Species List

Stuart Healy Journal - December, 2004 If you use the contents of my journal for commercial purposes, please acknowledge the source to your clients - thanks.

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This log is in chronological order and the most recent entries are at the bottom of the page.
The last update was on Wednesday, December 29, 2004.

Thursday, December 2, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day  
I got my December birding underway on the San Pedro this morning. It was colder than a twitchers' wit (mid 20s) at 7:45am and I should probably have started a little later since it took quite a while for the birds to get going. The sun finally poked through in earnest around 9:00am and the temperature climbed to 50+ degrees by 11:30am. A typical "early winter" morning.

Given the cold conditions, I expected lots of birds to be active at the San Pedro House but that wasn't the case. I soon found the culprit -- a juvenile COOPER'S HAWK that was none too pleased that I'd arrived and ruined its chances of breakfast. The bird seemed unusually well marked on the back (bold white streaks), although the photo only shows a hint of that due to the angle. I'm calling the bird a male since it was very small.

I walked south along Del Valle road and didn't see a single bird until I was well into Garden Wash. Lots of activity here -- mostly sparrows and all four towhees. I was able to photograph ABERT'S TOWHEE and GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE, both of which were surprisingly cooperative. PYRRHULOXIAS were all over the place and I must have seen at least two dozen. Other stuff in the wash included GREATER ROADRUNNER, lots of GAMBEL'S QUAIL, the ubiquitous YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, BREWER'S & BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS and a few LESSER GOLDFINCHES.

Next, I checked Black Phoebe pond where the only bird present was (you guessed it!) BLACK PHOEBE.

Continuing on, I spent a scant fifteen minutes at Kingfisher Pond where I encountered NORTHERN SHOVELER, a very cooperative  CURVE-BILLED THRASHER  and a handful of LARK BUNTINGS drinking at the water's edge. Although Lark Buntings are an extremely common wintering bird in southeast Arizona (in most years), they are never more than uncommon on the river at this season. I see them more in spring.

I returned to the San Pedro House by walking along the river where it was very quiet. Just two birds of note -- I flushed a single WILSON'S SNIPE (very scarce on this part of the river) and came across quite a flock of AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES where the SP House trail meets the river. Although I've recorded AMGO here every year for the past 11 years, I only have 24 records which gives you an idea of how scarce they are.

The feeders at the San Pedro House now had plenty of  customers. I looked around for the Ruddy Ground-Doves without success. I also learned that I'd missed the continuing Greater Pewee, heard near Kingfisher Pond while I was elsewhere. This would be a new location species for me. I had to be content with more common fare like this CANYON TOWHEE that scurried out from under my vehicle looking rather surprised. The towhees seem to like going under vehicles and this behavior is a regular occurrence.

On the way back to town I stopped to briefly check Sierra Vista EOP. Highlights from 25 species included the continuing PEREGRINE FALCON that scared up all the ducks a couple of times, GREATER ROADRUNNER, a single SPOTTED SANDPIPER on one of the intake ponds and lots of HORNED LARKS constantly flying around. Oh, I should mention for the benefit of Kaye who'll no doubt read this with some chagrin, CHIHUAHUAN RAVENS were common.

57 species recorded: SPRNCA and SVEOP bar graphs.
Am. Wigeon, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, N. Pintail, N. Shoveler, N. Harrier, Cooper's & Red-tailed Hawks, Am. Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Gambel's Quail, Am. Coot, Wilson's Snipe, Spotted Sandpiper, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, N, Flicker, Black & Say's Phoebes, Horned Lark, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bewick's & Marsh Wrens, Curve-billed Thrasher, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, Chihuahuan Raven, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Green-tailed, Spotted, Canyon & Abert's Towhees, Lark Bunting, Brewer's, Vesper, Black-throated, Savannah, Song, Lincoln's & White-crowned Sparrows, Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged, Yellow-headed & Brewer's Blackbirds, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch, Lesser & American Goldfinches and House Sparrow.

