An April Fool

All last month I was an April fool -- a birding fool, that is. In the past few weeks (and I'm including the first week of May in the update), I've taken two birding press trips to review outstanding field locations, purchased a new and better digital camera for better birding photos, welcomed at one new yard bird, added at least 48 birds to my life list, and been in more airports than I can care to count. On the home front, I've also started working with our landscapers again to put plants and trees into the empty flowerbeds this year, choosing native species that are highly bird-friendly.

As if that all isn't birding foolish enough, I've also hit different trails, renewed my National Audubon Society membership, and upped the frequency of my feeder refills to accommodate the growing backyard flock. Hopefully, however, this frantic place will slow a bit in the next few weeks, so I don't have to be quite so foolish and frustrated. Work-wise, I'd dropped some of my most aggravating, non-bird-related work, and I can already feel the difference.

More updates and details are to come, including life list updates, trip reports, and more. For now, I'll leave you with one of the most memorable lifers of my recent travels - the Jamaican tody. Yes, Jamaica... And that's just the start of the birding adventures.

Like hummingbirds? Tune in for Hummingbird Month on About.com!

Getting a Life

Summer is a superb birding time, but unfortunately that also means it's not the best time for blogging. For the past several weeks I've been busy cleaning and refilling feeders, traveling to see new birds, taking regional birdwalks, and otherwise getting out into the birding world instead of sharing my experiences here in the virtual one.

The best news is that I've added quite a few birds to my life list, both from my travels and from a phenomenal trip to Antelope Island. There, the new birds I spotted were:

• Franklin's Gull
• Peregrine Falcon
• Red Necked Phalarope
• Chukar
• Say's Phoebe
• Loggerhead Shrike
• Great Horned Owl
• Lark Sparrow

In addition to these new lifers, we saw dozens of other species: burrowing owl, western tanager, sandhill crane, white faced ibis, black necked stilts, eared grebes, killdeer, California quail, willets and more. Antelope Island is truly a birder's paradise, not only for the wide variety of species, but for the wonderful behaviors you can observe. We saw the phalaropes herding brine shrimp on the shallow waters of the Great Salt Lake and Franklin's gulls bobbing their heads to feed on brine flies in the morning breeze, as well as a peregrine falcon calmly observing the world after breakfast and western meadowlarks singing their greeting to the day. What a treat to live so close to this wonderful location; I cannot wait to go again.

Outside of Utah, my travels have introduced me to another lifer: the elegant tern. I was able to watch these agile fliers dive into the waters off Long Beach, California while they fished, often getting mobbed by Heerman's gulls who wanted a taste.

Back home again, my backyard and its new landscaping is continuing to draw in birds. Not only have my mourning doves, house finches, western scrub jays and lesser goldfinches been enjoying the full feeders all summer, but a female black headed grosbeak discovered the black oil sunflower seed and the black chinned hummingbirds have been monopolizing their nectar feeders quite frequently. Just this week the first of the migrating rufous hummingbirds appeared, and I can add a barn swallow to my backyard list after watching them perch and preen on our defunct television antenna.

Birding is truly amazing, whether at home or abroad, and summer is a special time to find new birds, nestlings, fledglings, and many other friends at your feeders. I hope your summer has been as avian rich as mine!

Too Much, Too Long

I'm ashamed to realize and admit how long it's been since I've posted here, more than a month in fact, but June was a very full and very hectic time. The highlight of the month was a wonderful trip to northern Michigan, where I grew up and first developed my interest in birds from the seagulls we used to feed at the waterfront to the blue jays that perched outside my bedroom window demanding peanuts.

It is amazing, returning to an area I've lived for decades, only to realize just how much birding life I missed while I was there. The trip began well, with a stop in Elk Rapids at a roadside park I remembered from my youth because of its huge concrete swan. Appropriately enough, this is were my family used to stop on trips downstate not only to stretch our legs, but also to feed the Canada geese and mute swans that live there. The swans and geese are there still: we saw a family of geese (just as aggressive as I remember) crossing the road, and the swans were out in the lake peacefully and gracefully feeding.

Once in northern Michigan, I was privileged to participate in a birding field trip with the local Audubon chapter. Trekking through the woods, I was able to add several new bird species to my life list, birds that don't live here in Utah. In addition to that trip, we took several long walks through my hometown and along a beautifully wooded trail near the Bear River that leads to Little Traverse Bay. All told my new birds for the trip -- even without much dedicated birding -- are:

• Scarlet Tanager
• Chipping Sparrow
• White Throated Sparrow
• Rose Breasted Grosbeak
• Common Grackle
• Baltimore Oriole

In addition, I saw many more familiar and welcome birds, including blue jays, American robins, cardinals, house sparrows, ring billed gulls, northern flickers, European starlings, and many others. In truth, it was a refreshing and amazing trip, not only to find new birds but to realize how many had always been there that I'd simply never seen.

Don't neglect your own backyards, local parks, and scenic walks when you're interested in adding to your life list. You never know what may be there, and you don't have to go far to find new feathered friends to enjoy. The Baltimore orioles I saw, a brilliant pair of birds, were chasing one another through a stand of aspen trees near the river less than a mile from my childhood home, yet in all my years there I'd never bothered to notice. How I wish I had!

May is the Month

I've been waiting for May for a very long time. Spring is arriving in good force, the flowers are blooming, and the birds are singing with more intensity each day. Not only do I have a wonderful mixed flock in the backyard - mourning doves, American robins, pine siskins, house finches, Eurasian collared doves, California quail, and lesser goldfinches just today - but the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival is just two weeks away. While I'm not as involved as perhaps I'd wish and I'm only participating in three field trips, it will be a wonderful opportunity to see many of the outstanding bird species that live in my region.

