Violet

And the sky was made of amethyst
And all the swallows were just like little fish
You should learn when to go
You should learn how to say "no"

Birding with da boys on Thursday was okay socially, but not a greatly birdy day at Hempstead Lake STPK. So after the lack luster walk some of us reconvened at Valley Stream STPK for the previously reported Louisiana Waterthrush. Ed thrasher, Bob Prothonotary and I did not succeed, but while there, Bob was vexed by alerts to Whatsapp groups that were no longer ( or so he though ) of interest to him. I showed him how to mute the alerts.

Some time later, when we were just about ready to call it a day, an alert came in. Violet-green Swallow near Albany. WTF!? A potential first state record. And there was a picture. A perfect picture. That was most certainly a VGSW. Holy crap! Bob wanted the alerts back again.

Ed was nonplussed, and not interested. That is characteristically Ed. Bob knew the significance but was both interested and cautious. That is characteristically Bob. I knew the significance, checked the time, and immediately reasoned that without dawdling we could be there in a reasonable amount of time with ample time to search for this mega bird. This is charac....  Oh, you know the rest.

We found a place to leave Bob’s car, and bid Ed adieu. We hit the road with much anticipation. Holy crap; a mega rarity that will be a first NYS record if accepted, -and- it was captured with excellent photos.

On the way, it started to flurry! WTF? Snow? Oh wait, we were upstate, they don’t believe in spring until absolutely forced to. 

Snow flakes

We arrived on site and recognized both birders from up there ( Albany +/- )  and from down here ( Long Island +/- ). Some folks were walking out of the trail while we were walking in, but all reports were negative. Undaunted, we pressed on.

To our left was a wetland, part of the Mohawk River. To our right was the remains of the historic NYS Erie canal. Flying about were lots of Tree Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, and one Barn Swallow.

Sure, trying to find a similarly plumed bird among the swirling mass of swallows was a challenge, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. Some temporarily resting birds were spotted on fallen trees in the canal, but none were the one we were looking for.

Bob and I were a bit surprised that a bird of such magnitude did not stimulate a greater response. Sure it was a week day, but birders call in sick all the time ( or so I’ve heard ) and with so many “working” from home, the ability to take an extended “bathroom” break is an option. And yet there was no where near what we would have expected in terms of the number of people searching.

I met John Hershey, the fellow with the remarkable dumb? luck who found the bird. The thing was, that he didn’t know it until he got home and reviewed his photos from that mornings walk. As he put it, he had shifted away from birding and gotten into photography. As a result he was focused on the images he could capture, and not so much on seeing and Iding the birds present. When he got home though, he new what he had and to his credit and got the word out.

After a few hours of studying the swallows unsuccessfully, we decided to refresh ourselves with a meal at Pancho’s Mexican restaurant. When we returned, there were even fewer people looking. By the end of the day I had seen a nice number of species that brought my Saratoga bird list up to 49, and also saw a muskrat and a beaver. But no swallow. Dang. Sunset meant it was time to go home, and endure the ‘drive of shame’.  

Beaver

Remember that Barn Swallow I mentioned?  Well there was one, and though the flock moved around the wetland quite a bit, when we studied where ever they concentrated and congregated, picking out that one bird was easy. My conclusion was that if the VGSW was present we would have picked it out as well.

Another dip. Add this to the missed Bean Goose that was just a short way north of here also in Saratoga county. OTOH prior to that I did succeed in getting great looks at Pine Grosbeak for my year list. Well I guess the bad part of the incredible number of rarities and first state records is that not getting them all is inevitable. Yin and Yang at work.

"You Go Girl?" Nah, Eu Go Plo (ver)!

In the good old days, there were a few places where one would find out about rarities. Not anymore, because there ~is~ such a thing as too much of a “good” thing. How many ABA rare bird fazebuke pages do we need to cry snake? How many wutsap, grope.me twittle, text groups, or -gasp- eburd alerts etc etc etc do we need? Plainly, there are too many.

Yes, that was a rant. It is an unfortunate sign of the times, known as the “disinformation age.” An ABA code 4 rarity shows up and dissemination of information was a bit less than forthcoming. Mind you, I did get to see it, but for those that have not or had not, where to look for updates might prove to be an exercise in frustration.