Friday, December 3, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day  
I spent today in the Sulphur Springs Valley where my only real objective was to look for Mountain Plover. I also made relatively brief stops at Whitewater Draw, the Granites and at Willcox to break the monotony. The day began well below freezing at Whitewater Draw, warmed to the mid 60s in the Granites around noon then clouded over and became gloomy and cool at Wilcox in late afternoon.

I worked long and hard and cruised lots of back roads in an unsuccessful search for Mountain Plover. Driving the dusty roads and constantly stopping to scan the fields is time consuming and tedious, especially when there aren't many other species present to provide inspiration and keep the enthusiasm going. Perhaps it's still a little early. Apart from one November record, most of my first sighting records in Sulphur Springs Valley have come during early December (my earliest record is December 5). Of course, the sampling interval is fairly high since I don't check the valley as much as I do my other regular haunts.

I checked the traditional spots, such as the fields at Davis and Central and at Essary Hay on Rucker Canyon Road. I then continued north to check fields on Bell Ranch Road and several side roads that run west to Kansas Settlement Road. I didn't check the interior fields at Essary; next time out I'll do that. Perhaps more disappointing than not finding any plovers was not finding any really good habitat. The third field on Central north of Davis is often the best in this area and was today, although still far from ideal. Two of the fields on the south side of Rucker Canyon Road have recently been harvested and will probably be okay in the next week or so. The best fields I found were on the east side of Bell Ranch Road, roughly between milepost 10 and 11. A couple of fields on the south side of Baker road not far from Bell Ranch will be good in a week or so. Anyone seeking plovers in the coming weeks should probably concentrate on the places that I've mentioned here. By the way, it seems like a good year for LARK BUNTINGS, they were common and easily seen throughout the valley.

With a long day in prospect I had to give short shrift to Whitewater Draw. [Incidentally, this is I why I don't like to bird multiple locations per day when I'm not working. In such cases, the number of birds detected is compromised and really doesn't represent a true inventory of what is present.] To make matters worse, I was there early when the temperature was well below freezing and landbird activity was minimal.  Highlights from 40+ species seen included two GREAT HORNED OWLS, a few male CINNAMON TEAL, female BUFFLEHEAD, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, a female/immature male columbarius MERLIN, a single GREATER YELLOWLEGS, several VERMILION FLYCATCHERS, a few AMERICAN PIPITS and a lowly HOUSE WREN (scarce at WWD).

I couldn't believe how warm it was when I got to the Granites. Perhaps the rocks hold the heat which may explain why the birds like it here. Of course, shedding a layer and changing into shorts was a signal for the clouds to build up. The hackberry grove has plenty of fruit and at least four NORTHERN CARDINALS and two or three CURVE-BILLED THRASHERS were feeding on the berries. I turned my attention to finding BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW, a bird that is usually the main reason for a visit here in winter. I was only able to find a couple of them and managed just one rather poor photo (lacking detail) taken from too far away (included because it's my first of this species!). BLACK-THROATED and BREWER'S SPARROWS were very common. Other species included CACTUS, CANYON, ROCK & BEWICK'S WRENS, a surprise LINCOLN'S SPARROW (not really their kind of habitat), a pile of CANYON TOWHEES and a  few LESSER GOLDFINCHES.

On Mormon Road I added my fourth GREAT HORNED OWL of the day at a traditional spot (1 on Coffman, 2 at WWD).

Rucker Canyon Road produced the usual plentiful FERRUGINOUS HAWKS, a very active PRAIRIE FALCON scaring up the blackbird and sparrow flocks as well as a flock of CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPURS.

On Bell Ranch Road I struck out at a "reliable" Barn Owl spot. However, I did add more FERRUGINOUS HAWKS; lots of WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS soaring high overhead, taking advantage of the afternoon warmth; and at least 60 LONG-BILLED CURLEWS at the corner of Baker Road.

