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.

Cassin's Sparrow

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.

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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.

Whiskered Screech-OwlHow someone spotted this thing I’ll never know. I could barely find it with multiple people pointing to it.

Whiskered Screech-OwlTommy 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.

White-throated ThrushWhite-throated ThrushWhite-throated ThrushA 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.

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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.

Elegant TrogonThe 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.

Elegant TrogonIn 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.

Elegant Trogon

Elegant Trogon

Elegant TrogonThis was a Trogon-crushfest, enjoyed by even the most experienced of locals…

Tommy, Gordon, Caleb

Elegant Trogon

Elegant TrogonObviously 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.

Lawrence's GoldfinchIt 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.Thrasher Spot

LeConte's ThrasherIt 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.

Thrasher Spot

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.

Dad, Gordon, TommyThough 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.

Bendire's ThrasherBy 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.

Sagebrush SparrowTommy 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.

Bell's Sparrow

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.

Common Ground-DoveI 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).

Burrowing OwlAt 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.

The AZ FEPO Search: Boots on the Ground

For some time it has been a goal of mine to see all 19 regular species of Owls that reside in the U.S.  Getting the Boreal Owl this past January was a dream come true in itself and put me within one Owl of reaching my goal, with the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl being the holdout. FEPO can be notched relatively easily if you’re willing to pay a hefty fee and travel to the King Ranch in south Texas. And I was. Our family had planned to take a very large cross-country road trip this summer, and my plan was to hit up King Ranch on the journey. Plans changed though. It’s funny how owning two houses for nearly a year with no end in sight will do that.

Eventually sweet relief came in the housing situation in March, but it was too late to resurrect any mega road trip plans. I did start talking to my buddy Tommy DeBardeleben, though, about trying to recreate his AZ FEPO magic from 2016. FEPOs are resident in small numbers at Organ Pipe National Monument along the U.S./Mexican border. They are very tough to come by there, but Tommy and others have proved it is indeed possible.  Success would be even sweeter in AZ considering I’d be with Tommy who’s helped me get so many other Owl lifers.  After discussing the decision with “Screw Texas” Tommy and cajoling my buddy Steve Gardner into making the trip with me, plans were set for a fast weekend trip in mid-April.

April unleashed some of the worst winter weather we’d seen with blizzard after blizzard pummeling us. The MN forecast for our AZ weekend was grim. Steve and I planned to leave Friday after work, and all day long we wondered if we’d make it out of the state. Getting to the airport was sketchy. The temp was hovering right at freezing, causing the road to quickly become ice-covered from the snow/rain which slowed us down. The main thrust of the storm would start that night after we were scheduled to take off. And it was forecast to be a doozy–lots of snow, lots of wind, lots of closures.  We finally made it to the airport and as we waited for the flight, Steve and I distracted ourselves from the possibility of a canceled flight by keeping up with the latest bird happenings on FB. One really caught our eye–a Fan-tailed Warbler was just reported in the Chiricahuas in SE AZ. Steve and I had never even heard of this Mexican Warbler before the posting. It was interesting, but we were focused on the Owl prize. Besides, a Warbler could quickly disappear…

Steve and I were relieved to actually get on the plane (the airport was predicted to be shut down sometime in the night and all the next day).  Getting the plane off the ground was another story. We sat on the tarmac for a long time.

airplane wing

Shortly after we de-iced, we got word that we couldn’t take off until the rain turned to snow, which was frustrating since the rain had been snow when we got on the plane. The possibility of this trip getting nixed was growing. There would be no flight out on Saturday.  Finally, though, the Captain gave the good word and we were in the sky only one hour behind schedule.

The Parents extended their snowbirding long enough (smartly) to not only avoid the lingering MN winter but to also be there to pick us up from the airport, be home base for the excursion, and lend us a vehicle. Thanks Mom and Dad!  Late that night we rendezvoused with Tommy at their house.  There was time for a 3-hour “nap” before our morning alarms would wake us for our 2-hour drive south.

Exhausted as we were, we made it to Organ Pipe. It was FEPO time. Alamo Canyon, Organ Pipe National MonumentOwls aside, I think Steve and I were just enjoying not being in a blizzard. Our sympathies for our families back home were quickly eclipsed by the beautiful weather we were enjoying. We picked a great weekend to be in southern Arizona.

Expectations for FEPO or any new lifers were low as we began the hike up Alamo Canyon. I mistakenly thought I might get one new non-FEPO lifer in Organ Pipe.  Shortly into the hike Tommy announced the presence of a Pacific-slope Flycatcher. Thankfully he did not announce the presence of a smuggler, though anyone smuggling in a load of Mexican FEPOs would have been met with open arms.

smuggle sign

As we continued our FEPOless, smugglerless hike up Alamo Canyon, we notched a heard only MacGillivray’s Warbler lifer. I totally forgot about the fact that we’d be in Arizona during migration. What else might we find? Well, a Gray Vireo was certainly not on my radar but was now on my life list. It was great to see one, but I was kinda saving that one for Janet Witzeman to show me–eventually I’ll blog about that backstory.

