I ran my third 5K two weeks ago and I was literally bouncing afterwards. I’ve always said that I don’t get a runner’s high, but I think that I have to retract that statement. I was feeling ecstatic and energetic after the race; I was definitely high. My friend David and I talked about the run last night. I looked at him and said, “It was because of the pain, wasn’t it?” and he nodded in agreement. Yes, there had been pain. I had struggled to breathe and my back and left foot had started hurting after the first mile. But, I’d seen that as a challenge. I kept going.
Below, David and me after the Best Damn Race, Safety Harbor 2024.
Dozens of serious athletic events have made David into a bit of an expert on pain. I’ve been there to support him for many of those events, but I’m just now starting to really understand. We also talked about the 109-mile Big Mick he cycled last summer (in one day). It had been cold and rained for most of the time that he was on the bike. I only saw him at the end with a huge smile. We talked about that, too, and again the explanation was the pain of grueling physical demands, that time in miserable weather. He didn’t love the ride in spite of the difficulty; he loved it because of the difficulty. You can’t feel the joy of accomplishment without surmounting the challenges.
As I read about healthy aging, I keep hearing that one must leave their comfort zone. I think this advice applies to all aspects of life – physical, mental, emotional. If we want to do more than build resilience, if we want to thrive, we must learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.
Travel is a guaranteed way to leave your comfort zone. Almost everything is different in a foreign country and it’s easy to let that be frustrating. Just simple communication about food or directions can seem nearly impossible at times. Throw in jet lag, digestive upset from a change in diet, and, for me, sitting on an airplane for a 16-hour flight and I’m in pain. On my recent trip to India I had all that plus difficulty dealing with the heat. I’m sure that I whined and complained. Fortunately, I had a role-model for thriving in a foreign environment in my friend Linda. She simply accepts difficulties and uses her energy for seeing new things, learning, exploring.
Linda was always smiling, always up for a new adventure, making friends everywhere.
By the end of my month in India, I found myself feeling grateful for the challenges because they gave me an opportunity to grow. Yes, I still want to grow. I used to think that by a certain age one should be all grown-up, a finished product. But, now I want to grow for my entire life. I want to reach the finish line a better person than I was the day before, more kind and tolerant, braver, talking about what I learned yesterday.
So, take me outside my comfort zone, bring on the challenges, let me feel the pain of doing things that are hard. May the adventures continue!
Photo below of a Hoatzin from my 2021 trip to Ecuador. My favorite kind of bird – weird and wonderful. I hope to see many more weird and wonderful creatures in my future travels.
“And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain . . . We choose to go to the moon … not because it is easy, but because it is hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills …” JFK, 1962.
David flew home on Monday morning, June 12. I was tired after all the adventures of last few weeks, so I took it easy the rest of the day and revisited Custer State Park. This time I stopped and walked around beautiful Sylvan Lake.
I enjoyed the walk even though I did not see a lot of wildlife other than a few families of Canada Geese on the lake with their adorable goslings.
Next, I drove the 18-mile wildlife loop road again. eBird lists 167 species for this hotspot, but I reported only 15 species that day. I believe that I would have seen more if I had started earlier in the day and been more familiar with all the trails and side roads. Regardless, I was happy to have another visit to Custer State Park. I saw a few birds, Common Ringlet butterflies, and some interesting plants, mostly on the Prairie Trail.
Do you remember Scott Rager from my last post? I had met Scott at the LAK Reservoir near Newcastle on the day that I drove from Deadwood to Edgemont. I find most birders to be friendly and generous, but Scott was exceptional. He offered to spend an entire day with me, so we met on Tuesday morning. We started at Ruby Canyon, where I had unsuccessfully searched for Virginia’s Warbler in 2018. Scott had seen Virginia’s there recently and he got a quick look again with me, but I wasn’t fast enough to see the bird. We spent a long time at the watering trough, but the much-wanted warbler did not show up. The Chipping Sparrows loved the water, though, as did a pair of Black-headed Grosbeaks.
Roby Canyon was the only location during the trip where I saw the gorgeous Weidemeyer’s Admiral, a new butterfly for me.
After a delicious lunch at a local Mexican restaurant, we birded a few areas near Newcastle. We added several common Western species to my list and a “rare” (flagged as such by eBird) Eastern Phoebe, normally a more Eastern species, that Scott had found earlier in the breeding season. I had started the day with 45 Wyoming birds and had 60 by the time we headed to Scott’s place as dusk approached. As we sat watching the feeders and chatting, it seemed that we were too late to see a Lewis’s Woodpecker. Then, just before dark, this stunning bird came in for a late dinner. Scott sometimes has half a dozen of these gorgeous birds in his yard, but I was thrilled with just this one. I’ve never had better looks and it was a wonderful end to a great day.
The next morning I got a little later start than I’d wanted and I had to go to the grocery store. The hotel I would be staying at that night had suggested that I bring food as there was none available there. Later in the day I would regret the delay, but by day 19 of a trip I am not my most efficient. So, I headed south and after a quick spin through Lusk Cemetery (Orchard Oriole, Wyoming #63), I was in Nebraska.
The drive to Henry Road was a bit longer than I had expected and I arrived at 11:12 AM. Henry Road is a dirt road on open range and I did not see another person the entire time I was there. I did not see a lot of birds either, but this location is popular among birders for the prized species that do occur. I saw Horned Larks on the fence wires and in the road, a common bird in the West and not my target.
The avian stars of Henry Road are the longspurs – Chestnut-collared and Thick-billed.
I did not get great photos of either longspur as I’d hoped, but these are special birds, and it’s always a treat to see them. Sadly, their range is quickly shrinking. Just a few years ago, they were regularly found in Thunder Basin National Grasslands, where I had been a few days earlier, but none were reported in Weston County (Wyoming) this year.
I also saw quite a few Lark Buntings. Below, a female or immature bird, which looks so different from the adult male.
Another treat was a singing Brewer’s Sparrow.
I spent over 3 hours on Henry Road, much longer than I had intended, and my exit was delayed even more by these cows. There was a cattle guard between my car and the cows and fences on both the right and left sides of the road. The only way out was where those cows were standing. They were oblivious to my horn and just did not want to budge. Once again, I’m sure my friends worry about all the wrong things on my solo road trips. Who would have guessed that a herd of cows would hold me hostage? After much slow and tedious effort, I was able to get through an inch at a time. Literally, those cows would back up only one small step when I slowly crept forward.
