Surprises at a local birding hot spot, Maricopa County, AZ

 December 1, 2022

      With a late start of 9:30 a.m., I was surprised at the number of active birds as I walked only half the trails around the basins that form the last stage of the local Water Treatment Plant.

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON

GAMBEL'S QUAIL (male)

ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD (male)

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN   

    Good! Thus, I knew the pelicans were present but I had yet to see them at Pond 7, its previous location. Interestingly, the number of these pelicans has proliferated from the usual three to five birds to the 59 I counted today. Seeing so many reminded me of the 100th Monkey phenomenon. 

    Birds use neither i-Phones nor Facebook, so how do they communicate? Briefly, the 100th Monkey described what happened when a single monkey on an island of monkeys, took its food to the sea where it washed it before eating. Was it the salt the monkey liked? Or, just the cleanliness? After a few others mimicked that behavior, all the monkeys started following that new "fad". But, then, inexplicably, monkeys on other islands nearby, having had no physical contact with this original tribe, began doing the same thing. Conjecture assumes the original tribe reached a point of critical mass carrying the behavior throughout the species. Perhaps it is the idle assumption that the birds communicated this ideal location in that way. But it reminded me very much of how much or how little we know about communication among birds and other wildlife.

    While viewing the pelicans, I almost tripped over the INCA DOVE, above.

    In a bush beside me, I spied a very stealthy quiet GREEN HERON (above) going about its business of searching for just the right fish.

More AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN

    Most often, the CURVE-BILLED THRASHER (above) goes onto my list having heard its "WHEET-WHEET" call. This morning I was able to track it down.

    At the next clearing, I spied a LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER working the mudflats, below:

At that point, another AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN flew overhead before deciding to join that extensive group at Pond 5. Note the position of the flaps on the wings and the landing feet beginning to lower.

    Enjoying myself for quite some time now, my feet were moving me back to my starting place, the parking lot at Gilbert Water Ranch. Having birded only the east side of the many acres of basins and trails, it had been a wonderful morning.

    Then! Guess who popped out from behind a bush to pose for me:

Whoops! One good look at me and . . .

GREATER ROADRUNNER

    What a day!

    Until next time...

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View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S123298132