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Author Archives: Josh
From the Vault: Lifering in the Dakotas
It’s been awhile since I’ve touched this blog. It’s been even longer since I took the trip I’m detailing in this post. It seems there was always an excuse for putting it off: chasing kids around with their busy schedules or chasing birds near and far. Well, here we are together, enduring this pandemic, with nothing but time on our hands and with no place to go. So maybe we can escape the news, however briefly, and go back to the summer of 2018 to relive a little roadtrip the kids and I took.
In July 2018, Melissa left the state for a convention with some girlfriends. Not wanting to be stuck at home that whole time, the kids and I struck out on our own adventure–a loop tour through South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota. Of course it was fueled by my desire to get some new birds (and show the kids some new states and fun scenery, I guess).
With camper in tow, the kids and I set out early one morning to get to the Black Hills by late afternoon. Heading west on I-90 through South Dakota was pretty uneventful save for hundreds of Corvettes that passed us. They were literally everywhere, even at the obligatory stop of Wall Drug. What in the world was going on?
Once we got to our destination of Spearfish, South Dakota, we figured it out. These geri drivers were at some annual Corvette rally which was being hosted by the very town where we were camping. While they were there to ogle each other’s cars, we were there to take in the natural beauty of the area. After dropping the camper off at the Spearfish City Campground, the kids and I drove the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway, a winding road that followed the mountain stream called Spearfish Creek up through the breathtaking, steep-sloped canyon.
Truly this canyon was magnificent. Mount Rushmore is great, but Spearfish Canyon is a must-do if visiting the Black Hills. Unlike dozens more Corvettes on the Scenic Byway, I wasn’t just cruising looking at scenery–I was on a mission to find a bird that calls the fast, cold Spearfish Creek home: the American Dipper. The Black Hills are the closest place to Minnesota to find this bird that is a denizen of mountain streams. Range maps show the Black Hills as a habitat island for this bird, completely separate from the rest of its range. Seeing this shallow stream in the mountainous terrain made it clear why this place was acceptable to the Dipper.
The kids and I made periodic stops along the Byway to check locations from eBird that had fresh Dipper sightings. We were striking out, including at Iron Creek which was a feeder stream to Spearfish Creek and held the most promise based on eBird reports. But it was Evan who came to the rescue. He asked me what these birds looked like and said he had just seen a small gray bird fly under the overpass where Iron Creek went underneath the highway. So we kept looking and eventually we spotted it. What a small, fantastic bird it was! There really is no other bird like an American Dipper.
Even the kids enjoyed watching the Dipper do Dipper things, like flying all around and… dipping.
The Dipper was the main birding goal for South Dakota. With it securely locked down, the kids and I retired for the night at the Spearfish City Campground. This campground is the kids’ favorite camping location ever because Spearfish Creek runs right through it, a great place to cool off during the day or play in the night.
The kids enjoyed the campground so much that we decided to spend a second night there instead of our original plan of camping in Montana. Our second day of the trip was not about the birds as we went to see famous landmark in next-door Wyoming: Devils Tower. This was a lifer experience for all of us and something I had wanted to see for some time.
On the way back to Spearfish I decided to take the scenic route on the forest service roads through the Wyoming Black Hills. Little did I know that I wouldn’t have cell reception and that my paper placemat map of the area was woefully insufficient. As one winding road fed into another, we couldn’t tell when we would emerge from the wilderness. The kids grew more and more nervous. They claimed I was lost. Psshht. But to alleviate their worries, I flagged down a kind Wyoming resident who was recreating in the forest, and he kindly let us follow him out to a main highway and made sure we had enough gas. The kids were relieved. To this day we still argue about whether I was lost or not.
On the third day of our trip we traveled from Spearfish up into Montana. Our time in Montana was just a few hours which was just enough to stop and smell the sagebrush of southeastern Montana, a smell I will never grow tired of.
After our quick foray into Montana, we were headed to our camping destination of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota. When we got to the park, we were devastated to learn the campground was all filled up. So we camped at a Motel 6 in Dickinson.
The next morning we went back west about 20 miles to a certain country road I had been studying on eBird just north of Belfield (31st Street). I knew this road held two potential lifers and a host of other fun birds, but I wasn’t expecting such remote grassland beauty. It was one of the coolest places I had ever birded.
The two grassland species I was after were Baird’s Sparrow and Sprague’s Pipit–two extremely rare birds in Minnesota. Here in North Dakota, they are annual and occur in good numbers in some areas.
Because I had been studying the vocalizations of both birds, it didn’t take me long to pick out my Baird’s Sparrow lifer and get some good looks at it. I remember at the beginning stages of my birding thinking how boring and drab this sparrow looked, yet I found myself absolutely captivated by it here in North Dakota. Perhaps it was its beautiful song, the incredible setting, the rarity of it, or all of the above, but this was a lifer I enjoyed immensely.
The Sprague’s Pipits had been reported in decent numbers too, and I was able to detect them by their spiraling series of whistles given from very high in the sky. It took a long time, but I was finally able to pick one out against the overcast sky–a mere speck that resembled a bird.
These birds seemingly stay aloft forever. It was remarkable how they would seem to just float in the strong winds without needing to come back to Earth. I never could spot one come down. I was hoping to view and photograph one on the ground. During all this time, their beautiful song became ingrained in my memory. In fact, long after this I heard that song repeatedly on the Canadian TV show Heartland that Marin had gotten hooked on.
This red dirt road was a treasure chest of good birds besides these two key lifers. Other highlights included seeing a couple of Burrowing Owls, a fly-by Prairie Falcon, a Golden Eagle, Western Kingbirds, Lark Buntings, and a juvenile Swainson’s Hawk. 31st Street north of Belfield was just one of those magical places to bird.
As we made our way east across North Dakota on our way back home, we stopped in the central part of the state to look for a Clark’s Grebe lifer. Despite finding many Western Grebes, we couldn’t come up with a Clark’s. All is well since I later got that one in San Francisco this past summer. One of my favorite memories from poking around looking for the Grebe was coming across a dozen Cattle Egrets mixed in with some cattle. It’s funny how birds like that can be so rare in Minnesota yet so easily found in North Dakota.
This was a fun little trip that produced some great memories for me and the kids and gave me three key lifers. I’m not sure why it took me so long to write about it. There are more untold stories of life birds still in the vault. As we go along in through this uncharted period of history, I may have to bring one out every so often.
The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same
No matter how many times I bird northern Minnesota, I don’t think I will ever tire of its landscape or its avian inhabitants. It is home. And it is a place birders from all over the country and even the world want to go, often repeatedly. For me, it holds the same allure as a place like southeastern Arizona. Despite how many times you may see the resident species, they never fail to bring the wow factor, even after years of birding bring about new birding destinations and additions to the life list.
Our annual tradition is to go home to the Iron Range the day after Christmas to visit Melissa’s family. The timing of our visit allows me to participate in the Cook area Christmas Bird Count. This is the CBC I look forward to the most. Even though species counts are usually low, it’s the quality that trumps the quantity.
Local birder Julie Grahn always keeps me apprised of good sightings when we go back home. This time was no different as she had not one, but three Northern Hawk Owls hanging out in the Cook area. I was ecstatic. Despite all the owls I have seen over the years, I have never observed any of the northern owls anywhere close to home. And I have always wanted to. So the day before the CBC, I went about searching to finally enjoy one of these awesome owls in an area I enjoy the most. Hawk Owls are usually not hard to spot, but I was only able to find one of Julie’s owls. It was good enough. Actually, it was perfect.
Hanging out with a Hawk Owl by yourself is more enjoyable than being part of the owl paparazzi at the Sax-Zim Bog. This particular owl was first sitting on top of a power pole with his back toward me. Of course owls move their heads in all directions, but I was absolutely shocked when it took off flying in the direction it had its back to and nabbed a vole nearly a quarter mile away. The owl then came back and worked on enjoying his meal in the privacy of various spruce trees.
For the CBC the next day, I recruited Evan to help me record bird tallies and spot birds. Evan has not been into birds for a very long time. That’s dad’s thing. I’ve been cool with that. This recruitment was not about me trying to turn him into a birder again; it was about spending time together and also doing something Evan enjoys immensely–grouse hunting. He agreed to do the CBC because there might be a chance to get a Ruffed Grouse as I regularly see them whenever I bird the Northland. Evan was excited. I was excited. After all, I’ve seen some pretty darn good incidental birds while taking him out hunting this fall. In October there was an incredible encounter with a juvenile Northern Goshawk while we were grouse hunting on his Great Grandma’s property:
This Goshawk was seen multiple times because it was carefully guarding and working on a Snowshoe Hare meal along a trail that we walked several times in search of Grouse. 
And about a month ago, I took Evan pheasant hunting on a WMA near Willmar and came face-to-face with a Long-eared Owl while trying to push pheasants out of a small spruce grove.
In these instances, birding was secondary and turned out to be phenomenal. Now on the CBC, the hunting was secondary. Would the birding be just as good?
Things started off fairly mundane on our CBC route: the usual American Crows and ubiquitous Common Ravens. Of course, for me, any bird is exciting on a CBC. Each bird counts and gives you something to tally as an observer. The hope for a good species count or unusual count numbers (high or low) or a rare species keeps the interest high at all times. But for Evan, who was hoping for a Ruffed Grouse to shoot, it was starting off kind of boring, though he dutifully tallied whatever I dictated to him. Things picked up a bit when I spied a Black-billed Magpie, a very good bird for the count. Evan seemed interested that we had found a “good” bird. And then I spotted a Red Fox bedded down in a field. Evan enjoyed checking him out with my binoculars.
Shortly after this, we were approaching a Northern Hawk Owl territory, and I was on high alert scanning everywhere. This would be a key bird for the count, and I really wanted to get it bad. This resulted in me spotting a bird high in a birch tree that I first thought was our target. But it wasn’t. I was just as thrilled, though, because it was a Ruffed
Grouse–I knew Evan would be pumped. Sure enough, new life came to the almost teenager as he frantically transitioned from his pencil and clipboard to getting his gun ready. Despite Evan’s best attempt at being stealthy like the fox, the grouse flew away unscathed without a shot fired. A letdown for sure, but now Evan at least knew his dad wasn’t crazy when he said there would probably be a chance to shoot at a grouse.