Finally, I was back on the highway and drove towards the little town of Lakeside. From there, I turned south towards Crescent Lake NWR for 28 miles on a once-paved road now just crumbling asphalt, dirt, and rocks. I didn’t mind the road at all; my only regret was getting there so late that I could not spend hours and stop as often as I wanted to soak in the beauty. It was amazing and my words are inadequate to convey the awe I felt as Long-billed Curlews and Willets flew overhead calling.
American Avocets, the color of dreamsicles as a friend once described them, Wilson’s Phalaropes, and multiple species of ducks foraged in the little ponds.
I saw several Upland Sandpipers. I am pretty sure that this one and another that was with it are “teenagers.”
Yellow-headed Blackbirds are one of my favorites.
I can’t leave out a Swainson’s Hawk on any story about a trip west. This one came with a bonus Western Kingbird.
This pretty Ornate Box Turtle was also on the road to Crescent Lake NWR.
Because of my poor time management earlier in the day, I had only 2-1/2 hours on this incredible road. This is my favorite kind of birding and I’m now inspired to do a “dirt and gravel road” trip out west.
All that was left after this wonderful day was the long, tedious drive home. I didn’t have quite as much ambition for county birding and iNat as I had on the long drive at the start of the trip. I put in some effort, though, and was rewarded with a Giant Walkingstick at a McDonald’s drive-thru window in Oklahoma.
I accidentally reset my trip meter, but I’m pretty sure that I drove about 6,250 miles on this trip. It was a lot of time behind the wheel, but the rewards were worth it.
David and I spent June 2 in Spearfish Canyon. His flight to Rapid City had been on time and his bicycle survived the flight without needing any repairs, so we had two full days to explore the Black Hills area before he started the RASDak (Ride Across South Dakota) cycling event.
This is a beautiful area and our 14-mile drive on US Highway 14A (Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway) to the Spearfish Canyon Natural Area was lovely. Above, Bridal Veil Falls, about the mid-point of the drive. We enjoyed our hike from the Visitor Center to Roughlock Falls (top photo in the first post in this series). David found both an American Robin on her nest and an American Redstart visiting its nest in a small bush by the side of the creek. Black-headed Grosbeaks also nest here, but I never got a great look. David, however, saw an adult male so close that he could even see the yellow on its lower belly while I was in the restroom. My best looks were of a pair eating trash in the picnic area.
My main birding goal here was American Dipper, a life bird for David. He got a quick look at one on our hike back to the car, but a little later we had better looks at two dippers a bit farther up the road under a bridge with a nest box. We also saw Least Chipmunks at both the Roughlock Falls picnic area and the area by the bridge.
On Saturday morning, David was very excited to head to Devils Tower. I had been there on my big road trip in 2018, but it was David’s first visit. I can’t say it better than I did then – it’s just a hunk of rock jutting up from the earth, but so very beautiful and inspiring. We walked the 1.5 mile trail closest to the tower and took time to talk with other visitors and take plenty of photos.
Even with our slow pace, we were done early enough to go to Thunder Basin National Grassland. We turned off the highway onto a gravel road and almost immediately four Long-billed Curlews flew across the road right in front of us. Two more stayed behind in the field and we got pretty good looks at them. For someone who refuses to call himself a birder, David was getting some very nice life birds!
Pronghorn are the fastest land mammal in the Western Hemisphere and we saw many of these beautiful animals at Thunder Basin. They are often called antelope, but they are in a different family and have no close relatives. The San Diego Zoo website has a page on pronghorn with some fascinating facts.
The first RASDak ride was on Sunday from Spearfish to Newcastle, Wyoming. I headed straight to Thunder Basin. This national grassland is in the the transition zone between the Great Plains to the east and the sagebrush steppe to the west and I love that landscape.
After David’s ride, we drove around Newcastle and saw a few birds including the brilliant Mountain Bluebird below.
The next morning David left for Hot Springs and I went to Thunder Basin once again. I saw several birds like the one in the photo below that proved to be my biggest ID challenge. I took dozens of photos and submitted some to Merlin, a bird ID app, right there on the side of the road. My heart fluttered with excitement when Merlin suggested that it was a Sprague’s Pipit, a much-wanted life bird, but somehow I knew it couldn’t be. Actually, it was a juvenile Horned Lark and I had a good learning experience.
Fall River, fed by thermal warm springs, runs directly through the little town of Hot Springs. Later that afternoon, we enjoyed a pleasant walk on the Freedom Trail which runs alongside the river. There were large numbers of Cliff Swallows nesting under a bridge and other birds in the large trees.
The next day it was on to Custer, David’s shortest ride. I didn’t have time for morning birding as David finished so early, but that gave us time for a trip to Mount Rushmore. I liked it more than I expected as the surrounding area is classic Black Hills with beautiful ponderosa pine covering the mountainside.
I was a bit disappointed that we missed the mountain goats at Mt. Rushmore, but in addition to the scenery, I enjoyed the White-winged Juncos, another Least Chipmunk, and a Melissa Blue butterfly (top left below). The other butterflies were also seen in the Black Hills.
On Wednesday, David rode his bicycle to Rapid City and I drove the wildlife loop at Custer State Park. Below, the lush landscape of the Black Hills is so different from the landscape to the east or the west, although it has prairie dog towns which we also saw in the badlands and at Devils Tower. It’s no wonder that we saw so many prairie dogs; about half of the U.S. population lives in South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana.
Custer State Park also hosts large numbers of bison and David had quite an experience sharing the road with them while he was on a bicycle. I will share a link once he writes his story.
I don’t know how we crammed so many activities into Thursday. David rode to Sturgis and I went to Canyon Lake Park in Rapid City. The park did not have anything unusual, but I liked the pretty Red-winged Blackbirds, one of David’s favorite birds.
Our first afternoon activity together was a quick trip to Bear Butte Lake. You will be shocked at what I did next, but when you are traveling with a friend, you try to make them happy. So, there was no way we could miss the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. It actually turned out to be more interesting that I had expected and you can see how much fun David had in the photo below.
We attended the RASDak closing dinner next and still had time for a second trip to Bear Butte Lake. We saw quite a few birds at the lake; my favorite was this accommodating Upland Sandpiper.
