Some Birds of the Desert

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Richard

Gambel’s Quail are runners, very hard to photograph as they scurry through the brush. Here’s one almost obscured as it darted past me.

On the other hand, this Red-winged Blackbird was so intent on singing that he allowed me to walk right up to him.

The big brassy Cactus Wrens have been pretty obvious throughout most of the Southwest but it wasn’t until New Mexico that I got some good looks at their smaller cousins, Canyon Wrens.

One of my life birds this trip is the Sage Sparrow, who like some of the quail, likes to run from you. This one sat still for a photo.

And lastly, one of the neat birds of west Texas, southern Arizona and southern New Mexico is the handsome Black-throated Sparrow.

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Arizona Desert Flowers

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Richard

Just before we left Arizona, we got a couple of modest rainfalls and the flowers started popping out. Of course, I have a dozen bird books but nothing on desert flowers – and we haven’t been near a bookstore since. So I’ll identify the few I know and ask you to comment on the others. Here in New Mexico, it is drier and the plants are just dry and dusty.

This plant, which my friend, Heather Campbell identifies as Narrowleaf four-oclock *mirabilis linnearis*, was where I saw my first Costa’s hummingbird.

This yellow roadside plant was everywhere.

The creosote bush is all over the Southwest and while having no connection with the sticky black substance we use on fenceposts, it does have some interesting properties that cause it to grow apart from its kin. You can read more here.

This lovely plant is Pink Fairyduster – *callandria eriophylla*. (Thanks Heather)

The flowers of the Octillo cactus popped after the rain.

The Beavertail cactus blossoms are more subdued. (Thanks Heather)

Compass Barrel Cactus blossoms later – I think this is last season’s fruit.

Lastly, here’s a Say’s Phoebe on an Octillo with yellowed leaves. (Thanks Heather)

So, if you spot some corrections on plant ids, feel free to chime in.

Posted in nature, Plants & Flowers, Southwest trip 4 | 3 Comments

Birds of San Eligo Lagoon

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Richard

The San Eligo Lagoon just south of our California camping sites, is a favorite of many local birders (although I met none in three visits but did meet a good birder from MA) and it is easy to see why. An innovative reclamation site for treated wastewater, it has great trails and a wide variety of birds. Here are some that I saw while there.

The Anna’s Hummingbird was fairly common but a wonderful feisty hummer:

The Allen’s Hummingbird was a lifer for me:

As was this Western Gull:

Mourning Doves are common friends nearly everywhere we go:

The Willets in the west are lighter but still give their Willet-wing display when they fly:

Black Phoebes are fun to watch as they actively forage for insects:

The lagoon had dozens of American Wigeons like this handsome dude:

Northern Pintails, like this pair, are in lovely plumage:

And lastly, I’m including a fellow whose eastern cousins will be visiting Vermont this Spring. What’s not to love about Buffleheads?

Posted in CA birds, Southwest trip 4 | 1 Comment

A Morning Surprise – #400

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Richard

One of my 2014 birding goals was to reach 400 life birds – in my fifth year of birding. I saw two Black-tailed Gnatcatchers as I checked into the Salton Sea State Receation Area last weekend (for 398).

The following morning I birded the Wister Unit about 25 miles south and after a great session birding from the truck crawling along managed wetlands, I came right up to a large hawk, who peered at me through the open window about 20 feet away. (Fortunately, the dog was napping in the back seat.). I got my binoculars up slowly, studied the large bill, the feathery legs, and after about a minute, the hawk shook out his feathers, took a dump, and slowly flew away. It was my first Ferruginous Hawk and an "up close and personal" encounter for number 399.

So for several days, I’ve been wondering what number 400 might be. We have been back at Gilbert Ray County Park in Tuscon and while I have had some good outings, the birding has been rather slow. I figured that perhaps in the week ahead in New Mexico, I’d get lucky.

