Babs' Birding Experiences : Birding in Chandler, Maricopa County, Arizona

Saturday, 3/19/22

Rare that I head out to a popular site for birding on a weekend, I agreed to meet Lois Lorenz at Veterans Oasis Park (VOP) at 7:00 a.m.

Starting at the pond closest to the parking lot, I could see most waterfowl were along the shoreline directly across from me. (8 species)

Among those were more COMMON GALLINULE than I'd ever seen at one location - seven! So, I'll share some of the photos below: (formerly known as Moorhen)

Among the waders, I was surprised to see the two GREATER YELLOWLEGS that Lois spotted.

What blew my mind was my "spark bird" looking purple instead of green. Never had I observed a GREEN HERON in breeding plumage. I was grateful that I managed one decent photo out of several while it skitted away from me. Note its normal yellow legs showing bright red.

Focusing on the songbirds, I caught a pair of CURVE-BILLED THRASHER perched on top of a saguaro.

The GREAT EGRET, also in breeding plumage, was harder to photograph with all its plumes showing. During breeding time, its bill becomes orange with a dark culmen and its facial skin turns pale green. It grows long plumes that extend past its tail.

Hummingbirds were out and about on every trail we walked. But our species count was limited to just ANNA'S and BLACK-CHINNED, the latter being my first-of-season (FOS) sighting of one.