Peanuts In My Pocket

My wife and I arrived at Oak Canyon Nature Center around 10:00 in the morning. The sky was a deep, perfect blue with no wind at all, and the temperature hovered at a comfortable 68 degrees. We made the rookie mistake of parking on the street because we didn’t realize there was a lot tucked inside the park entrance. Only after we started walking in did we notice it sitting there like an obvious answer on a crossword puzzle I somehow always miss.

The place was quiet. A handful of people, mostly families, wandered near the entrance. We stepped inside the nature center, which had just opened. After taking a photo of the map, we headed toward the bird feeders. The only sounds were the gentle noise of a nearby stream and the laughter of kids somewhere down the trail. Birdsong was noticeably absent.

A Ruby-crowned Kinglet provided the first spark of hope, flitting restlessly through a tree. A Yellow-rumped Warbler was the only other early sighting, hopping around the low brush. Seeing so few birds so early usually means trouble, and I figured the day would be difficult.

We ran into a few Mallards on the way to the feeders, but nothing else. When we arrived, the feeders were occupied by two Common Crows, a handful of Lesser Goldfinches, and even more Mallards. I waited a bit to see if anything more interesting would arrive, but nothing did, so we continued along the stream trail.

Once again, nothing. No calls, no movement, no shadows darting between branches. My wife eventually pointed out a pair of ravens circling high above us, which at least added a little drama. I managed to add some slapstick when I clobbered my head on a low branch while stepping up onto the trail. I’m tall. The trail seems best suited for short people, or maybe I was just having a clumsy moment.

We passed a few families along the way. Their voices carried through the trees, and for whatever reason, it felt uplifting. Kids running around in nature tend to do that. We eventually crossed over to the main road. It was busier, with more hikers and more strollers, but still no birders. Heading back toward the nature center, I spotted a lone Cassin’s Kingbird perched about 75 yards away, which was nice, but not exactly an adrenaline moment.

Physically, the walk was easy. If a paved flat road is a 1 and a steep switchback climbing a mountain is a 10, the stream trail is about a 3. A few inclines, a few steps, nothing serious. The main road is a 1.5, slightly uneven with a shallow stream crossing that forces you onto a small footbridge if you aren’t interested in wet toes. It is accessible for almost anyone, including parents pushing strollers.

Our luck finally turned when we looped back to the feeders. A Bewick’s Wren appeared, giving me lifer number 206. A White-breasted Nuthatch showed up next, followed by a Nuttall’s Woodpecker that gave us a great look. In all, we ended the morning with 13 species over an hour and forty-five minutes. Not a productive birding day by the numbers, but a good nature experience.

Before leaving, we took a final look around the nature center. It is a great place for kids, and I enjoyed the taxidermy displays of local birds. We had visited hoping for Cedar Waxwings, but none appeared. Not even in the displays. I know I will eventually see one, but today was not that day.