Results of Birding Three Days in a Row, Pinal, Maricopa and Gila Counties, AZ

Wednesday, April 24, 2019
With a late start in our increasing desert heat, I was pleasantly surprised with the number of bird species and numbers of birds surrounding us. Still on April hours of opening at 8 a.m., Boyce Thompson Arboretum offered up some goodies for us to enjoy.  (Hours change to 6 a.m. in May.)

With birder Beth Polvino, visiting from Cape May, we walked the perimeter trail and more for 3.5 hours. 

During that walking time, we caught up with four (4) species of Dove: EURASIAN COLLARED; INCA; WHITE-WINGED and MOURNING. When I first arrived in Arizona over twenty years ago, the INCA DOVE, a small very scaly bird with dark rufous underwings, was fairly common in our community. Fewer and fewer are seen now but are sometimes heard cooing from a tree limb:  "no hope...no hope...no hope".  Many birders have tried to change its mnemonic (phrase for remembering the quail) to something else, but the substitutes never stuck with me.  The WHITE-WINGED DOVE arrives in our southwest desert in spring where it has the distinction of being the major pollinator of the Saguaro Cactus. This symbiotic relationship (fruit for the dove and distribution of the saguaro seeds) is remarkable; we always know when to look for the WHITE-WINGED DOVE. The MOURNING DOVE and EURASIAN-COLLARED (invasive species) are abundant year-round residents.

Hummingbirds love the arboretum's many flowers which is where we found the ones we saw -- not at any feeders.
BOTTLE BRUSH - no hummingbird in pic
With more than 300 species of hummingbirds (found only in the Western Hemisphere), these colorful "hummers" of various sizes can hover, fly backwards and upside down. Only twelve (12) species summer in North America (the RUBY-THROATED on the Eastern side of the continent; the rest out here in the Western side.
While we saw only three (3) species today, the hummingbirds never fail to delight. About the only thing they can't do well is walk (very weak legs).

In addition to our most common ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, we saw a BLACK-CHINNED and a couple BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD--one of my favorites.
BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD
As a frequent birder, I'm always aware of my first-of-season (FOS) sightings. Today, it was the YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, but it wasn't really a "sighting". A real skulker, even high in trees, it picks dense ones from which its mimicry can be easily heard. So, it was the first time I had heard the Chat since last season.

A highlight with no photo was a ZONE-TAILED HAWK doing its "hiding in the kettle of TURKEY VULTURE" to fool mammals on the ground who know the Vultures are scavengers, not looking for live food. The ZONE-TAILED on the other hand, has similar by-colored underwing and flies in the kettle. I picked it out by its more shallow V shape in its wing pattern and slightly smaller size. Calling Beth's attention to it, we both saw the bands on the tail (missing on a vulture).  She was delighted with the LIFE BIRD! 
The ZONE-TAILED HAWK, camouflaged by the many TURKEY VULTURE is definitely looking at the mammals on the ground.

HOODED ORIOLE seemed plentiful this morning although very busy going to and fro so no pics of that beautiful bird either. (Photos have been posted in previous blogs.)

The male SUMMER TANAGER was another FOS sighting for me and by a too-late click of my camera, I missed that beautiful red male singing and singing from an open tree limb in the Demonstration Garden.

An unusual sighting at Ayer Lake was the SPOTTED SANDPIPER - in breeding plumage. The bird can be found at the Salt River all winter in its basic plumage with which I am most familiar. By its constant see-saw motion of its tail end, I knew what it was but I still confirmed with Beth that this bird had an orange bill in its spring/summer plumage.
SPOTTED SANDPIPER - above and below


As we descended the trail close to the Mansion, a handful of WHITE-THROATED SWIFT flew from the south right over heads close enough to hear their "ja ja ja ja ja" vocalizations 
before they flew into a crevice/hollow in the sandstone wall below the building.

At the bottom of that trail, I turned to show Beth what I thought was a former nest of RED-TAILED HAWK -- a bunch of loose sticks supported by a prickly-pear cactus on one side of a small ledge and more sticks on the other side. SURPRISE!


Nestling RED-TAILED HAWK




Before we knew it, we were back at the Demonstration Garden area.


From the Rose Garden
Beth ended up with several Life Birds during our walk which we both enjoyed immensely.


View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S55348907


The next day, Thursday, April 25, 2019, I heard a car door close in front of my house a little before 6:00 a.m., when I thought I was driving to Gilbert Water Ranch. Not so! Lorraine was able to join Kylene, Sandy Dechert and myself for the morning stroll and needed her sturdy walker in the trunk, so she drove.

Getting away at an early hour enabled us to watch the GILA WOODPECKER feeding young in cavities of various saguaro at that garden at the east end of the parking lot. Birds were just beginning to move about. 

To share this beautiful natural habitat with others makes me happy! Whether it's the birds they like, the desert cottontail, the cotton falling from the cottonwood trees, the ducks, the wading birds - whatever: there is something for everyone...including dog walkers, photographers, joggers, and just families out for a stroll through the many trails around the seven ponds. We went slowly today but managed to spot 34 species plus the one duck that fascinated these newcomers: MUSCOVY DUCK. Photos below are from my file.


MUSCOVY DUCK-Domestic


WHITE-WINGED DOVE had arrived at this location, too. The mnemonic for their call is "who cooks for you?" cooed out over and over.
The white of the wing traces the edge of the front of the wing and also shows in flight.
Note the white rounded tail in contract to the pointed tail of Mourning Dove.
It's a hefty bird.

While the GAMBEL'S QUAIL were running about everywhere, by the time we reached them they "hid". 

Male GAMBEL'S QUAIL
GREAT BLUE HERON
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD with breeding plumage epaulets expanded
One bird just wouldn't give itself up to us. A COMMON YELLOWTHROAT in a mesquite beside a pond was singing over and over again. I shared the song from my phone app so they could also identify it as the bird singing, but could we find that tiny warbler in the mesquite?  Leaves aren't that big; how did it elude us?  Even a passer-by got involved in searching for it - before it zoomed out of there like a tiny missile heading west.
Photos from my file:





A fun day for all of us!


View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S55391480



Friday, April 26, 2019
A text Thursday evening from friend, Susan Fishburn, got my nose out of a book and into preparing for another 6 a.m. meeting the next morning, this time a good 30 minutes or more from home.

Appropriately for the hottest day so far this season, we headed to the higher elevation beyond Payson at Tonto Creek Fish Hatchery. Birding the 5-mile road into the hatchery caught my attention! First bird heard:  "hosea maria" -- the GREATER PEWEE. It called repeatedly until we finally spotted it. 

That was when I discovered my camera was NOT functioning. The problem began on O'ahu; the lens would not move in and out normally. There I was able to coax it into working by removing the battery for a while and then starting over again. Today - no luck at all. Just when we really wanted photos. Susan has a similar camera and left it home because she knew I'd have mine. Dang!  Good birds not photographed:  see the three lists below. 

We birded the road into the hatchery, the hatchery area and then on up the road to Christopher Creek area where I had found, in past year, some good spots for good birds. Today, worked out the same. 

We were excited about the warblers we saw and I couldn't believe how vocal the HOUSE WREN were. They may have been feeding young, but were all over the place chipping and singing.  Thrilled with our 40 mountain species, we dragged ourselves away from the cool hillsides to return to 97° F.   

It was a wonderful day for which I dearly wish I had photos!


View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S55442159
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S55434583
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S55434219


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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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Honolulu County, O'ahu, Hawaii

April 8-12, 2019

When Glenda Jones asked me to join her for some birding on O'ahu, I was quick to say "Yes." We worked as a team on planning; I did the bird research and she mapped out the best routes to reach our destinations.

Honolulu is the largest city in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with over a million people living there.

At the height of a bad chest cold when we departed last Monday, Glenda recovered quickly once we arrived and started birding.

Since we didn't see a great number of species (especially coastal birds due to high winds, I think), I'll not do a daily report but rather share pics of the birds we saw just about every day.  And, were they special!!

The WHITE TERN (FAIRY TERN) topped our list as a bird to see.



WHITE TERN also called FAIRY TERN - light, swift and beautiful

PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER were on our list from just about each of the 19 locations visited. They will soon be taking off for their Arctic breeding grounds where they arrive in late April/early May. So, we were lucky to have seen them in their full breeding plumage including that white racing stripe from the base of its bill, over the eye and down along the wings and flanks. Handsome bird, indeed!




PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER  
Yellow Hibiscus or Alamanda?

RED-CRESTED CARDINAL was another favorite and frequent species.
RED-CRESTED CARDINAL

In foreground, with picnic left-overs
In the Phoenix area, in addition to Rock Dove, we enjoy four species: Mourning Dove, Eurasian-collared Dove, White-winged Dove and Inca Dove. On O'ahu, we had just two species (besides Rock Dove): ZEBRA DOVE and SPOTTED DOVE.
ZEBRA DOVE - striped nape, chest and belly (more petite than SPDO)
SPOTTED DOVE - large, with pinkish hue on face, chest and belly. Spots on nape.
Photo by Glenda Jones
Action on the Pacific
ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET (above & below)
These parakeet were abundant, zipping loudly overhead at Iolani Palace, the grounds of which we visited on our arrival day.
Photo by Glenda Jones
A new species for both of us, the COMMON WAXBILL foraged in large flocks on grass and weedy areas. 
From a distance they appeared to be a flock of sparrows or finches
So small we could hardly see them before flushing them into the air, they never flew far; just waited for us to pass. We wised up and observed before walking ahead.


