Hello bird friends,
I haven't had internet access or even charge for my devices very much over the past few days. During that time I've driven around 900 miles. The guy at the rental car place was kind of shocked. I definitely can't afford that. I would say "I definitely can't afford that" has been the theme of this trip. I've been mostly living on PB&J sandwiches (often for 3 meals a day) and water, and there were multiple nights I got less than 5 hours of sleep due to cold from sleeping in a cold place (sometimes in temperatures that got down to freezing or below).
One of two Havalinas that were prowling around my car when I was trying to sleep
I'm currently on a bus to Flagstaff after having returned the rental car I can't afford because I can't afford to keep it out for more days. I couldn't really afford to keep it out for as long as I already did. I couldn't really afford this trip at all but I HAD to. It's not about birding (though the birding is important), it's about every winter feeling insane and trapped and claustrophobic from the PNW gloom and repetitive work grind. I keep trying to kill myself in the winter and that's dumb because the rest of the time I feel amazing.
I think (rereading that first paragraph) it's possible that getting into sunny AZ with no work ahead of me kind of made me a bit manic, hence the not eating and go go go but also idk I like birding so maybe it's just that.
I'm a dumbass. Everyone said this is the best birding anywhere in the country so I'm like "I know, I'll drive there and sleep in the car and wake up for dawn birding!!!" Well I did that and I barely slept and then when I woke up my head hurt so bad I couldn't even figure out what birds I was looking at or remember details. I also did not look up WHERE in portal, AZ I should go and I slept in my car parked right by the Portal Store and for some reason my sleep-deprived brain decided during the sleepless night that they saw me there and were like "what the fuck is that freak doing here i wish she would leave" and so I was too embarrassed to even WALK INTO THE STORE AT THE CENTER OF TOWN WHICH IS A TOWN ABOUT BIRDING ON MY BIRDING TRIP. What did I do? I left. I spent so much money on getting there. I could have chilled out for awhile, I could have parked my car outside the Portal public library and used their internet to look up where to easily find birds (There are feeders by the portal store that I could have gone to. Shit i probably could have figured that out on my own). ANYWAY. Whomst among us has not done some dumb shit while undernourished and sleep deprived. I just wish I had birded there. I saw a Northern Mockingbird for sure and I think I might have heard a Pyrrhuloxia but Merlin might have just been reacting to the Mockingbird doing a Pyrrhuloxia impression. Never trust Merlin when a mockingbird or a starling or some other bird that does birdcall remixes is around.
Birds I saw there:
Greater Roadrunner - Very excited about this, two of them ran across the road on my drive out of town. One of the most dinosaur-ass birds I've ever seen.
Chihuahuan Meadowlark - Could have been a Western Meadowlark, as I didn't get the closest look, but I was shocked at how big it was and how fat it can make itself and the photos I've seen of the Chihuahuan one look closer to what I saw. For a second I was like "is there some kind of desert kingfisher" because it was really looking kinda horizontally stretched into a Kingfisher shape. This is pretty close to what I saw, and given the region I was in I think Chihuahuan is a good bet.
Photo from All About Birds
Gilbert, AZ Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch:
I saw I was passing through Phoenix and remembered there was a riparian preserve here so I made a point to go. Boy am I glad I did! Very fun, tons of species, lots of different kinds of plants and habitat around for birds to chill in. A lot of families lounging around and picnicking, paved walkways everywhere. It feels a bit like a botanical garden or something? Also lots of Great-Tailed Grackles bullying everyone, guests and birds alike. There's no way to express how aggressive and ubiquitous these birds are in the Phoenix area. They will yell at you, and they will take food from your picnic. Great-tailed Grackles say "Fuck you and your good time outdoors, this is about me."
This Rock Pigeon is Leucistic, meaning it has a genetic variation, similar to albinisim
This Starling was peeking out of a hole in a Saguaro and I thought it was really cute
Other birds I saw there:
Muscovy Duck - I had no idea what this was. This doesn't look like a duck. It's so warty and weird. Absolutely bizarre that these were bred for food when I look at one and am not like "I bet that is good eating." But apparently it is? Anyway, Phoenix has a feral population of formerly domesticated Muscovy Ducks and one ended up at this preserve.
Gambel's Quail - It's a quail! In the wild! It's got a doofy little crest! What a cutie!
Northern Shoveler - No reason I couldn't have seen these in Washington, but I just hadn't yet, so I got to see some here! I love how their bills are basically touching the water even when their head is upright. Cool guys.
Inca Dove - Very small little ground dove with scale-like pattern around it. Could be mistaken for a weirdly small Mourning Dove if you didn't look closely, as it's got that sort of pearly color to it. I saw some of these at Santa Rita Lodge in Madera Canyon too, but I also saw some here.
Lesser Scaup - It's a duck! Idk. I saw some greater Scaup in Washington and felt similarly. Look, I just don't get excited about some little dots way way out on the water even when I can identify them. They float around. They put their head under water. They fly up into the air. They land. Why are so many these ducks not inspiring to me? I can't tell you. Why are so many other birds really inspiring? I also can't tell you. But for some reason I can be like "oOOhhhh it's a CHIPPING Sparrow" and feel excited but a Lesser Scaup leaves me unmoved.
That's a Hairy Woodpecker in there
Watson Woods Riparian Preserve in Prescott, AZ:
I hit this one up the day after my first night on my cousin's land.
Shockingly large Riparian Preserve that honestly isn't much to look at in the winter (lots of brown plants) but has a LOT of birds! As soon as I walked in I was seeing lots of House Finches, White-Breasted Nuthatches, Bridled Titmice, American Robins, and a couple Hairy Woodpeckers.
I walked out probably 2.5 miles and then realized I had to pee and walked another mile back until I said "fuck it" and found an area hidden from park goers (but not the highway--oops) to take a piss. Lots of park-goers out. I've noticed that something like 80% of the birders I meet are either queers in their 30s/40s or retirees. Though I guess that is just "adults without children who have time to devote to a hobby." I bet there are some divorcees in the mix too. I'm an early 40s queer divorcee who longs to be retired, so it only makes sense that I love birding.
Notable birds:
American Coot - Lots of coots! I underestimated on my ebird report, but there were a BUNCH and they were hanging out with a crew of mallards and a few Hooded Mergansers in this little stream that ran through the park. Coots are such cute dorks, I really love them and their all-black goth outfits!
Townsend's Solitaire - First time seeing this bird! My thoughts? It's a gray songbird with a beautiful call. I heard it where I was camping but couldn't find one. Better to listen to than to look at, tbh.
Common Raven - I actually saw a real-life Conspiracy of Ravens! The collective noun is not just a novelty--they do actually group sometimes. I usually always see one or two ravens out on their own, but there were about nine or ten out in the park this day, many of them perched together in the same tree. Particularly big ravens here, big shaggy guys who looked nearly eagle-sized.
Western Bluebird - I love seeing these colorful gay birds around. So pretty and they really stand out in trees, even from far away.
Chipping Sparrow - Apparently these are in Washington too, but this was my first. Cute little guys. I don't know why I love sparrows so much but I do! Chipping Sparrow, true to its name, makes a great little "chip" call.
Canyon Towhee - Cool seeing another kind of Towhee! We've got Spotted Towhees that hang out at our feeders a lot, but this was my first of the Canyon variety.
Wood Duck - You always gotta stop and watch some Wood Ducks. Such a beautiful guy.
I'm going to call it there, but you can see the rest of what I saw at my ebird profile.
Love you, Sara