Sora

A Sora emerges from back stage to put on a performance for us. Being a secretive bird that's easily startled, a Sora rarely ventures far from the edge of the cattail marsh. You may hear one singing in the tall grasses yet never see it.

The sure-footed Soras are most comfortable in freshwater mudflats. That said, the slightest disturbance will send them running for cover and you'll have to wait for them to come out again.

That was the case for a half dozen birders watching two adult Soras at the Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson, Arizona.

The two Sora would appear then vanish suddenly when instinct told them to hide.

Fine soft feathers cover this
chubby chicken-sized bird with two oversized feet and a turned-up tail.

Birding is like 'Theater in the Wild' with birds the actors and birders the audience.

It's impromptu and educational... Showings Seven Days A Week.

Aquatic seeds make up the Sora's diet with the balance mainly flies, snails and beetles.

This morning's performance... tail-bobbing up... foraging head-down... was beautiful. Well choreographed and lasting as long as the principles cared to entertain. Somewhat too short for the audience though. The price of admission was free, so no one complained.

(Click any picture to enlarge.)

Allan

Credits: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds
The Sibley's Guide to Birds
Wikipedia

Cactus Wren

From San Diego, CA to San Antonio, TX,
the Cactus Wren is at home in the southwestern deserts. Blazing hot days or freezing cold nights don't faze this
over-sized wren.

Listed as a Common Bird In Steep Decline* the Cactus Wren is a familiar feature of harsh environments.

Crisp white feathers mimic and complement the sharp white spines of the cholla cactus. At a distance the whites merge into "Nothing Special To Look At Here, Keep Moving."

Conversely, brown tones blend and conceal as light conditions change. The desert habitat is typically shades of olive and dun. Blending into those surroundings is critical to a small bird, even if one is the largest wren.

A ground-foraging, insect-eating Cactus Wren patrols the desert floor to score a meal. He checks under rocks and leaf litter for insects and arthropods. These creatures sustain him so well that he rarely ever drinks. He fulfills his daily moisture needs from the insects he eats. That's a remarkable evolutionary adaptation for this ol'desert bird.

Dangers abound in the desert and the Cactus Wren is not immune to predation from fox, coyote, bobcat, hawks and feral cats. Being able to navigate and nest in these prickly places works to its advantage.

Allan
Credits: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds
Wikipedia
*North America Breeding Bird Survey

Elegant Trogon & Madera Canyon Birds

"You can't always get what you want." (Rolling Stones, 1964).

The lyric line clearly sums up two unsuccessful daylong attempts at finding an Elegant Trogon in Madera Canyon, Coronado National Forest, Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona.

It was a test of patience.

I finally found him on a third day of searching when he looked at me with profound indifference, as if to say "WHAT?"

Gracious though, he stuck around for several OK,  albeit similar, portraits.

In the end,
"You get what you need."

Other birds, like this Red-naped Sapsucker, were more gracious. They cooperated by showing up. It was a secondary reward for sure but validation for thirty hours spent searching for an Elegant Trogon.

The racket of this Red-naped Sapsucker's hammering head attracted me to him. There was no real bird benefit in making noise, it's just the consequence of drilling hundreds of holes in a favorite tree.

These wounds eventually ooze sap which the Red-naped Sapsucker laps up with a brush-like tongue. The sticky sap also traps insects for consumption later. 

A Hermit Thrush sings a sweet song between bites of last year's berries.

Spring arrives early in the desert southwest and this may be a tweet or retweet of a mating message.

Hermit Thrushes are medium sized birds, somewhat colorless, yet boldly marked with a reddish tail and white eye ring. 

A Bridled Titmouse plucks a berry he'll place between his feet to eat.

Rarely seen in the USA but
wide-ranging in Mexico, the Bridled Titmouse is in the same family as the more common chickadees.

His name comes from the 'bridled' face pattern on the Bridled Titmouse's head.

(Click any picture to enlarge.)

A Painted Redstart presents as I wait for the Elegant Trogon to show up.

He was gleaning insects through the olive-colored leaves with only the briefest of stops on a log... quick picture.

Painted Redstarts flash their white tail and wing patches to startle insects into revealing themselves.

The Elegant Trogon is a migrant into the USA, barely crossing the southern border from an extensive home range in Mexico. They prefer mountain canyons, building their nests among sycamores, pines and oaks.

Most certainly he doesn't comprehend the fascination he holds among people who love birds. His quizzical stare reenforces that belief.

Rarity surely enhances his popularity with size, colors, posture and perhaps attitude contributing more. The dozens of other 'birders' searching Madera Canyon for this uncommon sighting confirmed that.

Not a bird nor a common sight either, a group of White-nosed Coatis rummaging the valley floor looking for insects, invertebrates, carrion, fruits, snakes and eggs was a pleasant surprise. They are in the raccoon family, but where raccoons are nocturnal, coatis are out in the daytime. They're not shy, but will retreat if approached. They sleep in the trees at night and forage as this band of seven did, aware of me, but only mildly concerned.

"... if you try sometime, you might find, you get what you need."

Allan
Credits: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds
The Sibley Guide to Birds
Wikipedia

American Kestrel

Kestrels are hard to get to know.

These beautiful small falcons with their bold splashy markings don't make friends easily.

You're lucky to get close to an American Kestrel and then, at most, a few seconds of time in their presence.

Often seen on utility poles and wires, these small, fast and agile predators watch for movements in the grass.

Voles, mice, lizards, snakes, and a variety of large insects make up the American Kestrel's diet.

Patience and good eyesight are a necessity for all raptors. The ability to hover in place gives the American Kestrel an advantage over most raptors.

Female American Kestrels are similarly sized yet more softly marked in tan and brown tones.

Juvenile males and females resemble respective adults.

Small in stature but widespread in range, the American Kestrel is willing to be seen in public albeit at a safe distance.

Allan

Credits: The Sibley Guide to Birds,
Cornell Lab Of Ornithology, All About Birds