Cloudy Skies, Clear Thoughts: A Sycamore Canyon Update

Sycamore Canyon Sky 5-20-09 by Kathie Brown

I awake to cool gray skies and bolt out the door as soon as possible. It’s been days since I have had a moment to myself since my son broke his ankle last Thursday night and I have been watching my grandson. Yesterday he returned to his parents but Gus came down with a sore throat Monday and he has been home sick since yesterday. I know I have so much writing to do, but I need to see the Canyon. I need to see if the Purple Martins have returned.

Desert Willow Blossoms 5-20-09 by Kathie Brown

It is a short walk up to the top of the cul de sac. On my way I pass numerous desert willow trees, which are now in bloom. Their sweet blossoms fill the air with a tender fragrance. Their blossoms vary from pink, to red to lavender.

Saguaro Sentinals 5-20-09 by Kathie Brown

I enter the trail system on Saguaro Loop Trail. Here I stand on the precipice of the canyon and gaze off to the south, where the Santa Rita Mountains loom, and the west towards Green Valley and Sahuarita. A thick steel wool blanket of clouds covers the earth around me lending a coolness and softness to the day. Bird song fills my ears as I stand on what I call “Lookout Point.” Here the view is expansive and it fills my heart with joy. I glance immediately to the right where the Saguaro sentinels stand. Perched on the edge of the canyon, the vast desert spreads out below them in the wash and beyond. On the east side of the trail that passes by them the boundary of human habitation is demarcated by tan painted view fence which allows homeowners to see beyond their tiny yards to the desert beyond.

Purple Martin Pair 5-20-09 by Kathie Brown

As I look towards the tops of the saguaros I see a purple martin pair. They are here! And my heart leaps with pleasure. One pair is perched in a nest of saguaro blossoms atop the tallest saguaro. A lone male circles the sky, then returns to a different saguaro. I don’t see any others and I am concerned. Two years ago when I moved here there were at least 4 pairs here. What has happened to my purple martins?

Saguaro Arms 5-20-09 by Kathie Brown

I stand in one spot for 15 minutes or more and count the birds around me. Then, as I wander down the trail I can hear tiny bird cheeps coming from one of the holes in the saguaro. Could there be babies in there? I hope with all my heart there are. These saguaros are home to so many birds. Like a high-rise in the city, the many holes in these old sentinels are doors to different nests. The Gila woodpeckers and Gilded Flickers nest in the same saguaros as the purple martins. House sparrows will occupy empty nest holes also, but thankfully I do not see any of them going in or out of the holes.

As I wander down the trail watching birds I consider the plight of the birds here since human beings have moved into this fragile desert habitat. I have noticed the decline in insect eating birds since moving here two years ago and I am concerned it may be due to the use of pesticides by my neighbors. I can only assume that some people don’t think things through and they don’t realize that when you poison the insects, you can poison the birds and lizards that feed on them. The day before I left for the New River Birding and Nature festival I watched in horror as the Terminex man pulled up to a house across the street from me and commenced spraying the perimeter of the house. To make matters worse, I could see a bird bath and/or feeder up on the block wall. It was around 11 a.m. and I watched as mourning doves, finches and sparrows flew off as he walked around the house. He was protected by rubber boots and other gear. The poor birds had no such protection and once he left, they moved back into the poisoned area.

Saguaro Blossoms 5-20-09 by Kathie Brown

I do not want insects in my home either, but it seems there must be another way to deal with the problem. We have so many insect eating birds in this place, as well as lizards and bats. When we kill of the insects we remove a food source for these beneficial animals. When we poison the bugs, we poison the birds and other animals that make Sycamore Canyon a delight to live in. If the lizards get poisoned, then we poison the Road Runners that eat the lizards. If this continues to happen, we may not see these creatures here any longer.

Even the tiny hummingbirds are affected by the use of pesticides. Though a large part of their diet comes from nectar gathered from blooming flowers, they also eat tiny insects and spiders. When you poison the spiders, you are poisoning the hummingbirds that feed on them. While I like the birds that come to my bird feeders, I also enjoy the insect eating birds that I see around me in the desert.

So, this is a plea to my neighbors and others, no matter where you live, please consider carefully the use of pesticides in your yard. Consider spraying only inside your garage where the birds do not go, or using an environmentally safe product. I know there are companies out there that can help. I have a grandson and I don’t want him to be bitten by Black widow spiders or stung by a scorpion either.

Here is a list of some of the insect eating birds I have identified here in Sycamore Canyon. Many of them breed here and feed insects to their young. Lets help keep Sycamore Canyon Safe for the wildlife that most of us moved here to enjoy!

