The Good-bye Chronicles Chapter 8: It’s Never Too Late for Another Life Bird!

Western Screech Owl Life Bird #385

Pam’s Backyard View of the Catalina Mountains 7-23-10

Black-throated sparrow on Ocotillo 7-23-10

Juvenile Abert’s Towhee 7-23-10

My friend and IBA partner has invited me to come to her house near the Catalina Mountains to see the Western Screech Owl that hangs out in her eaves.  I have never seen a Western Screech Owl, so I am eager to visit and see this bird for myself.  But there is another reason for me to go.  Pam will be leaving soon for a three month long trek around the western mountains.  She will leave on August 1st and I will be gone before she returns. This is my last chance to see her before I go. I arrive at her house around 9 a.m. and she shows me where “Olivia,” as she has affectionately named her, hangs out. I peek quietly around the corner at the object of my desire and marvel at the soft gray beauty of her.

Pam and I spend the rest of the morning drinking ice water and chatting in the shade of her back patio.  We talk about the future and our plans and where we have been and where we will go.  It all seems so casual and normal to me and finally the hours have ticked away and it is time to say good-bye.  Another friend has come to visit and Pam introduces us and then we walk to my car. I say a calm good-bye and get inside and close the door.  Pam and friend turn their backs to walk into the house through the garage.  All is well, but then it hits me like a load of limestone!  I will not see her again!

Suddenly I am out the door and chasing Pam into the garage. “Pam!  Pam!”  I call out frantically. I run to her and hug her. I am crying now.  “I will not see you again,”  I say!  “I am going to miss you!” Pam hugs me back as I cry on her shoulder. Now we have said a proper good-bye. I wipe my eyes and turn back to my car.  Now I really know.  Now it has really hit me.  I am really moving and there are more good-byes to say. 

This one is just the beginning.My World Tuesday 

 

Birds Seen at Pam’s House today:

Location: Pam's backyard
Observation date: 7/23/10
Notes: Watched birds with Pam from her yard. Storm clouds over the Catalinas. Hot and humid. Got pictures of screech owl. My first time ever seeing one!
Number of species: 18
Gambel's Quail 2
Turkey Vulture 4
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
White-winged Dove 15
Mourning Dove 6
Western Screech-Owl 1 ****Lifer! It hangs out on the patio under the roof line on top of a brick ledge.
Costa's Hummingbird 2
Gila Woodpecker 1
Common Raven 1
Purple Martin (Desert) 2 Chasing Cooper's hawk
Verdin 1
Cactus Wren 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
Abert's Towhee 1
Black-throated Sparrow 2
House Finch 12
House Sparrow 4
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

The Good-Bye Chronicles Chapter 7: Sweetwater Wetlands

 Solitary Sandpiper and Least Sandpipers on eastern mudflats 7-22-10

It is two days after we have an answer when I meet Donna Simonettie at Sweetwater Wetlands. She has come to town for a concert and we agree to meet here to go birding. Sweetwater is a place I learned about when I first did my Important Bird Area Training almost 3 years ago now. It is one of my favorite places in the Tucson area to go birding and I always come away with a rather large list of birds. An oasis in the desert, Sweetwater attracts all kinds of birds from the typical desert favorites to the exotic tropical species. It is a manmade wetlands formed from treated wastewater. One never knows what they will find here.

 Cliff Swallows on reeds 7-22-10

I meet Donna in the parking lot and we grab our gear and head for the trail. The air hangs heavy and humid and soon a light shower is falling. I head back to the car to grab a plastic bag to cover my camera with.  I do not think the shower will last long, but any amount of water on my camera is not good. We head for the path once again and right off the bat we are seeing birds. Swallows fill the sky as we cross the bridge over the manmade creek. Purple matins are mixed in with the swallows and Donna informs me this is a life bird for her. 

 Desert Spiny Lizard on wall 7-22-10

I told Donna about our planned move when she first arrived, but now we are lost in the birds of this wetland. I keep telling her that there are not many birds here today.  It seems so quiet.  The birds are quiet, but they are here. With cameras at the ready and binoculars in hand, we scan the ponds, the trees and the reeds. We watch the sky for birds. Some sort of rodent scurries along the path and disappears into the reeds. Off to the east we scan the drainage ponds for birds.  Here we find killdeer, sandpipers and black-necked stilts.  There are more birds than we can positively identify for some small sandpipers are far across on the mudflats  and neither of us has a spotting scope, so we do the best we can with our bins and cameras and wait to enlarge blurry pictures at home.  Some birds we just have to let go, but we do get a good look at a solitary sandpiper that is close by as well as a spotted sandpiper and a couple of Leasts.

 Who’s hiding here?

We catch the flight of a Harris Hawk overhead circling on dark wings with chestnut shoulders. We see the characteristic white tail coverts as the bird flies overhead.  I know that a family of Harris Hawks nests nearby and this is a reliable place to see them. Then Donna spots a Kestrel and we add that species to our list. The brief rain shower stopped awhile ago and now the sun is out turning all the cool moisture to hot steam.  I feel its affects and cling to the edge of the trail where I can stay in the shade of willows and cottonwoods. I see a shape like a stump up in a willow and train my binoculars on it.  Is is a bird? I call Donna to have a look and we both wonder and hope that we are seeing a bittern, but it turns out to be a juvenile Green Heron trying to blend in with the branch. It keeps a wary eye on us as we pass by, then flies farther across the pond for refuge.

 Common Moorhen 7-22-10

In the winter there are so many ducks here in these ponds but for today we are only seeing mallards with a few ruddy ducks, a pied-billed grebe and a couple of teals.  There are usually more birds than this I say as we walk on.

