the day, because he was driving up the coast to camp in Morro Bay. He got up with me at 4:30 AM and we got ready and drove in two cars to the San Bernardino Natural History museum in San Bernardino. This time he was not afraid of anyone knowing he had gone with me and welcomed the attention.

We met Dori Myers who was already parked in front of the museum at a little after 6:00 AM. I recognized Dori's name from the Western Meadowlark, the newsletter the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society sends out. Her name is all over it, contributing articles, organizing events and helping run the museum. She is very personable, and always busy. She is constantly watching her cell phone, looking into a book, or searching for a pen or pencil. She kept up a constant chatter of birding trips, birding events, singing the praises of Gene Cardiff and the museum. Soon afterward, Gene Cardiff arrived. Gene has been a taxidermist, a teacher, and has recently retired as head of the biology section of the San Bernardino Natural History Museum. Now, for him, retirement means he now goes to the museum only two or three days per week. He still leads birding events all over Southern California. He still teaches, if not traditionally in a classroom, in the outdoor classroom where what he sees dictates the topic of discussion.

If you didn't know better, when you watch the interaction between the two long time friends, you might think them a couple. They banter, they laugh, they argue the familiar arguments that occur between couples daily. You know, "What did you do with my jacket?" "I didn't do anything with it." "Well, where is it?" "I don't know." "Oh, here it is, want a cookie?" Add to that the bird count conversation, "Thirteen Mourning Doves." "What?" "Mourning Doves, thirteen of them." "OK, wait, where's the list? Oh, here it is, how many?" "Thirteen." "OK, got it. Want a cookie?"

As there were only the four of us at the museum, Taylor and I went in his truck, following Gene and Dori in Gene's Honda CRV to the various locations. We were responsible for a fifteen mile circle territory that included the hospital, sewage treatment plant and some horse property near the border of San Bernardino and Riverside counties. We drove past a large paintball area with many wooden barriers built throughout a large flat area across from the county dump.

We had a very large storm that dumped a lot of rain throughout Southern California, (and postponed at least one bird count), during four or five days prior to Christmas. We saw a lot of evidence of this storm with roads to favorite spots for birding being washed out, mud scraped off the roadway, and large puddles. At least one road was still under water.

We ended up parking on the side of the road and looking at a creek bed that had a raging creek running through it. There was plenty of evidence the water level was much higher just a day or two before. We immediately saw a Merlin (Falco columbarius), sitting on a wire in the dark cloudy day. He didn't seem happy, with his feathers fluffed out and dripping from the moisture still diffusing the air. Down the road we saw not one but two Peregrine Falcons,(Falco peregrines), and one was chasing the other up the creek.

We saw many Starlings,(Sturnus vulgaris), which were mimicking other birds calls as well as chattering among themselves. In among these Starlings was a Kingbird. I found it and pointed it out to Gene and Dori. I was proud of myself and knew it was a Kingbird, but misidentified it as a Western Kingbird. They smiled in that teacherly way and said we would have to write a very long report if it was a Western, as they have all left for the winter. This was a Cassin's Kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans). This is a perfect illustration as to why I like to go to these events with an "expert". My confidence in my birding identification skills is still lacking. I am confident in several birds, but warblers and vireos especially, I will defer to others in a heartbeat. This is also why I attend these things, I learn something at each one.

Today, I was birding with two of the elite birders in the surrounding four counties, and was not going to argue with them. I was also in a little bit of heaven just being with them. Dori is excellent at identifying birds by their calls or sounds. I am weak at this skill at best. I hear the sounds, but just don't know what I am listening to. She taught me the call of the Bewick's Wren, White Crowned Sparrow, and more. She would never see the bird, but knew what she was listening to and called it out. This made it difficult to count the birds, but once she would call out a bird, I would look in earnest, and between the four of us we made a good estimate of the number and type of birds.

We moved on to the sewage ponds and had to sign in at the front desk that is behind an automatic gate. Red Tailed Hawks,(Buteo jamaicensis), were everywhere, soaring, sitting on dead snags, on poles, one eating on a cross bar of a power tower. There were several ponds that had water in them, and in the water were many different ducks. We saw Northern Shovelers,(Anas clypeata), Cinnamon Teal,(Anas cyanoptera), American Wigeons,(Anas americana), Gadwall's,(Anas strepera), at least two Buffleheads, (Bucephala alveoli), a male and female pair. We saw Canada Geese,(Branta canadensis), and spent some time looking for the Aleutian or minima variety, to no avail. Of course, there were a bunch of Mallards, (Anas platyrynchos), and I even found a hybrid duck that looked like a large Cinnamon Teal with a Mallard head, and a black cloak. We saw Green-winged Teals, (Anas crecca), and a bunch of Coots, (Fulica americana). We went to each pond and divided up the responsibility of counting the various ducks. Taylor and I got the Shovelers, Gadwalls, Coots, and Mallards. Luckily Taylor had a hand counter as he chose the Coots on one pond and we watched a large flock walk from the roadway and go into the pond. He counted 175 in that one pond.

After our day of wandering through sewage ponds, hillsides behind housing projects, a cemetery, a park, and an open field between two office buildings, we came back to the museum. I then followed Gene and Dori to the local Marie Callendar's where we met up with the other volunteers to compile the birds they found and the numbers they counted. There were 15 of us. Retired teachers, students, and couples were gathered and sharing birding adventures and using the verbal shorthand that people familiar with each other and the topic of conversation engage in. We found, collectively, around 80 species and the actual numbers of birds will be compiled and will be published later in the new year. I said my goodbyes, and drove home, where after a shower I began falling asleep in my chair. Even so, I can't wait until the next one.

You might be a birdnerd if...you schedule your holiday festivities around your birding outings.

2010-12-19T12:01:00.000-08:00

My son, Austin, is home from his adventures in Jamaica, serving the Peace Corps. He graduated from USD with a degree in Environmental Sciences last year. He is living with us and working here in the desert until his next adventure in Costa Rica. He will leave for that part of the world near the end of January. In the meantime he is working on us and making us more sustainable at home. He has us storing things in glass jars instead of plastic containers. He has us using plates instead of paper plates. We are using PCB free water bottles instead of buying bottled water. We use a Brita filter, or a filter on our tap water to drink instead of brand named bottled waters. The water is just as good,the containers are sustainable, and easy to clean. We are composting. Our kids make us better.

We have had a planter next to one end of our patio for years. We planted two yucca plants on either side of the 9'x5' slump block planter. Over the years, we have planted various flowers, including tulips, and others in between the yucca's. Over the past five or six years we planted Hummingbird vine, that virtually took over the planter and grew onto our roof and over to the patio cover of our Mother-in-Law's room at the one end of our house. During the winter this vine dies off and I would trim it down to the ground level, thinking it would die. It didn't. Each summer, it came back with a vengeance. You could almost see it growing. It did produce big orange-red flowers the hummingbirds did like, but it took over and covered everything in that corner.

While we did have Mourning Doves nest in this thicket, and of course the Costa's and Anna's hummingbirds spent a lot of time there, it also became home or at least a hiding place for the large rats that are common in the desert. This was not a favorite of my wife.

So, my son came up with the idea to tear out the yuccas and hummingbird vine, and plant a vegetable garden. I suspect some of the impetus for this was that he had a machete he bought in Jamaica that he wanted to use. Mom gave the ok, and he went to work. He used the machete to chop up the vines and a good portion of the yuccas.

I had some old tools, a shovel and an axe, and entered the fray. Soon the axe was sacrificed to the battle, and we had to run to WalMart for new tools. We picked up another shovel, and a new axe. We also bought a file for sharpening the machete and axe. I got the kind of axe that was flat like a sledge hammer on one side, and sharpened on the other side. It was heavier than a normal axe but a kind of multi-purpose tool, a concept I lean toward.

Back at work, we began work on the roots. This was a tough job as the root balls for the yuccas were very large. We used the heavy axe to chop up the root systems and pulled out the roots and dirt down about two to two and one half feet. Then we made a trip to Lowe's and picked up a cloth barrier and some rocks, as well as planting soil. We smoothed out the dirt, put the barrier down, put rock on top, then filled the planter with planting soil.

We made another trip and picked out various vegetable plants, electing to start with plants and work from seeds later should
this experiment work out. We ended up with a couple different kinds of tomatoes, eggplant, cilantro, onions, lettuce, spinach and a couple different colors of bell peppers. So far, so good.

It was a good project because we opened up that area of the patio, got rid of some unruly vines, and have some (hopefully) delicious vegetables on the way. We also made it a family project in that two of my boys were involved in the process and are interested in the outcome, (they will certainly eat the results).

Why am I writing a gardening blog in a Bird Nerd spot? Well, during the couple days it took us to work through the process, I kept hearing a chip-chip in the back yard. For a while I couldn't locate the source, until we took a break and went inside the house for lunch. I stood inside and watched as a small yellow bird landed on our debris pile and made the chip-chip noise I kept hearing. Look at that! It was a Common Yellowthroat, (Geothlypis trichas). It flitted around the debris pile, then over to the planter and thoroughly inspected both. He stuck around for two or three days and inspected each step. Chip-chipping all day as he flitted into and around the debris pile and planter.

Which brings me to my You might be a Birdnerd if... I know in my head that the little bird was probably searching for bugs we unearthed, or for possible nesting materials, or other very practical reasons. However, I couldn't shake the feeling the beautiful little bird was inspecting our handiwork, and making judgement. He has since left, so I am concerned he disapproved. I hope he comes back to see the results.

So, you might be a birdnerd if...you are concerned with the opinions of the local bird life on your gardening handiwork.

Thanksgiving Whitewater Hike

2010-11-27T16:54:00.000-08:00

Tis the season! The boys are coming home for the holidays, and we are hiking. Also, it is the season for the Christmas Bird Counts! This year I have the holidays off, and I have a good chance of attending most if not all of the CBC's in my area. I am looking forward to this, and will be posting these adventures as they occur.

This year has been an interesting year for birding as we have seen several rare birds in the Morongo area, including a Dickcissel, and an Ovenbird, (I didn't actually see this bird, but heard a lot about it). So it is possible we will see more new and different birds during the CBC's. One of the trips I hope to make will be to the San Jacinto Wildlife Refuge, and I hope to see a Bald Eagle, and my nemesis bird, a Golden Eagle.

As exciting as the prospects are, it is always exciting and fun to have the boys come home, no matter what the reason. The holidays provide a terrific excuse and reason to get together. We eat, catch up on each others' lives, and hike. I think I have said before that when we go hiking, we never keep track of the miles, we go to see what is there. So, we will take off and soon my oldest son will detour and make some exclamation about a plant he has seen, step off the trail and rub a leaf, or snap off a flower and explain what the plant is known for, or can be made into. We spend some time looking at the plants nearby and discussing what Native peoples used the plant for, and the type of ground it grows in and more. Then we strike off again, and soon we see a bird or flock of birds and we are distracted again until the birds leave us. Then we will see animal tracks or some geological formation that we have to ask Nancy about if she has accompanied as we forget the geological terms. So, many of our hikes may not be very many miles long, but we have been out there for hours.