We set about working our route, and at one point, we were near one of my favorite black spruce bogs to bird. Some of this bog is in the circle and some is out of it. Just for fun I decided to check one of my hotpsots for rare woodpeckers just a couple hundred yards outside of the circle. I played a Black-backed Woodpecker recording and instantly heard one vocalize just off the road. I went into the bog after it and saw that gorgeous jet black back of a female Black-backed Woodpecker.
As I watched her, I was surprised when a male Black-backed scooted down the tree, interacted with her, and buzzed off. Where had he come from? The male wasn’t as photogenic but still gave some great looks.
Evan had declined my offer to join me in the swamp to see these rare woodpeckers even though I knew he hadn’t seen them before. He opted to stay in the car; non-Grouse birds were still not exciting to him. He should have joined me because there was so much woodpecker activity (these two plus a Hairy), that I was stomping around in the bog for quite some time investigating every bit of tapping. And then, I heard yet another woodpecker drumming in a cadence that was perfect for a woodpecker even more rare than the Black-backed. It was an American Three-toed Woodpecker! I played a recording, and it instantly flew in, allowing me to visually confirm what I had heard. This species is rare enough in Minnesota that it is flagged in eBird and requires documentation. Thankfully I was able to get a few identifiable photos.
Once again I asked Evan if he now wanted to check out two rare woodpecker species, but he declined. He’s never seen either. There was so much activity that it was hard to keep straight, and our quick stop to check for woodpeckers was now going on a half hour. Even still, Evan preferred the car over the excitement around us. This particular spot has often held these two elusive boreal woodpecker species. In fact, two years ago almost to the day, I had the same encounter in this same spot: two Black-backeds and a single Three-toed.
As exciting as the Woodpeckers were, I had a bored kid in the car and an unfinished CBC route. So we got back to it. The way the CBC circle falls, we only had to go a half mile before we were back in the circle again but still in the same spruce bog. This bog has held Boreal Chickadees in the past, so I decided to stop and try the secret weapon: playing the recording of chickadees mobbing a singing Eastern Screech-Owl. It never fails to attract a swarm of angry Black-capped Chickadees, looking to bring war to a fake owl. Often times this tremendous commotion can bring in other onlooker birds, ready to join the angry mob with their pitchforks. Sometimes this even attracts rare birds. And this time it did. Two of the chickadees sounded different than the others and proved to be the much rarer Boreal Chickadee. This was a solid find for the count.
I asked Evan if he wanted to get a good look at the coolest chickadee species there is, but he again declined. I was pumped regardless. It’s always fun to see these birds, even more so when they count for a CBC. A bonus was that as I was observing them, another Black-backed Woodpecker flew into the bog nearby and vocalized! Another great count bird!
We got back to doing our route. Evan was hoping for grouse redemption; I was hoping for something, anything, that would be interesting. My hope came true first. Going down a road, we saw a half dozen Ravens scatter from the road. They must have been on a kill. Evan said, “Looks like six ravens and one magpie.”
“There was no magpie there,” I responded.
“Well, look in that tree right there by the road. There’s something special in it.” So I looked with the binos and caught sight of a Black-billed Magpie flying out of that tree! The kid was right, and I had missed it. I think he felt a surge of pride and was starting to get into this count thing.
A few miles later as we drove down a different road with the windows cracked, I heard some chickadees. So I decided to play the mobbing recording again. It paid off with a pile of Black-capped Chickadees, a few Red-breasted Nuthatches, and two more Boreal Chickadees!
Evan still didn’t share my same level of enthusiasm, but we both shared enthusiasm for the CBC potluck right after finishing our route. The potluck is just as exciting for the nourishment as it is for catching up with other birders and comparing notes on how everybody did. Additionally, it was a reunion of sorts for me as I was among a group of over a dozen people that included several parents of kids I graduated with over 20 years ago. So after food was in our bellies and sufficient small talk was made with people from a past life, it was time to go through everybody’s results. Julie Grahn, who is the compiler for the count, did this by calling out a species and then have everyone go around the table giving their numbers for that species. Evan surprised me when he whispered, “Dad, I want to be the one to say the numbers.” Maybe he was finding some interest in this CBC thing after all, even if he didn’t get a grouse from it. Not surprisingly, Evan and I were the only ones to produce Boreal Chickadees. Surprisingly, our Black-backed Woodpecker was one of four that day. Evan and I also produced half of the total Magpies as well as the only Northern Shrike.
After we bid goodbye to our CBC friends until next year, I decided to run Evan out to the two Hawk Owl spots. Even before we reached the first territory, he was questioning why we were doing this when we’ve seen Hawk Owls before. I tried to explain that they are just that cool and are always worth seeing, especially when they are close. I don’t think he was buying it, though. The first Hawk Owl was right where it was supposed to be. Evan, who had never used binoculars in his early birding days, picked up my pair and looked at the owl. Evan had never seen an owl through quality optics before, and clearly he was impressed. “Whoa! He’s creepy. He has yellow eyes! He’s staring at me!” I chuckled as the little birdwatching kid from the past was back, for however a brief a moment.
We moved on the second Northern Hawk Owl which set up territory right at the edge of the count circle. When we got there, it was on a high pole just outside the circle. This time I set up my scope and zoomed all the way in on this owl for Evan to get a really good look. “Wow! It’s like he’s looking into my soul!”
As we watched, the owl did us a huge favor and flew down into the count circle! We thought we saw it go to the ground and guessed that it had gotten a vole. Sure enough, he popped up and landed in the trees right near us with a vole in its talons.
Evan and I were in the car by this point, and the owl kept flying all around us, landing at various perches, and working on downing his meal. “This is incredible. This is absolutely amazing. This is the coolest thing I have ever seen!” Evan was in genuine awe. I hadn’t seen him that excited since we saw the Boreal Owl two years ago. I got just as much a kick out of watching Evan’s reaction as I did watching the Hawk Owl. I think Evan was starting to understand that Hawk Owls are never ever not cool. What other owl not only doesn’t care about you but also gives you the death stare from 20 feet above your car?
After we texted Julie to let her know that two Hawk Owls were securely in the circle for count day, we headed back toward Grandma and Grandpa’s. I was sure to take a route that would run us through some habitat where I have had good luck seeing Ruffed Grouse over the years at this late hour in the day. When there is so much snow on the ground, the grouse will eat the catkins of birch trees near dusk. As we drove along, we were able to spot two grouse doing just that, and Evan was able to harvest them. And to cap an already great day, I heard and saw our 5th Boreal Chickadee of the day.
The next day we were supposed to head back to Willmar, but a huge snowstorm had covered almost the entire state. Traveling would have been treacherous, so we extended our stay one day. The snow was so bad, that when I attempted to go out birding in the middle of the day, I had to turn back because of unplowed roads. The 15-minute foray was not unproductive as it produced three Black-billed Magpies doing their best Bigfoot impressions.
The weather calmed down enough later in the afternoon, and the plows had cleared the roads. So I made another attempt at birding. I really wanted to spend some time in the solitude of the spruce bog, tracking down woodpeckers again. Well, it was a complete 180 from yesterday–absolutely nothing was around. So I began to drive home but always with a watchful and hopeful eye for anything cool. I have longed to see Great Gray Owls on this particular road and have been trying for about 6 years now. I did not see any of the Great Grays, but three moving clumps in the top of a birch tree got the birding juices flowing again. Ruffed Grouse! I looked at the clock and realized that I probably had enough time to go pick up Evan and bring him back to this spot. With an hour until sunset, I figured those birds would be there for a good long while. So I phoned ahead to the house so he would be ready for me to pick him up and make a quick return. Then I marked the tree on Google Maps so I could get right to it again. Within 20 minutes, I had gotten Evan and we were back at the spot except…the grouse were gone. We were both wondering if I was off a bit in my marking, so we continued to scan treetops. Finally I decided to turn around and go looking in the other direction. To turn around, I had to perform a 3-point turn on the narrow gravel road, a move I have perfected over all these years of birding. As I had the car crossways on the gravel road, Evan shouts out, “Dad! An owl!” My mind was reeling. Was it the Great Gray I had been after for so long? Where was it?? I couldn’t find what Evan was seeing. “Dad, it’s right there!” Finally, I caught sight of the owl just 20 feet away perched 6 feet high. It was a beautiful Barred Owl. And it didn’t care that through serendipity we had invaded the exact spot it was hunting.
It was truly magical in this winter wonderland. Had we not turned around in that exact spot and had Evan not had watchful eyes, we easily would have missed this owl. Can you see why?
The owl allowed us to complete our 3-point turn and gawk some more. Evan effused more words of awe at this majestic creature that just stared back at us. The little boy who used to get excited about birds was back. It was an incredible moment to share together. We both seemed to have forgotten about grouse completely. It was just a spectacular display of nature–vibrant life that had materialized out of the deep, dark bog.
We finally peeled ourselves away from the Barred Owl. Like the owl, we had hunting to do. In that respect we were quite successful. We ended up seeing a total of six more Ruffed Grouse, and Evan was able to take two. As we drove and scanned for grouse, I was struck by how things had come full circle. Almost 30 years ago, I was the one sitting in the passenger seat hoping there would be a grouse to shoot, while being driven around by my dad who didn’t really care if he shot a grouse or not. And in that same vein, maybe someday Evan will return to a greater interest in watching the birds more than hunting. Regardless, we made some great memories together in the northwoods.
6 Lifers in Minnesota from the School Year
The school year is its own animal that seems to envelope our whole family with busyness and, at times, chaos. Nevertheless, the birds don’t care, and last school year they REALLY didn’t care. Prior to last school year, I had started restricting my long-distance chases to just life birds, exceptions being made for state birds that are super convenient. Even under these strict, self-imposed protocols, I found myself on the road a lot last year to go after genuine life birds that showed up in Minnesota. So here’s a quick recap of those birds.