Gray VireoNot long after the Gray Vireo fun it was time to head back down canyon sans FEPO. A petty consolation came in the form of another Vireo lifer we missed on the way up, one of the Cassin’s variety.

Cassin's Vireo

Back at the trailhead for Alamo Canyon, we paused to figure out what was next. FEPO searching in the heat of the day is pretty useless, and the Organ Pipe area really held nothing for us (especially after the bonus lifers).  We’d have to travel a significant distance if we wanted to get in some more good birding. We landed on going to Madera Canyon to Owl at night. This was not a deviation from the original FEPO plans; one of the carrots to make the trip appealing to Steve was to do some other Owling as well. He could potentially rack up several Owl lifers in one night.  FEPO searching would resume Sunday night and Monday morning since we would spend Saturday night somewhere near Madera.

By the time we left Organ Pipe, the morning was still quite young, so we had plenty of time to do some daylight birding before the night Owling.  With mindset properly switched, I was ready for some great SE AZ action during the FEPO break. A couple notables on the drive, such as Prairie Falcons and a Crested Caracara, only amped up the excitement.  Our first stop was the famed Santa Gertrudis Lane. Several high-profile birds had been there of late, such as Sinaloa Wren and some Rufous-backed Robins.  As we walked to the Wren spot marked by a weird plastic tricycle from last century, we picked up another couple lifers, flyover Gray Hawks and a confiding pair of Dusky-capped Flycatchers. I was struck by its petite size compared to other Myiarchus species and surprised at how much I enjoyed this lifer.

Dusky-capped Flycatcher

We missed the Wren despite a solid effort, and we nearly missed the Robins too. As we were hiking out, we met a group of birders and traded intel. We had bad news for them; they had good news for us. They had seen three Robins where we had walked by! The nice guy even guided us right to them. I don’t think we ever would have found these Thrush statues without his help. This was a good moment, vindication for a failed attempt in January.

Rufous-backed RobinRufous-backed Robin

After Santa Gertrudis it was on to the De Anza Trail at Tubac to look for some Rose-throated Becards. We were all going in blind. We didn’t really know where to look in the towering Cottonwoods. Like the Wren, it was a bust. We did walk away with more Gray Hawk sightings, however brief due to the limited sky windows in the canopy. A juvenile did provide one quick photo op.

Gray HawkBy this point in the afternoon, it was time we made our way to Madera Canyon. Not wanting to waste any burning daylight, we squeezed out every minute stopping briefly at Florida Canyon for Rufous-capped Warbler for Steve and Black-capped Gnatcatcher for both of us. Nada on those, but the effort was minimal.  At least a Black-throated Gray Warbler was an nice lifer bonus for Steve. Next up was a stop at Proctor Road to try one more time for the Gnatcatcher. We did find a Gnatcatcher that was more Black-capped-like that Black-tailed, but the waning daylight and the bird’s fidgety behavior did not allow us to clinch the key field marks for an ID beyond a reasonable doubt. The regularity of this species makes it highly likely that it will eventually land on my list, just not this day.

With darkness settling in, it was time for the night show in Madera Canyon proper. Almost immediately we heard the barking of Elf Owls. It was a lifer for Steve and a sought-after Owl do-over for me. My lifer sighting a few years ago was brief and poor. I had wanted a better photo (that showed eyeballs) of this Owl for some time. Finally.

Elf OwlElf OwlElf OwlAfter enjoying the Elf show for some time, we Owled on for Steve. Lofty plans of looking for Whiskered Screech, Flam, and Spotted Owls collided with the reality of our extreme fatigue. We mustered enough energy to look for the easiest of those, the Whiskered Screech. Only one uncooperative bird was enough for us to be successful, but the brevity of the observation left a lot to be desired. But at this point, all we really desired was sleep. We drove on to Sierra Vista to spend the night so we could look for some reported Montezuma Quail at Ash Canyon B&B early the next morning.  Then it would be back to Organ Pipe to resume FEPO searching, or so we thought…

Arizona 2016: THE Trip Bird–#16 Becomes #1

Since my parents have become AZ snowbirds, our family has now made four trips to Arizona.  Each trip has had its own life bird goals or priorities.  Each time the target bird(s) have been realized along with a generous complement of bonus lifers.  Here’s a quick recap of those priority birds:

2014: Burrowing Owl, Vermilion Flycatcher, Cinnamon Teal

2015 (spring): Elegant Trogon and Painted Redstart

2015 (fall): Rufous-capped Warbler

So then what was the trip bird for this most recent Arizona adventure? It was an Owl, but before I tell you which one, it is worth noting that each Arizona trip has already produced multiple Owl lifers:

2014: Burrowing Owl, Long-eared Owl

2015 (spring): Elf Owl, Western Screech-Owl

2015 (fall): Northern Pygmy-Owl, Barn Owl, Spotted Owl

So what’s left in the Owl department? A few actually, but the only one I was after on this latest trip was the Whiskered Screech-Owl. It would be this trip’s most-wanted bird.

