PUEBLO BIRDERS Sunday, January 26th, West Valley Agricultural Fields, Maricopa County, AZ

Sunday, January 26, 2020

To reach the wide expanse of agricultural fields in the Buckeye/Arlington area of the West Valley, we chose a Sunday (rather than our usual Monday outing) to avoid commuter traffic. Taking just an hour from the East Valley, we started birding at 8 a.m. by driving south on Perryville Road.  At each east/west road, we poked along the fields over to Jackrabbit, then south to the next east/west road and back to Perryville, all the way down to Broadway. 

The six birders from our community on this trip were: Gloria Karch, Hinde Silver, Glenda Jones, Judy Carrier, Karen Martin and myself.

Our very first raptor was a less-often seen RUFOUS RED-TAILED HAWK. At 46°F, it was hunched and fluffed out.

RED-TAILED HAWK - (Rufous)

There exist Light, Intermediate (rufous) and Dark morphs of Red-tailed Hawk. 

Our usual Western RED-TAILED is a light morph with pale breast between its dark head and streaky belly band.

Light Morph RED-TAILED HAWK

I think this was the same earlier Rufous RED-TAILED HAWK later in the morning not far from its original field.

Normally, a stop at Lower River Road ponds gives birders the opportunity to sort out a variety of waterfowl.  Sometimes, even American White Pelican are foraging there. Today, not so. With 4 duck hunters in the adjacent field with large decoy ducks poking up from the ground on wooden stakes, birds were avoiding the ponds. Was it three (3) species we saw? I think so: AMERICAN WIGEON (3); RUDDY DUCK (12) and AMERICAN COOT (30). Not the usual work out for us to discern Greater from Lesser Scaup, etc., etc.   At the two ponds farther down the road, there were at least 5 CANVASBACK to ignite our birding passion again.

As we drove the many paved roads, I noticed the creep of development encroaching on former ag fields. When we counted over 20 GREAT EGRET in one field, I wondered whether that was due to less habitat or just good eats? There were large gatherings of GREAT EGRETS in other fields, too, including where we found WHITE-FACED IBIS and LONG-BILLED CURLEW.

These fields were really too distant for my camera so I've selected photos taken in previous years at these ag fields.

This is the too-distant pic from Sunday.  Below are some close ups.

WHITE-FACED IBIS
As mating season approaches the white feathers at the base of its bill will fill out to be seen quite well.

The LONG-BILLED CURLEW were the brown birds in the distant photo.  In flight, they are quite awesome!

We originally counted 45 LONG-BILLED CURLEW, but a second flock of 50 flew in to join the ones in the field.

Close-up of LONG-BILLED CURLEW

Pair of GAMBEL'S QUAIL at farm location in early sunlight

A desert BENDIRE'S THRASHER was singing from the bushes. It likes desert.
It's population is much more restricted than Curve-billed Thrasher so common around our desert towns.

LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE

The numbers of birds in many species was relatively high! (these are conservative counts)

RED-TAILED HAWK=             15

NORTHERN HARRIER=        11

GREAT BLUE HERON =        23

GREAT EGRET=                  125

LONG-BILLED CURLEW=     95

AMERICAN PIPIT=                36

WESTERN MEADOWLARK  24

BREWER'S BLACKBIRD=   350  

We couldn't have asked for much better weather; it was 69°F when we headed home.

From three (3) sites, we tallied 47 species with 1,352 individual birds. Quite a day!

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To see our e-bird lists with photos, click on the links below.

 https://ebird.org/checklist/S63825212

 https://ebird.org/checklist/S63825938

 https://ebird.org/checklist/S63826406

2020 Winter Bird Count of the Gila River Indian Community, Pinal County, AZ

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Having had the good fortune to attend both the 20th and 21st year of the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) Bird Count, I want to include in my blog this year’s bird count on January 25, 2020.

The Community (GRIC) invites local Audubon groups to join and share birding expertise with local participants.

From our meeting place at the Chevron Station on Casa Blanca Road and I-10, we were all able to choose one of five locations we wanted to bird. Richard and Jeanne Specht had invited me to carpool with them since they lived nearby and this would be their first visit. 

Choosing a different location this year from last, I chose Area 5, Gila Butte. As I recall there were about 22 participants in our group, including a good mix of local families. The Spechts and Rob Bowker (a top local birder) were also in this group. Rob and I worked with Jerry Jensen (GRIC DEQ), local bird leader, to confirm our tally. One very young boy stood out for remembering that this was his 5th time participating; he was finding birds quickly for all of us! 

Wahlean Riggs (Bobbie) who works with the DEQ also led us to the riparian areas and a large flat meadow area around Gila Butte.

