Mike in the Wild

Hummingbirds are renowned for their remarkable ability to hover in midair.  They use their exceptionally fast-beating wings to remain in place as they sip nectar from a flower or sugar water from a feeder.  The only other bird I've seen share this skill is the kingfisher as it hunts for fish over a body of water.  However on a recent visit to Papago Park, an osprey appeared just as equally accomplished in its gravity-defying abilities. It was a windy day, which is not always a terrific time to watch birds.  Their aerodynamic abilities seem pushed to their limits as the creatures struggle against headwinds and gusts.  Nonetheless on the morning at Papago Park, I observed several migratory birds including ring-necked ducks, American wigeons, lesser scaups, and northern shovelers navigating the three lakes without any problems.  Meanwhile, at least two yellow-rumped warblers, other winter visitors, flitted just fine through the rustling leaves of trees. Howeve...

The crashing wave's foaming water raced to cover the sand, forcing me to walk a zigzagging path to keep my feet dry.  Meanwhile sandpipers hunted with the rhythm of the ocean, scouring the draining sand in search of a meal left by the inundation.  Such a walk along the beach is one of my happiest memories, reminding me of childhood vacations along the Jersey Shore and future trips to exotic ports of call in the Caribbean. But I learned recently that you don't have to travel to a saltwater beach to see sandpipers; merely check out the closest lake, stream, or river near wherever you live.  Yes, I'm referring to even my own landlocked desert city of Phoenix.  I frequently write about the birds along my jogging route: the ruddy ducks on park lakes, nesting great-horn owls on the golf course, the Harris's hawks roosting on a lamp post.  Very recently it was on the Arizona Canal very close to my home where I spotted my first sandpipers in the area. The birds seem to ...