Last Day of Bird Hikes

Today was the last day of my guided Bird Hikes for this winter’s season.  These Verdin that I photographed this morning are perhaps a fitting symbol for our two months here at Lake Havasu State Park. The Verdin is a bird I could depend upon seeing daily and was one of the birds that I talked the most about.  A resident of the south-west, it was in most cases, a new bird for people visiting from the north and east. Most fascinating and easy to see is its unique nest that it constructs in the shape of a small globe with an entrance on the bottom. Today just before leaving the Arroyo De Camino Cactus Garden we watched a pair, male and female, constructing a nest. It’s a poignant example of what a huge learning experience this winter has been for me.  On every hike I have explained, as I had read, that the male constructs the nest. But today we observed first hand that both male and female help in building the nest. It’s sort of the same thing with me and Jeanette, I get all the credit for leading the bird hikes, but helping out every day is Jeanette. We leave tomorrow with mixed feelings, sorry to miss the finished Verdin nest, but anxious to begin our northward migration to home and friends and family.