Babs' Birding Experiences : Another Gem in the East Valley: Boyce Thompson Arboretum

March 6, 2015
Sharon and Chris, my friends from Ontario, had been looking forward to visiting Boyce Thompson Arboretum (BTA) and on this day it did not disappoint. After parking the car in the picnic area, Sharon carried a chair to a spot by Queen Creek along the lower trail. She was looking for relaxation!

Chris joined me in trying to find birds under the bushes, up in leafless branches, in and around school children, families, dog walkers and others who were taking advantage of this beautiful sunny, but windy, day.

The many blooms and butterflies drew the attention of photographers as we walked the trails trying to hear bird songs above the wind and group activities. We covered different territory than usual and by the time we finished up at 1:40, we had visited neither the hummingbird nor the demonstration garden! Anna's Hummingbirds, however, were visiting many blooms throughout the arboretum.

It's always satisfying to find the "target" bird for the day and in this case the vocal Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was present near the Drover's Shed as friend, Susan Fishburn had suggested to me after she spotted it there earlier in the week.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum Lower Trail

Sharon enjoyed her two and half hours of relaxation listening to the wind in the leaves and birds in the trees. After a very enjoyable lunch at Porter's Cafe in Superior, we continued driving on up the hill beyond the city to take a brief look at Oak Flat Campground area.
Recent rains had formed a decent-sized pond on some flat land at its north edge, but we could find no waterfowl visiting it.

Photo by Chris

Chris & Sharon at Oak Flat Campground

Water or no water, one bird that is frequently found there is the Vermilion Flycatcher.

Vermilion Flycatcher

When we arrived back home, I noticed a Verdin was enjoying the Emu Valentine plant I had purchased at Boyce Thompson (several years ago) intended for the hummingbirds. The Verdin was so busy diving into the plant, then coming up for air, that I got my best photos of the day right here in my yard.