January 31, 2010
I'm trying to get in as much Arizona birding as possible before we move to Virginia, so this morning I got up and made the 10-minute drive to the Sweetwater Wetlands. Very easy and convenient. Who knows what our new living situation will bring - good birding I hope!
I was greeted at the entrance bridge with Least Sandpipers, many Audobon's Warblers, and some Chipping Sparrows. Walking along the trails I spotted an Orange-crowned Warbler, several Black Phoebes, and a flock of Yellow-headed Blackbirds and as I walked further their numbers increased among the reeds.
I got to see many of the usuals at the ponds: Nothern Shoveler, Buffelhead, Mallard, American Black Duck, American Coot, Gadwall, a couple Cinnamon Teals and Ring-necked Ducks. Some of the recharge basins had water and held hundreds, if not thousands of waterfowl. Unfortunately, my gear doesn't consist of a scope and I only got to scan with my binoculars.
As I left, crossing the bridge once again, I stopped with the other birders and got to see my first Yellow Warbler! Amongst the butter-butts :-) Starting out to my car I stopped at one of the mesquite trees and spotted a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Say's Phoebe, and Cactus Wren. And some I probably missed - all noted in my eBird!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Cibola NWR
January 15-17, 2010
I wanted to visit with my sister and brother-in-law before we move to Roanoke, VA. So I made this a 2-in-1 birding/family, trip and that weekend happened to be the time we could meet in La Paz County, AZ. The family has a vacation spot down there, which happens to be five minutes from the National Wildlife Refuge.
I arrived late on the 15th and early in the dark morning I awoke to a Great Horned Owl who seemed close, loud, and had something to say for a very long time (so early in the morning). Later that morning I casually wandered the homestead, near the wash and saw a Phainopepla, then another further on, and some Chipping Sparrows.
Randy and I went to the refuge and hiked back to the lake which held an abundance of waterfowl made up of American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, American Coot, Ring-necked Duck, and Pied-billed Grebe. We drove around Goose Loop and saw the Sandhill Cranes, Canadian Geese, Kestrel, Curved-billed Thrasher, Say's Phoebe, Red-tailed Hawk, Ross's Goose, Snow Goose, a flock of Great Egret. The hunters were confined to a fenced football field; it was amusing. We stopped at the first pond/mudflat and I saw a Dunlin and Killdeer.
Later that afternoon, back at the homestead, I searched the area below what the kids call the Grand Canyon and found: Western Bluebirds, Costa's and Anna's hummingbird, Mourning Dove, Phainopepla, Gila Woodpecker, Gambel's Quail, and Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. Because I'm new to this, I get a lot of lifers!
I went back to the refuge the next day and stopped at the first pond and spotted Killdeer, Least Sandpiper, among some of the other waterfowl noted above. Across the road saw a Yellow-rumped Warbler (Inez calls them butter-butts). Hiking to and from the lake I spotted Verdin and Black Phoebe.
On the drive home, down CA-79 there were an abundance of Kestrels and Grackles. I pulled off the road because I thought I saw a Belted Kingfisher on the wire, but it flew into the field and didn't reappear for awhile so I gave up. I wanted to get back on the road for my long drive back to Tucson.
I wanted to visit with my sister and brother-in-law before we move to Roanoke, VA. So I made this a 2-in-1 birding/family, trip and that weekend happened to be the time we could meet in La Paz County, AZ. The family has a vacation spot down there, which happens to be five minutes from the National Wildlife Refuge.
I arrived late on the 15th and early in the dark morning I awoke to a Great Horned Owl who seemed close, loud, and had something to say for a very long time (so early in the morning). Later that morning I casually wandered the homestead, near the wash and saw a Phainopepla, then another further on, and some Chipping Sparrows.
Randy and I went to the refuge and hiked back to the lake which held an abundance of waterfowl made up of American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, American Coot, Ring-necked Duck, and Pied-billed Grebe. We drove around Goose Loop and saw the Sandhill Cranes, Canadian Geese, Kestrel, Curved-billed Thrasher, Say's Phoebe, Red-tailed Hawk, Ross's Goose, Snow Goose, a flock of Great Egret. The hunters were confined to a fenced football field; it was amusing. We stopped at the first pond/mudflat and I saw a Dunlin and Killdeer.
Later that afternoon, back at the homestead, I searched the area below what the kids call the Grand Canyon and found: Western Bluebirds, Costa's and Anna's hummingbird, Mourning Dove, Phainopepla, Gila Woodpecker, Gambel's Quail, and Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. Because I'm new to this, I get a lot of lifers!
