Babs' Birding Experiences : Pirate of the Bird World, Gila County, AZ

Sunday, September 16, 2018
Having seen Tommy DeBardeleben's report of having discovered a rich new birding spot out at San Carlos Tribal Land (permit required), I was eager to get out there to see Tufa Stone Tank for myself. Friend, Jannie Blok joined me and the GPS took us directly to Tufa Stone Dam. While Tommy's post and eBird Hot Spot is called Tufa Stone Tank, it is more precise and accurate than the Dam. The Tank refers to the small ponds below the dam on which I saw no waterfowl. But in walking a short distance, I came upon another pond that probably was not the last of the water below the dam. [My image of "tanks" are those stand alone wet spots in the Rim Country, Flagstaff and in our general area of cattle and grasslands.]

Still nursing chigger and mosquito bites I got in Sierra Vista (it's been a nice wet summer!), I chose not to walk the marsh surrounding the ponds. Tommy confirmed I was at the right place. So the next time I'll go out prepared for that kind of walking. In the short time I was there, I became certain I'd return for the sparrows alone! Having a PEREGRINE FALCON fly in, sort of confirmed the deal. If it's good hunting for the falcon, I passed on a chance to explore a very rich area.

Two photos from that location:

YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDs

JANNIE BLOK

Having visited the San Carlos Lake with high water in recent years, I knew by reports that the water has been siphoned off for use in more urban areas this year. My main problem with birding at that location is distances. My scope and binoculars can pick out ducks, cormorants and the like but making a good ID is tricky - and that goes to my eyes. Cataracts are gone and glasses don't really help yet, so I'm in some sort of in-between land when it comes to identifying distant birds.

Me, tightening the tripod for some distant spotting scope viewing

Starting with Coolidge Dam area, I spotted a single AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN but few other nearby birds. So, we returned to bird from the GilaCounty side of the lake, driving out to the end of a couple spits where I knew the road would get me there and back safely.

Birds on the lake become a delightful sight when we're birding from desert scrubland.

Saw several LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE

In the cove of our spit, stood a GREAT BLUE HERON

Across the same cove in some vegetation, a GREAT EGRET was actively foraging.

In one of those moments when I happened to look up and down the lake at the right moment, I saw a flash of white toward the end of the wings of a bird flying fairly low over the water in our direction (from the dam). I followed it to where a large shrub blocked my view and waited for it to emerge on the other side. It didn't.

"Where did it go?"

"It landed at the end of the spit!"

Wow! I climbed up on some rocks to take a look and sure enough - out there on the water was a jaeger (derived from German word "Jager", meaning hunter). Pronounced: "yay-ger".

I was looking at the PIRATE OF THE BIRD WORLD. It eats rodents, small birds and insects, but gets much of its food by stealing catches from gulls and terns.

Having seen the bird previously on an Audubon pelagic out of San Diego a couple years ago, I recognized its "boxy" shape and its posture on the water.

This is what I saw

Based on the white flash from the outer wing area and what Tommy D. described from his sighting a couple days ago, I felt certain it was the PARASITIC JAEGER -- the intermediate sized jaeger (of the three) between the smaller Long-tailed Jaeger and the larger Pomarine Jaeger (that I saw on St. Paul Island in the Aleutians earlier this year).

It breeds in the Arctic Tundra but in migration to Australia, Africa and South America it sometimes comes close enough to shore to be visible to birders. And, in some instances, this seabird appears to get a bit off track and give birders an even bigger thrill!! Imagine: a Jaeger on San Carlos Lake! The Lake has had its share of phenomenal birds and this will be one of them.