St George Winter Bird Festival 2014

I participated in my first St George Winter Bird Festival this past weekend. I had thought about going for several years, but schedule conflicts prevented me from participating. This year, however, my wife and I combined the Winter Bird Festival with a weekend getaway.  I signed up for a couple of the festival's half-day field trips and spent the rest of the time shopping, going to a movie, and simply eating and hanging out with my wife. I wish I could have attended some of the festival presentations. Organizers had some great presenters lined up for participants. I appreciate all the time, talent, information, and energy volunteers shared to make the festival a benefit to all who participated.

As a photographer and blogger who wants to have close encounters with birds and wildlife I have generally chosen to bird solo or with another photographer over the past few years. Big groups and bird photography don't mix very well. Guided trips, however, have played an important role in helping me learn how to bird in new territory. Consequently, I signed up for my first festival field trip because I wanted to meet the guide in person and learn how he birds parts of southern Utah that I have not birded. I've admired the reports and photos Rick Fridell has shared from southern Utah over the past few years and he was the guide who led us to Quail Creek Reservoir, Stratton Pond, Sand Hollow State Park, and Hurricane Fields. "Hurricane" is pronounced "her-uh-kin" by locals. It sort of reminds me of the difference between how Americans would say "Briz-bain" when Australian's say "Briz-bin" for Brisbane.

I wasn't expecting to have good photo ops while birding with a large group so I left the camera in the car until Rick gave me a heads up that the Greater Scaups on Stratton Pond were very cooperative with photographers. He was right. Two males and a female came in to feed just like your average park Mallard. Greater Scaup show a sloping head from crown back where Lesser Scaup show a peak at the back of the head.

Female Greater Scaup on Stratton Pond Hurricane, UT

Female Greater Scaup on Stratton Pond Hurricane, UT

Male Greater Scaup on Stratton Pond Hurricane, UT

The image below appears to be a stare down. Greater Scaup actually show the broader cheeks compared to Lesser Scaup.

Male Greater Scaup on Stratton Pond Hurricane, UT

The next two images captured one of the males scratching its head. It's not often that you get to see the bottom side of a duck's bill.

Male Greater Scaup on Stratton Pond Hurricane, UT

Male Greater Scaup on Stratton Pond Hurricane, UT

Sand Hollow State Park allowed us to see a Utah rarity, a Red-necked Grebe. We observed it through a scope along with several Common Loons. Seeing all three Mergansers (Hooded, Common, and Red-breasted) in one location was another highlight from Sand Hollow. While pulling into one of several parking areas from which we observed water fowl on the Sand Hollow reservoir my raptor radar detected a bird of interest. I caught a glimpse of a small raptor in a distant tree. While the rest of the group moved toward the reservoir and planted their scopes for viewing water fowl I walked in a different direction to identify the raptor. It turned out to be a Prairie Merlin. I captured a few distant images and cropped them. I think they turned out pretty well despite having to crop the images quite a bit.

Prairie Merlin at Sand Hollow State Park Near Hurricane, UT

Prairie Merlin at Sand Hollow State Park Near Hurricane, UT

After photographing the Merlin I headed back to join the group. That's when I saw a Bald Eagle fly toward a group of small rock cliffs and chase a Prairie Falcon from its perch. I shared what I observed with Rick and others and most were able to see both the Merlin and the Prairie Falcon. All were able to see the Bald Eagle since it remained on its perch.

I learned some neat things about the birds and habitat during the field trip with Rick. One thing I hadn't realized before was that Cactus Wrens often choose the Cholla (cho-ya) Cactus to hold their nests. The needles from these guys provide great protection from natural predators to the Cactus Wren. These are not friendly to people either. Steer clear of contact because once they embed in you they will end up leaving an irritating remnant under the skin that will fester for some time.

Cactus Wren Nest in Cholla Cactus Sand Hollow State Park Utah

The nest above is typical. It opens on the side of the cactus and goes back into the interior of the cactus, forming a tubular looking nest. The one below was actually on the surface of the cactus so I took a picture to show the length. The actual entrance is to the right of the cactus and not visible. The angle shows the side and rear of the nest.

Cactus Wren Nest in Cholla Cactus Sand Hollow State Park Utah

My first field trip of the St George Winter Bird Festival was very productive, informative, and memorable. It allowed me to bird new areas and was a great opportunity to meet some new people and reconnect with some old acquaintances. Rick was a great guide.

I returned to the hotel after my first field trip and cleaned up for a date with my wife. Before heading out for the afternoon and evening I captured images of our hotel's resident Northern Mockingbird. I wonder if this is the same mockingbird I see every time we stay at the hotel. I can't think of a time when I stayed at the hotel in St George and didn't see this or another mockingbird in the front parking area.

