Birding/Bird Watching

[Reed Cundiff]

Here is the Red-tailed Hawk Elaine photographed 10 days or so ago at Vedauwoo. He seemed as curious of us as we were of him/her.
Reed and Elaine

[onespotleft]

Originally Posted by Reed Cundiff

Cannot tell if attachment of Elegant Euphonia is attached or not

where did you see this one? it looks tropical

[Reed Cundiff]

Messed up and attached wrong photo. The Elegant Euphonia was taken by wife near Copan, Honduras. Finally got the Red-tailed Hawk

[Reed Cundiff]

We were at our older son's place at 8000' in mountains of northern New Mexico and heard an owl several nights. It was a Northern Saw-whet Owl. Listened to it while I played the call from Thayer's on computer and the ap on my cell phone.
Reed and Elaione

[Reed Cundiff]

Down in La. Ts Cruces, NM. There is a pair of Curve-billed Thrashers hanging about in a small open shed and generally foraging about. They are most handsome birds
Reed and Elaine

[PeaceOwl]

I found your post with joy, having been a addicted wildlife and birdphotographer for the last ten years. My husband and I just bought our first larger diesel to travel around the state parks and birding areas. We are from Southern California and hope to get to New Mexico this year. Hawks, Eagles and any wildlife are my favorite nature ventures!

I,too had cancer, chemo and radiation, and although it aged me some, I plowed through the tough days by photographing nearby birds and did some macro at home. Soon the call of the wild called me back! Linda

I enjoyed all your posts!

[Reed Cundiff]

Linda and Bob

We are full time RV'ers and primarily boondock in dispersed camping regions of BLM and Forest Service lands ($0/day). We are solar autonomous so we don't have to run a generator and the wildlife comes right up to us.

Attached is one photo showing Bull Moose fighting/sparring within 25 metres of rig at Vedauwoo dispersed CG in Wyoming and then one photo of a Linneated Woodpecker in the tree above us near beach in Yucatan. He/she was by almost every day. We had Cozumel parrots by most days and a Flammulated Owl hooted many nights about 50 metres from us
Reed and Elaine

[Reed Cundiff]

Linda and Bob

New Mexico State Parks are excellent. It costs $240 or so for an out of state year pass. Primitive camping (no water etc at site but there are restrooms, showers, water points and sewer dumps) is then free. I think powered sites are then $14.

There are a lot of dispersed (free) sites on BLM and Forest Service lands in New Mexico and Arizona. If you are birding, then you probably want to stay at places in SE Arizona such as White Water Draw (14,000 Sandhill Cranes). There are a lot of spots if you get the book "Free" camping, which notes Forest Service and BLM CGs (which are $5/night with a Golden Age Pass)
Reed and Elaine

[PeaceOwl]

Thanks for the notes Reed and Elaine! That Linneated Woodpecker is amazing.What a thrill to observe him. Birding is so fun. You guys must be having a blast.

Do we have to buy a years pass regardless? Looking forward to Arizona also. My husband just retired so this is all pretty new to him.
Linda

[Reed Cundiff]

We shall be going down to Ecuador and Peru for 12 weeks starting on 7 Feb. We are flying down. Plan to do some birding as we travel. Decided against taking the Swarovski 7x42ELs as they are big and expensive. Called B&H since they had Monarch 7 in 8x30 in used condition for about $100 off. Talked with a B&H rep and he suggested these as well. They were rated 9+ or basically unused. I don't think the box had been opened and they seem excellent. Elaine bought a new Lumix for the trip and these have 30x optical zoom with the Leica lens. Will take a smaller Lumix and a Lumix underwater camera (for Galapagos)
Reed and Elaine

[PDR John]

I finally got a chance to stop at Lock and Dam 14 to see the eagles. If you're ever in the area during the winter months it's well worth the time to stop.

Right of I80 on the IL IA state line.

[Reed Cundiff]

Returned from Peru a week ago today and are camped on Elephant Butte Lake (New Mexico) for a Mothers' Day celebration with family and friends. Not much besides Ravens, Gulls, Dove, Swallows and some kind of Sparrow that does not wish to be seen. Solar is working grand and harvested 5700 W-hr yesterday (running the fridge on AC).

Saw 230 new species of bird in Ecuador and Peru (out of a possible 2400 or so) to include 15 new hummers (out of a possible 200). Did get to see the Condors at Crux de Condors (the third most visited tourist spot in Peru after Machu Picchu and Nazca Lines - and got 20 new birds near Machu Picchu when we ran into 4 national class Peruvian bird guides out on a birding weekend) and a Giant Hummingbird the same day.

Plan to RV to the Canadian Maritimes (Labrador, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia) this summer.
Reed and Elaine

[Reed Cundiff]

Elaine had to have a total knee replacement on 1 July so our trip to Maritimes is on hold till next year. Staying at older son's place in the mountains for another month for recuperation and physical therapy. The Rufous hummingbirds are migrating and the local Black-chinned and Broad-tails are hanging about.We are using 2-1 water to sugar mixture since it is migration time and they need to have as much energy stored as possible. The Rufous migrate up the west coast. Some make it to northern Alaska and then come back down the Rockies when the local flowers are blooming. Their migration can be 2500 miles each way. The Calliopes come down later in summer.
Reed and Elaine

[Reed Cundiff]

The migrating Rufous hummers have turned up in numbers. There were so many flitting about the 2-1 mixture that I changed it to 3-2 so that they only have to refuel half as often. The well known 4-1 ratio is just so that the birds show up 4 times as often at the feeder.
Reed and Elaine