Mike in the Wild

Every competitor wants to soar with eagles, reaching the pinnacle of success in their pursuits.  It's why our televisions are tuned to bake-offs and sports competitions; we want to see the very best cooks and athletes.  And it was this trophy bird, the bald eagle, that was my target when I headed over to Indian Bend Wash in Scottsdale.   The wash is actually a greenbelt of parks, golf courses, bike paths and lakes that comprises eleven miles of a flood diversion channel.  A couple of years ago a pair of bald eagles nested in the area and promoted birdwatching to the list of activities available in the development.  But it seems the eagles have moved on to a less crowded habitat as I can't find a record of their sighting this last year.  And I didn't spot them myself in the little corner of the park I visited yesterday.  However near Indian Bend Road, close to the Silverado Golf Club and the Arizona Canal, three different species of flycatchers quickly drew my attention.

Everyone knows I like to write about the ducks visiting Arizona's waterways during the winter.  Most of these birds are escaping the colder temperatures of their summer breeding ranges far away in northern latitudes.  One species I've seen regularly this season is the green-winged teal.   While I've not observed any in my Phoenix neighborhood, I have encountered flocks of them at two locations in the state.   The first teals I saw were the several individuals wintering at the Riparian Preserve in the city of Gilbert's Water Ranch complex in early January.  And on a quick stop at Watson Lake in Prescott this past February I observed what appeared to be a larger flock of more than a dozen.    They're not the easiest birds to photograph for a couple of reasons: they're always on the water and they're wary of human spectators.   So with my new 400mm sized Tamron lens attached to my Canon, I was anxious to return to Gilbert and get a little bit closer to th

There are numerous signs that spring is in the air around Phoenix: major league baseball is playing its pre-season training games, pollen-filled air has us reaching for our allergy pills, birds are starting their noisy mating rituals.  But most notably for anybody hiking area trails is that reptiles - especially rattlesnakes - are waking up from their winter hibernation.  I had my first lizard sighting since autumn when I saw one scurry across my front porch last week.  It was a sunny, pleasant afternoon and the skinny reptile was probably savoring the same warmth I was.  In addition,  plants are in bloom and aloe flowers especially are replacing my backyard feeder's sugar water as the most popular nourishment for local hummingbirds.  After a cool and wet winter, the change in temperature is a welcome relief for all animals, including humans. It was an easy decision to drive forty minutes to Cave Creek for a morning hike in Maricopa County's Spur Cross Ranch Conservatio

I've written a few times about longing for the winter visitors that I'd normally see on my neighborhood birding trail by now.  Two years ago, I was excited to encounter my first wood duck - a male - on the lower pond at Granada Park.  While small, he was probably the prettiest of the winter waterfowl that migrate to or through this part of Arizona during the season.   Last year I encountered another one swimming on the Arizona Canal that divides my Biltmore community in half.  Like the individual from the previous year, he was in a group of mallards, and was standing out because of his diminutive size and bright plumage.  He didn't stick around that part of the waterway for long, and was the last wood duck I'd see until I got lucky again at Granada Park last week.  I probably pass near this urban recreation space daily on my various drives throughout the city.   In the winter, I like to stop by every ten days or so with my camera in case a migratory bird is visiting