So, it was that Taylor and I decided to go to Whitewater for our Thanksgiving holiday hike. Austin had to work and Harrison decided to spend time with his girlfriend and other friends by going to lunch with them, (go figure!). Andi stayed home and took a walk of her own.

We chose Whitewater because we hadn't been there in a while, and it was close, which fit in the time frame we had. I have to tell you that I went with some reservations, as I remember being disappointed the last couple times I went there. The conservancy had made some terrific modifications and made great strides in improving the place, but there was relatively few birds and wildlife. We saw a few here and there, but nothing to get very excited about. So, I went with the idea that it would be nice to hike with my son. I took my camera and binoculars almost out of habit.

Boy was I wrong! We got there and Taylor, who puts together training and nature centers with walks and education centers and more, was excited from the get go about how many cars were in the parking lot. There were people milling about the ponds, picnic tables, and in the visitor center. This was good.

We parked and started off. We started on the well marked trail by the north pond, and Taylor immediately stopped and took photos on his phone of the pond, the markings of the trail, and the large rock they used as a signpost with names and mileage listed along the length of the boulder. Listed on the boulder were .5 miles to the Pacific Coast Trail which runs through the Whitewater area, and Anchorage, Alaska, and Mexico. There was an information board next to this as well, with information on the wildlife in the area, and that the area was the intrusion of the southern tip of the Chaparral area in California, very different from the Desert just a couple miles down the road.

For the uninitiated, Whitewater used to be a fish hatchery, and we used to take the boys there so they could fish for trout. It was a pleasant place then with a series of ponds and a fish ladder and more. It sits at the mouth of a very large valley that looks as if it has been a large river in times past. There is still water running down the large washday, but most of it is rock and sand surrounded on the sides by large hills of beautiful geology, showing many colors and formations that are different from the desert formations in the Coachella Valley where we live. You can see for miles. You can hike for miles as well, as it goes and goes and goes.

My impressions were that the place had really grown up. The small bushes and dead trees were now full grown thickets and the dead trees were surrounded by Laurel Sumac and shoots of younger trees and more. There was a goodly amount of water in the area. Water was running in a good sized stream, as well as smaller creeks branching off and flowing down through the rocks and sand of the river bed, and small ponds at various locations. For those of us from the desert, this was a lot of water. As a result there was a good amount of Typha, and Scirpus plants, (Taylor pointed these out to me, I saw Cattails).

We strolled along the well marked trail as Taylor pointed out certain plants and explained what to expect from their blossoms, and what their roots would do and more. He pointed out the "taco plant" or Laurel Sumac, that has leaves that fold up, giving the impression of a taco shell. The growth was head high and thick in parts, especially along the water ways.

It was a beautiful day and cool. There was gurgling water, whispering cattails and other bushes, bright sunshine, absolutely brilliant blue skies, and the calls of birds and ground squirrels. We found a canine footprint in the mud, and Taylor explained that you can tell the difference between canine and feline tracks by making an 'X' through the print. If you can mark an 'X' without touching the pad of the print, it is a canine print. Usually there are nail or claw impressions, (as we saw), as well.

As we strolled along we met other hikers, and one couple were walking while holding Starbuck's cups. Taylor sounded incredulous as he asked them, "Is there a coffee place up there?" indicating farther up the trail. They laughed and the man said there was, while the woman said no there wasn't, but it was a nice walk. We met with a group of three who asked if we were looking for birds, (I guess the bins and camera were clues), and when we said we were, told us of birds they had seen and where. So we left there looking for a California Thrasher, California Towhee, and Scrub Jays.

We turned the corner and while hearing the call of small frogs from the nearby pond, we saw a California Thrasher, (Toxostoma redivivum) dive into the thick brush along the hillside. We walked on and saw a pair of Western Scrub Jays, (Aphelocoma californica), working the wash. Ravens floated with a flock of what I believe were White Throated Swifts, (Aeronautes saxatalis).
We saw movement in the brush and saw a couple California Towhees, (Pipilo crissalis), then a Spotted Towhee, (Pipilo maculates) flashed past us. We heard and saw Bewick's Wrens, (Thryomanes bewickii) as we stepped over the small bridges over waterways.

At one point we decided to cross over the river bed, and walk back toward the visitor center/picnic ground on the other side where there is a fire road along the opposite hillside. As we crossed we saw a paw print in the sand that looked different. Using the 'X' theory, we saw that it was indeed feline, and it was large. So, by deduction we believe it was a mountain lion track and not the smaller bobcat. I know it doesn't make logical sense, but I really did look up and further around for the mountain lion. That is like seeing the deer crossing signs on the roadway and begin looking for deer. I didn't see the lion either.

As we wandered down the fire road, we saw a good sized flock of Bushtits, (Psaltriparus minims), moving from bush to bush and chipping to each other as they moved along the hillside. As we got closer to the visitor center we saw flocks of White Crowned Sparrows, (Zonotrichia leucophrys), and a Lincoln Sparrow, (Melospiza lincolnii) or two. As we approached an ancient stand of trees, Taylor remarked we should see some sort of woodpecker, like a Flicker or two, as he pointed out a hole or two that had been excavated in the trunks or large branches of the trees. Like it was waiting to be called, a red shafted Northern Flicker, (Colaptes auratus) landed on the branch of the tree. While we were admiring this bird, we heard the calls of quail nearby. Soon we saw them scurrying from one brushy hideout to another, then across the road. Unfortunately, I was unable to properly identify them, but believe them to have been Gambel's Quail, (Callipepla gambelii). I have heard there were California Quail in the area, but I didn't get a good enough look to make the determination. The one I saw the best was a female and from what I saw and what I read in the Sibley's, I think we watched and heard Gambel's.

We saw a Phainopepla, (Phainopepla intense), in the dead and dry brush along the pathway. Also, as we walked, talking, looking and listening to the surroundings, Taylor pointed up the canyon and we saw a Cessna airplane sailing very low down the rocky riverbed. I was able to snap a photo as the plane climbed up a little and exited the canyon.

Altogether, a pleasant hike on a gorgeous day, with a lot of wildlife in the area. I was pleasantly impressed with the improvements and the numbers of birds in the area, as well as the signs we saw of other wildlife. I will return here.

As a side story, Taylor and I went to a small art show at Frances Stevens Park in Downtown Palm Springs today, Saturday, and found a terrific wildlife painter. Taylor found me gaping at some other terrific art and told me to follow him because he was going to blow my mind. He did. The pictures were simple, but terrific. She works in watercolor, but the detail in her paintings if phenomenal. Her name was Penelope Krebs, and she lives in Morongo, near the Morongo Preserve. Her website is www.penelopekrebs.com if you want to see some of her work. Taylor bought some of her prints, and I got a business card which is a work of art in itself, a pair of Gambel's Quail with her name underneath. Another pleasant surprise of the weekend.

So, you might be a birdnerd if...you look hike for hours but have no idea how far you have trailed. You can give a detailed list of the birds and wildlife you saw, however.

Big Morongo Preserve

2010-10-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

Saturday, 10/9/10, was a perfect example of a retirement day in our household. When I tell people that I am really enjoying retirement, this is the reason why. There are things we need to do to make it perfect, like making enough to pay for our school loans so that Andi can retire with me, but this is the prize we are working for.

It is Saturday morning at about 8:00AM, and I am parking my Honda Insight in the parking lot of the Big Morongo Preserve. Dee Zeller waves greeting as I step out of the car. There are others milling about the parking lot that I don't recognize, but I knew we were all there for the same reason, birds.

My dad told me years ago that everyone wears a uniform. If I were to ask you to visualize a cop or fire fighter, you would most readily think of their respective uniforms. If I ask you to visualize a gang member there may be some differences but most could come up with a particular set of clothing, grooming or lack thereof, and even stances or behaviors.

It is the same with birders. Who else would be in a wooded area as the sun begins to bathe the area in warmth and brilliant light. Who else packs bottles of water, cameras, and most importantly, binoculars on their bodies while wearing sensible shoes. Who else is already looking up in the trees for something flitting about. Who else carries a three pound book in a pocket or shoulder pouch that will help them identify what they see this day. Yes, they were birders. Thus started my day.

Today was no ordinary birding day, (is there one?). Today, we would be led on a birdwalk by Dee Zeller, camp host for the Big Morongo Preserve, (www.bigmorongo.org), then we were to be entertained with a lecture by Chet McGaugh. Chet is an ornithologist who has birded this area for nearly 33 years and has seen many changes in the area as well as the numbers and kinds of birds found here. He works with and has been deeply involved in the San Bernardino Museum and Audubon Society, leading the way on several projects of various sizes over the years. Chet and his lovely wife drove out from their home in Riverside to meet with our group and show us a short history of birding in the Preserve, which he broke down into the various seasons. It was enlightening to see which kinds of birds we could expect at each time of year.

But I have gotten ahead of myself. We started out with a short gathering in the parking lot, and a total of around 40 people of all ages, sizes and shapes gathered to hear the organizer of the event, Seth representing Joshua Tree National Park, give a brief introduction of Dee and what we were to expect. There were several regulars, like Margaret who is very knowledgeable and regularly keeps records of how many and what kinds of birds we see on these walks, today was no exception.

Also there was Bill with his camera and large lens, (envy, envy, envy), ready to document our journey today. Also, Dan, the new dad, was there with his ever-present scope. It turned out this was fortuitous, as without the scope, several of the hikers would not have seen some exciting birds.

Then there were new faces, including a young family with four young girls dressed properly for a hike. There were young women armed with pen and paper to document what we saw during our event. I believe this was a school assignment or perhaps extra credit. There was young couple, and several older couples. These were an odd assortment of people that may not have hung out together, except for their shared interest in birding this morning. How wonderful!

Dee had us start off and between he and Margaret they shared information on the types of plants, some of which were used as food sources by the Native Americans in the area, the birds we saw and the geography and habitats we could see along our hike.

Before we completely left the parking lot, but at the head of a trail, Dan called out that we were seeing something unusual near the more normal California Thrasher,(Toxostoma redivivum), White-Crowned Sparrows, (Zonotrichia leucophrys) and House Finches, (Carpodacus mexicanus). The bird teased us with short glimpses at first, testing the identification skills of Dan and Bill who were trying hard to pish (yeah, I know) the bird out into the open. It worked, the Dickcissel, (Spiza americana), hopped to the top of a small bush, and sat there for a good look at him for nearly 15 minutes. Bill got some photos, and Dan put him in the scope for all to see. Why was this exciting? Dickcissels are an East Coast bird, and we shouldn't see any west of Texas. Why was it here? Well, who knows? It was a young bird, probably first phase, (ornithologists use phases instead of years as birds mature at different rates, such as some gulls take two or three years to mature into the more recognizable plumage), and we had some strong storms recently, so perhaps it was migrating and was blown off course. We were just thrilled we could see him.

The Dickcissel was a first time sighting for many of us, and therefore a "lifer". It was also a first time sighting for Big Morongo Preserve as well. Already an excellent day. Dee commented he was a little disappointed, as he had planned for us to see this bird later in the walk, now his whole build up was for naught. That was his big finale and it came too early. We teased him, asking him if he tied the little bird to the bush, but he wouldn't make a commitment.

