Friday, February 15, 2019
With a forecast of “scattered rain and snow” for today, I awoke to an overcast but not threatening sky. After breakfast, I decided to make a run to Granite Reef Recreation Area at the dam on the Salt River to check out the birds in the eastern area I had not explored on my previous visit. Thus, a late arrival for me at about 8:00 a.m. and on the chilly side.
Some trees had been removed from the picnic area, the ground leveled with bare dirt — to make room for more picnic tables. Didn’t keep the birds away! I spent at least 20 minutes at the parking/picnic area before reaching the river that was loaded with waterfowl.
Lighting was poor for photos and some of my best sightings on the east side went without a picture.
When I finished up on the east-side trail, I birded the berm area down to water's edge toward the dam. As I was enjoying the waterfowl there a kayaker came all the way to the buoy line preventing further passage but the waterfowl he scared up flew right over the barrier into the flocks I had already counted! I found nothing new, however, so kept my count as it had been.
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| CINNAMON TEAL |
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| CANVASBACK (females) |
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| REDHEAD (pair) |
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| Two Drake GOLDENEYE (Wigeon beyond them) |
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| COMMON GALLINULE (formerly Moorhen) |
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| PHAINOPEPLA (female) |
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| SONG SPARROW |
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| BALD EAGLE - standing guard by nest with bird on eggs |
It turned out to be a very rewarding two hours of my time!
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S52136914
Although I had scheduled some birding for the Flagstaff area for the 17th & 18th, snow arrived and didn't stop falling. Staying away from there, our Phoenix desert got rain like I've never seen. It didn't stop! A full day of rain in winter!! Amazing. We sure did need it and eventually even our mountains got some heavy snow at elevations far below their 5,000 to 9,000-foot peaks.
Saturday, February 23rd
So, a full seven days elapsed before I ventured out for birding again. Knowing it was going to be a big muddy mess at Santa Cruz Flats, we (Linda James, Hinde Silver and Glenda Jones with the car to make it work) went forward with our long-planned date for the trip.
Despite a very long delay on I-10 for what turned out to be two tractor trailers burnt to a skeletal crisp, we arrived at our destination by 10:30 a.m.
With more dirt roads than paved ones, Glenda guided us through the slip 'n slide with calm determination. Our two target birds were: Mountain Plover and Crested Caracara. We ended up with approximately 50 species, some of which are shown below. MOUNTAIN PLOVER eluded us at both sod farms but the CRESTED CARACARA showed high in the sky at Baumgarner/Wheeler for all but me as I poked around a different area for ground doves. Photos from the trip:
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| BURROWING OWL |
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| HOUSE FINCH |
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| GREATER ROADRUNNER |
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| LARK BUNTING |
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| SAGE THRASHER [photo by Glenda Jones] |
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| MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD [photo by Glenda Jones] |
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| LARK SPARROW [photo by Glenda Jones |
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| WESTERN MEADOWLARK |
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| HORNED LARK |
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Glenda's car with mud thick enough on the mud flaps that the tires rubbed it down
[her photo on one of the good roads] |
An eleven hour day seemed just right after being cooped up for a cold wet week.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S53055980
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S53063199
Sunday, February 24th
Arriving at Boyce Thompson Arboretum's Sunday Bird Walk a bit early, Anne Leight, one of our leaders told us she had seen the LEWIS'S WOODPECKER from her car as she parked in the lot. With a clue as to where to look, we quickly walked back to the parking area. There, we came upon Marceline VandeWater arriving as our second leader, so she also took a look and spotted it on a trunk of wood or pole next to a silver-colored silo in the residential area. So much depends on where we stand! Barbara Blight and I saw it, but Glenda missed it before it flew off.
Beginning promptly at 8:30 a.m., our group numbered perhaps 12 participants but grew as the morning continued. At least one BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD was present -- my first sighting for this year!
Such birds we saw! RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET were so abundant I stopped counting them individually. My end count was quite conservative.
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| RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET [photo by Glenda Jones] |
Possibly pushed down from snow-covered Flagstaff, Sedona or Payson, we had other birds not always present: WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH and BRIDLED TITMOUSE.
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| WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH [photo by Glenda Jones] |
Spotting four (4) woodpeckers and two (2) sapsuckers made for an interesting morning.
No photos of the GILA, LADDER-BACKED or LEWIS'S WOODPECKER; same for the NORTHERN FLICKER. But we scored pics with the sapsuckers.
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| YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER |
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| RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER [photo by Glenda Jones] |
NORTHERN CARDINALS seemed to be everywhere we looked, some paired, some individually foraging-both male and female.
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| NORTHERN CARDINAL (female) |
Two HARRIS'S HAWKS gathering and carrying sticks for a nest was a really heart-warming find.
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| HARRIS'S HAWK |
Several AMERICAN ROBIN were also foraging in various spots.
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| AMERICAN ROBIN |
As we walked the whole perimeter of the arboretum, our sightings seemed to get better and better. A CASSIN'S VIREO is always a target bird but not always found.
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| CASSIN'S VIREO [photo by Glenda] |
But the Best Sighting of the day goes to the SORA (rail) spotted in the southwest reeds of Ayer Lake. Even better, Glenda was able to get a photo!
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| SORA |
Listed 44 birds for the morning's walk. Sure felt good to be out scouting around for birds again!
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S53096766
Monday, February 25th
Although it was the morning of our neighborhood bird walk that begins much later than I usually bird, I was pleasantly surprised to hear from a neighbor, Ellen Leng, with whom I had birded just once before. She wanted to know if I would be interested in leaving earlier and going to the same spot. Sure!
Veteran's Oasis Park in Chandler has much to offer at its layout of recharged water basins with trails running in nice loops around the place. Although we started birding at the fishing pond, we found all sorts of interesting mammals as well. The Black-tailed Jackrabbits were an immediate hit!
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| BLACK-TAILED JACKRABBIT |
A GREEN HERON watched as we walked the fishing pond.
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| GREEN HERON |
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| COMMON GALLINULE at fishing pond |
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| RED-TAILED HAWK |
Other birds out and about in the park and its water-filled basins:
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| CINNAMON TEAL |
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| RUDDY DUCK decked out in its mating plumage |
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| GREEN-WINGED TEAL |
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ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD
Poor photo of COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD below with its purple gorget showing well in sunlight.
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GREAT EGRET
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| KILLDEER |
We wrapped up in about three hours of walking the trails, having come across our neighborhood group several times when we shared sightings.
Then, we were off to Zanjero Park to see if the Burrowing Owls were out and about. Yes!
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BALD EAGLE
An enjoyable morning, for sure!
Click on checklists at end of each report for specific lists.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S53141926
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S53141846
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