Goldfinches in a Zoom Meeting

Photo taken at Madera Canyon, AZ.

We have finally left the Tucson area and are heading towards Phoenix. Currently at Picacho State Park, AZ.

Though we keep forgetting its name and call it either Pistachio or Pikachu.

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Our Google Timeline for 2021!

This is our Google Timeline for 2021. It contains parts of the 3 trips that we named:

Covid Winter (Down the Mississippi River - winter 2020-2021. (Little did we know this was going to be Covid Winter #1))

SpringSummer2021 (Out West)

Winter2021-2022 (Michigan, Southwest)

Traveling has kept us sane during these crazy times. Or what passes as sane for us. 

Why I Love Tucson #2 - Birds!

Full disclosure - Some of these photos are from areas 1½ to 2 hrs southeast of Tucson.

We were at Chiricahua National Monument, at the lowest point on the Echo Canyon Loop Trail, when we stopped to eat lunch.

Now normally, I never feed wildlife. But this Spotted Towhee demanded, absolutely demanded! to be fed.

The bird hopped right over to me and berated me very vocally until I gave it a few seeds from the bread of my sandwich. And then demanded more!

I mentioned the Merlin bird app in a previous post. I tried it for the first time here. It recognizes birds by their bird calls! And is amazingly fast doing so. That is how I knew this was an Spotted Towhee.

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This was at the Cochise Stronghold Campground.

Mexican Bluebirds and Acorn Woodpeckers have learned from experience that when people are at a picnic table, there is food to be had. As soon as we sat down, the bluebirds and woodpeckers began to gather. I expected them all to burst out in song. It was like being in a Disney movie. 

Or Hitchcock.

Thank you Merlin for identifying these birds!

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These photos are from Catalina State Park, in North Tucson

One morning I went on an organized birdwatching walk. (Bob slept in.)

Out here in Southern Arizona, it is usually chilly first thing in the morning, but when the sun gets going, the temperature goes up quickly. However, this turned out to be an overcast day, and it stayed chilly the whole time.

Here are some blurry photos of some of the birds (Phainopepla, Northern Flickers, and Gila Woodpecker) that we saw.

Gila Woodpecker	Northern Flicker	Phainopepla

The birders got really excited about two Long Eared Owls. You will have to take their word for it that this is one of them.

This is what I got excited about - two Great Horned Owls. And we were really close to them, not like the other birds. They were worth getting up as early as I did for this birdwatching walk.

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Some more random birds

Roadrunner and puffed up Roadrunner

Some more

 

Why I Love Tucson - Tucson is Surrounded by Mountains

We have been in the Tucson area for over a month and are still going strong.

Here are some of the reasons why I love Tucson: