Mike in the Wild

Even after only a couple years birding in Arizona, it's not often that I encounter a new bird species in my home state, let alone in my very own yard.  So you can imagine my surprise after I recently identified my very first Cassin's finch at my weekend home in Prescott. I don't visit that area frequently in the colder months, but on my occasional winter and early spring visits I still fill the seed feeder that gives me hours of birding fun in the warmer weather.   Because it had been empty for a few weeks, most birds had wisely moved on to more dependable sources of food.   So I wasn't completely surprised - just a bit impatient - when the feeder still remained bird-less the day after I had replenished it. Eventually I noticed a few house finches stopping to feed, initially disappointing me because they are quite common birds in every corner of the state.   But before long, I was thrilled to see more unique mountain birds like chickadees, nuthatch...

I've written before that spotting a cardinal in the wild is always an exciting and colorful moment.  Many people call it the prettiest bird in the United States, and the fact that seven of our states call the avian their state bird probably makes that official. Arizonans are lucky that the northern cardinal - its official name - calls their state home.  And I am specifically fortunate that at least one pair lives in my central Phoenix neighborhood. Occasionally I hear the melodious and repetitive call of the male, and if fast getting my camera, I can get a shot of him high in a backyard tree or even higher in some neighborhood palm trees just beyond my yard's wall.  Recently, the female of the pair let me get some close shots of her in my lysiloma tree, allowing me some stealthy birding in the privacy of my own garden.   Her call seemed less elaborate than her partner's, only sounding like a sharp and repetitive tweep . The flash of the male's scarlet live...

In December, I was surprised to see a pair of pelicans in the desert, specifically over-wintering at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve in the East Valley.   On a return visit last week, I saw at least four at that location, confirming that they were indeed seasonal visitors and not just making a short stopover on a migration.  In fact, I know there is yet another group wintering on the western edge of the Phoenix metropolitan area, at the Glendale Recharge Ponds.  So the species may be more common here than I had originally imagined. Meanwhile during my latest visit to Gilbert, I was quite fortunate to photograph a trio of these American white pelicans synchronizing their glides and dives on the preserve's pond #7.  And I was impressed to discover that swans aren't the only graceful and elegant birds that call the continent's waterways home.

It's still the winter season in North America, and snowbirds of many varieties continue enjoying the sunnier and warmer temperatures in the southern half of Arizona.  Baseball's spring training is beginning, bringing even more visitors to the Valley of the Sun.  And several birds that winter in the state are still here, most notably a Lincoln's sparrow that has called my backyard home for the last couple weeks.  I don't recall a member of this species visiting in the past.  It seems to be a lone individual, not traveling as a member of a larger flock like his cousin the white-crowned sparrow.  But with the aid of my zoom lens I've been able to confirm his identity, noting both his buff-colored chest and mustache that help distinguish him from a  more common song sparrow. As the season soon turns to spring, I'll expect this backyard visitor to head north for breeding like many seasonal and migratory species.  Its trip may be just to Flagstaff or...

South of Avondale and within eyesight - not to mention hearing distance - of a sprawling Nascar racetrack is the Base and Meridian Wildlife Area, owned by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.  The area is also called Tres Rios due to the nearby confluence of the Salt, Agua Fria and Gila Rivers. Once a year, the city of Avondale and a combination of parties interested in the viability of the waterway and its native habitat come together in the form of the two day-long Tres Rios Nature Festival. Besides entertainment and food, the event features water sports like paddle boarding sponsored by REI Sports Equipment and bird walks hosted by the local Audubon Society.  In addition, the local utilities are there to explain the history of the waterway and how they've managed to restore the once dry riverbed back into a natural riparian preserve. While it doesn't take a festival to enjoy the wildlife that call the preserve home, the event reminds nature lovers that it takes an enti...

Dominating the northeast corner of Arizona and the Four Corners area, the Navajo Nation comprises over 27,000 square miles to make it the largest Native American reservation in the United States.  And as I was just reminded, a terrific way to see some of the region's stark but beautiful landscapes is to drive US Highway 160 through the northern half of the reservation. There are numerous reasons to visit the area on their own; the grandiose red rocks of Monument Valley, the historic native dwellings of Navajo National Monument, the kaleidoscopic colors of the Painted Desert, the delicious fry bread at the local restaurants and the rug shopping at the trading posts.  But making frequent stops on the side of one main highway, during a four hour drive from the Four Corners area in the northeast to the Cameron Trading Post in the southwest, still guaranteed an appreciation of the spectacular scenery View of mesas in Colorado and New Mexico near the Four Corners area as I en...

For most of my adult life, winter has meant skiing, and living in Arizona has afforded me easy access to some of the best ski resorts in the Rocky Mountains.  While packed powder slopes and parabolic skis guarantee Olympian thrills, the mountains provide some of the most sublimely beautiful scenery in the world.  Below are some pictures from a couple recent trips into southwestern Colorado - just a seven hour drive from Phoenix - where the world-class ski parks at Telluride, Purgatory and Wolf Creek promise adventures for both the athlete and the nature lover. Mountain scenery from the slopes of Telluride Ski Resort. Mountain scenery from the slopes of Telluride. Mountain scenery from the slopes of Telluride. Mountain scenery from the slopes of Purgatory Ski Resort. Scenery from the slopes of Purgatory. Scenery from the slopes of Purgatory Ski Resort. Scenery from the highway between Pagosa Springs and Wolf Creek Ski Area. Mountain scener...