Before I tackle commentary on my year's direction in birding, I must first address my recent bird adventures. Finishing some data entry work, took me, again, to Tucson where I was excited to check on some local bird hot spots. Upon Arriving at Reid Park, I was greeted by the presence of two Black-crowned Night Herons which I seldom see so out in the open.
Pictured: One such heron spelling curses unto the artificial duck pond.
Also present were a Cooper's Hawk, plenty of Verdins, and a Summer Tanager.
At last, I moved on to a favorite location, Sweetwater Wetlands. Although the water levels were low, there were still plenty of birds to be found. As I was about to leave, I decided to do one more little walk-around which paid off greatly as I saw a Black and White Warbler foraging with its endearing trunk-clinging behavior. As a particularly large fan of nuthatches, woodpeckers, and creepers, seeing a warbler displaying this similar behavior was a real treat. Here's the sharp looking bird:
Now I'm back in Silver City where I completed my collection of bluebird pictures with a Mountain Bluebird. Though it is the Western Bluebirds, the bird with the rusty breast, that I see more commonly in this pinyon-juniper habitat.
It is also here in Silver City, where I was unexpectedly offered an opportunity to work on breeding bird surveys around the Lower Colorado River. I've now been spending much of my time quizzing myself on bird vocalizations of that area and just being generally excited about it. With the addition of this job, most of the rest of the year will be filled with field work, and though I plan to update my bird picture inventory, the biking for birds adventures will have to be revisited another year. My preparation for this year could certainly be improved upon. Where I was relearning web-design and figuring out my gear this year, next time I will be able to focus my concentration on route-planning and putting in some miles beforehand. My first jaunt on the bike, a cold 80-miles on a heavily packed mtn bike, was a bit of a shock. The biggest obstacle, however, maybe remedied along a well-planned route, was the lack of companionship. The next time I hop on my bike with my binoculars, I hope to have a friend riding along with me. Take care all. :)
After a mid-morning banana and a rousing Google image search of Rufous-capped Warblers it was time to get on the bike. This species was recently reported in two canyons, neither more than a couple miles from my house. I was late out the door and tried to make the most of half a day of sunlight. Powering up Miller Canyon road I stopped to photograph a Rock Wren while catching my breath and giving passing vehicles the friendliest waves I could muster as I clumsily side-stepped my bike out of their way. Shortly I was at the trail head, my flannel way too hot for a January day in the mountains. I took long purposeful strides towards the site 2-3 miles in where I heard someone could find the Rufous-capped Warblers. But could I? An Arizona Woodpecker teamed up with a Red-naped Sapsucker, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Brown Creeper had other ideas. All nearly in the same field of view, the combined distraction was hard to calculate. The Brown Creeper (pictured) is one of my favorite birds and watching it inspect the crannies of the bark of all the surrounding trees with hardly a pause to consider anything else around it is always a treat. It's analogous to the grandma who has given herself permission to do anything she wants in public because she's 90 and that's reason enough. I continued up and up, Bushtits and Ruby-crowned Kinglets in my wake. A thoughtful Hermit Thrush occasionally out to check on what it is you're doing. No warblers. Soon I was elevated enough to meet the Yellow-eyed Juncos. At what elevation their kingdom starts is hard to say, but it is not one you can be a guest of without climbing considerably. A lone Common Raven incited a Red-tailed Hawk into a back-and-forth chase as Spotted Towhees meowed like seasoned alley cats. The warblerless journey met its end at a Ponderosa brimming with Pygmy Nuthatch, after a few chance recognizable pictures, I raced the mountain shadow back down to the valley to look for the Rufous-cappeds another day. As of 1/14/14, picture count: 96 
Today, though traveling only a little over 30 miles, I was either on the bike, birding, or both from before dawn to after dusk, leaving little time to work on the website. I am adding pictures little by little. The Sparrow, Woodpecker, and Wren sections have warranted most of my attention followed by Hawks and Ducks. If you're curious to check in, start with those. Added 23 species for the year today, including the elusive Virginia Rail and Sora. I wish my picture quality matched my excitement in seeing them, but the two do not go hand in hand. I spent a good part of the afternoon chasing the Green Kingfisher to no avail, but happily ran into a Common Yellowthroat and a few parades of Black-throated Sparrows. Can't say I wasn't pleased to see and hear a number of Green-tailed Towhees either. Anyhow, more stories and pictures to come! I found the Sinaloa Wren yesterday, and, if my legs work, tomorrow will be devoted to chasing Rufous-capped Warblers in the Huachucas. Good tidings friends!
