Two Days of Birding this Week, Maricopa County, AZ

Cotton falls from the COTTONWOOD TREES this time of year.

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Although I saw the same number of species at both places I birded this week (41), the habitat and birding experiences differed tremendously. 

At Goldfield, I set out to see if the Peregrine Falcons might have returned to nest again this year after a couple years absence.  No!  But when I reached the sandstone cliffs they favored in previous years, birds filled the air!  CLIFF SWALLOW, NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW and WHITE-THROATED SWIFT. I call it "swivel-neck birding" as I tried to follow these acrobatic birds through the air, back to their nests in crevices or mud nests on the cliffs. Tally may be off a bit!

Ground cover along the wide eastward trail was full of blooms.  The one below stood out so I looked it up.  It appears to be an evening primrose.

CUTLEAF EVENING PRIMROSE

Although I saw no wild horses, I heard their hooves on the river rock below me. When I heard sounds from behind me after I turned back on the trail, I looked to see a group of young men and women running through the loose-sand trail. That's tough running. Their coach or drill sergeant kept encouraging them forward at the same time as he commended them on their effort. I stood aside; they passed me and were gone--way out in front of me and down a separate trail.

Taking pictures is tricky out there; the leaves are coming full on the trees; the birds peek out, then hide. Wearing my new aids, I was able hear many familiar songs and chips. 

Photos, while rare, were worth aiming for:

PHAINOPEPLA (male)  Note red eye

Mature BALD EAGLE - flying West (downstream)

GREAT BLUE HERON

GAMBEL'S QUAIL

Normally, this resident quail of the Sonoran Desert walks/runs as it forages on the ground but in mating season, it is common to see young unattached mails perched high in a tree to display virility: good color, healthy size, and sexy tear-drop plume on its head. Who could resist?

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S54481470

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Friday, April 5, 2018
Having heard from other birders that the LEAST BITTERN had returned to the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch (also: Gilbert Water Ranch or GWR), I was ready to check out that report. 

With lots on my birding plate for an upcoming trip, I decided to take a break to build up my stamina and check out the quickness of my responses....two things I'll be needing next week.

LEAST BITTERN is our tiniest heron. Secretive as it moves within marsh reeds, it may be a fairly common bird across the nation but it is quite difficult to find. At GWR, it likes the public fishing pond. It nested there last year. Reeds are not profuse but enough to give them cover. The easiest way to find them is to arrive unexpectedly early to see what's up with them. Essentially, its plumage is honey and golden brown above although the adult male shows a black cap and back.

When I arrived on the pedestrian bridge from the Water Ranch, I walked slowly and immediately spotted two small round feathery birds down low on the reeds close to the water. Wow! Jackpot!  

But how to verify the sighting in early light and distance? Shutter speed even on "spurt" was slow and I worried about fuzzy pics. I took two more steps forward. Acch!. There goes the adult into the air.

Blurry adult LEAST BITTERN flying from its perch (top photo) on north side of pond across to the south side where I could not relocate it.

But that left the buffy-colored LEAST BITTERN still foraging from its reedy perch. It paid no mind to me as I viewed it and waited for a bit more light.

LEAST BITTERN
I considered myself very lucky to have seen two LEBI and to have photographed them, too.
That is not an every-day occurrence.  

The water ranch's birds were already quite awake. From CANADA GOOSE to ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD.

GREEN-WINGED TEAL

Two GAMBEL'S QUAIL - male foreground; female background

One of my favorite shorebirds is the AMERICAN AVOCET, especially in breeding plumage. The sexes are determined by the curve in the bill: relaxed curve, male; sharp curve; female.

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD were abundant. Note in the second photo below how much of their body is thrown into their call.

RWBL - feathers standing out all over as it calls

In addition to birds, Desert Cottontails were running all over the trails, under the shrubs and, in this case, stretching a bit to get some good greens.

When I was almost back to the parking lot, a woman stopped me to see if I might be able to identify a strange bird she had just seen. She walked me to the spot where the MUSCOVY DUCK had sought out some privacy.

Another of my favorite long-legged waders is the BLACK-NECKED STILT.  This one was foraging a short distance off shore and continued toward me until I was able to take this photo.

What an end to another good day in the field!

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View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S54581895