Roseate Spoonbill–August 26, 2018
Late last summer, Spoonbills started popping up all across the upper Midwest. Minnesota birders were on high alert for a first state record at any moment. The honor of that find goes to Kevin and Cindy Smith who first discovered the bird on the Washington County side of the Mississippi River the morning of the 26th. Unfortunately for other birders, it only stayed about 20 minutes before it flew across the river into Dakota County, giving Kevin and City Roseate Spoonbill in two Minnesota Counties while every other birder in the state was still at zero Spoonbills. There was a collective sigh in the Minnesota birding world as it was not refound. At least, not until the afternoon when Jim Pifher refound the (supposedly same) bird at the Old Cedar Avenue Bridge on the Minnesota River in Bloomington. Immediately, Minnesota birders from near and far descended on this location for the historic sighting. Life birds, and megas especially, always seem to come at bad times for me. We had dinner plans with my parents in Hutchinson that night to drop our kids with them since teacher workshops started bright and early the next morning. The upside was that Hutch was halfway to Bloomington. Considering everybody’s reports of the Spoonbill seeming content where it was refound, I reasoned we could still do dinner and get the Spoonbill. That said, and with apologies to my mother, it was really a dine and dash situation. Melissa opted to go with me on this “date.”
Thankfully the Spoonbill was still there being enjoyed by a never-ending flow of birders who braved road construction and a very long hike down to the viewing platform. It is crazy to me that I got this lifer in Minnesota of all places.
Despite everyone thinking the Spoonbill would stick, it left not long after Melissa and I saw it that evening, never to be seen again. Unfortunately, many Minnesota birders did not see it.
Tufted Duck–December 26, 2018
Speaking of state first records, 2018 began with one when a Tufted Duck showed up near Red Wing in January. Brad Nelson and I chased that bird but were not successful. When a state first record disappears, there is little optimism that there will be another chance. Except this time, there was! The only problem was that Kim Eckert’s second state record discovery in Duluth occurred just a couple weeks before Christmas. How in the world do you break free at that time of year? The short answer for me is that I couldn’t. Thankfully the bird hung on, and I was able to nab it en route to visiting Melissa’s family up north. Getting a lifer this good, this conveniently, and this quickly felt like cheating. It wasn’t the striking male that was found in Red Wing, but you can’t really complain when you get a do-over like this.
Duluth, the city that just keeps on giving….
A funny note is that a third state record Tufted Duck, a male, showed up this past spring just an hour from my house. However, I had no camera at the time and was stuck at work anyway.
King Eider–January 5, 2019
We had barely been back home from being up north when another incredible duck was found in Duluth, creating an intense urge to return. Duluth power-birding couple, the Kraemers, discovered a juvenile male King Eider off Lake Superior’s Brighton Beach. King Eider is casual in Minnesota, so this was indeed a rare event. The last one I recall occurred back in 2013 when I was just getting into birding. So Steve Gardner, Scott Gardner, Joel Schmidt, and I carpooled for the up-and-down chase to Duluth. When we arrived we didn’t find it, so we headed back to Duluth to look for the Tufted Duck which was still around. Joel had dipped on this bird on a previous chase while the rest of us had seen it. Thankfully it was cooperative for Joel this time. For the rest of us, it was a pretty sweet year bird for the fresh new year. During this side trip of ours, Doug Kieser had refound the King Eider and gave directions on where to spot the very distant duck. So during our second time at Brighton, we were able to get diagnostic scope views but no photos. Even still, it was a key lifer that pretty much has given me the rare duck-sweep for MN with the exception of Garganey.
Brambling–January 31, 2019
Minnesota experienced one of the coldest winters I can recall, but the birding scene just kept getting hotter when Beau Shroyer announced that he had a Brambling visiting his feeders in rural Becker County. This was about a 3-hour drive for me one way, but it may as well have been across the country because Minnesota was going through the infamous Polar Vortex at the time. With windchills in the -50s, most schools were cancelled for multiple days due to cold. Sure, I had three unplanned days off which would be perfect for a chase, except for, you know, temps that could literally kill you if your car broke down (which is more likely in extreme cold). So I fretted for days, monitoring Beau’s daily updates as well as updates from birders that were braver than me. I distracted myself by working on other life list activities.
And perfecting them.
Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore, the cabin fever had set in. On my third day off from work, I made a run for it with local birding friend Jeff Weitzel. Thankfully we had a safe trip, even if it was just a little chilly while we waited for the bird.
Finally, we saw it. I couldn’t believe we were looking at a Brambling. This is honestly a bird I never thought I’d add to my life list. A Hoary Redpoll was a nice little bonus, along with the more common, but uncommon to me, Purple Finches.
Beau was perhaps the most gracious stakeout host I’ve met. He generously shared this bird with other birders for days even though it meant his family had near constant vehicles right outside their living room. But with a yard scene this cool, it’s too good to keep to oneself.
Yellow Rail–May 30,2019
The lowest hanging fruit on my life list in Minnesota is the Yellow Rail which breeds in the state. The most reliable place to tic this bird is the McGregor Marsh which is 3 hours away and in the middle of nowhere. Furthermore, this bird usually vocalizes very late at night (like close to midnight), which makes an up-and-down trip or an en route trip pretty much impossible for me. I knew it would have to be a dedicated trip someday with a hotel stay. Doing a night mission like this by myself far from home is less than ideal. It’s definitely a buddy situation. Problem is that most of my birder buddies already had this bird and wouldn’t be interested in this kind of field trip. But then inspiration hit when I asked Ben Douglas if he had the bird. Ben is doing an epic big year trying to get 10,000 county tics in 2019. Certainly an Aitkin County Yellow Rail would work for 0.01% of his goal. Plus, it turns out that Ben also needed the Yellow Rail as a lifer. So plans were made. We would tackle the McGregor Marsh on busy Hwy. 65 in the dark together and then grab a hotel in town. Ben and I picked the right year to do this. Birders who had been to McGregor Marsh earlier in the spring to look for Yellow Rails had reported incredible numbers–well over 20 birds sounding off. And they were found at several locations. Ben and I were definitely getting excited for our rendezvous with this lifer we have both put off.
On my last teacher day of the year, I drove up to Mora after work to meet Ben. After a nice chat and a little lunch, we killed daylight by bumming around Kanabec County boosting our respective Kanabec lists by a few dozen tics before finally heading north to the McGregor Marsh. I can’t imagine the work and mental strain Ben’s goal would take. Ben has to squeeze out county tics any way he can. For him, the grind never stops. While I followed his car and we were stopped on Hwy. 65 for some road construction, I was enjoying the AC and radio with the windows up when I get a text from Ben in front of me: an Aitkin County Pine Warbler and Golden-winged Warbler were having a duet right by the car. Ben had his windows down and his radio off–100% committed to his goal. I was impressed.
We got to the marsh with a little more than an hour of daylight left. We poked around on the Soo Line trail, a wide gravel railroad bed, that borders the south end of the marsh. Ben has superhuman hearing and was calling out birds far away. His ability to detect Ruffed Grouse drumming is uncanny, a gift really, and one I hope he will someday use in Kandiyohi County. At 7:45, well before dark, it was Ben who excitedly called out the tick-tick-ticking of our Yellow Rail lifer. Within minutes we had several calling around us. We tried for visuals for awhile before going to another nearby location. Once again, we heard the ticking of the Yellow Rails, but we just could not get a visual. Ben may have seen one briefly but did not get a solid look. It was okay, though, as this is what is to be expected with this species. Talking it over, we realized we got we came for and each had time to get home before midnight. No hotel was necessary for this trip. After saying our goodbyes and congratulating each other, we split ways. It was a good box to check on our life lists, made even more fun by sharing it with someone else. And for those of you that are curious, at the writing of this post Ben is at 86% of his goal with half the year left.
Prairie Warbler–June 3, 2019
I have wanted to see a Prairie Warbler for a very long time. Warblers are what got me into birding, and I have seen an awful lot of them since those first days. Because my travels haven’t yet brought me to the southeastern U.S., I still had not tallied this striking bird. It is casual in Minnesota, which means it shows maybe once every five years or so. There hasn’t really been a chaseable one since I’ve been a birder. Steve Gardner and I talked of heading to the very southeastern corner of Iowa this summer where they are known to show up annually. Before we could make plans for that 7.5 hour drive, though, Dedrick Benz made a sweet discovery. Dedrick found a Prairie Warbler on territory in the very southeastern corner of Minnesota in Houston County. The prospect of cutting off 3 hours of drive time and getting this life bird in Minnesota were very enticing. Even though this bird was singing on territory, I was anxious to get down there before my trip to California a week later. Steve decided to join me and took a day of vacation for this Monday jaunt.
Finding the Warbler was not hard.
Birds that are long-hoped for seem more enjoyable than the random surprise birds. This one was a treat for the eyes and ears.
This bird was definitely the prize, but we also enjoyed numerous Henslow’s Sparrows and a Black-billed Cuckoo in the same area. We also made a stop a mile away for a White-eyed Vireo, also a casual species, found by Josh Watson in true Patagonia Picnic Table fashion. We got terrible looks at this bird before it disappeared. So it still remains as one of those birds I would like to see well since my other observation was a similar experience several years ago at Flandreau State Park in New Ulm. For Steve it was a state bird. Speaking of which, this trip to the southeastern part of the state allowed us to look for some overdue life birds for Steve. In Houston County we followed up on a report of an Acadian Flycatcher which we found no problem for Steve’s life list. A Cerulean Warbler singing nearby was a nice bonus.
On the way home we stopped at Whitewater State Park and found Steve his lifer Louisiana Waterthrush thanks to some tips from John Hockema and some guiding from Malcolm Gold six years ago.
It was an incredible year for life birds right here in the home state. With my life list past the 500 mark, getting a life bird here is becoming more rare each year. Hopefully I can pull out another one or two in the coming school year.
Birding California: Lifers by Land
For the first half of our SF stay we were a mere three blocks from the Fisherman’s Wharf area and all that the waterfront has to offer. Adjacent to San Francisco Aquatic Park and along the waterfront is Fort Mason, a former U.S. Army post that has now been incorporated into the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Consequently it provides a substantial green space in San Francisco, making it an ideal place for birds and birders to frequent. Because it was so close to our hotel, I was able to make several visits in an effort to pick up a few lifers. Fort Mason gave me my first of many “California”-named lifers, the California Towhee. The California Towhee was a pretty common bird on the trip with a distinctive song that made it easy to pick out.