 Greater Earless Lizard 7-22-10

There are no lack of lizards, however, and we have seen several kinds, including desert spiny lizards, zebra tails, a greater earless lizard, and a possible tiger whiptail.

 Ruddy Duck and Neotropic Cormorant 7-22-10

In the farthest ponds we find great egrets, more mallards, a few neotropic cormorants and some green-winged teals. We have been here for a couple of hours now and my list is getting longer. We have been seeing kingbirds and we are wondering, are any of these Tropical Kingbirds? We find a western kingbird at the far edge of the wetlands near the open desert and a large wash. Across the street we see the Rogers Road wastewater treatment plant and there on the fence is a Cassin’s Kingbird with its dark gray head and white throat. We follow the paths back into the interior of the ponds where we see 3 other kingbirds perched at various heights on a cottonwood tree.

 Tropical Kingbird 7-22-10

They are all silent in the heat of the day but they are not shy and we are both able to snap away. Our photos reveal the typical notched tail, brighter yellow breast and the faint mask of the tropical kingbird.  This is a life bird for Donna and we stand there enjoying the moment.  I am remembering that I saw my first one here last year and this is only my second sighting of this species. Last year they we flying about chattering away. This calm bird is so different from the behavior I observed last year, but I am beginning to think these kingbirds have more sense than me! The sun has risen higher and with it the temperature and the humidity!  I feel like I am melting! Donna and I make our way to the gazebo where we sit in the shade and talk and watch birds. I am starting to realize that I have filled several pages of my notebook.  I wonder how many species we have seen after all.  After telling Donna all morning long that there are not many birds here today we end up with a list of 48 species of birds! Not bad for 3 1/2 hours of birding!

We say good-bye at the parking lot, not knowing when or if we will see each other again.  I first met Donna just a couple of months ago when we went birding together in Portal.  Donna is like Dawn and Jeff Fine and I.  We can bird all day long without getting tired, but today the heat and humidity have gotten to me.  I am ready to get in my car and go home. I drive away from Sweetwater with so many sweet memories of birding here with friends and by myself. My heart if brimming with thankfulness for ever moving here and finding this magical place.

Who hatched from these eggs? We found them along one of the paths. They were soft and leathery, a sweet gift of nature that we both enjoyed seeing. If you have any idea, please tell me!

Location: Sweetwater Wetlands
Observation date: 7/22/10
Notes: Birding w/Donna Simonetti. Cloudy with a light sprinkle when we first arrived, then the sun came out and it got hot and humid. We walked the entire perimeter of the ponds.
Number of species: 49
Mallard 65
Green-winged Teal (American) 2 smaller than mallard; small,dark bill; mottled cinnamon brown; green wing bar
Ruddy Duck 8
Gambel's Quail 1
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Neotropic Cormorant 3
Great Egret 2
Green Heron 1 gray back, streaked neck
Turkey Vulture 1
Harris's Hawk 3
American Kestrel 1
Common Moorhen 6
American Coot 12
Killdeer 8
Black-necked Stilt 20
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Western Sandpiper 3
Least Sandpiper 3
Eurasian Collared-Dove 1
White-winged Dove 30
Mourning Dove 7
Black-chinned Hummingbird 2
hummingbird sp. 1
Gila Woodpecker 6
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1
Black Phoebe 3
Ash-throated Flycatcher 1
Brown-crested Flycatcher 1
Tropical Kingbird 3 notched tail
Cassin's Kingbird 1 dark gray head and back, white cheek/throat square tail with pale tip. No white side tail feathers
Western Kingbird 1 pale yellow belly,white side tail feathers at farthest end of ponds near open desert and wash
Bell's Vireo 1
Purple Martin (Desert) 2
Barn Swallow 6
Cliff Swallow 14
Cactus Wren 2
Curve-billed Thrasher (Western) 2
Yellow Warbler 2
Common Yellowthroat 6 heard all over and saw 1 singing from branch of tree over pond
Abert's Towhee 3
Song Sparrow 1
Western Tanager 2
Red-winged Blackbird 35
Great-tailed Grackle 30
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
House Finch 6
Lesser Goldfinch 1
House Sparrow 1

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Greater Roadrunner 1 (I saw this bird while I was waiting for Donna to arrive)

My World Sabino Surprise

Upper Sabino Canyon 9-19-09

On Thursday, September 17th Jean, Peggy, Pam and I headed into Sabino Canyon for out final IBA survey of the year. Migration is in full swing and we saw over 40 species of birds. I have been participating in the Important Bird Area survey of Sabino Canyon for almost 2 years now and I have never been any farther than Tram Stop 1 where our survey transect begins. Now it is Saturday and Gus and I are meeting our son and his family at Mimi's cafe in Tucson for breakfast.

G and Xavier on the tram 9-19-09

G and his wife, Trish have recently moved to the Tucson area, which puts them much closer to us. It makes it much easier to visit them and spend time with them. I am so excited to show them the wonderful natural areas around Tucson. Gus has never been to Sabino Canyon either, so I propose a trip to Sabino after breakfast. Unfortunately Trish has to work, but G, Xavier, Gus and I drive up to the canyon and purchase our tram tickets. While Sabino Canyon is part of the Coronado National Forest, the tram is run as a separate concession and so costs $8 a ticket beyond the admission to the park. Since we have a National Park pass, all we have to buy is three tickets. Children under 3 are free. This is good since Xavier is soon fast asleep in his daddy's arms.

Gus on the tram at tram stop 9.

