An Exceptional Few Days in Southeast Arizona: July 21-24, 2021

 Thursday, July 22, 2021

    So green! In place of last year's "Nonsoon," we're having a pleasant monsoon with much-needed rainfall in our very dry desert. Of course, when it comes down all at once, there is an immediate overflow of streams, gutters, and dips in roadways. With rain in the forecast for our destination for the next three days, we were taking a chance.

    Having picked up Lois Lorenz early in Tempe, we arrived at our southern-most birding spot, Amado WTP, at 7:40 a.m. We found two BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK(s) resting on a piece of machinery that appears to stir the pond. 

    BARN SWALLOWs were active over the water and some additional ducks were out on the pond. We included this site mostly for its pink-billed and pink-legged BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKs.

    The roadside was full of blooming Arizona Poppies. Although they resemble the California poppy of springtime, the Arizona poppy blooms July through August. They have red centers. (Latin name: Kallistroemia grandiflora)

    Rare to see the hills so green along I-19, it seemed restful to our eyes. I took photos just because. As you probably know, Ocotillo leaves turn green with sufficient water. Normally, the plant appears to be dead sticks erupting from the hillsides as if reaching. Not today; they were fully leafed out.

       At Montosa Canyon, we spent a slow one and one-half hours (79°F) just walking back and forth on the dirt road around the culvert area. One of our first singing birds was the rare FIVE-STRIPED SPARROW -- our target bird. Singing repeatedly, it drove me nuts when I couldn't locate it. So I stepped back farther from the area where it was singing and, finally, on a top limb farther back, was our bird.

    Not a great photo because it doesn't show all its head stripes, but what does show is enough for anyone who knows the bird to be confident that the singing bird was the FIVE-STRIPED SPARROW. Unfortunately, after I took the photo, the bird seemed to think, "Well, it's about time you found me," and flew off. 

    Several RED-TAILED HAWK circled overhead.

        This BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD, below, appears to have found a puddle in which to take a bath. It's fluffing its feathers dry. Birds like rain; it helps rid them of mites.

    

    A BLUE GROSBEAK made a quick appearance:

    A young male SUMMER TANAGER gave me pause; it was not a Western Tanager. But, oh, yes, I've seen you before: a juvenile male not yet fully red-colored as its parent, posted below the young one.

      Farther north on I-19, was a new favorite spot: Canoa Ranch Conservation Park. In addition to its big pond, many trails continue to be cut through grassy areas where birds abound in season.

    Floating around aimlessly on the pond were several ducks, including three REDHEADs.

       A few flowering plants were still in bloom.

My favorite sighting at the Ranch were two land birds: a pair of BRONZED COWBIRDS:

Female is at the top of pictures below; male beneath it.

    Heading next to the Carrie Nation Trail high in Madera Canyon, we spotted two WILD TURKEY foraging beside the roadway.

    But birds had already had their morning feed and were not yet out in great numbers for a later meal.  (11:30 to 1:00). 

    When we heard the barking of an ELEGANT TROGON we got excited. Soon, another birder, one from Tucson (Linda McNulty), came up to our location reporting having seen several trogon at a specific location near the top of the picnic area.  As she went upward, we slowly returned down the dirt trail. Hearing the trogons again, we knew if we heard them clearly, they were not far distant. So, I risked going down a steep bank (walking stick in the car), to see if I could locate any.

    It seems that I flushed one from its perch. What a view of a red and green flying missile that launched itself out of my range!

    Driving down to Santa Rita Lodge and its wide feeding station for birds kept us well occupied for the next several hours. A few photos are posted below: ACORN WOODPECKER, a juvenile RIVOLI'S HUMMINGBIRD (formerly known as Magnificent HB); LESSER GOLDFINCH; BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD and ARIZONA WOODPECKER.

    

    With few birders at the feeding station on a weekday, we chatted a while with a family of birders who had come to Arizona to get away from the Heat Dome lingering over eastern Oregon! Had to laugh at that one. But, yes, during a real monsoon season, our temps are reasonable, not nearly as hot as they are in June and definitely not as hot as our northwestern states this month.

     Having discovered that the Elf Owl's young had fledged and the adult had left the nest, we decided to drive to the top road to listen for owls. We heard a WHISKERED SCREECH OWL as our only one before we drove down again. Before it got that dark, though, we watched a Coatimundi enter into Santa Rita Lodge territory snuffing around the ground. 

    The next morning, July 23rd, we drove down to Patagonia Town Park with the hope of finding the reported White-tailed Kites in the area. Pleasantly surprised to see a nice extension to the median park area, we walked the full perimeter taking note of the species seen.

    Another birding hotspot down there is the Patagonia Roadside Rest which is hosting a couple ROSE-THROATED BECARD this year. As we pulled into the area, a birder with a huge camera was preparing to get into his car. Asking for tips on how to find the birds (I had directions in hand but much rain and wind had happened since I had picked up the notes.)  Following his directions, we found an area full of their calls, but do you think I could find their nest? Frustrating, I got warbler-neck looking high in all the sycamores with branches out over the water. Never getting a clear view of either bird, we settled for a "heard only" Becard.

    The roadside rest has been reliable over the years for THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD, and that one was very visible although too distant for my camera. A GILDED FLICKER and a ZONE-TAILED HAWK were two other good sightings at that location, as was a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT that is more often heard than seen. Photo below.

    Paton Center for Hummingbirds was our next stop, known well for its reliable sightings of a VIOLENT-CROWNED HUMMINBIRD. Photos below. I like the elegant look of this bird.

