Tucson AirBnB Birding! (Screech Owl and Gambel’s Quail)

Year 6

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

Rio Grande River Road Runner! (video)

Year 6

Meep – Meep!

There were no Wile E. Coyotes during yesterday afternoon’s bike ride along the Rio Grande River in New Mexico, but there were Road Runners … lots of Road Runners!!! Molly and I are working our way from Big Bend National Park to Tucson which necessitated and overnight stop along the way. Enter my friend, Google Maps … with satellite and bicycle layers activated. My map research determined that the Holiday Inn Express Hotel was located only 200 yards from a bike trail. Thus, after hours in the car we took an eighteen mile bike ride with a significant section along the Rio Grande River.

Here in Las Cruces, New Mexico, much of the Rio Grande is a dry riverbed. There is a very small amount of water which has not been tied up and used for farm irrigation. The end result is the habitat next to the river is perfect for Road Runners. Given the bike path, the birds were somewhat habituated to people. I quickly discovered if I dismounted from my bicycle, the road runners became concerned and ran away. However, I could bike within ten yards, and as long as I continued to straddle my bike, my presence was tolerated.

Moral of the story … do advance research. Google Maps made for an excellent bike and birding excursion rather than sitting in a motel room. While I have seen road runners a few times in my life, I have never had this kind of viewing experience. Uff Dah!

Road Runner!

Video

Hiking into History: Big Bend National Park

Year 6,

Big Bend National Park is at the end of the road, both literally and figuratively. The park is one of the least visited in America, both due to its extreme weather and remote location. Molly and I chose to visit in late March and enjoy a desert spring. Even so, upon arrival our first afternoon the daytime high soared to 90F. However, the weather soon changed and by the morning of our second day we were dealing with 40F, clouds, and 35 mph winds.

Why the title … hiking into history? Quite simply you do see history. Erosion in the park reveals eons of rock strata, but even our base location in a town right outside the park entrance is a former ghost town. We stayed in Terlinqua where residents enjoy their “end of the road” existence, and some people watching will yield 1960’s throwback culture. In Terlinqua, Texas if you want the modern world you are in the wrong place. The park has rescued the former ghost town, but nary a neon sign or chain store / restaurant is found. Rented lodging is often in nice tents or trailors. Molly and I actually had a small cabin not much bigger than our bed … with access to a bath house … no running water or bathrooms in the cabin.

I started my first day at 4:00 a.m. Big Bend is a certified Dark Sky location. I hung out on the main highway 4 miles out of town till 5 am photographing the Milky Way. I never had to move for a car. In these two photos I am seeing millennium of light … the first shows the highway lit for 2 seconds by my flashlight … the second is a selfie with clouds starting to move over the Milky Way (and moon glow rise)

Should you vist the park be prepared to hike, but as the warning signs stated … be off the trails by noon or risk dangerous heat conditions. As we experienced winter temperatures, we were lucky enough to hike throughout the day, but one still needed plenty of water.

One interesting note even with the cooler conditions, the desert was alive at sunrise, but appeared dead later in the day. At this overlook named Donkey Ears where we watched the sun come up, in the pre sunrise conditions we heard lots of birdsong, bees, saw jackrabbits and coyotes. However, when we returned three hours later there was dead silence. Desert wildlife including birds become dormant during the day … seeking whatever shade is available.

Pre-Dawn at Donkey Ears (lots of singing birds)

Sunrise Images (flowers and buttes)

Our return to Donkey Ears was to enjoy the desert bloom. The cactus were flowering, and there were even bluebonnets along the roadside! Early spring is a fantastic time to visit a desert … nights can be chilly but the landscape is unusually alive with color.

One lone Pyrrhuloxia and a Jack Rabbit popped (hopped?) out of the cacti to show themselves during our mid morning hike.

When we reached the ranger station, I found this Say’s Phoebe hiding from the wind … in a reserved spot. No other birds need even dream of visiting.

St. Elena Canyon on the Rio Grande

Big Bend National Park and Texas Hill Country: Archival Content