The last day of RASDak was back to Spearfish to complete the loop. I spent the early morning in Spearfish Canyon looking for Cordilleran Flycatcher. OK, birding friends, you can laugh. I know that this fall it will be lumped with Pacific Slope Flycatcher, which I have already seen. I am usually very good with avian taxonomy, but I suppose the desire for a lifer prevailed over knowledge. I easily found the bird singing, but only had one quick view of its belly. I finally gave up and went to the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery to wait for David where I photographed the Wood Duck below.
We went back to Spearfish Canyon together to continue the search for Cordilleran Flycatcher and David got a quick look at one. We finally figured out that there was a nest in the tree we were watching, but the bird zipped in and out on the back side where it was impossible to see. Our luck with the dippers was much better. We enjoyed watching one fly up and down the river and David got to see it duck under water. He climbed down the creek bank to get the photo below.
On June 10, David joined a couple hundred other cyclists for the Big Mick, a one-day 109-mile bicycle ride on the George S. Mickelson Trail from Deadwood to Edgemont. This successful rail trail conversion is one of the most scenic in the U.S. and David loved it. However, his final day of riding was wet and one of his coldest ever. After riding 450 miles in seven days, David was feeling good and still smiling.
While David was cycling through the heart of the Black Hills, I drove the western route through Wyoming to get from Deadwood to Edgemont. I had 41 Wyoming birds and my goal was 50 species. I birded the LAK Reservoir near Newcastle again and saw a few new birds. I also met Scott Rager, a top Wyoming birder. Scott was very friendly and offered a few tips before I had to move on. (Spoiler alert: Scott will appear again in part 4.)
After picking up David in Edgemont, we drove to Wall, SD and spent the next day at Badlands NP. David flew home the following morning and I took the car for a wash before having a few more adventures. Stay tuned for the finale to the trip.
Diane and I left our hotel in Luverne, Minnesota, on Tuesday, May 30, and headed west across South Dakota. We met in SD in 2010 and both of us have birded quite a bit in the state, so we didn’t plan any stops other than at rest areas until we reached Badlands National Park.
I had reviewed bird lists for the park to prepare for the trip, but I had not looked at any photos of the landscape. Thus, I was absolutely awestruck upon our arrival that afternoon. I was instantly, madly in love with this place. The only words that I can find – beautiful, dramatic, rugged – seem inadequate and my amateur photos do not do it justice. If you have been to South Dakota’s badlands, you know what I mean. If you have not been there, go! Put it on your bucket list.
The stark contrast between vast mixed-grass prairies where the buffalo still roam and extensive rock formations was very appealing to me. The section of the park depicted below reminded me of Canyonlands National Park in Utah.
Badlands National Park covers 244,000 acres. Its geologic foundation began 75 million years ago as deposits of rock built up in layers over the next 47 million years. About 500,000 years ago, erosion began as the Cheyenne and White Rivers carved their way through the landscape forming the dramatic peaks and canyons that we see today. In the photo below, the layers are especially noticeable.
Diane and I felt our attention constantly pulled between pull-overs on the side of the road to savor and photograph the landscape and the search for birds and other wildlife. We quickly learned that the secret was to get out at 5:30 or 6:00 AM and focus on wildlife first.
We saw many iconic species of the west with the most numerous being Western Meadowlark. Our host at the Badlands Inn called its song “the soundtrack of the badlands.” Somehow, I failed to get a photo of a meadowlark in the badlands, so here is one from an earlier trip west.
Another gorgeous western bird that we saw here (and I would see many more times during this trip) was the dapper Lark Bunting.
Birders and non-birders alike watch for other wildlife with the expected species being bison, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, mule deer, and black-tailed prairie dog.
Badlands National Park is in the heart of historic bison range. Before European settlers arrived, about 30 million bison inhabited North America, but by the late 1800’s they were nearly gone. A project to reintroduce bison to the badlands was started in the 1960’s. A major conservation achievement resulted with a healthy herd of nearly 1,200 individuals. Read more about this project and learn how bison improve the prairie ecosystem for all its inhabitants in Bringing Bison Back to the Badlands.
Like most Americans, we wanted to see our national mammal. We saw more than 100 bison with many in the distance and some right by the road.
We also saw hundreds of prairie dogs. We especially enjoyed watching the families, some with as many as five babies. We called these adorable little creatures “puppies” and later learned that we weren’t far from the correct term “pups.”
Bighorn sheep were not as numerous, but we found several at the Hay Butte Overlook.
A week and a half later I would return with David and we would see sheep again at the same overlook, but high up in the rock cliffs. That group appeared to be all females with their babies.
My biggest surprise (and disappointment) with wildlife was not seeing a single snake or lizard, despite signs everywhere warning of rattlesnakes. My only consolation was this cute Woodhouse’s Toad right outside our motel room.
As in Minnesota, wildflower season was just beginning and we found some pretty flowers.
Sego LilyYellow Salsify, beautiful but not nativeScarlet BeeblossomMeadow Deathcamas
Some of the flowers above were photographed at Conata Picnic Area, one of the spots that Diane and I especially liked. David and I visited the same area twelve days later and I was sad to discover that all the wildflowers on the sides of the entrance road and picnic area had been mowed down.
We saw birds there, too, like this pretty Lark Sparrow, a common species in the west.
Perhaps this spot endeared itself to us because this is where we saw a Killdeer family with three chicks. Killdeer are common across the country, but we don’t see the babies often. And, babies of all species were a delightful recurring theme on this trip.
This Western Kingbird was also nearby. Birds that are common in the west are not common to us and we loved what felt like a visit to old friends that we do not see often enough.
We saw birds that are common in the east, too, including many Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, and Brown-headed Cowbirds. I tried to ignore the cowbirds, but how could I when one posed so nicely?
We never tired of stopping to photograph the ever-changing landscape. Sights like Yellow Mounds, a favorite spot of many park visitors, constantly awed us. Yellow Mounds (photo below) gets its mustardy color from the mineral goethite. The Yellow Mounds are ancient fossilized soils that geologists call paleosols.
On our last morning, Diane and I got out really early and it paid off with our best views ever of a Rock Wren. It was fun to watch it move quickly along the rocky edge by the side of the road picking at insects.
