ASU RESEARCH PARK, Tempe, Maricopa County, AZ

Saturday, August 15, 2015

After yesterday’s 117° high, a visiting birding friend, Bari Silver, agreed to head out with me to go look for the Nanday Parakeets at ASU Research Park in Tempe, just west of the 101 on the north side of Warner Road.  

Since my doctor released me from my hard-cast boot on Thursday, I’ve been getting around in a pair of inexpensive running shoes twice my normal size (to accommodate a swollen foot).  Thus,  the Research Park, with its ponds, sidewalks, benches and easy-roadway access.

The South Pond is my favorite and the place I’ve found the Nandays on previous visits. Today, that didn’t happen.  But we had just reached the sidewalk when we spotted two warblers in a mesquite tree: a Wilson’s and a Nashville!  

That good omen for the morning was quickly reinforced when I spied a single Wilson’s Phalarope on the pond. Lighting was terrible, but I managed a photo of the surprising bird.

Wilson's Phalarope

Great-tailed Grackles were making so much noise in the pines and mesquites along the sidewalk, I checked them out to be sure they weren’t mixed in with the Nandays. Nope. No parakeets - just very noisy adult and young GTGR.

Mallards were on the pond with one Canada Goose and a hybrid of some sort with the White-faced Ibis marking around the base of the bill.  

Rarely do I walk past a Green Heron without trying for a photo and today, as it perched on a rock next to some marsh grasses was no exception.

Green Heron

Mostly, we ambled and caught sight of more song birds than waterfowl. As we moved toward the north end of the pond, we checked the palms next to the corporate buildings. 

Suddenly, a Brown Thrasher came into full binocular view! I know this bird from the east coast and quickly checked for its long rufous tail that matched its body color. It perched briefly at the top of the palm, showing its long slightly decurved bill, before going into the thickest part of the palm (where it begins to spread out from the trunk). For ten minutes we hung around that exact spot on the west side of the lake waiting to see that Thrasher again but we never saw it come out. Facing the building, it was in the left-most of three tall palms in front of an entrance to the T systems building with an S-curved entrance sidewalk. [I’m also familiar with the desert Sage Thrasher, a much smaller and lighter colored thrasher with a more distinct facial pattern and somewhat shorter bill.]

When we reached the end of the pavement at the north end, we thought we would sit on the bench under a spreading mesquite. The busy little birds in that tree had us up on our feet with our binoculars in no time.  The Nashville and Wilson’s were both there, but we didn’t count them a second time since we first saw them directly across on the south side of the pond.  Then we  spied a Black-throated Gray and a small drab acrobatic gray warbler that I thought would be a Lucy’s until it swung around on a limb and I spotted its yellow under-tail coverts — a Virginia’s Warbler! Even though I continued catching glimpses of the Virginia’s, I never saw a yellow breast spot so it may have been a young female.  

A couple Verdin were in and out and several Anna’s Hummingbirds also liked the mesquite.

Bird activity was already quieting by 8:45 a.m., but before heading home, we checked the other ponds in the Research Park. We saw no other waterfowl and deemed it too hot to get out and check the trees. We were happy with the phalarope, brown thrasher and the several migrating warblers that had given us such a very good two hours of birding on what was predicted to be another scorcher in the Phoenix area.  

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View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24626693

And for those of you who have inquired about my status from bunion surgery in June, the progression had gone like this:

June 18 - July 9:  Surgery and knee caddy - 21 days

July 9 to August 13:  Graduated to hard-cast boot for 36 days

August 13: Went from hard cast to a running shoe two sizes larger than my normal shoe size to adjust to walking again while my foot is still a bit swollen.  Physical therapy begins next Wednesday and I'll soon be out in the field more frequently.

Beeline Highway: Bushnell Tanks and Sunflower, Maricopa County, AZ

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Not all my birding friends share my excitement about birding Bushnell Tanks near Sunflower.  Lois L., however, was up for a first visit so she picked me up at 5:15 in order to begin birding there about an hour later.

