A Morning of Mixed Fortunes

We decided that we weren't up for rushing round chasing birds, we just wanted a quiet, peaceful morning in the park. Kathie knew just the spot - Javalina Picnic Area in Saguaro NP East. I managed to tear my husband away from his computer to go for a hike too so, although I'm not into 'stones at birds', we were definitely 'killing two' in this case :) I waved off my intrepid hiker on his trek and then we settled ourselves in the shade with our tea, bins, cameras, bird books and breakfast.

 
The birds were actually remarkably quiet early on so we sat chatting and watching the antics of a very sweet Antelope Squirrel who was definitely used to getting snacks from people at these tables.

Soon our peace was shattered by my phone, it was my husband calling to see if we could see him up on the ridge. What is it about guys? They need to be seen conquering things? Bless them! Anyway we trained our binoculars along the ridge and finally spotted a tiny figuring toiling away up high. Having satisfied him that we could see him, we turned back to our birds.

First on parade were the comical Gambell's Quail, chattering and fussing away as they pottered down the trail. Unusually they flew up into a small tree and began pecking. We couldn't quite tell if they were eating the leaf buds or little bugs on the leaves but whatever it was they were certainly enjoying it.

They were followed by a very handsome male Cardinal who posed obligingly for us before flying off.

Our little Antelope Squirrel soon came back and we eventually folded and gave her a cashew nut, which seemed to meet with her approval. Look at that beautiful lichen on the rock that she chose as her dining table.

A little black butterfly came in to land and I managed to get a photo of it which is a surprise in itself, usually I get a blurry blob! When I looked closer at the picture I noticed that it wasn't just a black butterfly, it had a yellow head! I found out later by pouring over my books that it is a Golden-headed Scallopwing.

The birds were not being very active but it was a lovely morning to just be outside and enjoy our surroundings.

After another half an hour or so we decided to walk a nearby loop, it was only a mile long and Kathie knew there was a spot where Great-horned Owls were known to nest. How cool would that be if we could spot them?

 

We set out down the trail and were soon spotting birds like this Black-throated Sparrow

And a beautiful pair of Kestrels perched up high atop of Saguaros on either side of the trail

Many of the plants were blooming too which just added to the beautiful morning

Unfortunately at this point things went a little awry when Kathie trod on a stone which moved under her foot and sent her crashing to the ground. I turned round just as she cried out and landed at my feet. I have to say, if this had been me I would have been bawling my eyes out at this point but Kathie was more concerned about her camera - seriously! I suggested we went back to the car but Kathie wasn't about to give up on the day. We sat quietly for a while whilst I tried to patch up her leg and hand that were very badly gashed up. The little band aids really weren't man enough for the job but I did my best. She was soon up and on the go again, ever watchful for more birds. I suspect that adrenaline was keeping her going as this fall would later lay her low for several days. 

We finished the loop, adding several more species to our list, including the nesting Great-horned Owls and then Kathie dropped me back at the picnic area before heading home to clean up her wounds. By now it had started to warm up a little and my little furry friend was stretched out in the shade keeping cool.

As soon as Kathie left, a species that we had been expecting to see put in an appearance. A pair of Canyon Towhee scratching around in the dirt. But they didn't stay long and I barely got one photo off.

Soon a Thrasher appeared to check up on me. I felt as though I should stand to attention and salute or something under that ferocious glare!

Someone else also wanted to see what I was doing and she was prepared to get really 'up close and personal' to check me out.

I don't think I have ever had such a close encounter with a female Cardinal. She seemed just as intrigued by me as I was by her. It was a very magical moment.

Determined not to be outdone, the Antelope Ground Squirrel continued her impossibly cute antics. I was beginning to feel as if I was in the midst of a Disney movie!

 
But all good things must come to an end and soon enough 'the rambling man' appeared hot and thirsty and very happy after a good hike. It was time to bid all the animals goodbye and head back home.

 

We had a lovely morning, apart from Kathie's nasty fall and for those of you who don't follow her blogs (and you really should) she is being very sensible, taking things slowly and making a good recovery. You can't keep a good birder down for long!!