This morning, I walked Penny just at sunrise since we had a long drive to Las Cruces ahead of us. I had my binoculars but no camera as we circled the camp loop. I spotted a hummingbird, the first I had seen there, and thought, "Another Anna’s." When I got my glasses on him, it was a spectacular Costa’s Hummingbird. I got some good looks but then he was gone. The trailer was close by so I dropped off the dog after feeding her, and grabbed my camera. Of course, he was not there – and so I started packing the truck. I went back and found him perched, in bad light, in a far off tree. The shots I got don’t capture the irridescent gorget and crown – but I saw them in the sunlight and they were spectacular. The photos do capture the pot-bellied shape.

What a neat #400. I got it just as we were leaving its range so it literally was the last chance. The morning encounter made the long trek across Arizona and New Mexico desert much more enjoyable and we are settled into a nice New Mexico state campgound.

Posted in Arizona Birding, Arizona Birds, life bird, Life list, Southwest trip 4 | 3 Comments

Hiking Brown Mountain

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Richard

We are hanging out, enjoying great Arizona weather, at Gilbert Ray Campgound, a county park just west of Tuscon. We have a neat site which is relatively secluded with Cactus Wrens, Verdin, and Gambell’s Quail to entertain us. So do the coyotes who periodically get some barks out of Penny as they tune up on both ends of the day.

This morning, I decided to climb Brown Mountain, which while not grand in stature, treats you to a view of diverse, spectacular Sonoran desert flora. The hike is only a mile and a half to the summit and rises a modest 400 feet but the views make you forget that you are just outside a major city.

So Penny and I started out early. I let her off leash since no one was around and we cruised down the well-worn path. The trail, as one would expect, was rocky and a number of steps were built into the path. Here’s an example.

We traversed back and forth up the mountain and at times, Penny seemed to wonder why I was taking my time.

We were rewarded with some nice views at the summit even though it was a little hazy. Here is the view eastward toward Golden Gate Mountain and Tuscon.

Like any climb, the trip back was easier and a Curve-billed Thrasher sang to us as we returned to the truck.

Nice outing for man and dog.

Posted in hiking, Penny, Southwest trip 4 | 1 Comment

My Cousin Vinny – Why Do We Keep Thinking Of It?

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Richard

We changed plans and moved a little east to the Salton Sea Recreation Area where we had better chances of sites with hookup, and where there are thousands of birds. It was an easy drive through the high desert and as we approached the lake, there were hundreds of big RVs parked on the desert, each with its covey of off-road jeeps. The dust, noise, and generally low-class nature (I guess my nordic skiing/paddling bias shows) was quite depressing. Fortunately, we were heading toward the other side of the lake.

The RV section of the park is just a line of parking places, but there is shade and electric and water. We have some nice Canadian neighbors (curling pals from way back) and it is a good setup. We are hanging out with the big rigs – our Airstream is to the far left in this photo.

The first birds I saw here were Black-necked Stilts, a species I have seen before, but not on this trip. They are neat, with their bubble-gum legs and constant movement.

If you never saw the movie, My Cousin Vinny, the blog post title won’t mean much. However, right after we unhitched and set up, the first train went by. Followed by another, which sounded the horn for a crossing up ahead. No one who recommended this park mentioned the trains. These are not short Vermont trains – they are long with four or five engines, and sometimes a pusher. Why do I feel that they are filled with Chinese-built stuff shipping from LA to the WalMarts of America?

Before supper, Mary and I walked down to the lake to watch the sun set. We can take a little train noise – here comes one now – to be in such a pretty spot. All aboard.

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Riding Out The Storm

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Richard

We had set aside two nights at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park before heading further eastward. The trip from San Diego was longer than expected because of the steep winding roads crossing the mountains. The truck did fine but the brakes got warm on the 6-8 % descents inspite of my using the engine for slowing. We arrived at the village of Borrego Springs with its greenery, golf courses, and "we want to be like a mini-Palm Springs" look and prices. (Gas is $4.09). The park is massive and we got the last of the 52 hook-up sites. Here’s our setup.

