Coon Bluff Recreation Area along Lower Salt River, Maricopa County, AZ

Monday, March 23, 2020
With the Corona Virus (Covid-19) Pandemic on the rise in various parts of the USA, many winter visitors were packing up and departing our community for their respective homes in Canada, Wisconsin, Minnesota, etc.

Cognizant of the threat of such a virus in a fairly closed community, we were all trying to adhere to the 6' personal space around each of us. Four of us drove over to Coon Bluff, two to a car: driver in front; passenger in the rear.

I need to admit here, that when I went to photograph my first bird from the parking lot, the camera didn't click on. I had forgotten to insert the charged battery! So, all photos in the blog are from my files, many taken at Coon Bluff or at other sites along the Salt River.

Immediately, I told Gloria, Hinde and Terri that we were bound to have a good day. It seems to happen when I'm sans camera!  
There was also drama at the end of the trip to wrap up our Pueblo Birders' first season!

As usual this time of year, we spotted many PHAINOPEPLA (male & female) on the road into the parking lot.  We spotted 23 altogether.

The next highest number of birds in a single species were CINNAMON TEAL and LUCY'S WARBLER with 14 each.

Our first real special sighting was a SORA walking at the edge of the grasses along the island below the bluff.

And, soon after that, a Turkey Vulture (too early in the air, I thought) turned out to be a ZONE-TAILED HAWK. When it banked the light bands on its tail gave it away! This was a first sighting for a couple of the birders.

Another unusual sighting was a MEXICAN MALLARD or MEXICAN DUCK swimming with a pair of CINNAMON TEAL. Its larger size and big yellow unmarked bill gave it away!

We're always hoping for and excited when we see BALD EAGLE this time of year.  The first flew overhead; the second was perched on the bluff when we wrapped up three hours later at the parking lot.

Among our other favorite sightings were:

VERMILION FLYCATCHER

ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER

GREEN HERON

GREAT-BLUE HERON

GREAT EGRET

SNOWY EGRET

ROCK WREN on the bluff

LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER

RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET

Deciding to walk back more inland, away from the river shoreline, we walked south for a while before following a horse trail to the west.  As expected we did find some of the above birds on the way west with the sun behind us. When the trail turned toward Bush Highway, I indicated we would cut through the deep ground cover ahead of us to the open area which we could see not far in the distance. We didn't need to go to Bush Highway, but to the parking lot.

We had no idea whether there would be snakes or birds or anything else in the 4-5" green leafy ground cover but we went trekking on.  I paused when I noted wide washed-out areas around tree trunks. I must have turned slightly back to say that and when I turned forward, I dropped -- waist deep into a sink hole hidden beneath the lush green ground cover!!  My hips stopped my descent and I never touched bottom. My friends, of course, were immediately in front of me wanting to help. Putting my toes against the front of the hole I used upper-body strength at the top of the hole to hoist myself up onto my knees from where my friends then gently pulled me up to standing. Jogging my feet a bit, everything felt okay. I did comment that I thought I might be bleeding but one of the women assured me that my water bottle had been on my left side (and maybe helped stop me) and it was just mud.

So, we continued birding our way back to the parking lot, about another quarter mile or so (feeling no pain).

Only when I got home did I realize it was blood, not mud!  Long story short, something in the hole pierced my high left thigh. I'm guessing it was something projecting from a wet root and it found its way into my thigh. I never felt THAT. I was just jarred by the whole experience. It must have been soft wood. It's at a spot I couldn't see well, so Hinde (former nurse and birder) cleaned it out. The Urgent Care doctor told me the puncture wound was a narrow 1.5" burrow!  It can't be stitched since it needs to heal from the inside out. Care involves changing dressings every two days. Hopefully, my doctor's office will remain open to continue to do that for me for the next couple weeks.

We had all agreed that it was a good birding trip with which to end our first season -- I just had to add that exclamation point!

Looking forward to continuing with the Pueblo Birders next year.

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View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S66137200

THE SALT RIVER RECREATION SITES ARE NOW CLOSED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

(With children out of school, families were gathering there)

Beautiful Day of Birding along the Lower Salt River, Maricopa County, AZ

Monday, March 9, 2019

What a wonderful day we had out at Goldfield Recreation Area long the Salt River in Maricopa County!  Weather and birds seemed perfect!

With Jan R., Mare Y., Glenda J. and myself from my community, we spotted 34 species with multiple birds within most species in a bit over three (3) hours. PHAINOPEPLA was most definitely the most prevalent bird from start to finish of our walk.

Many female PHAINOPEPLA

 Even More Male PHAINOPEPLA

Walking on river rock is difficult so we quickly found our way up to the flat more meadow-like  bluff a bit higher than the Salt River. Tiny yellow and blue flowers on the desert floor provided a very spring-like appearance to the area. Along with palo verde, mesquite, willow and cottonwood trees were yucca, prickly pear, chain-fruit and teddy-bear cholla cactus.

