Babs' Birding Experiences : Exploring a new birding area in Maricopa County, Arizona

Thursday, February 25, 2022

Birding friend, Lois L., shared with me her new birding location(s) in Queen Creek. Due to listening to my GPS instead of Lois, we ended up at the Queen Creek Wash Trail at two different locations. Not far apart, I called her to tell her I had arrived a bit East of her location at Power Road. So, we began walking toward one another.

On the North side of the Wash, my first bird was a COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD. Not nearly as frequent as the Anna's, I was thrilled to have the sun behind my back as I lifted my camera.

The Queen Creek Wash concrete trail runs at least five miles from S. Power Road past Ellsworth Road--on the South side of the Wash. With various pedestrian options to enter the Trail, I had erroneously ended up on the north side of the Wash at a playground (west of Sossaman Road). With the preserved land on each side of the Wash full of mature bushes and short trees, I was relieved when at an opening Lois and I caught sight of one another. With only mud in the wash, I was able to cross over to join her on the concrete trail.

Lois's first bird was a GREATER ROADRUNNER! Missing a photo of that one, we were greatly surprised to find a total of four (4) along our walk together.

Many were perched on tree or bush limbs trying to get warm. While we may wear a down jacket, these clever birds spread their top wings away from the down on their backs, letting the sun warm its finer feathers. Bringing their wings together above that heated down. See below.

GREATER ROADRUNNER with wings drooped low to expose down on its back to the sun.

As we walked the concrete trail, birds presented themselves by voice and, with luck, a sighting. Singing its heart out as it warmed up, a CURVE-BILLED THRASHER's voice accompanied us for quite a while. Below.

Always on the lookout for a small morsel for breakfast, the COOPER'S HAWK, below held its position.\

In such good desert habitat, we also found a BLACK-TAILED GNATCATCHER. A SAY'S PHOEBE was busy flycatching. Sallying out from its perch, it would catch something, bring it back to swallow, and wait to take off again.

The flocks of GOLDFINCH were mixed with both LESSER and LAWRENCE'S, see below.

LESSER GOLDFINCH: Babs file photo above

LESSER GOLDFINCH as observed along Queen Creek Wash Trail (above)

Male Lawrence's Goldfinch has a black face and cap

Digging deeper into my files, I found a decent photo of a male LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH taken at Santa Gertrudis Lane, south of Tucson a couple years ago.

Babs' file photo above

Female LESSER GOLDFINCH-top left; Male LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH-bottom right

Female LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH

Surprised when we came upon a lake on the north side of the Trail, we walked up to see what might be swimming around. Ah, one of my favorite ducks - REDHEAD.

With about fifty RING-NECKED DUCK out on the lake, I took a photo of a male and a female

drake/hen

With marvelous, albeit cool weather (40-57°F), we were thrilled with our first venture to this unique and well-preserved wetland.

The previous week, on Saturday, February 19th, Lois shared another new trail with me, also located in Queen Creek, south of the Queen Creek Wash.

Sonoqui Wash Trail, accessed off of Power and Ocotillo, delivered one special bird, the MONK PARAKEET. They construct a large nest out of short sticks. See my photos below. What a Joy!