Babs' Birding Experiences : Local Birding along the Lower Salt River, Maricopa County, AZ

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Summer heat finally turned to brisk temperatures this morning. At 47°F under a clear sky with sun just rising above the horizon when I set up my spotting scope by the Salt River at 7:-00 a.m., I had a really good feeling about the day and the birds - although few were chipping at that hour. I had chosen Granite Reef Rec Area to see what I might find.

Birds hear and see differently than we do, so it takes me awhile to adapt to a slow quiet pace to really get into hearing and seeing them. With my naked eye, only a GREAT EGRET was visible across the water. With the scope I picked out a WILSON’S SNIPE along the distant muddy edge of the far side. But no ducks; no other shorebirds.

Fewer waterfowl than I expected, having seen so many wintering species at Gilbert Water Ranch earlier in the week.

Up on the sunny berm, song birds were waking up. The whinny of a LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER, the chip of the ABERT’S TOWHEE and the “zeeee” scolding call from a BLACK-TAILED GNATCATCHER got me into a good rhythm. After checking the weedy ground cover at the west end of the berm for sparrows, I came up with a ROCK WREN — not a usual sighting for me there but always a favorite to watch. It flew from the ground cover to an open rock, did its “curtsy” several times and then took off across the dry water catchment basin. Next up, as another unusual sighting were three WESTERN MEADOWLARK in the grasses!

Just as I was about to walk down the dirt ramp toward the dam, I noticed a lump where the ground cover became short and thin. OMG! Without a winter jacket to keep it warm, it had done its customary drooping and spreading of wings to open its bare fuzzy back to the sun.

GREATER ROADRUNNER

Not the first time I've seen this behavior, but always a thrill to observe. Although it eventually saw me and took off for the thick woods, when I returned from the dam (where the waterfowl had gathered on the opposite shore), the Roadrunner was facing me and doing the same warming posture. This is what it looks like from the front when its sunbathing.

Appearing to be okay with my presence, I was able to get much closer to it than earlier.
Later, when I returned to the picnic area, either this same bird (it can run up to 40+ mph) or another was checking out the weedy area between Bush Highway and the parking lot.

I'm always thrilled to see a BALD EAGLE at the river. Today there were two. The first flew downstream (I was at the dam area then) and about twenty minutes later, another flew in from the East carrying nesting material in its beak. It landed in the same tree where last year's nest was located.

Among the small flocks of waterfowl, 31 AMERICAN WIGEON was the largest group. Also present was a single EARED GREBE and a BELTED KINGFISHER.

Bright VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWs flew in constant circles over the water from the dam to the buoy line.

While observing the birds on the water, I heard a SONG SPARROW chipping beneath a large shrub out on the "beach" with me. Since I was quiet and not moving, it eventually slipped out to forage.

SONG SPARROW

Returning to the picnic area/parking lot through the woods, the reeds were high but at an opening, I watched a MARSH WREN move back and forth.

At the picnic area, two birds of interest were: