Through The Portal: Day 1

Hey Readers!

For some time, my friend Caleb Strand and I have been planning to attend a Young Birder's Camp in the Chiricahua Mountains of extreme Southeastern Arizona.  Caleb went last year with Walker Noe who now lives in Idaho.  They had an immensely successful weekend of birding there.  Once I received the invitation from Caleb and got the ok from my parents, I signed up for the camp.  One of the camp leaders sent me an email asking whether or not I was planning to give a presentation!  I didn't know that was an option for attendees, so I thought of what I could talk about.  Then it came to me... I use eBird, Xeno-Canto, Project Noah, WhatBird, and the AZ/NM Listserv all the time.  Maybe some of these kids don't know about these great online resources?  So, I set up a power point, formulated an outline, and created some informative handouts for the camp.  I also studied a ton for this trip.  I tried learning the calls and songs of the birds that we might encounter and I also studied habitat and behavior extensively.  Additionally, I looked over potential rarities and discussed the plan of attack at length with Caleb over the phone.  And then that highly anticipated day finally came...

The Portal into the Chiricahuas

Once I double and triple checked that everything I needed was packed, we left the house and met Caleb and his Mom for breakfast.  After 'carbing' up for a long and hard weekend, we departed on the 3 or so hour drive to Willcox where we would meet the rest of the group.  Driving Southeast, we left Maricopa County and entered Pinal County...then we left Pinal County and entered Pima County.  After bisecting Pima County, we entered Cochise County.  Upon entering the Cochise County's desert grassland habitats, we started scanning intently from the car to single out a Chihuahuan Raven; a potential life bird for myself.  20 minutes into suitable habitat, Caleb calls out "Chihuahuan over here!"  I see a medium-sized corvid flying quickly away from us.  Their swift wing beats are a good clue as to their identity as is their smaller size in comparison with the Common Raven.  Also present along the roads were Swainson's Hawks, they somewhat replace Red-tailed Hawk in the grasslands.

After a long (but exciting) drive, we entered the city of Willcox, AZ.  Because we had extra time before we had to meet our group, we decided to bird at Cochise Lake - a fantastic place for SE AZ grassland and shorebird species.  We were dropped off at the lake by my Mom and Brother who were heading over to Subway to get us all lunch.  We had only a half hour, but it was certainly worthwhile!  We immediately picked up species such as Barn Swallows, Eastern Meadowlarks, and Horned Larks while walking up to the lake.  We started scanning through the many Black-necked Stilts, American Avocets, and Killdeers, we noticed some interesting birds on a sandbar just a little too far to ID.  We moved in closer and found that one was a Bonaparte's Gull in non-breeding plumage and that there were also 3 Baird's Sandpipers foraging nearby!

The Bonaparte's Gull

One of three Baird's Sandpipers we scoped out.

Also present on the lake were Mallards, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, Long-billed Curlew, and Wilson's Phalarope.  Moving on from the lake, we began to walk towards the nearby Twin Lakes Golf Course which is known for good birding.  We didn't actually bird on the golf course, but instead, walked alongside it.  We found some interesting species there including a Vermilion Flycatcher, Tropical, Western, and Cassin's Kingbirds, and Common Yellowthroat.  Caleb saw a male Bullock's Oriole which I missed.  As an epic consolation, a Pyrrhuloxia flew into a mesquite!!!  It was my lifer and a highly anticipated bird of mine!  We also noticed several Little Striped Whiptails - a lizard found in Arizona only in 3 tiny locations including the Willcox Playa.  We also had another lizard with a limited range in the United States which was the Elegant Earless Lizard.

One of the Little Striped Whiptails we found

A juvenile Horned Lark

Not long after finding the Pyrrhuloxia, my Mom messaged me that she was almost ready to pick us up.  We had a good meal together before heading to the local library to meet up with the leaders and attendees of the Young Birder's Camp.  For the longest time, I had been a 'lone birder' without any contact whatsoever with other birders.  Obviously, I had never been to a birder's camp, so this was sure to be quite the fun experience.  I was actually the oldest birder in attendance at 18 years old and Caleb was 2nd oldest at 16.  I met another young birder named Dorian (15 years old) who Caleb knew from last year.  Turns out, he is also a Christian, so the three of us share not only our love of birding, but also our love for the Lord.  Dorian was an absolutely hilarious and dedicated birder.  We were completely unprepared for how much fun we would have together!  After saying goodbye to my Mom and Brother, we loaded up one of the camp leader's cars with our gear and took off for a quick pit stop back at Cochise Lake.