1. Hummingbirds
2. Nighthawks
3. Flycatchers
4. Wrens
5. Vireos
6. Road Runners
7. Swallows
8. Purple martins
9. Verdin
10. Gnatcatchers
11. Warblers

On a hopeful note, on My 12 I counted my first Peregrine Falcon here in Sycamore Canyon as it flew over my yard on pointed wings and disappeared into the noontime sky. The Peregrine Falcon is a species brought back from the brink of extinction when the populations crashed in the 1950 and the 1960’s when the eggs of the falcon became too fragile for their young to hatch due to the use of the pesticide DDT. Used on a regular basis by farmers and homeowners alike, DDT moved through the food chain through insects and the animals that eat them until it reached perilous concentrations in these birds. DDT was banned in 1972 and the Peregrine Falcons rebounded allowing all of us to enjoy this magnificent raptor and the fastest animal on earth. This Peregrine Falcon sighting makes species number 77 on my Sycamore Canyon Bird List (see side bar)!

Birds Seen on my short .2 mile walk this morning:

1. Gambel's Quail
2. Mourning dove
3. white-winged dove
4. Costa's Hummingbird
5. Gilded Flicker
6. Gila Woodpecker
7. Nighthawk species
8. Verdin
9. Ash-throated Flycatcher
10. Cactus Wren
11. Curve-billed thrasher
12. Purple martin
13. Rufous-winged sparrow
14. House Finch
15. House sparrow

I also saw 2 jack rabbits and 1 desert cottontail!

I love living with nature!

The adventures of the New River Birding Festival will continue tomorrow!

(All photos click to enlarge for the best view)

Meeting the Flock

Lynne of Hasty Brook and Nina from Nature Remains 4-26-09

It is a sunny day as Nina and I set out for the New River Birding and Nature Festival. We follow the back roads of Ohio until we reach the highway and head southeast to West Virginia. The rolling hills of southeast Ohio speed past us outside the car window. Soon the wrinkles of the earth deepen to steeper slopes and rocky ravines. We cross into West Virginia at Point Pleasant via a bridge that crosses the Ohio River, which marks the boundry between these two states. When I see the name of the town I realize that this is THE Point Pleasant of the movie Mothman and the book The Mothman Prophecies. Both the movie and the book recount the historic bridge collapse in 1967. On December 15 at 5:00 p.m. the cables snapped and the Silver Bridge fell into the Ohio River below killing 46 people and injuring 9. I couldn’t help but think about it as we crossed the new bridge.

We arrived at the Opossum Creek Farmhouse late in the afternoon. A huge banner hung from the front porch welcoming “The Flock” of 2009. I don’t know who first came up with that name for this group of Birding bloggers, but it certainly fit. Nina and I tumbled wearily but excitedly out of the car. We gathered our gear and headed into the house to meet and greet everyone else. After picking out our beds and stowing our gear we gathered in the kitchen for introductions.

Mary of Mary's View 4-26-09

TR, From the Faraway, Nearby 4-26-09
(No, he didn't stay with us,he was just visiting!)



Wren, from Wrenaissance Reflections reflecting 4-26-09

Susan Gets Native 4-26-09

The always prepared, KatDoc!

Then, like any good bird blogger, we headed outside to watch birds!

I saw my first Blue-winged warbler at the Farm House with the help of KatDoc. Lifer! Here is the list of the other birds seen that very first day at the Farm House:

1. Turkey Vulture
2. Mourning Dove
3. Blue jay
4. Crow
5. Carolina chickadee
6. Tufted Titmouse
7. Wood thrush*
8. Robin
9. Gray Catbird
10. Cedar Waxwing
11. Blue-winged warbler*
12. Eastern Towhee
13. Song sparrow
14. Northern Cardinal

*Lifer! (First time seeing this species of bird.)

Skywatch Friday: Blue Heron Ballet

Great Blue Heron in West Virginia 4-30-09 by Kathie Brown with Nikon D80

I recently returned from a trip to the New River Birding and Nature Festival in West Virgina. While there we saw this Great Blue Heron come flying overhead while we were on the High Country Birding trip. While most herons fly with their necks bent in an "S" curve, this bird was flying with its neck extended. As it circled lower a large fish could be seen sticking out of its throat. This series of photos was taken as the bird circled overhead. I suspect it was a juvenile by the brown streaking that can bee seen on its breast and belly. Perhaps it swallowed a bigger fish that it could handle. Perhaps it wanted to land at the nearby pond we were standing by and get a drink to wash it down. Scroll down to see the bird as it flies with it's neck bent, then extend it as it tries to fly and swallow. If you look closely, you can see the bulge in its neck and sometimes you can even see something (fish tail, fins, or bird tongue) sticking out of its mouth. When I looked at these photos at home, it reminded me of an aerial ballet. The above photo is number 8 in the sequence.