Never fear, we continued on and did find a couple other rarities, but nothing quite like the Dickcissel. We found a Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis), and were enlightened as to evidence they leave behind. They drill holes in the bark of Cottonwood trees and Eucalyptus trees, in a straight horizontal line, circling the trunk or branch in concentric circles. We were able to watch two of these guys at work during our walk. We also saw a Western Wood Pewee (Contopus sordidulus) flitting about the thick growth of the riparian habitat we walked through.

There were the usual Western Bluebirds, American Goldfinches(Carduelis tristis), and Yellow rumped warblers(Dendroica coronata). The Yellow rumped warblers were in good numbers and relatively new to the area. They come each year but they were not here earlier in the week. Yellow rumps are affectionately known as "Butter-Butts" in the birding world, and are pretty common at certain times of the year.

An exciting moment during our stroll was a Barn Owl (Tyto alba) flew across the open field for everyone to see. I tried really hard to look for the Ovenbird that (supposedly) has been seen in the area for the past two weeks, but to no avail. That would have been another "lifer" bird for me, but all I saw were warblers, finches, and jays. However, Margaret and I sat in the front yard of the Fishers, otherwise known as Fishers Point, (there is a sign), and we watched the birds enjoy the water feature built by the Fishers. As we watched the finches bathe and fly off, suddenly there was a brilliant yellow head sneaking around the feature. A Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia), was waiting its turn for a drink. It took a quick drink and flew. It disappeared, and we were discussing whether we really saw what we saw, when Bill came over and asked if we saw the Yellow Warbler. This was notable because they aren't supposed to be here for another month or two. A great day!

Then we sat in the little class room in Covington Park and listened to Chet discuss how Big Morongo Preserve is perfectly aligned at the edge of two large deserts, the Mojave and Colorado, and at the low end of the mountainous area, and the high point of the desert. It has a combination of riparian, wetland, open field, and desert habitats. All creatures represented in those climes and habitats are found at Big Morongo, including mountain lions, bobcats, tortoises, bighorn sheep, snakes and lizards, and, of course, various and sundry birds. Great place!

Chet showed us slides of birds he has seen at Big Morongo over the past several years. It was over all too soon at noon.

As we came out of the relative darkness of the room, we were met with several firetrucks and an Air Ambulance flying low overhead. There was a safety fair going on in the park and they landed the helicopter near the skatepark for all the waiting people to peruse. That was the end of birding and home I went.

That was a good enough day, but it was not over. I had tickets for a professional basketball game at Indian Wells. I, and my son, his friend, and our family friend Richard attended this outdoor basketball game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns. The Suns won, and we had a terrific time, great seats and good food. We took another hike to get back to our car, but it was a pleasant night.

I think I am going to like this retirement thing!

You might be a birdnerd...if you get up early on a weekend day and go pishing with your friends in the woods.

Pishing is the sound one makes that is supposed to entice birds to come out to investigate what is making that infernal racket. One makes the sound by placing your tongue in the position to say shhh!, then add "p" in front of this. Thus, pish. I am not sure why this works, but it seemed to today with the Dickcissel. It is just, well, fun to do at any rate.

Big Morongo Preserve

2010-09-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

We finally got to go out and see some birds again. I went about two weeks ago, with the intention of taking pictures for the blog, but when I got there I discovered the battery was dead on the camera. It was a nice walk anyway, but disappointing I couldn't take pictures.

So, it worked out better that Nancy, my long-time birding companion and former bicycle patrol partner downtown Palm Springs, called and said she needed a birdnerd fix. My son, Austin, is back from Jamaica where he spent some time in the Peace Corps, so he joined us.

We picked up Nancy at her home and drove up the hill to the high desert. This time I made sure the battery was charged and the lenses on my binos were clean. Once we got there and were properly nerdified, (hiking shorts, hiking boots, old baseball cap from the Long Beach jazz festival I attended with my oldest son, Taylor, binos on a harness over my shoulders, carrying a camera), we struck off on the trails.

On the way we kept seeing LBJ's, (Little Brown Jobbies, a term used by birders when they are not quite sure what just flitted by), and on the lower canyon trail watched a Prairie Falcon(Falco mexicanus) fly in a direct line up the canyon. I missed the shot of it, not even remembering I had the camera until it was too far gone. (So much for my career as a photographer!).

We continued our stroll with Nancy leading and regaling us with the current events from PSPD and her other adventures. We came to a small meadow and saw a beautiful butterfly. Not knowing anything about lepidoptery, I don't know which one this is, but it was pretty and it allowed me to take its photo.

We also saw a Black Throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) giving us a good look.

When we looped around and came back toward Covington Park, we soon saw several Western Bluebirds(Sialia mexicana), and then the signature bird of that area for me, the Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus). It was in the area near the trees, which line one side of the tennis courts, that I have always seen it. It always keeps its distance, but goes about its business with little care for the number of people staring at it through binoculars, as well as the oohs and aaahs from those same people. Once you see this brilliant bird you wonder how in the world you could not see it. Then as you watch it disappears for a few minutes and reappears in all its brilliance.

We stopped in the park near the trees and followed the Vermilion and Bluebirds antics for a while, then Nancy jumped like she had been electrified, and pointed out into the field. I turned and saw the large blur of a Red Tailed Hawk leaping from the ground and heading toward a stand of trees. The Red Tail, (Buteo jamaicensis), is common, but impressive all the same. It is a good sized bird and a raptor, meaning it hunts and eats live creatures like squirrels, gophers, rabbits, even snakes. Nancy happened to have seen it dive down to the ground in an attempt to capture lunch, but it missed. The bird flew into the stand of trees and landed on a branch in the shade and all but disappeared. I ventured as close as I felt I could without disturbing it, (to be honest a barb-wire fence helped make the decision), and snapped a couple photos.

We finished our walk and found ourselves at the Dee and Betty Zeller home. They are the caretakers of the Big Morongo Preserve, and live in a trailer on the grounds. They have several feeders set up with a couple water features and chairs for better close up viewing of birds that dare to come near. Dee and Betty soon joined us and we caught up with some of the features of their lives, (their son is a chef, and will be soon opening a barbecue restaurant near the preserve), while calling out the kinds of birds we were watching. While sitting there we watched a Nuttal's Woodpecker (Picoides nuttalii) feed off the suet feeder, while a Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) drank from the dripping water feature. A Ruby Crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) flitted about the bushes nearby.

The most interesting event of the day was the spotting of two hawks that circled ever upward and farther away. They were a good sized bird, smaller than a Red Tail, but appeared to be larger than a Cooper's Hawk. The wings were broad and thick, with a short tail and relatively broad body. I couldn't get a picture as the bird and the camera were not cooperating. However, from every thing we saw and from pooring over the field guides, I feel rather confident in calling them a pair of Northern Goshawks (Accipiter gentilis). This is something rarely seen in this area, but otherwise a rather common bird. The markings we saw were different than the Red Shouldered Hawk I originally thought it was as there was no red color on the breast and wings like the Red Shouldered, but there were busy stripings on the wings and streaking on the body, as well as a buff or white rump. While I am uncomfortable with making these kinds of claims without a more qualified person, or photograph as evidence, I am about 80% sure that is what these were. Fun stuff!

Dee told us about an Ovenbird they saw the day before on their walk, and where we were likely to find it, but when we went there, we didn't see it. So, my plan is to return with the group, and Austin, on this Wednesday in the hopes of finding it.

So, You might be a birdnerd if... you plan a vacation or an outting particularly to see a specific bird.

Nancy and I went one August, (yes, the hottest month of the year), to see Wood Storks (Mycteria americana). Now, as a defense, Wood Storks are not in our area except for the summer. So, we loaded up in Nancy's Honda Civic, and drove to the Salton Sea to try to find a very ugly bird in high triple digit heat. We drove down to Sonny Bono NWF and spoke to a ranger there, asking about the storks. They were very helpful in telling us where others, (see insanity is contagious), had seen them the day before. With a rough idea as to where we were looking and a fresh water, we took off. We drove Nancy's tiny car on farm roads of dirt and rock for over an hour and found a small irrigation pond attached to a long ditch. There in all its glory, stood a Wood Stork, wading amongst several other types of birds that I can't even remember. I will always remember the Wood Stork though, and break into a sweat just thinking about it.

New computer

2010-08-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

It has been a week or so, and I have been lax in blogging. This is partly because we got ourselves a new computer. We have an Apple iMac with a movie screen sized monitor and all kinds of bells and whistles. Hopefully, it will make my blog look better as well.
This is my maiden voyage with the new computer and putting together a blog with pictures. So far it hasn't helped my spelling, but it is really fast.

While I was trying to think of what to put into the blog, I was reminded of a time that my friend Nancy and I took a walk up Mount San Jacinto from the top of the Tram. Especially at this time of year it is such a nice hike. The weather is a good 30 degrees cooler, but still bright and sunny. You literally go from triple digit heat, (today is a cool 104), to low 80's or even the 70's. You go from hot sand under foot with an occasional cactus, to loamy dirt trails, in amongst the tall pine trees and that great Christmas smell. A nice retreat during the summer. Then we who live here can return to the desert floor and get into the pool, a nice day.

Well, Nancy and I ride the Tram to the top, then hike one of the popular trails around a large meadow, where we see Violet-Green Swallows, Blue Jays, and Crows. We are talking and looking, and just generally enjoying our time in the cool mountain air, when a small group of men find us and holding their map ahead of them, ask for directions. They have wandered farther than they had planned and were not sure of the trail they were on. Nancy and I try to be helpful and start to look at their map. It just so happened that a pair of Clark's Nutcrackers landed in a small gully nearby and I saw them. So, in mid-sentence I call out "Clark's Nutcrackers!" and rush off. Nancy takes just a second to explain, "We're birders..." and she is in hot pursuit. We put them in the binoculars and watch as they flash in and out of the scrub brush and fallen tree branches, then fly off. I look up to see four men staring blank faced.

Nancy helps them out and they quickly say their thanks, and wander off, with a couple glances our way. We saw them later near the top where you can look out over the entire valley and they pretended they didn't see us. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time this has happened to me, and probably won't be the last. But I am trying and getting better at controlling my outbursts.

For example, we are sitting with friends in the house the other day. They are nice people and the conversation was fun. However, outside I watch as an Oriole flashes past the back door, and my heart jumps. But, I didn't jump up and charge into the back yard like I wanted to. I sat and nodded and smiled, while I hoped the oriole would return when these people left. They are transient to our area, and we only see them a couple weeks at a time, so it is always fun to see them in their glory when they come to our hummingbird feeders or to fruit I put out for them. (They like oranges or grapefruits).

So, today while I was in the back yard starting up the barbecue, I heard a different bird call, and looked around. I saw my oriole sitting in my palm tree. I was able to see and photograph a Hooded Oriole, (Icterus cucullatus), as he sat long enough for me to start the barbecue, go inside and recover my camera, change lenses, then come out and take some photos. He was very cooperative. I will probably receive a bill later. :)
(This is my most cooperative oriole. He was visiting while I barbecued. Glad I didn't have chicken on the grill this day, could've been ugly.)