    A YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO visited Lois while she ate lunch at a picnic table at Paton's yard near the paved road. She watched it fly back and forth across the street to a pine, and then, carrying apparent nesting material, it landed in the tree adjacent to her picnic table. It wasn't until I heard the Cuckoo's voice that I got myself over there to see it, too. About to press the button to take its photo, the Cuckoo, took off again.  

    At Patagonia Lake State Park, we drove around and walked just the entrance portion of the Birding Trail (it's usually moist down closer to the water, so we had no desire to go down in this weather).  Feeders were empty, so birds were scarce. 

    The Lake, surrounded by so much greenery looked amazing.

    Arizona does poppies quite well. They were here, too, along the path we had entered.

    Taking a photo of an unknown lizard of some sort, I think I've named it correctly by calling it a Striped Whiptail. Try to follow the length of the tail in photo below. (Let me know if I got it wrong)

       When we were about to leave to bird Las Cienegas grasslands on Saturday morning, we discovered it was raining. Thus, we decided to pack and leave for home. We did pull into the paved area of Las Cienegas off of Rt. 83, then followed the turn in toward the Ranch (and restroom). Muddy...muddy...muddy...slippery muddy.  It seems that a Cowboy event was scheduled for today; free breakfast was being served we were told, but I skidded back out of there and drove home through rain almost all the way to Apache Junction.

 Having not enjoyed an overnight bird outing for two years due to Covid, the birding spots in the Southeastern part of Arizona managed to please us, no end. We spotted 84 species, total.

    As usual, links to eBird lists are below if you care to view them.

    Until next time..,stay healthy, be kind.

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View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S92241589

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S92243214

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S92249537

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S92272801

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S92273837

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S92277237

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S92276466

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S92278492

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S92279006

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S92279766

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S92280474

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S92284098

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S92284701

    

A Steamy Fourth of July, 2021, Maricopa County, AZ

 Sunday, July 4, 2021

    Loved seeing so many active people out and about this early Sunday, Holiday morning! BUT, at 5:00 a.m., the parking lot at Granite Reef Recreation Area was full. I got stuck in a line of vehicles trying to, at this point, just drive through the one-way route. Quickly, when a couple young people realized they shouldn't have started removing their kayaks from the top of their car right in the street, they tied up the one end that was loose and moved forward. They needed to go out into the street, too.  Every available spot was taken. 

    Wanting to park along the roadside as so many vehicles usually do, I chickened out. Did not want a ticket for parking next to all the Do Not Stop or Park Here signs. So, I drove ahead to the next open dirt area available for parking at a new trailhead. Not wanting to bird that area, I decided I would work my way back to the picnic area, then on to the dam. Under an overcast sky and 77°F, I didn't care how far I needed to walk. It just felt good to be out here again. (Total: 2.8 miles)

   Several years back, a few of us would bird this area by the dirt parking lot. At the time we named it, "Moorhen City Marsh."  It was full of Common Gallinule, formerly known as Moorhen. But, the river has rearranged itself and that area is gone.

    Birds, however, were singing all through the thick, invasive tamarisk. GAMBEL'S QUAIL were out and about on the ground. But the dominant song coming from this thickly treed area was the male COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (below).  Its song continued by other Common Yellowthroats in the reeds and trees along my walk all the way past the picnic area.

    Taking at least a bit of pause to scour the trees around me for the reported Chestnut-sided Warbler, I took photos of what I thought was a warbler, but even that turned out to be a VERDIN.

    Walking the trail westward toward the dam felt like a walk through a steam room! With a really nice steady rain last night, the ground was moist, the air was hanging on to the moisture! Not quick to perspire, I think my thin long-sleeved shirt got soaked from the moisture in the air. No problem; our air is usually so dry, this feeling of being wet while walking was a good thing!

    On the water, some COMMON GALLINULE were pecking around on a spit of ground offshore just slightly above the waterline. (formerly Moorhen)

    It's not every day I catch an ABERT'S TOWHEE up in a tree.  Ground-scratching birds, this one was dodging the many GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE in the area busily feeding young.

ABERT'S TOWHEE

GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE

    Not letting the Great-tailed Grackle get the best of it, a  NORTHERN CARDINAL foraged in the dirt of the picnic area.

    COMMON YELLOWTHROAT continued to sing from the reeds beside the trail, but they stayed well hidden. I felt lucky to get the photos already posted above.

    Although I spotted both a GREAT and SNOWY EGRET, they foraged on the opposite side of the Salt River near the dam, where the river is too wide for photos. At a more narrow part of the river, I did catch a GREAT BLUE HERON on the lookout for breakfast.

    And after seeing one ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER after another this season moving about or in postures not conducive to a good photo, I finally caught up with one that gave me its time.

    Returning from the muddy trail at the edge of the Salt near the dam, I happened to look up across the water retention basin (barely any water) to see three BLACK VULTURE perched.

    It felt wonderful to just be out birding again. The temperature remained within the 80s before I headed home. If it is 80 at 4:30 a.m., I stay home knowing that it will get hotter fast.

    On a separate note, I had the pleasure of making a Birding House Call last week!  Although I allowed my Birding Pal membership to lapse intentionally, my name still shows up, but the link doesn't work.  So, this man in Kansas tried to find me on the internet and did. Kind of scary actually...until he told me what he wanted. His father, who lives about 20 minutes away, was about to turn 85, and his son, in Kansas, didn't want to just repeat sending restaurant gift cards. When he thought about what his Dad really liked, he realized that on phone calls his Dad talked about all the birds in his backyard. Thus, the Birding House Call. Both the Birthday Man and wife enjoyed our time together. The son was surprised that I would do it. I let him know something like that, unexpected, thoughtful, and different was right down my alley.  

    So, if you know anyone needing a Birding House Call ..... ;)

The link to my bird list for today at Granite Reef is below.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S91229355

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