Why is this the case? All of this fragmentation hinders what many, if not most of us seek: timely information on birds so that we may experience them too. To clarify, I don’t think this is malicious, but most definitely frustrating and unfortunate to have to search multiple platforms.

I originally found out about this bird on Tuesday, and with consistent reports throughout the day Wednesday, a plan was hatched to go to see this bird on Thursday. I departed at 4:30 am and picked up Bob Prothonotary and Earic Miller.

We had an almost completely unencumbered trip. I remain perplexed that I-95, one of my least favorite roads, remains in a constant state of construction. Leaving very early was a way to ameliorate the tribulation of the former, and of dealing with others on the road, sometimes loosely referred to as other ‘drivers’.

Arriving on location at 9:30am, I was faced with a decision of whether to park in the far lot and walk to 2 miles to the last reported location, or risk driving the road. The pro parking thought was: avoid a possible ticket, the con was: it was a long walk, it might rain, and I was a bit over-tired and cranky. The uncharacteristic ‘cranky’ aside, con won.

It was slow going down a very passable unpaved road, but we eventually saw a cluster of birders. They were either glancing through scopes or taking pictures, signs arriving birders always want to see.

Sidling up, we all were able to spot our quarry tout suite. There was only a few shorebirds present, one Black-bellied Plover, one D
unlin, one Piping Plover, and the much desired European Golden Plover!  

If there had been a large group of plovers, its possible it would have been a tad more challenging to pick out. However, seeing the bird it immediately struck me as being quite pot bellied. More examination showed a small bill, especially compared to the Black-bellied plover near by. Yes!

Getting a lifer is no small feat at this point, so I was very pleased with getting ABA bird number 726. No surprise it was a lifer for all three of us, but I was a bit surprised it was an actual lifer for world birder Prothonotary. 

The only rub, was that the tide was extremely low. The birds were well out by the water’s edge and not giving the most glorious looks due to distance. We were very glad that we didn’t dip after the 4.5hour trip, an apparently overwhelming time duration that discouraged others from making an attempt. Curious, as it was not much longer in duration that the unsuccessful trip to dip on the Bean Goose that stopped in upstate NY after its departure from PA.

With the tide out, we decided to venture into town for coffee and then make a second pass at the Plover. This was a good idea, the incoming tide pushed the birds much closer and we got much better looks and photo opportunities. There was much rejoicing.

European Golden Plover - Nicely showing white under-wings

 

 

Black-bellied Plover L.                  European Golden Plover R.

Dunlin L.                      Black-bellied Plover R.

We shmoozed with some locals, curious about what we all were so enthralled by. One of the folks was an oysterman, and after our chat he recommended a local eatery, and we took his advice and enjoyed a superb celebratory beverage and repast.

There were many tasty choices, but we all chose oyster Po’ boys.

Po Boys and beer!

Flash forward, boy did we have good timing because Massachusetts was hit with a snow storm the day after our visit. Yikes! And as far as I can tell, the bird has not been relocated.

Thus Spohee Zarathustra

So 2020 was bad for so many reasons, mainly the pandemic and the POS in charge, but bird wise not too shabby! And 2021 is starting off well !

Well the birds start coming and they don't stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
Doesn't make sense not to bird for fun
If Your brain’s so smart why’s your head so dumb
So much to do, so much to see
So what's wrong with chasing the bird tweets
You'll never know if you don't go
You'll never shine if you don't glow

I was enjoined to go out birding on the first of the year, and I’m glad I did. Beginning at Mill Pond, along with the usual suspects we easily saw the continuing Common Gallinule and the female Blue-winged Teal. Next stop at Camman’s Pond where we spotted Red-shouldered Hawk and Pintail Duck; and a brief stop down the road for Monk Parakeets.

Onward to Jones beach, we spotted a flock of Red Crossbills resting at the top of a deciduous tree; we didn’t even have to get out of the car. Scored eruptive Snowy owls (4) and Red-breasted Nuthatches as well as all the Scoters and Bonaparte’s Gull. Because of the hunters present, birds we were looking for at Point Lookout were not present, but a Red Phalarope flew by so an ample consolation! 69 species to start the year off is not too shabby.


On the second, I was attending to various chores when a report of a female Spohee ( Spotted Towhee ) came though the interwebs. I finished what I was doing and headed to a park I’ve only been to once before in Baldwin; that time it was for a Harris’s Sparrow, also found by a mysterious birder named Patton Chaoui. They find a lot of rarities for some reason...
 
