Bird Binoculars Reviews and Birding |

Approaching the desert spring area, I smell water and plants. Insects seem to suddenly appear on, in or under creosote bushes (Larrea tridentata ) though for the last two miles I have seen almost no signs of insects or spiders in the daylight. Exception to that statement is the occasional sighting of tracks in a patch of sandy soil.  Yes, a PATCH of sand. Most of this area is salt pan, and clay with some sandy patches and a few erratic boulders from the distant canyons. Those boulders of different origins hint at ancient and significant storms which may even pre-date the Shoshoni in this region.

Perhaps the most memorable one is the tarantula hawk (Pepsis thisbe ). It is neither a tarantula nor a hawk.  Rather it is a large black desert wasp with bright orange wings. It behaves like a hawk in flight, yet when scampering across the sand it looks like a six legged spider.  It seeks tarantulas (Aphonopelma chaleodes). The male tarantula hawk consumes mostly nectar. The female lays her eggs in the bodies of tarantulas she captures. The larva eat the tarantula. Read the rest of this entry »

Desert bird watching is exceptional.
“Tell me another desert tale. Share your bird stories with us.”
That is what the people said. “Tell me more stories.”

Why? Because these desert bird watching stories were true when they happened and they are still true now. They pre-date reality shows with genuine reality where the only stars are the ones in the sky. The main characters are one or two humans and a few species of birds, reptiles, rodents, spiders, insects and rabbits. If we were really lucky and our timing is just right, we might observe a kit fox or coyote or kangaroo rat during our bird-watching walk and wait.

Searing and stark landscapes spread out before us in all directions. The only thing limiting our view is a mountain range about 75 miles away. Now that is open space. Between here and there are perhaps two dozen trees and miles of creosote bushes stretching from one side of the valley to the other. Salt pan or dried creek beds or in some places sand dunes add to the surface texture. But the tallest sand dune is only about 40 feet high so it is not too hard to get over or around it.  (Assuming it is not mid-summer with scorching sun beating down on us.)  Black rocks reflecting the sun with their shiny aged patina fill out the details of the scene, looking for all the world like desert pavement.

Today, I walk across the valley floor towards a few trees about 3 miles away. There is access to brackish water close to the surface and two cottonwood trees and a few mesquite trees have managed to thrive here for at least a hundred years (according to the local Shoshone people). I go there to look for birds and other wildlife and to observe and catalog the plants in the tiny riparian refuge. If there is any water visible above the surface, I will observe and measure it and record its temperature, depth, width, flow and the like for the record.  That is what rangers do when they check out a spring to monitor and document its conditions. And that is my task for the day.

Neither ravens nor vultures grace the sky today in my area, though I have seen them here at other times.

LBJ’s flit about in the creosote branches now and then.

What is an LBJ?  Our local term of endearment for unidentified small brown birds - Little Brown Jobs.

In truth they were sparrows or warblers, depending on the season. It was always wonderful to see the yellow-rump warblers
coming through during migration. And in winter an occasional flock of juncos entertained us.

I hear woodpeckers in the cottonwood trees and slow my approach. I am hoping for a roadrunner and a varied thrush that was seen recently.  I hear a shrike screaming the announcement that I am arriving. A flurry of feathers confirms there were rock doves and juvenile cowbirds gathered beneath the scrubby brush plants. Hearing the alarm call of the shrike, those birds which are able and neither dehydrated or overheated will move to seek better shelter.  The shrike is an effective and ruthless predator. Any stragglers are fair game as long as the shrike does not feel threatened by my presence.  I might see some birds hunting today at this spring.

No surface water is visible today so there will be less evening activity than there is during other seasons.  I wait until the shadows of the mountains in the west begin to creep across the spring and then begin my walk back to the truck at the roadside. I prefer to arrive home before nightfall after a full day in the sun. I am feeling blessed by this solitary day at the spring and have ample notes and photos to document my visit.  I have been in the presence of truly wild and yet simple creatures. Though it is only 3 miles from the road it is untamed territory. Human rules do not prevail.  The desert rules this domain.

Phainopepla are Black Desert Birds

Early Morning scene. When berries are plentiful, so are the Phainopeplas.

Desert Birds are REALLY dependent upon seasonal food supplies.

Phainopepla Morning Scene

This black desert bird makes no sense but it is beautiful, has a very special diet and is very good at mimicry of about 12 other birds.

The Phainopepla is about the size of the familiar red cardinal and has a crest but the male is all black and females are gray.

As is the case with most birds, the juveniles resemble the females.

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One really great online place to see videos of this charmer is HERE.

In flight, you can see they have white patches on their wings.
And unless you are careful, you WILL see them in flight.

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Natural History   Phainopepla

Common Name   Phainopepla (fay-no- PEP-la)

Biological Name   Phainopepla nitens

Biological Family   Ptilogonatidae silky flycatchers

Status    Least Concern neither endangered nor threatened

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This charming desert songbird, Phainopepla, is never to be forgotten.

Perched in the branches of mesquite trees alongside a small salt creek, Phainopepla rewarded me with sightings often.Since their primary food is mistletoe which is on the mesquite trees,
I could always count on seeing some of these shining black birds on my walks. They eat elderberry and juniper seeds and mesquite beans too.

When they feed on insects they behave like flycatchers.  Really cool to watch.
I first saw Phainopepla while walking in Shoshone, California.
The Phainopepla is a good mimic of other birds, including the red tail hawk.
I wonder if that is a way for it to claim territory and prevent being eaten by a predator.
Phainopepla (which I affectionately called Pepe) nest most often in mesquite trees.

Both parents care for the nest and each other during incubation which is about fifteen days.

Teaching the young birds to eat and fly is another fascinating wildlife observation. These birds are attentive and entertaining. I did not count them but I have read that one Phainopepla is likely to eat about 1100 mistletoe berries each day. And the birds have a unique role in the dispersal of mistletoe.

The seeds pass through their digestive system undigested and are deposited where the Phainopepla perches, roosts, nests or flies.

During the desert season, Phainopeplas are very territorial and that is when you are likely to hear its many calls.

When it is nesting in woodlands it shows a more colony like behavior and you might find as many as 4 pairs of nesting birds in one big tree.

I never observed them nesting. Only feeding and in riparian desert habitat. All year long. So who wants to be a BLACK bird in the desert?

The Phainopepla rarely drinks water, even though research indicates that it loses about 95 percent of its body mass in water per day. Instead, it gets the water it needs from its diet of mistletoe.

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