Local Birding - GWR - Maricopa County, AZ

Friday, March 1, 2019
Arriving at the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch around 7:30 a.m., I opened and started the eBird checklist on my smart phone with EUROPEAN STARLINGs, GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE, GILA WOODPECKER, MOURNING DOVE and HOUSE SPARROW before even setting foot on a pathway.

At the North end of Pond 7, I was startled to see a single AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN floating around by itself, occasionally stretching and opening and shutting its gaping big basket of a bill. Usually, in small flocks or at least with one companion, I thought I might find another in other basins but did not find another in any basin I birded that morning.

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN (above)  In breeding season, there is a bulbous horn near the tip of its long bill.

Seldom do AMERICAN AVOCET outnumber BLACK-NECKED STILT, but in Pond 7, they did . Two hours later, BNST had numbered by 60 to 45 for AMAV, so the same balance as usual was present in the preserve, if not in Pond 7. Too distant for photos there, I caught one AMERICAN AVOCET (preening) among a flock of BLACK-NECKED STILT.

Wanting to bird by myself for more than the usual reason (solitude in natural world) this morning, I was wearing a hearing aid (on trial) in my left ear to see if it would make a difference in hearing bird song. Upon my arrival, I was immediately aware of  bird vocalizations -- a lot of it. It took awhile to sort it all out but by morning's end, I concluded that it was probably quite helpful. Now, I'll get brave and wear an aid in my other ear, too.

Also in Pond 7 were a pair of NEOTROPIC CORMORANT, with those snake-like necks as they rise up from swimming underwater for their fish.

NEOTROPIC CORMORANT with necks tucked while perched

Also at Pond 7, was a juvenile BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON perched in the open for anyone looking along the heavily vegetated west side of the water -- snoozing already.

Too late to see the CANADA GOOSE lift off this morning, I found a few here and there in or around the basins.

Most basins were full of NORTHERN SHOVELER, AMERICAN COOT, MALLARD, RUDDY DUCK and a variety of shorebirds from LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER to LEAST SANDPIPER.

Teal, smaller than many ducks, are my favorite and two were present in good number today:
GREEN-WINGED TEAL (95) and CINNAMON TEAL (19),

GREEN-WINGED TEAL

ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD zipped this way and that across, over, in front and in back of me on each path. 

ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD - one that perched momentarily!

Today, as usual I skipped the fishing pond full of domestic and other ducks but found a flock of RING-NECKED DUCK at Pond 6. A woman walking towards me asked if I knew the name of that duck (RNDU) that she had seen at the fishing pond. We laughed when I told her -- mainly because the ring at the neck is rarely visible but the white bands around its dark bill are very noticeable!  

Also at Pond 6, a PIED-BILLED GREBE swam in close for its photo shot.

PIED-BILLED GREBE

Honey Bee Point gave me the highlight and adrenalin rush of the morning. Occasional reports of a rare Red Taiga form of FOX SPARROW had been reported there off and on for the past several months. As I walked around the area, I heard it singing. So I looked up, but there were no birds perched up. It was quiet. Then I saw movement at the bottom of a shrub on the SE side of the campsite area. When I got a look at its very rufous tail, I knew it was -The Bird! - even though I had yet to see it fully and clearly. It flitted very low down from shrub to shrub giving me glances at different pieces of its wholeness. Only when it reached the open entrance area did it continue forward by flying up and perching in a nearby tree. This bird I had tracked down in Lowville Park in Ontario about five years ago when I heard it singing near a stream and was amazed at its coloring. Today, also. 

Beautiful RED FOX SPARROW photos below (hazy day so not optimum pictures):

For 3-4 minutes it perched, sang and moved around. Then, it flew off across the path into the big bushes beneath of giant cottonwood.

Never know what we might come across in the field!!

'Til next time.

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View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S53249836