I didn't expect much in the way of landbirds at Willcox in the late afternoon so a total of 35 species here was fairly decent. Very few highlights though, best birds were 2 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, 2 SNOW GEESE, a spiffy male BUFFLEHEAD (always a delight to see), 2 COMMON MERGANSERS, and many hundreds (thousands?) of RED-WINGED & YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS coming in to roost.

Day list (80 species recorded):
Pied-billed & Eared Grebes, Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Snow Goose, Am. Wigeon, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, N. Pintail, Cinnamon Teal, N. Shoveler, Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned, Red-tailed & Ferruginous Hawks, Am. Kestrel, Merlin, Prairie Falcon, Sandhill Crane, Am. Coot, Killdeer, Long-billed Curlew, Greater Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, Mourning Dove, Great Horned Owl, White-throated Swift, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Black & Say's Phoebes, Vermilion Flycatcher, Horned Lark, Am. Pipit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cactus, Rock, Canyon, Bewick's, House & Marsh Wrens, N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Canyon Towhee, Lark Bunting, Chipping, Brewer's, Black-chinned, Vesper, Black-throated, Savannah, Song, Lincoln's & White-crowned Sparrows, Chestnut-collared Longspur, N. Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Eastern & Western Meadowlarks, Red-winged, Yellow-headed & Brewer's Blackbirds, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

Sunday, December 5, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day  
After a dreary and very wet day yesterday, this morning began completely cloudy with a few sprinkles in Sierra Vista. However, compared to recent days it was extremely mild. I headed over to Patagonia Lake where the early morning weather was delightful -- clear and mild and quite birdy. A few clouds rolled in by late morning and it became a little windy. All in all though, a great morning to be out birding.

As usual, I started at the deep end of the lake. I was surprised to see 10+ COMMON MERGANSERS and a couple of BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS right in the Marina, very close to shore. Perhaps refugees from yesterday's weather. [Mergansers were very common today.] Swirling mist gave the lake an eerie look as I began scanning around 7:15am and it was difficult to pick out distant birds. I noted many EARED GREBES, a single WESTERN GREBE and a few PINTAILS and REDHEADS.

Further east, near the visitor center, I added WHITE-WINGED DOVES and ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD. The first decent bird of the morning came near the beach area in the form of a NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET -- they are pretty scarce at the lake in December. Also here were SPOTTED & LEAST SANDPIPERS and a few AMERICAN PIPITS.

By 8:30am I was ready to start the trail at the east end of the lake. I scanned around for quite a while looking for the female LONG-TAILED DUCK first reported yesterday. The bird was difficult to find and would retreat to a bay at the southeast corner of the lake when disturbed by boats. In this location, the bird could not be seen without walking out onto the peninsula that projects westward into the lake from the northeast corner. The photograph was taken from a long distance and is barely a documentation shot. However, you can just about make out what it is! I should have brought my digiscoping gear. This was only my third record in Arizona and my first in the southeast part of the state. It was also the 250th species that I've seen at the lake and certainly one that does justice to the milestone. This was a very regular species for me when I lived in Bellingham -- however, just like real estate, good birds are often deemed such simply because of location.  [By the way, check out this image of a Long-tailed Duck in a plumage that you might not find in a field guide. All parts of the bird except the head are in summer plumage, a kind of half and half summer-winter plumaged individual.]

Other waterfowl included GADWALL, plenty of GREEN-WINGED and a few CINNAMON TEAL, a male GREATER SCAUP consorting with a small group of LESSER SCAUP, and lots of RUDDY DUCKS. Greater Scaup has become "semi-regular" at the lake in winter and I have records in four different years. At least three COMMON MOORHENS worked the edge of the marsh where both SORA and VIRGINIA RAILS called.

GRAY and DUSKY FLYCATCHERS were a little more numerous today, especially the latter; and I also tracked down a calling ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER.

I squelched along the Sonoita Creek (wearing appropriate footwear) without adding much to my tally for the day. I struck out on Elegant Trogon but did pick up LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH for my time and effort. I did get a bonus bird as I returned though -- I flushed a bird drinking from the creek that flew straight up into a willow and I was able locate what turned out to be a female HEPATIC TANAGER. They are rare and somewhat regular in lowland habitats in winter and I have several January and February records from a couple of places. However, this was my first for December.

