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I can’t believe it! Leave it to the sport of birding, especially a Big Year, to see all this drama played out. When Hollywood producers get a hold of this blog….

Last night I discovered, much to my chagrin, that a Golden-crowned Sparrow has been right under my nose at the San Pedro House for a week. How did that get by me? Miffed, I went straight down there this morning to search for it. After almost an hour of combing the yard, I went down the trail to the river where it was first found and where there is an abundance of sparrows. Nothing there either so I figured I could pick up Yellow Warbler to have at least one new bird today.

I looked at the river and noticed how muddy it was from the recent rains. “No kingfisher is going to be interested in hunting in this river,” I surmised to myself. As I stood next to the pool where the trail first meets the river 100 yards south of the Rt 90 bridge, looking over some towhees, not searching for anything else, a clicking noise caught my attention, something like a scolding Cactus Wren. I looked and couldn’t believe my eyes. Right in front of me! There she was – Green Kingfisher! Before I could get a shot she moved farther downstream. About 100 yards north of the bridge I relocated her. But don’t take my word for it, see for yourself:

Little “El Chapo!” Huh! There is no escape! After 2 1/2 months of chasing you are all mine. And what number is she? Right – 200! Fitting? Are you kidding – like a glove! The Yellow Warbler I added just a minute later would not have measured up to this little beauty. I’ll have another post on the subject of finding without searching sometime later this year. And so the drama continues….

Last night, after consulting sources, intel, and reams of data, I came up with 2 good birds to chase. Rumors at the hawk watch yesterday had a Varied Thrush in Florida Canyon where one was reported back on 18 February but not much since. I went over for a look but after 2 hours of searching I had to abandon the search. The closest I could get was a Townsend’s Solitaire, also a thrush from the northwest. The highlight was this little beauty, a life butterfly and one that I’ve been hoping to see, Desert Orangetip:

On to the next chase at Patagonia Lake State Park for a Red-necked Phalarope. After first checking the beach, I went to the spillway and right in front of me there it was, fast and easy, just how I like it. (198)

Notice the long needle-like bill and streaking on the back. It’s considered rare in the spring and I may not see another one this year. I wonder why they call them “Red-necked” Phalaropes? Do they chew tobacco, fly the confederate flag, listen to country music?

After a picnic lunch in the park in Patagonia, I visited the Paton House to see what was around. Along came a Gray Hawk (199) circling overhead but nothing else new. When and where will I get 200?

Speaking of puzzlers, we have the answer to last week’s puzzler. After sifting through sacks of mail from the post office and thousands of letters from my esteemed readers like you, we have a winner: Hammond’s Flycatcher from Mr. Noe U. Terns, a retired highway patrol officer from West Turnpike, New Jersey. Sgt. Terns says he pronounces his first name like “know” since his older brother is Noel, which paradoxically has an “L”, but Noe, which has no “L” is not “Noel”. I’m just telling you what he says. Look for another puzzler in an upcoming post.

Meet Peter Collins, progenitor and protector of the Tubac Hawk Watch. Now in his seventh season, Peter counts Common Black Hawks by the hundreds every year during the month of March. Nobody knew that many were possible until he started counting them. Where are they all going? I call it an up-side down hawk watch – it takes place in spring rather than fall and instead of scanning from the highest hill around, you relax in lawn chairs at the bottom of the valley. Business is good right now:

A few days ago Peter counted 80 visitors. More importantly, yesterday he counted 70 Common Black Hawks, the real specialty of this site, and probably more than that today. Follow his colorful commentary on the AZ-NM Birds Listserv easily accessible from aba.org under Birding News. Today the Black Hawks started coming through soon after 9 am when Dave Wood and I arrived. Soon we were seeing kettles of them. Here’s a good look at one:

Zone-tailed Hawks were also well represented. Someone saw a distant Swainson’s Hawk but that will be common here soon enough. Having our fill of hawks, both of which were new for the year, we walked downstream to add some icing to the day’s cake. After an hour of searching for a drab, non-singing female, we landed Rose-throated Becard (197) near its nests from prior years. A male is frequently seen in the area. A successful day. Tonight I’ll take a look to see what’s on tomorrow’s menu as I close in on the second hundred.

Finally! Lured by recent sighting reports, I once again returned to Las Cienegas to search for the Rough-legged Hawk. Once again another dramatic finish. I arrived at 9 this morning and settled in for an all-day stake-out. By 2 pm I was resigned to another miss and decided I would leave at 3. At 2:59 – literally – I made ONE MORE scan. At the END of the scan, when I could scan no farther left, I saw a raptor hovering in the wind. Check. As it turned I saw the white upper tail feathers. Check. I continued to study it and saw the light underparts and dark lower belly. Check, check, check – Rough-legged Hawk, a rare visitor from the Far North. Since it had given me so much trouble to find, I continued to observe it for another 40 minutes through the scope. It frequently paused to hover, sometimes for 5-10 seconds without having to flap. As it got closer I could see every detail, especially the dark carpal patch.

