Good intentions to maintain my blog in this New Year got interrupted by birds in the field. With 21 lists already submitted, I’ll blog the highlights of the month to date, 1/25/19.
Christmas Bird Count (CBC) at Lake Pleasant. January 3, 2019
Invited to join this resurrected CBC, thanks to massive effort on Mary McSparen’s part, I was one of four birders in the pontoon boat that covered Maricopa and a piece of Yavapai Counties before lunch. (Needed to leave after lunch).
Laura Ellis, Jeff Ritz and Mary were as bundled up as I was for the morning winds and surf as we headed out to the dam with Mary’s husband piloting. The other pontoon boat covered the opposite side of the lake.
This HORNED GREBE (above) fairly close to the boat was our first really good sighting.
The COMMON LOON is usually a migrating bird in Arizona or is seen most frequently out around Havasu and the Colorado River. This morning we had one in Maricopa County and two in Yavapai County! [below]
BARROW’S GOLDENEYE is never a sure find in our desert lakes, but today we found it among a big flock of COMMON GOLDENEYE.
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| Drake BARROW'S GOLDENEYE among three hen COMMON GOLDENEYE |
We enjoyed some desert birds and a perched PRAIRIE FALCON.
If you visit Lake Pleasant, you may be aware of the burros that live in the lake's desert environment. From the boat, we saw several, including the one below.
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| Wild Burro |
Both boat loads of birders enjoyed lunch together at Scorpion Bay ("thank you, McSparens") where we compared notes and prepared for the remaining areas to be covered.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51260184
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51259813
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On a very chilly (39°F) Monday (1/07/19), I arrived at the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch where the CANADA GOOSE were still paddling around on Pond 7 in morning fog, a rarity here in the desert. After two hours of birding, I returned to the parking lot to meet up with our neighborhood birding group to check out some other ponds at the Water Ranch. Among the 57 species seen that morning, the following photos show the birds I liked the best.
HARRIS'S HAWK appears to be showing up more regularly there. A skittish bird, the photo is from quite a distance so as not to flush it from its perch.
A SPOTTED TOWHEE is a good find there; actually even managed a photo this time.
Our whole group got excited when we found not one but five (5) WILSON'S SNIPE! Always in the mud, it seems where their camouflage is almost too perfect.
Intermittent clouds provided lots of hazy photos, but this SNOWY EGRET was tucked into a cove, allowing a close up shot.
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| Canada Geese with one short front/center possible Richardson's Cackling Goose with white band beneath black neck |
A SPOTTED TOWHEE is a good find there; actually even managed a photo this time.
Our whole group got excited when we found not one but five (5) WILSON'S SNIPE! Always in the mud, it seems where their camouflage is almost too perfect.
Intermittent clouds provided lots of hazy photos, but this SNOWY EGRET was tucked into a cove, allowing a close up shot.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51434367
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On Wednesday (1/09/19) I headed over to Coon Bluff Recreation Area along the Lower Salt River with a visiting birder in our community.
Never knowing for certain what will show up on any given day, we were pleasantly surprised with a HUTTON'S VIREO in mesquite branches below the bluff on the bank down to the river!
Slower than the RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, it was still too fast for photo.
Walking the river trail, Ellen spotted a WILSON'S SNIPE on the opposite shore.
To catch a rare photo of the BELTED KINGFISHER proved helpful in identifying it as a male, lacking the female's rufous second chest belt.
Always a treat this close to home was a flock of WESTERN BLUEBIRDs.
But the bird of the day was the CRISSAL THRASHER perched up singing. While I was taking pictures, a female flew right in ... they flew down under a shrub together ... and in no time at all, the male was back on its same perch singing again!
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51501224
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Not always quick to follow up on rare sighting reports of birds, I hung back to feel certain it would continue. Reports and photos continued to pour in showing the first and only report of a south-of-the-border tropical WHITE-THROATED THRUSH in Arizona. Definite LIFE BIRD for me and such a rarity finally got me going. Glenda Jones eagerly joined me at an early hour to avoid Friday commuter traffic and drove the three hours to Madera Canyon. No parking spots left at the restroom area nearby so Glenda squeezed in next to a jeep, double parking, but blocking no one.
Arriving around 8:00 a.m., we saw photographers and birders galore (50+) lined up along Madera Canyon Road looking down onto the trail at the base of the tree filled with berries where the bird had last been reported.
