Arizona 2024 – Page 2 – Wildlife Intrigued

Tyrannidae Confunnidae

More greetings from the West. We are officially back in Arizona now that the Vegas stay has come to its end. Managed to pick up several birds while we were out there that puts me a mere 4 birds from last year’s total annual species count which was 327 (link here). That’s a “total count” with a ‘T’. Definitely having a good year and my 2023 record of 340 is in definite reach considering we haven’t even made it to spring migration yet. We packed a lot into our Vegas stay as those days as Ron was able to come join us for a few (definitely boosted his numbers as well) and we decided to explore Spring Mountain for the first time even adding new parts of the Lake Mead Recreational Area that took full days themselves. Add in the stops at Count’s Customs and Linda’s favorite casinos and next thing we know our time was up. Didn’t even have a chance to take John (link here) up on his generous offer for a drink – hoping he takes a rain check on that as we will definitely be back. In that theme, since we are currently “back” in Arizona on our return leg, figured I’d feature a lifer tinned during last year’s visit to this state.

Cassin's Kingbird found at Reid Park, Tucson, AZ in January 2024

How well do you know your Kingbirds? Take a guess which one this is and check your answer by hitting the jump!

They Call Him the Streak

Welcome to April everyone! Big thanks to Brad for keeping you entertained while I am out traipsing about the west. Some would consider vacation to be a relaxing, lazy day endeavor. In contrast, we here at Intrigued approach it as a test of strength and resolve mixed in with equal amounts of frustration and euphoria. It does come with a perpetual smile though as there is nothing better for the soul than being out in nature hunting for feathers. It also means there is a good chance you will be without connectivity which is the case for the last several days as we were exploring southeastern Arizona. Apologies for the delayed responses to post comments and the avalanche of unread emails that are still trying to download. I need to get caught up, but the next several days will be busy as my brother Ron is coming out to meet us for some weekend birding. He has some catching up to do as I just broke into the top 100 birders in all of US with my 308 annual count as I am on quite a streak! More on that in future posts. In the meantime, thought I would introduce you to another Streak.

Streak-Backed Oriole found at Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch, AZ in January 2024

Hit the jump to read more about today’s featured feathered friend.

Thrashing in the Darkness

Greetings everyone! The time has come for us to go west and Mother Nature has decided to give us a sendoff with ~1″ of snow last night. Never fails, make plans to de-winterize in anticipation of warmer weather and then cold reality throws a left crosses. Guessing this is the last snow event here in the Midwest, but the stark reality is…we are going to Arizona and Nevada and shouldn’t be an issue anyway ha. If there is one downside, it’s that my 4th place standing in the county birding bout will take a major hit while we are chasing gorgeous Hummingbirds in the southwest. Brad will taking you through the rest of the month, but I wanted to take a few minutes out of the thrash..I mean pack day to get one more post out before powering down the computer.

Bendire's Thrasher found at Prospector Park, Apache Junction, AZ in January 2024

Hit the jump to read more about today’s featured feathered friend – hint, it is making its debut on Intrigued and a new lifer!

Another Sapsipper

Yikes, it has been a while since we last spoke. Things have been really busy around Intrigued as of late. This week we launched the new Haunt Channel to start using the video format to showcase our Halloween themed creations. I thought blogging took a bit of work, but video is a whole new ball of worms that will take some getting used to. Also had a chance to get out and bird to pump up my county, state and US tallies. Things are looking up on all those fronts and the current total of 249 species for the Average Year is making me really happy – Ron is probably cursing it ha! (link here not updated). The biggest consumer of time has been in recovery mode. Since being released by the surgeon, I’ve been putting in the hard work to get back in the game. Beyond the gym work, been walking several miles a day and today was the first day I was able to intersperse some short jogs. The usual July ultra is off the table now due to the lack of runway, so the new target is the October ultra. One must have goals no matter how ambitious. In honor of the color my face must have been today, say hello to today’s featured feathered friend.

Red-Breasted Sapsucker found at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, Blue Diamond, NV in January 2024

Hit the jump to learn more about this red hued member of the Woodpecker family.

That Which Sips Sap

March has been a weather rollercoaster so far. One day it is miserably cold, the next day sunny and high 50’s. Unfortunately, the ground below an inch or two is still rock solid which means all the heavy rains of late are simply running off and not soaking into the ground. This is bad news for replenishing our wells. On the more positive perspective, the trails are way too squishy to use, so the ankle setback isn’t haunting me as much…as it could be. Surgeon had to cancel my follow-up this week which naturally reverts “assessment” rights back to me. Yesterday: “Linda, ankle is fine, heading out for a 5 mile hike in the park, back later” – there might have been a response, but unfortunately, the door slamming behind me might have muffled it. Correct that… there WAS a response and she was waiting for me when I got back!! Time for OSD (operation squirrel distraction). “Sweetie, there is a horde of zombies coming our way, love to talk, gotta go take care of that before they get your beloved Poodles” {followed by a shuffled sprint to the safety of the den}. Note, there is a good chance this does not work out in my favor ha!

While I mentally prepare for the brain sucking invasion, thought I would bring you a sucker of a different type.

Red-Naped Sapsucker found at Sweetwater Wetlands Park in Tucson, AZ in January 2024

Hit the jump to read more about this mega hole drilling feathered friend.

