Saturday, June 5, 2021
When I heard friend, Ann R. mention that she had never seen a Tri-colored Heron, I offered to do a quick run over to The Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch with her early Saturday morning.
Since the previous day's reports had located it at Pond 1, Pond 4, and Pond 6, we followed those sightings since the earliest reports came from Pond 1.
Finding not the Tri-colored Heron but a ROSEATE SPOONBILL on Pond 1, this, too, was a rarity but not a Lifer for Ann. A Spoonbill had visited the Water Ranch for many months before departing a few weeks ago and now is apparently back unless this is a different bird.
Rear View of ROSEATE SPOONBILL taken from 1/7 Trail
For this quick visit, we became quick counters of other species that brightened the morning:
51 BLACK-NECKED STILT, 5 each of SNOWY and GREAT EGRET, 2 GREEN HERON and 1 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON to go along with the single TRI-COLORED HERON we found far out on Pond 6 - a Five-Heron Day!!
Snowy Egret
Rare TRI-COLORED HERON (left) and BLACK-NECKED STILT (right) negotiating foraging rights
TRI-COLORED HERON - mostly blue upperparts and neck, white belly and underwing coverts.Note dagger-like bill
Note length of neck on the TRI-COLORED HERON - appears much longer than its body
With under an hour of walking and birding, we both felt refreshed and very glad we had taken the time from our schedules to check out the mostly east-coast TRI-COLORED HERON
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S89649268
FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2021
Arriving at Granite Reef Rec Area along the Lower Salt River minutes after 5 a.m., birds were already singing to welcome us to their space. Although we gather our gear quietly, the birds here know me, so one look and they need not stay hidden.
Almost too dark for photos, the VERMILLION FLYCATCHER posed between flights out for a good insect breakfast.
Vermilion Flycatcher: two photos above
Out the western trail along the Salt River to the dam, we spotted 6 ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS but only 1 BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD.
Large insects were thick over the river drawing in a large number (43 conservative count) of LESSER NIGHTHAWK busy hawking them up.
Lesser Nighthawk perched at Red Mountain (from my files as is the photo below)
Other very distant sightings included 3 BLACK VULTUREs perched on a snag across the river, their long white legs and short squared-off tail helping with the ID. Of course, having a gray head and face rather than red, was also helpful in discerning they were not Turkey Vulture.
Distant on the water was a single male RING-NECKED DUCK who, apparently, missed the flight call to migrate. Another great sighting was the male WOOD DUCK in basic plumage first reported by Diana Spangler out with other ducks on a spit slightly above the rivet water in the vicinity of the dam.
Closer by in the reeds, a male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD displayed for a female, also present.
Also in the nearby reeds, we heard two LEAST BITTERN. I played their call briefly for Lois to hear so she could appreciate what was hidden from us. I didn't want to call them out even though I think their nesting time is past.
LUCY'S WARBLER (16), YELLOW WARBLER (2), and a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (1) were our only warblers.
We didn't find the BULLOCK'S ORIOLE until we returned from a short hike out the trail along the river to the east. A male and female were heading in our direction from the picnic area!
In 2.5 hours of birding, together we spotted 43 species, a nice variety of birds for that habitat. Even with our 63°F early start, the temp had climbed to 85° by the time we finished walking 1.85 miles. The parking lot was full of water-sport vehicles carrying kayaks, paddleboards, and canoes.
Hope to see you in the field...these early summer days.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S89991445
Saturday, June 12. 2021
Waking quite early, I decided to head out to Coon Bluff before our daytime temperatures become too hot for good health. With the Salt River running high as it is now, temps there are about 10° cooler than where I live in the east Phoenix valley (desert). 57° when I began birding felt almost chilly and 67° when I finished was much cooler than the 85° at home. 111° forecast for today in Phoenix.
Arriving at dawn, I was puzzled by a chip call I didn't recognize. I was standing below the mesquite I thought it was coming from when out from a nest flew a male VERMILION FLYCATCHER giving me a look that said, "You didn't know that was ME?"
That proved to be a good start to an interesting day. Along with expected species at this location, I found some ground foraging birds that were difficult to ID from where I stood. Not wanting to flush them, I slipped around behind a tree with a larger trunk and bore down on them with my bins to discover quite a find.
A male BRONZED COWBIRD was obvious by his raised neck feathers as he pecked about in the packed sandy soil. When he began displaying to a light brownish female bird nearby, I figured it was his mate. Well, not exactly! She moved closer to her mate, the male BLUE GROSBEAK. This species was present last season as well, but certainly not a reliable place to find them.
Three photos below: BRONZED COWBIRD
The above photo shows its display toward a BLGR female
The three black-ish birds on the ground consisted of the One male BRONZED COWBIRD and two BLUE GROSBEAK, a male and female, shown below.
LESSER NIGHTHAWK provided a winged ballet over the river. It is hard to capture even the birds, let alone the music of their flight.
Many feral horses were ambling about among the mesquite beyond the fenced picnic area.
Although I'm not out as frequently as I was prior to Covid, I've developed some alternative habits for indoors that also fulfill me.
So, until I venture out again, maybe really early on these upcoming hot days, I wish you all a happy birding experience wherever you might have escaped the heat. Hopefully, I'll get to join you a few times in higher elevations, too.
TRI-COLORED HERON - mostly blue upperparts and neck, white belly and underwing coverts.
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