One bird I was particularly looking forward to seeing on this California trip was the Chestnut-backed Chickadee. Maybe this bird’s raggedy appearance can be attributed to the excessive heat (near 100!) or San Francisco’s homeless epidemic, but this lifer at Fort Mason left me wanting more. Thankfully I would have better encounters with both the Chickadee and the Towhee later in the trip.
Fort Mason gave me the snub on a couple lifers I was searching for–Allen’s Hummingbird and Nuttall’s Woodpecker. However, I did see some Red-masked Parakeets, a bird that is not officially ABA-countable but one that is certainly thriving all over San Francisco. I wouldn’t be surprised if, like Phoenix’s Rosy-faced Lovebird, it will someday be countable. They seemed to be doing okay in my opinion, even making brand new Red-masked Parakeets in Lafayette Park. Obviously this bird gets its name from its facial pattern and not any propensity for embarrassment as these birds had zero shame about what they were doing in public.
My Allen’s Hummingbird lifer did fall eventually but is merely a foot note. I saw several Hummingbirds throughout the trip, but most were either Anna’s or just left unidentified. I did finally see one with a fair amount of rufous on its flanks at Suttro Heights Park. It certainly wasn’t the brilliant male I was hoping for. But that’s how it goes on trips like this–you get a lot of lifers and not all are great looks.
The last half of our stay was spent at a hotel near the San Francisco airport. This served as base camp for venturing further into California. After all, I couldn’t go to central California and not try for the endangered California Condor. So one day of our trip was dedicated to driving 2 hours down to Pinnacles National Park, one of the most reliable locations for seeing this bird. Pinnacles also held a lot of other potential lifers. One of those, which ended up being quite common, was seen as we got close to Pinnacles.
The California Scrub-Jay had eluded me in San Francisco city parks, so it was good to finally nail this one down. The California Scrub-Jay and Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay were recently split from what was the Western Scrub-Jay. A trip to Colorado a few years back had already given me the Woodhouse’s, so it was fun to complete the “Western” duo and get another “California” bird as well.
Once we arrived at the Pinnacles visitor center from the east entrance, I had other “California” birds on the brain–the Thrasher, the Quail, and of course, the endangered Condor. I talked to the ranger about where to look for the Condor and the Quail. She told me to hike the Bear Gulch loop trail and look for the Condors at the High Peaks, or Pinnacles. The ranger warned me it would be hot up there and about two-mile hike. I knew my non-birding family would not be game for this, especially because of the heat. We had recently endured record-setting temps in San Francisco, which was supposed to be a nice, cool vacation. For the California Quail, the ranger told me to hike the gravel road by the visitor center that follows a small riparian corridor to a historic homestead area with old buildings. I walked along looking for the Quail and a handful of other potential lifers but was striking out on everything. But then as I was at the homestead, a very large, dark raptor materialized in the sky soaring LOW on the other side of this valley. Could it be? Oh yes! The California Condor!
This bird was quite distant from me, but with an 8-foot wingspan, it still looked huge. The bird perched on a hillside on the opposite side of the valley, very near the campground. Even though I couldn’t see fine detail, this behemoth stood out like a sore thumb.
I had dipped on this bird at the Grand Canyon two years ago. All is well, because actually getting this lifer in California seemed more fitting. I would have liked better looks, but I wasn’t complaining. On the contrary, I was relieved that I didn’t have to do the longer, hotter hike with the family to get this bird.
On the way back to the car at the visitor center, a different raptor wasn’t nearly as distant or shy as the Condor. This Red-shouldered Hawk couldn’t care less about me as I walked underneath it, shooting both sides.
The Condor and Hawk were pretty fun, but there were no other lifers on this walk. I was still looking for Wrentit, California Thrasher, California Quail, and Yellow-billed Magpie. Once I met up with the family, we did drive the park road as far as we could go. No one was up for hiking in the heat, so the birding would have to be done by car. I did spy a couple birds that looked interesting. I was surprised to see they were Oak Titmice! This lifer was not even on my radar for some reason.
On the way out of the park, I wanted to make one more pass down that gravel road by the visitor center to look for the California Quail. Even though this bird looks extremely similar to the very common Gambel’s Quail I see in Arizona, this was still one of the species I was wanting to see the most on this trip. Unfortunately I was looking at a bad time of day for birds–close to noon. But as I walked along, I heard a cooing sound that I knew had to be the Quail. Somehow I got lucky and managed to spot it as it was hunkered down in a dense tree by the small stream of this riparian corridor.
With a little patience (and some cooing of my own), it eventually made its way to a more open perch where I was able to get soul-satisfying looks at this awesome Quail.
Satisfied, it was time to leave Pinnacles NP even though there were still some lifers left on the table. One of those was the Yellow-billed Magpie, but I knew to be watching for them on Highway 25 as we headed north back to San Francisco. They had been reported all along this road. Sure enough, as we passed by a farm I spotted two Magpies on a fence. I was thrilled. But with no shoulder and a car right behind me, I had to keep going down the road until I could get turned around. I finally got back to the spot about 5 minutes later, but there was no sign of the Magpies. Because they do not overlap with Black-billed Magpies in this area, they were certainly Yellow-billed. Unfortunately I never did get to see those yellow bills. It kind of took some of the air out of this being my 500th life bird. Sightings like this are one of the reasons I don’t get too hung up on what my actual 500th, 400th, etc birds are. Other reasons include heard-only observations of some species and splits/lumps of others. With that said, it was still nice to finally reach this milestone and surpass it on this trip.
Once back in San Francisco, the birding would have to be more surgical. Before the family was up and about that next morning, I sneaked over to Sea Cloud Park in Burlingame which was about 15 minutes away from our hotel. I was targeting a family of White-tailed Kites that had been reported. The park was pretty much a large collection of athletic fields that butted up to a large marsh on one side and some mudflats on the other. As I worked the edges, I eventually spotted the Kite family a long way off. On my hike to get better looks at this new lifer, I couldn’t pass up the best photo-op I’ll get of a Black-crowned Night-Heron.
When I first spotted the White-tailed Kites, I had seen two adults, but when I arrived at the tree they were hanging out in, I found one adult and two juveniles. They didn’t move at all, and the juveniles were constantly begging for food with an annoying screaming sound. The worn-out parent just closed its eyes and hunkered down as if it was thinking Please just stop, somebody please just make it stop.
Eventually my White-tailed Kite lifer opened its eyes and looked my way.
At Sea Cloud park I was able to see some other fun birds including Hooded Orioles, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, a Bewick’s Wren, and a bevy of big shorebirds: Willets, Marbled Godwits, Black-necked Stilts, and American Avocets. I was also able to improve on my California Towhee photos.
After I got back to the hotel to join the family, the plan was to drive north across the Golden Gate Bridge and head into the Marin Headlands of Marin County. This was a must stop for us as our daughter’s name is Marin, though it’s pronounced differently (the county’s name is accented on the last syllable while our daughter’s is accented on the first). We stopped at the Headlands visitor center hoping to get some cool souvenirs with Marin’s name all over them. My souvenir was to get a Marin County eBird checklist. I didn’t care what birds were on it. So right away I started documenting birds in the parking lot. Almost right away I heard a vocalization I had studied just the night before, the Wrentit! It was pretty cool to get a bona fide life bird in Marin County. I’m actually glad I missed on it at Pinnacles NP the day before. This particular bird didn’t show itself which is pretty typical of the species, but later on I found another Wrentit at the Headlands that was super cooperative for a photo.
Later on that day we drove south down the Coastal Highway as mentioned in my previous post. We made a stop for me in Half Moon Bay to look for my last possible “California” bird of the trip, the California Thrasher. This bird was right where people had pinned it and was not tough to find at all. Getting a new Thrasher is always fun. I just have one left now, and it’s in Texas. I also have one last “California” bird to get now, the California Gnatcatcher.
When you’re in a state like California and there are still lifers to be had, the efforts to lifer often go right up to the last minute. When we got back from this day of road-tripping, I had a little over an hour before I had to get the rental car returned. So I hit up Coyote Point Recreation Area which was a mile from our hotel. I was trying again for the Nuttall’s Woodpecker. While I did strike out on that again, I ended up seeing a couple Least Terns and this super mellow Chestnut-backed Chickadee that foraged for insects in the tree right in front of me. It game me the redemptive and satisfying looks I was hoping for. This one should have been called a Chestnut-backed Nuthatch or Chestnut-backed Creeper for how it behaved.
And with that, I had to close out my California birding for this time. I got a great taste of California and picked up most of the endemics and other range-limited birds. I am definitely looking forward to going back someday.
Birding California: Lifers by Sea
Most birders in this country dream of eventually hitting the Big 4: Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California. Each of these states offers its own unique collection of birds in addition to just a general abundance of birds. A birder can skip visiting many states but must hit these at some point if they want to fill out their collection of North American birds. I have tapped Arizona repeatedly over the years but still hadn’t made it to the other three since I’ve become a birder. Needless to say, I was getting antsy to get another “mega” birding state under my belt. This summer it finally happened as we took a family vacation to San Francisco. Even though it wasn’t an exclusive birding trip, I knew my life list would be given a nice boost. I was excited. Heck, I couldn’t even wait to see a Western Gull–the first official lifer and arguably most abundant bird of the trip. Western Gulls were a constant presence around San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf.
As a newbie Cali birder, I eagerly scanned the Bay when we first arrived at the waterfront, looking for absolutely anything new and different. Though not a new bird, I was pleasantly surprised to see a Red-throated Loon loafing about San Francisco Aquatic Park.
I was equally surprised to pick up this long overdue Clark’s Grebe lifer.
The next day of our trip was Alcatraz day–a bucket-list item for Melissa. I was excited to experience the Rock myself, but the ferry ride over to the island would be my first “pelagic” of sorts so my mind was more on the potential lifers. Taking Steve Gardner’s advice, I was sure to grab a spot at the front of the boat to be in position to see anything that might be moving out of the way of the boat. We had barely left the dock when the strategy already paid off with some handsome Pigeon Guillemot lifers. This was an expected species that was still exciting to see nonetheless.
I wondered what other goodies we might encounter in the Bay on the 1.5 mile boat trip to Alcatraz.
The Rock looms large, though, and commands your attention itself regardless of what birds may be on or near it.
As we waited to disembark, Pigeon Guillemots served as a bookend bird for our short boat ride, giving better looks this time at least.