Look at those magnificent wings!

I've never seen a Great Blue Heron look like this before.

I thought this was an interesting an unusual posture.

Full extension. Note the hole in its wing.

Still trying to swallow.

Last photo before the heron disappeared over the tree line.



Happy Skywatch Friday!

I have more New River Birding Festival stories and photos to follow!

What Happened in the Morning Before We Left

Northern Cardinal 4-26-09

I wake to the sounds of bird song calling me to come and play. I am so tired. I want to sleep some more. I shut off the fan and pull back the covers intending to jump back in bed and listen to the sounds of springtime and morning but the pull is too strong. I need to see it all while I can. I dress instead and am out the door in 20 minutes or less. As soon as I step out onto the deck a gorgeous male cardinal flies up to the treetop flashing his colors at me.

Tufted Titmouse 4-26-09

I hear the rapid fire call of a phoebe singing the sun up over the hill. The ever curious tufted titmice glow like gold in the light of dawn. I wander out to the pond where a lone mallard drake paddles lazily in the calm water.

The Pond 4-26-09

Looking back I see the little guest house that I am staying in. It nestles into the landscape like a natural thing. I can’t think of one thing that looks out of place here at Nature Remains. Everything is so natural looking. Everything looks like it belongs. I follow the path around the pond and emerge near the pasture again.

The Guest House 4-26-09

The ping-pong call of a field sparrow greets me as I come upon a pair of box turtles doing the wild thing. Not wanting to disturb them, I veer off to the left towards the woods and follow a path indented with the hoof prints of deer. Bird song is a constant chorus around me. There is no such thing as silence here, nor would I want there to be. This is the jubilant song of spring. This is the symphony of renewal.

I follow the path through the dark forest with sunlight barely slanting through evergreen boughs. I hear the pounding of woodpeckers drumming their territorial song. An eastern towhee invites me to “drink your tea” in the forest. A tall oak at the edge is fluttering with tiny birds gleaning insects from tender tips. Back-lit by the sun, I am unable to identify them, much to my chagrin.

The Wise Old Barn 4-26-09

I see Nina coming across the field and walk over to meet her past tree swallow homes. I feel the old barn watching me as it stands in a soft quiet light.

Yellow Warbler 4-26-09

Back near the guest house I spot movement in the nearby cherry tree where a plain gray bird is gleaning insects from the tree. My first thought is a vireo as I focus in, and then a yellow warbler hops up in plain view and starts to sing!

Mating Box turtles 4-26-09

I tell Nina about the box turtles as we eat our breakfast. She is so surprised. I assumed she observed this behavior all the time, but she tells me she has wondered if her property was good mating habitat for them. When we are done with breakfast she asks me to show her where I saw them. We follow the path around the pond once again and I only expect to show her the spot where I saw them, but as we emerge from the brush we find the pair in a totally compromised position, the male’s eyes glowing red. Is it passion or embarrassment?

Red eyes! 4-26-09

To me it looks as if he is saying, would you mind giving us a little privacy! We quietly walk away and load up the car for our 5 hour drive to the New River Birding Festival. Nina and her husband have been gracious hosts. I feel privileged to stay here and to migrate with Nina to the festival. With bins in my lap and the camera nearby, we are off!





Birds Seen 4-26-09 at Nature Remains:

1. Canada Goose
2. Mallard
3. Great Blue Heron
4. Mourning dove
5. Red-bellied Woodpecker
6. Downy woodpecker
7. Eastern Phoebe
8. Warbling Vireo
9. Blue jay
10. American Crow
11. Tree swallow
12. Northern Rough-winged swallow
13. Barn Swallow
14. Carolina chickadee
15. Tufted titmouse
16. Eastern Bluebird
17. American robin
18. European starling
19. Yellow Warbler
20. Eastern Towhee
21. Field Sparrow
22. Northern Cardinal
23. Red-winged blackbird
24. Brown-headed Cowbird
25. American Goldfinch

On My Way at Nature Remains

I am 21 minutes from Dayton looking down on Ohio from the plane. The brown earth of springtime lies open and bare before me. Along the meandering creek beds the greening has already begun. From my vantage point it looks like the bare brown heart of the earth is laid open with green arteries and veins flowing over its surface. It is the pulsing, pumping life of springtime and with it the breath of migration has begun. I will spend one night here before heading off to the New River Birding and Nature Festival.

Nina meets me at the airport and I find a slim soft spoken woman with wildly wonderful brown curls. We chatter all the way to her home like two little magpies in her car. It is an easy friendship. As the highway gives way to country roads I am looking out the windows trying to see whatever birds I can. My eyes drink hungrily of this foreign landscape. While the grass has already greened up, the trees are just starting to put forth their tender green leaves. A few trees still have their blush of red buds. In fact, I am amazed at all the tiny pink flowers of Eastern Redbud trees and the white lacy dogwoods in bloom. While I have come to love my desert home, these are the signs of spring that I miss.

