Babs' Birding Experiences : Fountain Hills Lake, Maricopa County, AZ

January 11, 2023

With our community birders, who carpooled to the Lake at Fountain Hills, seven of us birded for a little over two hours, beginning at 9:30 a.m. The temperature was a cool 52℉ and the sky was partly cloudy. When the sun came through, it warmed to 64 degrees. A very pleasant day, especially if you enjoy hundreds of two bird species!

AMERICAN COOT and AMERICAN WIGEON were abundant at a count of 407 and 351 respectively.

Although I missed a BRONZED COWBIRD seen by others, I managed to see a good sampling of birds not found in my usual go-to birding spots.

This DOMESTIC GOOSE is not a countable bird on eBird, but it caught my attention.

female AMERICAN WIGEON - note "smudgy" eye

male AMERICAN WIGEON

Male CANVASBACK front; RUDDY DUCK, rear

In the photo above, you can see that birds do not always give us their best view. Birders familiar with the diagnostic features, including its very white back and sloping forehead, can easily distinguish it from other less dramatically colored species.

male RUDDY DUCK with its white cheek, dark cap and bill (non-breeding season)

SPOTTED SANDPIPER minus its spots in its non-breeding season. Note white spur at its shoulder.

KILLDEER held its own around people, not flushing from its foraging

Although I had high hopes of finding several HOODED MERGANSER, the only one we found was a female in a cove where my photo turned out poorly. It dove down almost as soon as it surfaced; I was too slow. The photo below is from my files (taken locally).female HOODED MERGANSER