Another day when we decided to strike out on our own. Rachael pulled in the big stats for the team with a 43 mile out and back to the end of Julian Wash. I mapped out a route for myself that was nearly as long, but took me to two new spots: John F. Kennedy Park, one of the birding hotspots in town listed on eBike; and along the El Paso and Southwestern Greenway, a spur of the Loop that connects the Julian Wash bikeway with Aviation Bikeway.
Both of these new sites slowed me down significantly. Kennedy Park is quite a good birding area, and I imagine if I lingered around for a few hours I could put up a decent list. I saw a Cooper’s hawk and a night heron there, but not well enough to get a real shot of either; but the redheads and pied-billed grebe were worth the trip, as were the fine views north. I’ll probably make my way back here again before we leave town.
The El Paso and Southwestern Bikeway is attractive too, and worth riding again. It’s short, but attractive enough to be worth stitching in to a longer Loop ride. I’m sure it’s a ride Rachael would enjoy. The bikeway skirts the Kino Environmental Restoration Project (KERP) site, which is bringing life back to an area that was developed as a storm water retention basin. It’s an attractive little oasis now, a desert/wetland embedded in the middle of south Tucson.
There were enough reasons to drag my feet that once I left KERP it was getting too late in the day to complete the loop I had planned. Instead, I took the Aviation Bikeway back into town as the most direct way home. Taking me over the Aviation Parkway and Rattlesnake Bridges, that was pretty great too. An upbeat way to end a terrible year.
Always a good omen for a ride. This one was amazingly bold, casually sidling up to the edge of the path about 15 feet from me. I like shots like this where the orange racing stripe behind the eye is exposed.
Scott AndersonTo Jacquie GaudetThanks, Jacquie. Such an entertaining bird. Apparently the red and blue eye coloring is a feature that comes out in breeding season, so maybe this is a harbinger of spring. Reply to this comment 3 years ago
Jen RahnThem birds over there may seem tame
But they come with an insulting name
You damned pie billed grebe!
You swim like a dweeb!
And your short bill is so very lame! Reply to this comment 3 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Bill ShaneyfeltThat has to be it. Another plant I haven’t heard of. I especially like knowing where it’s name comes from. Reply to this comment 3 years ago
I didn’t realize it at the time, but here’s the rest of the snake. This is the Rattlesnake Bridge, right next to the rattler’s tail above. The head is at the opposite end, but I didn’t notice that I was biking under its fangs when I exited. I’ll have to go back.
Kelly IniguezWhen we parted ways, Sharon was heading for the Kino Project to birdwatch. I promptly turned the wrong direction on Ajo, but quickly figured out my mistake! Reply to this comment 3 years ago
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