COMMON WAXBILL
Red bill and eyestripe
Both above photos by Glenda Jones
All of these sightings took place in public parks where flowering trees and plants were also abundant.  Cook Island Pines were plentiful as were Banyan trees with their wide spreading limbs and canopy. The 'Ohia tree (Myrtle family) was in constant bloom; pink Plumeria, yellow Acacia intrigued me by their layered appearance with blooms on the flat top.




RED JUNGLEFOWL - everywhere!
Junglefowl chick
COMMON MYNA (Indian Myna) were also abundant - seemingly everywhere.
COMMON MYNA at nest 

I was surprised to see this species on our trek up to Kaena Point on Day #2. Usually favoring human habitat, here they were out on the rocks above the Pacific. When not eating human scraps, they live on insects and invertebrates (worms, snails flies). Thus, there was food at their Pacific habitat.

This Myna was taking a shower in the spray of breaking waves!
We spent most of Wednesday (Day 2) climbing from a parking area up to Kaena Point to visit with the LAYSAN ALBATROSS nesting there. Kaena Point is the most western tip of Hawaii and has two access points. Our original plan may have been the better choice (flatter but longer trail). At the last minute, we decided to drive up the north coast to the parking area from which it is a two-mile hike up to the State Park preserved area. Sounds easy but with Glenda still recovering from a chest cold, the lungs needed to work even though the elevation at the Point was only about 18 feet above sea level.


Glenda making her way up to Kaena Point SP Preserve
As you can see, the trail is not exactly flat (as it was on the other side) and was rocky with loose gravel. Couldn't walk and bird at the same time. But we both made it to the Point and while Glenda rested (and got good birds) I walked the inner loop roped off through the nesting area.


High on a ridge above me, a LAYSAN ALBATROSS on nest.
Young LaAl trying out its wings 
Adults watching their young!
Hard to photograph due to their speed.  Many flew low to the ground and right overhead.
 Photo above shows the Laysan Albatross specific underwing pattern.

Length of Layson Albatross body: 32"  Wingspan: 77-80"


While I was out in the Preserve, Glenda was collecting some other important birds, including a BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS!
BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS
A BROWN BOOBY, out at sea was captured in photograph by Glenda, too.
BROWN BOOBY
We were thrilled with our time at the Kaena Point State Park nesting area but eventually headed back down the trail.

Saw some local thrill-seeking young men out on a rock. They showed off for us.





Hiking back down at mid-day, we worked up the only sweat of our trip during which ambient temperatures were consistently between 70s & 80sF. 

One of the birds I really really wanted to see had the odd name of RED-BILLED LEIOTHRIX [LYE-O-THRIX]. I had found a place we might luck out and did!



But could I get a photo of those quick little birds? No!  Over two visits to the lucky place, Glenda nailed some awesome photos in this dense rain-forest-like habitat.


RED-BILLED LEIOTHRIX (good photo out of good-sized flock) - by Glenda Jones
Second Visit: Smaller flock, good profile photo -- by Glenda Jones
Another small bird I hadn't counted on seeing was the YELLOW-FRONTED CANARY...picking up green reflection from tree leaves  It's very yellow.



YELLOW-FRONTED CANARY - two above photos

Another species' favorite for me was the SAFFRON FINCH:




The RED-VENTED BULBUL was easily spotted in various places.
RED-VENTED BULBUL (vent is lower than belly, between the legs - look closely and you'll see the color

 Much more difficult was this RED-WHISKERED BULBUL:
Photo by Glenda Jones
Another hoped-for sighting was the BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW. Before leaving home, I discovered the J. Campbell Wildlife Refuge - the most likely place to find them - would be closed to visitors due to the nesting of the endangered HAWAIIAN STILT. A ranger suggested we check out the public golf course nearby. Glenda wondered how that would work. Well, we're in Hawaii now. An attendant suggested where we might find them and where to walk.
Glenda at Kahuku Golf Course
BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW
Left bird shows its very tan-colored tail and rump



And, I could go on and on. Everyone was quite friendly and helpful. Intermittent rain and high winds followed us on Thursday so we re-arranged our schedule to a botanical garden and the more sheltered by nature sites we had already visited.  One benefit:
Saw several of these extensive rainbows on Thursday
One evening when I birded Ke'ehi Lagoon Beach Park behind our hotel, I watched the sun set on this rose/pink building in Honolulu.
Tripler Army Medical Building
And watched the outriggers take off and return to shore.



Flags caught my attention at a historical religious site:





Sunset
From visiting 19 locations (a few, twice), Glenda saw 26 Life Birds (first time seeing them) and I added 13 Lifers to my list.  

Team work gave us a fantastic visit and birding trip.


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