Birding Adventures: Utah

It is so much fun to have a birding buddy again! Our first adventures was up to summit park to see an evening grosbeak. We didn't see him but did hear it. Which means we were in the right area, just had bad luck. They are birds after all, and wild ones at that. But it was a fun day anyway. I saw lots of birds I hadn't seen for a long time.

But then posted on the internet were directions to a spotted owl....in Zion's national park. Do you know what the best part about having a birding buddy is? They don't think a 10 hours car ride for a spotted owl is all that crazy, in fact its their idea! So we went. And it was so fun! We crashed at my brother-in-law place in Cedar City (Thanks again K&M). Got up the next morning headed to Zions. They were seeing the owls along the trial to Angels Landing. That day they weren't roosting in the trees right off the trails so I think we got lucky seeing one in this crevice.

Can you find the owl in that picture? It took us a while too.

Angie searching.
We never found the other ones. (Three were two adults and a juvenile).

Angie enjoying the fruits of our labors.
After enjoying him for awhile we hiked the rest of the trail to the top.

It was really great to be in Southern Utah again. We are really lucky to have 5 national parks in same state! And the landscape is so unique.

Then we stopped of a slushy and headed home. It was a great weekend, with a great friend, great conversation, great scenery, and a great bird.

The only thing that could have made it better was if Bushtit E could have joined us. But for a last minute quick trip 2 out of 3's not bad.

Birding Adventures

For my birthday, or Mother's Day or both I don't remember, I went birding. I had a great day and actually saw one of the birds I was aiming for. Despite the wind, which was blowing pretty hard, it was a good day for birds. I took along my digi-scope adapter to give it a try, most of the pic didn't really turn out but it was fun anyway.

After some debate I went to one more wetland further away than I was planning on but it paid of with this.Its really hard to see but that is a Hudsonian Godwit. One of the bird that I was hoping to find. See the upturned bill. The one just to the left is a Dowitcher. Notice the size different and different bill shape. However they mostly looked like this. I was also rewarded with this fun guy.

No scope need here. This was taken just off the road with nothing but my 10X zoom. He is an Upland Sandpiper. Pretty common in NE although this was my first time seeing one in Nebraska.

On the way home there was a thunderstorm building. I tried to get off the interstate to take a picture of the clouds, but by the time I could stop I couldn't see the clouds I was going to take a picture of. Instead I saw this.

Still pretty cool.

There are several bird that were on my 'must see before I leave Nebraska' list that I never saw. Not for lack of trying mind you. They include the Buff Breasted Sandpiper, Piping Plover, Mississippi Kite, and Pileated Woodpecker. But as someone once told me "I always like leave a place wanting more. It makes you want to come back." So Buff Breasted Sandpiper, Piping Plover, Mississippi Kite, and Pileated Woodpecker you are still on the list. One day I will see you, and not seeing you now will make the moment I see you that much sweeter.

HAPPY BIRDING.

Spring

I have always loved spring. But spring in Omaha is .... well its .... awesomer! Spring in the Salt Lake Valley comes slowly. It can snow at anytime, and the weather can alternate between summer and winter, like a pendulum. But more than that spring in the Salt Lake Valley for me was always a waiting came. Spring meant it was too warm to do any winter sports activities, but too cold and too much snow in the mountains, to do any of the summertime activities. And so you wait. While spring is happening all around you, you wait for spring to creep up the mountain until summer comes and you can enjoy all that those glorious mounds of rock and dirt have to offer. Or you can head south. But everyone else has cabin fever like you do, and heads south while they play the waiting for spring game, and it become unpleasantly crowded.

But spring in Omaha is very different. Maybe it is because the winter are so much worse, (at least they are for me). Spring comes slowly but differently. It can snow at anytime and the weather pendulum swings just as dramatically. But once spring wraps its fingers around the world its here to stay. Spring creeps and creeps and than suddenly happens over night. This year we watched and waited and measured as the snow finally slowly began to melt. And there was the old dead grass, and it was a beautiful sight. We gloried in 30, than 40 degree weather. It was warm than cold than warm again. Then it was cloudy and gloomy and raining. But the next morning you woke up and the grass was green. And than another morning you woke up and there are leaves on the trees. The world turns from brown to green almost before your eyes. Spring is no waiting game here! Spring is when you get out and enjoy the world while its not too cold and not too hot. Spring is beautiful. People start coming out of their houses like bears that have been hibernating. They return to the coolness of the cave once the summer gets in full swing.

