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| Arizona Poppy (blooms from July to October) |
Along the I-19 Corridor South of Tucson, we started birding at 7:00 a.m. at the following locations:
Tubac's dAnza Trail for the Rose-breased Beard (without success) but other good birds in 2.5 hours;
Tubac's Ron Morriss Park briefly;
Amado Waste Treatment Plant briefly;
Canoa Ranch Conservation Park - 1.5 hours;
Madera Canyon's Santa Rita Lodge bird feeding station - 1 hour.
At Santa Rita Lodge, along with hummingbirds buzzing so fast our heads were swiveling in an attempt to see all of them, we met other friendly birders-- which often happens there.
A wildlife scene unfolded that captivated us but we didn't stay for the resolution: two adult Coues' White-tailed Deer came up from the creek and jumped the fence into the feeding station area. But the fawn's couldn't make the jump. They kept walking back and forth on the lower side of the fence for a long time. Finally, the adults returned but didn't seem to know what to do about the problem. There was no resolution of that predicament during the remainder of our visit.
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| Fawns (2) on down-side of fence |
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| Doe gets drink from fountain on upper side of fence seemingly unable to cope with the stranded fawns below |
Birds from Day #1:
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| Female VERMILLION FLYCATCHER |
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| TROPICAL KINGBIRD |
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| RIVOLI'S HUMMINGBIRD (formerly known as MAGNIFICENT HUMMINGBIRD) 2 pics above |
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| ACORN WOODPECKER |
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| Two Male BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD above |
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| BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD Female (Left) and Male (Right) |
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| Flock of Six GREAT BLUE HERON flew into Canoa Ranch pond area |
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| Juvenile SWAINSON'S HAWK (left) perched a long while with Juvenile GREAT BLUE HERON in snag tree [Note coloration of Swainson's and dark crown and bi-colored bill of GBH as to immature status] |
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| Immature SWAINSON'S HAWK |
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| LARK SPARROW |
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| SPOTTED SANDPIPER |
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| CASSIN'S KINGBIRD [worn outer tail feathers but pale tip to tail] |
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| BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK (adult left; 2 young at right; off-photo was the other adult) |
DAY #2, Sunday, 9/8/19 - Birding Spots:
San Pedro RNCA- House and Trails; 3 hours;
Miller Canyon, Beatty's Guest Ranch (mostly at CAS feeders) 1 hour+
Carr Canyon (chose not to drive to top; low clearance vehicle) brief
Brown Canyon Ranch and Trail #115 1 hour
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| Alone in sky. Often flies with look-alike Turkey Vultures ZONE-TAILED HAWK Above & Below |
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| AMERICAN KESTREL (female) |
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| Bird we hoped to find: LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH (above and below) |
An abundance of BLUE GROSBEAK appeared frequently along the San Pedro River trails.
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| BLUE GROSBEAK testing the river for a bath. Must have been cold; when it dipped its chest in, it immediately lifted and flew off. |
Although I didn't snare a photo of a female BLGR (tan/brown), I did get one of a female INDIGO BUNTING that shows the dramatic sexual dimorphism:
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| Female INDIGO BUNTING |
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| From File: Male INDIGO BUNTING for comparison |
DAY #3, Monday, 9/9/19 Birding Spots along the way home:
St. David-Holy Trinity Monastery
St. David- Golden Bell Road
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| PEACOCK |
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| PEA HEN |
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| With the sun shining on this bird, it showed yellow up to the throat and had a forked tail. Since I heard the nearby metallic twittering of Tropical Kingbird, I submitted it as such but was called by the reviewer -obviously gray chest and pale outer tail feathers, smaller beak than Tropical. WESTERN KINGBIRD |
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| Adult GRAY HAWK in the distance. |
We had birded long hours in fairly cool temperatures (60-85°F) under sometimes cloudy sky and sometimes clear but windy conditions. It was the first time I gave my new camera a workout in shooting birds in the air and was satisfied for a first-effort result.
Until next time. . .
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