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Tag: American Robins

Quick! To the Birds!

Quick! To the Birds!

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American Robin

American Robin

Pull query “UCCS_R_ACST_BY_CPP”.

Numbers. Data. Spreadsheets flying across my dual monitor set-up. I’m working from home – the only chunk of quiet, uninterrupted time to do number crunching.

I hear distant sounds, but I’m too engrossed in my formulas.

Input “=VLOOKUP(A2,COP!A:A,1,”false”)

The sounds get louder. American Robins, lots of them. My attention is starting to splinter, but I’m still holding strong to my spreadsheets.

Input “=COUNTIFS(…”

Whistling. Whining. Squeaking, like car brakes or a dog whimpering. I know that call. My brain suddenly flips into bird mode. I rush to the window. Dozens of Cedar Waxwings are in the trees across the parking lot, flying to and from a Toyon Bush. I need my camera. I hope I can rush out there before they leave!

I grab my camera, keys, phone, jacket. Calmly but quickly rush around the block. I see dozens of birds fly across the sky. I arrive to find Cedar Waxwings staring down at me from treetops. I intentionally avoid positioning myself directly under the tree to dodge the splats of waxwing droppings raining on the bushes.

Cedar Waxwing

Cedar Waxwing Curiously Looking At Me

American Robins are busy munching berries. I stand there mesmerized by the chaos of sounds all around me. European Starlings, Cedar Waxwings, American Robins all calling simultaneously for a dizzying but pleasant whirlwind of sounds.

I smile and am grateful to spend a ten-minute afternoon break watching the birds. With a smile on my face, I walk back home and back to work.

Vegas, Baby!

Vegas, Baby!

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Red Rock Canyon NP

Red Rock Canyon NCA

A look of confusion always crosses people’s faces when I tell them I’m going to Vegas. “What’s not to love?” I try explaining. “I sit at the penny slots and Gabe tries to score free drinks while watching me lose our money!” (Actually, I’m a stingy gambler and set tight limits.) But people know me as a nature-loving bird-obsessed lady and don’t necessarily picture me in the thick of flashing lights, flowing alcohol, and scantily-clad entertainers. And yet, it’s a trip I like to do every few years.

This time we tried a new adventure and peeled ourselves away from The Strip. We rented a car for a day and I had to choose between Clark County Wetlands Park or Red Rock Canyon NCA, two good birding locations. I was pulled by the possibility of adding some desert lifers to my list, so out to the very chilly rocky desert we went.

Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay

Red Rock is a scenic 13-mile drive with lots of pullouts that lead to trails. The scenery was beautiful with the desert plant life and climbing rocks and canyons, but I was having a hard time locating the birds. They seemed extra wary and skittish, disappearing or halting their calls when we turned our attention in their direction.

There were two spots in particular that finally yielded decent bird activity without having to venture too far from the car: Lost Creek and Pine Creek Canyon. At Lost Creek, we spotted Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jays and heard the unmistakable screechy call of a Juniper Titmouse – the two lifers we would pick up from the trip. A couple of Verdin briefly showed. Spotted Towhees and White-crowned Sparrows were plentiful.

American Robin

American Robin

Pine Creek Canyon had the most variety including Gambel’s Quail heard off in the distance, a shy Cactus Wren that allowed only a brief glance before disappearing into the cactus, and a Ladder-backed Woodpecker that laughed while expertly covered in one of the few trees around. We uncovered a watering hole where a Phainopepla, various finches, and at least a hundred American Robins fluttered back and forth to grab a drink before the sun set. We were glued to the water spot for most of the walk, failing to identify some new calls but excited to watch the activity.

This side trip only whet our appetite to veer off The Strip and explore what Clark County has to offer with birds. Next time we will integrate time to gamble and to see Gambel’s Quail!