Tuesday, May 24, 2022
At least six weeks had elapsed since I last stepped foot on the dirt road beyond the parking lot at Coon Bluff Rec Area to check in with the birds.
Lois L. and I were stopped in our tracks by an amazing greeting by a male VERMILLION FLYCATCHER. Its display or happy dance seemed to say, "Glad to see you!"
More to the point possibly was this message: "Sorry for not showing up the last time you came by looking for me; I was guarding my nest. Guess what? I have babies!" ....followed by more wing flaps directly in front of us. Then it flew down to the ground.
Only then did I pull my camera. Thus, I do not qualify as a "photographer" who would have captured the wonderful display it provided us.
Within the 2.5 hours we walked around the grounds (mesquite bosque, river trail, the out-east trail), we found no Vermillion Flycatcher babies, but did find a female VERMILION (above).
Insects were thick above the high-running waters of the Salt River. LESSER NIGHTHAWK were feasting on them.
Challenging us on identification, we saw several juvenile birds.
The Juvenile VERDIN does not yet have its yellow head and face, but lifts its tail frequently as it hops around small branches. See below.
The ABERT'S TOWHEE young did not yet have black feathers on its face at the base of its bill.
Killdeer juvies had me going for a while wondering why a single breast band of a possible plover was playing on a gravely spit. (Look closely) Then, I saw its parent: a KILLDEER with the full two breast bands. - below:
A first of season sighting was the BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER, always a joy to see.
BRONZED COWBIRD happen to be more plentiful this year than in past years here at Coon Bluff. This stocky bird has a thick ruff on its neck that, during mating season, is frequently seen in various positions. Its red eye stands out.
A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was also a first-of-season (FOS) sighting for me. More frequently heard than seen, I called Lois over to take a look. (Below)
With such mild temperatures by the cold-running river, there were many "horse searchers" at Coon Bluff, too. They were rewarded with upwards of 15 horses milling around just beyond the picnic/camping area. Surviving in the wild, these horses can look really beat up sometimes. Today, they still looked healthy and well as they nibbled stubs of grass in the deep desert sand.
Although I kept thinking about the very very green Costa Rica I had so recently left, the desert birding got me "home." It was a great day!
Until next time....and the times keep getting earlier and earlier....
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S111166885
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