Immediately, we heard many birds — more songs and calls than I could decipher, but I had just concluded that most were House Finches when one such male flew right up to us and perched on a small juniper. 

Located off of Route 87 to Payson, commonly called the Beeline Highway,  Bushnell Tanks’ elevation is about 2500 feet higher than the Phoenix Valley.  Sycamore Creek runs through the area to Sunflower.

Still in my hard cast boot, we stayed on the slightly uneven surface of the dirt Forest Road 22 after passing through the gate and did not continue along nor past Sycamore Creek which can entail some bushwhacking and very uneven territory.

In a nice mix of desert and riparian habitat of mesquite, juniper, willow and cottonwoods, we SAT along the road listening to flycatchers, vireos and verdin. We worked our way down the dirt road toward the creek with two more SIT stops  and were thrilled with the birds that came close and sang out. While I expect birds to sing in the spring, I was delighted to hear song from the Blue Grosbeak this time of year.

Two Cassin’s Kingbirds worked the high areas of the trees, while the grosbeaks were mid-level. Foraging on open ground, west of the dirt road right before the first cattle guard, were a flock of Lark Sparrows as well as a Chipping Sparrow in very bright breeding plumage. (eBird found the Chipper to be an anomaly at this time of year).  

Just as I picked up my sit-upon bucket to begin the trek back toward the car, I heard a “heavy” sound from the forest. Into our view walked a big black steer.  Lois and I were looking directly at 1000 pounds or more of pure indignation about “space invasion”.  It continued to glare at us, so we dropped our eyes and walked slowly and surely up the grade beyond Mr. Bull.

At this point, a very blue bird flew from a grove of tall trees west of us to a nearby juniper and sang. Knowing what it looked like, I played the song (iPhone app) of the Indigo Bunting. Bingo!  I chalked it up as my best sighting of the 28 species we saw at Bushnell Tanks.

Cassin's Kingbirds (top and bottom)

Next we drove east on Highway 87 a very short distance to the Old Highway 87 (a dead-end road, cut off from the new highway). Ranches and summer homes are located along this old highway and Sycamore Creek.  The highway easements and stream banks support very old tall trees including Arizona sycamores and Fremont cottonwoods in addition to willows, mesquite and juniper…great habitat for a great variety of songbirds, both resident and migrants. 

Normally, I park and walk the old highway but just having walked over a mile in my “boot”, I was content to bird by air-conditioned car, getting out only long enough to snap a few photos of special sightings.

Our first stop occurred as we entered the area. I spied a very long tail in a bare-limbed tree. Weren’t we surprised to find three (3) Greater Roadrunners in the same tree!

Can you find all three?

And then, there were two. . .

Closer look at one of the remaining two Greater Roadrunners

Continuing on, I asked Lois to stop when I heard a Summer Tanager. The male was on a very low hanging branch along the creek for a long time so I thought I’d try for a photo.  Although it was very active, it wasn’t spooked by my presence on the edge of the road. Nonetheless, photos were fuzzy. While I was doing that, Lois suggested I look behind the tanager to the bird perched on a low horizontal limb.  Common Black Hawk!  A first-year juvenile bird, it stayed put and allowed photos. I stood more on the road than on the bank for better stability and it paid off in better photos.

Summer Tanager

First-year Common Black Hawk

Foraging along a grassy area between the road and a rancher’s fence line were a flock of Lazuli Buntings. We spotted only one male; the others were likely female and young.

As we pulled into the cul de sac at the dead end, the clear voice of a Common Yellowthroat from the creek below was music to our ears.  Above, in the sky, we took good looks at two apparent Turkey Vultures because Zonies like this area, too.  Sure enough, one of the two birds was definitely smaller and while banking into the light, showed tail bands consistent with Zone-tailed Hawk. The two of them continued circling above Sunflower providing good size contrast for us to view several times until we left about thirty minutes later 

With Roadrunners, Summer Tanager, Black and Zone-tail hawks among our 27 species seen at Sunflower, all I can say at this point is:  What fun! 