It is no coincidence that my Owl collecting started accelerating after I first met and birded with Tommy DeBardeleben in 2015.  Tommy of Tommy’s Owl Big Year (TOBY) fame is the reason why I have a pretty sweet collection of Owls.  Just like how you can never leave Grandma’s house hungry, Tommy has made sure I’ve never left Arizona feeling an Owl void.  No, he has made sure I have always gotten a good helping of a fresh Owl or two or three.  This past year our roles were reversed as I got to help Tommy find some Owls in Minnesota for TOBY, but now it was back to Tommy taking the lead once again in the storied Madera Canyon as we pursued my 16th Owl lifer.

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On the evening of October 19th, Dad and I drove out from our hotel in Green Valley to Madera Canyon to meet Tommy who was accompanied by another good birding friend, Gordon Karre.  Gordon, Tommy, and I have owled together many times all the way from the Canadian border down to the Mexican border. We’ve driven hundreds of miles together (3.6 of those were even in reverse!). We have logged an extraordinary number of Owls together from well over a dozen different species.  And here we were doing it once again.

As we waited for darkness to settle over Madera, we hung out for a bit at the feeders at Santa Rita Lodge, watching some Magnificent Hummingbirds and chatting with a birding couple from Tennessee.  With plenty of time to kill, we also successfully pursued a Rufous-winged Sparrow lifer.  Finally, though, complete darkness had fallen and it was time to go to work.  Tommy had assured me that Whiskered Screech-Owls are easy in Madera, but there was one catch: Tommy had only ever tried for them in the spring when Owls are more vocal.  Going after these birds in October was uncharted territory for Tommy. Yet, he was confident that even if the Owls were silent, we might be able to rouse them with some playback.

It turns out that the Owls were still fairly vocal.  Almost immediately when it turned dark, we started hearing some in the distance. But as we would pursue them, they would clam up.  Then the silence would hang on, which initiated the doubt-worry cycle about whether the night would be a success.  Tommy was unfazed, though, and has a lot of experience to draw from.  He owled on and kept the flashlight moving even when it seemed bleak.  Turns out the worry in my head was for nothing because shortly after we walked in the direction of a vocalizing Whiskered Screech-Owl, one landed in a tree right near us! But it must have been hunting and wouldn’t look at us…

img_0369As we crept along the canyon hillside to get in a better position to see the Owl’s face, it suddenly flew off! We could not find it again.  The satisfaction of getting the lifer was muted by the Owl showing us his bad side and only briefly at that. Would this be my lifer sighting–the side view of a bird?  The discouragement was returning the longer we weren’t finding it.  Again, Tommy never panicked or wavered; he just kept that flashlight moving. And then I heard him say those awesome words that I have heard him say so many times before, “Hey, Josh!”

Whiskered Screech-OwlThis, this is what I had been waiting/hoping for.  Tommy did it.

Whiskered Screech-OwlThis Owl was very cooperative (finally) and just let us enjoy the show.Whiskered Screech-OwlWhiskered Screech-OwlMaybe I had it backwards. Maybe it was the Owl who was enjoying the show of four happy birders who had just succeeded on their mission.

Eventually the Owl started to tire of us, perhaps even getting downright annoyed/angry with us.

Whiskered Screech-OwlWhiskered Screech-Owl

It was time to leave this Owl alone. We had gotten our fill.  So with one last look, we were on our way.

Whiskered Screech-OwlAt this point Dad went back to the car on account of a knee that was giving him fits. Gordon, Tommy, and I decided we would try for more Whiskered Screeches.  Why not?

As the three of us walked along, we heard a strange vocalization that Tommy couldn’t identify.  Earlier my dad had heard the same thing and thought it was a Whiskered Screech, but Tommy had said he hadn’t heard them make a sound like that. Eventually Tommy tracked down the source of the sound–a young Whiskered Screech high above us!

Whiskered Screech-OwlHearing this vocalization was an exciting learning experience for Tommy.  It wasn’t as cool as the Morse-code calling we heard the adult make earlier, but it was still pretty neat regardless. Have a listen for yourself:

Finally it was time to call it a night and call it a trip (birdwise, that is). Once again, the Arizona birding was a huge success with Owl lifer #16 officially on the books all thanks to this guy.

Tommy Dad GordonTwo Owl lifers remain for me in Arizona. The question is not whether Tommy can help find them, but rather, will it happen in 2017? Time will tell.