Category Archives: Arizona Birding

A Morning Hike

Penny and I are in Tucson staying at a nice county park – Gilbert Ray Campground – where yesterday morning we took a short hike up Brown Mountain.

Before we left the campground, we saw several Phainopepla (harder to spell than find here) and a covey of Gambel’s Quail, who scurried off.

The trail was lined with thorns and of course, Penny had to check them out. She ended up with a paw full of quills from a fishhook barrel cactus which got me as I removed them. Here she explores what I think is an ocotillo.

A pretty Northern Flicker graced the top of a big saguaro cactus.

Several Lesser Goldfinches just sat there and let us walk by.

This Curved-bill Thrasher was having a cactus fruit breakfast.

Coming back down, we had some nice views but the winter sun was heating things up – although starting at 55 degrees and ending at 71 is pretty nice. It not hard to see why the campgrounds are filled with northern visitors.

Bienvenido a arizona.

Too Many People, Not Enough Birds

The Southwest is packed with travelers – perhaps it’s the lower fuel prices, the need for some fresh air after a putrid election season, or just the boomers spending their kids’ inheritances, but I’ve had a challenge getting camping spots and sometimes seem to spend more time planning than birding. But why whine, the weather is great as are the birds. This Bewick’s Wren thrilled us at Patagonia as it sang and was answered by a buddy.

We’ve been seeing Green-winged Teal since Texas and they never fail to impress us with their markings.

On the other hand, sparrows in general are our nemisis – we’ve gotten better on gulls and terns but these are the next challenge.

This Dark-eyed Junco is a lot different from its eastern cousins.

The Western Bluebirds were delightful to see on an early dog walk in Payson, Arizona.

Curved-bill Thrashers are amazing morning songsters with quite a repertoire rivalling the Northern Mockingbird.

This sunset at Patagonia Lake is typical of the evening and morning light show in the skies of the West.

The van windshield is replaced and we start moving west starting at Organ Pipe National Monument and then Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. California here we come.

Whitewater Draw

One of the amazing sites, and sights, of birding Southern Arizona is Whitewater Draw, the winter home of thousands of Sandhill Cranes. I’ll just let these pictures tell you of our visit.

We were enthralled by the way the cranes just appear as specks high in the sky and spiral down in twos or threes, hundreds at a time. As a pilot, I marvelled at the way they spilled lift, descended in close formations, and picked out a precise landing spot among the thousands already resting. It was an unforgettable day.

2016 Trip Planning

I was watching the clock on my computer, waiting to try to reserve a site for our February visit to San Diego, as the February sites opened up at 8:00 AM August 1st (11:00 EDT). I knew that the South Carlsbad State Park was closing for repairs in mid-February so had planned a week’s stay just ahead of that closure date. What I did not know was that much of the park was already closed and that very few sites were open.

As 11:00 clicked on, I counted to ten and loaded a page I had pretty much ready-to-go but could not find any sites in the area we had stayed before. There were only about 30 sites available and as I selected one and hit return, it would be gone. I lost about five along the beachside this way and soon only a couple on the opposite side of the road were available. I got one and locked it in and took a deep breath.  I had heard of folks fighting for Florida sites as soon as they became available but had not run into this before — too much tension but ten minutes later all were booked and I felt fortunate to get one.

This site is closed during our February visit but we'll be rather close and happy to have a campsite.

This site is closed during our February visit but we’ll be rather close and happy to have a campsite.

It turns out that California has a restriction that you can not reserve a campsite more that seven months away. New Mexico has a six-month restriction. Most other states we visit do not.

I have locked in a couple of weeks at Patagonia Lake State Park in Arizona prior to our California visit and then about ten days at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park after we leave Carlsbad.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is great for birding, hiking, and desert flora and fauna. Photo courtesy of Roger Smith.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is great for birding, hiking, and desert flora and fauna. Photo courtesy of Roger Smith.

 

We wanted to get back to Arizona for birding and see the kids in San Diego so that formed the backbone of our first half. Then we need to ride out Texas school spring break which ties up their parks and hopefully visit our Ohio gang on the way home. The trip is pretty much planned (Mapquest routes, spreadsheets, some reservations) leaving in early January and returning in mid-April but very well may change. It’s nice to have a game plan and to have locked in those crucial California dates. Stay tuned.

Looking Forward to Arizona Birds

As we go through the barren "stick season" in Vermont and see only a few hardy local birds, it is fun to think about what might be waiting for us out west. Here are a few of the photos I took of birds we encountered in Arizona. They are fun to look at anytime but especially on a cold windy damp night like this evening.

Last year, the first bird I saw at Gilbert Ray County Park, which is just outside Tuscon, was the Phainopela – which was a life bird. They are desert flycatchers and with their flashes of white on their wings, are fun to watch. They also are pretty songsters.

A few days later on the first morning at Patagonia Lake State Park, I saw these two Cinnamon Teal cruising along not far from shore. They were a handsome couple.

This Red-shafted Northern Flicker was one of many I saw. I also saw their cousin, the Gilded Flicker.

Northern Cardinals are vivid out here – as they are in the New England snow. It is a lot easier photographing without frozen fingers.

We plan to spend a longer time in Arizona this trip and hit some spots we have never visited. I’m getting psyched.

