tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172285466289881050.post2084244276649644590..comments2023-10-31T05:14:06.482-07:00Comments on Bourbon, Bastards, and Birds.: GoosedSeagull Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01851438505719552645noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172285466289881050.post-80130582178906633172013-02-08T11:11:52.218-08:002013-02-08T11:11:52.218-08:00It's always fun to get goosed. Nice shots!It's always fun to get goosed. Nice shots!Scott Simmonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07349460516783179575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172285466289881050.post-70059461553527637792013-02-07T16:14:47.927-08:002013-02-07T16:14:47.927-08:00Hmmmm....Az in winter is very different from Az in...Hmmmm....Az in winter is very different from Az in spring and summer. Keep in mind, when Im giving this advice, I have not been there since a lot of places were badly burned by wildfires a couple years ago. Check the listserv and eBird frequently.<br /><br />Theres not much point in going to high elevation sites unless you want Mexican Chickadee, in the Chiricahuas. The Chiris are beautiful, but not very close to the other sites. You can get Juniper Titmouse at one of the feeder spots there near Paradise as well.<br /><br />You should probably look for grassland birds, i.e. Bairds Sparrow and longspurs and maybe Spragues Pipit in the San Rafael grasslands. That said, I havent really done that, but I hear good things.<br /><br />Patagonia Lake and the Patons are good...VC Hummer are at Patons' year round. The Patagonia Preserve is awesome but probably a bit dead this time of year.<br /><br />The Sweetwater Wetlands are fun. Easy Harris's Hawks there. I would also highly recommend birding Catalina State Park if you are in the Tucson area, thats a good spot for various stereotypical desert birds, as well as Rufous-winged Sparrow.<br /><br />San Pedro River will probably be pretty quiet, but there are Lark Buntings around and Green Kingfisher is possible. If you want to bird riparian the Patagonia area and the Santa Cruz River (such as the Tubac area) will probably be more productive.<br /><br />The Huachucas have good feeders, not sure what would be there right now though. The Mexican Spotted Owls may or may not be easily seeable in Miller Canyon right now.<br /><br />Everyone likes birding Madera and Florida Canyon, although it can be hit or miss sometimes...decent feeders in Madera at any rate. The entrance roads that lead to either canyon can be birdy too. <br /><br />The Santa Cruz flats are supposed to be good for Mountain Plover, Caracaras, and other open country birds, but thats another place Ive never birded myself.<br /><br />Let me know if you have any more questions...Seagull Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01851438505719552645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172285466289881050.post-36314508237704993892013-02-07T13:41:30.033-08:002013-02-07T13:41:30.033-08:00Righto. I have another inquiry: where MUST I go d...Righto. I have another inquiry: where MUST I go during the four days I am giving myself in SE AZ as I drive across the country, back to Point Reyes? I've read and planned a bit, but thought you, someone who's worked and lived there, might have some insight for this poorly timed visit. I've never really birded the SW, so I'll be pretty pumped the whole time anyway I'm guessing.Sambobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16114719963142058191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172285466289881050.post-63825043290147325872013-02-07T11:24:04.529-08:002013-02-07T11:24:04.529-08:00Yeah I had some gang up on me at a lake when I was...Yeah I had some gang up on me at a lake when I was a little kid. Amazingly, I was not scarred for life.Seagull Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01851438505719552645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172285466289881050.post-75812271390512011572013-02-07T11:17:22.673-08:002013-02-07T11:17:22.673-08:00I can tell you a little about the patch on a coupl...I can tell you a little about the patch on a couple Cackling subspecies, but don't know much about Canada...I do know Canadas are subject to the throat stripe that can split the cheek patches, but dont know what subspecies that mark correlates with.Seagull Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01851438505719552645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172285466289881050.post-56531966854777732322013-02-07T11:12:39.733-08:002013-02-07T11:12:39.733-08:00I didn't get to (knowingly) see Wisdom, but I ...I didn't get to (knowingly) see Wisdom, but I probably rode right by her innumerable times. Her nest location is kind of hard to access without risking caving in a lot of Bonin Petrel burrows, so I only really looked once. Seagull Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01851438505719552645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172285466289881050.post-17321684078125326952013-02-07T10:47:12.251-08:002013-02-07T10:47:12.251-08:00I recognize that Emperor! Don't tell Sunni t...I recognize that Emperor! Don't tell Sunni that geese usually have a mild demeanor. I believe she is still recovering from an incident in Tillamook six years ago. Nearly pissed my pants when they got her cornered against a donkey pen. Of course they were domestics, not wild. Jen Sanfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08932953314258705622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172285466289881050.post-13034501940371194922013-02-06T16:36:24.977-08:002013-02-06T16:36:24.977-08:00No PFGO...
