Babs' Birding Experiences : 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.