Northern Mockingbird St George, UT

Northern Mockingbird St George, UT

Saturday morning I walked Lytle Ranch with about 25 other birders. Lytle Ranch is about 30 miles west of St George and is a small oasis in the middle of the desert. It is a bird magnet, especially during spring and fall migrations. We were led by Larry Tripp, another southern Utah birder. I signed up for the Lytle Ranch trip to meet Larry in person and to see how a local birds the Ranch. Larry was very knowledgeable and helped our group pick up some desert specialties such as Phainopepla, Verdin, and Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. I and a few others were able to hear a Greater Roadrunner cooing on several occasions, but we could not get a visual. I was surprised to see two Rock Wrens in the middle of the dessert as we were making the 10 1/2 mile dirt road drive from the ranch back to the main road. I observed 36 species during our trip to Lytle Ranch.

My wife indulged me Sunday morning as we were leaving St George to return home. She said she'd join me for about an hour to see what would present itself in Washington Fields. I picked up another seven species for my year list. One of which was a Say's Phoebe that was fly catching from a low perch above an agricultural field.

Say's Phoebe in Washington City, UT

Say's Phoebe in Washington City, UT

Spring Estates Pond was on the way back to the Interstate. I took a quick five-minute look and found a resident Snow Goose along with at least two Cackling Geese, a subspecies of Canada Goose identified by it's smaller size and noticeably shorter bill. Cacking Geese often show a more rounded head, but that can be skewed depending on whether the goose is relaxed or stretching its neck while foraging, flying, etc. The images below allow the more rounded head and shorter bill to be seen well. The Cackling Goose's bill seems to have a length of bill that is usually less than about 1.5 times as long as it is high at the base.

Cackling Goose Amid Canada Geese Washington City, UT

Cackling Goose Amid Canada Geese Washington City, UT

By the end of the trip to St George I picked up 44 new species for my 2014 list of species observed. That took me to a total of 128 species for the year. I didn't capture as many photos as I would have had I been on my own, but I enjoyed the company of other birders and learned a bit from some experienced and talented people. It was nice to get out of the cold of northern Utah with a 3 1/2 hour drive to southern Utah. The red rock country and desert were welcomed changes of scenery.

Battle of the Desert Icons: Mojave vs Sonoran

I will share images of a few birds observed in Gilbert, Arizona and St George, Utah as I made my way back to Utah July 24th, but first I want to share evidence of a very slow moving battle I witnessed between the icons of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts along Highway 93 in Arizona.

A Little Background
Marrying a southern California girl resulted in frequent trips from Utah to southern California. When we traveled with our children I would often point to the icon of the Mojave Desert and declare, "That's a Joshua Tree!" As the kids got older they would beat their old man to the punch and say, "Hey, Dad. Do you know what that is? It's a Joshua Tree!"

When our daughter married a young man from Chandler, Arizona we began making trips from Utah to the Phoenix area. As a matter of family tradition I would announce, "That's a Saguaro!" when we'd see our first one on the way to Phoenix.

Battle of the Desert Icons
I had always associated Joshua Trees with the Mojave and Saguaros with the Sonoran Desert. It wasn't until our most recent trip to Gilbert, Arizona that we took a new route. On the advice of our son in law, we drove Highway 93 to State Road 74 (aka Carefree Highway). The usual route of Highway 89 through Paige, Arizona was not an option since the road south of Paige was out of commission. As we drove along 93 I was surprised to see a Joshua Tree. Before I knew it there were more Joshua Trees and the road actually took on the name of Joshua Tree Parkway. "What are Joshua Trees doing in the Sonoran Desert? Are we in the Mojave Desert?"

As we continued our drive we saw Joshua Trees and Saguaros right next to each other.  I felt like I had just made a Columbus-like discovery. My two favorite deserts were merging. I shared my discovery with my wife hoping she'd appreciate what we were seeing and warm up to the idea of stopping for some photos. She did not share my level of enthusiasm and was anxious to get to Gilbert so I made a mental note to stop and get photos of this amazing place on the way home (I'd be driving home by myself).

I spent an hour engaged in speed birding at the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch the morning I was leaving to return to Utah. I also did some speed birding at Tonaquint Park in St George, but the most fun I had was the drive between those to birding spots. The images below were taken along Highway 93 between Wickenburg and Wikieup  Click here to learn more about that stretch of the road. I did my best to document the battle of the desert icons at several stops along the way. I had never seen a Joshua Tree and a Saguaro anywhere near each other--they were always hundreds of miles apart until my first drive along Highway 93.



