Backyard Bird List Up to 20 Species

Are you taking Desert Survivor's Backyard Bird Challenge? How many bird species have you seen in your backyard?

A friend asked me how many we have, and I realized we are up to 20 species already! Our list is over in the sidebar to the right, and also below (because that's what will print out when we print our blog book):

1. European starling (1/1/2015)

2. Dark-eyed junco (1/1/2015)

3. Black-billed magpie (1/2/2015)

4. Eurasian collared dove (1/5/2015)

5. House finch (1/5/15)

6. Canada goose (1/5/15)

7. Great horned owl (1/6/15)

8. Northern flicker (1/9/15)

9. American goldfinch (1/11/15)

10. Mallard (1/11/15)

11. Chickens (1/11/15)

12. Red-tailed hawk (1/9/15)

13. Common raven (1/14/15)

14. American Robin (1/24/15)

15. Red-winged Blackbird (1/26/15)

16. Northern harrier (1/27/15)

17. Killdeer (2/13/15)

18. Western meadowlark (2/13/15)

19. White-crowned sparrow (2/13/15)

20. Sandhill crane (2/22/15)

Don't you just love #11? The kids insisted we add that. 

I was very excited to hear the killdeer (photo above) and sandhill cranes, as they were gone for part of the winter. The meadowlarks are already singing their mating songs. Some birds we had in the yard last year but haven't seen yet this year are Cassin's finches and pinyon jays. I think with the really warm winter they have stayed up higher on the mountain.

Desert Girl is getting very good at some of the most common birds we see, like dark-eyed juncos and black-billed magpies. The next few months will be a lot of fun as the list grows quickly. Will we make it to 50 species this year? I've got my fingers crossed!

Try-A-New-Recipe-Every-Week Challenge: February

 In February we continued our new recipe-every-week challenge, and we tried five new recipes (one was to make up for January, when we just got three in.

Here are the results:
1. Best Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker, recipe from 100 Days of Real Food (we used the cookbook version).
VERDICT: **** (4 asterisks out of a possible 5). This was super easy to make and tasted great, but just a little on the dry side.

2. Tarragon Oven Fries, from The Smitten Kitchen cookbook (similar to the Baked Pommes Frittes on her website)
VERDICT: **** These fries tasted great (I added sweet potatoes because I love them). However, you have to boil them and then bake them, and I've gotten nearly the same taste skipping the boiling step, which adds a good 15 minutes. Just looking at the photo makes me want some more!

3. Paula Deen's Spinach and Strawberry Salad I found a good deal on strawberries and wanted to use them in a salad. This recipe looked good, and it sure was!
VERDICT: ***** Delicious! And quick to make. (I substituted some mixed lettuce for some of the spinach called for and didn't have poppy seeds, so I guess I will just have to make it again.)

4. Cube steak and gravy, recipe from Food.com. We have several packages of cube steak in the freezer, and I wasn't quite sure how to make it, so gave this recipe a try. I didn't manage to get a photo (I know, blogging failure!). But click on the link and you'll see. It's not a particularly pretty presentation, a steak covered with brown gravy. But looks aren't everything when it comes to food!
VERDICT: **** My husband wolfed this down. I thought there was a little too much flour taste to the steak, so I would like to tweek the coating mixture next time.

And the bonus recipe to make up for January:
5. Easy key lime pie. This is an original recipe, invented by Desert Boy. We love key lime pie (thanks, Kristin!). We recently got some Chobani Greek yogurt, key lime flavor. I wasn't sure what we would do with it, and someone said to mix it up with cool whip and put it in a graham cracker crust. I mentioned that to Desert Boy, and he asked if we had graham crackers. He then proceeded to put the yogurt right on the graham crackers. Presto, a super easy key lime pie!
VERDICT: ** I much prefer the real key lime pie. But this one made the kids happy, so I was happy too.

We also tried the Southwest Chicken Breasts recipe from last month in the crock pot (thanks, Janille!), and it turned out super. We'll be doing that again.

Have you tried any new recipes lately? I'd love to get some inspiration for March!

Try-A-New-Recipe-Every-Week Challenge: January

Hi there,

One of my new goals for 2015 is to try a new recipe every week. If I can keep up with that, I'll have 52 new recipes under my belt in the year. What fun!

Now that the kids are getting older, they are more interested in helping in the kitchen, and that makes me like cooking so much more. If I'm not alone, I'm more willing to take the time to experiment and savor the process of cooking. Otherwise it can feel kind of like a chore.

Another inspiration are two new cookbooks I received in November and December last year (affiliate links):

I've been following the 100 Days of Real Food blog for over a year and love it! The recipes are simple and family friendly (usually meaning quick cleanup).