Too often, we assume that birding festivals must be exotic trips far from home, but in fact all states have some form of birding festival throughout the year. True, depending on where you live it might be a lengthy drive to get to the festival, but the experience will be well worth it.

This leads to the May poll; how many bird festivals will you attend this year? My organized festival total is likely to be just two: the St. George Winter Bird Festival I attended in January (where I saw such lovely water fowl as the American wigeon and gained a much greater appreciation of ponds as superb birding habitats), and the Great Salt Lake Festival this month. While I'd love to do more, I'm also planning at least three traveling stints that will include substantial birding: a return trip to Las Vegas (I was there just two weeks ago and can't wait to return to the fabulous birding near the city), a lengthy trip to the Midwest, and hopefully a trip to New York City this fall, though that is as yet in the very early planning stages.

I cannot urge strongly enough that you attend a bird or birding festival if ever you get the chance. They have many things to enjoy, including...

• Organized field trips with expert guides
• Lectures and informational sessions on all things birding
• Vendor booths with unique gifts, field guides, and other items
• Craft opportunities for making birdhouses or feeders
• Rehabilitated bird releases, falconry demonstrations, and other live bird events

Naturally, the exact composition of each festival may vary, but there are always birds to see, and that is why we all flock to them. Happy May, and happy birding!

Flying South

To be more accurate, I should specify that I'm driving south, but the result will be the same no matter how I get there: I'm attending the sixth annual St. George Winter Bird Festival this weekend in southern Utah. The event includes quite a few really interesting presentations -- I'm especially looking forward to "Bird Brained" this evening about birds' intelligence, as well as "Bird Photography" on Friday and "Binoculars and Scopes" on Saturday. The true highlight, however, will undoubtedly be the four or five field trips I'll be able to participate in after the presentations.

Because St. George is significantly lower than Utah County in terms of elevation, the climate can be quite different and there are many bird species there that do not make it this far north. Ponds, rivers, desert brush, trails, and other habitat options are sure to yeild an amazing variety of wildlife. I hope to see a number of new species to add to my life list, and whatever other tidbits I learn along the way will be most welcome.

Wherever your birding travels may take you this weekend, whether across the country, across your state, or simply into your backyard, I wish you a pleasant "flight!"

Magnificence in Motion

There is nothing more peaceful or graceful than gentle flight, and no bird has this mastered better than the magnificent frigatebird. This beautiful seabird can glide effortlessly on air currents for hours, seemingly without a single flap of its long, tapered wings. I witnessed this throughout my recent traveling, as these birds quickly became familiar sights in the skies each morning. In fact, their flight was the only behavior I was able to witness, as they glide to and fro without cease, unlike other seabird species that frequently dive into the water to feed or find shoreline perches to rest. The magnificent frigatebirds, on the other hand, were content to simply soar.

The female birds have the white breast, while adult males are a rich, deep black. Juvenile birds have a white breast and head. All three have long, slender tails with a strong fork, though many times while flying the tail is held in a point. Each of the birds graced the skies throughout my travels, adding peaceful companionship to a much-needed getaway.

Bird Rich Baja

For the past week I've been enjoying a relaxing cruise along Baja, and finding birds along the way. Three new species have joined my life list -- the Heermann's gull, the magnificent frigatebird, and the great tailed grackle -- none of which are easily found in Utah. It was a joy to find new birds, even though there were several others I wasn't able to identify to my satisfaction. Even though this wasn't a birding trip, there are always birds to be had. I hope everyone (including the turkeys) had a wonderful Thanksgiving; stay tuned for more updates and a new December poll!

Feral Foreigners

Birds are incredibly adaptable species, a fact I witnessed firsthand during a recent visit to San Francisco. Not only is the city alive and vibrant with its human residents, but it is also home to an astonishing colony of feral parrots, the Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.

The first night of our visit, my husband and I were walking through the bold skyscrapers of the financial district, heading toward the Embarcadero and the Ferry Building. As we approached a small park near the waterfront, we were assaulted with a wild screeching, a cacophany of sound that clearly wasn't human. Nor was it originating from the pigeons and mallard ducks calmly browsing along the manicured lawn. Intrigued, we crossed into the park and were startled to see what appeared to be a mass of angry leaves, so perfectly did the birds blend into their surroundings. As we observed them, we discovered a tremendous flock of parrots with brilliant green plumage, bright red caps, and creamy yellow bills.

Our visit was cut short; after a quick photograph or two, it was clear that these parrots were exceedingly territorial and did not appreciate guests in what I would later discover was their roosting ground. Further research revealed that these were cherry-headed conures and a variety of interbred parrot species initially native to Ecuador and Peru. The birds had been imported in large numbers as exotic pets, but their loud, raucous voices and impatient mannerisms make poor companions and many birds were released by frustrated owners. Over the years (importing these tropical birds is now heavily restricted), the released birds gathered and flocked near Telegraph Hill, a region of the city rich in lush foliage and abundant food sources. The flock has grown and interbred, and today they are firmly established as somewhat unique residents of the city.

While they are a marvel to watch and hear for residents and visitors of San Francisco, this is also a clear lesson on the dangers of choosing birds as pets without fully understanding their habitat and behavioral needs. It is wonderful to feed the birds, but interfering with their natural lives should never be condoned.

For more information on the Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, I highly recommend the book and film of the same name, as well as information posted by the book's author, Mark Bittner.