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View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24592380

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24592685

Thunder, Lightning, Birds and Rain, Lower Salt River, Maricopa County, AZ

Friday, August 7, 2015

Our summer monsoon season has delivered more dust and wind than rain, so with the sky overcast again this morning, I didn’t even think of rain.

Birder friend, Julie C. and I met and started birding at Granite Reef Recreation Area along the Lower Salt River at 6:00 a.m.  Since this would be another SIT, we parked closer to the kayak and fishermen parking area so as to not disturb the birds too much in the picnic area where we would settle.

Julie had her chair; I carried a bucket with a nice rounded lid I had found online. It’s a handy way to carry gear and have a 360° option for sitting and following the sounds of birds.

Thunder and black clouds rolled over Red Mountain. Birds were fairly quiet with the exception of the early-rising Verdin who were as chipper as we were. A Ladder-backed Woodpecker whinnied a couple times from a distance and finally flew in from across Bush Highway.

A male Vermilion Flycatcher was busy catching insects in the air.  A Black Phoebe showed up and tried to chase the Vermilion away.  The Vermilion moved slightly to another branch but continued to fly-catch while the Black Phoebe stayed for half a minute before flying away.

Between thunder rumbles, Gambel’s Quail called from the east side of the rec area. We heard the sharp “peek . . . peek” of an Abert’s Towhee.

Several times, we heard a Brown-crested Flycatcher’s “whip” call followed by its rolling brrrrrrg, but it never flew into the mesquite picnic grove where we sat. 

Although the marsh grasses were tall, I heard a couple Northern Rough-winged Swallows over the river. Julie heard some Mallards in between thunder moans.

Gila Woodpeckers began to show up around us. And, at about 6:30, the lazy Great-tailed Grackles woke up raucously in the reeds and flew out one by one to stake out their own space.

Dark clouds dropped lower over the picnic area.  Jagged lightening struck the ground next to Red Mountain. It looked like the storm was not going to go around us.  But, still no rain.  We stayed put - briefly.

Best sighting there was a female Bullock’s Oriole feeding from one tree to another, looking very healthy with its yellow head showing a faint black eyeline that helps distinguish it from the female Hooded Oriole that also has a gray back and two white wing bars.  The Bullock’s female has a pale yellowish breast and white belly and vent, while the female Hooded’s yellow throat and breast continue on down through its belly to its vent, showing much more yellow underneath than the Bullock’s.

When a lightening bolt landed on the far west side of the rec area, the immediate thunder clap rattled our teeth, so we got ourselves back to the car in a jiffy.  

Faint rainbow

Having been there just forty (40) minutes, we headed toward Coon Bluff, but it was raining hard as we drove east on Bush Highway so we continued on out to Butcher Jones where, when we arrived, the rain was finished; it was clear and sunny.

It’s amazing what we see while birding.  We stayed in the car, parked parallel to the cove and muddy beach for the full 40 minutes of birding we did there.

In addition to female and juvenile Brown-headed Cowbirds around and on some of the wild horses there, we saw a small flock of apparent Pied-billed Grebes in the distance, a Great Blue Heron along the shoreline and American Coots closer to the beach. 

Out in the water, we counted 8 swimmers doing big laps around the near and far buoys — for an estimated one mile swim per lap.  The water didn’t look all that inviting but they seemed to be getting good exercise wearing bathing suits, bathing caps and water shoes.

Also present on the beach, in the marsh grasses and closer to us in the mesquite picnic area, we counted 16 wild horses.

After all the publicity about the US Forest Service wanting to roundup and eliminate the wild horses from this area, we counted 12 photographers out there with the horses “shooting” away. One man was running to get as close to the horses as possible for good shots. I was glad to see that when he spooked a band of horses over to the marsh reeds, they stood, across the inlet with heads in the tall grasses showing the photographer only their asses.

[The wild horses are on reprieve from the Forest Service’s initial attempt to round them up due to citizen activists who have followed the horses for years through the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group.]

Birds seen there and not mentioned above: European Starling, Great-tailed Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, Gila Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Verdin, Curve-billed Thrasher, Mourning Dove and Turkey Vulture.