In addition to its fame as a federal prison and an Army post, Alcatraz is an important bird area, as there are huge colonies of nesting birds there. Western Gulls are one of the main breeders on the island. Their nests were absolutely everywhere on the island. Mommas and their chicks were a common sight on the steep hillsides as we hiked the switchback road up to the famed cell house for an audio tour (I highly recommend this tour BTW).
We stopped in an air-conditioned Civil War era building to get some relief from the heat and the climb and to learn something about the island from an informative Discovery Channel video shown on several large screens in the catacombs of this building. One thing mentioned in the video was how Alcatraz is an important bird area, and the video hilariously portrays a ranger eagerly looking over a rail to show some excited tourists a Canada Goose on the steep slope below. Life imitates art as they say, and as we continued our hike up to the top after the movie, Evan looked over a rail and said, “Hey, look! A goose!” We all had a good laugh since he truly did spot a Canada Goose. And since it was my California CANG, I was mildly excited.
Inherently, Alcatraz is a place of regrets, and I had my own after we toured the cell house. Since I was busy growing my fledgling California bird list, I was trying to identify everything. I took a photo of this blackbird and just wrote it off as a probable Red-winged Blackbird. It didn’t even dawn on me to consider the California endemic Tricolored Blackbird and try to see the wings. What an idiot.
On Alcatraz, Freedom and Tricolored Blackbirds are tantalizingly close but a world a way.
One lifer that was not unexpected at all on Alcatraz was the Brandt’s Cormorant. They are not too tough to find as they nest on the Rock by the hundreds.
A Pelagic Cormorant or two had been reported among the Brandt’s, but trying to find one was a needle-in-the-haystack exercise, something that was tough to do in the company of non-birders.
Later on in our San Francisco trip, we found ourselves at Ocean Beach. The Pacific Ocean was new to the kids and me on this trip, so it felt good to get beyond the Bay and experience it properly.
Melissa and the kids ventured down to the beach while I hung out by the famed Cliff House, looking for a pair of reported Black Oystercatchers to no avail. Eventually I joined the family at the beach and looked for seashells with the kids and a Common Murre lifer for myself. I was not successful with the latter. After spending sufficient time at the beach, we stopped for lunch at the Lands End Lookout visitor center. The Oystercatchers were bugging me. I knew this was probably my only chance on the trip for this species. I had to take one more stab at it. While the fam poked around the gift shop, I descened the stairs down to the Suttro Baths to see if I could find these odd, conspicuous birds. Going down to the Baths did allow me to see my lifer Heerman’s Gulls up close.
It’s such a good-looking Gull, both the deep sooty-colored juvenile and the adult with that white head and red bill.
This isn’t the greatest photo, but it captures the awesome color-scheme of this bird.
As nice as the Heerman’s Gulls were, I really wanted to find the Oystercatchers. I gave up trying to pick out a Pelagic Cormorant on these rocks that were covered in Brandt’s Cormorants and Brown Pelicans.
As I hiked down toward the ruins of the Suttro Baths, I paused to scan the rock in the foreground of the photo above. Finally, I picked out the large black birds I was looking for–they were in the deep shadow of the large cleft on the right side of that rock. Their orange bills stood out like beacons from the dark recesses of the shadow.
It wasn’t until a few days after our time at Ocean Beach that we made it back to the Pacific Ocean proper. On our last day of vacation we drove down the Coastal Highway with no real destination. I did want to stop at a spot near Half Moon Bay to look for an inland bird that I’ll write about in the next post. Little did I know that I would nab two pelagic lifers as a bonus when we stopped at Dunes Beach State Park and enjoyed the ocean one last time.
While the kids studied a log rolling in the surf, I studied beach chickens. It was good practice to work on going through the key field marks of this immature California Gull, as seeing one in Minnesota is a rare but real possibility. It was also good to see another “California”-named species in California. There will be more “California” birds in the next post.
I also scanned the surf as the bird life was super abundant at sea. There, just beyond where the edge of the breaking waves, were several Common Murres, another lifer.
I certainly wished I had my scope along to better enjoy these birds and look for other interesting pelagic species. I did note that the Cormorants I was seeing looked a little different…
With the steep forehead and thin bill, this one looked good for a Pelagic Cormorant. I would have liked a cleaner look, but I’ll take the lifer.
The ocean and its birds are fascinating. Seeing the endless amount of bird life, the vast majority of which went unidentified due to distance, gave me my first appetite for a pelagic birding trip. Someday. For now there is still much work to do on land. In the next post I’ll highlight my inland lifers on our California trip. It will feature a big moment and a big bird.
Local Longings FINALLY Fulfilled
Local birding seems to be what’s in vogue these days. From patch birding to the increasingly popular 5-mile radius birding, birders are discovering the joy of finding new birds for a small geographical (and carbon) footprint. While I haven’t been sucked into either of those (yet), many of you know that I have been an avid lister for the 864 square miles of Kandiyohi County. As has been highlighted here, there have been many victories in this regard, and the list has grown substantially. Even still, some birds have proven to be annoyingly elusive. Annoying because these birds are regular species that pass through the county (and my hands) every year. One of these has actually eluded everyone and not just me. There has been no Kandiyohi County record of Nelson’s Sparrow despite the fact that these birds breed to our north and despite the fact that we have abundant stopover habitat for migration. Nelson’s Sparrows are recorded on the regular during September migration in all kinds of southern Minnesota counties and in Iowa counties as well. It didn’t make sense that we didn’t have one yet. But in visiting with other local birders, no one had really ever looked for them during the prime migration window.
In September of 2017 I started looking in appropriate habitat of wet cattail marshes that butted up to grasslands. There is no shortage of such habitat around here. The migration window is fairly short, about 2-3 weeks, and in that time I wasn’t able to find one in 2017. So this past fall in September, I began looking once again. One Friday after work, I decided to try the best Sparrow spot in the county–Kandi WMA. I saw lots of Sparrows as I expected, and when I got to one wet spot, which NESP are particularly fond of, I played the NESP song and a bird teed up. With the naked eye it looked right–I could see orange on the face, but I had to eliminate the more common LeConte’s Sparrow migrant. I hurriedly snapped some pics of the skulker. All the field marks were there: orange face, sharp bill, median gray crown stripe, and that beautiful clean gray nape.
These were the only photos I was able to get which were enough to sufficiently document this first county record. Thankfully the bird hung on for a few days for lots of people to enjoy and add to their county list, including longtime Kandiyohi listers/leaders Randy Frederickson and Ron Erpelding. It felt good to finally add this bird to the county’s rich birding history. Everyone agreed it was a long overdue addition.
Not all birds that I need for my Kandi list are needed by the whole crew. In fact, I am alone in my quest for some of them. One such bird is the Ruffed Grouse, a bird once fairly common in the northern part of the county two decades ago. Today, though, it is akin to Bigfoot. But that adds to the intrigue of tracking one down. One day in early December, Randy accompanied me on a fool’s errand of trying to find one. And we saw as many Grouse as expected, but we did not expect to bump into a Short-eared Owl, a hero bird for the outing even if it wasn’t a new county tic. The experience was made even sweeter by how incredibly cooperative it was.
Randy’s been on a hot streak this last year finding several good birds–even when he’s not birding. At the end of December when he was at Ridgewater Community College releasing a rabbit he trapped, he saw a Robin flock eating crabapples and noticed–without binos–one that didn’t quite match the others. This Varied Thrush wasn’t a new bird for either Randy or me (my third county record), but it is always fun to see.
Maybe it was his hot streak or maybe he just wanted me to be out there helping him find new county records, but a week ago Randy started pushing me to get out looking for my nemesis county bird. He knew I needed to clear this distraction from my birding brain and was therefore keeping an eye on the calendar all while I was getting swallowed up in work and life. The Northern Saw-whet Owl is very common but incredibly hard to find. Seeing a Kandi Saw-whet was my number one most wanted Owl after having recently completed the set of 19 American Owls. I have been searching for one in the county for a very long time. Several times Steve Gardner and I have found evidence of Saw-whet roost sites but never the Owls themselves. Despite the fact that they migrate through every spring and fall and sometimes winter here, we have never been able to find one. It was aggravating.
At Randy’s urging, we went out owling after dark one night recently. I was not optimistic because of all the previous attempts and the fact that fall banding reports indicated it was a down year for Saw-whets. I figured we’d put in yet another attempt to say we tried, and it would be a boring night just like all the other Saw-whet attempts. I could not have been more wrong. Randy decided we should try a forested road in the northern part of the county. This road is famous. To us birders, it is a dynamite spot for forest birds in the spring and summer months. To other locals (and even people nationally), this road is known as one to completely avoid or daringly go down, depending on your view of things that are allegedly haunted. We birders often go to sketchy and/or disgusting places, so this was no big deal to us. Apparently it wasn’t to some others as well. Randy and I were puzzled at another slow-moving car, spotlights shining out the windows, that crept down the road behind us. Turns out they were four adult ghost hunters from a couple hours away trying to find a different quarry than we were.
Our first listening stop went as I expected. Nothing. I figured a few more times of this: getting out of the vehicle, listening/freezing, getting back in, and repeating and we would call it a night. Well, at the second stop, Randy immediately heard something and asked if that was a Saw-whet or a Canada Goose in the distance. We held our breath and strained to listen, and sure enough, in the distance we heard the faint but rhythmic and recognizable toot-toot-toot-toot-toot… We had done it! The Saw-whet Owl was finally on the list! After some celebratory fist bumps and attempts to call it closer to the road, we owled on. And at every stop, we kept hearing the flute-like tooting of more Saw-whets! It was absolutely insane. The sound of them seemed like it was coming from everywhere, a perplexing phenomenon in itself, but even more so considering we heard multiple predator Owls (Barred and Great Horned) at every stop as well. Randy and I were in awe. Not only was it a long-hoped for bird for me, but it was just a stunning display of nature and yet another reminder of how you can still find surprises right in your backyard.
At one of our stops we found a very cooperative Saw-whet Owl that allowed us some good looks. This was also a major goal of mine. I didn’t just want to tic Saw-whet for the county; I wanted to see it in the county.
