Ahh. California! More stunning scenery. More cool views. More great birds. What’s not to like? This is our 8th tour out of 11 one-week tours for this year. It was sunny and pleasant today. We got in a little birding this afternoon and evening after everyone arrived. We headed directly to Oakland to chase…

  Whoosh! Another week flies by. The last full day of birding was today. We started at Tubac on the De Anza Trail where we found Tropical Kingbird and 5 species of doves. Then we drove to Proctor Rd in Madera Canyon. There we found Varied Bunting, Blue Grosbeak, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Verdin, and Arizona Woodpecker.…

  Today was a loooooong day with many stops, lots of driving, and stifling heat. But, wait until you hear the stories! We began our day at Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve where we missed seeing any Thick-billed Kingbirds. That was a first for me. I have always been able to see them there. And there were…

  So long, Chiricahua Mountains. I will see you again soon. Today was Day 4. We started before sunrise and headed out to the desert near Rodeo, NM. Yup. We skipped the State line. Why? Well, we got to see Bendire’s and Crissal Thrashers. After our morning birding, we ate our last meal at the…

  Last night’s internet was spotty. Of course, we are in a wonderfully wild area with hardly any people. Tonight’s connection is better. I am doing updates for days 2 & 3. Wow. Just wow. So many birds already. And the scenery is stunning. I have to say that I am in my favorite part…

  Day 1 of my Big Year Tour to Southeast Arizona started today! I am totally excited to be back in this fabulous birding area. With stunning scenery and magnificent birds this region of the country is just plain magical. This is the 7th of 11 one-week tours this year as we attempt to see…

  Today was the last day of our Big Year Tour in Montana. We finished with 152 species for the trip and the Big Year total is now at 422 species. We started the day at Giant Springs State Park in Great Falls. 150 million gallons bubble up here and feed the Missouri River every…

Today started out with some difficulty. I was rudely awakened at 5:30am by a sharp pain in my right calf. It was excruciatingly painful. I managed to hobble to the bathroom and drank a few glasses of water thinking maybe I was dehydrated. But I have taken care to  stay hydrated. I was dubious. Unfortunately…

  Montana Day 5 is history. Was it a great day? Well, yes. Yes it was. The people who missed Gray Partridge last night got to see it today. And we found a Mountain Plover. And several Sharp-tailed Grouse (including babies!). And more Sprague’s Pipits (this time displaying) and Baird’s Sparrows, Chestnut-collared and McCown’s Longspurs,…

  Lots of driving happened today. We drove from Billings to Malta with one long but enjoyable pit stop at Charles M. Russell NWR. Although we did not add any new birds for the year, we had fun exploring the western portion of the refuge. The views were amazing!     And we got permission…

  Amazing! Montana does not disappoint! What a day…again! We started the day in Helena at the Mount Helena City Park. From the parking area we saw 2 Calliope Hummingbirds. Then we made the long drive to the expansive grasslands in the Harlowton area. We made a pit stop at Martinsdale Reservoir where we saw…

  What a day! Montana birds are fantastic! And not to be outdone, the scenery is just phenomenal too!       Today we bumped our Montana trip list over 100. We are now at 101 species. And the year list whooshed by the 400-mark. We now stand at 412. Some of today’s birds include…