Kathie's Birds: From Andover to Tucson

Showing posts with label From Andover to Tucson. Show all posts

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Just a Year Ago…

Tucson backyard 9-5-2012

Just over a year ago my friend Kathryn and I set off on an epic journey across the United States with two cats and a dog. Kathryn had volunteered to help me drive my car and my pets from Andover, MA to our new home in Tucson, AZ. At the time I was reluctant to go. My mom had just come through breast cancer surgery and chemo and radiation. I had grown to like being near my family on the east coast and did not want to leave them, but my husband had a job transfer once again and so, for the ba-jillionth time in our 36 years of marriage, I was following him once again. I guess it was foretold when I chose John Denver’s song, “Follow me where I go” as the song we marched down the aisle to after we were married!

Here’s Mom with two of my brothers just before we left. 8-17-12

Her hair had just started to grow back.

August 17, 2012: Kathryn and I went swimming and birding at Misquamicuit Beach in Rhode Island before we left! Who knows when I will ever see this horizon again. And, No! There are no bathing suit pictures!

August 22, 2012 Crossing the Tappan Zee Bridge into New Jersey.

August 22, 2012: After a long day of driving we stopped at Fort Frederick in Maryland to rest and count birds! This was my first bird count ever in this state! We saw 21 species here, including Pileated Woodpeckers! We added 1 more species, a Common Nighthawk, at Rocky Gap State park where we stopped to view the scenery at dusk.

Sunset in Maryland as we head towards Rocky Gap 8-22-12

August 23, 2012 On the road in West Virginia.

Up and down, up and down, around a curve, then up and down…

Very tired Kathryn walking Blossom at WV Rest area 8-23-13

My granddaughter, Natalie in Kentucky 8-24-13

August 25, 2012 Ft. Donaldson, Tennessee. We stopped here to count birds.

White-tailed deer at Ft. Donaldson 8-25-13

August 26, 2012 Red-headed Woodpecker in Omaha, TX!

August 26, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Colorado City Rest Area in Texas

Texas Rain 8-26-12

Texas Rainbow 8-26-12

On the road to Midland, TX 8-26-12

August 27, 2012 West Texas Rest Area

This is just one of the many rest areas we stopped at and counted birds as well as “resting.” We saw our first Broad-tailed Hummingbird of the trip here!

August 27, 2012 Exit 281 for Houghton Road in Tucson!

I quickly got a thistle seed sock and hung it on this wild tobacco tree in the backyard. I have more sophisticated bird feeders now and this “tree” died this summer and fell down during a monsoon storm just last week!

Backyard Roses 9-5-12

Balcony Birdwatching Perch 9-5-12

Since Moving here a year ago I have counted 59 species of birds from this yard! My newest addition was an osprey I saw flyover on August 30th in the morning!

But I should have known this would be a good birdwatching yard when I found this mourning dove in its nest up in the porch rafters!

5 days, 12 states, and 2673 miles, and 1 year later

Thanks, Kathryn!

I couldn’t have done it without you!

From Andover to Tucson (read all posts by clicking on this link)

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Texas to Tucson Day 6

Rest Area near Fabens, TX 8-27-12

On our last day of driving when we were so weary we were awakened early by my cats jumping on the our beds. They kept jumping on us and crying and we could not figure out why. They had not done this on the whole trip. They started about 4 o’clock in the morning, jumping and meowing and running around. I got up to use the restroom and the kitties followed me in there, but whatever they were trying to tell me, I just did not get it. I called them onto my bed and tried to cuddle them and calm them down, but they remained restless. Finally, about 6:30 a.m. Kathryn got up and noticed that their water bowl was empty! It was so hot and dry in this part of Texas that Blossom and the cats had drunk all the water we had put out for them the night before! As soon as Kathryn refilled the bowl they ran over and drank and drank! Then they settled down peacefully on my bed. The cats were trying so hard to communicate with us. We were the ones who were dumb! But, by now it was too late to really go back to sleep, so Kathryn and I just got up and got dressed. We soon loaded the car and headed out for our last day of driving.

