Early Morning Birding at a popular local site, Maricopa County, AZ

 Wednesday, June 1, 2022

    Sensing that it had been many weeks since I'd checked out the birds at Gilbert Water Ranch, I headed there after breakfast. Arriving at 5:20, the parking lot was far from empty. It's light at this hour. With the temperature at 71°F for a June morning, it was definitely time to grab the opportunity.

    A BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, from its perch in the bushes, was watching its juvenile in another bush. Top photo is adult; lower one, the juvie. Both have red eyes.

 

At several ponds, Mallard females with juveniles were a common sight; below.Below is a juvenile Mallard duckling losing its fuzzy down feathers in favor of more practical ones.In the foreground, below the observing GREEN HERON and SNOWY EGRET, swim juvenile Mallard ducklings.

Adult BLACK-NECKED STILT, followed in the second photo by its juvenile.

Juvenile CANADA GOOSE growing out of its fuzzy feathers, below.

Not all the waterfowl were accompanied by young. Pleasantly surprised to find a pair of CINNAMON TEAL on one of the ponds, I clicked off their photograph, too. Most waterfowl have already migrated North. Drake has the red eye; female, the dark eye.

Another lingering duck was one AMERICAN WIGEON, below:

Since a juvenile NEOTROPIC CORMORANT is browner than the darker adult's black appearance, I'll venture to say this may be a young bird, above. Or, the beautiful color may be a feature of sunlight and shadows. At any rate, I was quite taken with it.

There were many more birds, but photos are not always worthy of including here. If you care to see the eBird list, check out:

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S111875723

                                Hope to see some of you birders out in the field soon.