The land around me is somewhat flat but soon gives way to rolling hills as we travel east. Small farms dot the roadside with ponds and trees and fields. A few are fenced with wooden fences looking like horse farms from Kentucky. The road is slender and winding as we drive into Nina’s yard. I am at Nature Remains.

Nina shows me the guest house where I place my stuff in the room. I quickly grab my camera and binoculars and we are off to the woods like two young wood nymphs. We barely step out the door when tree swallows swoop over head. The Eastern Bluebirds fly up to say “Hi” and a Carolina wren hops up to sing. Nina shows me her pond where a spotted sandpiper is probing the mud at the far end. I have never seen a spotted sandpiper before. Lifer! We wander past the old wise barn and out to the woods beyond. Cardinal pairs are everywhere and in the trees the Carolina chickadees chatter and call. While I have seen Mountain Chickadees and the more Common Black-capped, these are my first Carolina Chickadees. Lifer! All of these birds are my first Ohio birds.

We listen to the wind as it moves through the treetops in the woods. These are tall oaks and pines and spruce. There are ash and maples. These are the trees of my youth, the strength of the forest, and home to so many birds. At our feet the trilliums bloom, forest flowers, delicate and beautiful. Nina shows me her vernal pools, clear and dark in the forest, stagnant and green in the open field. We walk past the Tree Swallow nest boxes where the sweet female watches us unconcerned. She knows she is safe at Nature Remains. She knows that Nina is her friend.

I barely remember what we eat for dinner tonight. I only slept for 45 minutes the night before. I am so full of wonder and excitement. I am awed by this place I am at. Nina has a nature preserve as her backyard. We sit on the patio at dusk and hear the Barred Owl call. Then we hear its mate and we watch them move like ghosts through the forest above us. It is a magical moment and I am giddy with the memory of that haunting sound and the sight of the silent gray shadows moving through the tree tops as I drift off to sleep.

Birds Seen at Nature Remains 4-25-09

1. Red-shouldered hawk
2. Turkey Vulture
3. Solitary sandpiper*
4. Mourning Dove
5. Barred Owl*
6. Ruby-throated hummingbird
7. Red-bellied Woodpecker
8. Downy woodpecker
9. Hairy woodpecker
10. Eastern Phoebe
11. Blue jay
12. Tree swallow
13. Barn Swallow
14. Carolina chickadee*
15. Carolina Wren
16. American Robin
17. Eastern Bluebird*
18. Eastern towhee
19. Field Sparrow*
20. Song sparrow
21. Northern Cardinal
22. Brown-headed Cowbird
23. American Goldfinch

* Life Birds (Though I remember seeing Eastern Bluebirds when I was young this is my first official sighting for eBird)

LIFE!

Black-headed Grosbeak 5-6-09

The Black-headed Grosbeaks have returned to Sycamore Canyon...

...and the baby Gambel's Quail have hatched...


...while collarded lizards prowl my flowerbeds...

...and Gus had his angiogram yesterday. They found that all of his arteries are CLEAR! Yay! The stress test was a false positive. We were home by noon and exhausted but happy. I sang the Hallelujah Chorus all the way home in the car. LIFE is happening here in Sycamore Canyon. Now I can finally write about the adventures of the New River Birding Festival.

So, What Can Happen in a Week?

Prairie Warbler 5-2-09 Lifer!

Well, at the New River Birding Festival I saw saw 106 species of birds, including 27 lifers. I saw this Prairie Warbler the last day of the festival in a mountainous place called Muddlety.

Muddlety 5-2-09

Though it was sunny for the first 2 to 3 days of our trip, the rains soon moved in and blanketed the mountains with fog.

Savannah sparrow @ Muddlety 5-2-09

Though the rain was soothing and refreshing I was often cold and most of us felt like this poor Savannah sparrow as we tried to watch birds in the rain. However, when I arrived home in Tucson this afternoon, the sun was shining and the temperature was 94 degrees! It felt so good to see that glorious sunshine again.

So, what CAN happen in a week when you are gone...

...your plants can die...



...your feeders will empty...



...your roof tiles can fall off...

...a whole new house can spring up...

...but I can wear flip flops again!

There's no place like home,

there's no place like home,

there's no place like home!

Stay tuned for more stories from the New River Birding Festival! I had a great time and made many wonderful friends!


My feeders are filled and I'm already for the birds to return. I think I saw some baby quail tonight as I was opening the den window. I'll be sure to have my camera ready for the morning!