While barbecuing I saw three different species of doves at my feeders. So, while the camera was out, and I was waiting for the meat to cook, I took some photos to compare the three birds.
(These are two of the three species of dove that regularly come to visit our feeders. The one on the left is a Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura), they are the birds that make that mournful call you probably hear outside. The one on the left is a White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica). Notice the very white feathers on the front of the wings and more red legs.)
(This shows the White-winged Dove with a Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto). Notice the lighter color of the Eurasian Collared-Dove, and the black half-ring around it's neck, or collar. I like the red eyes.)

So, You might be a bird nerd if you are talking to friends and... oh! look an oriole!

V-V

2010-07-23T15:04:00.001-07:00

This is getting rediculous, isn't it. I understand why you think this, but if I haven't sold you on Vancouver yet, this one should do it. Either way, this will be the last blog on Vancouver, with maybe a couple of mentions in future blogs.

In this one I will put a few more pics and discuss one of our jaunts out of Vancouver.

We decided to follow the advice of several of our friends that said something like, "If you go there, you have to visit Whistler." They also mentioned, for my sake, there was a place on the way that was called Eagle's Run, where the Bald Eagles nested. I heard stories of "...hundreds of Eagles..." and this was where they nested and even there were Golden Eagles there. Now, the Golden Eagle is one bird I am not sure exists outside captivity. I may have seen one or two, but making an identification in a fraction of a second at 70mph or so is difficult at best. There was that time we were walking on an Audubon hike and the leader pointed to a dot in the sky and said it was a Golden Eagle, and it may have been, but even with binoculars it was a dot, so it could have been a circling plane for all I know. I keep hearing people telling me they have seen a Golden Eagle, but I haven't seen one to know it, yet.

I digress. So with great anticipation we speed off northward toward Whistler, looking forward to seeing the Eagle Run along the way. We admire the beautiful scenery along the way, and watch for signs until we found one. We turned off and drove where it said, and ended up in a residential area. We turned down a street that looked likely to get us there, and found a sign saying we were entering private property that was not the Eagle Run. So we turned around and found a place for breakfast instead. After breakfast, we drove around and found the better road and ultimately found the Eagle Run. We parked our car one a gravel parking area on one side of the roadway, walked across the road and up an embankment that was a levee for a river that picturesquely flowed this cute little town. There were benches and an informational board posted that described the mating and nesting rituals of the Bald Eagle. Apparently the nesting area was across the river in the stand of trees that was thick over there.

This was a pretty place with brightly colored flowers, little cafe's, and people walking, but no eagles.

Poor Andi took a seat on one of the "viewing" benches, and read her book while I traipsed around looking for the eagles. I walked until I saw another of the signs saying this was Indian land and I would enter at my own risk. I walked the other way so I could get good views of the trees from as many angles as I could, but no eagles. I looked back across the roadway where there were some small farms and open fields surrounded by large trees, thinking they were sitting in these trees sniggering at me, but no eagles.

(The river and stand of trees with the mountains in the background, where the eagles were supposed to be).

(Andi reading her book while I am searching for the lost eagles.)
We finally decided to go on to Whistler and come back the next day to see if our luck changed. It didn't. We had a great time in Whistler and the surrounding area, but when we stopped again, (this time on the first try), there were still no eagles.

(I couldn't resist, a Canadian Cop. He was at Whistler and posing for pictures with his dog. He is a member of the RCMP, and apparently this was his assignment for the weekend we were there)>

(When there isn't snow, the mountain found another way of getting people to play. They made a mountain bike run. They lifted the people and bikes up the mountain, then they bombed down the trails of every level down the mountain).

So, no pictures of nesting eagles. However, I did get a couple shots back at Stanley Park of a couple other birds that were fun for me. When we got back from Whistler I was able to hike around the Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park and found several cool birds and a racoon, turtles and squirrels. This was a wonderful place, with several "rest areas" that one could stop and sit and watch people and animals move about. It was very peaceful and teeming with life just yards from a teeming cement metropolis.

So, here are some pictures of the Lost Lagoon and the things I saw there. Enjoy.

(This guy let me get close enough for this photo. A Northwestern Crow, Corvus caurinus).

(The Lost Lagoon, no Peter Pan and the Lost Boys were not seen here).

(Remember this guy? Mute Swan, Cygnus olor).

(Turtle log rolling contest. It isn't very fast but the drama was intense!).

(Cedar Waxwing, Bombycilla cedorum. Look at the wing and see the little red area? It looks like little wax drops on the ends of the feathers, hence the name).

(Little racoon doing his thing in the water off the trail).

So, you might be a bird nerd if...you get terribly disappointed when something is named for a bird, and there are no birds!

V-IV

2010-07-21T16:42:00.000-07:00

Andi did it again! She studied our maps and discovered another wildlife refuge called Swan Lake, (it is unclear if it was the one named in the ballet). It was a pretty cool little place.

We had to again drive through a residential neighborhood in order to find it, but we did find it. There was a little converted house that they used for the nature center, and the several acres around it were kept as wild as possible, while maintaining the trails and visibility for visitors. Inside the nature center we met this young lady that was very helpful and more than happy to show us all the exhibits they had inside. She showed us the bee-hive they had, with the queen marked with a red stripe, and told us about the hive history and activities.

She showed us the nest-cam they had with young Violet Green Swallows, (Tachycineta thalassina), about to fledge. We watched as mom would return to the nest, feed the young ones and fly away. One or two would creep to the edge of the nest and look around as if they were going to try to fly, and we would run to the window where we could see the nest box and see the little one's head poking out. Then they would back into the nest and wait for mom.

During our trip we saw Violet Green Swallows and Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) often. We also saw Northwestern Crows (Corvus corinus) everywhere from our condo to Whistler. I am making that i.d. as the book shows their range from northern Washington to southern Alaska along the coastline. The American Crow, (Corvus brachyrinchos), shows ranges inland from that and covering the rest of the country. These were definitely crows, and possibly somewhat smaller, otherwise, there was no difference between the two. By range alone I decided to make the i.d. and count it as a lifer for me.

Swan Lake was a beautiful little place, with a wooden dock for viewing, a floating bridge to cross the lake to another little wooded area, with viewing areas along the way. From the viewing dock we saw Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas), Mallard ducks with babies, but no swans. On the trail to the nature center we found a small Garter Snake.

(Common Yellowthroat talking to us as we walked out on the viewing deck).
Inside the nature center, the young lady told me of a nest or two the Marsh wrens (Cistothorus palustris)had built right next to the floating bridge. Andi gave her foot a rest while I braved the bridge.

(This is the Marsh Wren nest, look closely through the reeds to see the entrance hole)

(This is the little Marsh Wren making a spectacle of himself near a nest).

I found the nests pretty easily, seeing the little balls of weaved rushes swaying int the slight breeze at the top of the reeds next to the bridge. I also saw some pond turtles lined up on a nearly submerged log, as well as a mother Mallard with several babies lined up on their own log.

Across the bridge I found another nest, with the help of the Marsh Wren making quite a show of himself. He kept calling and flitting about gaining my attention that I began looking under him and found another little ball of weaved rushes. These little birds (about three and one-half to four inches long), are usually heard but difficult to see as they work their way into the reeds and stay there. This little guy was at the top of the reeds and singing loudly and often.

Just past this was a small backwater that had several napping Mallards in amongst the lily pads. I saw a couple at first, then as I continued to look, more appeared, like one of those Bev Doolittle paintings. (Luckily no wolves or bears came out of the scene).

(Momma Mallard and some babies resting on a nearly submerged log).

On the other side of the bridge the path opened into a small meadow surrounded by large trees with a Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)sitting in a small tree next to the path singing away. There was a Spotted Towhee or two,(Pipilo maculatus), and Red-Winged Blackbirds, (Agilaius phoeniceus).

At the front of the nature center we saw a tall pine that was topped off, and on the top was a Northern Flicker, (Colptes auratus). This is a type of woodpecker that is brown-gold instead of the usual black and white configurations of other woodpeckers.

This was another calm and beautiful location with lots of wildlife that I wouldn't mind returning to. Another good find by my wife. The nature center had used books for sale, souvenirs, and lots of good information about the surrounding areas. They had the bird cam, and the live bee-hive that was a kick to see. There were pictures of birds and other creatures that visited or lived at the lake, as well as live frogs, lizards, snakes and salamanders in cages to see.

You might be a birdnerd if...you get a kick out of a small nature center, and it is one of the highlights of your vacation, and you are an adult, not a pre-teen.

Vancouver III

2010-07-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, Andi studied the maps and after we explored much of Vancouver proper, we rented a car and began to explore north of the city. We took a ferry across English Bay to Vancouver Island to see the cities of Nanaimo and Victoria. We had friends who gave us a list of things we had to see and do, and one of the things was the Nanaimo Bar. Imagine the disappointment on the face of poor Andi when we discovered that meant the desert, Nanaimo Bar, not the bar with drinks.

At Nanaimo, we saw a smaller ferry that would take us to the little island that populated with the rabbits with floppy ears, but it was too cold for us, and Andi's foot was still hurting and everything indicated there was a bit of walking to do once we got there. So, we found a nice place to eat and spent the night at the hotel. (This was the hotel we were staying in when we took the pictures of us smoking cigars and drinking wine).

Andi found a place on the map called Esquimalt Lagoon, (pronounced Es-kwy-malt), so we drove to it. There we found a spot on the one side of a bridge that gave us a view of the lagoon, but the bridge was closed to vehicular traffic and we had to go quite a ways around to find the other side, (which of course looked better).

That was alright, as when we drove through this residential district we were stunned to see a small herd of deer roaming the neighborhood. They were nonchalantly munching grass, scratching, and doing things that deer do, all in someone's front yard. I told Andi that was why none of the people there had lawnmowers, yet their lawns remained well manicured.
I (I didn't think they would let me get much closer than this so I snapped the shot, it shows the three of them together.)
(This is the Mute Swan posing nicely for us).
(This is the Trumpeter Swan giving us his best Clint Eastwood "Do you feel lucky..." look).

We moved past the deer and found the roadway to the other side of the lagoon, and Andi drove down to where I saw some Swans preening in the shallows near the road. She stopped and I hopped out with my camera and binoculars. I moved slowly and tried to get off the roadway and down the small embankment as quickly as possible without scaring the group away, then stealthily made my way toward the Swans, and Canada Geese milling about with them. It was kind of funny, because by the time I got down to the shoreline, it became very apparent the birds couldn't care less if I was there or not. They were busy preening and were not particularly concerned about my presence at all. They looked up from time to time, then blithely went back to doing their thing. So much for my skills.

They allowed me to get nice and close and I took a bunch of pictures of these large and beautiful birds. The day we were there, there were about five or six Swans. Three were in this group at this time, one Trumpeter Swan(Cygnus buccinator), and two Mute Swans, (Cygnus olor). Both "lifers" for me. As you can see from the photos, they are much larger than the Canada Geese, (Branta canadensis). This may give you an idea of their size, then you can extrapolate this to the size of an Andean Condor that my boys (Taylor and Austin) have seen in Patagonia. The Condor is the largest bird in the world with over a 12 foot wingspan and a body larger than even these swans. The boys said they saw several flying at a time each day they were in Patagonia. It must have looked like something pre-historic!