Taking a census of birds over specified areas each year provides the Community with a record to compare year-to-year sightings over periods of time. Why was this bird not present this year? Why have the numbers of this bird increased so much?  The data alert the Community members of trends that might be meaningful.

Our tally around noontime at a newly developed recharge pond/marsh area (GRIC-MAR-5) will certainly make a difference in the next tally.  As we sat eating the lunch provided, we could see Northern Pintail flying into the water in front of us. 

When we finished lunch at tables under the roofed pavilion, six young women performed native dances on the bare ground just outside the pavilion as two men shook gourd rhythms and chanted for each dance.

One of several gifts given us was their 2020 WINTER BIRDS of the Gila River Indian Community, 21st Anniversary Edition. Dr. David Pearson of ASU (and local avid birder) helped by providing photos and brief descriptions of each songbird. The booklet is a project of the Gila River Indian Community Department of Environmental Quality.  It first provides each bird name in their own language followed by its common name in English plus its habitat and behavior - things that the children and parents can use to learn all about the birds that occur on their land.

Enthusiasm of the local participants indicated that the glossy 8.5”x 5.75” booklet is being put to good use.

In all likelihood, I'll return for their next Winter Bird Count.

Here's the data from my list submitted to eBird:

Gila Butte, Pinal, Arizona, US

Jan 25, 2020 7:40 AM - 10:40 AM

Protocol: Traveling   1.6 mile(s)

Checklist Comments: Winter Bird Count (GRIC)  39°-69°F

24 species

Gambel's Quail  69

Mourning Dove  2

Greater Roadrunner  1

Anna's Hummingbird  5

Great Egret  1     fly-over

Red-tailed Hawk  1

Great Horned Owl  1

Gila Woodpecker  6

Gilded Flicker  2

American Kestrel  3

Black Phoebe  1

Say's Phoebe  1

Verdin  2

Ruby-crowned Kinglet  6

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher  2

Rock Wren  2

Cactus Wren  2

European Starling  16

Curve-billed Thrasher  2

Black-throated Sparrow  1

White-crowned Sparrow  9

Abert's Towhee  12

Orange-crowned Warbler  4

Yellow-rumped Warbler  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S63779384

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Much Birding Since my last Blog - Pinal and Maricopa Counties, Arizona

Bees (apparent honeybees)  Did they lose their Queen or did she stop here?  (GWR)

January 2020
With a small group of birders from my community, I've birded each Monday at places such as Butcher Jones Recreation Area (Saguaro Lake cove), Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch, and Red Mountain Park where we spotted a great variety of birds already posted to FB.  In addition, I've visited Lost Dutchman State Park, Prospector Park and a few returns to Gilbert Water Ranch where the bird life is extensive and changeable this time of year.

Right to Left: Glenda, Jan, Gloria, Ellen, Sandy, Babs; Gilbert Water Ranch 1/13/20

This GREATER ROADRUNNER at Gilbert Water Ranch was the first I've ever seen there!
(With community birder friends above on 1/13/20)

Yesterday (1/22/20), with Jane and Bill from Denver, I revisited the Water Ranch where our two best sightings were the CANVASBACK at the fishing pond and the ongoing out-of-territory warbler: NORTHERN PARULA.  

CANVASBACK

I've been observing a lone drake CANVASBACK at Granite Reef Recreation Area along the Salt River during a couple visits this month and am wondering if this may be that loner.

The NORTHERN PARULA, a beautiful warbler that breeds across most of eastern North America, has been sighted at the Water Ranch over several weeks, but this was my first time observing it.  I've seen this winter visitor previously but only high up in trees beyond good camera reach so I was pleased to be able to snag a few photos while it flitted from branch to branch in a mesquite.  It was also a Life Bird for Jane and Bill. The three photos below are a few of the "catches" I made of this female while it skittered about.

Female NORTHERN PARULA

Color of its back is bluish yellow green

NORTHERN PARULA in action

Other birds observed on 1/22/20 at the Riparian Preserve (Gilbert Water Ranch) included the following:

SAY'S PHOEBE

ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD appeared to be practicing its display flight

WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW

GREEN HERON foraging along water flow

Female MALLARD resting, tucking bill into its feathers

SNOWY EGRET

Two photos taken at Red Mountain Park in Mesa AZ:

Top photo:  WHITE-WINGED DOVE; Bottom: OSPREY

Weather has been alternately cold/rainy and sunny/warm. In either event, birds are out and about and I've delighted in observing behaviors.

'Til next time.

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View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S63594246

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S63670195

Christmas Bird Count, Lake Pleasant, Maricopa & Yavapai Counties, AZ

Thursday, January 2, 2020

The Count Circle for Lake Pleasant included 9 areas with Area 2 being the lake itself, which is where I counted. Two boats covered the entire lake with trips out in the morning and in the afternoon.  A separate team covered the campgrounds.

