A Really Hot Birding Hot Spot This Morning, Maricopa County, AZ

 Local Birding Hot Spot: 10/28/22

   Having allowed two months to slip by since I last visited one of the best wintering grounds for waterfowl, I was gobsmacked with the number of ducks, wading birds, and passerines feasting at Gilbert Water Ranch.

    One of my favorite ducks was back: GREEN-WINGED TEAL. This American short-bodied, stocky duck, is considered our smallest duck. Foraging from the surface (not a diving duck), the handsome male's feathers appeared worn and bedraggled. Can you imagine flying from the northern reaches of North America to Arizona without a windshield? 

    AMERICAN AVOCET, below, generally winters here. A rather quiet wading bird, they work as a flock in moving through shallow water moving their long beaks back and forth to stir up tasty morsels.

    Two Juvenile PIED-BILL GREBEs were on their own at this same Basin #7 at this water recharge facility. No adult in sight; perhaps diving nearby and I missed it.

    Photographers were gathered at this same spot for the superb and unannounced attraction: about two dozen AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. This is a BIG bird with a 9-foot wingspan. Scooping up pouches of water filled with whatever fishy morsels it contained, the pelicans were not shy. Working the pond close to its open edges, I was thrilled to get some close-up pictures.

    All of the above photos were taken at that one Pond. 

Walking on, there were birds everywhere I turned. Some were on the ground; some in the air; a few perched, and many more were foraging in the basins filled with water.   GAMBEL'S QUAIL scratching for breakfast

COMMON GALLINULE (formerly known as Moorhen)

Juvenile GREAT BLUE HERON

    A fabulous outing! 

        More later now that cooler weather prevails.

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View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S121446370

    

A Bit of Birding, Pinal and Maricopa County, Arizona 9/30; 10/6; & 10/13.

Friday, September 30, 2022

    The monsoon season has kept our temperatures low enough to get out and enjoy some of our preserved spaces. Beginning at 6:15 a.m., I began walking the trails at Granite Reef Rec Area along the Lower Salt River. 

    

    A VERMILLION FLYCATCHER and a BLACK PHOEBE were both vocal and busy fly-catching close to the river. They were the early birds; many others were not yet up and about. 

River Otters could be seen swimming, sometimes with the westward flowing current; other times swimming upstream. That seemed a good omen to me that they inhabited those waters.

    At one of the trail-side clearings that enabled a good view of the river, I walked in but smelled a very strong odor of javalina. I saw none. So, I made quick work of scanning the river. I didn't want to have the river as my only escape route if a herd of javelina came upon me from the rear.

    Not to fear; none came. So I headed to and reached the very muddy spit near the dam. Taking my time identifying waterfowl, I found nothing new to report of migrating birds out on the water but did have a WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE in the mesquite bosque.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S119705822

Thursday, October 7,  2022

    On winter hours, Jannie and I couldn't enter BTA until 8:00. A much later start for birding than usual for me, the temperature was a cool 72 degrees under a clear sky. Occasionally kissed by a light breeze, the day was perfect. 

    So much more than the birds captivated our attention: the blooms, the butterflies, the fragrances of more species than I could name. 

                                                                    Queen Butterflies

Salvia in background

Desert Spiny Lizard - perhaps

    Among the birds were a distant ROCK WREN; a juvenile BLACK-THROATED SPARROW; a female RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER and a male and female NORTHERN CARDINAL, all shown below in order.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S120081930

Thursday, October 13, 2022

    Hinde Silver and I explored Coon Bluff Recreation Area along the Lower Salt River on Thursday, 10/13.

    Beginning at 6:30 a.m., we managed to spot 25 species over a two-and-one-half-hour walk along the river and through the mesquite bosque. River Otter swam out in the river.

    My favorite bird of the morning was the ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, a bird I expected to have moved on from Coon Bluff by now. Or, was it a migrating bird? Very possible. As one of my favored birds, I made certain I got a photo, below.

    A stealthy GREAT BLUE HERON moved toward a catch.

    Approximately forty (40) feral horses stood in the river along the north shore of the Salt River pulling up river grass for breakfast. Several mares were obviously reaching their birthing time.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S120596503

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