Some Birds of the Desert

Gambel’s Quail are runners, very hard to photograph as they scurry through the brush. Here’s one almost obscured as it darted past me.

On the other hand, this Red-winged Blackbird was so intent on singing that he allowed me to walk right up to him.

The big brassy Cactus Wrens have been pretty obvious throughout most of the Southwest but it wasn’t until New Mexico that I got some good looks at their smaller cousins, Canyon Wrens.

One of my life birds this trip is the Sage Sparrow, who like some of the quail, likes to run from you. This one sat still for a photo.

And lastly, one of the neat birds of west Texas, southern Arizona and southern New Mexico is the handsome Black-throated Sparrow.

A Morning Surprise – #400

One of my 2014 birding goals was to reach 400 life birds – in my fifth year of birding. I saw two Black-tailed Gnatcatchers as I checked into the Salton Sea State Receation Area last weekend (for 398).

The following morning I birded the Wister Unit about 25 miles south and after a great session birding from the truck crawling along managed wetlands, I came right up to a large hawk, who peered at me through the open window about 20 feet away. (Fortunately, the dog was napping in the back seat.). I got my binoculars up slowly, studied the large bill, the feathery legs, and after about a minute, the hawk shook out his feathers, took a dump, and slowly flew away. It was my first Ferruginous Hawk and an "up close and personal" encounter for number 399.

So for several days, I’ve been wondering what number 400 might be. We have been back at Gilbert Ray County Park in Tuscon and while I have had some good outings, the birding has been rather slow. I figured that perhaps in the week ahead in New Mexico, I’d get lucky.

This morning, I walked Penny just at sunrise since we had a long drive to Las Cruces ahead of us. I had my binoculars but no camera as we circled the camp loop. I spotted a hummingbird, the first I had seen there, and thought, "Another Anna’s." When I got my glasses on him, it was a spectacular Costa’s Hummingbird. I got some good looks but then he was gone. The trailer was close by so I dropped off the dog after feeding her, and grabbed my camera. Of course, he was not there – and so I started packing the truck. I went back and found him perched, in bad light, in a far off tree. The shots I got don’t capture the irridescent gorget and crown – but I saw them in the sunlight and they were spectacular. The photos do capture the pot-bellied shape.

What a neat #400. I got it just as we were leaving its range so it literally was the last chance. The morning encounter made the long trek across Arizona and New Mexico desert much more enjoyable and we are settled into a nice New Mexico state campgound.

Arizona Birds

Arizona has some great birds, and even the common ones often look sharp in the desert light. Here are a few shots I’ve taken that were neat encounters.

The first bird I saw at Gilbert Ray County Park, outside Tuscon, was the Phainopela – for me a life bird. They are desert flycatchers and with their flashes of white on their wings, are fun to watch. They also are pretty songsters.

The first morning at Patagonia Lake, I saw these two Cinnamon Teal cruising along not far from shore. They are a handsome couple.

This Red-shafted Northern Flicker was one of many I have seen. Also saw their cousin, the Gilded Flicker.

Northern Cardinals are vivid out here – as they are in the New England snow. It is a lot easier photographing without frozen fingers.

We leave on a long drive for California on Sunday and I’m doing a little studying to get ready. Looking forward to some new birds but much more psyched to be seeing kids and grandkids.

Lizard Dog

Connie, our fine vet, has a unique to deal with a high-strung Viszla when she needs to give Penny a shot or draw blood. She places one of her office cats in a glass-walled room adjacent to the exam room. Penny goes into a point, just fixates onthe cat, and doesn’t even flinch when the needle goes in. The cat is safe, and knows it, and seems to enjoy the routine. It’s an amazing thing to see.

Here at Patagonia Lake, Penny has discovered a new thing to fixate on: Arizona Tree Lizards. The small guys are everywhere and some, like this one, blend into the background, until they move.

Others, like this darker one, are easy to spot.

Penny discovered these critters a couple of days ago and can spend hours staring at them. Folks passing by are amazed at the total concentration as she stares and points – she doesn’t know they are there. Welcome to my world, folks!

Periodically, she rushes the tree but the lizards are too quick for her.

These lizards have been such good dog sitters that I’d like to catch a couple and bring them with us – to keep Penny occupied at future campgrounds. Perhaps I’ll Google "Rent-A-Lizard."

Some Arizona Hummers

We have been lugging two hummingbird feeders with us but kept forgetting to buy sugar until this week. I hung them out one evening and we had our first visitor the next day. He’s a male Wide-billed Hummingbird and quite the dude – but he moves fast and is pretty spookish. What a treat it is to sit outside the Airstream in lawn chairs and wait for him to annouce his presence with some "chek" noises. Here are a couple of shots I took yesterday:

Earlier in the day we went back to Paton’s yard to watch birds. We had several Anna’s Hummingbirds there – there were a couple of females and some males. Like all hummers, the way light catches their plumage affects the color: it can look black one moment and then a vibrant pink the next. Here is a young male:

Here is another guy:

In another month or so, the area will start getting hundreds of hummingbirds, including many who don’t winter here. It has to be a spectacular sight with all the territorial jousting. As we know from our Ruby-throated visitors in Vermont, these little balls of energy can be very feisty, and very beautiful. They’ll be starting north soon. Have hope.