At the park I was greeted by teaming hordes of birders but despite our collective best efforts we could not relocate the bird. At the figurative 11th hour, dusk anyway, Isaac Brant spotted the bird and called several of us. I had literally  just gotten in my car and started the engine, but was glad I did not have to double back.  I shut off the car and informed the others still in the lot.

The bird called few times, Bob Prothonotary and some others heard the bird call, but I couldn’t and it was not seen again. Spent about 5 hrs there trying to find the bird and didn’t, so headed there the next day hoping for a potential NYS bird...

Once again, I walked this uninspiring wasteland of invasive species. The non lawn areas was dominated by Chinese Bittersweet, Japanese Honeysuckle, Briar, and Multiflora Rose. Combined it made for an impenetrable tangle both physically and visually. We had spread seeds that Dunlin  had brought for just such an occasion, and we stationed ourselves observing the very uncharacteristic behavior of the White-throated Sparrows that did not avail themselves of the bounty before them. Instead they stayed a few feet in the brush. Only a handsome Fox Sparrow ventured into the open, and nice as it was, it was not our quarry.

So we walked the trails over and over. And over again. And then there came a report at about 9am that the bird had been found in the back lot. Everybody stated heading in that direction except me. I ran. But it was no use; the bird had been flushed by passers by, and despite a long vigil did not reappear.

We walked the paths and fields yet again and again, and by noon we still had not found it. 5 hours had passed. We walked to the back of the field where Isaac had seen the bird the previous day, and joined Earic Miller who was stationed there just looking and listening.

Together with Ernst Bushtit, Bob and I were scanning the sparrows and chickadees that were in the brush hoping to spot the towhee. Earic was about 20 feet behind us, and Bob had the great idea that I should play the call to tease Earic. Well it worked too well. He came over and said I’m hearing the bird! I tried to explain that I had played the call when Bob said he was hearing it too. The bird started responding to the call!  

The bird then popped up in the bittersweet and we got fleeting looks. I played the call once more and we all got much better looks, and there was much rejoicing. Because it had been raining, neither Ernst nor I had our camera. He went back for his, but I was happy just having seen the bird.  I posted a message about our success and location, and learned that others were able to see the bird later that day as well as a whole slew of folks today.

Well we all worked very hard for this bird. It appears that with the more pleasant weather today the bird has been far more accommodating, and that’s all good. For me its another NYS bird, number 433. Yes!

Trippin & Dippin in 2020. Such is Birding

Anhinga is an easy bird to see especially in Florida.

Back in 1996 a group of us saw one way up high while birding at Garrett Mountain in NJ. Apparently sightings in New York have also been of birds flying rather high up.

Then in 2018 one stopped for a while in Sullivan County. I tried to see it but it had flown off by the time I had arrived, seemingly never to be seen again. And then it was relocated, and again, I missed it.

So when one showed up in Monroe county, and especially since it was being reliable I had to try. Churchville is far away from downstate. Seven hours far away. So securing Bob Prothonotary as a co-conspirator, and with other bird goodies to be had up that way, I hatched a plan.

It was a good plan. Drive up after work Monday, check into a hotel, and be on location nice and early. Traffic cooperated, and check-in was a breeze.

After breakfast, it was a short drive to Churchville Park where we found three other birders and the bird stationed on its favored perch. Yes, it may have felt too easy, but not when the previous attempts are added to the equation, it felt oh so good.

Anhinga  

 

Satisfied with our look at the cooperative Anhinga, we moved on to Braddock Bay where a bunch of Redpolls was being reliable. Once out by the end of the spit, we spotted the restless flock feeding on weed seeds. Among them, Bob spotted a clearly brighter bird and alerted me to it - Hoary Redpoll! As the flock moved about, it was kinda easy to spot as it was so much whiter and really stood out from the dull, dirty plumed Common Redpolls.

Common & Hoary Redpoll (lower left)

Satisfied, and conscious of limited daylight and the ensuing ride home, we made haste for the Weber Campground. The trip along the shore of Lake Ontario was so picturesque. It warrants more time to spend exploring in the future.