Smitten Kitchen is new to me, and it feel so classy and fancy to be learning some more artsy cooking skills (let's just say that my presentation skills are limited to using toothpicks to connect fruits together in kid-enticing ways).

So how have January's recipes turned out?

1. Southwest chicken breasts, recipe from Parade magazine (basically pan fry chicken breasts and add a jar of salsa, a can of black beans, frozen corn, and some spices and mix up).
VERDICT: **** (4 asterisks out of a possible 5). We'll be making these again: simple, quick and delicious!

2. Basic guacamole in the blender
VERDICT: **** Easy to make (a little harder to clean), nice taste.

3. Molasses cookies (a local variation to what is on the back of the molasses jar)
VERDICT: **** We were out of butter but wanted cookies, so I found a recipe in an area cookbook that didn't need any. We all loved these cookies, even the kids to my surprise (who I thought would demand chocolate!).

4. Oops, I got sick and didn't manage a fourth recipe in January. Hopefully I'll catch up in February.

p.s. I have a friend who's also embarking on a New Recipe Every week challenge, and she's blogging about it at Something New (to Cook). I can't wait to steal try some of her recipes!

I'd love to hear about recipes you love. Please share your favorites in the comments or the Desert Survivor Facebook page.

Full Moon Photography Challenge

Don't you love seeing those fantastic photos of the rising full moon over the horizon that seems magical? Yes, me too. Now I just wish I could take one! So what better way to learn than to practice, practice, practice.


Hence, the Full Moon Photography Challenge was born.

Your objective: take a photo of the full moon every month.
Post it on this special Facebook page (if you want).
Check out other photos, and improve!

What you get:

• Better photography skills (the Facebook page will have links on how to photograph the moon)
• Better feel for the lunar cycle (a lot of full moons are on Sundays this year!)
• A great reason to schedule trips during the full moon so that you can get some awesome photos!

F.A.Q.

What if it's cloudy during the full moon?

Sometimes clouds can accentuate the full moon. Or you might just have to get creative! Although the challenge is for the full moon, if you can't take a full moon photo because of weather, try photographing the moon at a different part of its cycle. Sometimes you can photograph the moon the night before or after the full moon and it still looks full.

Can I use my phone camera?

Yes, we will have guidelines on how to get the best possible photo from your phone camera. 

Does this cost anything?

Nope, it's free!

Where's the best place to take photos of the full moon?

Check out the Facebook page for ideas, plus a list of upcoming full moons. The first one is coming soon, January 5, 2015, so hurry over to get started!

2015 New Year's Challenges

The Past Resolutions
For the past two years, I've posted my New Year's resolutions. I did pretty well on my 2014 ones:

1. Play more music--yes, although Desert Boy has made more progress than me! 

2. Exercise regularly--yes, I'm in better shape this winter than last winter and exercise pretty much every day

3. Organize my house--somewhat; it's a work in progress, but we keep decluttering and organizing

4. Eat healthier--yes. Just reading food labels makes a huge difference in awareness.

5. Give more--yes, I was able to give more time to my husband and we really enjoyed our date nights!

I even managed some of the bonus items, like raising chickens (although it took a lot of perseverance and we're now on chickens #10, #11, and #12), reading the Bible in a year (on week 50!), writing more, self-publishing a children's book (see sidebar for details), taking some trips, getting some structural fire training, and recertifying as an EMT. Woohoo!

So what's for 2015? I like challenges, it keeps my competitive spirit happy. So I'm going to call my resolutions my challenges. Plus, some of these I developed throughout last year.

1. Desert Survivor's Get-Out-and-Camp Challenge. Our goal is 12 nights. Last year we made 11!

2. Desert Survivor's Backyard-Bird Challenge. We will count all the different bird species we see in our backyard. Last year's number to beat: 34.

3. Desert Survivor's Try-a-New-Recipe-Every-Week Challenge. I don't think this one will be too hard, but I'll report on the great successes and the flops.

4. Desert Survivor's Photograph-the-Full-Moon-Every-Month Challenge. This is a new challenge I'm developing that I'm super excited about. Stay tuned for details!

And since challenges are more fun with friends, you all are invited to join in!

Desert Survivor's Get-Out-And-Camp Challenge

 I've mentioned before that I didn't camp much as a kid, just at Girl Scout Camp. But that was enough to entice me to camp more, and over the years I've spent many nights out on the ground. Last year I decided to set a little challenge for myself: Could the kids and I camp out ten nights? We didn't have any grand plan, but starting at spring break and running through the summer and into the autumn, we managed to camp out thirteen times. The kids absolutely loved it.

