Babs' Birding Experiences : Birding Northwest of the Phoenix Valley, Wickenberg, Maricopa County, AZ

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

With four of our community birders planning to bird Hassayampa River Preserve while camping at nearby Lake Pleasant, those of us remaining in AJ decided to meet them at the Preserve at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, February 16th.

Leaving from home base at 6 a.m. and driving north, we were treated to a wink from the Full Moon as it slipped into the sky past a big cloud. Later, the clouds diffused providing colorful moon scenarios. Our cameras were tucked for the awaited birding.

The name “Hassayampa” comes from a Yavapai Indian word, hayesamo, meaning “following the water as far as it goes.” Apache Indians referred to it as the “upside-down river” because it flows underground most of the way (per the internet).

Having had successful rainfall during the summer monsoon and continuing months, the Hassayampa was more than drought-caused puddles and sand bars of some previous years. The width of the River (or lack thereof) made an impression on those seeing it for the first time. No, it is not a ditch; not a canal; it is a narrow river flowing through the Preserve. It was fresh, clear, and bubbling along as beautifully as I’ve ever seen it.

Checking out Palm Lake and some trails came first. Then we would Bird the River Ramble looking for the resident Red-shouldered Hawk and songbirds.

Lots of action around the edges of the picnic area kept us busy swinging binoculars from one bird to the other. One would continue running out from the shelter of downed branches to the wide dirt trail we walked — a HERMIT THRUSH.

Babs photo

At the lake -- such cuteness! An adult PIED-BILLED GREBE with a juvenile stayed close to the reeds as they swam. Glenda managed a good “catch” of the two through limbs and sticks beside us.

Photo by Glenda Jones

After finding a BLACK PHOEBE, ABERT’S TOWHEE, and several MALLARD at the pond, we turned onto the Mesquite Meander trail. Starting out on that trail appeared to be a poor choice with few if any birds calling or flying about. But when we got away from the sound of traffic out on Route 60 and turned north under the trees with open space, we came upon several different mixed flocks of songbirds. With poor lighting (too much sun and or too little) photos below are from my files.

HOUSE WREN. Babs file photo

PHAINOPEPLA. (female) Babs file photo

LESSER GOLDFINCH-male. Babs file photo

WESTERN BLUEBIRD - Babs file photo

The Mesquite Meander delivered us back to Palm Lake, so we birded around the far side of it in order to have fully circled the lake. SONG SPARROWs like to be around water.

Babs file photo

From the Lake, we descended the few stairs to the river. It was out on this River Ramble Trail that we managed to get our eyes on two raptors overhead appearing to contest territory. The larger bird, RED-TAILED HAWK, was being driven off by the shorter, broader, shorter-winged RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. In contrast to the RED-TAILED, the RED-SHOULDERED HAWK has a long barred tail (dark/light) and a checkerboard pattern on the light trailing edge of its orangeish wings. Its "fingers" at the tips of the wings appear longer and farther apart than on many other raptors. In today's lighting, Roxie commented on the aura produced by the sunlight moving through those slender fingers. That same sun prevented an overhead photo.