Birds – Page 2 – a curious nature

January 5th … National Bird Day!

January 5, 2024

Did you know?! Today, and every year January 5th rolls around, is National Bird Day! Whoo! Hoo! Or should I say “Tweet!” Have you hugged a bird today?

“National Bird Day, celebrated on January 5th, is a day dedicated to the conservation, preservation, and appreciation of birds. It aims to raise awareness about the importance of birds and their habitats, and encourage people to take action to protect them.”

Back Story

(or Why this seemingly random information nugget has popped into this blog post, and what happened to those fascinating Full Moon stories?)

Since my Full Moon project came to a close in November, I’ve been pondering over my list of ideas that might become a fun project. With elbows propped on my drawing table and chin cupped between the palms of my hands, my eyes and mind began slowly drifting outside to a winter scene where patches and drifts of snow had collected from our last storm. Readjusting my focus to the bird feeder right outside my studio window, I watched as 15-20 dark-eyed juncos engaged in minor skirmishes, competing for seed. Birds on the feeder and the ground ravenously plucked and scratched for tasty morsels before they were stolen by another hungry junco.

That’s when it hit me …… the constant activity at the feeder, every day, brought to mind the number of holidays, events and sometimes solemn to whacky occasions we the people have designated to commemorate and celebrate. The published lists (official? who knows) are long, cover every day of the year, and often include a dozen (more or less) International, National, State and Local happenings/day!

The topics are boundless; some familiar (Valentine’s Day), some hilarious (National Pass Gas Day), some educational (Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day); some raise awareness about a cause (National Save the Eagles Day), while some satisfy your appetite (National Curried Chicken Day) ….. your thirst (National Green Juice Day) …. your sense of play (National Fruitcake Toss Day) … your sense of self (Measure Your Feet Day).

Apparently, if you can think it, there’s a “Day.”

So here goes ….. I’ll be tackling a “Day” a month during 2024, that is likely to make a good fit for my Nature Journal. Then Flambé, not to be left behind dog paddling in a sea of flounder, has agreed to play too. Kat will pick a “Day” each month where the event is more light-hearted, laughable, fantastical.

And there you have it! Scattered among my regular nature journal pages and Flambés Misadventures will be our interpretations of a few dozen of the hundreds of notable events we think are worthy of recognizing this and in future years!

Enjoy!
What’s your favorite (backyard) bird? Oh and please share how you celebrated National Bird Day!

A Festive Anniversary Week in the Sonoran Desert. Part 7: Snowbirds

December 11-17, 2022

The much anticipated finale, Snowbirds, and wrap-up to a grand anniversary week celebration in and around Tucson, AZ, follows!

Despite an unexpected snow the evening of our arrival, we never seemed to slow down, taking in as many sights and good eats as humanly possible. …… Open the full post for a recap of our week, and a bit about some of the birds we found while traveling around.

Intermission: Townsend’s Solitaire Comes Calling

January 11, 2023

Who doesn’t love birds? Watching them, listening to them, photographing them, and in my case drawing them. And it’s especially exciting when a new visitor comes calling. When the bird is the first I’ve ever sighted, automatically becoming a new addition to my life list!

There I was, working away on one of my Sonoran Desert posts, when I glanced up from my sketchbook and noticed an unfamiliar bird standing tall under our big juniper tree. Not one of the hundreds of dark-eyed juncos that feast all winter below our feeders. Definitely larger than the comical juniper titmice and noisy mountain chickadees that pop in and out conducting their continual grab-a-seed-and-dash maneuvers. Hmmmmm ….. a bit larger than our resident canyon and spotted towhees, but slimmer than the Woodhouse’s scrub jay. An American robin? A western bluebird? Certainly similar, but not quite; certainly a member of the thrush family?

Turned out he was one of the thrush species …. not the robin or bluebird, but the beautifully sleek Townsend’s Solitaire. For a brief moment he seemed to be evaluating the quality of juniper berries lying beneath the tree. Not wanting to spook him, I watched in muted excitement, then dared to make a move for my camera. He stayed just long enough to bend over for a bird’s-eye look, promptly dismissing our berry crop, and off he flew. Somehow, while juggling my field guide, binoculars and camera, I managed to snap a photo to confirm my sighting with iNaturalist. Confirmed! How cool was that!