Caleb, Dorian, and I succeeded in relocating the Bonaparte's Gull and Baird's Sandpipers for the group.  After failing to find our final target for the lake - the Scaled Quail - we were driving back to the main road when Caleb spied 3 Scaled Quail running alongside our car!!!  What a way to get a lifer. I will also add that Caleb did not get a single lifer during this entire trip.  Not one.  Why?  Well, that's because he's already seen everything.  There are not very many birds in Arizona that he hasn't seen.  Maybe I'll be there someday too.  Hopefully sooner than later.  After our Scaled Quail excitement, it was off to the fabled Chiricahua Mountains - ancient homeland of the Apache people and their notorious leader, Geronimo.

The leader who drove us to the camp was named Deb Vath.  She was a very fun person to talk to.  She told us all about her trip to the Magee Marsh in Ohio where she saw many Eastern warbler species and was able to observe American Woodcocks giving their strange courtship displays.  For the remainder of the trip, Caleb and Dorian adopted backwoods accents, complete with bad grammar and the occasional "Dad gum!" outburst.  Jeff Babson and Homer Hansen (the primary trip leaders) made a quick stop at a pull-off in the grasslands to talk about the surrounding environment and look around for a few minutes.  Jeff pointed out a juvenile male Scott's Oriole far away and we also had some Black-throated Sparrows and a Loggerhead Shrike.  From what I gleaned from their informative talk, the grasslands here were once tall enough to conceal a man!  It's hard to believe how the environment would have looked then.  Eventually, the water table dropped so low that grasses weren't able to get enough water to grow that large.  After a thought-provoking lecture, we were driving up the foothills of the Chiricahua Mountains.  The sky was gray and a light mist of rain sprinkled the dry earth.  As we gained altitude, the habitat changed around us.  The sparse grasses and yuccas began to mix in with oaks and pinyon junipers.  I could begin to smell the sweetness of the forest as the rain mixed with conifer sap.  Eventually, oaks and pines dominated the hillsides around us and the trees grew increasingly taller.  I was impressed by how much green foliage this area supported.  Certainly a haven for birds hoping to escape the heat of the lowlands.

We were in search of a fantastic rarity... a Slate-throated Redstart that had been sticking around one spot in Pinery Canyon!  Caleb had already been out to see the bird with his good friend Walker only a month ago and they were successful in their endeavor.  For every other young birder in the group (including me), this would be their first time seeing this species.  Normally, Slate-throated Redstarts are found in pine-oak woodlands south of the border and into Central America.  If I found it, it would immediately become the rarest bird I had ever seen.  While traveling, we encountered Wild Turkeys, Yellow-eyed Juncos, Mexican Jays, and Bridled Titmice.  After a wonderful half-hour surrounded by some of God's best work, we had arrived at the Slate-throated Redstart stakeout spot.  I noticed the calls and songs of Hairy Woodpeckers and Hermit Thrushes right off the bat and Caleb pointed out the song of a Red-faced Warbler and Painted Redstart (a cousin of our target bird).  We walked a little ways up the trail and met up with a small group of dedicated photographers who were sporting lenses that had to be worth at least $2,000 each.  According to other birders' reports, the redstart had been coming in for a couple minutes at a time with at least a half hour pause between observations.  Our group didn't have the luxury of time as we needed to check into the Southwestern Research Station promptly at 4.  Immediately upon arriving, the bird was being seen by everyone and I looked intently into the pine that people were excitedly pointing at to see a small, unassuming bird flitting about from bough to bough.  I peered at it through my binoculars and there was my first Slate-throated Redstart.  It was quite active while foraging and did give us many good photo ops.  The Slate-throated Redstart is actually a beautiful little warbler with slate-gray upperparts and throat.  The belly is a vibrant red color and its long dark tail is trimmed with white on either side.

