Bird Call: July 2016

Pine Siskin. Or not.

This looks like a nice photo of a Pine Siskin. Right? But with all the photo editors out there you can’t be sure what you’re looking at anymore.

I always thought I had to get out there early and do lots of hard, dirty field work to get good pictures.

But I’ve learned a lot lately.

It all started when Windows 10 ate my computer. Sort of. Long geeky story.

Bottom line I had to reset it. Cleaned it up nicely. Back to the original settings. Runs better. Faster. Now that there aren’t any programs to slow it down. One of them was my photo manager. It’s gone. Forever. Can’t get it anymore. And it was so simple.

I spent the weekend searching for another one. A free one of course. On line. Which turned into a big job. By Sunday I had computer-head. That’s when you comparison shop so long fog rolls in between your brain and your eyeballs.

So I finally admitted defeat and bought one. It wasn’t cheap.

But it’s remarkable. I can do whatever I want to a photo now. Amazing things. Stupendous things. Make birds appear. Or disappear. Change their color. Or shape. Or size. I could put a turkey on the moon. If I wanted.

At least that’s what they told me.

Actually I haven’t been able to make it do anything yet.

(The Pine Siskins are real. Untouched. From my old program.)

But I will learn the new one. Then look out.

Yes. I may miss some of the adventure of trying to get good shots using just my camera. And my wits. And my rear. To sit in the mud waiting for ducks to swim by. Or my hands and knees. To sneak along behind a log. With just my head bobbing up.

But I think all that’s behind me now.

Heck. Why bother?

Once I’m up and running? I’ll just make everything up. : )

Distinguishing Marks: brown striped. Yellow on wings and tail. Delicate. Modest.

Boring Facts: Pine Siskins survive winter in part by adding significant body weight, getting salt from winter roads and storing food in their gullet for midnight snacks.

(Personal note: I happen to gain a little weight myself in winter. And I like salty midnight snacks (I prefer potato chips to road salt.) I just don’t have that crop for snacks. That's why I have to get the family size bag of chips.)

(I think the computer issue took part of my blog too. That will give me something to fix next week.)

Posted at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

Black-tailed Gnatcatchers barely
differ in looks from their more famous cousin the
California Gnatcatcher. But the Black-tailed are desert rats, so to speak, and are pretty easy to find on the Lower Colorado between the two states. Anyway the ID was easy in this case. These particular birds were definitely on the AZ side of the river. : )

While the Colorado River doesn’t claim any giant Texas-sized gnatcatchers, (See Boring Fact) it is home to some 60 sites with giant desert relief figures. Maybe 1000 years old. Who made them and why is a mystery. Best guess is they represent creation figures. These are from the Blythe Intaglios. Intaglios meaning “carving.” In Italian. Of course.

(Photo courtesy of the U.S. BLM, although they don’t know it.) http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/cultural/intaglios.html

Interesting. But we didn’t visit them. One: we had no idea they were there. Two you pretty much need a plane to see them. Three: they didn't do birds.

Which is a shame. The largest is 171’ long.

I’d put that up against a Rio Grande gnatcatcher any day. : )

Here's the ebird interactive range map for Black-tailed Gnatcatchers.

Google Map of Blythe Intaglios

Posted at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The Birdie Bunch: Redux

Here’s the story of a pretty birdie,

who was bringing up three very lovely chicks.

They all had gray feathers like their mother.

Maybe one male in the mix.

Here’s the story of a handsome fellow

Who helped build the nest and feed their little flock

He fed the two who looked just like the mother,

And the one chip off the block.

The birdie bunch

Together they made up the birdie bunch

(What are they? Hover over photos to find out)

Distinguishing Marks: Tiny. Light & medium-gray. Brownish. :) Some white under tail. Black cap on Males (breeding season.) Busy.

(Click photos to enlarge.)

Boring Fact: This species has taken up permanent housekeeping in the hot dry areas of the desert southwest from California to Texas. Although there is no empirical evidence Texas birders continue to report sightings of this bird grown to enormous proportions in the Rio Grande Valley. :)

Posted at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Birding Arizona Tour:

I’m always on the lookout for classy hotels under $100. I found a gem in Oak Creek. It was old but kept up. And clean. And there was this:

Besides, Oak Creek was in the back yard. Beautiful.

And next? A visit with my brother and his wife. Couldn’t wait. My brother and I like to hang out. And bird. And take photos.

The next day was our bird tour. With a guide. My brother. He’s been everywhere in Arizona.

We started by driving down Blue Grade [dirt] Road. It wound through piñons and junipers then plunged down Rarick Canyon to Beaver Creek. It was hot. But birdy.

From there it was west to Cornville. For Mexican food. We thought. We were aiming for the La Fonda Restaurant. Closed. Tried Manzanita Grill. Closed. Tried Grasshopper Café. Closed. Nothing was open. We finally got it. What were we thinking? It was Monday. So we went to the convenience store. Ate by the creek. It was still hot. But we weren’t hungry.

Then we drove through Page Springs. Vineyards. And vineyards. Everywhere. We didn't even stop. It was Monday.

Then there was a walk-about at the fish hatchery. Hotter yet. But birdy-er. And fun.

Then home. Through Sedona. Past slide rock. Up Oak Creek canyon into the pines. It wasn’t hot anymore. We got home for happy hour. Sat on the back porch and talked about the day. And the past. About how we used to visit Slide Rock as kids and were the only ones there. Now it’s a State Park. Fees to get in. A line of cars half a mile up Oak Creek. Things change. It’s still beautiful.

And about the family. We got a pat on the shoulder growing up. Instead of a hug. And ham and scalloped potatoes instead of I love you from Mom. It was ok. We all knew.

San Francisco Peaks