This was an unforgettable night of owling that was made even better by sharing it with a great friend. A huge thanks goes out to Randy for suggesting the outing and for his guiding skills in picking the right week and the right road. The long-awaited and much-anticipated Owl was officially on my county list, completing my collection of 7 regularly-occurring Owls in the county. Without Randy’s invitation, it is likely that I might not have even tried for Saw-whet Owls this spring because of how busy life has been.
Unfortunately Steve Gardner was out of state when this all went down. When he got back from his trip, he and and I went out there, and we were able to get him a Saw-whet Owl for his county list too. Steve and I have logged many fruitless trips and lots of hours looking for these Owls as well as other Owl species. Prior to two years ago, our Owl luck was nonexistent. Now we had them all, and it felt great. Steve and I were lucky enough to find a Saw-whet that was cooperative for Steve to get some visuals.
With this chapter closed in the most satisfying way possible, the question of what’s next really is an open one. I honestly don’t know–no other birds on a local, national, or world level have replaced the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl and Kandi Northern Saw-whet Owl. There is a strange new void where a nemesis should be. But maybe that’s the way Randy wanted it–a clear head so I can start focusing on another bird that should be on the county record, like the Black Scoter.
A First for AZ, A First for Me
So what does one do to celebrate the accomplishment of a major birding goal that was several years in the making…go to Disney Land? Take an Owl victory lap, visiting some favorite Owls? No, these are not the thoughts of a birder. There’s always a queue of birding priorities, and now that FEPO was knocked off, another bird demanded immediate attention. It nearly cut short the FEPO experience, though I vowed not to let it. That bird was Arizona’s first record of a White-throated Thrush, a vagrant from Mexico. Obviously such a bird had created quite a stir in the state and even national birding scene just a few weeks prior to my visit. I watched the reports with amusement and wasn’t too concerned with it. I was undaunted in my FEPO pursuit and was not about to let another Mexican bird scrap those plans. And besides, the Thrush had hung for weeks, entertaining several hundred birders by now. It would be there, but would I?
Seeing as how FEPO was found immediately and enjoyed thoroughly, we had ample time to swing over to Madera Canyon to try for THE THRUSH. But first, we had a windy desert road to drive and a lifer Cassin’s Sparrow to nab thanks to Caleb, the sharp-eyed chauffeur. This was a nice little bonus that I did not foresee.
The mood on the way to Madera was light and easy. We got the FEPO. I honestly didn’t care if we dipped on the Thrush. But with that said, I still wanted to see it pretty bad too. It’s an insanely good bird, and just like the Fan-tailed Warbler, SE AZ opportunity was knocking. Once again I found myself in the intersection of right place and right time. Thrush or not, it’s always the right time to go to Madera Canyon.
After we parked at the Proctor Road parking lot, we followed a paved trail where it had been seen. Like a bird dog, Caleb immediately disappeared from the trail in search of quarry. Again, Tommy was in total relaxation mode as the Boy was whacking the bushes for the White-throated Thrush and a Black-capped Gnatcatcher for me. Tommy and I idly strolled the trail, hoping to turn American Robins and Hermit Thrushes into the one thrush species that counted. Mexican Jays were loud and huge but not worth looking at, considering. We talked with other birders there trying to get the latest on the Thrush. Best we heard was that it was seen a couple hours prior. That was good news. It was around, and the Boy was on it. Some birders we visited with told us about a snoozing Whiskered Screech-Owl further up trail. The Owl victory lap idea was taking hold, distracting Tommy, Gordon, and me from the new major target of the day. Plus, you know, Caleb was out there, somewhere, handling things.
How someone spotted this thing I’ll never know. I could barely find it with multiple people pointing to it.
Tommy and I had barely resumed our Thrush sorting when I asked Tommy whatever happened to Caleb. I no sooner said those words, and the Boy came sprinting down the path toward us hollering (without breaking stride) that the Thrush had been spotted further up the trail. Caleb continued running and proclaiming the good news to everyone and their cousin, birders or not, that the White-throated Thrush was present.
Tommy and I hustled up to the spot and caught a quick glimpse of it in the open on the ground before it retired to the treetops in terrible light. Pretty neat regardless.
A bit of serendipity happened at the parking lot on the way out when a birder recognized Tommy. Turns out that birder was Linda Grant, the original finder of the famous Thrush. Linda had come back for better photos after her first ones were harried as bird photos can be when you realize you have a Mega and need to get the word out immediately. Tommy had written a great blog post on Linda’s discovery of the White-throated Thrush and on over two dozen birders’ reactions to the find. Linda and her husband were able to tell Tommy how much they enjoyed the post, and Tommy clearly enjoyed meeting this hero to hundreds of birders. A cool moment.
The intensity of Madera Canyon never ceases to amaze me. One would think that things would be pretty chill after my lifer FEPO and WTTH with a side helping of Whiskered-Screech. But it wasn’t. A stunning male Elegant Trogon had been spending the winter in the lower elevations near the White House Picnic Area, and fellow Thrush seekers had said it was around this day. Since that brief encounter with a Trogon a few years back higher up on the Super Trail, I have wanted a better experience with this bird.
This was the day. We saw the ELTR paparazzi staked out at a pyracantha tree loaded with berries along the road. The tree is a favorite buffett of the Trogon. Unfortunately we were told the Trogon had just flown off, but not to worry because it would be back. I’m an impatient birder, especially when borrowing time against a family vacation. So I looked into the oak woods in the direction people said it flew. And that’s when I spotted it–one lady up on the hillside aiming a massive camera at a random spot in the trees. There would be only one reason for that. I scrambled up the rocky hillside and quickly found her target.
The Trogon was incredibly tame and would sit for long periods of time on a perch before moving a short distance, easy to find and easy to approach. SE AZ never ceases to amaze me. This was a stunning moment. And, AZ birders will have to forgive me, but this was just as big a thrill or bigger than the Thrush.
In 2015 my only real photo of the Elegant Trogon was from the back. This was a refreshing and a much yearned for change. I, of course, got to see the back this time too and once again admire that coppery tail that it was once named for.
This was a Trogon-crushfest, enjoyed by even the most experienced of locals…
Obviously I had a hard time prying myself away from that bird, but the clock was ticking and the birding queue had a new line leader. Would I have liked to go to the Santa Rita Lodge and try to get a better look at a Blue-throated Hummingbird? Yes. Would I have liked to pick up some fresh Trogon gear at the gift shop? Also yes. But did I? Sadly, no. Time was slipping by, and the one bird I needed was in nearby Green Valley. Lawrence’s Goldfinches have irrupted this winter all over the place, and the Canoa Ranch was a stronghold for them. I needed to grab this bird while I could since this was the year for that bird. I have never seen reports of them in other years on my visits. But first we made a quick stop down by Proctor Road to look for a Black-capped Gnatcatcher. No dice, again.
Thankfully, the LAGOs were where they were supposed to be, if only for a minute.
It was now time to bust back to Mom and Dad’s. Mom was putting on a spread for the birders and non-birders. By the end of the day we were all stuffed–with good food and good birds.
We scarcely had time to sleep off the food/bird coma as Dad, Gordon, Tommy, and I had a date with destiny early the next morning. After putting it off for many years, it was finally time to reconcile my staggering AZ Thrasher deficit. I was finally going to the Thrasher Spot, a place west of Phoenix known by every serious birder. It’s even marked on Google Maps. Thrashers had never been my thing as I always opted for the flashier and owlier birds of AZ, so it never made it to the top of the queue. But now with five potential life birds out there with practically nothing else for me to pursue in the state, I was eager to finally go. I’m glad I saved this little cache of lifers for so long. I don’t think I would have appreciated it nearly as much in my early birding career.
Now most people might look at this and see a wasteland with random fire pits and broken plastic chairs with the rising steam from the Palo Verde nuclear plant as a backdrop, steam from a plant not cooled by a natural body of water but by treated sewage from nearby municipalities… But a birder sees a beautiful landscape, full of opportunity. For at the center of this photo sits the lightly colored LeConte’s Thrasher, singing his song above the scrub.
It was one lifer down with four to go. Two thoughts struck me on my first visit to the Thrasher Spot. One was that I couldn’t believe how flat the ground was.
The other was that I had an expectation of easy lifering in short order with minimal walking. From other blogs I’ve read over the years, I had this thought that we’d just walk a short ways and crush all the Thrashers and the two Sparrows in the same bush. I couldn’t have been more wrong. At least the walking was easy.
Though not completely unexpected, there were sightings of a couple different old men wandering alone and somewhat aimlessly trying to tally some Thrasher lifers for themselves. At least I wasn’t as late to the party as these guys. The sparse saltbush- studded landscape was not only good habitat for the occasional septagenerian but also for numerous Sagebrush Sparrows (lifer) that would run with tails held high from bush to bush. I was shocked to learn they didn’t respond to pishing. What kind of Sparrows are these anyway? Good looks at these birds and the others were tough to come by. Pressing on and going wider in our search efforts, we eventually locked up a Bendire’s Thrasher lifer.
By this time, the sun was finally showing itself and warming up our frozen bodies. The birds seemed to enjoy it too as we finally started to get some good looks of perching Sagebrush Sparrows.
Tommy was able to spy the more rare doppelganger Bell’s Sparrow to make my fourth lifer of five for the morning. The Bell’s is told apart from the Sagebrush Sparrow by its bolder, thicker malar stripe and its unstreaked back.
Despite our best efforts and lots more walking, we could not rustle up a Crissal Thrasher. It was time to head out and leave the Thrasher Spot behind. It had been a satisfying experience. On the way home there were a couple more pitstops. Gordon knew just where to go to get me a Common Ground-Dove lifer at a large stand of overgrown palm trees.
I repaid Gordon by spotting a raptor flying over us. I casually asked the guys what it was since they were making an eBird checklist. Turns out it was a Crested Caracara, a county bird for Gordon and only the second one Tommy has seen in Maricopa County.
Our next and final stop was a dead end road that was great for all kinds of birds, including the occasional Burrower (my Maricopa BUOW).
At the end of the dead end road, Tomy finally heard it–a Crissal Thrasher. Unfortunately no views were had of the true curve-billed Thrasher. So it goes. It’s hard to have any misgivings or least find anyone sympathetic whining about not seeing a CRTH when the birding had been sooo good. What’s next, Arizona? After 123 life birds in eight trips, I seriously have no idea and no plans.
