Glendale Recharge Ponds

After dropping my wife at Sky Harbor I went to the Glendale Recharge Ponds to spend a couple of hours looking through the birds in some excellent shorebird habitat. In all I had 13 species of waders including Stilt and Pectoral Sandpipers, new for the year.  There was also some early waterfowl, including 3 Greater White-fronted Geese, but most of the ducks were in dull plumage. The one exception was a pair of beautiful male White-cheeked Pintails. Presumable escaped birds, but a couple of Pacific hurricanes had blown through in the previous week ...

White-cheeked Pintail

Stilt Sandpiper

American Avocet

Walnut Canyon

There were many reports of Sabine's Gulls in Arizona in the first half of September. This included one that Tom found on the Walnut Canyon Ponds on Wednesday September 18th. I hd dno tiem to chase that day but went after my swim on Thursday morning and found it quietly sitting on the water on the far pond. Indeed the bird was so cooperative that I went back later that day with my camera. The bird had moved to the nearer pond but again stayed peacefully on the water. 

Sabine's Gull

Glendale Recharge Ponds

After taking my son to the airport on Sunday September 7th my wife and I made a quick stop at the Glendale Recharge Ponds. For once the wet ponds were closest to the entrance and we were able to start looking through the waders (shorebirds) almost as soon as we arrived. A number of Western Sandpipers were scattered through the Least Sandpipers and I found a few of the larger Bairds. But the birds of the day were a pair of Black Terns - a long awaited state bird for me.My sixth state bird of the year.

Killdeer

Least Sandpiper

Long-billed Dowitcher