Living Desert Bird Walk (29)

The Living Desert has a monthly bird walk for members. I went the week after I joined. It was low key, a bit more a chance to socialize, it seemed, than about serious birding. But I got to really study a white crowned sparrow and a female ladder-backed woodpecker, which was a pleasure and a treat. Anytime a bird stays put and really lets me look feels like a gift, no matter how familiar or common the bird may be. We saw a wild dark-headed night heron, too, commiserating with his kin in the aviary. And there is much to be said for the potential social aspects of the walk, I am thinking. I'll be back. Oh, and they stop at 9:30am, in perfect time to get to the African section of the park in time to feed my giraffe.