Local Birding this Past Week, Pinal and Maricopa Counties, AZ

1)    Pinal County - Wednesday, February 17, 2021

2)    Maricopa County - Monday, February 22, 2021

3)    Maricopa County - Wednesday, February 24, 2021

First:  

For the limited number of five masked participants in delightfully clear but cool weather, my Bird Walk at Lost Dutchman State Park resulted in our observing 18 species. As usual I arrived early at Saguaro Parking area and couldn't believe the bird sitting on top of a bush on the median dividing the lot: the desert BENDIRE'S THRASHER.  So, it went on our list but I was confident we would see others as we walked a loop on trails through Cholla area, up to Jacob's Crosscut and back down to Saguaro.  We did see two more on our walk.

Many of the new-to-birding participants had never seen nor heard of the PHAINOPEPLA, of which we saw many. The group was quite taken with the suave appearance of the BLACK-THROATED SPARROW and its bravery in tolerating our presence.

For me, the best sighting was two GILDED FLICKER cavorting together that I was unable to photograph.

When I'm leading a group, I seldom take photos, but these two provided the opportunity:

1) BENDIRE'S THRASHER on jojoba bush at parking lot;

2) BLACK-THROATED SPARROW observed several times on our Bird Walk.

For more details, feel free to check out the eBird List at the following link:

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S81818482

SECOND:

Having put in some good time on home projects over the weekend, I decided to check out the birds at Coon Bluff Recreation Area along the Lower Salt River in Mesa, Maricopa County, AZ.

One of my favorite spots to bird and one that I've written of many times, I've decided to just drop photos to show the interesting birds that can be found in our Sonoran Desert.

Female PHAINOPEPLA - note red eye; gray color overall and crest

KILLDEER - Salt River is running low

BLACK PHOEBE - many were hawking insects over the river

VERMILLION FLYCATCHER (above and below) with shade and light playing on it

BEWICK'S WREN above is hard to see. But its supercilium or eyebrow in obvious as its its tail

GREATER YELLOWLEGS (above and below)

For eBird checklist link, see: View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S82157607

THIRD:

Most recently, I took part-time visitor Sherri Musgrove to the Salt River locations so she could find them herself.  A photographer, she enjoyed our time at both Granite Reef Rec Area and Phon D. Sutton as I tried to locate the two TRUMPETER SWANs that had been making the Salt River at Granite Reef their home since early December, 2020. 

Having already determined the TRUMPETER SWANs were not at the dam area of the Salt, I had gone up to Bush Highway when the east path got too difficult to traverse. A young man parked in his car on the opposite side of Bush Highway called over and asked if I was searching for them. He told me he paddle boards every morning and he's seen them recently farther upstream where access is closer from entering Phon D Sutton Rec Area.  I thanked him for his directions to his known location there, but after driving farther east and entering that Area and walking much farther than I think I needed to do, I still came up with NO TRUMPETER SWAN.  I'll keep watching eBird for anymore sightings.

My photos from the day:

Three CANVASBACK 

CINNAMON TEAL in flight

GADWALL

Juvenile BLACK PHOEBE (still more brown than black)

VERMILLION FLYCATCHER (Male)

In addition to birds, two Javelina were on Native Land North shore: an adult and young one.

When we explored Phon D. Sutton, I came upon two feral horses, one of which decided way too many people at that location at the confluence of the Verde River with the Salt.

I got a photo of the one that hung around a bit longer.

For more details, check out these eBird checklists:

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S82261512

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S82267731