Joining the 19-Owl Club
It’s no secret to anyone who is familiar with this blog–I really enjoy Owls. From the beginning of my birding seven years ago when I yearned to see the big northern Owls until the present when I have been striving to see my 19th and final Owl species for this country, Owls have always risen to the top of my wish-list birds and often dominated my daydreams. The pursuits of these birds have led me on some of the most dramatic and memorable adventures I have ever done, birding or otherwise. I have Owled from the Canadian border to the Mexican border and at many points in between. These hunts have often been with others and have forged friendships and bonds that make for richer memories through the shared experiences. Is it any wonder, then, that I was eager to see a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, and complete this collection?
The Backstory
Efforts have been underway for over a year to try to nab a FEPO which came into my crosshairs after the Boreal Owl fell in January of 2018. Despite my strong desire to see this Owl, there have been many setbacks in the process, and I have been on a hope/despair roller coaster:
The first hope: Our family planned to take a road trip the summer of 2018 that would swing through south Texas. I would go for the easy-pickings FEPOs on the King Ranch and gladly pay the hefty fee to do so.
The first setback: The road trip was cancelled. At the time, we had not yet sold our house after an entire year. Going on a big, expensive trip was not prudent when we had two mortgages.
The second hope: The house sold, but it was too late to get the road trip plans back in place. Instead, I opted to take a weekend trip with Steve Gardner to try for FEPO in Arizona with Tommy DeBardeleben in April of 2018.
The second setback: We made one 4-hour search at Organ Pipe National Monument before succumbing to the temptation of an extremely rare Fan-tailed Warbler, among many other desirable birds in SE AZ. In one sense, it was extraordinary trip, but in the the FEPO sense, it was a major cross-country dip.
The third hope: The aforementioned road trip was back on for summer of 2019. FEPO was going to happen this time at King Ranch. School ends the end of May and the last date to tour the Norias Division at King Ranch was June 3rd. There was a just a sliver of time to drive down to south Texas and get this Owl.
The third setback: Melissa and I had miscommunicated about dates for the road trip, and long story short was that Hamilton tickets were purchased for June 8th. The Texas FEPO trip was dead in the water. This realization did not happen until this past November.
The fourth hope: Before I could even muster up a plan B to try to get down to Texas some spring weekend, a huge bright spot emerged and alleviated the crushing despair almost as soon as it began. Around this same time and through total coincidence, Tommy mentioned that someone in Arizona had not only seen a FEPO but had also posted location information on the listserv! This birder, Tim Helentjaris, had given a public, detailed account of not just one, but two separate locations where he had found Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls in Arizona! Reactions seemed mixed–while this public location disclosure of this state-endangered species drew sharp fire from quite a few birders, many other birders took advantage of this rare opportunity and scrambled out to the desert to finally add this very rare Owl to their state or life lists. In fact, the reports on eBird became so prolific and specific, that eBird hid all FEPO sightings, current and past, for the entire state! Thankfully I had studied the locations before they went dark and also knew friends that would know the spots too. Our annual trip to Arizona in February could not come fast enough. I was beyond excited to not only have a very good shot at seeing this Owl, but to also be able to get it in Arizona with Tommy. It would mean that I could potentially get all my Owl lifers in just two states, Minnesota and Arizona. That would mean way more to me than a King Ranch bird any day.
The 2019 FEPO Search in ARIZONA!
Of course I was looking forward to seeing my parents in Arizona, but I was quite anxious to get searching for the Owl. Tommy had taken a couple days off work to help me and had enlisted Caleb Strand and birding buddy Gordon Karre for the hunt. I’ve been on many adventures with Gordon, and I had heard the legends of Caleb, “The Boy” for quite some time and was looking forward to meeting this young man whose blog I used to read back when he was finding rarities with just a bicycle and binoculars. This was shaping up to be the ultimate capstone on a quest that was several years in the making. I nervously watched the weather for two weeks leading up to the trip, fearful that rain would squelch our plans. Thankfully, the weather was shaping up to be a sunny day on the day of our search, even if the temps were going to be in the low 30s.
Less than 24 hours after landing in Phoenix on February 16th, I was up at 3 A.M. the next morning waiting for the guys to pick me up at 4:00. I hardly slept that night, especially because Caleb had shared that some friends of his had a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl just before sundown the night before. And those same friends were spending the night out in the desert and planning to search again in the morning. We needed to be to the spot just after sunrise, which was around 7:00. Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls are crepuscular, meaning they are active just after dawn and just before dusk. So our window of time to find a FEPO was short. Thankfully, and by total coincidence, February is when these Owls set up territories and start calling for a mate. Hearing these birds is crucial to finding them as they are not much bigger than a sparrow and can sit motionless in thick vegetation. If we could hear one calling, we would be able to find it.
The drive down to the FEPO area was long and dark but full of good conversation of past trips and trips to come. The anticipation was building. Tommy and Caleb both already had FEPO, but it’s so rare that any sighting is special. Gordon also had seen the species, but not yet in Arizona or the United States. Getting off the highway, we had about an hour-long drive on a windy, rough road in the desert. A Great Horned Owl flew across our path as one of the first birds of the day and got the Owl juices flowing. We finally got to the camp site of Caleb’s friends and after some quick introductions and pleasantries, our group began a half-mile walk to the spot where these other birders had the bird just the night before. In less than a half hour and without using a tape, we heard that coveted sound: a scratchy tooting that just kept going and going. Maybe this was easier than the King Ranch! Now the race was on to spot the bugger. 
Caleb was taking charge of the mission and how to proceed. The Boy has extensive FEPO experience for his young age and knew what he was doing. It was interesting for me to observe how Tommy was letting his protegé-turned-equal take the wheel. Clearly, Tommy has a lot of respect for Caleb as a birder and was relaxed to let Caleb work. But the master and his padowan laid eyes on the bird simultaneously. And just like that, I had seen my last Owl species that calls America home.
Pop can-sized Owls hidden in thickets are why you need a Caleb and Tommy. Eventually we got some unobstructed looks. Note the rusty colored tail, a field mark indicated by its name.
Note the black, false “eyes” on the back of its head to ward off predators.
Here you can see a white throat patch that is visible when it vocalizes.
This is a short clip of the FEPO vocalizing.
Here is a wide-angle shot of the habitat of the FEPO. The Owl is in this photo in the center in a tree just above a prickly pear cactus.
We enjoyed this Owl for the better part of an hour. For most of that time it stayed on this perch but eventually flew off. We did track it down again, but it went into deeper, thicker vegetation with worse views.
The only thing left to do now was to take a group photo to commemorate the feat–something that should always be done for the “biggest” of birds.
The views here are spectacular, even more so after just freshly lifering on Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl to complete the 19-Owl sweep. I don’t know about the rest of the guys, but there was definitely a bonce in my step on the way out.
As we walked to the car, plans were already taking shape for an immediate, epic mega chase in SE AZ. That bird, along with some other great lifers will be featured in the next post. Honestly, though, they take a backseat to the Owl. This was the bird of the trip for me.
Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due
A huge shout-out and thanks goes to Tim Helentjaris. I know he caught a lot of grief for sharing his discovery, but he’s a definitely a hero in my book. Tim’s intrepid exploring led to some great finds that delighted many birders, myself included. His generous information came at the perfect time when things were looking hopeless for my FEPO attempts. Furthermore, to be able to get this lifer in Arizona with my friends was pretty special. I would have spent a lot of money and time going after a bird in Texas that wouldn’t have been nearly as memorable, so this was a relief as much as it was a joy. It was a perfect ending to the Owl quest. Thank you, Tim!
Thanks also to Caleb for leading the trip and doing all the driving(!) and thanks to Gordon for going along and sharing in yet another Owl adventure. Finally, I have to mention my buddy Tommy’s role in all this. Several years ago, after going after Elegant Trogon and Painted Redstart, it was Tommy who suggested we do some night-owling around Phoenix. At the time I had probably fewer than 200 birds to my name, so I was game as I was just happy to go after anything new. That night Tommy got me great looks at Western Screech-Owl and Elf Owl. Little did I know that it was the beginning of the end of seeing all the western U.S. Owls. I never imagined I would see them all until 2016 when Tommy inspired myself and many others–seeing all 19 Owls in one year (TOBY or Tommy’s Owl Big Year). Even though six of those owls were lifers for him that year, he was undaunted in his pursuit. Then when he achieved his goal, I started to think it was possible for someone like me to eventually see all the Owls too. I knew it would take me longer because of my life stage, but the goal was set: one day I was going to see all 19. And so over the years, Tommy and I have embarked on many Owl adventures together. He has helped me get my Western Screech, Elf, Barn, Spotted, Northern Pygmy, Whiskered Screech, Flammulated, and Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls. So, thank you, Tommy, for all the help and the great memories along the way! The Owl saga is finally complete. Then again, there are only two Owls Tommy and I have never seen together: Northern Saw-whet and Short-eared…
Some Factoids
It took me seven years to see all the Owl species in the U.S. All lifers were seen in Minnesota or Arizona.
I have been to Arizona eight times as a birder. I lifered on Owls on six of those trips.
This FEPO adventure ranks third place in all my birding adventures with the Greater Sage-Grouse story taking top honors followed by the Boreal Owl adventure last winter.
There are several species of Owls I have only seen once: Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Spotted Owl, and Flammulated Owl.
My favorite Owl is the Boreal Owl. Second favorite is red-morph Eastern Screech-Owl. Third is Northern Hawk Owl and fourth is the Great Gray Owl.
My most wanted Owl right now is a Northern Saw-whet Owl for Kandiyohi County.
The 19
Here is a photo collection of all the U.S. Owl species; they are in the order of when I lifered on them. These photos are all mine, and some of the photos have never been shared on the blog before–I’ve had many birding outings that haven’t been documented here yet.
