Category Archives: Arizona Birds

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.

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.

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.

Trogons – Aren’t They Elegant?

We are presently situated at Patagonia Lake State Park, which is beautiful in an Arizona high desert fashion and home to a nice variety of birds, but lacks wifi or cell coverage. There is no tv and FM radio is all from Mexico. The view from our park site makes up for a lot – this is the hill we see each morning.

Two weeks ago, in an email exchange with the assistant park manager, I learned that she had seen an Elegant Trogan – a spectacular bird that is a target for most birders. I’ve been out with Penny and picked up three or four new life birds: western birds that are often pretty common here – but I’ve not been this far west birding. I’ve added Gray Phoebe, Bridled Titmouse, White-throated Swift, Hammond’s Flycatcher, and Gila Woodpecker in two days.

Last night, we met with neighbors to discuss options for our future stops and the first thing that Donna, our new friend, did was to pick up her camera and said "Let me show you a picture." My response was, "I don’t know that I want to se it." Sure enough, she and her husband had seen and photographed a beautiful male trogon yesterday afternoon, I was truly happy for them but motivated.

This morning, a bird walk was scheduled for nine AM and Mary was planning to go (we take turns dog-sitting.). I decided to go out early for an hour or so before the thundering herd took to the paths.

I took the tags off Penny to quiet her and we walked the half-mile or so, seeing some nice morning activity. The lake was active with Northern Shovelers, grebes, Cinnamon Teal, and Ruddy Ducks while dozens of Ruby-crowned Kinglets worked the trees. I saw eight Western Bluebirds and many woodpeckers as we worked our way toward the creek where thr trogon had been spotted the day before.

I was just about ready to head back, knowing the group was getting ready, when a flash of color popped on to a low bush ahead. A male Elegant Trogon was looking at us, as Penny strained at the leash. I watched, tried a few photos, and handled the dog as the bird hopped to the ground, flew up to another tree, and challenged my camera/dog balancing abilities. The autofocus was going crazy with the brush and I didn’t want to spook the bird, which was rather calm.

I quit without a "great" shot and quietly retreated, happy to have seen this great lifer. As things happen, Mary’s large bird group did not see this guy but found the juvenile/female companion so they too all got their trogon.

So we have to drive four miles to check email – birds like this are why folks love southern Arizona.