Desert Dwellers

I apologize for my prolonged blogging absence, but the weather here has been unbearable all summer and we are still roasting under triple digit temperatures. The birds seem reluctant to show themselves and I am reluctant to subject myself to these searing temperatures to search for them. However, we just got back from a trip to the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. And to my delight, I was able to get pictures of two new bird species to add to my personal list.
The first new species I shot was at a roadside overlook on our way to Hoover Dam. This beautiful covey of Gambel's Quail (Callipepla gambelii) took me by surprise; the last thing I expected in this lifeless, barren landscape was a population of birds. Also surprising was just how beautiful and resilient these birds really are considering their harsh environment. They live off of the seeds and fruit of what few plants there are in the desert and can obtain nearly all the water they need from the food they eat. Their range is limited to the hot deserts of the SW and Mexico. [P.S. don't forget to click on images to enlarge]

Running Wild

While strolling through a cactus garden on our recent trip out West, I spotted this guy zipping through the foliage. I use to see these Roadrunners (Geococcyx californianus) on dirt roads all around Bismarck when I was a kid. I haven't seen one in a long time. Since these birds seldom fly, but rather spend much of their life on the ground, I can imagine they have been suffering the same fate as our native bobwhite quail-- coyote chow! What a shame; I really enjoyed watching these birds tearing down the road kicking up a stream of dust in their wake. We really need to do something about this coyote issue before we loose all of our ground dwelling birds. Thankfully, these guys do nest in trees. Other intesting facts include their top speed which can be 30 m.p.h. and the fact that roadrunners are very opportunistic feeders eatting lizards, snakes, large insects, spiders, scorpions, rodents, and even other birds! I really miss you guys around Arkasas, Beep. . .Beep!

Worried

The terrible disaster that is occurring in the gulf is sickening to me. I spent a few days down on the gulf last March collecting red seaweed (I do DNA research on invasive species) and also photographing birds along the coast. I am very worried about the future of these coastal birds given the scale of this disaster. Here are a few of the gulls I saw while collecting my seaweed specimens.

Some Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis) and Laughing Gulls (Larus atricilla)

A Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)

Spreading their Wings

It is that time of year when a lot of chicks are leaving the nest and a lot of juvenile birds are spreading their wings for the first time. Just today we say the 4 bluebird chicks raised in our backyard birdbox leave the nest. Above is what I believe is juvenile blue grosbeak (Guiraca caerulea) based upon its size and the shape of its beak. The pic with the cardinal is for scale.

New Front Yard Visitors

I was delighted to see a pair of Brown Thrashers (Toxostoma rufum) in my front yard today. I had been seeing them around, but was unaware they had built a nest in the same tree as their cousin, the mockingbird. The mockingbirds have been nesting in a cedar tree in my front yard for several years now, but believe me this tree is big enough for the whole family.

New Visitor

I have a pair of Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) chomping at my suet feeders. I actually had been hearing them, long before I saw them. They have a loud, distinctive song, particularly the males. There have been reports of captive males singing their song up to 3,000 times per day! These birds are very territorial and mating pairs (which last for life) will defend their feeding grounds, so I guess my feeder is in this couples territory. I suspect from watching these two that they will be nesting in my neighbors pine trees.

Beautiful Blue Skies

I was being watched carefully today while hiking around the lake. This broad-winged hawk (Buteo platypterus) made the spring sky even more inviting. These birds are returning from wintering in Central and South America; a 4,000 mile trip on which they have been shown to travel an average of 69 miles per day.