And then of course there is the spring migration. Spring migration is awesome in Utah but in Omaha it just seem more dramatic somehow. Maybe because winter birding is harder and less productive here. Spring migration in Omaha comes in two parts. There is the early migration of cranes and waterfowl. And the second one when the shorebirds and the warblers come back. And as I said before it get me twitching. There is so much to go see and bird. Like the grass and the trees coming to life before you eyes, the birding community 'springs' to life overnight.

And my other favorite thing about spring, sleeping with the windows open. It reminds me of sleeping outside and it is one of my most favorite simple pleasures in life.

Spring also means my birthday. I love having a spring birthday, the flowers seem to bloom just for my birthday.

HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE!

Birding with a Big M

I've always loved spring, but Spring seems to be magnified in Omaha, (but that is the subject for another post). Spring means migration. Oh I LOVE the spring migration in Nebraska. As the trees and the flowers come alive so do the birds, and the birding community. And it gets me twitching. Especially because spring also means finals. Finding time to do all the birding I want or even some birding and balance the needs of my family is a challenge. I sneak off now and again, an evening drive to Lincoln here, and an early morning back by 10 quicky there. And then there is trying to bird WITH the kids.

Earlier this week I took Melissa. I didn't really plan on it, but at the last minute I took her. We drove out to Lincoln to see the Pine Warbler. I thought the chances of seeing it with my attention divided were minimal, but 5 min after leaving the car there it was. I not only saw it but had great looks of it, heard it sing, and was able to relocated it twice. After satisfyingly watching it for a few minutes I was able to throw pine cones in the lake with Melissa, took her to the play ground, and the nature center. It was a spectacular park and I had THE BEST time there. I had so much fun with her and the park and the birds. It was a wonderful day.

And then I got cocky.

I figure it worked out so well I would try it again. But this time I had both kids. I had it all planned out, we were going to go for a hike down at Fontenelle, and sit and wait for the woodpecker to come to us. After arriving it took me forever to get the baby in the front back, the back pack full of water, treats, snacks, diapers, wipes and other mommy essentials, on my back, binoculars in hand, and ready to leave when Melissa insisted we look at the horses first. Then informed me she had to pee. There are no bathroom anywhere NEAR where we were. Since I had just gotten ready I did not want to load everything back up into the car: but that is exactly what I should have done.

I thought I could talk her into peeing in the woods. After convincing her there were no bathrooms around which was no small feet we started on the trail. I then tried to get her to go off the trail a little way to go. But she got bonked with the binoculars, and then got into some prickle bushes, and they hurt really bad. Now all she wanted to do was go home, not that I could blame her, but I didn't want to leave on such a negative note. So I convinced her to keep going (by saying we were on a loop and the car was up the trail which wasn't a Total lie). She started having fun but would not leave the trail for fear of more ochy plants and we never did take care of the other problem. I'm sure by this time you can guess the end of the story and no, the mommy backpack did not contain an extra pair of pants, underwear or socks.

On the upside, I gave Missa her own pair of binoculars and she thought that was so cool, and she look stinky cute looking through them the wrong way, we heard a barred owl at 2:00 p.m. and Mia cooed at the trees.

Ah the misadventures of the birding mother of two adorable kids. Maybe one day I will learn but I doubt it.

Yard Birds

After months I finally have bird seed for my feeders. And in the couple of weeks that I have had bird seed out I have seen 9 species at my feeder. Which I think is pretty good considering I have no yard, and I live in a very urban area. My list includes:

1. Black Capped Chickadee
2. House Sparrow
3. House Finch
4. Northern Cardinal
5. Blue Jay
6. Downy Woodpecker
7. American Robin
8. Dark Eyed Junco
9. Mourning Dove

Bushtits in Nebraska

March brought the Bushtits to Nebraska.

