Molly and I start home to Duluth tomorrow, and we hear lots of snow awaits us in northern Minnesota. Therefore the last two mornings I visited my two favorite owl nests for the final times. I am still dumbfounded that the Barn Owl family is nesting only 50 yards from the Great Horned Owl family. While I suspected a Barn Owl nest, finding both Mom and Dad Barn Owl perched together cinched the fact. The kids are getting big … but are still located deep within the recesses of their chosen home.

1. Locate owl from a distance using binoculars.
2. Slowly and silently approach the owl, remaining totally hidden
3. Extend monopod to only 1/2 its height (3 feet)
4. Hold monopod at arm’s length in front of me
5. Do NOT show my face (only may see owl in camera LCD screen)
6. Take photographs and retreat.

If I show my face, the owl flushes, which is NOT desired.

At the nest …

By contrast, this this Barn Owl’s mate does not care what I do. I could even sing at the top of my lungs, and it sleeps through my serenade.

I returned to the small stream still holding out against the desert at Catalina State Park. Unlike last week I could only find 200 yards of the stream that was still above ground, and not sunk into “the sandy wash”. The birds still knew where there was water, and like last week, I let the songbirds come to me at sunrise two days ago.

However, before more on my birding expedition to “the stream”, there are various news items about which I want my readers to be aware:

1. If you live in the Midwest, and now particularly Minnesota consider shutting down your bird feeders. Avian flu is spreading its ugly wings and killing lots of birds, not just migrating waterfowl and shorebirds (carriers of the disease). As birds come in to proximity with migrating birds, the result is not good. In the Twin Cities area many, many eagles and owls have died after killing ducks as prey (and eating them). Read more from the University of Minnesota Raptor Center. The Raptor Center has recommended taking down bird feeders at this time.
2. On a lighter note, a good buddy of mine and fellow retired “techie” from Honeywell has some great webcams which track his wood duck boxes in Golden Valley. We are now in the prime wood duck and merganser nesting season in southern Minnesota where Paul lives (not up here in the Northland). Watch the nesting process via Paul’s camera.
3. Laura Erickson, a well known national birder, who lives near me in a Duluth has a nice series of posts on children’s birding books. Here are those posts:
   • Laura’s posts on children’s birding books started with her April, 11 entry
   • Click “newer entry” to move through the bird book posts (now four entries)

And now back to my “stream escapades”. Remember, water attracts BIG TIME in the desert.

Yellow-Rumped Warbler (Myrtle)

A Phainopepla in a tree next to the wash / stream

Lesser Goldfinch and crew (Lark & White-Crowned Sparrows)

Green-Tailed Towhee

House Finches (male and female)

Before the “cuties”, let me own up to a birding failure. Yup, like most of us I make birding mistakes and this morning’s was a doozy. I decided to drive over to Mount Lemmon, and left a bit before 6 am … beat the crowds and get out birding early. Sounds good, right? The temperature when I left my Oro Valley AirBnB was 60F, and it always get hot in the desert, right? I drove the car up to 8,000 feet in elevation and got out to take my bird hike … 43F with strong winds. I am wearing shorts and golf shirt. Thankfully I had a “cotton” sweater vest in the car. I managed to bird for one hour before I decided the warmth of the car sounded extremely inviting. Note to self … for a boy from the flatlands … temperatures fall dramatically and winds increase exponentially as one goes up tall mountains. My dress was woefully inadequate for a windchill just above freezing. Way down below me a nice warm desert morning was in progress.

I did have a nice hike over at Sabino Canyon yesterday morning. The weather was warm, and I did remember to pack water for my hike. My birding walk started at 6:45 am, and I had a great time. Sabino Canyon is a beautiful spot, and even without birds I enjoy the location. I also hike off the main trail / road, and this always insures me solitude early in the morning.

Here was my view hiking up the trail just beyond the Cactus Picnic Grounds. I ultimately hiked up the saddle to the right beyond the first hill in this image. If you are birding the desert make certain you get out early. Birds tend to hide from the extreme heat of midday.

Early on in my hike this individual was soaking up the morning sun. I did not have the heart to ask it to move, and took a detour off the path.

My real fun of the morning was hoping this Curve-Billed Thrasher would stay on top of the cactus from which it was singing long enough for me to hike to the proper vantage point. I really wanted the classic Saguaro Cactus in the immediate background! In the first image shown below I have spotted the bird, and in the subsequent photographs I have hiked to my desired position!

This Cactus Wren hung out for me, but did not sing.

Finally, I really love Pyrrhuloxias, even if I have trouble pronouncing their name!