Warning! This post is a condition which married folk may experience. Vacations can be dangerous, and there is no known cure for this disease. Once the special bird is found, another fine feathered friend will replace it in “the search”.
Scenario:
- Happily married couple decides to take a hike in Madera Canyon.
- Husband (i.e. me) agrees it is not a birding hike.
- Wife agrees to location (i.e. Molly).
- Husband agrees to NOT stop at the lodge’s birdfeeders
The hike is progressing nicely up the canyon subject to my one caveat. We had to stay near the stream. Although not technically a birding hike, wildlife loves water in the desert. I rationalized that if we were going to hike, the probability of seeing something interesting might as well be maximized. Molly reluctantly agreed. As we reached the summit of our hike … 3.4 miles and a 1,700 climb some magic words were mentioned by hikers descending the trail … Elegant Trogon!
While I try to be a good husband and honor my promises, there is a limit. Finding a trogon near the summit where the bird had not yet been reported that year was like handing candy to a baby. The hike was now over. For the next hour I birded 1/2 mile of the Carrie Nation Mine Trail and struck gold. Elegant Trogon. Sorry Molly (not really).
Does your family have this problem? Learn about the hike from Molly’s perspective! She is a bonafide writer (has penned stories for many regional and national magazines). Her post on her blog today, Superior Footprints (as in Lake Superior), is called: Life with a Birder.
Elegant Trogon
Our Hike (and my eBird entry)
And Yours Truly in Action! Three people in this photograph are Arizona natives and one is not. Find the Minnesotan! My thanks to the couple I met up with on the trail and treated me to this birding experience. The other gentleman joined us after about 30 minutes. It took us 15 minutes to locate the Elegant Trogon when I joined the first couple. Thankfully it would occasionally sing out. From that point on we watched the bird for over 45 minutes. The Trogon actually flew over and landed four feet away from where I was standing half way through our viewing session. I was flabbergasted and exhilarated by the expereince. I could have reached out and touched the bird! Molly obviously took this photo. Huge thanks and love to my wife!
The Movie!
Thanks to Rich and Molly for sharing the details of your Madera adventure and your “negotiations.” I have referred several friends with non-birding partners to this blog post. Thanks to your posts and pictures of Madera Canyon birds, friends who recently moved from Mn and are living near Madera Canyon are taking an interest in birding.
Hey Susan … thanks! Molly and I somehow survive with our varying interests. Once in a while she even finds the birds of interest. LOL!
I have learned that when we are taking one of our self-supported bicycle tours, I am only allowed a couple minute stop for any interesting bird. However, I do understand this constraint. If one has only biked 20 of the 55 miles needed for a given day, stopping to bird is not such a great idea. Having said that, it will be cool to bicycle bird in the Norwegian Arctic this summer.
Hilarious! Tell Molly thanks, or I may never have seen such a gorgeous bird-I mean the Trogon Rich, not you. But please, no offense. 🙂 Thanks for those shots!
Congrats Rich and Molly! Awesome photos of one of North America’s most rare and exotic birds!
Thanks Sparky! Now I just need a bobcat which I can see out the living room window like at your house. Unfortunately Molly is not quite ready to let me hang a deer carcass each winter. LOL!
Oh my goodness… I am sure that your wife must have been as thrilled to see this bird as you were, and surely enjoyed it… right?! What a gorgeous bird.
She enjoyed the hike! Perhaps even the trogon!