Much too soon, our time in the park was gone and we had to leave for the Rapid City airport. Diane and I spent two full days in the park. Later I would return with David for one day. One day is sufficient to drive all the roads and see most of the iconic wildlife in the park. Two days is enough to also see some birds. However, I could easily spend three or four days in the badlands and not be bored.
There are two main areas to stay, Wall and Interior. David and I stayed in Wall, which has nicer (and more expensive) lodging, but I preferred Interior, where Diane and I spent two nights. Our motel was “basic,” but we were just a couple of minutes from the park loop road.
I would love to visit Badlands National Park again, but for this trip it was time for Diane to fly home and David to arrive. I would spend the next week exploring the Black Hills while David rode in RASDak, a 350-mile cycling event.
After last year’s “birdless” birding and biking trip, I was thrilled when my friend, David, suggested South Dakota in June. That is not a slam against Utah, which was amazing, but March was not the birdiest time of the year to be there. South Dakota would not give me many life birds, if any at all, but it would have abundant bird life in June. While I was birding, David would survey the beautiful scenery of the Black Hills from his bicycle during RASDak (Ride Across South Dakota). Below, a preview of the beauty awaiting us.
I left my home in Florida on May 26 and headed first to northwest Iowa. Each big road trip now begins and ends with three long days of driving. Those three days are tiring, but the monotony is relieved by birding at stops along the way. Two White-winged Doves calling at a rest stop in Madison County, Florida, were unusual enough to be flagged as rare by eBird. It was fun to find a singing White-eyed Vireo and an Orchard Oriole behind a Shell gas station in Tupelo, Mississippi. An Indigo Bunting at a roadside rest area in Arkansas was a new state bird (#57). Once I hit Iowa, every rest area hosted singing Warbling Vireos.
Iowa also had one of the prettiest rest areas that I have ever seen. This gorgeous mural at the entrance to the women’s restroom couldn’t help but relieve road weariness.
Finding interesting things for iNaturalist also helped. I liked this pretty Foxglove Beardtongue at a gas station in Missouri.
Finally, I arrived in Haywarden, Iowa, on the evening of May 28. Two Common Nighthawks flew around the hotel and surrounding fields as I unpacked my car. They stayed just a couple of feet from each other and I loved watching and hearing them off and on for nearly an hour.
My friend, Eric Harrold, met me at the hotel the next morning and we set off with the goal of getting my Iowa bird list to 50 species. Eric’s birding skills and local knowledge quickly got my Iowa list to 59 species and we headed north to Minnesota. We enjoyed chatting over lunch at JJ’s Tasty Drive In in Luverne where my friend, Diane, joined us. Her husband had driven her down from Mayer (a small town west of Minneapolis) and she would spend the next few days with me.
The first afternoon stop for the three of us was Blue Mounds State Park. It’s a nice park, but did not have anything notable on this particular day, so we checked out the nearby Touch The Sky Prairie unit of the Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge. We all immediately fell in love with this 1,000-acre segment of a rare native ecosystem. And, it’s the ecosystem itself – how the grasses, wildflowers, and birds are interconnected – that makes this place so peaceful and captivating. All of us want to visit this inspiring prairie again.
Diane and Eric (and Eric’s dogs) on the prairie trail.
Wildflower season was just beginning. Below, a pretty Prairie Violet and Golden Alexanders.
The highlights of the day were the many singing Dickcissels and Bobolinks. I’ve never had better, closer views of these species and I love seeing birds thrive on their breeding grounds.
Finally, we had to say goodbye to Eric after a wonderful day together. Diane and I returned to a different part of Blue Mounds SP for another short visit. Soon, the prairie called us back and we visited Touch The Sky one more time late that afternoon to indulge our fascination with the cooperative Bobolinks and Dickcissels and take more photos.
Prairies covered nearly a third of North America before European settlers began plowing in the 1860’s. Today significantly less than half of the historical area remains intact. Tallgrass prairies have suffered the greatest losses due to their higher rainfall and rich soils which makes the land productive for growing wheat and corn. As a result, tallgrass prairie is now one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world.
Estimates for the remaining area of tallgrass prairie vary from less than 1% to 18% of its original range. Many threatened or endangered species depend upon these remaining patchy areas for their continued survival. Audubon’s 2019 North American Grasslands and Birds Report lists Henslow’s Sparrow, Bobolink, Greater Prairie-Chicken, Northern Bobwhite, Vesper Sparrow, and Eastern Meadowlark at risk in tallgrass prairie. These species have already suffered huge population losses in the last 50-60 years, from 37% for Vesper Sparrow to an astounding 97% for Greater Prairie-Chicken. Farther west in mixed grass prairie, Lesser Prairie-Chicken is on the verge of extinction.
To learn more about the complex and fascinating prairie ecosystem, see this brief overview of Kansas’s tallgrass prairie. More excellent info is on the Minnesota Prairie pages of the MN Department of Natural Resources.
It is February 28, 2023, as I start this post. I took the photo below from my deck this morning. The banner photo for this blog was taken on New Year’s Day several years ago from this same spot.
I’ve been back in NC for 10 days and I am painfully aware that this will be my last spring in this house. I was not born in NC, nor did I grow up here, but I’ve fallen in love with my adopted state during the last 25 years. This is where I moved shortly after my husband died and where I healed from that grief. The dogwood trees and daffodils and my hands in the dirt comforted me. I didn’t plan to garden, but I couldn’t help it. Flowers bloomed in my new yard that first year and I wanted more. It was impossible to work outside and not feel the joy of new life that came with the spring.
For the first few years, I occupied myself with planting and weeding and quickly developed an interest in native plants. My first friends in NC other than neighbors were “plant people.” I was fortunate that some of my property was uncleared and still hosted wildflowers. I remember a friend literally leaping with joy when she discovered a Carolina lily, Lilium michauxii, the official state wildflower of North Carolina, growing by the edge of my lake. Solomon’s Plume is abundant in my backyard where it thrives alongside Christmas Fern, Jack-in-the-pulpit, bloodroot, and other native plants.
After several years in NC, wildlife gardening led to an interest in the wildlife for which I was creating this little one-acre haven of native plants, dead trees, brush piles, and fallen leaves.