The best shot I could manage of my first ABA Code-4 bird

We only spent 10 minutes at the spot because of time constraints, and then we were off to the Southwestern Research Station - our base camp for the weekend.  Caleb pointed out the song of a Black-chinned Sparrow during our ascent up the hill.  Its bouncing ball song is pretty distinctive for a sparrow, but easily overlooked or passed off as something else.

Traveling on for about an hour, we finally reached the Southwestern Research Station.  After chucking our bags into our nice little room, Caleb, Dorian, and I started walking around the area to get a feel for the land and maybe see a few birds.  We made a beeline for the hummingbird feeders hoping to find Blue-throated Hummingbirds (a would-be lifer for me).  Not only did we find them, but they were the most prominent hummingbird species there!  They dominated the feeders and even chased off the larger Magnificent Hummingbirds which were also present in good numbers.  (I was shocked to see how shy and non-aggressive the Mags were!)  In addition to these larger hummer species, Many Black-chinned and one Broad-tailed Hummingbird were also visiting the feeders.

A male Blue-throated Hummingbird

A female Blue-throated Hummingbird

One of the shy male Magnificent Hummingbirds

 

A female Magnificent Hummingbird

While walking away from the feeders, Caleb and I noticed a medium-sized raptor flying away from us.  We both thought it may have been a Gray Hawk, but something didn't seem right.  Then, it dawned on us - it was a Northern Goshawk!  We moved on after our 'feederwatch' to a pine dominated slope that was nearby.  It was there that we heard a Buff-breasted Flycatcher!  The BBFL was not a lifer for Caleb who had seen one in SE AZ recently, but it was my first.  Of course, we wanted to get some good looks at the bird, so we investigated.  The bird wasn't overly compliant.  It moved from perch to perch quicker than I could focus my camera.

  

Apart from the birds I mentioned, we crossed paths with many other species at the station including but not limited to: Wild Turkeys, Dusky-capped Flycatchers, Black and Say's Phoebes, Plumbeous and Hutton's Vireos, a Grace's Warbler, a Painted Redstart, Hepatic and Summer Tanagers, and many Black-headed Grosbeaks.

A nice American Robin

  

Red Satyrs were common around camp.

This Mexican Fox Squirrel is found in the United States strictly in the Chiricahuas!

Cliff Chipmunks could also be found at the station.

After finding nearly 40 species of birds around camp in an hour and a half, we met with the camp leaders and attendees for an orientation and some interesting presentations.  Afterwards, we were hopped into the cars and took off for a little bit of owling.

Caleb and I were obviously excited for the owling to come!

We drove to an area near Stewart Campground to begin our search.  After only 10 minutes of listening, our ears picked out the calls of a Whiskered Screech Owl - one of my major targets for the trip!  By using playback and patiently waiting, we enticed the bird to come in closer and we were able to have some decent views.  The leaders did not shine lights on the owls for any more than 20 seconds at a time.

With such limited time to focus on the owl, this was the best I could manage.

After spending a little while with the owl, the leaders decided to leave it alone, so we walked back to the cars.  Caleb, Dorian, and I heard a Mexican Whippoorwill start calling which was very exciting!  Under the guidance of one of the leaders, Caleb, Dorian, and I were allowed to relocate the owl.  We weren't disappointed!

After a couple shots, the owl flew away and we left as well.  When we got to our room, I noticed great numbers of insects that were attracted to the lights outside.  Naturally, I couldn't help but photograph everything...

A Tenebrid Beetle

A gorgeous Leopard Moth (Grammia incorrupta)

A Plume Moth

A Camel Cricket

An Indomitable Melipotis Moth (Melipotis indomita)

A wolf spider of some sort

A Beloved Emarginea Moth (Emarginea percara)

An Erebid Moth (Bulia deducta)

After photographing the bugs outside, we retired to our room for the night.  Dorian, Caleb, and I had an awesome time talking and hanging out.  But, of course, I became tired quickly and went to sleep.

Today's Accomplishments:  9 Lifers!

1. Chihuahuan Raven  2. Pyrrhuloxia  3. Scaled Quail  4. Slate-throated Redstart  5. Blue-throated Hummingbird  6. Northern Goshawk  7. Buff-breasted Flycatcher  8. Whiskered Screech Owl  9. Mexican Whippoorwill.

Bringing my life list to... 337


Godspeed and good birding,

- Joshua