This was exciting enough for me, but as I got to explore the lagoon further, I saw over 20 Great Blue Herons, (Ardea herodias), Glaucous Gulls (Larus hyperboreus), many Mallard Ducks, (Anas platyrhyncos), Caspian Terns, (Sterna caspia), Barn Swallows, (Hirundo rustica), two Belted Kingfishers,(Ceryle alcyon), a couple Black Oystercatchers, (Haematopus bachmani), and of course, two Bald Eagles, (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).
(I just liked this view. I thought it would make a good painting.)
(At the top of these trees was a Bald Eagle calling to another that was soaring about the area.)
(This is the Black Oystercatcher. They use that chisel-like bill to open and eat mussels and other bivalves on the shoreline).
(As we were leaving we saw this pair of Mute Swans swimming with their babies across the lagoon.)

I had a great time there. There were shorebirds, waterbirds, sleeping birds, hunting birds, parenting birds, just birds everywhere. People came down to walk, walk their dogs, play with their kids on the rocky shore, have lunch or spend some quiet time in a beautiful setting. It was great!!

Oh, I also saw a small Garter Snake slithering through the grass on my way to the Swans.

Andi took advantage of the time and lovely setting to read one of her books, while I was snapping photos and talking to the birds, "Work with me baby, turn your head, get the glint of sunlight in your eye. That's it! Hold it!"

Tomorrow I will talk about Swan Lake and the little Nature Center we found there.

You might be a birdnerd if... you leave your significant other reading in the car on some lonely road, while you traipse around in the grass and mud trying to get a better picture of a bird.

Vancouver II

2010-07-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have to go back a little to tell another adventure we had during our travels. Andi and I have never been to Vancouver before, and the last time I was in Canada was pre-9/11. So we were unfamiliar with many the heightened security rules which are slightly different than the U.S. (Luckily they speak a similar language, if you don't count the zed for 'z').

We had to fly in to Calgary, Canada where we had a an hour or so lay-over before flying to Vancouver. We had checked our large bags, so we assumed those bags would be placed onto the second flight as well. We noticed many of the other passengers picking up bags, but assumed this was their final destination. We stood in line and went through customs, blithely thinking all was well.

When the young lady at the counter asked where are bags were, we told her they were on the plane, of course. She told us, politely, that we had to recover our bags and bring them through the customs line to be checked. Who knew?

We followed her instructions and went to the customs office to meet a man who looked like he had been working there for quite some time and was bored with the whole thing. We explained our predicament, and with a huff, he escorted us to the baggage claim, where we recovered our lonely bags, stood in line again and finally were checked through customs.

One other thing we noticed, when you order a burger, they cook the meat well done. They don't even ask if you have a preference. It was explained to us that they want to make sure the meat doesn't make you sick, (Salmonella, Mad Cow, something).

Once in Vancouver, we again go to the carousel to recover our bags, and Andi has to step out for a cigarrette. We had planned to take the new monorail from the airport to the waterfront, then a short taxi ride to the condo.

Once the bags were recovered, Andi announced our problems were solved. She met a woman who wanted to share a taxi with us and did so. She became our unofficial tour guide and explained a few of the local customs and made some suggestions. She was a nice lady and the taxi ride was not expensive, and we got a guided tour with comments from our new friend, Wendy.

The taxi driver dropped Wendy off first, then took us to our condo on the West side. Many of the taxi's in Vancouver are Prius', by the way. Immediately we were impressed by the greenery that permeates the city. Large trees form a green tunnel over the streets, which are narrow with sidewalks bordered by grass or flowers. Very pretty. It was a lot cooler than our hometown of Palm Springs, and when we were able to see the weather we were seeing numbers of 20 degrees, and into the teens. We were only momentarily confused, as it was plain their measurement was in Centigrade (Celsius), while ours is Fahrenheit. The conversion is simple though, double the number given in Celsius, and add 30. Even so, 20 was 70F. We came from near triple digits in Palm Springs.

It was cloudy, drizzly rain, and to us, pretty cool. We were in our sweatshirts and jeans, while the locals were wearing shorts and maybe a light sweater. There were lots of people walking through the neighborhoods. While there wasn't a dedicated downtown, Robison was the main thoroughfare for shopping and restaurants. The scene reminded me a lot of New York City, in the layout, (easily defined blocks), and that people lived in their neighborhoods and could walk to anything they needed. Restaurants, cleaners, corner grocery stores, bakeries, all were within easy walking distances.
(See!! I do take pictures of people!)

After we unpacked and walked around to get our bearings, looking all touristy with our maps, camera and bino's hanging around my neck. Andi was told, but it was something to experience,the sun doesn't go down until around 10:00PM, or later. So the first few days we were very tired trying to stay up until dark.

(These are the views we had from out small balcony outside the condo. Also, a shot of the street with the tree canopy and lush greenery).

There was no television, so we got some very needed peace and quiet, and rest. We also read several books as well as the local newspapers and magazines.

This was our first couple days, and we soon acclimated. I've told you about Stanley Park, but we walked all around the city portion looking for recommended restaurants, entertainment spots and the like. The Vancouver Jazz Festival was in progress while we were there, so we were able to take in a night of good food, jazz and good company. Their Jazz Festival was not set up like a concert like I was expecting. They had several venues such as restaurants that hosted certain bands throughout the city and onto Vancouver Island, as we found out later. They gave out pamphlets that showed dates and times bands would play and where. The bar or restaurant would fill up with Jazz fans and the concert would go on. Very low-key and enjoyable. It went on for several days.

Not much birding information in this blog but I promise their is a lot coming. I will end this one with some observations; my bino's worked extremely well. Like I said, we came from very warm temperatures to very mild temperatures and I pulled them out of the bag and walked outside to use them. There was no fogging or blurring at all, they worked admirably. I have a pair of Brunton 10x32, Lite Tech series. They are rubber coated which makes them waterproof, and have argon gas inside the tubes to help the lenses adjust to the changes in temperatures. I know that they were always there for me when I needed them.

My camera on the other hand...Well, the telephoto lens to be specific. The camera was fine, and the smaller lens was fine. But the telephoto is a Vivitar 70-300mm zoom lens, and I have added a "doubler" which roughly doubles the magnification of the lens it is attached to. This decreases the amount of light that it draws in, and does not allow the lens to work with the camera for auto focus. I could only use the telephoto on manual focus, and when you are trying to take a picture of a small flitting bird, this can be frustrating. I did get a couple of pics of a brown blur leaving the right hand side of the picture, (I won't show you those).

So, that is something I will put on my Christmas list, a 600mm telephoto lens for my Minolta camera. Then I won't suffer from lens envy anymore:)

Next time I will include a lot more birding and some of the pics I was able to get.

Back from Vancouver

2010-07-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

We are back from Vancouver, British Columbia, and we had a terrific time. I was planning to keep the blog going every day we were on the trip to keep a running log of our adventures, but we had technical difficulties with all our electronic equipment. We took our laptop computer in to a repair shop, and the little girl behind the counter was so nice and polite, telling us they would send the computer to their shop and we would probably have it in a week or two. We respectively declined and had to resort to old school pen and paper to keep notes.

I have decided to share an adventure we had early on in the trip, which reminded me of a trip I took with my good friend Nancy Carr a few years ago. (You will see why in a minute or two).

We decide to drive to the Salton Sea to see what we could see. (Too many see's?)Anyway, Nancy is driving, as at the time I had a police car as my vehicle and the City of Palm Springs was tired of getting calls to see if their officer was alright. People saw a Palm Springs police vehicle in some out of the way place and just assumed the officer had been kidnapped and was tied to a tree or something. I digress, so we are in Nancy's little Honda hatchback and driving down two lane, (barely) farm roads looking for birds.

We saw a pair of Burrowing Owls,(Athene cunicularia), on a sandy embankment near their burrow. We pulled over to the side of the road, careful not to pull all the way onto the sandy shoulder and get stuck. We were looking closely and resting our elbows on the parts of the car most readily available and decided the car was vibrating too much to get a good clear look through the binos. So she turned off the engine and we sat for a couple minutes watching the antics of this cute pair of birds.

Then we heard a very loud airhorn. We looke up and there was a large eighteen wheeler coming toward us through the rippling heat waves. A glance in the mirror showed us there was another coming up behind us at a good clip. In an instant we saw there wasn't going to be enough room for the two trucks to pass us and each other, something had to give, and we knew it was going to be us. Nancy became a blur of action as she started the car, put it in gear and sped off in record time.

Talk about adrenaline rush!

Now, I tell you that story to segue into this one.

Andi and I were in Vancouver, in the West End, for those who know the place. One of the great attractions there is Stanley Park. This is a lot like Central Park in New York City, in that it is surrounded by big city living, such as high rise condos, busy streets, people walking, biking, skateboarding, rollerblading etc. Like Central Park, Stanley Park is a beautiful thickly wooded area, with ponds and lakes, criss-crossed with trails and roads. There are grassy areas where people lay out in the sun, play frisbee, or do yoga. At Stanley Park, it is bordered on three sides by English Bay and Burrard Inlet, with its point part of the First Narrows that connects to two. It has a trail that is paved that goes all the way around the park, which they call the Seawall walk. So, visitors can walk along this pathway with the woods on one side, and the ocean with beaches broken up by rocky outcroppings with tide pools on the other. Absolutely beautiful.
(This is just outside Stanley Park, but this was remarkable to us. That is huge tree on the patio of a penthouse apartment on top of a large building.)

We decided to rent a couple bicycles to go along the Seawall walk. This was a marvelous way to cruise leisurely around the park and soak up the ambience. Some used it as an exercise path, but we were on vacation and took it slowly.

I was having a great time. I had my binoculars hanging on chest on these elastic bands I bought from the Audubon Society some years ago, and my camera in a pouch the rental company supplied for the bike. I was as nerdy and touristy as you could get, (with the exception of shorts with black socks). We rode blissfully around until I saw a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), but nearby was a duck I thought may
be a Eurasian Widgeon, (Anas penelope).

I stop and grab my camera and start to stalk the bird across the path, dodging other bicyclists whizzing by, and rollerbladers rushing past. Andi stops and waits patiently while I try to 1) make the identification which would have been a lifer for me, and 2) get a picture.

As I approached and started to search through the binoculars for the elusive beast, I heard the crash of a bicycle and Andi's distinctive voice cry out. I turned and saw her on all fours off the side of the path and the bike tangled up with her legs and feet.

I abandoned the quest, and ran to Andi, and helped extricate her from her entanglement. She injured her foot as it got tangled with the pedal and when she fell it landed on her foot. We got her to a standing position, and she gamely went on with the bike ride. I have to tell, she really did injure herself, but she continued on with the bike ride, then in the following days on long walks without a complaint.