I have many happy memories here of friends and family, flora and fauna, but I want to focus on now, my last month living here and the new memories that I am creating. I want to notice every little thing and burn the images into my brain. I studied a junco a few days ago – the male charcoal gray with a pure white belly, little pinkish bill and much darker pink legs to match. The field guides show all that, but I saw something else that I’d never noticed before – their backs are subtly streaked. It’s been a joy to indulge in such detailed views of half a dozen of these pretty little birds on my deck every day. They are a bit shy and flush when I walk outside; the photo below was shot through two panes of glass.
The creature that excited me most so far this spring isn’t a bird, but a mammal. We have always had opossums in the neighborhood, but I had not seen one in my yard. Since starting iNaturalist, I had really wanted to see and photograph a live opossum. When my son, Dave, was living with me last year, he saw them in the yard several times and got photos. He even got me out of bed a time or two, but they were always gone by the time that I got outside. Finally, when I pulled into the driveway after picking up my friend, Diane, at the airport on February 19, we saw an opossum sitting on the top of the fence illuminated in the headlights. I was thrilled and quickly took a few cell phone shots through the windshield. It stayed there, so I carefully stepped outside the car and took more photos with my iPhone. Again, it didn’t move, so I got my camera from the house. Amazingly, the opossum was still on the fence when I got back and slowly climbed a tree while I took the photos below. My little iNatting heart was so very full.
Another creature that brought me happiness was a visit from “my” Hairy Woodpecker. Diane lives where they are common, so she was a bit surprised by my outburst, “But you just don’t understand how much I love that girl!” I fed birds in this yard for many years before I ever saw a Hairy Woodpecker on the deck feeder. A few years ago, a female began visiting and I have suspected that it is the same individual who continues to visit. She is one of my favorite birds; not Hairy Woodpeckers in general, but that particular female Hairy has stolen my heart. I took the photo below with my cell phone on February 20.
As much as I love the Hairy Woodpecker, the “winner” of most favorite bird of Spring 2023 has to be a Hermit Thrush. After many years of envying people who claimed them as feeder birds in the winter, last year (winter of 2021-2022) I finally got my own Hermit Thrush. I assume it’s the same individual who returned this past winter to partake of the suet that is always available on my deck. Except that it ran out when I left for Florida in November. I was absolutely thrilled when I returned in February and the thrush was still hanging around my deck. I immediately put out new suet and I’ve seen this beauty several times every day this past month.
I also did a little mothing in March, something that I will really miss. I expect that I will find moths in Florida, but it won’t be as easy as just stepping outside my kitchen door. I have always found peace in being outside at night feeling the cool evening air on my skin and listening to Spring Peepers. Later in the year, I loved Summer Nights with Barred Owls softly calling. Below is a favorite from a few days ago, a Common Oak Moth.
And, just like that an entire month has passed much too quickly. I am again in Florida and I have a contract for the sale of my NC house. In a few days, I will go back for one more week to finish moving and indulge in a few more days of intimacy with “my” NC birds.
I arrived back in NC on April 2 and so much has changed in just one week. The yard is bursting with signs of spring – fresh green growth on just about everything and many new flowers – the pure white Carolina Silverbell blooms, Red Buckeyes ready for hummingbirds, and blue woodland phlox spilling into the grass near the street are just a few. The birds, too, display evidence of the changing season. An Eastern Towhee sings “Drink your tea!” instead of its simple “tow-hee” call. Further proof of spring is the absence of my beloved Hermit Thrush, apparently headed north to its breeding grounds.
The days are flying by and I am becoming overwhelmed with the tasks of moving. I wanted to photograph all my beautiful wildflowers, but the only photo I got was the daffodils above.
I don’t have time to go birding, but I try to sneak a few minutes each day to watch the activity in my yard. After 25 years in this house, it’s all so familiar, so much the same as any other year, but yet each spring is different, too. Chipping Sparrows have not been common in my yard in the past, but this year they are in the driveway, on the deck, so visible everywhere. It’s like they are taunting me with the fact that I have not yet been able to find a Chippie in Pinellas County, Florida.
My thoughtful friend, Carol, arranged a last minute lunch with friends when I had to be out of the house for the inspection, my only break from the frantic activities consuming my last days in NC. I’ve said that I have no regrets about moving, but being with people who I’ve shared so much with, people who care about me, gave me some twinges about it all. I am so grateful that these people have been in my life. Isn’t there a saying that if you don’t feel sad about leaving, it’s even sadder because you had nothing to love? Goodbye North Carolina, I’ll be back to visit often and I will always love you.
I’m feeling philosophical as we start a new year. It’s more than a new year for me. With my move to Florida in 2022, it’s the start of a new chapter in the story of my life.
The American White Pelican below doesn’t have anything to do with this story, but you’re not going to keep reading without pretty pictures, are you? I photographed this lovely bird recently in Pinellas County, Florida.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how I want to spend my time. I commented to a friend recently that sometimes we do things just to say that we did them and sometimes we do things for the sheer joy of doing them. Initially, I characterized the first reason as competition, but I think it’s really more wanting to be accepted by a particular group of people. I was not able to run in this year’s Best Damn Race for health reasons and it hurt a bit to be there with my friend, David. I loved watching the participants and I could feel their exhilaration, excitement, and satisfaction in achieving a goal. I kept thinking “I want to be one of those people.” But to be one of them, I have to actually run. Certainly, many felt the joy of the doing, but I’ll bet that some just did it because that’s what runners do. It’s the same with any activity. I confess that there are days that I’ve gone birding when I didn’t really want to, but that’s what birders do and I want to be accepted as a birder.
I photographed the Rose-breasted Grosbeak below in my NC yard. I’ve yet to see one in Florida.
So, what triggered all this introspection? The move to Florida, of course. In particular, the differences between birding my home county in North Carolina and my new home county in Florida where there are more birds and more great birders. I still remember when I first started birding and wondered what one would do after finding all the easy life birds. And, then I learned that there are many games birders play. In Forsyth County, NC (and almost certainly most counties in the country), the game that most serious birders play is trying to see as many birds in the county as possible every year. I did it, too, for many years. Between 2007 to 2020, I came in at #4 five times on eBird’s “Top 100” and I was never lower than #8. I am #8 in eBird’s all-time ranking for Forsyth County. In Pinellas County, I was tied with four others for #60 in 2022, but my all-time ranking is even lower at #168. I’ve been trying to work on my Pinellas County list, but it’s hard to motivate myself when I will never be a top birder here. Plus, I’ve already seen most of the birds that I “need” here many times. Add my recent obsession with iNaturalist and desire to run, learn to ride a bike again, and such and it quickly becomes obvious that there is not enough time to do it all. Yet it’s hard to let go of that quest for home county birds. I almost feel guilty, like I’m not a real birder if I don’t spend every day seeking new county birds. However, I’m going to try to let it go a bit.