  • With over 600,000 acres, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in the contiguous United States. 500 miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas and miles of hiking trails provide visitors with an unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of the Colorado Desert. The park is named after Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish name borrego, or bighorn sheep. The park features washes, wildflowers, palm groves, cacti and sweeping vistas. Visitors may also have the chance to see roadrunner, golden eagles, kit foxes, mule deer and bighorn sheep as well as iguanas, chuckwallas and the red diamond rattlesnake. *

Before we got here, we knew about a weather warning for this weekend with high winds, lots of rain, and snow in high elevations. We had an option to try to outrun it but looking at Arizona forecasts, it looked like it will be to extensive – and the last thing we need is to run into high winds and rain on the road. so we have decided to stay here – even though it is full. I’m betting that the forecast will cause some weekend cancellations and while we may have switch sites, or even go into the "no hookup" areas (we have a generator if needed), we are going to sit tight here until Monday.

We have good 4G reception, showers are a short walk away, and town is only a few miles away. Meanwhile, I can sort through my California bird photos . Here are two Cactus Wrens, probably my favorite desert bird, that I saw on my dog walk this morning.

Looking at the positive side of things, the Airstream needs a washing badly after a week of salt spray and sand – so it looks like we’ve got one on the way. I look forward to seeing the desert after this much-needed rain. Bring it on!

Posted in CA camping, Southwest trip 4 | 1 Comment

Solar Rocks!

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Richard

I bought a solar panel for the #Airstream about four years ago and have hardly used it. Once in a while, either at a Vermont state park or at our daughter’s in Massachusetts, I’ll set it up and chase the sun through leaves and clouds. It has not been successful – that’s why I bought a generator last year.

Even on our Southwestern trips, we’ve had little use for it since we generally have power available. However, for the last week at South Carlsbad State Park in California, we’ve had only battery power and sun every day. It is so neat to set the unit out in the morning and watch the current flow all day, leaving a fully-charged battery every evening.

A dozen people or more have stopped to ask me about the unit – how it works, etc. no one here, in the hundreds of units we have seen come and go, has solar. Most use gas-powered generators. This is California – where I expected much more attention to green energy. I’ve seen one set of solar panels on a home and no electric vehicles. Perhaps I’m just missing them but with this winter sun almost every day, lots of folks, it seems, are missing the boat.

We leave this lovely site and our CA family in the morning. It’s been a wonderful visit with many new birds. I left some though for the next visit.

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Arizona Butterflies

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Richard

As our friends and family deal with yet another winter storm in New England, it feels a bit mean to be posting photos of butterflies. Yet below all that snow and frozen leaf litter, Mourning Cloak pupae lie waiting to emerge once Spring arrives. Here, they came to check out the Texas oranges the first day I put them out (in Arizona.)

One of the rather common butterflies, not by appearance but by number, that I see in the Southwest in the winter is the Pipevine Swallowtail. This male was pretty spiffy in the afternoon sunlight. We should see them in New England this summer.

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Arizona Birds

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Richard

Arizona has some great birds, and even the common ones often look sharp in the desert light. Here are a few shots I’ve taken that were neat encounters.

The first bird I saw at Gilbert Ray County Park, outside Tuscon, was the Phainopela – for me a life bird. They are desert flycatchers and with their flashes of white on their wings, are fun to watch. They also are pretty songsters.

The first morning at Patagonia Lake, I saw these two Cinnamon Teal cruising along not far from shore. They are a handsome couple.

This Red-shafted Northern Flicker was one of many I have seen. Also saw their cousin, the Gilded Flicker.

Northern Cardinals are vivid out here – as they are in the New England snow. It is a lot easier photographing without frozen fingers.

We leave on a long drive for California on Sunday and I’m doing a little studying to get ready. Looking forward to some new birds but much more psyched to be seeing kids and grandkids.

Posted in Arizona Birding, Arizona Birds, Southwest trip 4 | 1 Comment