As a side light, it turned out the fall was my fault. I told Andi to raise the seat so that pedaling would be easier. She took the opportunity to raise the seat and got tangled up, and fell down. So, see, it was my fault.

So, you might be a birdnerd if...you are so distracted by watching a bird you risk life and limb.

P.S. Nancy saw a special on the world's most dangerous road, somewhere in Sout America. She said the announcer stated that while there had been several injuries, and the road was very treacherous, being very narrow and very high up a mountain, there was only one fatality. It was a birder, who was trying to get a better view of a bird he saw off the roadway and fell off.

Birding is a dangerous hobby!

(These are two views of the Narrows connecting English Bay to Burrard Inlet at the tip of Stanley Park. The second one is just under the Burrard bridge. Those are Pelagic Cormorants, (Phalacrocorax pelagicus).

(This is a statue that is in all the travel books discussing Vancouver. The water was way too cold to snorkel or even think of swimming! However, the Canucks did.)

Anniversary Trip

2010-06-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

We are planning a trip to Vancouver, British Columbia later this month, and it reminded me of our 25th anniversary trip to Antigua. I went to a travel agent who showed me several brochures of tropical island locations and packages. I looked and read some of the descriptions until I found one that was right next to a place called Bird Island. That was it!! We went to Antigua for our romantic island getaway, because it was next to Bird Island.

If you don't know, Antigua has a beach for every day. Three hundred sixty-five beaches around the island. Some are white sand and smooth, great for sunning and swimming. Some are pink coral beaches, and others have tide pools surrounding them. Lots of open island inland, easy parking, and friendly natives,(save for a few trying to sell some "island brush" or "ganja"). It is truly a beautiful paradise.

We met several very nice people from various locations around the world, from the suburbs of London, to Miami, Florida. We had some wonderful discussions about everything from someone's boyfriend getting too much sun, to various businesses and romantic ideas. It was a very pleasant time.

Now, it may be wierd, but this vacation, as absolutely romantic and exciting as it was, was a perfect example of how my wife and I vacation. She never meets a stranger, and ends up knowing everyone in the resort, as well as their families and personal histories. I go hiking.

A side story from a few years ago; We went camping with our kids and several other families one time. Apparently when these families get together to camp they do everything together, eat meals, sit around and talk, walk around, everything is done as a group. I was unaware of this and went about my business as we normally do. My wife stayed at the camp and met new friends, and I went hiking.

This time, I happened to get up early and took off, having found a nice marsh area nearby. I told my wife I was going, and the general direction I was heading. I had planned on returning for breakfast. However, I kept hearing a clapper rail call and kept trying to find where it was. I then found several other really cool birds, like a common yellowthroat, and the walk took longer than I had planned. I returned to find several people in an uproar over where I had been. My wife simply shrugged when they asked telling them I was hiking, that was good enough for her. They were flabbergasted I would spend so much time wandering around by myself. They were thinking of calling search and rescue. When I shrugged it off and began to tell them the birds I had seen and some of the shore life I had found, they looked at me like I had two heads. I spent the rest of the camping trip with the eight and nine year olds collecting crabs and finding lizards and snakes.

Back to Antigua, I took a couple hikes on the resort and off. The resort was a Sandals resort, with many different beautiful flowering plants. I took some pictures for my son, who is very into botany. Some of the tropical trees and vining plants are spectacular.

I found some life birds, including flamingos(Phoenicopterus ruber) on the fly, laughing gulls,(Larus atricilla) java sparrows (Padda oryzivora)and more. On one of my walks, someone else was having a very romantic vacation and had dined out on their small patio. They had left the dirty dishes and glasses on the table and returned to their room. In the morning I walked by and found laughing gulls on the table enjoying a very upscale repast. I imagined them "laughing" about the western gulls having to scavenge dead beasts, while they dined on champagne and escargot.

When we got up in the morning there were many tiny lizards literally falling out of the trees, and scouting the beaches. Bananaquits were visiting looking for handouts. Some little birds literally landed on our table while we were eating our breakfast. It was terrific.

Very friendly native fauna.

Our breakfast buddies every morning.

We had a one room "rondaval" or round room right next to the beach. We could easily walk out our front door, several steps to the beach, and lie down on a chaise lounge. This is exactly what my wife did, and had the butler bring her favorite beverage every two hours or so. During the day she would befriend any and all who passed by. She became friends with Alvin who had a shack on the beach where he spent his days painting. He painted a sunset on the beach we were lounging on, with two crabs on the sand, (representing my wife and I), which we have hanging in our bedroom. While she got to know all the people who worked at the resort, including their families and past boyfriends and girlfriends, I explored the island. We both had a wonderful time.

A lounge lizard that kept my wife's chaise lounge for her while she was involved in other activities. She never meets a stranger.

There we made long term plans for our future together, enjoyed each others company, and ate everything offered from the resort. It was terrific.

Now we are taking a trip to Canada to celebrate a couple milestones in our lives. Our youngest son graduated high school this year, I am retiring in two weeks, and we are launching into a new chapter called empty-nesters. So, I expect my next blog will describe our time there and hopefully will have some pictures of Bald and Golden eagles, as well as a lifer or two. My quest on most outtings is to see a Golden Eagle, and have yet to see one. (Oh yeah, there have been one or two small dots in the sky that someone said was a Golden Eagle, "probably", but I haven't counted those).

You might be a bird nerd if... you go to one of the most romantic locations in the world, surrounded by adults who are also experiencing lavish amounts of romance and you go hiking looking for life birds.

Or...You might be a bird nerd if...you pick a vacation location because there is the word 'bird' in it.

By the way, Bird Island was called that because the shape resembled a bird, not because birds were on the island. Go figure.

Hope you enjoy the pictures, my lens steamed up at one point, so some of the java sparrows seem a bit blurry.

Until next time from Canada, don't ya know!!

Trip to Tucson

2010-05-25T14:08:00.001-07:00

We have been remodeling a bit and moving rooms around in our house. This means everything that was in the office, (computer, desks, pens, paper and more), is now in the new "office", and the old office is now a guest bedroom. We literally moved everything from room to room with a stop in the living room or patio along the way. This has taken some time, but it is finally starting to shape up, with the exception of several boxes still in the living room.

A positive side to this is we have been able to find and look through old photos, crafts and schoolwork the kids did through the years, and other fond memories. One of the things I was able to find and have fond memories of is our trip to Tucson, Arizona.

Friends of ours live there and we went to visit them. Tucson is a growing place, that still has deep roots to the wild west. They market it shamelessly, and many still live the cowboy lifestyle. While parts are growing with supermarkets and shopping centers, new roads and Starbuck's popping up like saguaro cactus, there is still plenty of wide open spaces. Lots of wildlife, too.

Our friends live on a nice golf course in a very nice housing development. Around them is a wash that works as a kind of hazard for golfers and pathway for wildlife such as bobcats, javelina, snakes, lizards and birds. Their younger children and I hit it off when we walked around and found the largest horned toad I have ever seen, and we were able to capture it. Then it was a variety of lizards, and some huge toads that came out in the evening. They would literally make a loud booming noise by jumping into the aluminum garage door. We went to investigate the noise and saw several two or three pounders jumping into the door. It was suggested they were knocking for the bottled water stored in the garage, but I am doubtful.

Southeast Arizona, is a wonderful place to bird as well. The greatest numbers of hummingbirds in the U.S. appear in this area. Also, the Trogons, both the Eared and Elegant, appear in this area. Also Cardinals and their cousin the Pyrruloxia. I was determined to find one of these, if not all. My wife, a determined non-birder, agreed to accompany me on an outing or two to find such creatures.

So it was that we found ourselves with several of our friends kids, in our friends car,(an SUV to hold all the people), driving to see some of the tourist spots like Tombstone and the western town they filmed the movie Tombstone in, as well as many other westerns. This was where I found myself feeling very old. None of the children we took with us had any idea who John Wayne was. Nor did they really care. While this was near sacrilege to me, I swallowed my pride and we ended up having a wonderful day enjoying the live skits that the kids were able to participate in, and the gunfight shows and and stunt shows. The kids had a good time even though they still don't know who John Wayne was.

After our day in the wild west, where it was overcast and slightly breezy, a nice cool day for the desert, we started for home. I had my binoculars and camera case at my feet in the passenger seat,(my wife drives when we go anywhere together, once or twice nearly running off the roadway trying to get a better look at a bird convinced her this was safest). Then, as we passed through a portion of Saguaro National Forest, I saw it.

I began to shout for Andi to "stop, stop" and quickly began putting the telephoto lens on my camera. She was confused and considering traffic and a narrow two lane roadway we were on, with a narrow shoulder, she was near panic. She couldn't see any danger approaching, and had no idea why I was shouting for her to stop. I was too busy getting my gear and opening the door to an unfamiliar vehicle in order to explain. By now the kids were surprised and shouting their queries, adding to the confusion.

Andi found a wider spot off the roadway and skidded to a stop. Before the SUV had completed its' stop I had the door open and in a fluid motion that would make a Navy Seal proud was out of the truck and running back to where I saw it. The kids were staring and asking my wife where I was going and what was happening. Due to traffic concerns Andi drove down the road some ways before she was able to turn around and come back to an actual pullout nearby. I had by then wandered into the desert and snapped a couple photos of my prize. A pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalus sinuatus) sitting on top of a saguaro cactus. Ooooh! (It was a lifer!).

I have gotten into the habit some years ago of taking pictures of my targets as I approach guaranteeing I have at least one photo, albeit small, of my prey before it flees. I used this tactic in this instance as well, and kept trying to get closer to snap an even better picture. I have stacks of pictures, (now that we are digital, megabytes of pixels), of green or tan backgrounds with a dot in the middle, that I usually can tell you what it is, but most have no idea.

At any rate, by the time the kids had disembarked and caught up with me, the little bird had flown. I had my prize though and showed them on the little screen of my camera. They were not impressed. We spent some time chasing lizards and snakes, and I saw my pyrrhuloxia a couple more times as it flashed through a ravine, or from cactus to cactus. I marked it as a successful stop when we returned to Andi and the SUV.

Andi, on the other hand, was still a little shaken from the ordeal and we had a discussion of giving warnings and explanations before we allow the adrenaline rush to take over.

Back at the house we were able to use this magnificent digital technology to put my pyrrhuloxia on their big screen t.v. and then Andi was able to see my excitement. She is still a determined non-birder, but she is understanding. It was a fun story to tell those who were left behind, kind of like a Lucy episode.

This is the first view I had of the pyrrhuloxia, a sentinel sitting on its' perch.

This is the closest shot I got of the little bird. As I hope you can tell it is similar in size and shape to a Northern Cardinal, but is mostly gray with highlights of red, and the one feather sticking up like Alfalfa's cowlick.

So, you might be a birdnerd if...you frighten the passengers in your car by shouting to stop to see a life-bird.

One of my favorite locations

2010-05-09T20:36:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite local spots is Little Morongo, or Covington Park in the high desert region near my home in Palm Springs. It is a short drive, but a very different ecological area. Many more and diverse birds than those in my low-desert area.