Three targets under our belt, our final quarry was more elusive. We explored the park where Bob had been in the past for the same species, and it looked bleak. We ran into another birder named Joe Wing (what a name for a birder!) and we joined forces. Kyle Rock Dove also joined us, and finally Joe spotted a Pine Grosbeak atop a tree calling. Not the best look, but them's the breaks. Interestingly, in the same general locale that Bob said he had seen them years before.

(Poorly lit)  Pine Grosbeak

The Anhinga is NYS bird 433 for me, I achieved my goal for getting at least 300 birds in NY for the year, and what I thought would be the end of birds I might get this horrible year. We celebrated our success at Prison City Brewery with good burgers and then headed home. 

Sadly, I later heard that this bird, like the Great Black Hawk in Maine, succumbed to the cold.

Earlier in September I ventured to Batavia NY for a Neotropic Cormorant. There had been a few prior records for this bird in that part of the state and with this one being reliable, I went for it. It was a great road trip, capped off with a stop at Copper City Brewery. NYS 431.

The Cormorant was bitter sweet however because I was chastised for going for that bird, but not going up to Rochester for the Swallow-tailed Kite. Yeah, there was a cooperative Kite way upstate and I didn’t motivate myself to go for it. The competitive listers keep track of the birds others get, and they gave me grief for what I went for, and for what I didn’t.

Neotropic Cormorant (L)

October held Tropical Kingbird, NYS 432 and I had the most fortunate window in my schedule that allowed me to run up to Westchester and actually get the bird with just enough time to squeak by and get back to the office on time. What was really neat was that the bird was found by a birder who defaulted to the ‘expected’ Western Kingbird, but 15 year old Julian investigated and hearing the call identified it as New York’s first TK! I particularly enjoyed how jazzed he was at how many people showed up to see the bird he ID’ed.

Tropical Kingbird

November continued with the unexpected. I was birding at the beach when a friend got a call alerting him to a Common Cuckoo that had been found that morning in Rhode Island. I got the info, and called Arlene Rails to see if she wanted to join me. She did, I picked her up on the way, and we drove up to join other birders who beckoned us over to their scopes for views w/in moments of arrival. She lamented ‘Oh that was too easy’.

 

Common Cuckoo

Lest you think its been all wine and roses for me this year, as with the Swallow-tailed Kite, I passed up a chance at a very cooperative Sabine's Gull at Onandaga lake, and then dipped on one in Buffalo, replete with the ‘drive of shame’ home. Of course there was the Fork-tailed Flycatcher that we arrived too late for at the Ashokan reservoir, and on the same day a Painted Redstart in Brooklyn that we found out about so late that we could not get to see it before dark, and it was gone the next day.

But 2020 has had more surprises. December had a Tundra Bean Goose visiting the suburbs of Philadelphia. Probably, it was the same bird that was earlier in Ottowa Canada. Once again I asked if Arlene would like to join me on the twitch and we made our way to the Crum Reservoir. Upon Arrival none other than Jeffrey Gordon, the President of the ABA ( not the race car driver ) beckoned us over for an immediate look at the goose. And once again she said: “Oh that was too easy”. Really? But she always finds really good breweries so I guess I can let it go... ABA bird 725!

The Prez

Tundra Bean Goose

Three Days of the Quetzal

I’ll bet you thought this would be yet another blog called Quetzal Quest. 

Arizona rarities. They keep drawing me back. I stopped seeing patients back in March due to the pandemic, leaving a lot of time to think about chasing rarities. To be honest I’m usually thinking about chasing rarities, but back then I had even more time to do so, and so many of us have been lamenting the trips they had planned that were cancelled. 

 With reports of Crescent-chested Warbler and Eared Quetzal, thoughts and discussions revolved around the "how to's". Jason Hornbill of Pennsylvania revealed to me at the site of the Terek Sandpiper  that he and some co-conspirators rented a car and drove 36 hrs to try for the EAQU, but disastrously dipped. Doing so would avoid the confined space of air travel, but one must also dedicate enough time to locate birds in a huge area. 

 

That they had done so was encouraging and I probably could have mustered a posse. Agonizingly, I had brought in my car for a recall shortly prior with the dealership telling me: “You can wait for the repair which should only take a few hours.”  I am not one to want to wait around so I opted for a loaner car, and it was a good thing I did. “We still haven’t gotten the parts” meant that they had my car for 3 weeks; had I known in advance I too would have driven to Arizona. 

