Mad AZ Monk

Where Am I?

Arizona is a famous producer of cognitive dissonance.

Woke up this morning and had to brush fresh snow off my windshield so I could go get cat food for my little yowling girl. Sullen clouds obscured the hilltops all day until I finished my errands and meetings and could scamper out to the Sedona Wastewater ponds.

It's been bitter at higher elevations and I reasoned that since the lakes and ponds are reported to be frozen over, the cool waterfowl would be wintering here in the valley.

Approaching the first large pond, I saw a new bird for the patch, Canada Goose, believe it or not. But then a large, slumbering lump among the usual suspects caught my attention.

And there I was, squinting through the freezing drizzle at a Common Loon and for a split second I thought, "How the hell'd I get to Minnesota?" It's an excellent bird for the valley. The local guidebook says the last observation was '96, though there may well be other records.

I last saw one back in March of 2002 (I think. There may have been an intervening sighting at Ashurst in between) but it was roundly ignored because we had driven 3 hours to Lake Havasu to witness the stunning sight of a Yellow-billed Loon diving within 20 feet of the dock where we stood.