The count is so much more than the birds! I was in the pontoon piloted by Terry Gerber both morning and afternoon. Weather was sunny and pleasant! 

The morning boat included Susan Fishburn and Brian Johnson as we covered the west side of the lake; the other boat covered the east side. I stayed with Terry's boat for the afternoon as well since it was going to explore the Agua Fria arm of the lake where Bald Eagles nest. An accurate count of the eagles was an important part of our afternoon task. Louis Hoeniger and Jeff Ritz joined Terry's boat for the afternoon.

Lake water was calm but, still, taking photos can be tricky. When I centered a floating bird and missed its head, it was due to the boat's movement!  Not many misses though, so here are some of my highlight photos as we explored one cove after the other including: Honeymoon Cove, Pretty Cove, Jackass Cove, Humbug Bay, Bartlett Creek, Tule Creek, Paul's Hideaway, Barker Island and Whiskey Springs (names I recall).

A RING-BILLED GULL (below) caught my attention by flying circles above us, dropping down to the water to stir it up with its feet and catch something, then lifting and flying off before circling back again with the same behavior:

On islands and low shorelines, we found wading birds. GREAT BLUE HERON below:

A COMMON LOON is a great find in the Arizona desert:

Then, on sticks and up into the air:

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT (above and below)

We saw four species of Grebes, but I photographed only three:

HORNED GREBE

WESTERN GREBE

CLARK'S GREBE

COMMON MERGANSER were abundant:

Who would guess there would be a restroom on the lake?  (Honeymoon Cove)

Male BELTED KINGFISHER

Below are photos of separate and individual BALD EAGLE:

The 38 species that I saw were a small part of the greater count for the LAKE PLEASANT circle, the data for which I'll add later. The best bird of the day was found on the way to dinner for the overall tally. Just past a bridge over a fenced concrete canal were many of our birder friends (CBC counters) looking eastward up the canal with binoculars, spotting scopes and long-lens cameras. One of the teams had discovered a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER (a sea bird) among a small raft of scoters!  Yay!  Big Find and glad to be able to add it to my sightings for the day.



2/7/2020  Update: The result of the Circle Count for Lake Pleasant is below:

Thank you all for your help on the January 2^nd, 2020 Lake Pleasant Christmas Bird Count (CBC)!  We lucked out with warm, sunny weather again this year and it sounded like all of the teams had an enjoyable time!  This year’s 33 participants ended up counting 6846 individuals of 120 species while covering over 148 miles by foot, car, and boat!  A few species were listed under “count week” (three days on either side of the count day), but are not included in the total number of species or bird counts.  The bird numbers were down from last year’s count (7577 birds of 130 species), possibly due to cold fronts and storms that may have pushed some birds out in the latter half of December (especially insectivores).  Some of the washes in the area, including Morgan City Wash, had been denuded of vegetation in the drainages during floods last year, so that missing habitat may have contributed to lower numbers of migrant wintering species that depend on dense cover.  However, desert bird numbers seemed slightly up from last year, possibly due to last year’s wet winter providing a better breeding season than the one prior and the wet autumn that we had at the end of 2019 providing enough food to keep birds around for the winter.

We added three new species to the Lake Pleasant CBC list:  White-winged Scoter, Canyon Towhee, and Black-chinned Sparrow.  Our participants did see several rarities this year, including Greater White-fronted Goose, Cackling Geese, White-winged Scoter, ‘Eurasian’ Green-winged Teal (presumably the same male as last year returning to its winter spot), Barrow’s Goldeneye, Horned Grebes, and Bushtits.  Winter Wren, Swamp Sparrow, and Northern Parula may have been the same returning rarities to Morgan City Wash as last winter, with all except the sparrow being “count week” birds found during scouting the day before the count.  Other notable species found during “count week” included Greater Scaup, California Gull, and Hutton’s Vireo.  The Bushtits, Canyon Towhee, and Black-chinned Sparrows could be expected occasionally in winter, as all three occur in the chaparral zone just above the upper Sonoran Desert and are known to wander downslope in some winters.  However, Canyon Towhee also occurs in upland desert and may be found to be more common in mountainous areas of the count circle with more coverage.

A special thanks to Maricopa County Parks, Bureau of Reclamation, Scorpion Bay Marina, and Arizona Game & Fish Department for allowing access to the lake and surrounding area, and for providing personnel and boats to help count birds! We also want to thank the Federal Prison and private landowners who allowed access for the count onto lands within the count circle that are not usually open to the public or to biologists to survey for birds.

Thanks again for all of your efforts this year and we look forward to next year’s count!

Mary McSparen and Eric Hough

Lake Pleasant CBC compilers

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Links to my three lists (representing different counties) are below:

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S62950642

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S62950656

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S62960998