Or, maybe nothing that I just said makes sense. Maybe in real life the hits and misses (ticks and dips in birder lingo), joy and pain, competition and acceptance are all mixed up and inseparable. Life is complicated.
So, what am I going to do? I’m going to continue to have goals because they give me a direction. But, at least for 2023, I will try to curb some of my competitive instincts and do things that bring me joy.
For 2023, I will NOT obsess over my Pinellas County list.
I WILL obsess over spend time and effort on the following birding activities:
My life list. The primary goal for most birders. Today my list stands at 1,762. Can I reach 2,500? That would be almost one fourth of the world’s birds.
My most recent life bird was this Bahama Mockingbird, a rarity in Florida.
A daily eBird checklist. My current streak is 1,141 days and I don’t want to lose that without being absolutely certain that I don’t care about it. Today I still care. It makes me think about birds and do something every day. And it’s easy.
My 5-mile radius patch. I love this idea embraced by many birders with concern about the environmental impact of travel. And, it’s nice to spend time actually birding rather than driving.
County birding. Not the single-minded focus on just my home county, but trying to get new birds in every county where I travel. I will also try to bird every county in Florida as I did in North Carolina. County birding teaches the distribution, habitat, and seasonality of birds. I like to see new places and it’s fun.
Road trips. I loved the road trips that I’ve done and it’s time for more. Maybe I can see birds in all 49 continental states (only 5 to go). Goals like that only give me a direction. There is satisfaction in accomplishing the goal, but more importantly much joy in the journey. To read about my biggest road trip so far, start with Prairie Road Trip: Days 1-2 – The Adventure Begins. Stay tuned for a trip to South Dakota’s Black Hills this summer.
You don’t see birds like this in America. Rufous-tailed Babbler from my 2019 trip to Yunnan, China.
I’ve saved the best for last. International travel. I love international birding trips because you also get to see other wildlife and landscapes, meet people and learn about their culture, and eat local food. And, this is the best way to build one’s life list. I’m making a bucket list and I’m going to start on it as soon as I sell the North Carolina house. The list will be a work in progress for years, but here’s what’s on it now.
Southern India. My friend, Linda, currently lives near Bengaluru (Bangalore) and I want to visit while she is still there. I have been to Northern India, but not this part of the country. Linda is interested in birds and other wildlife and she is really good at exploring local cultures. I am so much hoping that all the stars align so that this trip happens.
The pantanal of Brazil. It’s time that my friend, Diane, and I shared another big trip. We’re both excited about Sherry Lane’s (LifeBird Tours) next tour here in 2024.
Australia. I solicited suggestions from my co-participants who had seen me struggle with my poor vision in the forests on the Yunnan trip in 2019. They unanimously recommended Australia where they are many big, easy birds. Now that my son-in-law has a place there, I’ve got one more reason to put this near the top of my bucket list.
After those trips, I have a list of wonderful suggestions from to my well-traveled Facebook and real-life birding friends. It has some very exciting possibilities including Botswana, Malaysia, Spain, Patagonia (Argentina), and Mongolia.
In addition to birding, I want to spend time with iNaturalist. I love all wildlife, and plants, too. A single observation at a time makes it easy to learn about the amazing diversity of life on this planet. I’m only competing with myself to find interesting new discoveries. This is another activity that’s easy and fun.
My latest iNaturalist observation, a pretty Ornate Bella Moth at Fort De Soto.
Thanks for going on this exploration of emotions and motivations with me. I suspect that a few others may relate to some of what I’ve shared here. If any of this resonates with you, please leave a comment below. And, whatever goals and activities you pursue, be sure to find some joy every day.
OK, that title might be a slight exaggeration, but the more that time passes, the bigger role that bird plays in my mind. The photo above is not that particular bird, but another of the same species that I photographed in Florida a few years ago. Let’s start back at Thanksgiving 2021. My friends David and Val had invited me to spend the holiday with them in Florida and we had a wonderful time together. The Saturday after Thanksgiving, David took me to Madeira Beach, where I went often with my parents as a child. I was thrilled to see dozens of Sanderlings running on the beach with the waves just as I remembered. I grew up in Pinellas County, where David and Val live now, and it felt like home.
Earlier in the year, I had finally sold the five acres of land near Mount Dora that my late husband Burt and I had bought in 1992 with plans to build a log house. Burt died before we realized that dream and I had held the land mostly for sentimental reasons. For the last few years, I had been thinking about selling the land and using the proceeds to buy a little condo in Florida for a winter home. Thinking as in fantasizing, not actually planning. Simultaneously, I’d finally accepted the fact that my house in NC was not a place to grow old and die. It’s a lovely house, but a split level with no bathroom on the main level. And, with an acre for a yard, it was a lot to care for even if much was left natural.
I’m sure that you can see where this is going, but here’s one more clue about the impulsive decision that I was about to make. Burt had loved New York City and he often joked that we moved there because we couldn’t afford a vacation in the Big Apple. Yes, without any planning or conscious forethought, I decided to move to Florida.
I went back to NC and starting browsing real estate listings. A condo that appeared perfect for me showed up and I drove back to Florida in late November for the open house. David, Val, and I were all disappointed and didn’t like it. In hindsight, it was just old with a dated kitchen, wallpaper (ugh), and in general need of a little renovation. We drove around and looked at a couple of other places that afternoon, but nothing was right. Fortunately, Val was off work the coming week, so I stayed a few more days and we continued to look at property while David went back to work. We had quite an education in availability and pricing of local real estate. My expectations changed. Finally, we found a much more expensive townhouse that seemed perfect and I put in an offer for the asking price (remember, this was the height of a seller’s market). Shockingly, it was rejected as there were two other offers and we were all asked for our “final and best” offer. Nope. I wasn’t going to play that game. I was actually relieved as the “perfect” townhouse was in a location that could only be accessed from US-19. I didn’t want to drive on a busy highway every time I went somewhere. I gave up and planned to continue looking online for another try in a few weeks.