I admit that I am at a loss for words about our birding adventures. Not because I didn’t have fun, or immensely enjoy the company for my friends and fellow birders. Nor is it because we didn’t have many a sorted tells to tell, which as always were many, and included missed flights, almost missed flights, lost luggage, NOT getting the car stuck in mud, 40 mph winds, bacon glorious bacon and the like. I think I’m at a loss for words because I don’t know how to describe what I experienced. I have never been very articulate and sometime struggle with understanding my thoughts, and emotions, not to mention my lack of writing and creative skills. So Please read this awesome post which says everything I want to say and says it much better than I can.

But here are a few of my own thoughts to add. When I thought about what birding adventure could bring the girls to Omaha I didn’t think Nebraska had that much to offer. Not in the traditional sense anyway. Traditional birding trip sense that is. Usually trips evolve around seeing new species. (most birders obsessed compulsively about new species) We try very hard not to be the typically listing birder, but we are what we are and new species are usually the main goal. But Nebraska did have one unique thing to offer and that was Sandhill Cranes. Sandhill Cranes are not a new species, and they are actually quiet common. However hundreds of thousands of sandhill cranes gather along the Platte river in central Nebraska during spring migration. Hundreds of thousands of 3 foot tall birds, whose single call can be heard for miles, typically roost in the same 5 miles stretch of river. Five miles seems big, but as we explored the area some we realized how small that really is. It is quiet the spectacle to behold, and nothing can quiet describe it. My favorite part is the sound.

It was different to play host as well as birder. I believe it’s the first time, to stay at a fellow bushtits home. But it was enjoyable to have visitors. As planner you always fret over the details. You fret about the weather, and if the birds will show, and that it wasn’t ‘peak’ time (which was okay since at ‘peak’ the tourist can outnumber the birds and we prefer to be by ourselves), and where to find the birds, and should we call the outfitter to see the prairie chicken leks. Of course nothing cooperated as you would have liked and of course no one cared.

My favorite part of the trip was their excitement over one of my favorite places Fontenelle Forest. I wish we would have had time to take them to Hitchcock Nature Center. I know they would have loved it. It’s no Rocky Mountains out here but I have found a lot of beauty in the Midwest and it was fun to share it with them. Even though it was still winter and the leaves weren’t on the trees, the bird life was slow, and a million other details they could still see the beauty there. “All places contain innate beauty but not all can see it.” I love that they can.

New Birds

I saw two new birds this week. It seems lately that new life birds fall into two categories (outside of birding trips anyway since they have their own unique dynamic) and my two birds illustrate the two categories very nicely.

The Target Bird: My first new bird this week was a Sedge Wren. I went looking for it. I planned to see it, I knew where it should, when it should be there, what it looked like and tried to imagine what it sounded like. It was my target. New birds like this can be excited and incredibly frustrating because no matter how much you plan and prepare sometimes you just don't find what you went looking for. This time I did and I was very happy to check another must see in Nebraska bird off my list. After you bird the same area for a long time this usually becomes the only new birds, but not always.

The Accidental Lifer: My second new bird was a Least Tern. I was canoeing with the youth in our ward. We were floating down the Platte river, and on a wimp I took my binoculars. I figure if we were floating down the middle of the Platte maybe I could see a piping plover. (a target bird that has been repeatedly not there when looked for.) But I figured I would be concentrating more on stirring the boat, not tipping over (which I failed at), making sure no one drowns and other leader type responsibility to really look at many birds, which turned out to be the case of course. But when we stopped to play on a sandbar and I had a few minutes before some girls attacked me with water, to look at some birds. I thought they might be plovers since they were so small, but they turn out to be Least Terns. I didn't even realize that you could see Least Terns in Nebraska and was quite surprised and delighted to see them. I think this is my favorite kind of lifer, when you don't plan to see something, don't expect to, and maybe think it isn't even possible when there it is. When I see this kind of lifer I am usually looking for something else, doing something else and sometime don't even have the proper birding equipment, binoculars, books etc. But these are the birds that make the great stories. Stories like the chimney swifts and Angies poorwill. And these birds are the reason us birders never take our eyes of the skies, or trees, or bushes, or tweeting noises, or banks or garbage heaps birds are everywhere and you just never know.