Bob Prothonotary was very interested in going for the Quetzal. He heard, but didn't see the bird ca. 40 years ago. No ‘heard only’ birds for him. He’s also trying to see all of the Trogon family, and the EAQU is supposed to be hard to see even where it occurs. 

Bob hopes to see a Quetzal

 

 For myself, I was in Arizona back in 1994. It was a commercial trip which meant that it was limited by the least able participants. It was run as a: 'hop out, tick the birds, and hop back in' type of trip. This meant that a hike to try to see the EAQU was ‘discouraged’. In fact, our guide told us the bird ‘wasn’t there anymore’, but at the bird's location a birder passed us who said he had seen it earlier that day! Doh!

Buff-breasted Flycatcher

Spotted Towhee - Spohee

Green-tailed Towhee

 

Originally being seen in Herb Martyr campground ca. 6 miles away as the Quetzal flies, flash forward and the birds are relocated in Rucker Canyon. Once again Bob and I discussed going, and finalized plans.

 

My cat likes to wake me at 3am by biting my hand. Why the heck do I have a cat? Beats me, or bites me, whatever... Thursday 9/3/20 I woke up without cat biting me at 3am, but an hour earlier than planned. Better than too late, but I would have wanted a bit more sleep. I drove to queens for a ride to the airport from a friend. Thankfully she didn’t mind getting up early to take me the rest of the way to the airport with a convenient place to park my car. LIRR not my favorite...

Townsend's Warbler

 

Using the AA app, I had downloaded my boarding pass. I went through TSA screening and went to the gate as indicated. Shortly thereafter Bob texted me, asking where I was. "At the gate" I said. He asked why he couldn't see me, as he 'too' was at the gate, and that was when I discovered that they had switched gates but not updated my boarding pass.  [expletives deleted] Mishap 1.

The flight was uneventful. Arizona had been taken off the 'don't go there' list, and for myself I was wearing a p100 respirator providing much more filtration than the disposable non air-tight disposable masks. A connecting flight to Tucson was completed without a hitch as we both chose carry-on versus checked bags, but abstrusely was $140 less expensive than had we gotten off earlier in Phoenix. I sure don't understand the math...

Yellow-eyed Junco

 

So we proceeded to retrieve our rental car, only to be told that there is no shuttle to the off site location where it was. WTF!!!??? I was livid, and lost it at enterprise for not disclosing that I would have to take a cab there for that rate; it being significantly more at the airport location. I was persuasive and they acquiesced giving me the same car at the same rate. Mishap 2

In the saddle and psyched, we bolted out of town for our first stop: a Walmart in Benson on the way eastward. For future reference, I will get a few disposable coolers for drinks and food. South east Arizona is quite barren with respect to services such as food, lodging, gas, and especially cell service. Definitely will plan to get food for lunches and dinner in case staying put was in order rather than departure for a long ride to places that close early.

Semper Acupium! We birded along the way to Rucker canyon, with a stop at a farm with a big kettle of Swainson's and Short-tailed Hawks. Other 'road' birds were Red-tailed Hawk, Western Kingbird, Barn Swallow, Rock Pigeon, White-winged Dove, Curve-billed Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, and Great-tailed Grackle.

Curve-billed Thrasher

White-winged Dove

Continuing on, we arrived at Rucker Canyon campground. On the way other birders stopped to give us intel and advice on how to follow the trail. Despite this it was easy to get side tracked, and at the first dry creek crossing we went astray. Bob realized this though and after back tracking we spotted the cairns to follow. Advice to anyone using this for your trip: look left and right constantly for cairns because its easy to pass some of them up and get waylaid.

This place is a beautiful canyon and a wonderful place to hike. Birds seen this day were Western Wood-Pewee, Black Phoebe, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Northern Flicker, Mexican Jay , Hutton's Vireo, Mexican Chickadee, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Lesser Goldfinch, Yellow-eyed Junco, MacGillivray's Warbler, Painted Redstart, Western Tanager, American Robin, Rufous Hummingbird, Common Raven, and Black-headed Grosbeak. we stayed til dark, hoping... hoping... but it was not to be, despite having heard that the bird was seen that day around noon. We arrived a bit too late. Driving the dirt road on our way to Portal for the night, we scared up some Common Poorwill.

Said the straight man to the late birders
Where have you been?
I've been here and I've been there
And I've been in between.