I went back to the refuge the next day and stopped at the first pond and spotted Killdeer, Least Sandpiper, among some of the other waterfowl noted above. Across the road saw a Yellow-rumped Warbler (Inez calls them butter-butts). Hiking to and from the lake I spotted Verdin and Black Phoebe.
On the drive home, down CA-79 there were an abundance of Kestrels and Grackles. I pulled off the road because I thought I saw a Belted Kingfisher on the wire, but it flew into the field and didn't reappear for awhile so I gave up. I wanted to get back on the road for my long drive back to Tucson.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Benson & St. David
Located in Southeastern Arizona, about 1-hour south of Tucson.
On Sunday, January 3, 2010 I took a short birding trip to the area, a place I once lived. I wanted to visit Holy Trinity Monastery where I worked in the office. But first I stopped off at the Benson wastewater pond and spotted: Green-winged Teal, Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, Cassin's Kingbird, and Say's Phoebe. It's right next to the Animal Shelter and the barking dogs were abundant (poor things).
Around the HTM pond (near the cemetary) were: Lesser Scaup, Pied-billed Grebe, Gadwall. I walked in the area below the chapel and saw: Northern Flicker, Verdin, Curve-billed Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, Roadrunner, Pyrrhuloxia, White-crowned Sparrow. Continuing down toward the actual trail by the San Pedro river I spotted a mystery bird that I want to say was a Yellow-headed Blackbird. I walked the trail and then walked along the river's edge but saw and heard absolutely nothing. When I started walking back I saw a Roadrunner, Gila Woodpecker, and European Starling. I stopped in at the small conservatory and saw some House Finches. I was tired and hungry so started home.
On Sunday, January 3, 2010 I took a short birding trip to the area, a place I once lived. I wanted to visit Holy Trinity Monastery where I worked in the office. But first I stopped off at the Benson wastewater pond and spotted: Green-winged Teal, Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, Cassin's Kingbird, and Say's Phoebe. It's right next to the Animal Shelter and the barking dogs were abundant (poor things).
Around the HTM pond (near the cemetary) were: Lesser Scaup, Pied-billed Grebe, Gadwall. I walked in the area below the chapel and saw: Northern Flicker, Verdin, Curve-billed Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, Roadrunner, Pyrrhuloxia, White-crowned Sparrow. Continuing down toward the actual trail by the San Pedro river I spotted a mystery bird that I want to say was a Yellow-headed Blackbird. I walked the trail and then walked along the river's edge but saw and heard absolutely nothing. When I started walking back I saw a Roadrunner, Gila Woodpecker, and European Starling. I stopped in at the small conservatory and saw some House Finches. I was tired and hungry so started home.
Sulphur Springs Valley
Located in Southeastern Arizona, around Elfrida.
My birding buddy, Inez and I went on December 31, 2009, which I though was a great way to end the year! We left Tucson about 7:30am and arrived about an hour later to Cochise Lake, right outside of Willcox. A number of pond swimmers: Buffelhead, Canvasback, American Coot, Common Mersanger, American Pipit, American Wigeon, and Ruddy Duck. We walked over to the Twin Lakes golf course ponds and spotted a Black-Crowned Night Heron, Green Heron, Pied-billed Grebe. I heard a hoot-hoot so we thought it could be a burrowing owl and after searching realized it was a Eurasian-collared Dove. The highlight here was when the Say's Phoebe perched on Inez's head!
Traveling down Highway 191 we stopped to see what the flock of sparrows would reveal. We found White-crowned Sparrows, Chipping Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Curved-billed Thrasher, and a mystery bird. Along the drive we spotted American Kestrel, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Chihuahuan Raven, and a few Loggerhead Shrikes.
We arrived at Whitewater Draw and viewed more pond-swimmers and shore birds: Killdeer, Great Egret, more Bufflehead, Black Phoebe, some sort of Sandpiper. We walked to another area of WWD and immediately saw a bright white something, and got closer and it was a beautiful Bald Eagle. We saw the thousands of Sandhill Cranes off in a distance. A magnificent sight.
My birding buddy, Inez and I went on December 31, 2009, which I though was a great way to end the year! We left Tucson about 7:30am and arrived about an hour later to Cochise Lake, right outside of Willcox. A number of pond swimmers: Buffelhead, Canvasback, American Coot, Common Mersanger, American Pipit, American Wigeon, and Ruddy Duck. We walked over to the Twin Lakes golf course ponds and spotted a Black-Crowned Night Heron, Green Heron, Pied-billed Grebe. I heard a hoot-hoot so we thought it could be a burrowing owl and after searching realized it was a Eurasian-collared Dove. The highlight here was when the Say's Phoebe perched on Inez's head!
