On Saturday December 30th I did my usual CBC route with Natasha, Sue, Jay and Heidi and we totaled 45 species for the day. The most remarkable thing about the count was a record high temperature for the count at 62 degrees - beating 57 degrees from 1980. This meant that I spent half the count in a T-shirt!
We began the day with Great-tailed Grackles at WalMart and Brewer's Blackbirds at Little America and ended with European Starlings at Purina, but pent most of our day on and around the the golf course. The wind had gotten up before we got to Walnut Canyon and so we saw little out there. Our 45 species did not include anything too special but Killdeer and Northern Pintail had not be recorded since 2011 and 2010 respectively. Seeing 20 Red Crossbills (in two flocks) was a personal day high for me.
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Jerome CBC
On Sunday December 17th Brooks, Carrie, Tom, Kathryn, Jeff and I made
an early start to get to Peck's lake for 8am where someone showed to
unlock the gate for us. Peck's Lake was a popular birding spot in the
1980s but has been locked away for some time now, and some of the old
picnic spots are now covered with vegetation.
We had a good day with Wood Ducks and Hooded Mergansers among 7 duck species, and White-throated, Rufous-crowned and Black-throated Sparrows among the hundreds of White-Crowned Sparrrows. We ended the day following a Greater Roadrunner down the dirt track for a mile or so.
We had a good day with Wood Ducks and Hooded Mergansers among 7 duck species, and White-throated, Rufous-crowned and Black-throated Sparrows among the hundreds of White-Crowned Sparrrows. We ended the day following a Greater Roadrunner down the dirt track for a mile or so.
Mormon Lake CBC
On Saturday December 16th Troy and I led our usual route for the
Mormon Lake CBC, accompanied by Cecelia and Paul. The day began slowly
at the dam - although we had a Western Grebe - and in our wander about
the observatories and we had few species when we headed out towards Vail
Lake. Troy carried his scope in the hope of a Northern Shrike and
against the odds we found this bird about two-thirds of the way there.
This species is always a challenge and we spent a lot of the count time
on this single bird but Troy's digiscoped photos confirmed the ID. A
flock of 20 quiet Pinyon Jays near Prime Lake, and a flock of Mountain
Bluebirds with a single American Pipit at the far side of Vail meant
that out trek was more productive than often. A group of Common
Goldeneye at Osprey Lookout was the best of our ducks.
Nothing was open at Mormon Lake Village and so we did not get to sit down to share our stories, but the other surprise for the count - which had a count high 63 species - was a total of 5 Canyon Towhees, a rare bird for the area.
Nothing was open at Mormon Lake Village and so we did not get to sit down to share our stories, but the other surprise for the count - which had a count high 63 species - was a total of 5 Canyon Towhees, a rare bird for the area.
Half Moon Bay and Alviso
On Saturday December 9th my wife and I headed to Pillar Point Harbor on Half Moon Bay where I was chasing a Red-footed Booby that had been there for a month or so. We searched the harbor for about 3 hours before giving up, but had a good day in warm weather and saw Black Oystercatchers, Black Turnstones, a Black-bellied Plover, Brown Pelicans, and many expected birds of the coast.
On Monday December 11th I met Sergio and Garrett on the Entrance Road to the Environmental Education Center in Alviso. We scoured the area for the recently seen Ruff and Palm Warbler without luck, not helped by a Peregrine perched on a tower.
We then drove inside the gate and took up a position on the metal view point on Mallard Slough and let the birds come to us. We had a productive day in terms of the number of species, with just Blue-winged Teal new for 2017. Just as interesting were a couple of hybrid Blue-wingeds.
 |
| Black Turnstone |
On Monday December 11th I met Sergio and Garrett on the Entrance Road to the Environmental Education Center in Alviso. We scoured the area for the recently seen Ruff and Palm Warbler without luck, not helped by a Peregrine perched on a tower.
 |
| Peregrine |
 |
| Blue-winged Teal |
 | |
| Blue-winged Teal/Cinnamon Teal hybrid |
 |
| Blue-winged Teal/Shoveler hybrid |
Oak Crek Canyon and Sedona
On Monday December 4th I decided to head down to the Sedona Wetlands Preserve to look for the American Bittern that had been found on Thanksgiving. I stopped at Cave Springs on the way down and after a little searching managed to find the American Dipper, and then headed to the wetlands. When I arrived Sam and Vic were already there with a scope on the bird and the bird was the most cooperative bittern I have ever seen even going for a walk in the open along the edge of the canvas!
I then headed to the Stupa hoping to add my two nemesis 'easy' birds, Juniper Titmouse and Canyon Towhee. I was in luck as the feeders were well stocked and I had the titmouse almost immediately, and eventually found the towhee, with Spotted Towhees and White-crowned Sparrows under one of the feeders.
 |
| American Bittern |
I then headed to the Stupa hoping to add my two nemesis 'easy' birds, Juniper Titmouse and Canyon Towhee. I was in luck as the feeders were well stocked and I had the titmouse almost immediately, and eventually found the towhee, with Spotted Towhees and White-crowned Sparrows under one of the feeders.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)