Still not 8:00 a.m. when we pulled out of Butcher Jones, we stopped off at Saguaro Lake North. It was unbelievably quiet. Out by the dam, we couldn’t even find a cormorant.   Nor, American Coots in close to the shore!  A bunch of Mallard mutts hung around the boat ramps, but for waterfowl, that was it at that hour. Not even a sea gull to tantalize us.

We did see some desert birds: Black-throated Sparrow, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Black Phoebe, Verdin, Gila Woodpecker and Turkey Vultures.

As we drove past Coon Bluff and Granite Reef, it was still raining there.  So, we finished birding at 8:20, and wrapped up our morning at Sunnyside Breakfast Lounge on North Power Road where Julie and I visited together for a while before heading back to our respective homes and future agendas.

There was no indication of any rain having fallen this morning in my neighborhood!

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Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior, Pinal County, AZ

July 29, 2015

With only one bird outing in the past six weeks, I looked forward to my visit to Boyce Thompson Arboretum (BTA) with Lois L. and Julie C. on Wednesday, July 29th.  The Arboretum, at 2400’ elevation, provides unique habitat for hot-climate trees, shrubs and cacti in the Sonoran Desert. It’s the oldest and largest botanical garden in Arizona and is located a short 25-minutes from where I live, east of Phoenix.  

Still unable to drive with my right foot in a hard cast, Lois picked me up about 5:30.  Driving east on Route 60 toward Gonzales Pass through the Tonto National Forest brought a few sprinkles from low hanging dark clouds. The overcast sky, but no precipitation, remained for the first hour of our birding that began in the middle of the picnic area at 6:05 a.m. 

The flat sole and open toe of my hard cast was not conducive to walking trails, so we opted for another SIT.  Prior to sitting, we scanned the high snag tree just below the administration building to the north of us.  I was bummed: lots of bird silhouettes.  Not my strong skill by any means, but a really good study in bird size and shape.  The three Phainopepla were easily identified by size, shape and crest.  Two smaller “black” birds intrigued me; the shape, large bill and relatively short tail spoke “Varied Bunting” to me. As I was describing the bird to Lois, she kept saying, “No.  Look again!”  Then looking at my bins, she said, “Look lower.”  

Wow!  I went off my “blackbirds” onto two Brown-crested Flycatchers but by the time I swung back to my smaller birds, two Western Kingbirds flew in and my smaller birds were GONE. Although two Varied Bunting had been reported seen at BTA the previous day, I doubted my first birds of the morning would have been such a rare sighting.  But, then again, why not?  Later, though, an employee told me the buntings were still present and hanging out between the Demonstration Garden and the Picnic Area.  Won’t count them because I hadn’t raised my camera until after the above sequence of sightings so I don’t have even a bad photo from which to ID them.

Birds that remained in the snag tree after my initial sightings

Brown-crested Flycatcher returned (above the WEKI)

The fully leafed-out trees and mesquite surrounding our sit area gave many “yellow” birds full cover when they came close.  Most of them were Lesser Goldfinch (by voice and size).  So, after an hour of listing many “heard-only” birds such as Yellow-breasted Chat, Bell’s Vireo and Gila Woodpeckers we moved our chairs to a location in the southeast corner of the picnic area overlooking Queen Creek. In July, with no rain to cause it to run freely, it was a dry wash, but we set our chairs on the moist flat surface of its bank where we looked southward across the desert and the Arboretum’s “High Trail” toward Picket Post Mountain.

Ah!  Good move!  Highlights from this much birdier area included Western Tanagers (3 males)  and Western Kingbirds (4) providing a show for us as we continued to sit perfectly still and quiet.

One of three male Western Tanagers that seemed to be flycatching from this fallen dead limb beyond us

Several Western Kingbirds liked the same snag branches for fly catching

This Western Tanager came closer to us

The WEKI came closer, too

Viewing each other

No photos of this memorable action:  An Ash-throated Flycatcher flew right toward us and in so close to Julie, I thought it was going to grab a bug from her hair!  That was a thrill for all of us. It veered off slightly and nabbed its big bug in the air — crunch.  

