Florida and Madera Canyons and down to Tubac

On Saturday January 17th my wife and I met up with Ed and Sandy on Madera Canyon Road and spent the day along I-19. Our first stop was at Florida Canyon where we hiked a way up the trail but did not locate Rufous-capped Warblers. It was easy to add year birds due to the new habitat and Pyrrhuloxia and Mexican Jays were among the highlights. But the best sighting for me was a Black-throated Gray Warbler - a bird that had eluded me in 2014. I also added Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and House Wren along the trail. We hoped to see Elegant Trogon on the way back but had no luck, although my wife heard one - something unknown to her until we were in the hotel at the end of the day!

We then spent time at the feeder areas in Madera Canyon, and finding Anna's, Magnificent and Broad-billed Hummingbirds, Hepatic Tanager, Inca Dove and Wild Turkey at Santa Rita Lodge, and Townsend's and Olive Warblers at the Kubo, as well as Lesser Goldfinch and Bridled Titmouse. I also saw a couple of Yellow-eyed Juncos at the Kubo, another bird that I missed last year.

Anna's Hummingbird

Our next stop was at the Amado Water Treatment Plant where a Pacific Loon had been resident for over a week, and which was very cooperative. A couple of Lesser Scaup among many Ring-necked Ducks were new for the year.

Pacific Loon

Male Ring-necked Duck

Female Ring-necked Duck

Our last stop for the day was on the DeAnza Trail in Tubac where we visited the Sinaloa Wren nest site, but heard and saw nothing of the bird itself. The best bird we had during our short stop in Tubac was a Black Vulture flying over.

We ended the day just after dusk at the Burrowing Owl stakeout near the airport, but a noisy group of people in the car park put paid to any idea that we might see these birds!