At 39°F, I questioned the logic of our waiting for a tropical bird to appear at that time. We chose to go down on the trail to find a spot to stand and wait. Dressed in sufficient layers for warmth, I couldn't stand the idea of continued waiting. When Linda Grant, the first person to accidentally come upon this mega-rarity earlier in the week, walked past us on the trail, I asked about the temperature when she first saw it. "Quite warm," she said. "I was watching a Hermit Thrush when this other bird stepped into my binocular view so I quickly took a photo and sent it off to the experts for identification."
The experts wasted no time in getting there to verify what her picture had told them. Yes! She had come across a tropical WHITE-THROATED THRUSH.
An hour into this standing and waiting, I decided it was time to listen to myself. Glenda and I left the big party to move on up to Santa Rita Lodge where at least we might see some good birds. We could check back on the rarity later.
Many other birders from the stake-out site were already up there, having arrived at dawn to catch sight of the mega-rarity. Such wonderful camaraderie with other birders!
Photos below are from Santa Rita Lodge.
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| Note size of this BLUE-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD |
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| BLUE-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD - photo by Glenda Jones |
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| BRIDLED TITMOUSE |
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| BRIDLED TITMOUSE - photo by Glenda Jones |
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| YELLOW-EYED JUNCO |
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| PINE SISKIN - photo by Glenda Jones |
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| HEPATIC TANAGER |
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Now, two days later on Sunday, January 13th, Glenda and I returned to Madera Canyon leaving home quite a bit later. Still, we came across many birders along the Proctor Road Trail, some who had seen it briefly "a few minutes ago" to "ten minutes ago" at another place. We stuck to the Proctor Road location since that was where the WHITE-THROATED THRUSH had been found on Friday (about 30 minutes after we left) and yesterday. We didn't always stay still. Some young birders who appeared to have not learned birding etiquette were running off trail trying to flush THE bird. [Please, not when other birders/photographers are present!] We spent hours there, finding and taking photos of other birds and just before we left, at a spot I felt important to check out again, a man nearby said in a normal tone, "I'm on it."
Glenda and I walked a few steps and looked. Glenda saw it and moved for a clearer shot for photos. Not finding it on the ground with another bird, I was thrilled when it flew up into the hackberry to feast. Clicking off a good number of shots with the bird behind sticks, I gave up my front spot to others waiting for a good look.
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| WHITE-THROATED THRUSH (with dark stripes on throat) -- finally! |
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| WHITE-THROATED THRUSH - tropical bird from south of the border |
Note the differences and similarities between the bird above and the common HERMIT THRUSH below.
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| HERMIT THRUSH - compare with WHITE-THROATED THRUSH above |
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51643748
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The next morning (1/14/19) our neighborhood birding group set off for Butcher Jones Recreation Area in a north cove of Saguaro Lake. Hazy sky and chilly weather didn't help in getting song birds, but waterfowl in the cove and out on the lake gave us lots of opportunity for polishing our identification skills and taking photos.
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| GADWALL (female) |
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| GREAT BLUE HERON |
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| LESSER SCAUP |
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51675968
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The next day, without leaving home, I was able to photograph a GREAT HORNED OWL at my residence.
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| JANUARY 17, 2019 |
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On Thursday (1/18/19) Pam Riede joined me for some urban birding that included Selleh Park in Tempe as well as Tempe Town Lake (both marsh and bridge areas). |
| WOOD DUCK (Drake) |
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| WOOD DUCK (Hen) |
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| RINGED TEAL (an escapee) This bird is usually found in the forests of South America |
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| OSPREY (above and below) |
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51795884
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51797664
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51799848
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When it comes to adventure, the San Carlos Tribal Land east of Globe, AZ, puts us into a different space and time. On Saturday, 1/19/19, Hinde Silver joined me to check the birds at Tufa Stone Tank and San Carlos Lake. ($10.00 permit fee--permits issued at Chevron Station prior to Route 60 turning north and for us, prior to Route 70 continuing out onto Tribal Land.)Finding Tufa Stone Tank this time worked like a charm. Finally using coordinates and directions effectively on my smart phone! The last time I visited, the tank was much more than a tank - it looked like a river. Today, it was a "tank".
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| Tufa Stone Tank |
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| RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS (mostly female) - bordering the tank |
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NORTHERN SHOVELERs were also present (females above)
The GREATER YELLOWLEGS above was sounding off continually, not its usual "tew, tew, tew" call.
At San Carlos Lake few bird photos were taken since they were all way below our viewing cliffs. But waterfowl were abundant. Difficult to discern species far out into the lake due to sun dancing on the water around each of the birds, I turned my attention (and scope) into the coves and backwaters closer to where we stood.