On the morning that I was planning to leave, I asked David to drive out to Dunedin causeway with me for coffee and the sunrise. He parked the car facing the water and the first bird that we saw in the dim dawn light was a Black-crowned Night-Heron. We had both seen plenty of these birds, but not out in the open on the beach. We had a magical few minutes sitting there watching the birds and soaking in the sand, water, and rising sun.
The neighborhood with the condo that I had come down to see was between the causeway and David’s house. I spontaneously asked if we could drive by. My heart ached. The neighborhood was gorgeous and the location could not have been more perfect. “I want to see it again” I announced. My realtor was doubtful that it was possible we could see it on such short notice, but she managed to make arrangements for another viewing that afternoon. Val and I had the same reaction, it wasn’t as bad as we’d remembered. And, it certainly didn’t have any flaws that could not be fixed with $60,000, the difference in price between “my” condo and the $400,000 “perfect” townhouse. A couple of days later, I had a contract with the closing set for January.
The year since then has been quite interesting. I have driven back and forth between Florida and North Carolina too many times to count. In NC, I worked on cleaning out 24 years worth of accumulated stuff. While not a hoarder, I readily confess to being a pack-rat. It’s what happens when you are raised by people who lived through the depression. “Don’t throw that away. You might need it someday.” So, I still own the NC house, but hope to finish the clean-out and sell it next spring.
In Florida, I enjoyed time with good friends and exploring new places and activities. David and I went to the causeway a few times together and he walked with me during warm-ups and cool-downs for his runs. One day when he started running, I just spontaneously started running after him. I’m not quite sure what happened next. All I remember is that David signed both of us up for the “Freakin’ Hot 5K” in August and took me to buy running shoes.
I was as surprised as you are. I had tried to run a few times when I was younger and just could not do it. This time, I wasn’t fast and I couldn’t run for long, but I was doing it. At first it was run 30 seconds, walk 2 minutes, and repeat. I decided that I could do anything, no matter how painful, for 30 seconds. I was mainly motivated by my ophthalmologist who had told me that regular exercise might bring down my eye pressure a little. I didn’t want to go blind from my glaucoma or diabetes as my mother had, so that was hugely important to me. And, running would be good for my general health. But, I did not love it. I didn’t even like it while I was doing it. I think that I used some four-letter words for added motivation during the first few months. And, then it got easier and started to feel good. Maybe not so good while actually running, but the feeling after stopping was pure bliss.
I was a bit apprehensive about race day, but it turned out to be as much fun as David had promised. Being with all those other people running and having fun was exhilarating. I had had fantasies about even getting a medal, but neither David nor I thought it would be possible. There are amazing athletes of every age competing in these events. Shockingly, however, I came in third in my age/gender category (out of six). It was extremely motivating and I couldn’t wait for the next event. David said that it was a quirk that I placed and to not expect it again soon. But, he excitedly added that I would soon “age up” and then have better chances of winning.
I went back to NC after the Freakin’ Hot and had difficulty running by myself (well, I didn’t). But, as I write this, I’m back in Florida and we are now training for the next 5K, the Best Damn Race in February. I even enjoyed our recent run along the gulf. Yes, even the actual running part.
I’ve also done some birding in Florida this year, attended “Moth Night” (the Southern Flannel Moth below was a favorite) and a “Botany Walk” at Brooker Creek Preserve, and found some interesting new parks. Next on the list is learning to ride a bike again and swimming and kayaking in the gulf. I think this is going to work. I’ve not had a single moment of regret for my impulsive decision last Thanksgiving.
Life has kept me busy recently. It’s hard to believe that our Utah trip was three months ago. Finally, here is the rest of the story – my drive back to North Carolina. After dropping David at the Albuquerque airport, I wanted to stay close until his plane was airborne, so I chose an easy place to see lots of birds – Tingley Lagoon, part of ABQ BioPark. Well, there were lots of ducks, but I like ducks. There were also cormorants that breed on the little islands in the middle of the ponds – both Double-crested and Neotropic – but my photos all seem to show Neotropic Cormorants.
Here are a few other birds from this spot, a female Common Merganser, male Northern Pintail, American Coot, and Canada Goose.
After a pleasant hour at the Tingley Lagoons, it was time to head east. I got one more “life” New Mexico bird at the Pajarito rest area – a Chihuahuan Raven that I was able to identify only because I noticed its call sounded different from Common Raven and I recorded it.
At another rest area near Santa Rosa, I saw the Cholla on the right. Then I drove on into Texas where I spent the night.
The next morning, I found one more Texas life bird, Western Meadowlark, at the Donley County US 287 Safety Rest Area. I got photos of a meadowlark that was satisfactory for identification, but this Eurasian Collared-Dove was much more photogenic.
My major stops on the way back to NC were both in Oklahoma, first Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. It is a major birding hotspot, but is more well-known for its other wildlife, notably the bison, longhorn, and elk that roam the park’s 59,000 acres.
Nearly 100 years ago, a herd of Longhorn was established at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge to save the breed from extinction. Here is a detailed accounting of the story. Apparently, there are current debates about whether or not cattle belong on a wildlife refuge, but they are beautiful and I’d guess the desire to see these creatures contributes to making this one of the most visited wildlife refuges in the county.
The refuge also has several prairie dog towns and I never tire of these cute rodents. Did you know that they are related to squirrels and chipmunks? Yes, they are all in the family Scuiridae. These were black-tailed prairie dogs, the only one that I think I’ve seen of the five prairie dog species in North America.
I did see a few birds, too, like the Greater Yellowlegs below, although I’m sure there would have been many more birds later in the year.
My favorite bird at Wichita Mountains was a single Ring-billed Gull proudly standing in the middle of a prairie dog town on the side of the road.
The next day I toured another wildlife refuge, Sequoyah NWR, near Oklahoma’s eastern border with Arkansas. I received a nice welcome from a flock of about 40 American White Pelicans that flew over as I drove into the park. This refuge had only a fraction of the visitors of Wichita Mountains on the day I visited. However, I met a couple of birders at the entrance kiosk and we birded a lovely path in the woods together. The rest of the refuge was mostly open and the next birds I saw were a large flock of Snow Geese.
It was interesting to see so many dark morph birds in the group. Snow Geese winter on the coast of North Carolina, but we rarely see a “Blue Goose” here.
