zenaida (applied by Charles Lucien Bonaparte, French zoologist in 1838 in honor of his wife, Princess Zenaide Charlotee Julie Bonaparte) asiatica (of Asia)
Saturday, March 31, 1984 — 7:50 am
Tucson, Arizona
I woke up in the morning at Mom and Dad’s apartment to the sound of a White-winged Dove singing a mournful, “Who cooks for you?” I looked out our bedroom window and saw it sitting on top of a telephone pole in the residential area next door. After five minutes, it flew off.
carpodacus (from karpos, fruit, and dakos, biter) mexicanus (Mexican)
Friday, March 30, 1984 — 5:20 pm
Tempe, Arizona — office park near the airport
I was walking back toward our hotel after seeing the Great-tailed Grackles. The road passed an empty, weed-filled lot. I spotted the House Finch as it flew to a fence along the edge of the lot. I watched it for a few minutes until it flew to the top of a weed stalk then off out of sight. This particular male was bright red on the face, rump and chest. I saw some later that were a lot more orange. It had a brown cap and brown streaking over much of its body. It was about the size of a House Sparrow.
quiscalus (quail) mexicanus (of Mexico)
Friday, March 30, 1984 — 5:15 pm
Tempe, Arizona — office park near the airport
My wife and I spent a week with my parents in Arizona, birding and seeing the sights. We spent the first night in a hotel in Tempe. I wandered around the area. t didn’t seem to have much to offer birdwise, but even common Arizona birds were new to me at this point.
I found an office park about a block from the motel. The office buildings were well kept and surrounded by expanses of green grass. I spotted the Great-tailed Grackles foraging on the lawn by one of the buildings. As I approached, they flew up into a tree and gave a loud “may-wee” call. They soon flew off out of sight.
A friend and I took our wives to Wrigley Field to see this Cubs/Mets game. It was fan appreciation weekend, and we each got a set of baseball cards. Our seats were directly behind home plate, about 40 rows up underneath the press box. The Mets won 7-6.
empidonax (from empis, mosquito, and anax, king) flaviventris (from flavus, yellow, and ventris, belly)
Sunday, May 29, 1983 — 3:10 pm
Racine, Wisconsin — Lake Michigan beach near the Racine Zoo
My family and I wandered along the Lake Michigan beach collecting pieces of glass that had been worn smooth by water and sand. Green and white were the common colors, followed closely by brown. Red and dark blue were the jewels. We put the glass in a canning jar, filled the jar with water, then set it on the kitchen windowsill to catch the light.
Anyway, the Racine Zoo is located on a bluff above the lake. Below the bluff, there is a stretch of beach with a few small patches of small trees. I had my binoculars along and wandered away from the rest of the family a short distance. I spotted the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher foraging in a thicket. It flitted rapidly about, landing on the ground and on branches up to ten feet above the ground. I heard its “pee-wee” song once very softly.
