7:45 a.m.: Had another Zoom meeting in conjunction with
the class I’m taking at church. Again, 9
a.m. back home is 7 a.m. in Arizona…so the alarm was set just to be sure I was
up in time to get my computer set up, etc. I did snooze it once. And, instead of being confined to the camper because of the cold, I was
able to sit outside today watching the sun peak from behind the Picacho
Mountains with the birds around me providing a soundtrack to our discussion. The
overnight temps are getting slightly warmer, so the mornings are too. Next week
will be a test…the clocks change this weekend due to Daylight Saving Time but
Arizona doesn’t participate…next Thursday, 9 a.m. in Michigan will be 6 a.m. in
Arizona. Yikes!
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There’s not been any animal action on the
desert camera but it’s sending videos at odd times…maybe it’s a weed or a branch
that’s setting it off. Or maybe an invisible animal…now that’s something to
think about.
We can now add a crow to the list of animals
that have been seen on the Nutt Rd. camera…but no javelinas. Might have to put some enticements out at
both cameras to see who comes in.
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Back home we live in a relatively quiet
corner of the countryside. Might hear
the neighbor’s cows or donkey calling out and at night the coyotes can be heard
but generally it’s quiet. We do have birds but I only hear them when I go
outside. The noise around here is constant…it just becomes the soundtrack to
life in Picacho. The campground is located not far from I-10 so traffic noise
is constant; the bushes surrounding our campsite are home to a number of birds
that start tweeting, chirping, and cooing at daybreak and don’t quit until it
gets dark; and we’re about a ½ mile from very active railroad tracks. Throw in the neighborhood rooster that is
continually crowing and it all becomes a strange kind of white noise. I suppose
there are people who would prefer their ‘vacation’ time to be more quiet but
it’s just all in the background for me and in a way, reassuring. I’ve found that
I can doze off sitting here on the couch with all that noise happening just as
well as I can when it’s quiet. 😴
Evening
update:
I was up early and then
got lazy real fast after my Zoom meeting, so I didn’t walk. Kim was up until the wee hours of the morning
and slept in. I suggested we go to the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch (Gilbert,
AZ), about an hour from camp to do our walking. Change up the scenery. I learned about
the Preserve on the Arizona Birding FB page…checked it out online and figured
it would be a good place to wander for a few hours. Here’s some
general information I found on the gilbertaz.gov website:
In 1986, the Town of Gilbert made a commitment to reuse 100%
of its effluent water. The Town’s desire to create innovative and unique ways
to combine water resource development with wildlife habitat, educational and
recreational opportunities led to the development of the Riparian Preserve in
1999. Of the 110 acres, 70 acres make up the 7 water recharge basins that are
filled on a rotating basis with treated effluent and allowed to percolate into
the aquifer where it is stored for future use. Approximately 298 species of birds have
been identified on the site, and many insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and
mammals have found homes there as well. Over 4.5 miles of trails weave through
the park, and there are interpretive education panels on wildlife and vegetation
throughout.
This
wonderful wildlife habitat is well done; it’s right in the middle of the hustle
and bustle of a city yet seems so remote. So many birds to see as we walked the
trails. Pelicans, egrets, a variety of ducks, hummingbirds, all types of
shoreline birds, bunnies, quail, and so many more. It was busy but not overcrowded because there
were so many trails.
When we got back to camp, I spent a couple
of hours trying to identify all the birds I had taken pictures of. Found a list online that was very helpful and the
few that I was still struggling to identify I posted pictures of on the Birding
page and within seconds they were identified.
Pelican Trivia:
*Some pelicans have wingspans longer
than 9 feet
*A pelican’s pouch
holds up to three gallons of water
*A group
of pelicans is most commonly called a squadron, a pod, a pouch or a scoop.
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40 Days of Lent challenge: Hand write a prayer of the bitterness and/or complaining that you need to “Let Go” of. Waited until the evening to do this one and when I re-read the prayer I realized that what came through my hand to the paper is as scattered as some of the prayers that rattle around in my head. Oh, well…it didn’t say it had to be pretty.
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