Work Patch Birding: Day 139

Birder's Log: The quest to add waterfowl species and Belted Kingfisher failed today. There was no sign of such birds, not even a freaking manky Mallard. Grackles and Starling in abundance mocked me, as did the pigeons. Passerines and Piccaniformes were also lacking, with only a single Verdin and no woodpeckers recorded. Has God abandoned me to this place? Has my country? Why am I here? Would anyone really care if I was just swallowed up, without ever hitting 30 species for this dinky little patch? Got to hold it together. I hear the fluttering of the wings of the angel of death about my ears. This may also explain the absence of other birds in the pines.  

Birder's Log: Turns out the angle of death was a Great Horned Owl, which may explain the absence of other birds. New species recorded for the SRP AZ Falls site. This brings my list of species seen while wearing a tie up to 33, which is now well ahead of my number of species seen while micturating, though that second list has some better birds on it.

Records Fall: Work Patch Birding

It's breaking past the 90s in early/mid April, so that's gross, but I've passed another milestone (figuratively speaking)...30 species for my near-work patch, oh yeah! 

See, I'm trying to sound all ironically jazzed by over-celebrating a minuscule accomplishment, but the truth of the matter is that I do actually fell pretty pleased with that. It's not like jumping up and down because of a lifer Rustic Bunting pleased, but like, "yeah, I'll stop for a celebratory beer on the way home" kinda pleased. 

Like this mid-launch jailbird Black Phoebe, I have broken free of the shackles that held my patch list to less than 30 species. 

Having only 50 minutes or so after work, it was a productive bit of birding this past Tuesday that resulted in several new species for the little site. Northern Rough-winged Swallow (expected), Black-chinned Hummingbird (expected) and White-winged Dove (expectedly early) combined with a single Cassin's Vireo in the few ornamental pines (unexpected) for a tidy little haul, like the tidy little haul of gnats this Black Phoebe routinely snatches up from its various perches.

I'm still waiting and hoping for Kingbirds and Lesser Nighthawks along the canal portion of the patch. Usually I don't stay late enough for there to be much nighthawk activity, but in a few weeks they'll be so active along the canal during twilight that I'm hoping to find some perched/roosting birds in the daylight. Then I can see and enjoy them in greater detail, detail like that which shows up in this Black Phoebe's feathers when it finally turns towards the light.