Hike into Walnut Canyon

Having done poorly with warblers on Thursday, I headed to Betsy and Steve's early on Sunday morning. Steve and I hiked into Walnut Canyon from their place and we had a good morning with warblers, having good views of Virginia's, MacGillivray's, Wilson's and Red-faced. Spotted Towhees and House Wrens were singing everywhere and a Cordilleran Flycatcher was a nice surprise.

Elden Spring and Old Walnut Canyon Road

After dropping my son at school I met up with Betsy and Steve to show them how to get to Elden Spring. We went in from St. Moritz and wandered around the area for the best part of two hours. There was a lot of bird activity east of the spring and we watched a Dusky Flycatcher for some time. The warblers would not cooperate but we had good views of Western Tanagers and Black-headed Grosbeaks.

We then decided to check out a spot on Old Walnut Canyon road close to the monument to see if the Purple Martins were in place. We saw several birds at some snags that are much further east than the ones they used many yeas ago.

Snowbowl

On Sunday May 12th I decided to go up to Snowbowl for an hour to add a couple of species to my year's list. The visit started badly when only 50 metres onto the trail, I was attacked by a dog and bitten on my left calf.

I found Red-breasted Nuthatch without problem but despite an hour long visit did not see or hear any nutcrackers. I did find a singing Vesper Sparrow on Hart Prairie and finally caught up with Red Crossbill - a bird I had expected to find earlier in the year as so many sightings had been reported- when three flew into the nearby tree tops.

NAMC

On Saturday May 11th we took part in the North American Migration Count in Navajo County. Spending the night in Holbrook, where our motel had 5 Western Kingbirds, we went to the Holbrook Water Treatment Plant to find all areas deep with water and with no shorebird habitat. The drive past the locked gate did not disappoint however and we had 21 species of birds at the reservoir. The best of these was a single Red-necked Phalarope among 62 Wilson's. But the highlight was a couple of Scaled Quail, my first north of Willcox!

Red-necked Phalarope

Scaled Quail

Leaving Holbrook we headed west past Cholla Lake that appeared devoid of birds, and drove the frontage road in the Joseph City area finding very little. We stopped at McHood Park in Winslow and were surprised to see a Western Grebe. By the time we reached La Posada it was getting hot and we had little success in the grounds.

Craig's Feeders

On Tuesday May 7th I went out to Doney Park hoping to see two birds that had been at Craig's feeders since Saturday. Alas a Sharp-shinned Hawk came through soon after I arrived and his feeders stayed pretty empty for the hour I was there!

I tried again on Wednesday May 8th and this time the hawk stayed away. I got to see the Bobolink although it stayed beneath some shrubs (making a clear photo impossible!), but had no luck with the Brown Thrasher, a bird I have had no success with in Arizona. The thrasher had been visiting Craig's feeders since November!

Bobolink

Craig's feeders also attracted a Lazuli Bunting and we got to see a Black-throated Gray Warbler take a bath.

Kachina Wetlands

Late in the day on Sunday May 5th we went out to Kachina hoping to see some rails but although both Virginia Rail and Sora were calling neither came out from the reeds. We had 6 duck species and blackbirds and swallows galore but the best two birds were 11 Wilson's Phalaropes and a single fly over Ring-billed Gull.

Lark Sparrow

Verde Valley

On Saturday May 4th I decided to make an early start to try to add some 'easy' birds to my year list. I arrived at Montezuma Well at 7:30 in search of Rock Wren and Canyon Wren, and had both birds before 8:15.I also picked up Black-throated Sparrow, another bid I had hoped to find during the day.

Violet-green Swallow

My next planned trip was to Page Springs, but following a phone call I re-arranged my plans and met up with Rich and Nanette for a stop at Dead Horse Ranch State Park where a Least Bittern had been reported earlier in the morning. We heard the bird calling from 'the island' but it remained hidden deep in the reeds.

The day's final stop was at the Sedona Wetlands Preserve where I added Marbled Godwit to my state list. Like Willet, this was a bird that I may have seen in-state yeas ago but my record keeping wasn't good and I had hoped for a proper confirmation of this species. A Black-necked Stilt was also on the back pond, but I continued my poor record of gulls for the spring.

Cassin's Kingbird