To wrap up our experience there, I drove out to the Memorial.
This beautiful RED-TAILED HAWK soared above us while we visited the San Carlos Memorial. No photos of the Ferruginous that were present upon our arrival.
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The Memorial was erected to remember the original community that lived by the Gila River flowing through the land. As so often happens everywhere, when a dam is erected the people (obstacles to the construction) must move.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51825277
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51848683
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Our neighborhood birding group began birding at Coon Bluff Recreation Area along the Lower Salt River, Mesa, Arizona, at 9:25 a.m.on September 21st. In a little over two hours we (9 of us) spotted multiple birds in 28 species. A BALD EAGLE is always a highlight, this one flying overhead.
Female REDWING BLACKBIRDS scratched in the ground around picnic tables and PHAINOPEPLA with their quiet voice drew our attention to their high open perches, both male and female. We had the opportunity to compare and contrast a few high flying TURKEY VULTUREs vs. BLACK VULTURES. Without question, our best sighting was that of the dozen plus CEDAR WAXWINGS feeding on berries on a tree beside the river way out on the east-side trail.
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| CEDAR WAXWING |
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| CEDAR WAXWING |
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| Neighborhood Birding Group |
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51904116
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Although it had been awhile since I birded at Boyce Thompson Arboretum, I was glad to get together with Susan Fishburn and explore the trails. Starting at opening time (8:00) on Wednesday (1/23), we birded for a little over four hours at a birder's pace, stopping...listening...looking. With a nice list of twenty-six quality species, we were both happy with our full morning walk.
Bird of the Day was definitely the rare ORCHARD ORIOLE, a female. Although its range extends from the East coast to Texas and the mid-west, it's a great find here in Arizona although I believe, a few sightings are reported each year.
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| Observed a minimum of twelve (12) NORTHERN CARDINAL (male and female) |
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| HERMIT THRUSH (they're almost always at ground level working the leaf litter) |
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| CASSIN'S VIREO - good yellowish wash on flanks and olive head and back contrasting with the gray of Plumbeous Vireo |
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| Rear view of ORCHARD ORIOLE, very olive-green head and back with very thin wing bars, barely seen above |
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| Front of female ORCHARD ORIOLE |
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51969381
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On Sunday, 1/27/19, Hinde Silver and I had the opportunity to visit Leisure World Country Club (private) so we birded for two hours prior to leaving. Walking all the paths around water configurations that were NOT part of the golf course provided us with a surprising number of 30 species. Best were:
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| COMMON MERGANSER (female) |
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| AMERICAN WIGEON - one Drake; three hens |
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| GREEN HERON (above and below) |
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| GREAT BLUE HERON with neck extended |
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| GBH arriving at nest near top of tree after chasing an interloper |
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| ROSY-FACED LOVEBIRD |
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Awoke Monday morning feeling lazy yet wanted to bird, so eventually set out for Granite Reef Recreation Area along the Lower Salt River. The later than usual start gave me some good birds in the picnic area and in the grassy/tree area across from the parking lot. Had the place to myself and, for being the day after a weekend, was remarkably free of trash.
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| ABERT'S TOWHEE |
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| VERDIN |
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| HOUSE WREN |
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| RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER (above and below) |
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| messy red feathers! |
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| LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER (How many differences can you find between this woodpecker and the sapsucker above?) |
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| GREAT BLUE HERON - observed from end of concrete sidewalk beside river |
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| Farther downstream I took this photo of a GBH with a male COMMER MERGANSER left rear |
There I was surprised to see BLACK-NECKED STILTs. Must have been shallow water.
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| Mixed flock: BNST, NORTHERN PINTAIL & GREEN-WINGED TEAL |
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| 3 male and one female COMMON MERGANSER + 1 GADWALL photobombing |
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| BALD EAGLEs (2) using last year's nest; apparent egg(s) being kept warm |
Walking back from the west side along the river trail I had already seen several ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERs so when a small warbler in the reeds was brave enough to show itself, I discovered it wasn't the more brownish Common Yellowthroat but two more ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER. Rarely able to photograph these moving targets, I took my time waiting for them to feed out toward the path. All photos below are ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER.
So glad I made the effort to get myself over there; it was my first visit to Granite Reef this year and it couldn't have been much better than it was today. Never did walk out to the East as I often do, but will save that for my next visit.
And, this may be my wrap for January.
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View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S52136914
Lots of great birds Babs!!!! Arizona birding is amazing.
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