This will go down as one of the most satisfying sightings of the year. Why? By my count, I have driven by or stopped for multi-hour visits to chase this bird 9 times since January 4, logging over 18 hours – mostly spent sitting, watching, and waiting. That’s the discipline.

Another correction. The last post said I had 199 birds for the year. That’s wrong, there was some kind of computer glitch. I brought this up with my Director of the Department of Accounting and Administration, Division of Tracking and Recording and have been assured no more problems but I doubt they are really up to the job and I may have to do all of this myself. Today’s Rough-legged Hawk is number 194. I should hit 200 in 7-10 days.

Later this week I will be doing a different kind of hawk watching that should be more fun and almost equally rewarding. Let’s see what happens.

As I write this from my desk in Sierra Vista, I think back at what an incredible trip that was. A swift, textbook surgical strike. What a cliff-hanger finish! It could have turned out very differently. Here’s what happened. Last night I checked eBird one more time and decided the Thick-billed Vireo was the better bet over LaSagra’s Flycatcher. I got up today at 5:15. My strategy was to get a very early start to beat rush hour traffic. It worked! I skipped breakfast and left the hotel at 5:40 and slid down the pike to Crandon Park on Key Biscane. Where it was still dark and the park was closed. I waited in my car for 40 minutes and then found the nature center and began the search. After an hour, 2 birding buddies from the Carolinas – one from North and one from South – joined me in the search. (one wore a San Pedro House t-shirt.) My flight home was at noon so I figured with getting gas, bringing the car back, unexpected traffic delays (there were), and getting my ticket I had better get out of the park by 9:30. We spread out and combed the entire area without luck. Big doubts filled my head. Shouldn’t I have stayed another day? Was it worth spending this kind of money for this trip? Should I have done this at all? I’m going home empty handed. More searching, more ticking of the clock. At this side of 9:15 I sat down and rubbed my face. It’s over- no vireo. Then I heard a bird singing. As I listened closer, I could tell it was a vireo, but there was a White-eyed Vireo in the area. I walked over and put my glasses on it and yelled out – “I think I’ve got it!” Someone else said: “I do too!” And there it was, right in front of us – Thick-billed Vireo – a rare stray from the Caribbean. A minute later an obscure bird showed up. I watched it eat a berry – good, could be a tanager. It came out into the open and there she was – the female Western Spindalis. Wow! Both birds! Just in time! This was like hitting the winning basket at the buzzer. I couldn’t believe my good luck. I told my Carolina friends I was heading out, “I’m quitting while I’m ahead!” I had not an extra minute to spare. I reached the gate 5 minutes before boarding.

Both birds are new for my ABA-area list and the vireo is a world life bird and my second Code 4 bird of the year. The high-stakes gamble paid off in spades. You never know when these rarities are going to leave the area. I would consider doing this again this year. Maybe a chase to Seattle or Northern California, where I will not otherwise be this year. I added 13 other species to the Big Year List, raising it to 199. I look forward to finding number 200. How sweet it is!

The Great One! And he was great, wasn’t he? The Honeymooners, one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, was only the tip of the ice burg of his film and television career. Growing up on Long Island we watched The Jackie Gleason Show loyally. Then the unthinkable happened – he moved from New York to Miami. It killed us to see him address the audience at the start of the show with “Miami, you’re the greatest!” We booed and hissed. “Traitor!” But still we watched. He was the greatest.

Miami, Florida! I said I wouldn’t do this. I said I would not travel across the country to see one bird. But I couldn’t resist the lure. I’ve always wanted to hop a flight and savor the thrill of the chase. Now I’m livin’ the dream. This is Power Birding at its best! There are three most excellent birds in Miami right now, namely: LaSagra Flycatcher, Thick-billed Vireo, and Western Spindalis. Bananquit disappeared last week. Just one of these would be a fine addition to my Big Year. I left Tucson 7:30 this morning, arriving in Miami at 3:30. Right away I headed out on a scouting trip and ran into some rush hour traffic and a few missed turns. But that’s ok, its good to be back in Latin America. Tomorrow morning I’ll get an early start to beat the traffic. I have to work fast, I leave at noon.

Tonight I was thinking of a night out on the town, maybe some clubbing among the swaying palms in South Beach. But I do have to get up early, so maybe I’ll just stay in and watch some free cable tv.