A Most Excellent Adventure

Long before we bought our house in Arizona I would regularly read a blog called Sycamore Canyon written by a lady called Kathie. She lived in Tucson and wrote beautifully of the plethora of flora and fauna she encountered on a daily basis. On a later visit to Tucson I was fortunate enough to spend a lovely morning birding with Kathie and a wonderful friendship began.
Move the clock forward a couple of years, we bought our house in Tucson but, sadly Kathie no longer lived there. Her husbands work had taken them out to the east coast. We kept in touch and she started a new blog called Kathie's Birds Imagine my delight when she contacted me this summer to tell me they were moving back to Tucson. My BBFF (Best Birding Friend Forever) was back!
Of course it didn't take us long to arrange our first day out. Unfortunately it was during the weeks when the Lesser Long-nosed Bats were draining all my hummingbird feeders every night so although I was up before sunrise, by the time I had refilled all the feeders and got myself ready I was already running late. Kathie is very patient, thankfully and she was graciously waiting for me with her car all ready packed for our day out. Our first stop was just for fun, at Amato to see this wonderful bar,restaurant - only in America!

On the opposite side of the road was the Cow Palace, an old hang-out of John Wayne's apparently. Having done our tourist stop we moved on to a water treatment park to check for birds.

It was remarkably quiet with just a few Grackles enjoying the early morning sun. There was a wonderful peacefulness to the morning and we were relaxed as we quietly walked around checking the bushes and grassland around us. We could hear a few birds calling but nothing much was showing itself so we moved on.
We made a quick bathroom break at Tubac and grabbed ourselves a cup of Earl Grey and a slice of apple Strudel. While we were drinking our tea we noticed this tiny little hummingbird nest attached to a string of lights on the terrace we were sitting on.

We headed towards Rio Rico making another stop at a riverside park where we spotted this beautiful little female Vermilion Flycatcher.

A little further down the road we stopped at a little pond and we were watching various swallows, hawking insects over the water and a Great Blue Heron stalking the shallows. Suddenly Kathie got very excited by a family of ducks that she had caught a glimpse of at the far end of the pond. They disappeared quickly from sight but she was pretty sure that they were Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. We waited quietly in the shade and eventually they reappeared and we were able to get a better look. She was right, the two parents had a large clutch of little striped ducklings safely bunched between them. I tried to get a shot but it was so far away that I didn't really get anything worthwhile. But just to prove their existence we took some photos anyway.

Now the day was starting to warm up and that wonderful midday desert stillness was settling around us. We pulled over a little further down the road to look at a Turkey Vulture that was resting, with wings spread, on the top of a telegraph pole. There were also numerous kingbirds on the wires, always on the lookout for any insects. Kathie walked down to get a clearer shot of the vulture

 While I tried, and failed to photograph a variety of butterflies that had gathered on a cow pat.
UPDATE: My friendly, neighbourhood 'Bug man' has ID'd these for me. On the left is a Checkered Skipper and on the right is a Ceraunus Blue.

Kathie was kind enough to take me up to the piece of land that she and here husband own up in the hills. What a majestic spot with breathtaking views for miles and miles. So peaceful and dramatic, I could totally see why she loved it so much. The area was devoid of bird life in the heat of the day but the wildflowers more than made up for it.

By this time we had worked up an appetite so we drove back down into Rio Rico to a little pizza joint that Kathie knew of. It was an ideal spot to cool down, rehydrate and enjoy an excellent Gorgonzola and pear pizza - YUMMY!!! After lunch we got on the road again and headed for Madera Canyon. This is a beautiful area and as we slowly wound our way up through ever change habitats and vegetation we could feel the cooler air moving around us as we gained elevation. We stopped at the top car park where I was distracted by this very dramatic black caterpillar.

We walked up a trail, listening for birds as we went but it was surprisingly quiet. We caught a glimpse of a couple of Mexican Jays flitting through the trees but other than that we were more captivated by the various butterfly species fluttering around us.

UPDATE: This butterfly is a Bordered Patch - Thanks Doug! :)

UPDATE: The butterfly above is a California Sister - again, thanks Doug :) 
As we came back down to the car park there was a Rock Squirrel taking a siesta on the picnic table. Everything was quiet and peaceful around us.

We started to drive back down the canyon. There were several beautiful little bed and breakfast places nestled in amongst the trees, each one of them had numerous bird feeders strung outside so it was obvious what type of clientele they were catering to. One particular place caught our eye because of the flock of Wild Turkeys strolling around!