It was a great day!

I’ve watched every day since to see if this one or more Townsend’s Solitaires drop by. No luck yet, but now I know they’re around. Maybe I’ll catch them this Spring breeding, nesting, but more likely singing and calling from the treetops while defending their territory full of delicious juniper berries!

What’s nature displaying in your world right now?

10,000 feet: Birds atop Sandia Mountain

In an effort to escape the blistering temperatures brought on by a mid-July heat dome, we decided to take a cooling hike high above Albuquerque. At 10,000+ feet, the trails along the top of Sandia Mountain are a refreshing contrast to the dry desert habitats we usually enjoy.

Up high there are spruce, fir and aspen trees surrounding lush meadows full of blooming wildflowers. On the margins we found flying, flitting, perching and singing some of the prettiest birds we’ve seen all season. Let me share some of the fun facts I learned about two of these birds; the Violet-green Swallow and the Northern Flicker.

Bird On a Wire: Western Kingbird

A swooping, darting and sometimes hovering flycatcher, the Western Kingbird is such fun to watch. When they aren’t performing an aerial ballet to outmaneuver and catch a flying insect, you can find them on a favorite perch actively looking for their next meal to wing on by.

These lemon-breasted, robin-sized birds are easy to recognize. Just look up when you hear non-stop chittering and chatting and you’re likely to find a Western kingbird.

Life List Birds: Scott’s Oriole and Hermit Thrush

Yes, I keep a life list of birds! But along with the list (which includes birds from around the world), I also try to learn something about the species logged, and lately I’ve been enjoying sketching them too.

It’s been a while since a new-to-me bird species came into view. So it was doubly exciting when I was able to increase my list by two on two consecutive days. Meet the Scott’s Oriole and the Hermit Thrush.

Backyard Birds: Up Close and Personal

Hummingbirds are one of the most fascinating and beautiful bird species that come to our yard each summer. The black-chinned, the broad-tailed, and the feisty rufous are the three species we see most often. Competition for nectar can be fierce, and it’s exciting to watch their aerial acrobatics as they buzz back and forth to determine the “owner” of our flowers!

It’s all about nectar ….. a commodity somewhat scarce in the desert, especially during a drought.

Backyard Birds: The bold, the pushy, the curious

What a successful breeding season it’s been! Our backyard bird population exploded in size during May. with the addition of dozens of youngsters. The house finches have been the most prolific, and watching the newbies spar at the waterbowl or compete for the best perch on the feeders has been hilarious. But I’ve had the most fun getting to know the newest addition to the spotted towhee clan …….

…… George.

Escapito #2b: Cuba Mesa, Santa Fe National Forest

We packed up camp at the Angel Peak campground early in the morning, and bounced back down 8 miles of washboard road towards the highway. Along the way we pulled into several picnic areas with scenic overlooks and ooohed and aaaaahed at the spectacular Kutz Canyon from many angles. Every stop was worth it..

But then a new destination was calling …… about 70 miles southeast ….. over the Continental Divide to Cuba Mesa.

Escapito #2a: Angel Peak Scenic Area

It has been a while between Escapitoes, but for good reason! We decided to sell our RV, BagoBago, and go with a pull-behind travel trailer that would get off the beaten path more easily; would be equipped with all those features for off-grid camping and exploration. After a few weeks of shopping we decided the new MicroMinnie FLX from Winnebago would fit the bill nicely. This high clearance, rugged 22 foot trailer is loaded with solar panels, lithium batteries, on-demand hot water, eco efficient heater, AC and range, etc., and is surprisingly roomy with a Murphy bed large enough for two plus our 50# dog, Luna. (Yes, Luna is very spoiled!)

Enter ”The Felix” ….. and her maiden, shake-down voyage to the Four Corners region of New Mexico.