On Tuesday April 28th I found myself free of meetings and on-campus commitments and being caught up with my grading and with final exams under control I spent the day with Rich hitting some spots in the Verde Valley.
I let Rich know that I was still missing Bushtit, Northern Cardinal, Crissal Thrasher and Greater Roadrunner and he took me to a series of spots to look for these. We had the cardinal at Page Springs, the thrasher at Ogden ranch Road and Bushtit at Chuckwalla Road in Cottonwood. I also picked up some other year birds - Brown-crested Flycatcher, Vesper Sparrow, White-winged Dove, Black-headed Grosbeak and Bullock's Oriole were all likely to be found soon enough, but a Solitary Sandpiper at Page Springs and a Zone-tailed Hawk at Rich and Nanette's were unexpected. To round things off we saw a roadrunner atop a snag in front of the Sedona High School.
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Breeding Plumage Golden-crowned Sparrow
The next two weeks were rather quiet. On April 18th a trip out to Lake Mary yielded one Franklin's Gull with a few Ring-billeds, on Tuesday 20th a short trip to Cave Springs added only Painted Redstart and an overdue Red-naped Sapsucker to my year list, and on Thursday 22nd a brief walk around the Kachina Wetlands a few Lark Sparrows and Common Yellowthroat.
But things improved the following weekend when my wife and I spent the morning at the Red Rock Ranger Station near Oak Creek Village. Flycatching birds had arrived and we had western Kingbird, Cassin's Kingbird and Ash-thrated Flycatcher. Scott's Orioles were singing from atop the trees and we found a Black-chinned Hummingbird at the feeder. A Green-tailed Towhee was a bit of surprise and 6 new birds for the year was the highest in one day since we were at the Bill Will in early February.
A posting that day told of a Golden-crowned Sparrow visiting a feeder at The Peaks in Flagstaff, and I popped round on Sunday morning. This bird was my first breeding plumaged Golden-crowned Sparrow - very different from the drab winter birds that I had seen previously.
But things improved the following weekend when my wife and I spent the morning at the Red Rock Ranger Station near Oak Creek Village. Flycatching birds had arrived and we had western Kingbird, Cassin's Kingbird and Ash-thrated Flycatcher. Scott's Orioles were singing from atop the trees and we found a Black-chinned Hummingbird at the feeder. A Green-tailed Towhee was a bit of surprise and 6 new birds for the year was the highest in one day since we were at the Bill Will in early February.
A posting that day told of a Golden-crowned Sparrow visiting a feeder at The Peaks in Flagstaff, and I popped round on Sunday morning. This bird was my first breeding plumaged Golden-crowned Sparrow - very different from the drab winter birds that I had seen previously.
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| Golden-crowned Sparrow |
Yellow-eyed Junco in Flagstaff
The coming of April means the arrival of summer birds and the passage of migrants as well as a few things that are out of place.
On Saturday 11th my wife and I went to Logan's Crossing but found little, although I added Cedar Waxwing and Bewick's Wren for the year.
But a post on Monday April 12th announced a Yellow-eyed Junco in Flagstaff, and I was able to head over to a yard in the Elden Spring area to see this bird - although I had seen one this year at the Kubo. Chuck was there at the same time to add a county bird to his impressive list of 360-odd birds in Coconino.
On Saturday 11th my wife and I went to Logan's Crossing but found little, although I added Cedar Waxwing and Bewick's Wren for the year.
But a post on Monday April 12th announced a Yellow-eyed Junco in Flagstaff, and I was able to head over to a yard in the Elden Spring area to see this bird - although I had seen one this year at the Kubo. Chuck was there at the same time to add a county bird to his impressive list of 360-odd birds in Coconino.
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| Yellow-eyed Junco |
Sunday, April 5, 2015
The Lakes Mary and Mormon Lake
On Saturday morning, April 4th, my wife and I took a drive in windy conditions down Lake Mary road. We saw two Golden Eagles at Lower Lake Mary, Bald Eagles at Lower Lake Mary and Mormon Lake, Osprey at both the Lakes Mary, a Peregrine at Mormon Lake and Turkey Vultures at all locations. We saw no kestrels and just a single red-tail.
Other than raptors we saw little of note. A single Double-crested Cormorant at Lower Lake Mary, a Brewer's Blackbird near the Bison behind the Lodge, and Lewis's Woodpeckers and Mountain Bluebirds en route back. A stop at Grass Lake yielded nothing but the most common ducks and a few coot.