Desert Boy declared last week that we should do a Get-Out-And-Camp Challenge again, but this year up our nights to twelve.

Will you join us?

Choose how many nights you want to camp out this year, write it down or tell someone (a comment here or on Facebook is fine!), and then see if you can meet your goal.

 Last year we camped in all sorts of places, from structured campgrounds to campsites out in the boonies. We even slept in our backyard a couple nights, just because it's fun.

Why camp out?
Here are a few reasons.

1. Camping out gives you time to unwind. We live in such a hectic world, rushing from one thing to the next, that slowing down to listen to the birds sing in the morning or watching the stars move overhead can recharge our batteries.

2. Camping lets you concentrate on your relationships. Camp in a place without Internet or cell service, and you can stop texting and checking Facebook and Twitter and really focus on the people who are with you. Camping is a super way to deepen relationships.

3. Camping is cheap. Want to take a vacation but not spend much money? Camping can be the way to do it! Last fall we stayed a couple nights in Zion Canyon--right in the heart of the national park, with outstanding views. It was less than $20 a night, but oh, so beautiful. Many camping spots are a real deal--you get the fantastic location for just a few bucks.

 4. Camp food can be awesome. When do you eat a s'more? That's usually a treat reserved for camping! Camping often means special foods, whether simple or complicated. Dutch oven recipes, hot dogs roasting over a fire, or even ramen noodles all taste extra good when eaten outside.

5. Kids (and adults) learn how to deal with different situations. What's that strange noise outside the tent at night? What do you do during a huge downpour? What happens if the wind blows your tent over? Is it a good idea to play flashlight tag?


6. Camping is a time to learn more about the natural world around us. It really wasn't so long ago that we humans didn't have much shelter and camped all the time. There's something still imprinted in our DNA that calls us to live that way. Ever been in a group of people and suddenly there's a lull in all the conversations? Predator check. That's right, our DNA is imprinted to have us be quiet every once in awhile to become more aware of what's around us. 

So I hope you'll join us in the Get-Out-And-Camp Challenge! You decide how many nights you want to camp out (and it doesn't have to be in a tent--right under the stars or in an RV are totally fine!), and challenge yourself to do it. Happy camping!

Desert Survivor's Backyard Bird Challenge--Mid-March Check-in

Have you seen any new birds in your backyard lately? We've added killdeer (two just outside the yard that we hear every few days), Canada geese (that flew over the yard early one morning), and Western meadowlark (flying across the yard and landing in a tree). The Western meadowlark are really singing a lot now. We've also been practicing the more common birds in the yard.


A pair of red-tailed hawks have been in the yard the last three days, and they've been fun to watch. The coloring on red-tailed hawks varies so much, but fortunately, when they fly, they always do have a red tail (at least that I've seen!). Red-tailed hawks are the most common hawk in the area.

Here's another view. As you can see, the trees are leafing out, so it will soon be a little more difficult to see the birds!

Migration should be continuing, so we're hoping to see some interesting birds in the next month.

Desert Survivor's Backyard Bird Challenge

Hello! Are you ready for a challenge? This is a fun one, doesn't take much time, no money, but is quite fulfilling. 

Join us for the Backyard Bird Challenge! 

Inspired by my friend Kevin, a serious birder in the St. George area, this year we are keeping track of the birds we see in our backyard (and front yard and side yard and over the yard). 

How do you do it? 

Just find a piece of paper, start making a list, and put it in an easy-to-reach place (we're keeping it on the refrigerator). We decided on February 1 as our starting date, as we wanted to keep track of the first date that we see a bird so that if we do this year after year, we'll know about when the spring and summer birds showing up and if they're early or late for the year.

Here's our list after two days:

 And we added three more on February 3: Great Horned Owl, European Starling, and Western Scrub-Jay.

Our goal is to get 50 birds this year. I think that's enough to be a bit challenging, but still doable.

For those of you enveloped in snow, yes, you can begin now! In fact, it's easier to start learning birds in winter because there aren't as many around!

 This Dark-eyed Junco is one of several year-round residents of the Great Basin.

Here are several websites that are great for learning more about birds:
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Audubon's How to Identify Birds
National Geographic's Backyard Bird Identifier
Common Feeder Birds

And for even more inspiration, the Great Backyard Bird Count is coming up February 14-17, and is a fun way to join others in a citizen science project from the comfort of your own home!

Good luck counting, and let us know what you find!

 Great Horned Owl mom and baby--in a tree near our house three summers ago! Maybe we'll get lucky again this summer.

Happy birding!