It's impossible to put into words how horrible it is with what's going on in our world. We all know it, we are all affected by it. I'm scared for people, and I can't stand the numbers that I'm reading about that are in front of me. I hate the thought of people dying in circumstances that they are dying in, and for their family members who were never ready to say goodbye or couldn't even say goodbye. It is hard for me to fathom what is going on in ways. So far I have remained healthy, and even though I work in an atmosphere where I work among people who are ill, I still haven't witnessed a death at my workplace, have had a friend get sick, or have been near people dying like they are in such high numbers elsewhere. While higher numbers are expected to come to Arizona in coming weeks than have been recorded, I am nervous of what the outcome will be. Worldwide, I also like to be aware of what's going on, and I've looked at information daily to see what's going on in the world, and it terrifies me for people. I keep wishing that this sickness would go away much sooner rather than later to minimize how many people get sick from it. And then the numbers of those who have gotten sick are heartbreaking and even if the virus disappeared right now, it wouldn't bring any sort of healing for the high number of lives that have already been lost and for the millions of people who have already lost loved ones. I am playing my part in social distancing and trying my best to minimize the chance of spreading Covid-19 to myself and others. In midst of everything that is going on, nature is a strong go to for serenity for people. Despite everything that is going on, nature never stops soaring and being an escape for those who need it.
I've always been thankful to have birding as my favorite hobby. It has been my first choice for most of my activities on days off for the longest time. But lately, it's been obvious how much I and so many others need something like birding. Right now in Arizona, our governor has issued stay-at-home orders in place with the exception of people so far being allowed to do activities that are essential while practicing social distancing. Essential activities are ones that fall under the mental health category, which includes things like exercise, hiking, and outdoor related activities that don't involve the participation of big groups of people getting together. Thankfully, birding is an activity that would be classified as essential. For birders to be aware of proper social distancing measurements they've kept the wingspan of the Turkey Vulture in mind, which adds up to six feet. The six foot distance is what has been addressed to keep in between people everywhere. When I've been out birding lately among other birders, everyone has been awesome to each other and mindful of what has been going on.
Before Covid-19 spread to the United States, I was extremely busy to start off 2020. Within the first few weeks of the year I moved to a different side of town, and it is in a much better area than I had lived previously. I went from Glendale to Peoria. The difference is huge, and now I live in a peaceful spot. In my previous apartment, I lived underneath a loud family who had three toddlers who might as well have been fifty toddlers. It sounded like the wildebeest stampede from The Lion King from 6 A.M. to roughly 9 P.M. daily. In my current apartment to follow, I think I have heard my neighbors above me about four times. During one of the times I thought I heard them, I wasn't sure if they were the ones who made the noise or not. Maybe it was me, but these neighbors are classified as saints. At my new place, I am right in the neighborhood with two awesome birding hotspots which are Rio Vista Park and Skunk Creek Trailhead. It's cool to walk across the street and have a good birding location to visit whenever I please. Last year, Troy Corman found a rare Magnolia Warbler at Skunk Creek. Knowing that it would be an awesome part of my new patch that was approaching, I made sure to see that Magnolia Warbler. In the past, I made it to Skunk Creek at random times, and I did get lucky to see Varied Thrush, Purple Finch, and Northern Waterthrush among the visits.
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| Magnolia Warbler, Skunk Creek, December 2019 |
After moving into the new place, the concentrated birding of the new patch was put on hold for awhile. I started to think of what my main goals would be for 2020, and birding goals were quick to go alongside those goals. My main goal came into play when I realized all of the overtime opportunities that I had the chance to grab at work. While I wanted to raise extra money from working overtime to attend a few events and birding on the east coast in August, that goal opened my eyes further to keep working overtime to start saving for other birding trips. My department at work really needed the help, and it worked great on both sides. I've become passionate about hitting places in the United States that I haven't been to yet, and I've become even more passionate to start looking into going on international birding trips. The only way to do that would be to start saving money and to find ways to earn extra money. When I glance at my bookshelf, I see I have plenty of material to start looking over and reading in regards to the many trips that I have goals to go on, both in and out of the United States. Books come in very handy right now too when staying at home!
