Lost in the Dark But I'll Never Be Alone

                                                                      Hermit Warbler

I know. It's been a hot minute.  Instead of me controlling life, I've let life control me and it has been restful.  Much of my energy was placed into work this year as I took a step back from the birding community.  

For the first time in years, I stepped away from travel.  I'm not going to lie, it was hard but I needed to focus on several things....finances, home, work, relationship and health.  Everything was out of whack.  And as I got into this way of thinking more, I realized I wasn't stressing out as much about planning for trips.  Instead, it was just really great being home and loving the Old Pueblo.  

I wouldn't say I had a health scare, but it was a major concern for me. I have corrected the problem and am changing the course of my life in every way possible.  It feels so good. And I feel young again. 

My bird focus this year has been on research around the Nogales, Mexico area. Most birders could care less about crossing the border and finding some amazing birds. Or they are too afraid. I understand their fears. There is some historical data around the area, and we are constantly investigating new and old places but it is riddled with cartel activities. It's safe during the day when the public is active. I have created several new hotspots for the birding community on ebird.  And it's here that I feel like I'm contributing to the ebird data.  Everything in Arizona is mapped to death and is rather dull when it comes to making any new discoveries. But Sonora is an open book!

One of the new locations that we have discovered is La Pirinola, or the Spinning Top.  It's a safe birdy hotspot right outside of Nogales for bird exploration. We had fun foraging through the oak scrub and finding some nice birds. 

Meanwhile on the home front, I've been working with bird art and painting.  I've done some updating inside my place and I feel like I've been making progress towards that end result.  My first major trek will begin in October this year.  

Since my last post, I helped my friends out with their birdathon. They put a lot of planning into this event and raise thousands of dollars for the Tucson Bird Alliance, formally Tucson Audubon. I took a much needed week off from work and let my brain relax and help them find birds.  

I've been with the Wrenegades for years now. It runs smoothly thanks to Tim's research and organizational skills. This year I realized for the first time that we work like a well oiled machine from all the time we've spent together. We are definitely a team with a healthy competitive side! 

Back at my work site, I kept my eyes on the Great Horned Owls nesting. They were a little late this year with their brood but all the owls fledged and are hopefully living a great life on our campus.

It never gets old.  The birds of southeastern Arizona are always a thrill. 

                                                                        Scaled Quail

Grassland birds are my specialty and any chance to visit one of our several grassland areas is a treat. 

                                                                           Lark Sparrow

Lark Sparrows and Yellow-breasted Chats are always a welcome sight. When you see a chat, you know that spring migration is on the move. 

                                                                       Yellow-breasted Chat

Thrashers are always a thrill.  In the grasslands, you always have to pay careful attention to your thrashers.  A rare Bendire's Thrasher could be in the mix!

                                                                        Bendire's Thrasher

Western warbler migration was great this year!  During the last 2 weeks of April, warblers were dripping from the trees. 

A new strategy of mine these days is keep it local and in one spot. Birders move around all over the place, but I have found that if you sit in one spot where the birds are active near water, you'll get some great views of many species. 

                                                                  Northern House Wren

Some of the birds even move right by your feet!

                                                                              Wilson's Warbler

I feel like I finally get birding.  After you've found every species in the state, what more is there?  A WHOLE LOT!  How many times have I seen Killdeer? Hundreds if not thousands of times.  But on this day, I watched an adult Killdeer with her babies doing her plover protection using the wing to cover the little ones. 

We watched in awe at the little fledglings as they explored the world around them. The older gentleman said to me, "You don't see that everyday."  No.

My human side wanted to protect them.  They were so innocent and vulnerable.  We all kept our distance and observed the 3 young ones explore their new world along the path. 

The detailed birding observations are very important to me and I am excited that ebird has now expanded their database to include so much more than adding bird data.  You can include experiences, other species, and "the vibe". It's more like an active journal!  It's makes documenting species and birder experiences a lot more fun. 

With summer break here, I'm ready to just chill and be home.  I'm calling this summer my "staycation". And it feels great!  Until next time.....

                                                         Wilson's Snipe