Cortaro Road

Heading back from Tucson on Sunday we stopped at the Santa Cruz River at Cortaro Road, a new spot for me in Tucson.

Santa Cruz River at Cortaro Road

An urban trail follows the river, and there had been sightings of both a Tennessee Warbler and a Palm Warbler just behind the soccer fields. I dipped on both, but we spent a nice hour along the river looking at birds. I added nothing new for the year and my total stayed at 168.

Cinnamon Teal

Least Sandpiper

Red-tailed Hawk

Weekend Away

After picking  my son up from Sky Harbor on Friday we decided to have a weekend away and headed to Tucson on Saturday. We detoured through the Santa Cruz Flats, as I had done in January and were successful with Burrowing Owl. finding a pair on Sunshine Boulevard just south of Harmon.

Burrowing Owl

We spent the afternoon at the always excellent Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. I added 5 species for the day, ending at 168 for the year.

Cactus Wren

Curve-billed Thrasher

Gila Woodpecker

Buckeye Thrasher Spot

With last Sunday's field trip snowed out, just three of us traveled to the famous thrasher spot in Buckeye - at the junction of Baseline Road and Salome Highway. We had a Crissal's Thrasher singing from the top of a mesquite when we arrived - this bird sang for more-or-less the whole time we were there. We had a Sage Thrasher within our first half an hour but had to wait longer for our target bird - LeConte's Thrasher. After some maybe sightings, Troy eventually (40 minutes later) found the bird sitting on top of a four-winged saltbush and we all had conclusive views - this was my 4th lifer and 5th state bird of the year.  Driving around the area for a while we also found a group of 40 Sandhill Cranes on Arlington School Road. I added 4 species for the year and ended the day on 163 for 2011.

Three Strikes

Yesterday I walked along Elden Lookout Road from the road-closure gate to the Brookbank Trail, plus a little way up this trail. This was my third visit in the last three weeks following Zack's posting following a visit in which he saw three higher altitude birds along the road.

At the time of Zack's trip we had had little snow for six weeks, so why were these birds at a lower elevation than normal? My trips had been either side of two feet of snow. Where were the birds now? All I saw on these three 3-mile hikes up the road and back were birds I have at my feeders! I will wait on these birds and try for them higher up in the summer.

House Finch

House Sparrow

I did see a Sharp-shinned Hawk while driving across town on Tuesday March 1st, my 159th species for the year. That remained my total at the end of Saturday March 5th.

February Recap

As I had predicted, February provided few opportunities to bird. I spent the first days chasing and failing to find the Winter Wren at Picture Canyon and took a quick trip to Page Springs in the middle of the month.

Black Phoebe

American Robin

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

The last two weekends were snowed out - we ended with 24.6 inches for the month, almost all in those two weekends. Consequently I ended the month having added just 8 species - 4 of these at my feeders! March will be better. Early migrants will turn up, at least in the southern parts of the state and Spring Break will allow me some time to get outdoors. I will aim to reach 190 by the end of the month.

Snow Day

I had to cancel a trip today; I'd been looking forward to it too. I had a shot at a lifer. Alas a snow storm struck and I got to stay home. But the good news was that I spent time watching my feeders. I had added Brown Creeper to my year's list on Friday (February 25th; 156) and an American Goldfinch on Saturday (February 26th; 157). Today we had a small flock of Evening Grosbeaks, my 158th species of the year.

Pygmy Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Evening Grosbeak

Great Backyard Bird Count

The forecast of snow kept me at home today, and as it was the weekend of the GBBC I got to monitor my feeders all day instead. I had topped up my seed yesterday and had a constant stream of birds all day long: 14 species in all. The bird of the day was Red Crossbill, a new bird for the year taking my total up to 155. This is a bird that I have had in my yard a few times before but only when I kept a flat-topped bird table. Today two males were feeding on the ground.

American Goldfinch

Red Crossbill

Pine Siskin

Quick Trip to Page Springs

My wife and I spent a couple of hours in warm, sunny weather at Page Springs this morning. She took a bunch of photos but I added just two species to my year list - one of which was a very quick view of the wintering Common Black-Hawk. I ended the day on 154 for the year.

Black-crowned Night Heron

American Wigeon

Ring-necked Duck

Canvasback

Back at Picture Canyon

I had some time on Thursday to have another try for the wren. Despite the cold wind Picture Canyon was quite birdy (although not many species). No sign of the wren but I had a Wilson's Snipe below the waterfall. My 152nd species for the year.

Wilson's Snipe

Dipper at Picture Canyon

The waterfall at Picture Canyon

Five weeks after Picture Canyon had delivered good birds on the CBC, I took my wife there hoping she would bring me luck. Although I again dipped on the wren and snipe, we were successful with the American Dipper, my 151st bird for the year.

American Dipper

January Recap

Despite beginning with frigid temperatures, January stayed snow free until 8am on the 31st allowing more chasing than I'd expected this month. Two CBCs, my bald eagle survey route, sparrow banding and the Lake Havasu boat trip meant 5 serious days of birding. The total of 150 species was more than I had expected but included a drive down to Nogales and across to Lake Havasu. My trip south focused on chasing rare birds (with mixed success) and there many more species are available for my next trip south. In addition I ended the month with just 3 waders (shorebirds) on my list and some easy ones yet to find. February will be a busier month for me and winter can be expected to show its face. I will be more than happy to reach 165 by the end of the month.

Bufflehead

Green-winged Teal

Lesser Scaup