I even opened up my guiding business again. Right now it's on hold and won't resume till Covid ends. It's a challenge to get business due to putting my main job first, but I did get one full day tour in. And luckily, Le Conte's Thrashers were awesome and allowed me to quickly point them out.
A few more birds who were awesome on my tour were:
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| Sagebrush Sparrow |
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| Ruddy Ground-Dove |
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| Bushtit |
On the other hand, I've realized I won't be able to do Gila County and other Arizona counties as much with these money saving goals in place and that they would have to be cut down a bit. With my new neighborhood in place, epic birding locations that are close by, and Gila County twice a month rather than eight times a month, it still sounds like a great time.
When Covid-19 came into full effect across the United States in the early part of March, it consumed our lives and still has it's hold on us to date. It took a lot of getting used to at first, and everyday was tiring. When I would get off of work, the best thing for me to do was to start birding Rio Vista Park and Skunk Creek on most days of the week. It's cool to have breeding birds like Costa's Hummingbird, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, and Great Horned Owl all in the neighborhood.
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| Costa's can look plain one second |
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| And not so plain the next.. |
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| Black-tailed Gnatcatcher |
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| Great Horned Owl family |
I haven't found anything crazy yet, but a solid diversity of birds are present whenever I choose to go birding in my neighborhood patch.
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| This awesome dark morph Red-tailed Hawk was present for some time |
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| Sharp-shinned Hawk |
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| Cooper's Hawk |
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| Black-chinned Hummingbird eyeing an intruder |
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| Black-chinned Hummingbird stand off with intruder (look on bottom right, I think it was an Anna's Hummingbird) |
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| Townsend's Warbler at Rio Vista Park in an awesome willow grove |
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| Townsend's Warbler hanging in the willows |
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| young Cooper's Hawk |
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| Great Egret |
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| Green Heron |
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| Orange-crowned Warbler |
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| Anna's Hummingbird |
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| Snowy Egret with a Green Heron photobomb |
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| At Rio Vista Park, New River parallels the park. This is a small temporary pond in a side channel of New River, and at times I'd find herons and once a Belted Kingfisher |
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| Cinnamon Teal |
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| Ring-necked Duck pair |
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| The willow grove |
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| Great Blue Heron |
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| Cinnamon Teal |
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| Abert's Towhee |
After wearing a mask for all of my shifts at work lately, I've headed to my patch on lots of days where fresh air was more than welcome and birding took my mind off of things!
In Maricopa County, birders have been scattered across the county and have been finding good birds in locations that are open for hiking as long as social distancing is being practiced. One great thing about birding is that even though developed recreation sites in locations such as the National Forests are closed, there are still many other locations that can be birded. Birders have gone out and have found good things, and it gives other birders the chance to see their discoveries. The chain effect contributes to what makes this hobby fun, and in this case, mentally healthy. Caleb started a trend at the Base and Meridian Wildlife Area when he found a few rare birds that included several American Bitterns. Many birders chased the Bittern, and many have been able to see one or more of Caleb's birds. It also brought many people into birding the Base and Meridian Wildlife Area extensively. I went in search of the Bittern, and luckily, the elusive bird showed itself for me. It was only the second time I've gotten to see this heron in Maricopa County. Besides the American Bittern, the Base and Meridian Wildlife Area had other highlights too, including a singing Swamp Sparrow (that Caleb also found). Caleb also hawkwatched at Monument Hill that looks over the area. He found many raptors, and a few of them included Northern Goshawk and Common Black-Hawk.