Desert Willow at rest area near Fabens, TX

As we followed the open road the final miles fell behind us. I do not remember much of how I was feeling, other than tired. Once again, I felt the finality of it all. I was moving back to Tucson for good and leaving the rest of my family behind. I wanted to be excited, but instead I felt sad. When I saw a desert willow at the Fabens Rest Area I knew I was back in the desert. Then a female Broad-tailed hummingbird flew in for a sip from one of the pale pink blossoms and I smiled. It was my first Texas hummingbird and I knew there would be more waiting for me in Tucson. Only in Tucson do we get winter hummingbirds!

Somewhere on the road in Texas

I think this is on the west side of El Paso

We did not stop to bird today. We just kept driving, though we did count birds at one spot where we stopped to get gas and found a few Western Flycatchers sitting on the fence behind the station. They were so close to us but I was so tired by now I didn’t even bother to get out my camera! Sorry!

Finally, after 2600 miles we were nearing Tucson!

I was driving at this point and Kathryn was taking pictures out the window. Monsoon clouds hovered overhead but sunlight was streaming through like a golden benediction on the road before us.

We saw the Rincon Mountains out our window on the right…

…and the Tucson Mountains just ahead.

We passed under the bridge of the Sonoita Highway…

…then exited at Houghton Road.

We were finally home.

From Andover to Tucson (all posts)

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Halfway Across Texas Day 5

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on fence at rest area west of Colorado City, TX

A few storm clouds lingered overhead when I awoke on Sunday morning in Texarkana, AR. We turned on the TV in our hotel room to try to catch some local news and weather, but every channel had church on it instead. So, I decided to take the dog out for her morning walk. When I found a sign posted at the edge of the parking lot that said “Revelation Seminar” with an arrow pointing in the “right” direction, I KNEW I was in the Bible Belt, as if I really needed any proof! Kathryn and I quickly loaded up the car and headed out, grabbing a breakfast sandwich along the way. Kathryn was driving since our first destination was her hometown in Omaha, TX. As soon as we got off the highway I started counting birds! We saw a Great Egret in a drainage ditch alongside the road, and vultures overhead and in trees. When we got to the edge of town, we stopped at the local Dairy Queen for a break and to our utter surprise found a pair of Killdeer in the parking lot!

Kathryn was so excited to show me around her home town and we drove all over as she pointed out the places she remembered, including the school she attended when she was young.

Red-headed Woodpecker in Omaha, TX 8-26-12

But first we drove to the edge of town where there was a small lake. We drove slowly around it looking for birds and though we saw quite a few, hardly any were close enough to photograph, except for this pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers that showed up just as we were leaving! Not the best photos because the light was all wrong but still proof that we saw them.

Kathryn’s Favorite Burger and Ice cream joint!

The Rear of the Steer Restaurant in Omaha, TX

Main Street in Omaha, TX

Omaha, TX 8-26-12

Historic Church with stained-glass windows removed.

The house Kathryn grew up in.

It was after noon time by the time we left Omaha and headed back to the highway. We drove in and out of rain on this day and all along the way I kept my eyes open for Scissor-tailed flycatchers. We finally found about 6 of them at a rest area just west of Colorado City, TX where we stopped to change drivers once again.

Scissor-tailed flycatcher silhouette 8-26-12

More rain…

…then a Texas Rainbow!

The sun was setting as we drove past Midland, TX.

We took a by-pass road to get to Odessa, our destination for the night.

Around us the signs of Texas energy production spread along the horizon.

By now we were weary and ready for a hot meal and a bed. The pets were tired of travelling also. We were all glad when we finally stopped for the night. As we entered the hotel near our room a little toad hopped out from somewhere near the entrance door and into the hall. Perhaps it thought it wanted to be inside but really, it would find more insects outside, so I gently lifted it and set to back outside again. I thought of taking a picture, but I was just too tired! It was almost 10 p.m. by the time we got to a restaurant to eat. Thankfully they were still open, though the customer’s were few and far between and we were one of the last people in the restaurant when we finally left!