Other than raptors we saw little of note. A single Double-crested Cormorant at Lower Lake Mary, a Brewer's Blackbird near the Bison behind the Lodge, and Lewis's Woodpeckers and Mountain Bluebirds en route back. A stop at Grass Lake yielded nothing but the most common ducks and a few coot.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Kachina Wetlands
On Thursday April 2nd I spent 45 minutes at the Kachina Wetlands where I added a couple of year birds. I saw four Yellow-headed Blackbirds which I had known were around, but also saw a Long-billed Curlew. This unexpected find was a county bird for me - number 270.
I also saw a few species for the first time this year in the Flagstaff region, for example an Osprey cruised around for a while.
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| Long-billed Curlew |
I also saw a few species for the first time this year in the Flagstaff region, for example an Osprey cruised around for a while.
Cave Springs
On Tuesday March 31st I spent an hour at Cave Springs hoping to add some year birds to my list, and very quickly had a Lucy's Warbler and a Yellow Warbler. I also added Red-breasted Nuthatch while doing a loop of the campground but did not manage to see a Painted Redstart.
On the way back I stopped briefly at the Oak Creek Canyon Overlook where I managed to find a couple of White-throated Swifts,
On the way back I stopped briefly at the Oak Creek Canyon Overlook where I managed to find a couple of White-throated Swifts,
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Picture Canyon
On Saturday March 28th I joined Tiffany and Troy for a survey in Picture Canyon. We started at the Raintree Valley end a little after 7:00 and ended at Wildcat around 9:30. The area was quite birdy, but with the expected resident birds and a single Violet-green Swallow and several Black Phoebes were the only arrivals for summer. A flock of 20 Evening Grosbeaks was perhaps the most notable sighting.
Two days later I had a flock of Evening Grosbeaks join the Cassin's Finches in my yard.
Two days later I had a flock of Evening Grosbeaks join the Cassin's Finches in my yard.
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| Cassin's Finches |
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| Evening Grosbeaks |
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Papago Park and the Phoenix Zoo
On Saturday morning, March 21st, my wife, younger son and I headed to the Phoenix Zoo to see a new arrival. But we spent half an hour in Papago Park aiming to add some birds to my 2015 list.We soon found a Cactus Wren - and had several during our stay - and found a single Common Gallinule at the reedy pond at the northeast end of the park.
The Phoenix Zoo now has two Califonia Condors on exhibit. Two birds whose release in the wild had not been successful. It was good to see these birds up close rather than flying overhead or perched at a distance!
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| Common Gallinule |
The Phoenix Zoo now has two Califonia Condors on exhibit. Two birds whose release in the wild had not been successful. It was good to see these birds up close rather than flying overhead or perched at a distance!
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| California Condor |
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Gilbert Water Ranch - two visits
On Sunday March 15th my wife, elder son - who flew in on Saturday evening - and I spent a couple of hours at the Gilbert Water Ranch. I returned alone for an hour on Saturday March 21st.
The first visit was a casual wander around the ponds seeing many of the birds expected at the Water Ranch at this time of year, lots of ducks, dowitchers and stilts. One highlight of this trip was the number of Gambel's Quail sitting and calling high in the trees. I added three birds to my year list - Canyon Towhee, Violet-green Swallow and Curve-billed Thrasher but missed a couple of species.
So a week later, having picked up our other son from the airport late on Friday, I ventured to the Water Ranch early on Saturday morning. Brown-headed Cowbirds and Tree Swallows has arrived, and two targets from the previous week - American Avocet and Green Heron. Avocets were around in large numbers and I surely did not overlook them the previous week! Green Herons were sitting high at on overnight roosting spot which made them easier to find than skulking in the vegetation near the water.
On both visits I tried for the Brown Thrasher that has spent its second winter been Ponds 3 and 4. This has not been an easy bird to find and I had no luck on either visit. I had also hoped to run into Rosy-faced Lovebirds. I learned from folks with Desert Rivers Audubon who were setting up for a bird walk that their population suffered from a virus last summer.
The first visit was a casual wander around the ponds seeing many of the birds expected at the Water Ranch at this time of year, lots of ducks, dowitchers and stilts. One highlight of this trip was the number of Gambel's Quail sitting and calling high in the trees. I added three birds to my year list - Canyon Towhee, Violet-green Swallow and Curve-billed Thrasher but missed a couple of species.