If you live in the desert, an important consideration is it is also somewhat cooler. It actually gets snow in the winter. This is especially important in the later spring and summer months. It is still warm, but it is always at least ten degrees cooler than Palm Springs, which is around sea level or below. For those uninitiated, Palm Springs and the surrounding Coachella Valley truly does get to one-hundred twenty degrees or higher during the peak of the summer months. We regularly count 100 days of over 100 degrees. So, ten degrees can become important.

Morongo is a favorite of mine for several reasons, one already stated, it is close. It is also inhabited by very nice and knowledgeable people, Dee Zeller and his lovely wife who maintain the park and host regular walks and talks. They live on property most of the year and keep several bird feeders full hosting a variety of hummingbirds, goldfinches, towhees and sparrows up close and personal. They have the feeders hanging on a line, and labeled with a number so they can call out the bird at the specific feeder for easier identification.

Also, every Wednesday, bright and early, there is a group of people who meet and walk the park and keep a running list of the birds seen. Mike Smiley is usually there, and usually sees the most birds, aided by almost superhuman farsight. There have been several times I have marveled at at the clear blue sky, when he called out an eagle or something similar. I put the bino's to my eyes and search thinking "No way." until there they show up, a black dot with wings in my bino's and he saw them with the naked eye.

Margaret usually shows up at these walks wearing her famous hat to keep her safe from the sun, and a couple peanuts in her pocket for the Western Scrub Jay, (Aphelocoma californica). She walks to a certain point in the trail, holds the peanut and one or sometimes two Jays will swoop in and snatch the peanut from her fingers. Many times they are waiting on the fencepost for her to offer the breakfast.

There are several others with varying degrees of expertise in birds, birding, photography, biology, and ecology. There is a lot of sharing of information, many questions from those of us novices who have squeezed out some time to try to learn something new and different. Dee, Mike and Margaret never disappoint, and always feed me with new information every time I sneak up there.

Dee, for example, showed me a good way to tell the difference between the Coopers Hawk (Accipiter cooperii), and the Sharp-Shinned Hawk, (Accipiter striatus). They both are regulars at the park, and have nested there several years. He told me the Coopers will have a slightly more rounded tail than the Sharp-shinned. Now there are other differences, such as the Coopers is bigger, but when you only see one in flight, is it a foot long or closer to a foot and a half? The markings are similar, and when side by side, like they can sometimes be at Morongo, there are differences such as the dark "cap" on the Coopers is farther forward, but again, one at a time and this identification can become difficult. So, the tail being rounded, or in the shape of a "c" helps me to remember Coopers, straight across and that is a Sharpy.

Also, the wildlife draws me to the park. This is a place I take friends and family to show off all the desert has to offer. We tend to drive through various shades of brown flora and earth to get there, so it is quite a surprise to pull into the pathway to be shaded by large cottonwoods and pines. Then we get out and begin looking around and the creatures that start to move around you is exhilarating.

Last year, my son, Austin, brought a friend with him to stay with us. He wanted to take him hiking so we decided on Morongo one day. This turned out to be a very good day, and his friend left knowing without a doubt that I was a bird-nerd.

The friend expected, like many people, that we would strap on our water bottles and walk at a brisk pace for a set of miles, or to a location. There we would see the scenery, congratulate ourselves on a good hike, and return. We would return a little tired, hot and sweaty but content we had our exercise for the day. That is not exactly how my sons and I hike.

We usually have a goal of what we would like to see on our hike, not how far we would like to hike. We may take hours to go a mile and half, or walk all day seeing what is over the next hill. My oldest son, Taylor is fascinated by plants and flowers and their interaction with other living creatures, so we walk for a few feet and he is off the trail smelling some plant, caressing a leaf, or trying to see what kind of flower he has found. A few feet more and I am off looking at something that flitted into a bush, or called from the nearby tree. Then Austin usually finds something unusual, like a bobcat or bighorn sheep. So, our hikes are unpredictable in their duration, physical exertion, and information.

On this particular day, we had a good amount of walking, and some great finds. Little Morongo has a regular visitor called the Vermilion Flycatcher, (Pyrocephalus rubinus). For those that have not seen one, they are spectacular. Again, I live in the desert where the color variations of just about everything is shades of brown. The Vermilion is brilliantly red. Nearly the entire body is bright red. They nest most years at Little Morongo, usually in and around the trees near the tennis courts of Covington Park. If you are like me, you will go in the spring, and look hard until you see one, and then kick yourself because the doggone thing is so bright you wonder how you missed it. It is a beautiful bird and we found one on this day. (I am adding a picture that is a little blurry,
but I think you get the idea of how brilliant this little bird is).

Later, we walk out into a field and see a couple trees that are filled with Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) sunning themselves. It was morning so the sun was not at its strongest and they were waiting for the thermals to build sufficiently to support soaring. They sat with their wings outstretched soaking in the sun, and testing the wind. Then one decided to test it and found a thermal and began soaring in circles from the top of the trees up into the sky. Once one took off, the others launched themselves at various times and soon there was ten or twenty circling and rising with the heated air. As we watched, the kettle of vultures created a living diagram of the dimensions and shape of the thermal, by soaring to the edges of the upward flowing air then circling within the updraft. When the updraft wriggled and contorted into a different shape, so did the shape of the group of birds. This was pointed out and predicted by one of the people on the walk and some interesting discussion took place. Shared learning. What a concept.

So, my sons friend was subjected to us oohing and aaahing at some pretty ugly birds as we watched them do their thing. Then we found a Great Horned Owl(Bubo virginianus) on a nest, and that was an adrenaline rush for us. The group was walking and Dee mentioned he had seen a Great Horned spending a lot of time near a certain tree, so the group moved in that direction like a covey of quail, and made gasping noises while each took turns looking through scopes and binoculars at the owl who was scowling down at us.

When we had a lengthy list of birds seen, some photos taken, and plenty of use of a spotting scope or two, we headed back to the Zeller camp. There someone asked if we had seen the nesting Long-Eared Owl (Asio otus). We hadn't so off we went, and sure enough found it too.

So, the last reason I like going to Little Morongo is that after this group walks around and discusses, spots, interacts with birds and other wildlife, they go to breakfast. So, we joined them at a little cafe, and had a nice breakfast and catching up on all sorts of news. I got to introduce my son and his friend, which is always a fun thing to do, as it embarrasses my son immensely.

On that day we "hiked" for several hours, saw lots of cool birds, saw nests, raccoon tracks, had a good breakfast, and bonded. I had a great time. My son's friend said he did too, however, we have not seen him since.

You might be a birdnerd if...you seem like a nutty professor to acquaintances, and you never see them again.

Interesting side note to this story...Austin is in the Peace Corps now, and recently helped to train Jamaicans in the Ecotourism activity of birding. He helped show them what kinds of birds were there in Jamaica, and what tourists would most likely want to see. He has some familiarity in this field and did well. I have little nerds all over the world and couldn't be prouder.

Birding Rules

2010-05-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

I promise I will get to actual outtings and posting of pictures and sharing stories of getting out there and finding birds. As discussed in the first blog, other responsibilities have kept me from getting out there during the past couple weeks. We have suffered the loss of my wife's mother, who passed almost exactly one week ago. She passed with all her children, (save one), at her bedside and after having the best of care from some wonderful people. She was 88 and will be sorely missed.

So, an event of this size took precedence over all other activities and everything else was put on the "back burner", understandably. There are no hard feelings, just an explanation. Birding is fun, but we would all prefer to share with Grandma.

At any rate, it occurred to me that we needed to share some of the ground rules for birding before we run willy-nilly into the wild looking for flying creatures. The American Birding Association has published a set of rules for birding that all birders should make every attempt at following. They are designed for the benefits of all birders, and more importantly for the birds themselves. If we all followed these rules, then there would be more birds around for all of us to enjoy. If the estimates are correct, that is between 48 and 80 million birders out looking for their feathered friends. If we stress the birds or confuse them and they decide to leave, we may have several million people very angry with us.

So, I have printed below the actual American Birding Association Code of Ethics,that describes the do's and don'ts of birding in North America.

Code of Birding Ethics
1. Promote the welfare of birds and their environment.

1(a) Support the protection of important bird habitat.

1(b) To avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger, exercise restraint and caution during observation, photography, sound recording, or filming.

Limit the use of recordings and other methods of attracting birds, and never use such methods in heavily birded areas, or for attracting any species that is Threatened, Endangered, or of Special Concern, or is rare in your local area;

Keep well back from nests and nesting colonies, roosts, display areas, and important feeding sites. In such sensitive areas, if there is a need for extended observation, photography, filming, or recording, try to use a blind or hide, and take advantage of natural cover.

Use artificial light sparingly for filming or photography, especially for close-ups.

1(c) Before advertising the presence of a rare bird, evaluate the potential for disturbance to the bird, its surroundings, and other people in the area, and proceed only if access can be controlled, disturbance minimized, and permission has been obtained from private land-owners. The sites of rare nesting birds should be divulged only to the proper conservation authorities.

1(d) Stay on roads, trails, and paths where they exist; otherwise keep habitat disturbance to a minimum.

2. Respect the law, and the rights of others.

2(a) Do not enter private property without the owner's explicit permission.

2(b) Follow all laws, rules, and regulations governing use of roads and public areas, both at home and abroad.

2(c) Practice common courtesy in contacts with other people. Your exemplary behavior will generate goodwill with birders and non-birders alike.

3. Ensure that feeders, nest structures, and other artificial bird environments are safe.

3(a) Keep dispensers, water, and food clean, and free of decay or disease. It is important to feed birds continually during harsh weather.

3(b) Maintain and clean nest structures regularly.

3(c) If you are attracting birds to an area, ensure the birds are not exposed to predation from cats and other domestic animals, or dangers posed by artificial hazards.

4. Group birding, whether organized or impromptu, requires special care.

Each individual in the group, in addition to the obligations spelled out in Items #1 and #2, has responsibilities as a Group Member.

4(a) Respect the interests, rights, and skills of fellow birders, as well as people participating in other legitimate outdoor activities. Freely share your knowledge and experience, except where code 1(c) applies. Be especially helpful to beginning birders.

4(b) If you witness unethical birding behavior, assess the situation, and intervene if you think it prudent. When interceding, inform the person(s) of the inappropriate action, and attempt, within reason, to have it stopped. If the behavior continues, document it, and notify appropriate individuals or organizations.

Group Leader Responsibilities [amateur and professional trips and tours].

4(c) Be an exemplary ethical role model for the group. Teach through word and example.

4(d) Keep groups to a size that limits impact on the environment, and does not interfere with others using the same area.

4(e) Ensure everyone in the group knows of and practices this code.

4(f) Learn and inform the group of any special circumstances applicable to the areas being visited (e.g. no tape recorders allowed).

4(g) Acknowledge that professional tour companies bear a special responsibility to place the welfare of birds and the benefits of public knowledge ahead of the company's commercial interests. Ideally, leaders should keep track of tour sightings, document unusual occurrences, and submit records to appropriate organizations.

Please Follow this Code and Distribute and Teach it to Others

The American Birding Association's Code of Birding Ethics may be freely reproduced for distribution/dissemination. Please acknowledge the role of ABA in developing and promoting this code with a link to the ABA website using the url http://www.aba.org. Thank you.

