Uff Dah! Not sure I can come up with a better exclamation than my Scandinavian slang. After all how else may one describe two lifers without even leaving the yard of the guest cottage Molly and I are renting here in Tucson?! While having dinner outside our first evening (definitely not April in Minnesota), some Gambel’s Quail provided the entertainment less than 15 yards distant. Given these birds were a lifer for me, it was darned difficult not to jump up from the table, rush inside and grab my camera. Instead, like the smart husband I am and who has been married 35 years I took another sip of Chardonnay!

However on day #2 late in the afternoon I was ready for said Quail to make an appearance. The birds did not disappoint, and I was treated to a courtship display!

Courting Gambel’s Quail

Normally, it might be expected that this great experience would end my story for the day, but that was not the case. When Molly and I returned from a pizza dinner, we had a delightful conversation with our hosts, Sylvia and Rich. Soon into our conversation they mentioned that an owl lived in their car port. Oh my … candy for a birder. I was invited to view and my first image later in this post of the Western Screech Owl was taken after sunset, and the next two photos were taken a bit before sunrise this morning. In between I had trouble sleeping, but I assume the owl hunted!

Some more on our AirBnb. We are ensconced in a “mother-in-law” apartment which is a separate building from the main house. We have our own private patio which faces East (important given the heat in this climate). The sunsets reflected on the mountains to our east are drop dead gorgeous, and the yard is southwestern wild (beautiful). As noted, our hosts are fantastic. We chose this location in north Tucson because of its proximity to paved bike paths and Catalina State Park. This morning I cycled over to the park on the bike trail … only 3.25 miles … great hiking and birding. More on this later. One may also bicycle all by paved trail to Sweetwater Wetlands, but I will reserve that for another day.

Please note: As our rental is part of a home in private neighborhood, birders should not expect to see the owl unless they rent the AirBnB. I assume this goes without saying, but it is important to respect private property.

Western Screech Owl