Today while walking along the San Pedro River searching in vain for the Green Kingfisher, I ran into John Broz, his buddy Gary, and Socks the Dog. “Do I even need to ask?”, asked John, referring to my futile kingfisher search. “No”, I sheepishly answered, head down, shoulders slumped. “It’s March already, when was the last time you got something new? The clock is ticking.”, John poked, pointing out the obvious. “I know, I hear it ticking, loud and clear.” That’s when I decided to make my next move. Not much is happening here and I’m getting bored. So I’m suspending the kingfisher search and I’m busting out of town. I’m not telling you where I’m going until I get there. But it should be sweet. Very Sweet.

But not all was lost today. Past the Rte 90 bridge I heard a high, thin, “dee, dee, dee”, descending – Northern Beardless Tyrannulet (178), the first new bird in a week.

This week’s puzzler is photographic in nature. Identify this (North American) species:

Not from last week’s blizzard, but instead of my own doing. I unplugged the cable. Now I have more time in the evening to study and prepare for my Big Year. I was mad and here is how it unfolded, to the best of my memory:

Rob: Why is my new cable bill so abominable? Cox Communications: Let me transfer you to our billing and customer placater and professional soft soaper. Cox: Your initial signup discounts expired. Rob: Your prices are criminal. You should be prosecuted and incarcerated! Cox: What would you like me to do? Rob: Lower it down to the price it was before. Cox: I can’t do that but I can give you another sign up discount of seventeen fifty. Rob: Huh?! Outrageous! Then shut it off! Cox: When would you like that effective, sir? Rob: When would I like that effective? 5 minutes ago, you cable-brained knucklehead! Cox: click….

We have a winner to last week’s puzzler. After sifting through the thousands upon thousands of letters from readers across the country, I have a correct answer from Hoss Wrenn of Green Lawns, Mississippi. I’m having a little trouble reading his crayon but I think he got it right. In Arizona and New Mexico you can see Osprey, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Olive Warbler. Look for another puzzler coming up soon. Today, this first day of March, besides winter being over – it’s now in the 70’s – I searched without luck for the Green Kingfisher. I think she has a weekly pattern that she follows and I am about to crack it.

Yesterday I started the day at sunrise at the Coronado National Monument for another search for Montezuma Quail. Finding none, again, I decided that it was time to finish off the last common permanent resident in this area. So I went to the San Pedro House and tracked down this Crissal Thrasher (177). This is the only time of year you can see this bird, in winter when they tee up and sing. Otherwise, it is heard-only. In the east we have one thrasher but around here there are 4 plus 3 others in the west and another in Texas. Separating Curve-billed and Crissal can be tricky but in studying this bird and pictures on eBird, I found that facial pattern is the most reliable field mark. Notice how you can barely see the chestnut undertail coverts. But look at the moustachial line dividing the white throat and white malar. Compare that to this Curve-billed:

The face has almost no markings at all. Getting a good look at the undertail may not be possible but I say it is unnecessary. (While you’re at it, compare this bill to the Bendire Thrasher bill in the January 15 post.)

With that one out of the way, I walked down to the river for a look at the Green Kingfisher, once again showing regularly. But not even the accompaniment of John Broz, who sees it regularly, and Socks The Good Little Dog, could change my luck. I sat on a log extending over the river for 40 minutes but no luck. Today after our Wednesday morning bird walk, I went down to the river again. The kingfisher had been seen this morning only hours earlier. It was right there. All I had to do was look. But once again, it slipped away, escaping somehow. Soon they will be calling it the “El Chapo” Kingfisher. It always finds a way out. But I’ll keep looking. I’ll be back. And the beat goes on.

Here’s what it looks like out my front door today. This is the third snowstorm this winter compared to none the last 2 winters. It may not look like much to some but it may as well be a nor’easter. All Sierra Vista schools are closed today. A complete shut down – too much snow. I hear that with this wind, snow drifts are piling up 4 inches deep. Notice how Arizona snow doesn’t stick to paved surfaces. That’s not because it’s been plowed – it just doesn’t stick. I don’t know how they do that here. But don’t drive a bus on it.

Needless to say, birding is pretty slow right now and I’m not adding much to the list. But that doesn’t mean I’m not hard at work on my Big Year. Here in my office, at my Big Year Department of Planning and Development, Division of Strategic Research, Special Office of Preparations, we are busy arranging my upcoming trip to Texas and Florida, reserving plane, train, and boat tickets; rental cars; hotel rooms in McAllen, Fort Myers, Homestead, and Key West. From bird checklists I drew up for each state months ago, I am preparing sub-checklists for individual sites I will visit so I will know not to leave until I have checked them all off. Which birds do I search for at Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, where should I go after a morning at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, can I get Clapper Rail at Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area. Maps need to be drawn and directions plotted, efficient routes planned. I’ll have so little time in each place I have to script most of it out. Then when I get there at least some of it should fall into place.

Meanwhile, I am hunkered down during this “winter storm”, dreaming visions of kiskadees, Green Jays, Roseate Spoonbills, and Swallow-tailed Kites.