Mexican or California Poppy

Two COMMON MERGANSER, flew by twice (east, then west) without dropping down to the water within our view.

While waterfowl on the high-flowing river was scarce, we were thrilled to see a small group of female and first-year HOODED MERGANSER foraging together below us on the opposite side of the river. 

HOODED MERGANSER (female and young--note bill color)

ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER was calling actively before we got beyond the parking lot and continued to be present as we put some distance behind us.

For such a desert habitat, it was delightful seeing six (6) NORTHERN CARDINAL, mostly male.

Striking me as unusual, the ABERT'S TOWHEE were up in the mesquite instead of foraging on the lush grasses. Must be showing off for mating times.

ABERT'S TOWHEE

Not my favorite bird by a long shot, this BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, below, looked dazzling in the sunlight.

Parasitic Bird - BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD

One bad habit of the BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD is to lay its eggs in another bird's nest, allowing that bird to raise its young. 

Once, I saw one of my favorite little desert birds, a BLACK-TAILED GNATCATCHER (below) feeding a big BHCO. Tied my stomach up in knots....

Mare was birding actively for the first time, although she feeds birds and enjoys nature. We told her not to expect every outing to provide the number of BALD EAGLE present today.

The first one we saw was a probably two-year old, still mostly black with some striations of white on the wings and under parts but still very large and dark.

Photo by Glenda Jones

With Nest Watchers present, we were able to see a mature BALD EAGLE on its nest where apparently little wings stretched out. Watchers reported seeing two young doing that occasionally. The most active adult BALD EAGLE was the one hunting for food to carry back to the nest...the one we photographed in several different locations.

Having walked to the sandstone cliffs on the north side of the Salt, we saw a conservative count of twenty (20) CLIFF SWALLOWS.  

HOUSE FINCH (19) were active throughout the desert as were VERDIN (10), our smallest songbird with gray body sporting a yellow head and tiny pointy beak.

VERDIN  [Photo by Glenda Jones]

We returned to the parking lot by way of horse trails away from the river. We couldn't have asked for a much better day!!

Be sure to check out our list with photos at the link below.

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View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S65617733

Madera Canyon area in Santa Rita Mountains, Pima & Santa Cruz Counties, AZ

Sunday, March 1, 2020
On this week's outing with our community birders, we had our best luck at Madera Canyon's Santa Rita Lodge and Kubo B&B.

With overcast sky and a breezy temperature of mid-50's, birds were scarce at 9 a.m. as we searched the Madera Picnic Area and trail for the Elegant Trogon. Other birders were saying the same thing: "Where are the birds?"

L-R: Roxy, Gloria, Glenda, Judy, Karen

Obviously, birds came to the feeding stations, so after an hour of pursuing our "target" Elegant Trogon to no avail, we drove up to Santa Rita Lodge (in the Santa Rita Mountains).  There we could finally do our thing: BIRD (as a VERB).

Along with me, Gloria, Glenda, Roxy, Judy and Karen couldn't call out the many bird sightings fast enough! Roxy stuck with the hummingbirds for her joy!

RIVOLI'S (formerly MAGNIFICENT) HUMMINGBIRD  (above and below)

BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD

A superb find was the HEPATIC TANAGER showing brightly in a large green-leafed tree.

One of my favorite woodpeckers, the ARIZONA, showed up for us.

ARIZONA WOODPECKER

Seemingly always present at this feeding area, the ACORN WOODPECKERs were chasing one another or noisily calling out.

While WILD TURKEY are often present, I'd never seen as many as we counted today.  Because they would leave and return, there may have been as many as 35.

Two Tom Wild Turkey (Gould's)

During most of our time at Santa Rita Lodge, we kept an eye on a critter resting on a cabin roof. Finally, someone went into the gift shop and inquired as to what it might be. 

Giving us little to go on in its curled sleeping posture, it was easily identified when it awoke and stretched.  

White-nosed Coatimundi

Later, at Madera Kubo Cabins we saw some more good birds.
Below, a YELLOW-EYED JUNCO appears to be watching Karen watch a ground-level bird!

Two BRIDLED TITMOUSE at feeding trough.

One of many ACORN WOODPECKER throughout the canyon, this one was preparing for takeoff.

The WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH is one of those birds that will run both up and down a tree - or, in this case, a squirrel-protected feeding canister.

We topped off our day with a venture into Florida Canyon looking for the Black-capped Gnatcatcher - another bust. But it felt good to find a few birds out in the fields.

The long day was really fun since the birds were very different from our desert habitat ones. 

L-R: Roxy, Gloria, Glenda, Judy, Karen  [Proctor Road]

Link to eBird lists attached below.

"Til next time. . .  Enjoy the birds around you!!

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View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S65361643

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S65361840

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S65362622

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S65362825

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S65362997