Though is is quite hot by now we ride the tram to the top of Sabino Canyon. I get excited as we finally pass tram stop 1. From here on out this is all new territory for me. The road winds up the canyon with rocky outcrops everywhere. It crosses several narrow bridges over the meandering creek. Willow, ash, and sycamore trees line the creek banks, along with a few cottonwood tree. Palo Verdes and mesquite cover the canyon slopes with Saguaros standing at attention inbetween. I must admit I thought the canyon would pass into more forested zones. I thought we would eventually reach the pine forests I have seen on Mt. Lemmon. I thought it would be shady and cool the farther we went into the canyon, but though we gain elevation, we remain in the Sonoran desert all the way to the top and it is sunny, bright and hot.

Looking back down the road 9-19-09

Gus is too hot to get out of the tram. Xavier is still asleep in his father's arms. I hop out to snap a few photos and then the driver honks his horn, a signal to those who want to reboard and head back down. We ride back down to tram stop 8 where there is a rest room and better access to the creek. I thought we could take Xavier to the creek edge to play in the water, but he is still fast asleep. As the tram heads back down the road without us we realize it will be at least 30 minutes before we can get back on the next train. It is far too hot to hike with the baby, and so we stand in the shade of a nearby tree. Gus decides to hike down to the next stop, while G and I stand and sweat.

What hawk is this? 9-19-09

Of course, I do have my bins with me and I quickly occupy myself with looking around for birds. Suddenly I notice a large raptor on a branch overhanging the creek. I focus in and try to figure out what species it is, but this is something new to me and I haven't got a clue. I quickly snap a few shots off so I will have something to look at when I get back to my bird books. For now I just look and look and try to take metal notes of what I am seeing. Streaked back, dark feathers, is that an eyeline? What hawk has an eye line? Could it be a goshawk? The streaks make me think it is a juvenile, but a juvenile what? My mind is racing.

Close up of the mystery hawk 9-19-09



Poised to pounce 9-19-09

Finally the bird turns so I can see its breast. Then is leaps into the crouch of a nearby tree and appears to be eating something, but my view is obstructed by foliage and after awhile I turn away. I think it is gone, but a look back at the creek shows the hawk in the water! In the water?

Hawk with frog (click to enlarge) 9-19-09

The only hawk I know of that hunts in the water is an osprey. Could this be a juvenile osprey? What do juvenile osprey look like? Since I don't have my books with me, I will have to look it up when I get back to the car. Meanwhile, I just keep watching and photographing. But it is so hot and I am sweating and excited, the photos are not quite as clear as I would like.

Juvenile Common Black hawk 9-19-09 at tram stop 8

I watch as the hawk jumps up onto the rock with another bit of prey. This time it is a fish I think. It gobbles up the morsel, then...

...jumps back into the creek for a bath!

By this time Xavier has awakened and the tram is on here to pick us up. We board the tram and find Gus at tram stop 6. He has hiked quite a ways down by himself. After we are back at the car with AC running to cool us off I pull out my bird guide to look the hawk up. I happened to have Kaufman and Sibley's bird guide with me, but it is Sibley's I consult and only then do I learn that this is a juvenile Common Black Hawk and a *Life Bird for me! I had no idea that it was even possible for me to see a common black hawk in Sabino Canyon. Common black hawks are one of the trophy birds that people come to Arizona to see. I thought I would have to go to the San Pedro River or some other more remote canyon to ever get to see one and now, here is one in our own Sabino right at tram stop 8, across the creek from the restrooms!

Though there were other birds in the canyon this morning, I only counted 2 Wilson's warblers, a cactus wren, 3 Bell's vireos and a black-throated sparrow. I was too focused on the hawk. Gus thoroughly enjoyed his walk by himself and G thinks it would be a great place to ride his bike, so I think we will be coming back to upper Sabino once the weather cools off a bit. As for me, we are on break from our IBA surveys for the rest of the year, but we will be back again in January to for our first survey of 2010! Until then, you can scroll down to see my list from Thursday, which includes birds from the survey as well as what I saw on the hike in and back out again. And that's...

MY WORLD Tuesday

Sabino Canyon Bird List:

Location: Sabino Canyon Recreation Area
Observation date: 9/17/09
Notes: IBA survey hike from parking lot on upper sabino road to tram stop one then hike back along the creek trail with Jean, Peggy, and Pam. 63F to 90F. No clouds, no wind. We were seeing green-tailed towhees and sparrows everywhere!
Number of species: 39

Gambel's Quail 3
Turkey Vulture 2
Cooper's Hawk 2 1 in tre near dam, 1 flying below dam.
Mourning Dove 2
Greater Roadrunner 2
Great Horned Owl 1 In willow tree below dam
Broad-billed Hummingbird 8
Black-chinned Hummingbird 6
Anna's Hummingbird 1
Rufous Hummingbird 5
Gila Woodpecker 8
Gray Flycatcher 1
Cordilleran Flycatcher 3
Black Phoebe 1
Bell's Vireo 10
Plumbeous Vireo 1
Verdin 5
Cactus Wren 6
Rock Wren 2
Canyon Wren 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher 1
Curve-billed Thrasher (Western) 5
Phainopepla 1
Yellow Warbler 2
Wilson's Warbler 3
Summer Tanager 4
Green-tailed Towhee 8
Chipping Sparrow 5 by themselves below dam
Brewer's Sparrow 6 in mixed flock
Black-throated Sparrow 1 on the trail back towards the parking lot
Song Sparrow 2
White-crowned Sparrow 4 in a mixed flock of sparrows
Northern Cardinal 3
Black-headed Grosbeak 3
Lazuli Bunting 3
Varied Bunting 1
House Finch 3
Lesser Goldfinch 3

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

*Life Bird: the first time a birder sees a species of bird. This gets added to their Life List, a list of all species of birds a person has seen.