Traveling down Highway 191 we stopped to see what the flock of sparrows would reveal. We found White-crowned Sparrows, Chipping Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Curved-billed Thrasher, and a mystery bird. Along the drive we spotted American Kestrel, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Chihuahuan Raven, and a few Loggerhead Shrikes.
We arrived at Whitewater Draw and viewed more pond-swimmers and shore birds: Killdeer, Great Egret, more Bufflehead, Black Phoebe, some sort of Sandpiper. We walked to another area of WWD and immediately saw a bright white something, and got closer and it was a beautiful Bald Eagle. We saw the thousands of Sandhill Cranes off in a distance. A magnificent sight.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Catalina State Park - Tucson, AZ
Bruce and I were up today (Sunday) at 5:50 am to trek to Catalina. I've lived in AZ most of my life and have never been to Catalina. It was a bright, cloudless day and at about 7:30am it was probably in the 80s when we arrived at the park.
We started down the Birding Trail where there were many runners and hikers, I'm assuming from Oro Valley. Some of whom were quite loud, talking to each other and on their cell phones. Oh well! We went off-course and onto a smaller trail that lead us to an overlook of the valley where we were surrounded by a multitude of massive saguaros, and their respective Gila Woodpeckers. We saw some warblers (of which I'm not too good at ID'ing) and sparrows, of course. It was starting to get hot at that point. So we went back onto the trailhead to the riparian area (the one 'sin agua'). Crossed the arroyo and Bruce spotted the female Kestrel perched atop a saguaro. Oooh, a first for me!
Continued along the trail to spot Pyrrhuloxia, Warblers, and Sparrows. A passerby stopped to tell me he saw a "beautiful" copper and silver snake, I said "nice." Little did he know, I'm not too fond of snakes.
Bruce and I parted ways and I hiked the nature trail and found it to be too hot and sunny so I started back down the Birding trail. It was there I spotted the Green-tailed Towhee. I'm almost sure it is a positive ID. At first I thought it was a Rufous-capped Warbler, but according my Kaufman's field guide the Warbler has a yellow throat. This bird had a white and black throat. It had me baffled all afternoon, until I looked in my beginners, bird-color-coded guide (Tekiela). I found the Towhee.
On the way back I met up with a birding couple who said they saw a MacGillvray's Warbler. Then stopped to see the Green-tailed Towhee again, who was foraging on the ground.
We started down the Birding Trail where there were many runners and hikers, I'm assuming from Oro Valley. Some of whom were quite loud, talking to each other and on their cell phones. Oh well! We went off-course and onto a smaller trail that lead us to an overlook of the valley where we were surrounded by a multitude of massive saguaros, and their respective Gila Woodpeckers. We saw some warblers (of which I'm not too good at ID'ing) and sparrows, of course. It was starting to get hot at that point. So we went back onto the trailhead to the riparian area (the one 'sin agua'). Crossed the arroyo and Bruce spotted the female Kestrel perched atop a saguaro. Oooh, a first for me!
Continued along the trail to spot Pyrrhuloxia, Warblers, and Sparrows. A passerby stopped to tell me he saw a "beautiful" copper and silver snake, I said "nice." Little did he know, I'm not too fond of snakes.
Bruce and I parted ways and I hiked the nature trail and found it to be too hot and sunny so I started back down the Birding trail. It was there I spotted the Green-tailed Towhee. I'm almost sure it is a positive ID. At first I thought it was a Rufous-capped Warbler, but according my Kaufman's field guide the Warbler has a yellow throat. This bird had a white and black throat. It had me baffled all afternoon, until I looked in my beginners, bird-color-coded guide (Tekiela). I found the Towhee.
On the way back I met up with a birding couple who said they saw a MacGillvray's Warbler. Then stopped to see the Green-tailed Towhee again, who was foraging on the ground.
Hello World!
This is my online birding journal. Being new to the birding and birdwatcher world, I want to keep track of my birding travels along with what I see (and attempt to identify). I'll do some back-tracking and post some entries about the few places I've been around southeastern Arizona. You'll see I'm still learning but there is a lot of information out there; also other birders, who are more than happy to share their knowledge.
Good Birding!
Good Birding!
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