Julie needed to leave a bit earlier than Lois and I, so we walked with her the short distance to the Hummingbird Plaza which was buzzing with Anna’s Hummingbirds but we detected no other hummers.  

After Julie departed, Lois and I walked the short distance to the Australian Pavilion that provided shade as we again sat still for about an hour and watched birds come and go from what I think were wolf berry bushes. Phainopepla tried to protect it as their territory, but the Western Tanagers showed up again, including a female who was smart enough to dive in deeply, away from the other birds, to feed on the ripe orange berries.

After six weeks being housebound and unable to drive, I can’t express how much I appreciated the outing to BTA with my birding friends.  Fortunately, the morning clouds got burned off by the sun so that the colorful birds lifted my spirits tremendously.  For hot summer birding, we all decided that a SIT is not a bad way to enjoy ourselves in the natural world and all that it delivers sensually.

Lois joined me for lunch back in Apache Junction at an unlikely top-notch organic restaurant in a “dive”.  Called, Handlebar Pub and Grill on Apache Trail, we each enjoyed a grilled southwest panini.  For her “side”, Lois chose sautéed and grilled asparagus with feta cheese and I chose grilled snow peas and carrots in a balsamic reduction.  (@$8.00)  Bicycle handlebars on the ceiling and front sign clear up any confusion about the name.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to continue birding at least once a week into August. Earlier in the year, I thought my birding may have reached a rather “crazy” level of chasing Year Birds, but now, birding is pulling me out of holed-up doldrums into another way of enjoyment.

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View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24425286

Post-Surgery Birding -- At Last!

July 21, 2015

Color me crazy but it felt really good to get up early for my first post-bunion surgery Birding!

Friend, Lois L. picked me up at the house at 5:30 a.m., to go to Granite Reef Recreation Area along the Lower Salt River.  I was glad she was interested in my new approach to birding — sitting still and focusing on bird activity as opposed to counting the number of birds seen.

My hard cast, or boot, made of felt and velcro would pick up every weed, grass and twig if I walked through Granite Reef from east to west and up to the berm as usual.  Today, I never left the picnic area and walked mostly on the concrete sidewalk.  

At 6:00 a.m., a male Vermilion Flycatcher was already sunning and preening at the top of one of the mesquites in the bosque when we sat down at a concrete picnic table. It flitted around from tree to tree but mostly perched and preened.  Later, when it flew and perched at the top of a mesquite toward the river, a female Bullock’s Oriole quickly moved in and sent it on its way out of that tree.  

Vermilion Flycatcher (male)

Interestingly, no birds had issued alarm calls as we walked slowly (peg-legged, for me) over to the picnic table.  Apparently we didn't pose a threat to them; perhaps they recognized my hat??  The birds went about their business in fairly close proximity to us. Two Abert’s Towhees were not only scratching on the ground, they flew high up in the trees for seeds and spent some time knocking the seeds to the ground while they were up there!

We wouldn’t see the female Vermilion until an hour later when Lois set up her comfortable chairs in a shady area.  The female was fly-catching about 25’ in front of us from its perch on a picnic table and then from a sign by the parking lot — not carrying food to a nest.  We saw no young Vermilions in the mesquites but the male and female not being present at the same time, made me wonder if they might be working on a second brood, taking turns at the nest.

A photographer (Bernie Howe) arrived and also stood still east of our post. When he finally moved closer to the river to talk to another photographer, they both missed out on our best sighting of the morning — the kind of action that thrills me.

Lois and I had started toward the car when I saw a black bird that was not a Great-tailed Grackle (the dominant blackbird at that location) fly in and perch on a low branch close by.  Below it and a distance away was a browner bird, a female, also not a grackle.  Ah!  The shoulders on the black bird gave me the first clue and then its red eyes became visible — the “Darth Vader“ Bronzed Cowbird in pursuit of the female on the ground.  He flew down, puffed himself up and shook his feathers.

