Be the Roadrunner - an update on my Little Big Year

Greater Roadrunner

The past four months have been very exciting and rewarding, and I know there's more to come!  Actually, ever since I started birding just a few years ago my world changed - it gave me wings and I'm flying high.  Being out in nature discovering and learning about birds brings me so much joy that sometimes I feel like I'm about to burst.  Yes, I LOVE birding!

My Little Big Year at the Glendale Recharge Ponds is coming along better than I expected.  More seasoned birders would be well beyond where I'm at, but I'm very happy with what I've accomplished so for.  Besides, this isn't a competition with others - it's my own personal goal.  I talked about it briefly in a previous post and more info is in the tab titled "My Little Big Year - Birding GRP 2016", but I'll expand a little more here.

For non-birders who are wondering what the heck am I doing, and what is a "Big Year", here's the short version.  Obviously birders love birds, and we are constantly working on our Life List (basically a record of how many species seen in our lifetime).  A Big Year (BY) is simply an informal competition to identify the most species in a calendar year.  There are different types of BY's, but they're all done by geographical location.  For instance you can do a BY by country, state, county, hotspot, backyard, etc.  So for this year I chose the Glendale Recharge Ponds (GRP) - an excellent birding hotspot.

Because I'm not able to bird as much as I want (at this time), I set my little goal for 150 species, which is very doable at the GRP.  I hope to exceed that goal, but will be completely satisfied with whatever I end up with.  As of today, I have 107 species - only 43 more to go!  I won't be able to work on it hardly at all during the summer, so I'm trying to get in what I can until our lovely heat kicks in and then resume in the Fall.

Yesterday I saw the Greater Roadrunner (above pic) at the GRP, as well as many other species, plus two more lifers!  I love and admire this bird.  Do you know that the roadrunner can outrun a human? Wile E. Coyote never had a chance!  And if you're into this kind of thing (I am) the roadrunner symbolizes courage, strength and endurance.

Be the Roadrunner.

Peace and happy birding!
Rocki

Wilson's Phalarope - Rare Bird at the Glendale Recharge Ponds

Wilson's Phalarope in breeding plumage

Yes, long time no blog.  I've simply been quite busy with work and trying to keep up with all my other social media sites, plus birding, and volunteering at a rescue & rehabilitation facility for wild and exotic birds... anyway, you get the idea. I'm going to try real hard to blog at least a couple times a month or more.  I have much to catch up on here.

Yesterday morning I went to the Glendale Recharge Ponds, one of my top favorite birding spots, and wasn't disappointed!  Besides many of my favorites, like the Bald Eagle (adult and juvenile), Killdeer, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Ducks, Belted Kingfisher, Red-winged Blackbird (the list goes on) I also saw another rarity!  This location is known for rare birds and that is just one reason I love this place!

Above is the Wilson's Phalarope and I saw 4 of these rare birds.  They were absolutely gorgeous in their breeding plumage and enjoyable to watch.  This was another lifer for me!

Western Grebe Couple in breeding plumage

This adorable Western Grebe couple was also there looking so elegant in their breeding plumage.  Don't you just love their red eyes!

American Avocets in breeding plumage

And the American Avocets were another treat to watch.  When I was there last week I saw only 1, but yesterday there were several.  Among these beauties I also saw Western Sandpipers along side the Least Sandpipers, a couple Lesser Yellowlegs, 4 Ring-billed Gulls and many more. 

Mallard with his ducklings



The main highlights of the day was seeing the rare Wilson's Phalarope, watching the Bald Eagle soaring above pond 4, and watching the adorable Mallard family.  The ducklings were just way too cute!  Wish my photos came out better, but I was off my photo taking game.  I'm obviously not a professional photographer, but I do try my best.  Besides, my main objective here are the birds - great photos are a bonus. 

 

Peace and happy birding!

Rocki

Anna's Hummingbird - Sarg

Anna's Hummingbird - Sarg

I have a ton more photos of the birds we've seen lately at the Glendale Recharge Ponds, but I want to share a couple (of the hundred or so) that I have of this adorable guy.  We call him Sarg - he's the territorial male Anna's Hummingbird that lives in our backyard.

Sarg, like other hummers, is very territorial and has claimed all five of the feeders along the back patio as his own private diner.  He chases off any other hummer that visits and on occasion there have been little duels.  At first it was rather humorous, but then I got concerned for the others.  However, after reading more about hummingbirds I found out that's how they are.  Once they have a consistent food source, they stake their claim.  Also around breeding season their like that. 

Sarg is always on the lookout - Anna's Hummingbird

So I thought I would outsmart him.  Last weekend Mark and I bought another feed and pole and put it on the other side of the house in front of my studio window, near the Texas Ebony tree where the Costa's Hummingbird has been hanging out.  I stayed out back to see what would happen.  Well, the sweet tiny Costa's hummer had his own private diner for about, oh, five minutes and then I'll be darn!  That little stinker Sarg hovered over the house, spotted the new feeder and dove over there.  He cracks me up!

And on a side note, these are two of my best photos so far.  Yes, I'm still working hard on my photographer skills... but I really love these shots!

Peace and happy birding!
Rocki

Birding at the Glendale Recharge Ponds - Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon at the Glendale Recharge Ponds

Following up from my last post about our birding adventure at the Glendale Recharge Ponds, here's the Peregrine Falcon that we saw.  A lifer for us!

Peregrine Falcon at the Glendale Recharge Ponds

Okay, so I know they are raptors, but look at that adorable face!  More like those eyes - he's just too cute!  I'm just glad that this juvenile didn't have any prey with him.  I'm squeamish.  Big time!  So in other words, you'll never see any photos of birds with prey or the likes on here my blog, Flickr, Instagram, Twitter...

Peregrine Falcon at the Glendale Recharge Ponds

We stood there watching the juvenile for quite some time and then he took flight.  We followed his path and he landed close to another bird, which we later discovered was an adult Peregrine Falcon.  Perhaps mom or dad were teaching him how to hunt. 

Oh and please excuse the photo quality as they're not the best, but I'm sharing them anyway.  I'm a birder first and hobby photographer second.  However, I'm trying VERY hard in hopes of taking much better photos.  Lots and lots of practice.

Peregrine Falcons at the Glendale Recharge Ponds

I have several other photos of a variety of species that we saw over the past two weekends at this birding hotspot.  I'll share them as I can over the next couple weeks.  In October we're going on another birding adventure in Prescott.

Peace and happy birding!
Rocki