67 species recorded at Patagonia Lake State Park:  PLSP Bar Graph
Pied-billed, Eared & Western Grebes, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, N. Pintail, Cinnamon Teal, Redhead, Greater & Lesser Scaup, Long-tailed Duck, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Cooper's Hawk, Am. Kestrel, Virginia Rail, Sora, Common Moorhen, Am. Coot, Spotted & Least Sandpipers, White-winged & Inca Doves, Anna's Hummingbird, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, N. Flicker, N. Beardless-Tyrannulet, Black & Say's Phoebes, Gray, Dusky & Ash-throated Flycatchers, Am. Pipit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Rock, Canyon, Bewick's, House & Marsh Wrens, N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Bushtit, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Common Raven, Hutton's Vireo, Orange-crowned &Yellow-rumped Warblers, Louisiana Waterthrush, Hepatic Tanager, Green-tailed & Abert's Towhees, Chipping, Lark, Black-throated & Song Sparrows, N. Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, Lesser Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

Before leaving town, I stopped by Marion Paton's yard. Broad-billed Hummingbird had been seen earlier in the morning but I didn't see any hummers during a 30 minute stay. The only bird of note during the noon hour was a single PINE SISKIN -- a species that I've recorded in the yard in each of the last ten years. Most of those records are from January to April with a few stretching into May. A very approachable BLACK PHOEBE was hawking insects around the water feature.

On the way home I stopped briefly at Las Cienegas. By now (12:30pm) it was quite windy and a little chilly and I only checked the grassland for the first mile or so from the highway 82 entrance. I saw a few species typical of the habitat like NORTHERN HARRIER, SAY'S PHOEBE, HORNED LARK and VESPER SPARROW. My last bird of a fairly decent day was GREATER ROADRUNNER.

Monday, December 6, 2004    Previous Day   Next Day  
Despite plenty of fresh snow in the mountains overnight, the weather wasn't really an issue this morning. I waited until after 9:00am before heading down to the San Pedro where I found the conditions weren't bad at all -- a temperature of 40 degrees under very cloudy skies.

I decided to look for the pesky GREATER PEWEE that had eluded me on recently visits while being seen regularly by everybody and his brother (species #216 for me on the SPRNCA). I walked directly east from the San Pedro House down to the river and immediately heard the weakest of Jose Maria calls way in the distance. I was able to track down the bird about 3/8 mile east of the river where the cottonwoods end and the mesquites begin. The bird was vocalizing on and off, alternately calling then singing, perhaps with a little encouragement from me. It was also quite active and I was amazed to see it attacking a LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER and a WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, actually making contact with both birds. The obvious conclusion to draw from this is that the bird is defending a winter territory (apparently without knowing that the birds in question aren't really any competition!). The fact that the bird is here at all perhaps indicates that it is immature, or at least a geographically challenged individual. Such unfounded inferences may be way of the mark, but they they are good fun all the same.

Many AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES were in the same weedy area as the Pewee.

I stayed on the east side of the river and walked south for a while -- this was quite difficult and not recommended since there isn't much of a trail. All I saw were a few UDAs. After crossing back over the river, I briefly looked at kingfisher pond then returned to the San Pedro House.

I was hoping to relocate a RUDDY GROUND-DOVE and I was successful in that endeavor, finding both male and female after about 30 minutes of wandering around just west of the San Pedro House. There was a bit of a dove convention going on here with INCA DOVE, COMMON GROUND-DOVE, WHITE-WINGED DOVE & MOURNING DOVE all participating. Several individuals of each species were present, none of which (except Mourning) can be considered reliable (or even expected) here at this season. As you'll see from the images, twigs were my biggest enemy as well as poor light (I had to use ISO 800).

