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Last time, I mentioned my weekend discovery of the urban bird oasis at Tempe marsh. This is an Osprey, perched on a parking lot lamp alongside the overlook at the marsh. It was sitting there drying off and catching some rays. I spotted it on my way back to the car. A fun surprise!
Usually, a shopping center project doesn't spell good news for wildlife. But this past Saturday, I discovered an unlikely bird oasis that has actually benefited from such a local development.
View below & beyond the bridge.
This is one view of what some call the Tempe marsh area, which is bordered by the crisscross of two major roadways and a large shopping/theatre complex along the Salt River, east of Tempe Town Lake.
View of the roadways.
The marsh has apparently been there for some time, likely since the Lake was dammed. But before the shopping center was developed, a junkyard full of rusting vehicles leaking who-knows-which toxic chemicals occupied the site, and birders had no legal access.
Now, the shopping center parking lot abuts a pedestrian overlook that runs along the marsh for several blocks. A waist-high metal railing protects observers from the steep embankment down to the water. Even better, the restrictive legal flood control status of the area protects the marsh wildlife from curious intruders -- at the risk of $1000 fine and 6 months in jail!
It looks well-fed...
And if that's not deterrant enough, this riverside coyote might discourage trespassers too.
View of the marsh below the overpass.
The juxtaposition of urban structures and natural beauty is oddly very appealing.
You might have an osprey silhouetted against highway pillars one moment
and silently gliding inches above beautiful sky-blue water the next.
As a photographer, I was surprised to discover how variably the shapes and colors of the structures were reflected or distorted in the water.
Great Egret.
Sometimes I was taking conscious advantage of the reflections...
Belted Kingfisher.
and other times, I was so focused on the bird that the reflected setting was a happy accident.
Luckily, Tempe marsh is just a few minutes' detour on my way to or from the DBG, so this little oasis is a discovery that my camera & I intend to revisit often.
My sister Lauren left us for the mysterious place beyond this earth
a year ago today.
Cancer may have conquered her body
but her courageous spirit endures.
She inspires me every day.
Her love and her laughter are sorely missed.
♥
The last few weeks have brought a number of new-to-me birds across my path -- some have been shared here already, but here's the whole group...
Elf Owl.
Black-chinned Sparrow.
Calliope Hummingbird.
Spotted Towhee.
Orange-crowned Warbler.
Painted Redstart.
Black-throated Gray Warbler.
Pacific-slope Flycatcher.
Such new discoveries in familiar places always make me wonder -- how much am I not yet seeing in the world right around me on a daily basis?
The temps have finally moderated here in Phoenix, so most mornings lately I've been out taking bird photos.
Here's one of the many wonders I witnessed yesterday at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve.
A Great Blue Heron with a freshly caught fish.
The fish didn't give up easily.
How does a heron do that, hands-free?
Gulp! Then the heron headed to shore for a nap.
The Gilbert preserve presents a challenge, in that the distances to birds are longer, and the birds are generally much more shy of humans than at DBG. So although I took many photos yesterday, very few were sharp and clear. Time to save up for a longer telephoto...