Date Night at the Dive-In

Ears are a ringing, eyes are watered and red, ankle is a screaming and the body is pretty tired, but … there is a HUGE smile on my face as my head swirls with new ideas for this year’s Haunted Trail (link here – mental reminder, get the 2024 trail post out). Our haunt team is fresh off attending TransWorld, the commercial haunt industry convention held annually in downtown St. Louis, MO (link here). Unfortunately, the name has taken on additional connotations outside the haunt world, but to those in the scare business (vendors and consumers) it’s our super bowl event for educational seminars, animatronics showcase, decor extravaganza and industry hobnobbing. Note, this event is technically not open to the general public as there are commercial requirements to attend (profit/investment thresholds, customer numbers etc.), although that seems to have loosened up a bit this year. If a product is targeted for the horror genre, it is on display and therefore caution does apply. As you would expect, there are very graphic displays/products and children (including those easily offended adults) are STRONGLY discouraged. Probably says something about our team, but this event is pure enjoyment. Downside is the recovery needed the following day (“I have snores, boars, flasks, do the wishes???…sorry honey, I can’t hear with all this ringing in my ears”).

While I attempt to figure out what Linda is trying to say (it is possible I don’t want to know hehehe), going to relax a bit and feature a series that perfectly fits my tired and blurry eyes.

White-Throated Swift found at Canyon Lake near Apache Junction, AZ in January 2024

Hit the jump to read about this aerial acrobat.

What Says You Say’s

Some of the staff is heading back out into the field this week – needless to say to warmer temperatures for sure. Apparently we are in the midst of a third Polar Vortex for the year and we are feeling the effects of NOT getting our cold acclamation cycles in. IT IS COLD! At a minimum, the normal training runs would at least get my butt outside before and after our Texas migration. The ankle has put a stop to that silliness. This is officially the longest I have gone without a run since I started this hobby some 25+ years ago. A few more weeks until my next surgeon follow-up and then hopefully start rebuilding – wish Linda luck as all this pent up energy is driving her nuts (she says I’ve taken to pacing like a caged animal and constantly telling me to STOP IT – link here). Something tells me today’s featured feathered friend would have something to “Say” about it as well!

Say's Phoebe found outside Voyager RV Park in Tucson, AZ in January 2024

Hit the jump to learn more about this rather annoyed looking bird!

Vermilion

It’s that special day where we get extra cuddles from the one(s) we love. Based on the fact we are down in the single digit temperatures, that may be less of a personal display of affection and more about stealing heat ha. I gave it away in the previous post that I was going to go with a Valentine’s theme in recognition of the special day. Minimally one a bit more in line with the day than the nevermore Rook connotations in Brad’s recent adventure. There were some (read brother) that had speculated a bird couple story, which immediately brought to mind the always cute Inca Doves (link here) or the smooching we saw between pairs in the mass of Parrots at Oliviera Park in Brownsville, TX. Truth is, I am nowhere close to getting those Parrot pictures processed (it was less than a month ago!!) and not that clever. In my defense, Incas have a cooing that sounds like “NO HOPE” which isn’t what you want to think about on a relationship holiday. I was really just going for a bird with a Valentine’s color palette.

Hit the jump to see more shots from this brilliantly red colored bird.

A Wriend of Mine

Mother Nature has decided I need a break from birding and has turned off the heater down here in south Texas. It has been 20 days of intense birding since the calendar turned and now officially at 179+2 provisionals. That puts me on par with our best Average Year back in 2023 (link here) and significantly ahead of our 2024 productivity (link here) – swapping the Texas and Arizona trips really hurt our numbers last year. Needless to say, plenty of new blog fodder this young year to take us well into 2027. In the midst of all the tin filling I completely forgot to announce the official start of our 18th year here at Intrigued. For all the staff, we’ll officially celebrate once everyone gets back from the field. Note, Brad and Jan are due back to the mainland soon, so get the place tidied up and stoke up the furnace.

Speaking of Brad and Jan, they actually beat me to today’s featured feathered friend.

Cactus Wren found at Kartchner Caverns State Park in Benson, AZ in January 2024

Hit the jump if you are “Wren” for it! (the puns will continue until you beg for mercy ha)

RRedbird

Apologies for being a bit out of pocket as of late. All our field staff including me are ..well..out in the field. Among them, Brad and Jan are filling up their tins abroad and Linda and I are dealing with the wet and cold weather currently ravaging south Texas. Surprisingly, the birding has been pretty impressive given the conditions. My brother Ron flew down to join in some birding for a week and just got on the plane to return to Chicago where it is snowing with a windchill of -4 – okay, I’ll stop complaining about our weather. In Ron’s short time here we were able to find him just under 150 new birds for his Average Year tally. That puts him at roughly 100 in the top 100 eBirders by species for the Texas region (note, actual positioning can fluctuate during the day based on reporting). Pretty impressive, but not to be outdone, with my extended time in Texas I am officially at 165 bird species. That puts me around 48th place for the entire Texas region. That is 52 birds ahead of last year’s pace, which you will recall, ended with a tally of 325 (see the finally updated full 2024 stats here). Shockingly, that means in the 15 days so far this year I already have 55% of the annual goal of 300. Tells you how hard it gets to find new birds as the year progresses. I do want to give a shoutout to all the wonderful birders we have met down here, including Steve and Lisa who guided us through Santa Ana NWR yesterday. Always willing to strike up a conversation and assist with any sightings. Warms my heart to know the birding community bonds continue to be strong.

I suspect there are some out there that could have predicted today’s featured feathered friend. After the last post on the Phainopepla, it just seems appropriate to go with another incredibly hard bird to spell that also has a spectacular punk-do.

Pyrrhuloxia found at Saguaro National Park outside Tucson, AZ in January 2024

Hit the jump to read more about this chunky member of the Cardinalidae family

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