This place was extremely organised with rows of feeders filled with a variety of foods guaranteed to appeal to pretty much every avian palette. There were also numerous chairs set up for birders to get comfortable while watching the constant parade of bird life. We chatted with the owners briefly but soon became distracted by the array of species flying around us. We had only planned to stop briefly but we were soon completely hooked. Of course the goofy Acorn Woodpeckers were a constant source of entertainment
 

But it was the mass of hummingbird species that really got our heads spinning. Was it five species or six, it got so confusing with them all buzzing around but we were reasonably sure we saw Broad-billed, Broad-tailed, Rufous, Costa's, Anna's, Magnificent and possibly Blue-throated Hummingbirds.

I completely failed to get any decent photos but it was still a magical spot. And then of course there were the Bridled Titmice, The Painted Redstarts, The Hepatic Tanagers talk about sensory overload!! Our heads were spinning as we tried to keep track of everything. The only one that stayed still long enough for me to get a photo was this obliging Mexican Jay.
 

In amongst all the birds I also managed to get totally distracted by this stunning Apache Click Beetle that was scuttling around.

 
After over an hour and a half we finally managed to drag ourselves away and continue on down the canyon.The sun was getting low as we made our last stop at the Proctor Trailhead.

 We decided to walk down towards the creek so we were walking quietly down the trail keeping our eyes and ears open for birds. Kathie was a little way ahead of me when my eye caught a dark shape moving in the vegetation. I stopped and looked carefully. That shape could only be one thing. I caught Kathie's attention with the loudest whisper I could manage! I gesticulated wildly to her to come and stand near me and as she drew next to me a black bear stepped onto the trail no more than ten feet in front of us!!! When I posted this on Facebook everyone was asking where the photos were. I have to be honest I was far more busy thinking about how I might have to react than I was thinking about taking photos. Luckily the bear could see we had not blocked its way and it loped off up the trail leaving Kathie and I standing, rooted to the spot with our mouths agape and our eyes wide! When we had recovered our composure we decided as the light was fading we should probably head back towards the car and not push our luck.

We sat and watched as the sun settled beyond the horizon and the sky lit up with a beautiful kaleidoscope of colours and recounted our amazing day. We then made our way home stopping numerous times to check out several hawks on telegraph poles until it became completely dark and we had to admit that our wonderful day was over. Birds, beetles and bears - it doesn't get any better!

UPDATE - Kathie has now written her accounts of our great day out. Please read her wonderful versions here, here and here.

Fun in the Field

So it seems my resolution of trying to post every week has degenerated to the point where I post once a month! Oh well, it is better than nothing I suppose.
We have been trying for several weeks to schedule our annual department field/collecting trip but it seemed every time we set a date the weather thwarted us. Firstly there were monsoon level thunderstorms, then there was excessive heat which our team member who harks from Alaska couldn't quite face, then there were various vacations to work round but finally, rather like the proverbial herding of cats we managed to all get together on the same day.



The primary objective of the day was to collect some more native fish species to replenish our tanks, on display in the 'Riverworks' exhibit. This is most successfully done using a seine net to scoop the fish gently out without injuring them and then selecting the species we need from the net before releasing the rest.


Another activity that I always encourage is the gathering of crayfish. There is a very aggressive invasive species throughout Illinois called the Rusty Crayfish which is out-competing many native species. We scoop up as many of these as we can because we have lots of aquatic turtles in our collections who like nothing more than hunting and eating crayfish! Boy did they get a big treat - a whole bucketload!



I have been particularly lucky to have some really fantastic interns this year so it's always a great pleasure to be able to give them the treat of a day out in the field. And as you can see they were extremely enthusiastic about joining in with whatever was going on.


Here is Alex proving that chest waders are optional!


And also proving that 'girls rock!!' Because Amy didn't feel the need for them either :)


So who the ones wearing the waders? Our two male interns!!! YOU GO GIRLS!!
It wasn't all water though. We did get the chance to see some beautiful butterflies mud-puddling along the shores of the river.


These are Giant Swallowtails Papilio cresphontes
and this is a Red-spotted Purple Limenitis arthemis astyanax


A little less flamboyant but no less beautiful is this Hackberry Emperor Asterocampa celtis. Drove me crazy trying to get it to stay still enough for a photo though.


And of course, the damselflies were not to be ignored either.


Another highlight of the day? I finally got to 'christen' my new wellies on their first ever field trip :)


What a great day. We all came home hot, sweaty, muddy, tired and happy. What more could we ask for?


Photo Credits - CJT