Vacation Birding II

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

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

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!!

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

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

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

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

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!