Title: Global Big Day of Birding, Pinal County, Arizona

Saturday, May 8, 2021

    On Friday evening (5/7/21) I heard from Kathe Anderson, well known local bird leader telling me that she had a family matter that would keep her from doing her planned Team exploration of Oak Flat and Superior for the Global Big Day. Knowing that I’ve been phasing out my group participation in favor of solo explorations at various places, she asked if I was locked in for the Migratory Birding Day in Arizona.

    As luck would have it, “No.”  And, Oak Flat is one of my favorite birding spots. So, I said, “Sure.”  I would step in and help her out. Arrangements were then made with the two participants on her team. Thus, the three of us headed east to Oak Flat Campground located about 4.5 miles beyond Superior.

    With Covid restrictions, I hadn’t birded Oak Flat for more than a year and was eager to see what we might find during this spring migration.

    Jane B. and Linda H., competent birders that have been going out for quite a number of years themselves, were enjoyable company and contributed a good portion of verified species to our count.

    Starting at 6:00 a.m., Oak Flat Camp Ground in the Tonto National Forest, provided us with a chorus of birds. We followed sparrows foraging in tall grasses and short manzanita bushes in the chilly morning.

    Covering the open areas beyond the awakening campers, we came up with GRAY, VERMILLION, and BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER and one CASSIN’S KINGBIRD.  We first heard a JUNIPER TITMOUSE and then saw the tiny bird flit from one bush to another. A male WESTERN BLUEBIRD with its rounded head and bright color was a treat standing on a pile of brush on the ground.  

    By the time we wrapped up 3 hours and 20 minutes later, we had observed 5 Sparrow species (Black-chinned, Black-throated, Lark, White-crowned, and Vesper); 5 Warbler species (Lucy’s, Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Townsend’s, and Wilson’s) as well as some expected Canyon and Spotted Towhee, Hooded and Bullock’s Oriole. More surprising to me were the number of BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK (6) and one BLUE GROSBEAK.  

    A pair of BRONZED COWBIRD in one of the emory oaks was one of my best surprises of the morning.

    The oak trees there reminded me of what was called “Live Oak” in Virginia. Well, good reason for that; they are the same species. The glossy yellow/green leaves on these oaks drop and are replaced so indiscriminately one by one, that there is no noticeable time that the tree is not full of leaves.  Leaves and photographs are difficult challenges for me especially when “counting” is our purpose.

    Below I’ve posted a few of the good and the poor photos. And, as usual, the eBird list is available for viewing when you click the link at the end of this Oak Flat CG report.

LARK SPARROW

BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK

VERMILLION FLYCATCHER

SPOTTED TOWHEE (it's red-eye doesn't show well)

This is why silhouettes of birds are important!  BLUE GROSBEAK

TOWNSEND'S WARBLER-- above & below

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S87512625

    Two ancillary birding sites were included on this portion of the Superior Bird Count for Global Big Day: Superior Community Park and the "Jungle".  

    From Oak Flat CG we returned to the center of town along Route 60 where the Superior Community Park is located. Its big red train caboose marks the spot. 

    With still more shade trees and picnic tables above a dog run, birds were in and out and everywhere as we paused to relax and eat a bite. It seems arrangements had been made to get together with the Birding Team of Green Valley for lunch but I was unaware of that and carried my own. With an early start to birding, it's not unusual for us to pull out lunch around 9 to 10 a.m.  I knew Lois and Julie were counting at Green Valley so I gave Lois a call. I had a bit of signal but she may not have had. [Later, Lois told me the call rolled right to voice mail and she didn't get it on the spot. They, however, didn't finish until after 1 p.m., so we were off-schedule for the planned lunch anyway.] 

    For the 35 minutes we relaxed and birded there, we collected 14 species, with several new ones to add to our overall list. But more than that, it's just fun to see a pair of VERMILLION FLYCATCHER flitting about;  an ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER doing its "catching"; a BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER and BREWER'S SPARROW occupied, each with its own agenda.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S87518042

    The Jungle.  I had no clue what was meant by that but Jane had plugged it into her GPS so we headed for Apache Tear Road, still within Superior.  It's likely we didn't find a way into the "jungle" if, indeed it was the stretch of willow/cottonwood trees along Queen Creek. 

    Continuing to drive and stop when we heard a bird here or there was not nearly as productive as it would have been earlier in the day. But we found a great spot.  Linda had located a number of birds going to and from what appeared to be a spring and a nice muddy area,  Wow! 

Jackpot!  With a RED-TAILED HAWK, the first of the day overhead, we also spotted both a SUMMER and WESTERN TANAGER in the spring area along with a few other species. Maybe THIS WAS the jungle!! It was a dense forest with a little muddy clearing. For me, it will be The Jungle from now on!

    Considering that Jane and Linda had left home an hour before reaching me, we all agreed the species we had just observed were "icing on the cake!"  It had been a great day of birding together. With a total of 53 species total from these three locations, it was a very respectable report to submit and if it was as birdy all over the state as it had been for us, it should have contributed to a great Pinal County Report.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S87520047

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