Repeated Search for Rusty Blackbird at Coon Bluff Rec Area, Maricopa County, AZ

 January 3, 2023

    It took several days before I managed to return to Coon Bluff along the Lower Salt River for my final attempt at finding the  RUSTY BLACKBIRD.  

    Another cool day in Arizona, it was 45℉ when I started (solo) at 7:45 a.m. Sky was still overcast (it had been raining at my home). A slight drizzle accompanied me off and on as I trekked through the picnic/camping area. (In Washington State, I had been told that was not "rain" it was just "wet".)  

    Another birder, Samantha Starr was ahead of me. We caught up and she had already photographed the RUSTY BLACKBIRD among a group of four or five GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE I had seen in a tree. The Rusty was not among them when I passed by, but the fact that it was in a tree really caught my attention. Over the past years when this rarity showed up, it was always in the shallow water. (The river water's flow is controlled through a series of dams and it had recently diverted much water to the Verde River, depleting the recent months of high water in Salt River.)

    So, we birded together following the river trail eastward. She was searching for the GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET.  I didn't really have the ear for that bird, so I was of no help to her. 

    Eventually, I decided to call it a day and turned back along the same trail for a total of 1.2 miles, one way (for eBird report). Obviously, I was observing other birds along the way, photos below.   It wasn't until I checked my photographs that I realized the bird I hadn't recognized off in the distance was the RUSTY BLACKBIRD!

BELTED KINGFISHER

BALD EAGLE

GREAT BLUE HERON (mature)

RUSTY BLACKBIRD--First winter female, light supercilium, light eye, deep-bellied blackbird with short rounded tail compared to Great-tailed Grackle in the same area.

    On my return toward the parking lot, I came upon a pair of NORTHERN FLICKER (red-shafted). They appear to be an adult male and perhaps a first year male, marking unknown to me. At first I thought it was a female and male doing a display but the left bird is younger I believe.

     Before I reached the parking lot,  I heard and then observed another GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. As active as ever, I never caught a full photo of anything but its back---that, itself is a diagnostic marker.

    

    I left Coon Bluff feeling very good about finally getting that elusive RUSTY BLACKBIRD.

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A Few Rare Birds at a Local Birding Spot along the Lower Salt River, Maricopa County, AZ

 December 29, 2022

    Despite the fog and haze at Coon Bluff Recreation Area this morning, I found one of the two rare birds being reported there.

    Arriving simultaneously with fellow birder Steve Hosmer, we set off together in search of the RUSTY BLACKBIRD. Lindsay Story caught up to and joined us. We continued east on the trail beyond the picnic area to where it had been seen by many observers in the rain yesterday. But no rusty-looking blackbird with a light supercilium was in or near the water today. We did come upon several other birders, including Ronnie Reed, a top young birder who, with his good ears, found the GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET for us several times. We concluded there must have been three of them in the mesquite bosque.

    I managed to photograph "pieces" of that special bird. It was as frenetic as the more common Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Our eBird reports require ID photos, so I do not hesitate to file the parts of a bird that distinguish it in some way from another bird.

My pictures of the GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET are below, including its "pieces."

Showing golden crown above; top rear of bird below.

    In total, I logged in twenty-five (25) species for the two hours I walked east along the river and returned west through the mesquite.

    I'll give it one more attempt tomorrow if the rain stays away.

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Christmas Bird Count, Saturday, December 17, 2022. GWR, Maricopa County, Arizona

    By habit, dressed in layers for the 33º F, 7:30 a.m., start to our Count Day (CBC),  Lois's team included Linda Elder, Ellen Leng, Linda Jacobs, and myself. Mike McMillie assigned us to Ponds 5, 6, 7, and the fishing pond while his group would cover Ponds, 1, 2, 3 & 4.  The plan was to meet back at the library parking lot around 11:30 a.m.

    Crossing the wooden bridge at the Fishing Pond gave our team a great start with some new winter birds.

    A single WESTERN GREBE and five LESSER SCAUP were our first sightings among the usual RING-NECKED DUCKS and MALLARD. 

WESTERN GREBELESSER SCAUP (drake)

LESSER SCAUP (drake-right rear; hen front left)

MALLARD (female) 

    Moving on to the other ponds in our Count area, I'm posting the following photos:

AMERICAN AVOCET - above and below

GREEN-WINGED TEAL

NORTHERN PINTAIL (drake)

WILSON'S SNIPE

GREAT EGRET

BLACK-NECKED STILT

GREAT BLUE HERON

    Among the few songbirds I photographed, are the following:

ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD

HOUSE FINCHYELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER

    Between our two teams of bird counters, we came up with 71 species of birds, 2670 individual birds.

    Not a bad half-day at all.  Appreciated the good camaraderie among us all.

    Until next time. 

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Bushnell Tanks, Maricopa County, AZ

 December 11, 2022

    With Lois Lorenz, we started birding around 9 a.m. @ 42 degrees F.  We warmed up as we continued on the dirt road down to and across dry Sycamore Creek, then uphill for a total of four (4) miles round trip in four hours. Many birds were quite distant and frequently directly into the sun for bad photos. This higher-elevation bird was fun to see; not on our usual local list.

        TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE

A male NORTHERN FLICKER's pecking at a dead tree caught our attention.

A BEWICK'S WREN paused long enough for a quick photo, below.

AMERICAN ROBIN

I don't recall ever seeing a PAINTED REDSTART at the Tanks, but there was one present today. Lousy photo, below. My file folder shot beneath it is just a tad better! The bird is seldom still.

    A SPOTTED TOWHEE provided us a good look, photo below:

And, before we departed, a RED-TAILED HAWK sailed up and away from its perch.

    Lois and I had poked around in the open areas, walked the dirt road trail, and chatted a bit with some solo birders checking out this rewarding location. All in all, another good day in the field.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S123813519

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Two Visits to Higley & Ocotillo Ponds, Maricopa County, AZ

 December 8 & 21, 2022

    Two visits; two different experiences. Lois was with me on the first visit. I'll let the photos below show some of our sightings.

Two Mexican Duck:  Forward one is the Drake; the rear one is a juvenile.

Northern Pintail.  Hundreds of them were in the SE Basin along Higley Road

Canada Geese flew overhead

Spotted Sandpiper minus its spots in winter plumage

Killdeer

    On Wednesday, December 21st with our community group of birders, we saw several different species that can be seen in the second list below.

Black-necked Stilt

Yellow-rumped Warbler

    What doesn't make it to the bird lists are mammals and other exciting things we spot. On 12/21 it was a Coyote napping out in the dry grass next to one of the basins full of waterfowl.

When it became aware of us, it stretched. Then lay down on the dry grass again to scratch its back before giving us its inquisitive eye. It was maybe fifty yards distant.

We must have looked non-threatening as it turned and trotted up to the dirt road trail we were walking.

Keeping its distance, the Coyote ambled down the road ahead of our group.

Bird Lists for Higley & Ocotillo Ponds:

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S123640689

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S124369927

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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