I talk to the wind
My words are all carried away
I talk to the wind
The wind does not tell me where the Quetzal is.

 

We arrived at the Portal Peak Lodge in the dark. Exhausted, a shower was welcome to wash away the dust, sweat, and disappointment. I fell fast asleep, dreaming of a better outcome the next day.

Portal is right next to the New Mexico border, and to get there one passes through New Mexico. This has the effect of resetting the cell phone's clock to mountain time, an hour later than Arizona time. This affected us when I set the alarm for 4am later to discover that it was in effect 3am AZ time! When we arrived at Rucker and it was still dark it was because it was 5am, not 6am as thought. Doh!

Bert from Philadelphia was there when we arrived, and as we had been there the day before, we navigated the route with the help of my flashlight. The trail follows the bottom of the valley which is also a rocky creek bed. With all the downed trees about one can only imagine the tremendous force that the monsoon rains scour their way down from the peaks. 

 

The trail crosses or parallels the creek. At the third crossing or so Bob heard one of the EAQU call, as did Bert. We could not locate them though, and we continued on. One of the places we stopped on our walks up and down the trail was the scree where it was said most of the sightings had been. It was just past two very large fallen trees that blocked the trail.

Birders accumulated here, as this was reported as a reliable site. Alex from Nevada came up the trail and joined us, and revealed that he was ( somehow) hearing the birds way up the top of the ridge that we were at the bottom of.  Bob also said he was able to hear them, and after a while Alex continued further on the trail. We should have tagged along!!

He went to the next scree and scaled the steep slope and spotted the birds.

With the heat, elevation of 6000'+/-, and steepness of the trail it imparted more difficulty than walking a similar distance on lever terrain. for 6 or so hours we birded up and down. Some time around 1pm Bob and I decided to head back to the car for lunch, while Bert decided to stay put. This was his second trip out to AZ for this bird.  

We ate, and lamented our fatigue and muscle soreness from all the walking and lack of sleep. We tried reclining on picnic table benches, but we both found it too uncomfortable. Eventually we decided to head back up the trail. This is when Alex told us about his success...

Up about two thirds of the way we encountered Bert who had just seen the bird a short way up the trail! We made haste, and encountered other characters who said the same thing; each time stating that the bird was further along...

Now further along than we had ever been, another birder, saying the same thing, said that: "the Canada Girl and an older guy were searching ( where else ) further along. Bob and I went as far as we could, because we missed where the trail diverted. Tired, we plaintively called out: "Canada Girl". She didn't hear us, but shortly there after appeared, and relayed her lack of success. She had caught up to others on the bird but moments too late and only heard the birds but did not see them before they flew off yet further along. 

I inquired if she wanted to make another attempt with us, but she declined as she was out of water. I offered her one of mine, and the three of us started back down, birding as we went. Shortly though, another birder made his way down from beyond where we had gone and said the same tormenting information: the bird was up the trail, being photographed so just continue to the sand bar and you'll see them. We did, heading back up the canyon yet again. Tortuously. In the heat, and well beyond but we never came across the birds or others. 

The three of us rested at this point ca. 3 miles up the trail, but none of us willing to go further. Bob and I were impressed with Canada Girl's energy and pace. She confirmed to me that Canada requires you to wrestle a polar bear to pass gym class. And her name was Diana by the way.

The three of us made our way back to the parking area as it was getting late. The march of shame, take two. "To the pain means the first thing you will lose will be your feet below the ankles."

Civilization to acquire food was very limited but we got microwave pizza for dinner and sandwiches for the next day and filled up gas. On the way Gamble's Quail and Say's Phoebe was seen. Then we made haste back to the hotel for much needed rest and contemplation of another attempt. Of course we would.

The morning was supposed to  begin at 5am, but thwarted by mountain time again, ( when did the clock reset?) we got up at 4 instead of 5 as thought. Doh! But better early than late and we reprized the all to familiar by now route to the canyon. A mile before the trail parking area, we passed a 16 y/o kid huffing it from his camp site to the same place. We parked, and I got out to put on my hiking boots. Then as we began to walk up the trail there was the kid! He ran up the road at 1 mile high. Oh, to be a teen again with that energy. 