So a week later, having picked up our other son from the airport late on Friday, I ventured to the Water Ranch early on Saturday morning. Brown-headed Cowbirds and Tree Swallows has arrived, and two targets from the previous week - American Avocet and Green Heron. Avocets were around in large numbers and I surely did not overlook them the previous week! Green Herons were sitting high at on overnight roosting spot which made them easier to find than skulking in the vegetation near the water.
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| American Avocet |
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| Green Heron |
On both visits I tried for the Brown Thrasher that has spent its second winter been Ponds 3 and 4. This has not been an easy bird to find and I had no luck on either visit. I had also hoped to run into Rosy-faced Lovebirds. I learned from folks with Desert Rivers Audubon who were setting up for a bird walk that their population suffered from a virus last summer.
Buckeye and Glendale
On Saturday March 14th my wife and I spent an hour at the thrasher spot in Buckeye before checking the Lower River Road ponds and then driving to the Glendale Recharge Ponds for another hour of birding.
Birding in the thrasher spot is never easy and we walked around hoping to hear thrashers singing or to see a LeConte's Thrasher or a Sagebrush Sparrow moving along the ground between bushes. Our late arrival at the spot, having left Flagstaff at 10am meant that the only singing came from Northern Mockingbirds, and our hour long wandering found just a single Sage Thrasher and several White-crowned Sparrows. The only new bird for the year was Cliff Swallow which we saw along the road before we arrived. We saw many more of these swallows at the Lower River Road ponds where we saw few ducks but a single Spotted Sandpiper and a small group of Least Sandpipers.
We stopped at the Glendale Recharge Ponds aiming to add some shorebirds to my 2015 list and immediately added Black-winged Stilt, followed soon after by Lesser Yellowlegs. Finding a single Western Sandpiper among a group of Least Sandpipers took a little more work, and we were just about done when we finally ran into a small group of Long-billed Dowitchers, a bird that had been expected.
Birding in the thrasher spot is never easy and we walked around hoping to hear thrashers singing or to see a LeConte's Thrasher or a Sagebrush Sparrow moving along the ground between bushes. Our late arrival at the spot, having left Flagstaff at 10am meant that the only singing came from Northern Mockingbirds, and our hour long wandering found just a single Sage Thrasher and several White-crowned Sparrows. The only new bird for the year was Cliff Swallow which we saw along the road before we arrived. We saw many more of these swallows at the Lower River Road ponds where we saw few ducks but a single Spotted Sandpiper and a small group of Least Sandpipers.
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| Phainopepla |
We stopped at the Glendale Recharge Ponds aiming to add some shorebirds to my 2015 list and immediately added Black-winged Stilt, followed soon after by Lesser Yellowlegs. Finding a single Western Sandpiper among a group of Least Sandpipers took a little more work, and we were just about done when we finally ran into a small group of Long-billed Dowitchers, a bird that had been expected.
Verde Valley
On Saturday March 7th my wife and I spent an easy morning in the Verde Valley, stopping at Montezuma Well, Page Springs and the Sedona Wetlands Preserve.
Cactus Wren was the target bird for Montezuma Well and we soon heard one calling from the cliff face near the overlook. I had a second year bird with a few Northern Rough-winged Swallows flying around.
Our next stop was at the fish hatchery at Page Springs where I hoped to see one of the two Blackand-White Warblers that had been seen along the creek in recent weeks. I had no luck with that but easily found the target Belted Kingfisher as well as two recently returned Common Black-hawks which pleased a crowd of people posing in snags close to the hatchery entrance.
Our final stop at the Sedona Wetlands was unproductive with just a few ducks and more Northern Rough-winged Swallows.
Cactus Wren was the target bird for Montezuma Well and we soon heard one calling from the cliff face near the overlook. I had a second year bird with a few Northern Rough-winged Swallows flying around.
Our next stop was at the fish hatchery at Page Springs where I hoped to see one of the two Blackand-White Warblers that had been seen along the creek in recent weeks. I had no luck with that but easily found the target Belted Kingfisher as well as two recently returned Common Black-hawks which pleased a crowd of people posing in snags close to the hatchery entrance.
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| Common Black Hawk |
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| Male Gadwall |
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| Female Gadwall |
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