Big January: Chestnut-sided Warbler Surprise

Chestnut-sided Warbler, Sabino Canyon 1-23-09 by Kathiesbirds

Friday morning I wake early and head for Sabino Canyon. It's been a couple of months since I have been here and today is the first Important Bird Area Survey of the year. I meet Jean, Pam and Peggy under cloudy skies near the visitor center and we begin our hike up the canyon. though the sky is lead wool, the air is only slightly cool, with that muggy, humid component to it. We take off our light jackets and overshirts from the exertion of the hike, then put them back on when we round a corner and encounter a light wind. Around us the normally noisy desert is silent, save for a few cactus wrens and thrashers. A bright red Cardinal sits atop a hackberry bush, unmistakable against the soft gray sky.

Clouds climb over the canyon's peaks and tumble down the canyon's walls. the creek swells with run off and I can hear the roar before I can see the water. We start our survey in the usual area near the first picnic sight, but no birds sing. We hike along the wet and grassy bank, but see, nothing. I am starting to think the birds are smarter than we are and they've all stayed home, but we trudge onward. Soon the swollen creek turns us back and we cannot go quite as far as we usually do. We head back to the paved trail, then descend along the cliff to the riparian area once again.


Down here by the creek the ruby-crowned kinglet flitter about. We hear their high-pitched voices before we finally spot one in the thick underbrush. Around us giant reed grows tall above us, transforming the creek banks to a jungle. These invasive plants are in the process of being removed by the forest service and a group of trained volunteers. We duck under their towering heights and wander among the willows by the dam. It has been reported that a rare chestnut-sided warbler has been spotted in the area. We crane our necks combing the treetops looking for the little bird.

I expect to see the lovely chestnut sides of the bird indicated by the photo in my bird guides, but when I finally spot this tiny feathered gem in the African sumac by the dam it isn't what I expect. Jean, Pam, and Peggy are more experienced birders than I am and when I call them over they confirm it is the chestnut-sided warbler in non-breeding plumage. the little bird flutters in and out of the foliage, making it very hard to photograph. I barely get a bead on it and it's gone once again. One surprise to me was the way it holds its tail upright like a wren. A visit to the newly formed Arizona Field Ornithologist page gives me further information:

Chestnut-sided warbler photo by Kathie Brown 1-23-09

Even when it completely lacks any Chestnut on the sides, non-breeding Chestnut-sided Warbler is a distinctive bright yellow-green above and unstreaked grayish-white below. It also has wingbars and an eyering. No other warbler has this combination of features.

From AZFO Photo ID Pages-chestnut-sided Warbler.

We continue past the dam and along the creek. Though our list is small today, this one bird is worth it all. Over the dam the swift water tumbles roaring a song in our ears. The boulder strewn creek bed is evidence of its power. Gray sky above becomes life-giving water below.



Big January Update:

105. Chestnut-sided Warbler
106. Anna's Hummingbird

Also, check out Diane's Sabino Canyon Blog

Blogger's Note Update 1-29-09: I submitted my Chestnut-sided warbler photo to the AZFO Webpage where it was accepted and posted. This is a first for me.

The Rain, the Birds, and the Horse Lubber

Horse Lubber Grasshopper taeniopda eques

It’s 4:15 a.m. on Monday morning and I am sitting here in the dark outside on my patio trying to wake up. This is bird survey morning and it’s been so long since I have gone. We took the first part of the summer off, and then I was unable to attend July’s survey. Now, as I sit here sipping my tea waiting for all the circuits in my brain to start firing I listen to the haunting sound of great-horned owls hooting in the distance. The earth is still and dark and scented with the sweet smell of creosote. It must have rained at least a little during the night. A waning moon is playing hide and seek with the clouds and the clouds are winning, for very little of the soft pearl light is making it to earth. I finish my tea and head inside.

It’s starting to sprinkle by the time I head out the door. Rain drops spatter on my windshield. We rarely get this kind of rain here in Tucson. Usually it is the downpour of a thunderstorm. I drive in and out of showers all the way to Sabino Canyon. The clouds are snagged on the jagged peaks of the Catalina Mountains. Now a steady, but light rain is falling as I park the car and walk over to meet my companions. Peggy, Pam and Jean are already waiting for me with umbrellas. Though it is raining it is still warm and I am dressed in a light cotton sweater and shorts. My wide-brimmed birding hat protects my face from the rain as we hike a mile and a half into the canyon. I did not bring my camera and I am glad, for it would have been difficult to keep it dry in this steady rain.

Sabino Canyon 3-5-08

Everything has grown so much since I was here last. The canyon slopes are covered in lush green vegetation. Red rocks jut from green mounds of life, but the birds are few and far between. Usually we are serenaded by bird song as we hike in. Today I have not seen one yet. We finally arrive at our start point and there sitting atop a velvet mesquite tree a varied bunting is waking up the dawn with its song. It is our first bird of the day. As I raise my bins to get a better view I realize what will be a perpetual problem for the day-my lenses are speckled with rain drops, and though I wipe them dry, the lenses soon fog from the warmth of my eyes. I try a strategy of covering the eye pieces with my sweater, which I have removed because I was too warm, but this only partially helps. We hike through knee-hi wet grass on the lookout for snakes and start our survey.

The lesser goldfinches are out in force, but the rest of the birds all seem to be hiding from the gentle rain fall. As we stumble over boulders along the creek bed the towering trees are silent. All the rocks glisten from the wetness reveling their myriad colors and tints. We’ve seen a cardinal or two, an Abert’s towhee, and then a Cooper’s Hawk, but we’ve only seen one white-winged dove and Jean speculates that they are already starting to migrate. Down by the dam where the humming bird feeders are set up for the humming bird monitoring station we find Broad-billed Hummingbirds and some sparrow species we are unable to identify as it skulks about in the deep vegetation. Giant reeds have overgrown here creating the feeling of a jungle. These are an invasive plant and an eradication plan is scheduled for this area soon.