Along the trail we met up again with the California dudes, the guy from Florida, the guys from Texas, and a few other minor characters. On the way I saw a large raptor and called out to the others: "get on that bird" and as suspected it was a Zone-tailed Hawk. We walked on to the sand bar area, and heard a Northern Pygmy Owl. As we tried to locate it, a Stellar's Jay began to call. Bob had walked across the creek bed to try if he could find the Owl, or other birds, and then drama unfolded.

A local? birder inquired why was someone walking out in the creek bed, and I replied that he was looking for the Owl. This guy said that he heard the EAQU call, and that he was angry that someone was out trying to get too close. Texas guy told him that the call was the Jay, not the Quetzal, so then he went on a rant about the ebird report from the day before by the Nevada guy who was the one who located them. He continued: "If I find that guy I'm gonna kick his ass, because that's why the birds had left the Herb Martyr area." I told him: "Maybe. Or maybe they just flew 5 miles over to this canyon because they can. Not to mention that yesterday all the many people who saw the birds reported that they were confiding and never appeared to be concerned by the presence of people". 

He left in a huff and continued up the trail, and the others did as well. Apparently some feel that birders shouldn't go off trail, but the trail and the creek bed were essentially one and the same. Birders getting their panties in a bunch, oh yay. 

Bob and I went back down and decided to wait at 'the reliable place' by the two large fallen trees. On the way lots of Wilson's Warblers were kicked up, as well as some MacGillivray's warblers. Bob observed that Mourning and Connecticut are supreme skulkers, while the MacGillivray's were more confiding. And we settled down and waited...

Not too long later, Bob noticed a group of folks down the trail and he though he heard the call of the Quetzal. I said "lets go and see". And in 2 minutes we had them point to where the birds were sitting! 

YES! 

Eared Quetzal

Eared Quetzal

Eared Quetzal

And the birds continued up the canyon and stopped where else? The 'reliable spot', right where we had been sitting. Florida guy walked up and we pointed out the bird, and he told us the others were just a ways up the trail. Having gotten satisfying looks, Bob ran off to alert them. The California dudes, Texas guys, et al got looks and we bumped fists, elbows, or just let out loud exclamations.

After nice looks and ample photographic opportunity, I declared lets go; we've seen pretty much every species in the canyon already, and I wouldn't mind relaxing. There was no argument. We were so relieved that we got the bird especially having agonizing that we might dip big time. Nevertheless, persistence pays! Bob spotted a Mountain Kingsnake, which California guy grabbed. Back at the parking area we ate lunch and I toasted our success with some Cazadores Tequila. 

Mountain Kingsnake

 

Returning to Portal we were not terribly surprised that no place had any vacancies. We birded the area and added several more species especially hummingbirds at Cave Creek Ranch, but not the Berylline. The evening was capped by a celebratory dinner and beer at the Portal Peak Lodge as well as being entertained by live music.  Some of the species seen were Broad-billed Hummingbird, Blue-throated Mountain-gem, Calliope Hummingbird, Cooper's Hawk, Pyrrhuloxia, Anna's Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird. 

 

Good tunes by the Heather "Lil Mama" Hardy Band

Ribs & a Pale Ale  Mmmmmm

Our last night we spent in Willcox with the alarm set for 7am. Preparing my items for travel, distress surfaced when I realized the tequila would not be able to be carried on. My solution was to get several small containers at the dollar store. Bob however, was convinced the TSA would find and confiscate them. "Whatever" I said.

Consuming our breakfast in no hurry, and then dumping out all the empty water bottles in the car, next stop was nearby Cochise lake proving to be a good birding stop. Huge numbers of Avocets, Black-necked Stilts, Wilson's Phalaropes, Mexican Ducks, Mallards, were there in addition to Least, Stilt, Baird's, Pectoral, and Stilt Sandpipers. Sora, Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron and Yellow-headed Blackbird were also present. 

Black-necked Stilt

Brewer's Sparrow

 

At the airport the tequila containers went through no problem. They did find my Swiss Army knife that I forgot was in my toiletry bag, and not seen on the way to Arizona. Grrr. 

Booze Travelers...

 

Ultimately the trip was a success, though it didn't go quite as planned. Targeting the Quetzal meant we had to skip Guadeloupe Canyon for Black-capped Gnatcatcher, but the Quetzal was more important. Seen were 100 trip birds, 11 Arizona birds and one life bird; the Eared Quetzal.

 YES!