Audubon Christmas Bird Count - My wedge of the circle; Pinal County, AZ

December 26, 2019

Queen Creek running full and fast compared to its usual dry creek bed

Audubon's Christmas Bird Count (CBC) turned 115 this year. It started when an ornithologist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York (Frank Chapman) proposed the count as an alternative to the men going out to hunt birds on Christmas Day. 

For the past several years I've participated in the Superior Circle that falls on the day after Christmas. The Count takes place each year from December 14 to January 5th. Today, more than 30,000 people worldwide count over 2,400 species - about 65-70 million birds each year.

A single birding circle is 15 miles in diameter that is broken up into smaller pie-shaped sectors. The Superior Circle includes many sectors. In the past 5-6 years, I've birded the Queen Valley Sector that often has surprise species to bring to the total tally at the end of the day, usually at a restaurant in Superior where we gather to bring together our data for the Area Coordinator (Joy Bell).

Who are the crazy people who come out this time of year to count birds?  Birders, scientists, enthusiasts and students! Last year 2,408 species from the Circle Counts were submitted -- a record high!

This year, I led the Boyce Thompson Arboretum Count in the morning and surrounding areas in the afternoon, including Oak Flat Campground. What a wonderfully pleasant day tucked into a week of rain! The photo below was taken at Oak Flat with our afternoon counters; three more had participated at the Arboretum.

L-R: Heather, Carrie, Else, Babs (leader) and Irene

Photos of some of the 49 species our group spotted today (from 6 sites=332 individual birds).

PHAINOPEPLA (male)

NORTHERN CARDINAL

ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD

HARRIS'S HAWK

BRIDLED TITMOUSE - getting an insect

Below, the two photos provide a comparison between the CURVE-BILLED THRASHER (BTA) and the CRISSAL THRASHER (quite distant at Oak Flat).

CURVE-BILLED THRASHER (Boyce Thompson Arboretum)

CRISSAL THRASHER (on the rocky uplift at Oak Flat, adjacent to North Magma Shaft 9 Road)

The CURVE-BILLED THRASHER is the common desert thrasher with its often-heard "Wheet-Wheet!" call, especially in the early morning and in mating season. Its curved bill tapers to a point but is thick throughout. Plumage is dingy brownish gray above with smudgy grayish spots on its underparts.

The CRISSAL THRASHER is a permanent desert resident but has more restricted habitat preferences so is seen less frequently. Color between the two species is too similar to use for identification but the CRISSAL is larger and its bill is longer, very slender and curves into a bow. The only color difference I can think of is the dark chestnut color of the CRISSAL's under-tail coverts that contrasts with the more yellowish of the CURVE-BILLED in that area. So, if you get a rear view, look for that. The CRISSAL THRASHER also has a dark throat stripe (malar stripe).

Below are the links to eBird for each site we birded. And, the Team I worked with were phenomenal birders and adventurers!

At two places we attempted to bird thoroughly (Apache Tears Trail and Arnett Road) we were thwarted by the high fast water of Queen Creek and deep mud, respectively.

I'll be participating in one more CBC on January 2nd - one I did last year when it was resurrected by Mary McSparen, at Lake Pleasant.  So, until then. . .happy birding!

* * *

TEAM MEMBERS:

Babs Buck, Area 2 Leader

Else van Erp

Irene Neff

Sally & Chester McKemic (BTA only)

Heather Bateman

Carrie Clayton

Dan from BTA joined us part-time there

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S62661199

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S62661200

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S62661203

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S62662327

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S62661210

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S62663613