South of the dam we reach our finish point. I stumble on the Bermuda grass covered dunes when I step in a hole hidden by this invasive grass. It has rained for most of the three and a half hours we have been out here and everything about me is wet. My feet are wet. My shirt is wet. My arms and legs and face are all dripping. It’s muggy and steamy and I just want to be dry again, but we still have at least a half a mile hike out of the canyon. As we head down the dirt trail and we draw near the visitor center we see the power lines pegged with doves. I count at least fifty of them strung across the sky, but most of them are mourning doves with a couple of white-wings thrown in. We part ways at the visitor center and I hurry to my car where I have dry shoes and a dry shirt to change into. Then, it’s a 30 mile drive back home.

Sahuarita Road looking west 8-25-08

The farther south I travel the clearer the skies get until soon I am driving in bright sunlight. But gray clouds still billow overhead, threatening still more rain. As I turn onto Sahuarita Rd I keep my eyes open for these large black grasshoppers Gus and I encountered yesterday on our way to town. We were driving out of our neighborhood when I saw them moving across the road. All I knew then it that they were large and black and I wanted to know what they were, so, though we were anxious to eat I made Gus turn around and go back. I had to know what they were.

Gus stopped the car and I jumped out, but before I could cross the street I had to wait for other traffic to pass. By the time I got to the insects they were all dead, crushed by the tires of the other vehicles. Then, I saw movement farther up the road and I ran up there to see these large black grasshoppers with orange stripes bisecting their heads. Misty green wings lay along their backs and they were walking! Simply walking across the road. They did not hop and they did not fly, despite the obvious wings on their backs.

Horse Lubber devouring its dead kin

Well, I didn’t have the camera with me and our stomachs were starting to growl, so we headed off to eat breakfast in town, but we decided if the creatures were still there when we returned we would get the camera and come back to photograph them. Imagine our surprise when we turned onto Sahuarita Rd. and saw a wave of these insects walking south across the road! There were hundreds, if not thousands of them! Most were crushed by the steady traffic on this prominent east-west road. Yet, still some of them kept on coming, trying to cross this black ribbon of asphalt to get to the other side. Yesterday, when we finally returned from town we were hoping to take a photo of the grasshopper littered roadway. To our horror the road had been scraped and cleaned by the road crews in preparation for today’s rain. But now, as I drive past the same spot a few hundred of the grasshoppers are marching to their death once again. Though I am tired from hiking in the rain and being up since 4 a.m. (it is now almost 11 a.m.) I hurry home to get my camera. I loop back and pull off onto the sandy shoulder of the road and start snapping.

Dead grasshoppers litter the roadway

One of the first grasshoppers I photograph is devouring its dead brother. Grasshopper carcasses litter the roadway, though not in the numbers I saw yesterday. I follow various grasshoppers around the side of the road. A few wisely turn back into the desert and climb the steep gravel ridges created by the scrapers to clear the road of monsoon debris. Then, as I pursue one hopper it finally takes wing and flies revealing bright pink underwings! I am not able to get a shot of that because the flight was so brief and I was caught by surprise but I have the image in my head to enjoy.

Horse Lubber escaping back into the desert

When I get home the photos reveal a very tribal looking insect. While the basic structure is the same for all the grasshoppers, their bodies are patterned differently, as if some in some secret grasshopper ritual they painted their black bodies with fire, sun, and cactus. Now they march out in an army to accomplish what? But, though their bodies are large for the insect world at 3 inches or more, still, their frames are fragile when compared to the crushing weight of a thousand plus pound vehicle. I can’t help but wonder if they will survive this onslaught in, what I am assuming, is their native grounds. Will they march like this forever until they are extinct?

I do not know if these creatures are beneficial or not. I only know that I am captivated by their wild and tribal beauty. They seem to be a fierce creature with those huge mouth parts (sorry Doug, I don’t know what they are called and I am waxing poetic here!) and their ginourmous legs. Their bulging eyes seem to pierce right through me. I don’t think I would like then in my yard, but I am glad to know they exist in the wild. It makes me feel as if we have not quite tamed the earth, yet.

Perhaps the tribal chief?

A bit of research reveals that these grasshoppers are called Horse Lubber Grasshoppers. Everything I have experienced has been documented by others. To read an excellent but brief article about this species go to the Firefly Forest.

Birds Seen in Sabino Canyon today:
Location: Sabino Canyon Recreation Area
Observation date: 8/25/08
Notes: Most of the doves and all of the cactus wrens were seen near the Visitor's center. Part of this count is Tucson Audubon's IBA survey but I include the hike to and from the survey transect.

We had 4 unidentified sparrow species, 1 unidentified grosbeak sp. and 1 unidentified tanager species.

Number of species: 17

Gambel's Quail 5
Cooper's Hawk 1
White-winged Dove 7
Mourning Dove 60
Greater Roadrunner 3
Broad-billed Hummingbird 6
Gila Woodpecker 2
Common Raven 2
Verdin 2
Cactus Wren 4
Canyon Wren 1
Abert's Towhee 2
Rufous-winged Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 3
Varied Bunting 1
House Finch 10
Lesser Goldfinch 23

Photographers Note: All of today's Photography is by Kathie using the Nikon D80 and the 70-300mm lens. Grasshoppers and the Sahuarita road photos taken on Monday, August 25, 2008. Sabino Canyon and Cardinal photo taken in Sabino Canyon on March 5, 2008. As always, click on photos to enlarge for the best view.

Cienega Creek and Davidson Canyon

Ever since taking the IBA course my plan has been to go birding in Davidson Canyon and Cienega Creek. It is my hope that if we can establish this as an Important Bird Area it will give weight to the argument to prevent mining or other disruptive activities in this pristine area. As a County Preserve you actually have to obtain a permit to go hiking here. The permits are not hard to obtain, but scheduling a time for Gus to go with me proved to be difficult and I dared not venture into the canyon alone. The trip got put off more than once. However, on my December 5th bird survey in Sabino Canyon we were invited to Jean’s house for homemade granola afterwards. Jean is the leader of this group while Pam, Peggy and I are trainees. Pam was unable to come for granola, but Peggy came. We sat in the sun on Jean's patio with a Broad-billed Hummingbird visiting her feeder regularly. I met Jean’s husband, Mark while there. Mark Gerard Hengesbaugh is also an avid bird watcher and naturalist. He has written and published a book entitled Creatures of Habitat: the Changing Nature of Wildlife and Wildplaces in Utah and the Intermountian West. They had just obtained a permit to go birding in Cienega the following week. When they heard of my plight, they invited me to join them.

Our original plan was to go birding on Tuesday, December 11th. However, a storm rolled in over the weekend and refused to leave. Monday started out foggy, then turned to rain. The forecast was for rain the next 2 days. We postponed our trip until Thursday.

Tuesday morning I awoke late in the morning to an even thicker fog. It rolled into the backyard obscuring all but the closest houses. It raised and lowered; raised and lowered like breath in the chest of the earth. The fog didn’t burn off until after 11 a.m. I drove into town to do errands under heavy gray skies. When I left the store after 3 hours of shopping the sun was shining, but soon disappeared behind thick clouds in the west. As I headed south on Kolb towards home I glanced in the rearview mirror to change lanes. It almost took my breath away to see the snow capped Catalinas reflected in the golden light of the setting sun. I drove south with this beautiful view in my rearview mirror and finally pulled off the road when it was safe enough to have a good look. On all sides of me desert scrub and cactus spread out. The air was warm enough to be in my shirt sleeves. But there, suspended above the desert floor the mountains wore a coat of white with evergreen trees poking through the thick white blanket. The sight rivaled any seen in Utah or Colorado. I drove home with a smile in my stomach.

After a further stormy Wednesday, Thursday, December 13th, dawned sunny and bright. Mark and Jean arrived around 8:30 and we bundled everything into their vehicle and headed for Marsh Station Road. Though Cienega has a large parking spot with a big colored sign we headed for the more obscure parking lot with access to Davidson Canyon. We put the permit in the vehicle window, donned our packs, and headed down the trail. The gravel trail was a steady downhill slope. The morning chill combined with a brisk wind caused us to zip up our jackets and put on our gloves. Along the downward trail we saw Black-throated Sparrows and a gnat-catcher, most likely a blue-gray. We saw fresh plies of scat composed mostly of some kind of reddish berries at various intervals along the trail. When we finally reached the bottom we scrambled across a rocky out-cropping where we found ourselves on the canyon floor.

Beneath our feet the ground was gravel and sand. On much of the canyon floor the sand had gathered into deep sand bars or deposited in thick swaths. As we walked our feet squished in the sand and our legs worked twice as hard to push us forward with each step. A few Arizona Ash saplings gathered on the banks of the wash. A Gooding’s willow fell across the dry creek and we had to duck beneath it as we headed south. Here the leaves of the cottonwoods, ashes and willows still flaunted their autumn gold, while the mesquite endured in desert green and even a few cedars tucked themselves in along the banks. Dead leaves lay on the ground decaying in the moisture of the recent rains. The fragrance of wet leaves wafted up around us in the cool morning air.

Here past the willow the canyon took a sharp turn past a monolith that formed a cliff on the south side of the wash. More rocks poked out from the each side and we walked through the middle on the sandy bottom. Above us prickly pears clung to the cliff edges, their roots exposed by erosion. In spots we glimpsed saguaros on the bluff above, but down here in the canyon it felt almost as if I were back in a New England forest glade. The ground was damp in spots from the recent storms and water collected in pools carved out by the raging floods.

At the corner a rock wren whistled and bobbed on the cliff above us, but as we hiked farther south the birds were few and far between. When we did spot a bird it was hard to see definite markings as the sun was before us and behind the birds causing them to be little more than black silhouettes. We quickly realized that to birds this area we would need to start at the south end of the canyon and walk north. But would there be an access point? We hiked on.

As we continued south down the canyon the sun rose higher in the sky. The canyon widened out to a more open area with a grassy island in the middle with a smaller side channel. We continued on the main channel and stopped to investigate footprints in the sand and mud. We saw prints that could have been from coatimundis or raccoons, as well as javalina prints. We found evidence of cattle in the form of large cow pies, and still more scat piles of reddish berries. Whatever deposited them had been here recently for they were still wet and fresh. When we found a Hackberry Tree along the wash full of red berries we decided whatever deposited the scat must have been feasting on this and other Hackberry trees. The berries were hard and reddish orange. They didn’t look appetizing to us at all. However, the piles of scat looked like cranberry-orange relish being served up on desert stones, for that is where whatever animal was responsible seemed to always deposit their scat.

With the warming sun more birds ventured out. A flock of 20 or more white-crowned sparrows flitted in the brush keeping ever ahead of us. In the trees we saw numerous ruby-crowned kinglets busily collecting insects for breakfast. We turned around when we reached the bridge near I-10. Two huge Arizona Ash trees towered over the canyon here with golden crowns, but we found no access points from this end of the canyon. We headed back toward Cienega Creek stopping to observe a Northern Flicker as it flew with its undulating flight into a large cottonwood tree. The red of its underwings flashed in the sun and its white rump patch was clearly visible. We also saw a Say’s Phoebe along the way.

