Patagonia and Rio Rico

On Saturday April 27th I did the birder's loop to Nogales. My first stop was at Paton's where the main target was the east Violet-crowned Hummingbird. As ever Paton's did not disappoint and I added Bullock's Oriole, Summer Tanager, Pyrrhuloxia and Yellow-breasted Chat as well as a few other species including a pair of flyover Black Vultures. I also finally caught up with Ladder-backed Woodpecker! It was also interesting to see a very light, rufous Song Sparrow, apparently the norm for this part of the state and to see two very different looking White-throated Sparrows - one a bright individual like those I see in Chicago and like the one at V-bar-V earlier this year, but the other so much duller.

Brown Rat

Violet-crowned Hummingbird

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

My next stop was just down the road at the Patgonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve where I took a short hike down to and along the Creek Trail. I added three species including an unexpected Thick-billed Kingbird. This sighting meant that I did not need to look for the bird at Roadside Rest, but I did stop and, as usual for me, saw very little.

The next stop was at Kino Springs golf course where I was lucky enough to find a Zone-tailed Hawk soaring near the clubhouse. The water levels in the pond there was very low but did have a pair of 'Mexican Mallards'. There were many bids around including a pair of Vermillion Flycatchers and dozens of Lazuli Buntings working the fairways.My final stop was at Rio Rico where I found the expected Black-bellied Whistling Ducks as well as a single Cattle Egret. I then returned to the hotel feeling hot and tired.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

After a long nap I checked the rare bird alert and found something to chase, but sadly back at Aqua Caliente rather than anywhere new. I drove to the park to see a dozen Willets. This counted as a state bird for me, although quite possibly I had seen the bird in Arizona before but had not kept good records!

On Sunday April 28th I got up early and headed home via the Glendale Recharge Ponds where the draining of a pond had left some lovely shorebird habitat. I added Western Sandpiper and Wilson's Phalarope for the year, but again found no gulls. More disappointingly, the Least tern from the day before had turned out to be a one-day wonder. Strangely I saw yet another Willet.

Least Sandpiper

Madera Canyon

I had set aside Friday April 26th for a day at Madera Canyon, and the birders I'd met at Agua Caliente confirmed that there was little hope getting Rufous-capped Warbler at Florida Canyon. So I drove straight to the parking lots at the top of the canyon. There were lots of people there including many hikers. The birders were buzzing with news of sightings of trogons. I decided that I did nto want to hang around hoping for a glimpse of this often elusive bird, but instead would hike the 2.5 miles to Josephine Saddle. I had a good hike and saw Mexican Jay, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Swainson's Thrush, Hutto's and Plumbeous Vireos, Hermit, Townsend's and Black-throated Gray Warblers  and Yellow-eyed Juncos on my way up.

Halfway back I ran into a female birder from Phoenix and started chatting. As soon as she said the word 'trogon', one suddenly appeared out of nowhere! This was the first of three male Elegant Trogons that saw in the next half an hour! These birds had been calling since my arrival but I felt lucky to see one bird. But three including the final one from the parking lot! I had seen this bird in Sonora and had heard them in the Chiracahuas, but this was my first ABA sighting. The walk back to the car also yielded Hepatic Tanager and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

Elegant Trogon

Next I parked at the Amphitheater and walked back to the Kubo. At the feeders I had Broad-billed, Magnificent and Black-Chinned Hummingbirds, Hooded and Scott's Orioles, Black-headed Grosbeaks and Lazuli Buntings. But talking to someone there I also learned of a Gray Hawk nest further down the canyon.

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Broad-billed and broad-tailed Hummingbird

Black-headed Grosbeak

 I then hiked along the creek from the Amphitheater to the Picnic Area seeing Arizona Woodpecker and Rufous-crowned Sparrow on the hike, and finding the Gray Hawk on its nest. Hiking back I had a single male Wild Turkey at Santa Rita Lodge.

I was feeling tired and sleepy at this point but I stopped at the bottom of the canyon near the houses and picked up Rufous-winged Sparrow.

After returning to the hotel and the usual cuppa and short nap, I found nothing of note on the rare bird alert. So I stuck to my original plan of a trip to Reid Park for two target birds - Cassin's Kingbird and Black-crowned Night Heron, both of which I found easily.

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Tucson - Sweetwater and Agua Caliente

On Thursday April 25th I drove down to Tucson for a couple days of relaxation in the middle of a stressful period at work. After stopping for a business-related lunch in Casa Grande I reached Sweetwater at 2pm.

I had a couple of target birds, Harris Hawk and Blue-winged Teal, and I had luck with both although the teal were unexpectedly on the settling ponds and the hawk did not show until very late. My biggest success was finding the Solitary Sandpiper along the creek; this was my third attempt to find this bird and the first time I had not gone with this as a deliberate target. Lots of shorebirds around the edges of the settling ponds allowed for careful scoping and yielded a couple of year birds.

Tiger Whiptail

Zebra-tailed Lizard

After checking into the hotel, a cuppa and a nap I headed to Agua Caliente Park hoping that I would remember where to find the tyrranulet nest that I had been shown a year before and adding that bird to my list. I did find the nest, but not the bird and when I left the park I had added just a couple of birds for the year. But my luck changed as I drove out of the park...

As I left the park I immediately saw a group of birds looking at a number of birds on the telephone wires. I stopped and joined them to find nothing more than cowbirds (although a few Bronzed were among the Brown-Headeds). The group had been doing a big day as pat of a Tucson Audubon fundraiser and were hanging around to end their day at an Elf Owl nest hole. I joined them for this and saw two Elf Owls emerge from a saguaro, and also had Lesser Nighthawk and Great-horned Owl to finish the first day of my trip.

Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon

There had been a flurry of sightings at the Sedona Wetlands Preserve which was open for the first time during spring migration. Local birders had visited most mornings and evenings and had seen a large collection of gulls and waders. Sadly on our visit on Saturday April 20th, no trespassing signs had been posted restricting access to the better spot - the large back pond - for migrant birds. Our walk around the ponds closer to road yielded a few lingering ducks and a few snipe. A calling Sora was the only new bird for the year.

Oak Creek Canyon proved to be better. We had Common Black-hawk near Midgely Bridge while driving to Sedona, and a stop at Cave Spring on the way back yielded Painted Redstart and Yellow Warbler.  

Painted Redstart

Birds around Town

Having taken 10 days off it was back to work and time for just short trips to add birds for the year. An evening walk along the Rio de Flag at Willow Bend with my wife on March 28th yielded Wilson's Snipe, and I joined a Northern Arizona Audubon field trip three days later to add a few more birds to the list. Two days later I went to Mormon Lake in hopes of finding some lingering winter birds and added Evening Grosbeak and Rough-legged Hawk as well as Golden Eagle and Chipping Sparrow to my year's list.

Wilson's Snipe

At a short stop at the Glendale Recharge ponds just prior to business at ASU West, I added three 'easy' birds. I then added Brewer's Blackbird at the Walnut Canyon ponds, a Broad-tailed Hummingbird in my yard and White-faced Ibis and Violet-green Swallow at the Kachina Wetlands over the next couple of weeks.

Long-billed Dowitcher