#1 Great Horned Owl
#2 Great Gray Owl
#3 Barred Owl
#4 Snowy Owl
#5 Northern Hawk Owl
#6 Eastern Screech-Owl
#7 Burrowing Owl
#8 Long-eared Owl
#9 Western Screech-Owl
#10 Elf Owl
#11 Northern Pygmy-Owl
#12 Spotted Owl
#13 Barn Owl
#14 Short-eared Owl
#15 Northern Saw-whet Owl
#16 in 2016 Whiskered Screech-Owl
#17 in 2017 Flammulated Owl
#18 in 2018 Boreal Owl
#19 in 2019 Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
The 2018 AZ FEPO Search: When a Trip Goes Sideways
This trip originally took place in April 2018 with the goal searching for my final American Owl species, the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl. A first blog installment was published in June, and a draft of this final installment was started in July. Only now, almost a year after the trip, have I concluded this story. Whether it was the busy-ness of life or the overwhelming amount of material from this trip alone, I just never got around to writing it up. Though the blog has been quiet for a long time, many OTHER birding adventures have also been enjoyed. Hopefully, they will also make it on to the blog soon.
We woke up Sunday morning from our discount Sierra Vista hotel, saying goodbye to the same desk clerk who checked us in just a few hours prior. There was urgency. We had to get to the Ash Canyon B&B to catch the Montezuma Quail show. The owner, Mary Jo, had been posting regularly about the appearance of a pair of these Quail that had been coming to her yard. ‘Yard’ is hardly an accurate term. It is more like a bird sanctuary. Mary Jo has dozens of feeders set up to accommodate nectar drinkers, seed eaters, and ground eaters along with chairs and blinds to accommodate the birders and photographers willing to pay the fee just to sit and watch. And for reliable Montezuma Quail, I was more than willing to throw my money in the jar on the gate. This is a bird I had honestly put in the “Yeah Right, Like I’ll Ever See That” Category. But now we had a chance, and a good chance too if we could make it on time for the early morning once-and-done appearance. We arrived and Mary Jo was going about her morning ritual of filling feeders and doing whatever else she does to create such awesomeness. In whispers, we learned that the Quail had not yet shown themselves. This was good news. She directed us where to sit, where to watch for them along her fence, and to be quiet and don’t move! We followed her instructions to a T. There is indeed much to occupy one’s attention while you wait for a rare bird–Mexican Jays, Acorn Woodpeckers, etc. Everything is worth checking out, especially if one turns out to be an unexpected lifer.
We barely had any time to enjoy the Cassin’s Finch warm-up band before the real head-banging act materialized suddenly, shocking and awing a crowd too afraid to move or breathe, lest the show be over for good.
It was stunning, a quintessential SE AZ birding moment.
It was not the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl I craved, but the Montezuma Quail was one of those birds that can make an entire trip. Not only was it a key lifer for Steve and me, but this was Tommy’s first time photographing this species. It was a high for the entire group.
When we left Mary Jo’s, we started talking about another resident Quail species, the Scaled Quail. It turns out we were in close proximity to where they could be found. Tommy took us to an open grassland area near the foothills of the Huachucas where he had the species previous years. We ended up hearing one calling from a large, fenced in government vehicle lot. Eventually we got eyes on it, but ominous warnings on government signs kept us from trespassing for closer looks, even though the place seemed abandoned.
On our to-do list was to hit up Miller Canyon next to try to get Steve a Spotted Owl lifer, among others. This whole time that Fan-tailed Warbler report was still on all of our minds. Strangely, there had been no word the previous day or this morning. It was odd considering it was such a mega rarity. I finally heard from Chris Rohrer that the Warbler had been seen Saturday by numerous people AND that it was still there this morning. We decided to do Miller Canyon as planned since we were so close. What hadn’t been decided yet was if we were going after the Warbler. A chase to the Chiricahuas in far southeastern AZ would mean the FEPO plans would have to be nixed–we had originally planned to try for FEPO again Sunday night and Monday morning before we flew out. Though the Warbler would have been a lifer for Tommy, he graciously said the decision was mine to continue with the FEPO plans or abandon them. Steve also said it didn’t matter to him as he was enjoying a plethora of new birds wherever we went. As we hiked up Miller Canyon, I didn’t know what to do. It made it tough for me to enjoy some of the canyon’s residents, many of which were lifers for Steve.
Hutton’s Vireo
Painted Redstart
Hepatic Tanager
Arizona Woodpecker
Greater Pewee
Unfortunately for Steve, the reliable Spotted Owls were not so reliable this day. Despite a solid effort of scanning the trees in the narrow canyon, we could not find them. It was time to hike down canyon and finally make a decision about what to do regarding this Fan-tailed Warbler. A quiet, western empid struck a pose and put the dilemma on brief pause as we pondered its ID. Hammond’s or Dusky?
Another ID question prolonged the decision. Anybody know what species this lizard is?
As we started to leave Miller Canyon behind us, the trip before us became more clear in my head. I knew FEPO would be a longshot. We dipped the day before, and Tommy hadn’t seen any on his scouting trips leading up to my trip. Moreover, FEPO is pretty easy to get in south Texas on the King Ranch. I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to chase a phenomenal Warbler lifer for all of us. I mean, how often does Tommy get a chance to lifer in Arizona? The decision really was a no-brainer even if it was a bit tough to give up on the main goal. That’s birding, though. You have to take advantage of targets of opportunity, especially of this magnitude. When I talked with Tommy and Steve and shared these thoughts, I’ll never forget how the smile grew on Tommy’s face. Yep, it was the right decision.
So we left the Huachucas and were off to the Chiricahuas, a 2+ hour trip. Tommy was so confident that we would find the Warbler that we even stopped for a sit-down lunch along the way. The site of the Fan-tailed Warbler was the yard of Rick Taylor, a well-known guide and field guide author, and Rick’s yard was located in a lush canyon known as Whitetail Canyon in the foothills of the Chiris. When we arrived at Rick’s yard, we had trouble finding a place to park. That was a moot point because we saw the large, bright star of the show in Rick’s lawn right out the car window! We did get parked so we could enjoy this lifer up close as it walked about the lush green grass in Rick’s magical bird yard. According to Rick, this behavior is atypical of this ABA Code-4 species. Normally it is more skulky.
If the Fan-tailed Warbler weren’t enough, the regulars of Rick’s yard were worthy of their own awe. The place was positively buzzing with bird activity. Among the many species of birds were a couple more lifers for me, the bulky Blue-throated Hummingbird and a Calliope Hummingbird. Both were quick sightings that didn’t allow for photos. This gorgeous male Scott’s Oriole was cooperative, though. It was a nice redemptive photo from my lifer butt-shot in Hunter Canyon a few years ago.
While we were at Rick’s yard visiting with Rick and his wife, there was another young birder there from New Mexico. I forget his name, but it was this kid’s 14th birthday, and his parents had driven him several hundred miles for his birthday to see this mega rarity. Cool parents, huh? The kid was no slouch birder either as he was identifying birds left and right. In fact, as we were leaving, he spotted two raptors overhead and announced they were Zone-tailed Hawks! That was a lifer for Steve and me and one that we were hoping for.
With one Mexican Warbler under our belts, it was time to go after another that had been showing in the Chiricahuas, the Slate-throated Redstart. I had tried for this ABA Code-3 a few years ago in Hunter Canyon. We barely had enough daylight to get all the way up and over the Chiris to Pinery Canyon where it had been seen. The views along the way were spectacular even if the road was a bit stressful with its curves and steep drop-offs. I’m glad Steve was driving.
Eventually we got to Pinery Canyon with less than an hour to look before dark. We could not come up with it, though. It was time to find shelter for the night. We decided to stay in nearby Wilcox and try again for the Redstart in the morning. The FEPO trip had turned into a trip of collecting ABA rarities. We were in too deep now to not try to get this Warbler too.
That next morning as we left the hotel, we saw some Ravens in the parking lot and rolled down the windows to listen. The call confirmed that they were our lifer Chihuahuan Ravens, a nice bonus bird. We finally made the climb back up to Pinery Canyon and were joined by a few other birders along with a fresh helping of optimism.
We hiked up the canyon and looked and listened. A cooperative Yellow-eyed Junco occupied my attention while I waited for the main attraction.
After about a half hour or so of searching, Tommy was further up the canyon when he shouted, “Josh!” Tommy had found the Slate-throated Redstart, and Steve and I scrambled up the canyon to get to where Tommy was. The bird was staying to the treetops but did give us a couple quick looks.
So what does one do to celebrate two Mexican Warblers when you are in the Chiricahuas and you still have a healthy cushion of time before your flight? Obviously, you go get the Mexican Chickadees at the highest elevations of this mountain range! This is a bird I never, ever thought I’d get because of how far one has to travel and how high one has to go to get it. This was our moment.
We went to Barfoot Park to try for the Chickadee. This place was incredible. The pine cathedral and its solitude were peaceful and inspiring. Plus, there were bearded Chickadees somewhere in our midst. After about ten minutes or so, we stumbled onto a quartet of them. Unfortunately, the looks weren’t the best and they weren’t too cooperative for photos. But I shouldn’t complain about such triviality when we had all the experiences we did.
When you are literally on top of the world and have seen the Mexican Chickadee (and all kinds of other crazy good birds), a celebratory selfie is in order.
When we finally left the Chiricahuas, we still had some time to spare, so we stopped at Willcox Lake to look for another lifer, the Western Sandpiper. Tommy spied a small group of them, and these birds were extremely cooperative. I was excited to see these birds in breeding plumage.
Cinnamon Teal never get old to this birder, and they were quite cooperative in Willcox as well.
The trip was really over at this point. Steve and I had a flight to catch. That didn’t mean there wasn’t time to make one quick stop when we got close to my parents’ house in Maricopa. Tommy spotted this Burrowing Owl.
Now Burrowing Owls are not rare around Maricopa, and we have all seen them several times. So why stop? It turns out that in all of our owling together, Tommy and I had seen 15 of the 19 Owl species together, but the Burrowing Owl was not one of them. Now all that’s left for us to complete the 19-Owl collection jointly are Short-eared Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, and, of course, the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl.
While this trip did not go as planned, it was an incredible and memory-filled trip and I have zero complaints I ended up with 18 lifers, Steve had 34, and Tommy had 1. Not only that, but we ended up with three species that were ABA Code-3 and above. I’m glad Steve joined me on this quest and am thankful for Tommy’s assistance in helping us find so many of these birds. Great birds with great friends are what make trips special. And now that I’ve finally finished this trip account nearly one year later, I’m very excited to tell you about another trip with friends. 😉