We ducked under the willow branch again and walked past the point where we entered the canyon. Now the canyon walls narrowed even more and cottonwood trees became even more abundant. They towered overhead forming a lemon and chartreuse canopy. Sunlight filtered down to the canyon floor in spangles. Here the sand and gravel gave way to larger stones and rocks. The creek was flowing here and tumbled noisily over a small rocky ledge. We scrambled over the piles of stone and debris underneath a looming train trestle, and rounded yet another corner.

Here the creek flowed freely. A black phoebe caught our eyes as it darted towards the water then flew back to its overhanging branch again. Another flash of movement proved to be yet another kinglet. The gentle gurgle of water was a soothing sound in our ears. It washed over my being with memories of other creeks, eastern streams and forest brooks. But I am here, this day in this place in Arizona. I am in a desert and this is a true desert oasis. It draws me even as it draws the wildlife with its promise of life giving water and cooling shade. Above us the open desert burns, but here deep in the canyon is shelter, shade and serenity.

We crossed the creek 2 or three times and passed beneath the bridge that carries cars 75 feet of more above us on Marsh Station Road. Above on the roadway a marker says the bridge was built from 1920 to 1921. I knew the main parking lot with its large painted sign was somewhere near this bridge, but still we found no access point anywhere nearby. Another train trestle ran overhead even higher than the road, and we later discovered train tracks passed by beneath that bridge along the canyon wall, but from that parking lot there was no good access point. The smaller parking lot with its brown sign that read “trailhead” was truly the best access point to the preserve.

In the creek Mark noticed tiny minnows swimming against the current. Along the rocky cliffs Jean pointed out a spider web hung with cottonwood leaves giving the effect of a child’s mobile hanging over a crib. At this point we turned back due to time constraints, but we were delighted with one more surprise when we saw a Canyon Towhee bathing in the creek beneath an overhanging tree. The towhee stayed close to the bank but splashed with delight in the pool formed by the bend of the creek.

We found our access point and hiked back up to the world above. Even as we ascended we noticed more birds. Mark spotted a huge red-tailed hawk perched in one of the towering cottonwood trees in Davidson Canyon. We stopped to watch until the hawk felt our eyes upon him and took flight. I lingered in the spot a bit longer to take in the sweeping view. Below in the canyon the tree canopy is a fluff of green and gold. Beyond that the gray-green desert painted a swath across the horizon. Then, even farther the Empire Mountains are silhouetted against the azure sky, their flanks a deep purple and blue, as if they are freezing in these cool December temperatures.

Cienega creek has more secrets to tell, but we will not learn them today. Today we head home to share a meal and memories and plan for another adventure to Cienega Creek. Perhaps on our next visit we will see the elusive Green Kingfisher. It would be a life bird for all three of us. Perhaps next time Gus will be able to come with us. Perhaps today, besides exploring and birding, I have made new friends.

An Angel in Sabino Canyon

Finally a team was assembled to begin an Important Bird Survey in Sabino Canyon. Emails had been exchanged for two weeks. It was decided that we would meet at 8 a.m. on November 14 at the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center. None of us had met each other, but we all agreed to identify each other by our hats and binoculars—standard fare for bird watchers. Our plan was to get to know each other and hike into the creek to walk the transect route for future surveys. Once again I got up early, fed cats, and dogs, ate breakfast and walked the dog.

My husband and I left at the planned time of 7 a.m., which I thought would get me to Sabino Canyon on the north side of Tucson in plenty of time. We stopped at the Roadrunner market in Corona De Tucson where Gus filled my gas tank as well as his. I had put all my birding gear in the car the night before in order to save time in the morning. The weather was suppose to be in the 80’s, so I had not brought a jacket with me. However, when I opened the window to talk to Gus at the gas station a chill breeze blew through. I suddenly remembered how cold it was birding in Green Valley the week before, so when the gas tank was full, I decided to head home for my jacket—just in case. Wrong move.

After retrieving my jacket, which took about 10 minutes, I headed north on Houghton Rd. The drive to Sabino Canyon took me much longer than anticipated. By the time I arrived it was twenty-five minutes after eight. Birders wait for no one, though I suspected they had waited a few minutes. Now what to do? I had never been here before and had no idea where the riparian area was. However, I really wanted to meet these women and see where we would be birding. Undaunted, I went into the visitor’s center and asked where the riparian area might be. I knew from the emails it was only a mile in and they were hiking there, so I knew I could do that also.

After obtaining instruction and a map from one of the volunteers I headed for the Sabino Dam Trail. In spite of my fears of being cold, it was quite warm and I didn’t take my jacket with me. Dressed in a T-shirt, light sweater and crop pants I was comfortable with my camel pack on my back and a granola bar in the pocket. The dirt trail was wide and golden in the morning sun. Long shadows lay across the trail. In the brush I spied a phainopepla, a silky flycatcher with black feathers and a crest. I walked on, unsure of myself, but determined.

Along the way I met other hikers already returning from their morning hikes. I asked one and then another if they had seen three women with hats and binoculars. No one had. Another women walked towards me with a floppy hat and a walking stick. Her hair was shoulder length platinum gray/ blond. A thin nose separated kind eyes. Older and shorter than I, she looked like a forest gnome. I asked her the same question. She had not seen the women either but offered to accompany me when she heard this was my first time in the canyon. I took her up on her offer and we introduced ourselves. Her name was Beth.

