August 6, 2020. This has been one strange year, hasn’t it? With many activities curtailed due to the pandemic, the days seem to inch along at a snail’s pace. It seems everyone could cheer up and what’s better to soothe one’s soul than looking at pictures of baby birds?

June 15, 2020. Birds build nests to provide a safe place for eggs and young birds to develop, and the variety of nests is as diverse as the birds themselves, although each species has a characteristic style. Join me as I explore the bird nests I discovered in my walks around Verrado in the West Valley of Phoenix this spring.

May 26, 2020. For months now, most of us under stay-at-home orders have watched as the pandemic storm rages around us. With all the changes and disruption to everyday daily life, I wonder, how are the birds weathering this storm?

January 22, 2020. In January, my mind is on the woodpecker and its relatives; I see them everywhere! Some of you are probably familiar with these birds, having watched a woodpecker hammer away at the trunk of a tree. But have you ever wondered: How does it not do severe damage to its body?

January 10, 2020. As I look back over the last year to discover where I went astray, one thing has become abundantly clear: Life is not a straight line. There you are, trekking along happily in one direction, sure of the clear path ahead, when suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Life throws something totally unexpected at you and everything changes.

December 14, 2018. Going home for the holidays can be quite challenging for some. It doesn’t happen often enough for me, so I was thrilled when my family invited us to spend Thanksgiving with them in California, my home state. Not only would it be a joy to catch up with loved ones, but there was the additional excitement of birding in a different location and the possibility of adding new birds to my life list.

September 14, 2018. I’m totally smitten with owls. I love everything about them: their piercing yellow eyes, those terrifying talons and soft, bark-colored feathers that camouflage them perfectly and help them fly nearly silently in pursuit of prey.

June 29, 2018. Our campsite on the Quail Loop section of Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood, Arizona was nearly empty, the heat, rain and humidity leaving most campers seeking cooler climes. Gone were the wintering ducks we saw when we visited the park in January, but there were still plenty of other birds around to feed my obsession.

July 23, 2018. When my birding buddies, Susan and Brian, came up with the idea of a four-day, 1,400+ mile birding odyssey across Arizona, targeting nine VSBs (Very Special Birds), I didn’t bat an eye. I didn’t even hesitate. Did we get our birds, you ask? Read on to find out….

May 10, 2018. Life’s circle is defined as the series of stages through which a living thing passes from the beginning of its life until its death and in my ‘hood, I’ve seen it all. The drama of courtship and territorial squabbles. The industrious nest-building and the miracle of new life. The awkwardness of young fledglings, the sorrow of death. It’s one thing to see birds in these various stages; it is quite another to watch a specific bird and witness its circle of life first hand. Take my resident Great Horned Owls, for instance….

April 30, 2018. I’ve written about the Chiricahua Mountains before, about how this mountain range rises suddenly out of the southeast Arizona desert like an island and is, in fact, the largest of what are known as Sky Islands. I’ve talked about the birds, animals and plants that thrive nowhere else in the U.S. But with each visit to this unique area, I feel, hear and see something new that adds to my love of the place. It’s like hanging another jeweled charm from a favorite bracelet with cherished memories of special trips.

March 25, 2018. I am not an avid birder. I’m a rabid birder. My deep dive into serious birding last year propelled me into the orbit of two dedicated and knowledgeable birders, who think nothing of driving halfway across the state of Arizona in pursuit of an uncommon bird.

February 20, 2018. Even with its mild winters, the Phoenix area can get dreary as the months pass while waiting for spring. Throw in a little cold snap, courtesy of Mother Nature, and the onset of a winter chest cold that kept me housebound for over a week, and I’ve got a bad case of the Winter Blues. However, a clear day and a little birding can work miracles…

November 17, 2017. Since Hollywood began producing moving pictures, the industry has promoted a stereotype of the Villain: he’s dressed in black, wearing a black hat, and riding a black horse. Black-feathered birds often get saddled with the same bad rap in the avian world.

November 11, 2017. Arizona’s species list of around 550 birds is the highest of any state without an ocean coastline. The total is aided by several rare vagrants that occasionally cross the border from Mexico, such as Flame-colored Tanager and Streak-backed Oriole. Come along with me as I introduce you to just a few of the beautiful birds – some rare and have found their way to my little patch.

October 23, 2017. Nothing seems to last forever, but losing something extraordinary sometimes spurs growth and opens one up to exploring new possibilities. Such was the case on our recent visit to one of our favorite spots in Lake Havasu.

October 11, 2017. I’m discovering that reaching some of Arizona’s most interesting birding sites requires commitment. Whether it’s time, vehicle requirements or sheer guts, you often have to give a lot to get something in return. The drive to Mount Ord is the perfect example. Between the fist-clenching moments around every switchback and the bump and grind of the rocky road, you must go slowly, not only for the sake of your vehicle and the comfort of your passengers but because you never know what you’ll see coming around the next corner…

September 21, 2017. A long-held belief among people who don’t know Arizona is that we only have one season – one long summer of searing heat. I’m here to tell you they’re wrong.

September 2, 2017. With colorful fields of wildflowers, the haunting call of coyotes at dusk, an elk stag party and a near-total solar eclipse, this trip was beyond my wildest dreams.

July 29, 2017. Dizzying heights. Gravity-defying balancing acts. Leaps over yawning crevasses. Flights from sheer cliffs of living color. You would only be partially right if this sounds like a circus act.