I did later read that I hadn't bee...No PFGO...<br /><br />I did later read that I hadn't been seen that day or since, so maybe it was for the best that I couldn't make the drive.<br /><br />I guess I can't speak to the person-ability of Cackling Geese at all, and their namesake is none too encouraging either. <br /><br />Hey, did You see this story about the Midway Atoll's (and entire Avian world's) oldest mum: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/02/06/171290097/oh-mama-worlds-oldest-bird-has-another-chick<br /><br />Did you know Wisdom from your time on the isle?Laurence Butlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14766876797454283812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172285466289881050.post-12113912187542075492013-02-06T16:30:38.134-08:002013-02-06T16:30:38.134-08:00Yeah, towards the west near the sheep ranch where ...Yeah, towards the west near the sheep ranch where Old Samoa makes the 90 degree turn I think. Nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172285466289881050.post-36439646440761628332013-02-06T15:28:15.880-08:002013-02-06T15:28:15.880-08:00Steve, what do you know about how much the white f...Steve, what do you know about how much the white facial patch on Canada Geese varies? I had one yesterday that had a white cheek that did not extend under the chin at all, I could see that it was entirely bordered by black. The white on most individuals is continuous from one side to the other, right? Just wondering what variations you've seen.Sambobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16114719963142058191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172285466289881050.post-61620396240442083962013-02-06T14:41:52.929-08:002013-02-06T14:41:52.929-08:00People would do far worse things than misidentify ...People would do far worse things than misidentify a goose for a free drink, myself included.<br /><br />No PFGO? Damn. At least they seem to be annual in the northeast now in winter.<br /><br />Ross's is indeed the cutest goose. I lived on an island full of nesting Aleutian Cackling Geese and I did not find them pleasant, they are loud and annoying as fuck.Seagull Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01851438505719552645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172285466289881050.post-43458200946591100382013-02-06T14:39:37.413-08:002013-02-06T14:39:37.413-08:00Goose reservoirs are pleasant reservoirs.Goose reservoirs are pleasant reservoirs.Seagull Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01851438505719552645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172285466289881050.post-20015271341365168222013-02-06T14:10:01.660-08:002013-02-06T14:10:01.660-08:0011 years ago...was that the nice adult on the sout...11 years ago...was that the nice adult on the south side of V Street Loop?<br /><br />Pretty cool that The Emperor turned you to the dark side, they're pretty rad.Seagull Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01851438505719552645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172285466289881050.post-58867854552094226062013-02-06T12:12:40.951-08:002013-02-06T12:12:40.951-08:00An Emperor Goose got me hooked on birding. I alway...An Emperor Goose got me hooked on birding. I always payed attention to birds, but one day, actually 11 years ago today, some guy in the Arcata Bottoms let me look through his scope at an Emperor Goose. I didn't think much of it until I went home and looked at a range map. The idea that I got to see something that few people outside of Siberia get to see turned me on to "birding" and chasing vagrants and all of that. Damn You Geese!Nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172285466289881050.post-24498739643742738452013-02-06T10:48:47.814-08:002013-02-06T10:48:47.814-08:00That's very goosey. In fact, you're quite ...That's very goosey. In fact, you're quite loose with the goose, but I appreciate you sharing your lease with the Geese. We don't see to have so many vagrant Geese on the Arizona parks and what not, but their size and confidence does make them a treasure when they do turn up. <br /><br />I was pretty bummed to be unable to chase the Pink-footed Goose in New Jersey when I was in Pennsylvania. <br />So is the Cackling or Ross' Goose cuter?<br /><br />P.S. I would be willing to make the Snow Goose/Ross' Goose blunder mentioned above if it would get me a free drink. I guess I'm still at the 'whorish' stage of being a relatively new birder.Laurence Butlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14766876797454283812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172285466289881050.post-50874257632977554312013-02-06T10:12:44.847-08:002013-02-06T10:12:44.847-08:00Sir, I very much enjoyed your goose reservoir. Sir, I very much enjoyed your goose reservoir. Johnny Nutcasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08429848435564779353noreply@blogger.com