In addition to birds, I saw a new and interesting turtle. Unfortunately, I focused my camera on the wrong one, the larger pond slider, a common and widespread species that I’ve seen many times. After submitting it to iNaturalist, I learned that the turtle on the right is an Ouachita Map Turtle. It is not rare either, but its range is the south-central part of the US and I’d never seen one before. And, what a cool name!
I saw about 35 species of birds at Sequoyah, mostly the same species that I can see in North Carolina. My last bird there was a Bald Eagle that flew over a pond filled with ducks and then landed in a tree by the road. I enjoyed the hours I spent at this refuge and would love to visit again.
After Sequoyah, all that was left was the uneventful drive to North Carolina. This was definitely my least birdy road trip ever, but I did manage to get both my Oklahoma and New Mexico lists to over 50 species. I also added several new counties even though you can drive for miles and miles in the West and see nothing. The map below shows every county in which I have observed birds. Good county birders have maps with clear, continuous lines representing travels. My maps look like an advanced version of connect-the-dots, but I try.
But more important than the birds was the amazing landscape that David and I saw in Utah and the fun we had exploring that part of our country. Visiting Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and Dead Horse Point State Park made this a trip of a lifetime.
Each of our first four mornings in Moab, David rode his bicycle on the designated route for the Skinny Tire Festival and I birded various spots near town. On the first day, Saturday, March 12, David rode 64 miles to Dead Horse Point State Park and back. That was a big ride, so we didn’t do much that afternoon, but we did walk to a nearby spot on the river where David had seen a Great Blue Heron. The heron had moved on, but we saw a few ducks, including gorgeous Cinnamon Teal in breeding plumage.
The second day, David rode north along the Colorado River. He came back and didn’t even change out of his cycling clothes before saying that we had to leave immediately because he had just ridden by dozens of ducks on the river. Many had left by the time we arrived a few minutes later, but about 50 remained including three new species for our Utah list. We also saw American Pipits on the riverbank, a life bird for David.
It was still early, so we decided to drive to Arches National Park to preview it for David’s ride the next day. With the steep ascent and hairpin turns on the road into the park, that turned out to be a good idea which allowed David to plan his ride. Below, “Balanced Rock,” a favorite site in the park.
“Devil’s Garden” is one of Arches’ most popular areas. We enjoyed exploring it a bit when it wasn’t mobbed.
On Monday, the festival cyclists rode into Arches NP. David stopped at the “Park Avenue” overlook to take a photo of his bike.
We wanted to go back again in the car later that afternoon, but the park was full and a sign was posted saying “Come back in 3 hours,” so we drove to Canyonlands National Park instead. This is another impressive park as you can see from the photos below.
While David was riding in the Skinny Tire Festival, I was birding every morning. I wanted to get my Utah list to 50 species. I started with five birds from a stop along the Colorado-Utah state line during the Colorado Grouse Tour in 2019 (Part 2 with the jaunt into Utah). With over five days in Utah on this trip, it seemed like an easy goal. But, I was struggling to find much other than ducks. So, after we got back from Canyonlands NP, David and I drove a local road just outside of Moab looking for House Sparrows and European Starlings. Yep, I was that desperate. We found our target birds, a Eurasian Collared-Dove, and a lovely Western Meadowlark, another life bird for David. In those five days of birding, I didn’t get good photos of anything other than a Common Raven.
On the last day of the festival, the ride was along the Colorado again, this time downriver on Potash Road. That afternoon, we went back to the Wall Street section of Potash Road. Its sheer cliffs are popular with rock climbers and a large well-preserved petroglyph panel provides an outstanding look at ancient Indian art. Dinosaur tracks are also nearby and David hiked up the mountainside to get a closer look. I was satisfied with my binocular view and stayed on the road to watch the Ornate Tree Lizards which fascinated me.
Both of us had been watching for wildlife every day, but we were disappointed that we didn’t see much. The only things in abundance were these beautiful butterflies that David first noticed on his rides. I think this is a Checkered White.
The day after the festival, we headed to Arches National Park first thing in the morning before even checking out of our hotel. We drove around several areas, but the Windows Section was our favorite.
Then it was on to Dead Horse Point State Park, perhaps David’s favorite of the three parks we visited. The park is located at the end of a mesa that soars 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, on the edge of Canyonlands NP. The overlook where David stands is one of the most photographed scenic vistas in the world. If you want the sad legend of how the park got its name, read this.
Below, a view into Canyonlands NP from Dead Horse Point State Park.
We had seen a little mammal scurrying across the landscape a couple of times, but they were too quick to even guess what they were. Finally, in front of the Dead Horse Point SP Visitor Center, I got good looks and a photo of a Hopi Chipmunk. This individual was almost tame and even came towards me once. It differs from most other chipmunks by having no black stripes.
Our planned adventure at Dead Horse Point was to view the night sky. The park is a designated location by the International Dark-Sky Association. Six yurts at the Wingate Campground allow a “luxury” outdoor experience. Honestly, I was not looking forward to the only bathroom facilities being the vault toilet shown on the map, but I was pleasantly surprised by flush toilets and running water for hand washing just a short distance from my yurt.
So, the facilities were fine, but our night sky experience was a bust. A full moon and cloud-filled sky obscured nearly all the stars. A dark-sky experience remains on our bucket list.
It was still pleasant to experience the quiet outdoors in the late evening and early morning and we could hardly complain with a view like this.
A quick look at a Juniper Titmouse near the yurts was my last new Utah bird. This brought my Utah total to only 35 species.
After a leisurely morning at Dead Horse Point SP, we headed back towards Albuquerque for David’s flight home the following day. The previous few days had felt familiar and reminded me of western Colorado. A little research revealed that much of Utah is in the Colorado plateau, the same physiographic province as western Colorado as shown on this map.
Below is our last arch, Wilson’s Arch, about 30 miles south of Moab.
We arrived with just enough time before dark to go back to the park (Los Poblanos Open Space) where I had looked for the Western Screech-Owl nearly a week earlier. I had seen several Greater Roadrunners there and we hoped that David would see one, but nope. The “birdless” moniker for the trip continued to be appropriate. Regardless, our Utah adventure was amazing and I am very grateful for the experience.
What will happen on my drive to North Carolina? Follow along with me and see what I discover.