Beth and I headed farther up the trail, chatting as we went. She told me that mountain lions had been seen in this area and she didn’t want me to go alone. We talked about lions and birds and nature. Beth told me she lived nearby and often walked this trail. I looked about me at the high rock walls closing in around us. The creek bed was mostly dry, but during the Monsoon it had raged with water. Two people were swept away during a flash flood just this summer and drowned. Walking in the rocky and sandy creek bed now, it was hard to imagine.

We got out of the creek bed and back on the trail. Soon we came to the dam. Bamboo grew thickly along the creek edges, along with cottonwoods, sycamores and willows. "This is where the lion was spotted," Beth told me. We crossed the damp creek bottom to the other side, but then returned. I wanted to walk up the creek bed, but Beth suggested we stick to the trail. "I don’t think they will be in the creek," she said. I thought to myself, "that’s exactly where they will be," but I followed on.

The smooth beaten path wound through more bamboo and trees. We could not see very far ahead or even off to the sides. I was beginning to think we would never find the others when we came to a bend in the trail and there ahead of us were three women with binoculars, hats and a clipboard, walking up the creek. "Are you Jean, Pam, and Peggy," I called out. The three women turned to look at me, astonishment on their faces. We had found them! Beth graciously retreated, but not before I thanked her profusely. She was a guiding angel for me. A forest gnome with a walking stick.

I joined the others and introduced myself. I apologized for being so late. We continued our trek up the creek searching for the best path to take and deciding where we might stop for point count surveys come breeding season.

The creek snaked through the canyon past rocky cliffs. In places there was water lying in pools. The mud and sand adjacent to it held footprints of animals other than dogs or cats. They reminded me of raccoon footprints. Could they be coati’s? Beth had told me she has seen them here before. Farther up the creek two rock wrens bobbed and called from scattered stones. Then we saw a flash of chestnut as a canyon wren scurried in and out of the rocks looking for insects. In a thicket in the middle of the creek a tiny bird scolded and chattered at us. We never got a good look, but the others thought it might be a Bewick’s wren. On some stones in the middle of the creek someone spotted a tiny tree frog the gravelly color of stone. It blended right into the rock and was no bigger than a pebble. I was surprised anyone even noticed it, then concerned there may be more and I might step on them.

We finally climbed out of the creek at Tram Stop One. Sabino Canyon has a paved road it uses to transport people farther up the canyon. You pay $5 to ride the tram and can get on and off as many times as you want to. I haven’t ridden it yet but I was told it use to go all the way up 9 stops to the top. A huge flash flood a couple of years ago wiped out the road and now you can only ride to stop 4, but repairs are being done and the hope is you will be able to ride all the way to the top again.

Here in Sabino Canyon, which is a National Park, they actually have restrooms with flush toilets. We all took a restroom break before heading back down the canyon. As I sat on the seat I pulled the toilet paper down and was startled when something fell out of the roll! There on the floor was another tiny tree frog! This one was a bit larger, about the size of a dollar coin, with reddish toes like suction cups and a translucent tan body. I gently cupped the poor creature in my hands and escorted it outside the building. I dreaded the thought of some one stepping on it or, heaven forbid! —flushing it down the toilet! It stuck to the brick exterior on the side of the building with no trouble. It was the highlight of my day!

We hiked out of the canyon two by two. Jean and Pam chatted with each other up ahead while Peggy and I got to know one another. It had grown even warmer while we were hiking and I had removed the light sweater long ago. I never needed my jacket and if I hadn’t gone back for it I would have been on time, but I never would have met Beth or had such a fun adventure!

Vermilion Flycatcher Love

A week ago I had the opportunity to take bird survey training with Tucson Audubon. I learned how to do point count surveys, transect surveys and a census. With this training I hope to put my passion to use in surveying Important Bird Areas or IBA's here in Southern Arizona. I heard about this training the day before it happened from a gal I just met named Kate. She is an avid birder also and told me about the training. I met her on Thursday and the training was on Friday and Saturday. I rearranged my schedule and made it happen.

We spent Friday morning in classroom work learning about the IBA program and how to take the surveys. On Saturday we did field work and I discovered new birding areas that I didn't even know existed. In walking the survey areas we did practice surveys and I was able to add 5 new birds to my life list. On Saturday, October 13, I saw my first Lawrence's goldfinch, western sandpiper, blue grosbeak and Vaux's swift, but my best new bird I actually saw on Friday in Himmel Park right in Tucson.

It was after class on Friday I drove to the Audubon Nature Center at 300 University Blvd., #120 where I paid my dues to become a member of Tucson Audubon. While there I chatted with the woman who was manning the desk. Tucson Audubon's newsletter is called the Vermilion Flycatcher. I mentioned to her I had yet to see one of those birds. It was she who directed me to the park. As soon as I left the store I drove right over, parked where she said, and looked up into the trees, and there on a twig he sat, aglow in the late afternoon sun.

I sat on the grass with my binoculars and watched this tiny winged gem. His back was the color of mink which ran into a slight mask on his face, but his breast and head were aflame with red. I watched him fly out and catch a bug only to alight on his perch again. He didn't seem bothered by my presence at all, but watched me with his tiny liquid eyes. I sat and watched him for a good 15 minutes and during that time I fell in love. I was amazed by his small size and his brilliant color. How could something so tiny and brightly colored survive in this harsh world? I was thrilled to have seen him and feared for a world where he will no longer exist. I pray that world never comes into being. It is my hope that by participating in the bird surveys I can contribute to the establishment of more Important Bird Areas which could then be protected and preserved so that generations to come can see vermillion flycatchers and other birds and fall in love for themselves.