In addition to the above Code of Ethics, the ABA also has a rating system or codes you may have seen in field guides, or on pamphlets on your outtings. There are 6 codes and I will list them below for your edification:

Code 1 Includes regular breeding species and visitors. These are the more widespread and numerous varieties.

Code 2 Regular breeding species and visitors, with a restricted North American range, may occur in lower densities or are quite secretive making detection difficult.

Code 3 Rare-species occur in very low numbers, but annually, in ABA Checklist Area, includes visitors and rare breadding residents.

Code 4 Casual- not rcorded annually in ABA Checklist Area, but with 6 or more total records, including 3 or more in the past 30 years, reflecting some pattern of occurrence.

Code 5 Accidental- Species recorded 5 or fewer times in ABA Checklist Area, or fewer than 3 records in past 30 years.

Code 6 Cannot be found. Species probably or actually extinct or extirpated from ABA Checklist Area, or all survivors held in captivity.

So now, armed with the rules of birding, we can confidently go out there and conduct our business. This reminds me, one of the accepted ways of calling a bird out to see it better is to pish.

Yes, pish. For those who don't know, or are thinking of something different, this is when you make a sound like a tire leaking air with your lips. It sounds a lot like you are saying the word pish when you do this, and for some reason it seems to make the bird pop out of the bush or tree to see what the heck you are doing.

This was a source of amusement when I went on a school hike with kids, and their parents, who were non-birders, and the hike leader demonstrated pishing early one morning. So from then on, at least one of the parents greets me with; "Have you pished this morning?" This usually gets a couple heads to turn nearby, and we giggle at the shared joke and begin to talk more like adults.

So, You Might be a BirdNerd if...you actually practice "pishing" in the morning.

Stagecoach

2010-04-27T19:56:00.001-07:00

You might be a bird nerd if… you are working and are so distracted by birds that co-workers hold up keys asking you to focus, focus…

This one may need some explanation. The past two weekends I signed up for some overtime at the Coachella Fest and Stagecoach music festivals in Indio. For those of you who may not have heard of these events, these are weekend long events that provide nearly constant bands and musicians on stage from the rock n’roll genre, (Coachella Fest), and country music genre, (Stagecoach). Nearly 100,000 people come to the festivities for Coachella Fest, and probably closer to 60,000 people come to Stagecoach.

The city of Indio hosts these events at the Empire Polo Grounds between Avenue 50 and Avenue 52, from the north to south. The stages are set up in a semi-circle arrangement with booths and various entertainment venues in the north and center areas. There are plenty of sound, light, and physical entertainments of all kinds. There are also plenty of things for officers to do, with a large amount of excess drinking, drugs, tempers, and more.

I get to work the shift of six in the morning to six-thirty at night. I work with a partner of the day who has also signed up for overtime. For Coachella Fest we are assigned the outlying parking lots.

I drive my police car and begin slowly cruising the parking lots, that are full of small sedans, including Hondas, Subarus, Toyotas and more. Tents were everywhere, and people were either sleeping in their cars, tents or simply on the ground.

My partner is gearing up to work the event and anticipating that anything can happen. So, I begin cruising the parking lot, and scan the horizon. I suddenly stop and begin to back up, which of course, puts my partner on alert. I stop about ten feet from my focus and confirm, yep, it’s a Kingbird. I saw the first of several Western Kingbirds (Tyrannus verticalis) sitting on wires of corral fences, on telephone wires and flitting about the large grassy areas people were parking, (and puking) on.

Needless to say there was a sheepish explanation on my part that I needed to see the bird better to make a better identification. She seemed understanding, but I noticed she withdrew her name from the overtime sign up for the next week at Stagecoach.

The next week I worked the Stagecoach, and the sea of small sedans with tents in between cars was replaced by a sea of motor homes and trailers. They came in all sizes and shapes with all kinds of pastimes in between the motor homes including small pools, all variations of horseshoes, footballs, beer pong, pink flamingos, blow up palm trees and more.

This time I worked with a young man and we drove a golf cart around the surrounding parking lots. This time he drove, so I had less control over where we went and what we saw. However, I did make a list of the birds I saw while I rode “shotgun” in the golf cart. I saw Bonaparte’s gulls, (Larus Philadelphia), Ring billed gulls, (Larus delawarensis), flocking around the open areas especially near the trash cans in the morning. I saw Abert’s towhee, (Pipilo aberti), and many Brewer’s blackbirds, (Euphagus cyanocephalus), foraging around the grassy parking areas. While driving around in the morning, I saw a pair of Canada geese, (Banta Canadensis), with goslings on the outer perimeter of the event. (I nearly fell out of the cart trying to crane my neck to better see the family).

There were also Great Tailed Grackles, (Quiscalus mexicanus), and House Sparrows, (Passer domesticus) foraging about the events and campers. One of the more interesting sightings was of three Ferruginous hawks, (Buteo regalis). We were in the command post parking area when I kept hearing the high pitched call of a hawk. I searched the sky until I found it and saw it was two. I watched as one soared overhead slowly passing another that was circling a stand of eucalyptus trees across the street from the event. Then I saw a third soaring higher still. I wasn’t sure if they were Red-shouldered hawks, or another kind, because of the call, but looking in my handy-dandy National Geographic North American Birds field guide, and I believe the birds were Ferruginous hawks. Nice.

None of them were lifer birds but it made for an interesting day. I did get a lot of “people watching” in as well, and even got some police work in as well. All in all a couple of good days that included bird-watching, people watching and overtime pay. A win-win-win situation for me.

YOU MIGHT BE A BIRD NERD IF…

2010-04-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

I probably should explain what a bird-nerd is. I am a bird-nerd, and I suspect you are too.
As a little history, I grew up in a family that enjoyed the outdoors. Through high school and into my early college years any outdoor experience was fun. Then early in my college career I was bitten by the birding bug. I took an ornithology course and the field trips were a thrill. I was hooked.

As time progressed I graduated college and into the working world, I found a good percentage of the “normal” population did not share my passion for birding, and actually thought me a bit ‘odd’. As an example, after a weekend of watching cormorants, pelicans, grebes, oystercatchers, as well as migrating whales, sea otters and harbor seals through my binoculars, I ended up with a sun/wind burnt face. I went to work on Monday, and initially answered inquiries with the truth, (I was bird watching in San Luis Obispo), and after receiving a couple of RCA dog looks, I decided to tell them I went snow skiing, which seemed more believable or acceptable somehow. (I never did learn to ski).

Particularly in the dating scene I learned this “secret” passion should be just that, secret. I kept it general, you know, “I like the outdoors, long walks on the beach, Virgos, and Mai Tai’s”. This approach worked well enough I married my wife before sharing my “secret”, ( I am still surprised she stayed with me).

As time progressed, we had kids, mortgages, car payments, and more, so opportunities to get out to bird were few and far between. Then, when my oldest son was in high school and studying “cool”, I saw an ad for the Christmas Bird Count sponsored by the Auduon Society. I decided to go and asked if he wanted to go as well. He was clear he was only going for the hike and not to look at birds. This worked for me. So, we went.

The first person we see at the rendezvous point was a reporter for a local newspaper. This reporter thought it was wonderful we had a father/son team counting birds in Joshua Tree National Park. This, of course, mortified my son. He finally assuaged his mortification with the idea that he didn’t actually know anyone in the high desert, so no one he knew would see the article. He was safe.

We had a fine day walking and counting birds, talking with more experienced birders. This was where I learned what an “LBJ” was. When a small brown flash flitted by and I exclaimed “What was that?” our guide said it was an LBJ. Before I searched through my pocket identification book, he explained it meant some “Little Brown Jobbie”.

After our day we met the other volunteers at a local pizza parlor, and were introduced to another reporter, this time from our city, Palm Springs. Again, she was fascinated by the father/son aspect and again mortified my son, this time with a photograph. I still have both articles.

So, as I collected newspaper clippings with pictures of my son and I counting birds. My son sweating and praying none of his friends actually read a newspaper. My wife saw this and dubbed me a nerd. This quickly turned into a bird-nerd, and son.

The bird counts re-ignited my passion for bird watching. While I still don’t get to travel and explore as much as I would like, I now am the proud birder with three sons who at least like to accompany me on hikes. I have also accumulated a friend or two that accompany us on some of our outings.

Some of our outings have had some mild adventures that I thought I’d like to share. I am proud to call myself a bird-nerd and will share some of the more humorous adventure stories under the Foxworthy-like heading “You might be a bird-nerd if…” I am interested in hearing (reading) about any fellow nerd adventures as well. My email address will attached should you wish to share. The following are a sample of what might qualify one to be a bird-nerd.

A friend of mine decided she would like birding as well, and we took a trip to one of my favorite spots, Montana De Oro State Park near San Luis Obispo in central California. On the way, we stopped at a rest stop and as we were leaving we saw several birds soaring on the wing. It was difficult to see so we decided to pull to the side of the road. We were in her Honda Civic, which had about a 4” clearance. As we pulled to the right, we found a pothole that far exceeded the 4” clearance and the Honda leaned to the right and bottomed out the car. However, we didn’t concern ourselves with the car until we identified the turkey vultures and made sure no red tails were amongst them. Then we tended to the car. So, you might be a bird-nerd if… you disregard you car’s or own safety in order to properly identify a bird.

Another outing found us in the Salton Sea area. The same Honda Civic, now on a two lane road in a farming area surrounding the Salton Sea. We spot a burrowing owl standing near his burrow. So, naturally we stop the car and begin to stare through our binoculars at the little predator. The car shook with the engine running so, we turned off the motor. That gave us a clear view of the bird, who was cooperating very well. As we were oohing and aaahing at the diminuitive owl, we heard a loud horn belonging to a semi-truck approaching rapidly toward us. A glance in the mirror revealed another semi-truck barreling toward us from the rear. There was a mad scramble reminiscent of the Tyrannosaur chase in Jurassic Park until we could get the car started and move off the roadway and allow the behemoth trucks to pass, with us unharmed.

So, you might be a bird-nerd if…you stop your car in a truck route in order to see a burrowing owl up close, nearly getting maimed or killed in the process.

Other offerings for your consideration are as follows:

You might be a bird-nerd if…
You plan your vacation around a birding event.
You plan a trip to a tropical island because it is called Bird Island, only to find out it is called that because it is shaped like a bird.
You take a romantic tropical vacation, and buy a bird book for the area, just in case.
You take more pictures of birds, places and wildlife than people on your vacations.
You lament the loss of the bird that was almost our national bird on Thanksgiving.
You embarrass family and friends by wearing binoculars on elastic straps stretched about your torso.
You nearly crash your car trying to get a better look at a bird flying off to the side.
You get pulled over by law enforcement who believed you may have had too much to drink, but are stunned when you show them you are listening to you CD of bird calls and not paying attention to the road…sober.
You brave 120 degree weather in the desert in order to find an ugly bird, (wood stork), and find it fun to do so.
You watch movies and notice the birds in the backqround, stopping and rewinding if you can to get a better look.