Male Bronzed Cowbird shaking its feathers toward female in mating display

Female Bronzed Cowbird taking note of him

The male followed at a discreet, unhurried but focused distance as the female walked to the base of a nearby mesquite.  He stopped several times to puff up and shiver his feathers. When he reached the base of the tree, the male flew up about a foot and hovered like a helicopter (kited) over her for at least 20 seconds before slowly landing upon her.  And, then, it was over.

Disheveled

Looking back at the female:  "Thank You"

Because counting is my habit, I noted 22 species at Granite Reef before we pulled away at 7:30.

Thanks to Cindy Shanks' posts on Facebook of wild horses at Butcher Jones Beach, we drove out there hoping we might catch a glimpse. Did we ever!!

Turkey Vulture on the beach!

Note the Cowbirds!

Swim Time

Swim followed by Dirt Bath to get rid of mites and other bugs

Play Time

Shimmering young colt

See ya later!

What a gratifying morning!  And, I'm so glad Lois was up for this kind of adventure.  (15 species of birds at Butcher Jones without trying; and approximately 35 wild horses)

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Turkey v Bald Eagle as our National Bird and Symbol

July 4th, 2015
Cabin fever has set in as I enter my third week of non-weight-bearing on my right foot.  My handy little knee-caddy enables me to get around well in the house, but steps outside plus hot weather, create no real incentive to scoot around outside.  Crutches were hard on my wrists when used correctly; hard on my shoulders when used incorrectly! 

It amazes me how much bird-associated "stuff" I do during the day, including reading and culling and sorting photographs.  The photos remind me of some special sightings that I skim over when I'm birding so frequently.  This pause is proving valuable for me so I thought I'd share my series of photos about our National Bird that wasn't!

Ben Franklin, as you may know, favored the Turkey, an American native, as our national symbol but he was in the minority and as far as I know, never spoke out in opposition to the selection of the Bald Eagle.  He did, however, express his opinion about the two birds in a letter to his daughter.

He thought the Bald Eagle was a bird of bad moral character.

“He does not get his Living honestly.  You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk [osprey]; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.”   . . .He is a rank Coward: The little King Bird . . . attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District.”

He thought the native American Turkey was a much more respectable choice:  

“He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.”

The gobble of the native turkey is very distinctive and, to me, sounds more assertive than the call of the Bald Eagle (usually substituted in movies by the call of a Red-tailed Hawk).

Just this past May, I had the good fortune of coming upon a Gould's Turkey displaying for a partner.  With no other turkey in sight, was I the "intended" viewer?

While the Wild Turkey can still be found in every state, it is comprised of various subspecies.  Gould’s Turkey inhabits the southeastern portion of Arizona in higher altitude areas known as “Sky Islands” . . . forested mountains that rise up from the wide desert.  The Gould’s is the largest of the turkey subspecies with longer legs, larger feet and larger tail feathers and wings than all the other subspecies.  It also has pure white tips on the rump and tail feathers as seen below.

A Tom Turkey in Madera Canyon strutted its stuff for me while I photographed, from beginning to end, its “display” used to attract females.

Male turkeys have a long, dark, fan-shaped tail and glossy bronze wings. As with many other species of the Galliformes, turkeys exhibit strong sexual dimorphism. The male is substantially larger than the female, and his feathers have areas of red, purple, green, copper, bronze, and gold iridescence. 

A piece of trivia for you:  turkeys have 5000 to 6000 feathers.  It's head is featherless and its wattle (a fleshy appendage) hangs below its throat.  Males typically have a "beard", a tuft of coarse hair (modified feathers) growing from the center of the breast. 

Date:  May 18, 2015.  Sky Island of Santa Rita Mountains.

TOM TURKEY MOVES INTO AND OUT FROM FULL DISPLAY POSTURE.  Indeed, a little vain and silly!

Thank you, Tom!  You made my day that day - and have re-made it today!

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P.S.  As I continue to process photos taken earlier this year, I found one of a Wild Tom Turkey showing the feathers growing from the center of the breast, taken at Santa Rita Lodge on March 8, 2015, 

Tom Turkey showing tuft of coarse feathers growing from mid-breast.  Santa Rita Lodge, Madera Cyn. 3/8/15

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