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| American Bittern, finally my second one in Maricopa County (my first was in 2010). A good eye by Caleb to find this Bittern and all the other ones he found. |
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| Least Bittern near the American Bittern, Mary and Susan were with me for this one |
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| the two cormorants |
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| Black Vulture |
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| Greater Roadrunner |
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| Common Gallinule |
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| I didn't see many hawks up on Monument Hill like Caleb did, but I did spy Susan and Mary! |
My first visit to Hidden Lake came during an evening when Caleb, Jared, and I successfully searched for a Glossy Ibis in midst of a flock that contained several thousand White-faced Ibis. The ibis was distant for photographs, but it was only the second time I have seen that species in Maricopa County. Huge flocks of Yellow-headed Blackbirds were epic in the evening lighting conditions.
Glendale Recharge Ponds is also a great place that is close to home and it is another location where birders can see an awesome variety of birds. It's another place where rarities are found often, and when a rarity or two is found, they'll draw birders in for the enjoyment. Jeff found a breeding-plumaged Dunlin at the ponds, and Dara found a Black-bellied Plover at the ponds, and the two shorebirds were fun to seek out. Many birders looked for them, myself included. At times they were challenging to find. I joined Ronnie, Ryan, Stephanie, Sam, and Steve for a few searches in which both of these birds were seen. On one of the outings, a Franklin's Gull also added a lot to the fun.
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| Dunlin in breeding plumage. It's pretty freaking rare to see this species in nearly full breeding plumage in Arizona. Fun to enjoy it. A good eye by Jeff. |
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| Black-bellied Plover |
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| The plover was in the middle of Basin 3, which was dry. A good eye by Dara. Sometimes it was really hard to find. Makes you wonder how many pluvialis plovers go undetected! |
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| Bald Eagle perched on the "no fishing" sign! |
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| Dunlin in midst of Long-billed Dowitchers |
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| Franklin's Gull in fresh breeding plumage, what a great bird |
Most of the time I like to bird solo. One day I decided to take a big day trip and go explore a Gila County area I had yet to explore, which was the route of El Oso Road that takes one to the trailheads and saddle that gives access to Four Peaks. This area was accessed from the west side of Highway 188 a few miles north of Roosevelt Lake. It took me for about ten miles from Upper Sonoran desert to pine and oak forest near Four Peaks. The scenery was awesome, and I enjoyed species such as Black-chinned Sparrow, Zone-tailed Hawk, and Northern Pygmy-Owl. It was a remote area, and there was a ton of exploring to do. On the way back I made a few stops to bird Roosevelt Lake from Highway 188, as any developed recreation sites are closed due to Covid-19. A Bald Eagle nest in the vicinity is very impressive.
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| Black-throated Sparrow |
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| Black-chinned Sparrows were singing everywhere on my way up El Oso Road, one of my favorite sparrows |
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| Looking down on Roosevelt Lake |
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| Zone-tailed Hawk gathering nesting material |
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| Tarantula |
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| A long hike down into this valley took me into Big Pine Spring. See the stand of pine trees down there, that's Big Pine Spring. It was awesome! |
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| Northern Pygmy-Owl, I love finding these guys |
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| An impressive Bald Eagle nest |
Outside of these mentioned locations, I've also explored Morgan City Wash three times in this duration, as well as a visit to the Hassayampa River with Caleb. Here are some pictures from those explorations.
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| Northern Cardinal |
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| Cactus Wren |
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| Cassin's Vireo |
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| Common Yellowthroat |
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| Standing still looking at birds and waiting for a few minutes can often result in encountering more wildlife. That was the case with this deer buck. |
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| Anna on her nest |
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| My third rattlesnake at Morgan City Wash in the last 3 visits. The first two were a few feet apart from each other, and both of them scared the freaking crap out of me. |
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| Red-shouldered Hawk at Hassayampa River |
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| Phainopepla |
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| Bell's Vireos are singing everywhere at these locations |
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| Lucy's Warbler's are present in very high numbers too. Perhaps this is one of the better shots I have gotten of the species. |
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| Cooper's Hawk |
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| Peregrine Falcon |
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| Ladder-backed Woodpecker |
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| MacGillivray's Warbler |
If it weren't for birding, I think I'd go crazy during all of this! I hope that all of you stay healthy and safe during this time.
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