I was quite impressed by how robust the Joshua Trees appeared and had a hard time deciding which ones to photograph. I settled for the one below because of the Creosote Bushes in the foreground and the blue sky in the background.

Joshua Tree with Creosote Bushes in Foreground Yavapai County, AZ

Further along the road I saw evidence that these desert icons were actually trying to stake their territory by intimidating one another. You can see that the Saguaro below has actually intimidated the young Joshuas to the point of them bowing at its feet.



Just meters away was a Joshua Tree sneaking up from behind on a still-confident Saguaro. Joshua was raising his arms and preparing to unleash a terrifying scream on the unsuspecting Saguaro.



After witnessing and documenting the desert battle I was relieved to discover that one mighty Saguaro was dedicated to providing direction to travelers along Highway 93. He was very faithful in his service because he was standing in the very same place on the way down to and back from Gilbert.

Now The Birds on Both Ends of the Desert Battle Ground:
On my way out of Gilbert, as mentioned previously, I did a very quick walk-through of the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch. Because I moved quickly I had to be opportunistic with photos. The first willing subject was a female American Wigeon.

Female American Wigeon Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch Gilbert, AZ

The distinct cooing of Inca Doves caught my attention so I spent about ten minutes tracking down on the other side of one of the Preserve's ponds.

Inca Dove Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch Gilbert, AZ

Inca Dove Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch Gilbert, AZ

It wouldn't be a trip to the preserve without seeing the ubiquitous Curve-billed Thrashers.

Young Curve-billed Thrasher Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch Gilbert, AZ

Curve-billed Thrasher Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch Gilbert, AZ

Curve-billed Thrasher Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch Gilbert, AZ

I found Northern Mockingbirds looking rather normal yet fluffy...

Northern Mockingbird Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch Gilbert, AZ

...and rather odd. This bird didn't quite have the fully developed plumage .

Northern Mockingbird Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch Gilbert, AZ

I captured the image of the Canada Goose below because the band was so visible. I wanted to report the band to the North American Bird Banding Program and learn where it was originally banded. I submitted the image, band number, and location to www.reportband.gov. About a week or so later I received a certificate of appreciation which provided the location and date of the bird's banding. I was hoping for an exotic location, but it turned out that this goose was banded June 26, 2009 at Chaparral Park in Scottsdale, about 15 miles from where I photographed the bird. Apparently, this bird returns to the same general area for the breeding season. B58 is a female according to the bander.

Tagged Canada Goose Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch Gilbert, AZ

Snowy Egrets were foraging on most of the ponds at the preserve. This one was very cooperative as I was hurrying back to my car after to begin the road trip back to northern Utah.

Snowy Egret Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch Gilbert, AZ

Snowy Egret Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch Gilbert, AZ

Since I was the only one in the car on the way back to Utah I stopped a number of times to photograph plants and landscapes. Below is a Prickly Pear Cactus near the multi-directional Saguaro I shared earlier in this post.

Prickly Pear Cactus on Highway 93 in Arizona

Male Apache Cicadas were using the "timbals" on the sides of their abdomens to make a lot of noise in hopes of attracting females. Adults only live for a few weeks. This guy was quite noisy so I decided to capture an image. Cicadas are the only bugs in the world that can sweat during the hottest days of summer. These cicadas spend most of their lives in underground burrows, but individuals emerge in three to five year cycles to breed. They are not considered pests and do not harm people. They don't even bite. If a bird were to pick up a male cicada it would be in for quite a shock when the cicada turns its whole body into a rattling noisemaker made of armor. Female cicadas, on the other hand might become a delicious meal, especially if it were laden with eggs.

Apache Cicada Along Highway 93 Yavapai County, AZ

I know nothing about the plants of the Sonoran Desert so I consulted with a local botanist and was informed that this plant is Nolina bigelovii. It is often called Bigelow's Nolina and Beargrass. I liked seeing them stand out with the light yellow flowering stems.

Bigelow's Nolina Along Highway 93 in Arizona

This scene included several of the desert plants that fascinated me along Highway 93--Creosote, Nolina, and Saguaro. What other plants can be identified in this image? Please share what you see when you leave a comment at the end of the post.

I stopped at Tonaquint Nature Center in St George for my last stop on my way home. The park was quite due to the lingering heat of the afternoon, but I did hear the song of my favorite summertime passerine, a bright male Blue Grosbeak. I followed his song and captured a few images before completing the last 3.5 hour segment of my return trip home.

Blue Grosbeak at Tonaquint Nature Center in St George, UT

Blue Grosbeak at Tonaquint Nature Center in St George, UT