Local Birding Gems, Maricopa County, April 18-22, 2019

Thursday, April 18, 2019
Still entertaining my mind with visions of O'ahu's albatross floating across the sky without a flap of its 6' wings, I was still eager to check out local birding spots to discover which birds had already taken off in migration and those that might have arrived.
With activities slowing in our community as many "snowbirds" returned to their colder- climate homes, several folks joined me for their first visit to The Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch.

Numbers of waterfowl had dropped significantly since my last visit, but enough remained to provide a good view of some nifty birds. Kylene and Lu were thrilled with the Water Ranch layout and its abundance of song birds.

Photos from that morning:

Rarely, do I see this many cormorants together in one group 

All of us were excited to find a few CINNAMON TEAL remaining at the ponds

As usual, the SNOWY EGRETs stole the show:

SNOWY EGRET have black bill and legs, but yellow feet

We enjoyed many other species without getting photos. To see our overall list of sightings (41), click on the link below.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S55091448

Friday, April 19, 2019
Spring is a good time of year to check out the birds in Sunflower, along an old section of the Beeline Highway lined by Arizona sycamores. So, when local birder friend, Marsha Wiles called to see if I could join her for a visit there, I was ready.

You sort of know it's going to be a good day when the first bird spotted as we drove into the area was a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. And soon after parking and lifting our "bins", we spotted two CASSIN'S KINGBIRDs and two male HOODED ORIOLEs. Whoop!  Whoop!

At a distance high in the trees, photos are not great but give you an idea of what the bird looks like:

CASSIN'S KINGBIRD - Two were flitting around together, not still for long.
Note bright yellow belly to under-tail coverts; dark gray chest, narrow white strip at chin

Male HOODED ORIOLE

HOODED ORIOLE in flight

A pair of ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERs were also chasing one another about:

One perched long enough for a photo

Early enough that the roosting TURKEY VULTUREs were still waiting for warm thermals to carry them high into the sky, we enjoyed their "waking up and stretching" period.

Red skin on face/head; black/gray underwing with long "fingers" at end of primaries
In the sky, often seen circling in large groups. Many have already left for the summer.

COMMON BLACK HAWK was perched watching its nest with young.

Stayed perched at that spot for a long time

By the time we departed, the BLACK HAWK had returned to its nest

We also enjoyed a fly-over ZONE-TAILED HAWK and many song-birds, including a great view of several LAZULI BUNTING.  A female SUMMER TANAGER was present as were VIOLET-GREEN and CLIFF SWALLOW.

When we drove around to the other side of Sycamore Creek, we spotted a WOODHOUSE'S SCRUB JAY, NORTHERN RED-SHAFTED FLICKER, and another BLACK HAWK.

Great way to spend the morning!  Click on checklists if you're interested in seeing what other birds we saw.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S55128379

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S55140444

Monday, April 22, 2019
Weather couldn't have been better to venture out to the Lower Salt River this morning!
Lu Miller, my "winter" neighbor was still around and glad to join in.

When the first two birds seen are the two most colorful and desired sightings, it's a given that it was a "good" birding day.

BULLOCK'S ORIOLE (above and below)

VERMILION FLYCATCHER (above and below)

Both these spectacular sightings were in the picnic area by the parking lot in the early-morning sun. It was my "FOS" (first of season sighting) of the BULLOCK'S ORIOLE, that should hang around out there for some time.

In the density of the west-side trail, we flushed a COOPER'S HAWK from its perch on a bare snag without having seen it. Not flying far and hearing possibly young hawks in a nest, we believe it was staying close to a nest we didn't find. (We stayed on trail.)

COOPER'S HAWK

As expected the river was almost empty of waterfowl, but after walking the entire loop out to the west side, we returned through the picnic area to view the river from the east-side trail. 

Few birds present but two RIVER OTTER gorging themselves was a sight to see!  Thanks for spotting them, Lu!

Then, we headed for COON BLUFF, another recreation area along the river, where birds were abundant, but pictures, few.

To view our sightings from the river, check the links below.

Another great day in field!

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S55258423

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S55262779

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