Beaks in My Lens: Phoenix Day 2 - Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Granite Reef and Coons Bluff

#187 White-breasted Nuthatch
(yes, he was climbing down the tree)

Fun day birding, with lots of walking (5 miles interspersed with a lot of standing, but oddly not so much crouching which I often do - I guess

I was looking at more birds at eye level and above today.) And lots of driving, 141 miles to be exact, which for anyone who knows me is too much for one day without naps. I added 13 more species to the list 😀

Things I learned today:

The sun rises REALLY fast in the desert. In Seattle, the difference between dawn / sunrise / daylight is very gradual - maybe because mountains and trees, and maybe because clouds. Point is, your eyes have time to adjust before you need a visor to see while driving. In the desert, the sun hits the horizon and <BAM> you’re blinded by the light and the car visor does nothing to protect you. Also, the glowing orb is HUGE when it hits the horizon.
Saguaro cactus look very fuzzy and huggable from a distance.
I forgot how hard it is to be a “lister” and a photographer at the same time. “Listing” (birdwatching simply to compile a list like a life list or big year list) only requires that you identify a bird - for me that equates to seeing the bird. The more birds you see and identify, the faster your list will grow. As a photographer, I ultimately would love to get a photo worthy of a wall calendar. This take time to patiently wait for the bird to come out into the open and pose - you really can’t rush it, the bird has total control over whether it will happen or not. The two activities are in direct conflict of each other.

It was a two-woodpecker day!