January 1, 2023
First ride of the year
A New Year’s Resolution
After a restless night where I was awakened by fireworks and then couldn’t get back to sleep for the next half hour as I puzzled through some of the burning questions about a possible long-stay visa and tour the year after next - What do we do with the suitcases? How many countries will we pass through, and should we extend east into Poland to add another? - I finally groggily wake up for good around 7:30 to two welcome surprises. First, there is the very good news that I can still walk, nothing hurts any more than usual, and I don’t seem any the worse the wear from yesterday’s foolishness. And second, the expected rains have moved out and aren’t predicted to arrive now until around noon. There’s time to get out for a few hours this morning before shutting ourselves in for the afternoon.
With only a few hours to work with, Rachael decides on a walk and sets off for the university campus. I don’t want to do anything too ambitious, but I run through the nearby watering holes that might be worth a trip - Sweetwater, Silverbell Lake, Kennedy Park are the most obvious candidates - and decide to make a short loop north along the Santa Cruz again, stopping in at both Sweetwater and Silverbell Lake.
I’m still slowly working through Birding Without Borders, a book I’m gradually becoming less taken with as the author races around the world racking up his world record bird count. He’s in the fourth quarter now, setting off for Asia before finishing up in Australia and New Zealand. It must be in the back of the mind though because while I’m plotting out a ride for the day it suddenly occurs to me that it’s New Year’s Day and I could have my own Big Year and keep tally on how many distinct bird species I see this year. I make a New Year’s resolution to keep track this year, a resolution that seems like I should be able to hold myself too. I won’t be seeing any six thousand species, that’s for sure - but we’ll be covering a pretty diverse range of regions and environments this year so the opportunity is there for a good number. Even with my undisciplined approach of just taking note when something interesting shows up I might compile a pretty decent list. What’s reasonable to hope for from an undisciplined dabbler like me? 150? 200? 250? We’ll see.
Today’s ride
My bird list for the year gets initialized by a predictable but uninspiring first sighting when I look up upon leaving home and see a rock pigeon on the power line. I’m tempted to pretend I didn’t see one of these commoners yet and wait for something more interesting to start the year off with, but honesty is important!
Things pick up quickly though when a block from home I bike past a vacant lot and see a few small birds flittering in the grass. Vermillion flycatchers! And then, in the same field I hear a familiar call that helps me home in on a Gila woodpecker. This is more like it!
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There are more birds out this morning than I really expected for such a gray day. Lighting isn’t the best, but it’s still easy to recognize the unmistakeable outlines and behavior of a group of about twenty grackles strung out on a power line; and not long afterwards I see a few small birds fly past and then drop down to the bottom of the wash - some lesser goldfinches, when I zoom in on them.
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1 year ago
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As I bike along, I gradually become at least as interested in the weather conditions as in the birds. It’s an unusual morning - surprisingly warm for so early, about 60F already and with only a light, listless wind. It makes for pleasant cycling, but it’s apparent that it won’t last for long. Visibility is good still in three of the directions, but looking straight north to the distant Tortolita Range it’s a different story. It’s gloomy and the sky is streaked and looking like it’s raining hard.
I’m starting to distrust the weather and question how much time I might have to work with. I change my plan to head to Sweetwater and then double back to Silverbell Lake - partly because the lake is closer, and partly because the view of the Catalinas from across it is so dramatic. It should make for a good shot in today’s conditions, and I want to get it in before they worsen.
In another mile I come to a small pond just this side of the lake and am excited to see a cluster of waterfowl circling around the near end, not far from the bike path. I quickly pull out the camera and immediately add mallards and pintails to the day’s haul. And then I see a colorful green-winged teal, a lovely bird; but as soon as I start focusing in on him, a few drops fall.
The game’s suddenly up for the day. It’s almost frightening how quickly conditions change. One minute I’m squinting through the fence scoping out the ducks, and literally less than five minutes later I’m racing for home hoping to beat the approaching storefront. It’s an amazing transformation. looking north, the Tortolitas have completely disappeared; and to the east the Catalinas are quickly vanishing too.
Besides the rain, there’s the wind - suddenly it’s blowing at 20-25 mph, strong enough to be blowing up a cloud of sand ahead and to send small tumbleweeds racing up the trail in my direction. Strong enough that I’m biking leaning into the crosswind and away from the wash so I don’t get blown over. Strong enough that I’m suddenly reminded that I biked 76 miles yesterday and wish I wasn’t having to work quite this hard biking into a headwind.
It’s a relief when I finally reach Saint Mary’s and double back north and get the benefit of the wind for the last mile home. And I seem to have finally gotten ahead of the storm - I never did get particularly wet, and it’s calmer now. I’m briefly interested in checking out some of the fields and yards for another species to add to the list, but think better of it. Be happy for what I’ve gotten away with and get home dry, I tell myself.
A few minutes later Rachael steps in the door, full of enthusiasm after rediscovering how beautiful the campus and neighborhoods around it are. On her way through the campus she picked up with another woman on her morning walk, a child psychologist and native Tucsonan. They walked together to this woman’s door, and she was even invited in to use the restroom before continuing on. She ended up doing a 7.5 mile walk. Nice place, Tucson.
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Ride stats today: 11 miles, 200’; for the tour: 521 miles, 21,100’
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2023 bird list
I’ll start appending new entries to the register on any post that includes new species. Pretty good start, for a ride that was aborted by rain five miles from home!
- Rock pigeon
- Vermillion flycatcher
- Gila woodpecker
- Mourning dove
- House finch
- Great-tailed grackle
- Lesser goldfinch
- Northern Pintail
- Mallard
- Green-winged teal
Today's ride: 11 miles (18 km)
Total: 521 miles (838 km)
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1 year ago
It's a great resolution. And you are so good at taking photos of them. I'm looking forward to this. You could also do a bird calendar.
1 year ago