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MAC Pack Birdathon Team Report 2007
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Ahhh, 6am, nice and cool. We (Matt! Brooks, Carrie Dean, Sara Pike, Wanda Wynne, Mary Kay Eiermann and Lia Sansom and Flat Stanley) cram into Lia's car – of course, Flat Stanley took up the most space and he edged everyone practically out of the car! Matt was shoved into the back with the pink flamingo and all of the girls crap. He didn't mind…he's a good sport. He even watched for birds out the back of the car. Of course, throughout the entire day, the girls kept forgetting to let him out….like the animal he is!
Our first stop was Catalina State Park , aka Cactus Wren Heaven! We first tried to bird in the campground bathrooms, but were kicked out immediately by the camp host. What kind of host kicks out nice, quiet birders!? Obviously, not the host with the most. After being shooed away from the campsites, we decided to just hit the Birding Trail….ah, why not? They call it that for a reason. Wait….did we hear another Cactus Wren? Oohh, ooohh, yeah! Mark it, mark it!
“Isn't that a nice thrasher up on that cactus?” Matt said. Sara walked over and said, “Wait…that's an awfully long, curved beak! It's a Crissal” Mary Kay vaulted over the little rivulets of rushing water with binoculars in hand, “That's the bird I wanted to see today!” We all slapped Mary Kay on the back a few times in our excitement.
After gathering about 40 birds at the park, quite an easy morning, we headed to the wonderfully pungent Sweetwater Wetlands. On our way we picked up the secret Burrowing Owl and some swifties at the hidden nursery and continued the bird theme discussion for the day by talking about Chicken Pox.
While stalking the elusive Cactus Wren at Sweetwater (of which there were several!) we stumbled across a Eurasian Collared-Dove. Oh, bummer, another bird to add to the list. What an effort! After much neck craning into the trees for warblers, we decided it was time to look down at something instead of up. And, food was a good thing to look down onto.
Breaking the day up, we decided to be decadent by going to Tohono Chul Park for lunch. While trying to eat in peace, we were continually stalked by a whirling, weird, White-winged Dove. What the hell does this thing want? Oh, maybe it wants to be added to our list!
With full bellies and renewed sense of competition, we shoved Matt back into the back of the car and told him to watch for cops while we sped down to Green Valley WWTP. After passing Green Valley WWTP at breakneck speed, we were distracted not by a bird, but by a horse waiting patiently at a train crossing as a train chugged by. What a good horsy. Back to the road, we realized we missed our turnoff, so we stopped for a moment at the Maintenance Yard to pick up what turned out to be not birds, but Harvester Ants.
Turning back to Green Valley WWTP, we became enamored by the Swainson's Hawk on the pole. Sara oooohh'd and aaaahhh'd, “Whoa…what a cool looking……HOLY MOTHER OF GOD IN ALL THE HEAVENS, what the CRAP! Something just bit me, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, DAMMIT ALL TO HELL and Ow again! $#@! %&$#%-%%#$@!”
From the back seat Matt yells, “What's wrong!”
Lia screams, “Should I pull off the road?”
Carrie was laughing too hard but finally said, “Fire Ants!”
Meanwhile, Sara was writhing in pain and anguish as she shoved her hands down the back of her pants and said, “Something is biting my #$$!”
Lia started laughing as she swerved into the dirt, causing a massive dust cloud and probably scaring birds away.
Carrie said, “I have Benadryl!”
Matt commented, “I've never heard you talk like that, Sara!”
“Matt, you'd better turn your head, these pants are comin' off!”
Lia had a surprised look on her face! Carrie was still laughing! Matt huddled in shock with his head pushed into the seat and covered his eyes!
Sara felt ant bodies being pulled apart as she ripped them from her cheeks. Ant bodies EVERYWHERE!!! All over the seat! Coming out of her pants!
“My #$$ is on fire, I need some ice to numb it!”
“There's a soda machine at Green Valley WWTP!” Matt reminded us.
Carrie commented again, “I have Benadryl!”
Lia proposed that we head back to the WWTP to get a soda from the machine to numb Sara's inflamed cheek. Carrie said she could make a Benadryl concoction out of water and Benadryl powder, into a paste to rub on the wounds to help fend off an allergic reaction.
And, what would the soda be used for? “Well, they're ice cold, why not put it down the back of Sara's pants to help with the numbing?” Great idea, Matt!
Speeding back down the road and swerving wildly into the WWTP, we careened into the parking lot. Matt jumped out before we were fully stopped and ran in to buy a Pepsi. The Pepsi went straight to Sara's behind – literally as the can was strategically positioned over the bite. Meanwhile, Carrie made her way to the bathroom to cut some drugs. After slicing a few Benadryl capsules and mixing them to make a paste, she handed the paste to Sara who was standing in the stall, pants-less. Sara rubbed vigorously in hopes of alleviating the burning pain. The Pepsi was re-positioned and held in place by very supportive GAP jeans.
Ahhhhhhhh…..who knew Pepsi could feel so good?
Now…back to Birdathon?
After spending a few minutes at the WWTP, we headed to Madera Canyon to finish out the day. Pepsi in the pants and all, we hiked around and picked up a few boogers (oops, birds); many eluded us, however, either by being strategically positioned between us and the sun or by our own ineptness at identifying vocalizations. Santa Rita Lodge and Madera Kubo proved the most abundant in bird life and Lia took the prize for spotting the Flame-colored Tanager, initially writing it off as just another oriole; persistence does pay off! We ended the day with a very respectable count of 114 birds, 6 mammals and two ants in the pants; not bad for 12 hours of birding!
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Email This page was updated on 06/04/07