A male NORTHERN CARDINAL was very much a surprise bird around the feeders. This was my first sighting of the year at this location and I've only recorded them in 7 of the 12 years that I've birded here (26 sightings in all).

An unproductive route on the east side of the river, limited time at Kingfisher Pond and the fact that I didn't check Garden Wash at all led to many regular species being missed. Nevertheless, I was well satisfied with the results from three hours worth of effort.

42 species recorded:  SPRNCA Bar Graph
Great Blue Heron, Mallard, N. Shoveler, Canvasback, Gambel's Quail, Am. Coot, Mourning, White-winged & Inca Doves, Common & Ruddy Ground-Doves, Belted Kingfisher, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, N. Flicker, Greater Pewee, Bewick's & House Wrens, Curve-billed Thrasher, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, Chihuahuan Raven, Green-tailed, Spotted, Canyon & Abert's Towhees, Lark Bunting, Chipping, Brewer's, Vesper, Black-throated, Lincoln's & White-crowned Sparrows, N. Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch, Lesser & American Goldfinches and House Sparrow.

Tuesday, December 7, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day
The stormy weather finally seems to have passed through and it was back to sunny skies again this morning. Of course, gone too are the mild temperatures and it was a little nippy again first thing. I had a wasted morning -- a planned trip to Sawmill Canyon got screwed up for various reasons and I ended up spending a couple of hours in Garden Canyon as far as the upper picnic area. Snow level was about 5200 feet.

I saw absolutely nothing of note and hardly any birds at all, possibly weather related after a few really cold days. PINE SISKINS continue at the Fishing Ponds where a skulking accipiter kept activity to a minimum. SAVANNAH SPARROWS were very common in the Gravel Pit pond.

Further up canyon, only RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER was of note and I even had trouble finding MEXICAN JAYS. Hell must be freezing over at the edges.

Wednesday, December 8, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day  
As most of you have probably gathered by reading my journal or talking to me in person, these days I don't do much chasing of birds when I'm not working with clients. Consequently, the two recent "chases" of Long-tailed Duck and Greater Pewee as new location birds represented a bit of "rule breaking". Today I decided to head over to Patagonia Lake State Park again, this time without any agenda at all other than just to see whatever came my way and to enjoy myself.

After a typical cold and frosty start it was a delightful morning at the lake -- sunny and calm and always something to look at, even at noon. I did my usual routine, starting first thing at the west end and working my way to the middle of the lake then on to the east end trail. However, I was unable to walk over the marina bridge (too slippery because of frost) . Also, I didn't make it to the main creek trail and stopped after the willow forest.

Compared to my last visit on Sunday, waterfowl were much less in evidence in terms of numbers and diversity. I didn't see the Long-tailed Duck (although I didn't specifically look for it) and I missed Neotropic Cormorant for the second trip in succession. I also missed the White-winged Dove flock for the first time in a while. Enough of what I didn't see.

In terms of rarity, GREATER SCAUP was probably the best species present. The scaup (plural, I don't like to write scaups it sounds wrong, just like quails) were at the east end of the lake -- male and female. I saw the male on Sunday and I suspect the female was present then, too. However, it was probably lost in the group of Lesser Scaup that weren't present to confuse the issue today. Greater Scaup seems to have occurred more regularly than might be expected in SE AZ in recent years, perhaps due more to better detection rather than an actual increase in numbers.

A calling DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER in Nutting's Wash wasn't far behind as MVB (most valuable bird). They are very scarce in winter (one bird stayed here in the winter of 2001/2002).

While birding at the foot of the marina bridge, I spotted a COMMON MOORHEN and SORA foraging in the open. I was just quick enough to photograph the Moorhen but the Sora quickly scurried away (as did the Moorhen seconds after this shot). You wouldn't know it from the resultant image, but it was complete shaded and quite dark here. I continue to be impressed with the ability of the 20D to capture decent image detail in low light without producing too much noise (using high ISO sensitivity of course, 800 in this case); the marvels of the image stabilized lens that produces a (hand-held) clear image with a shutter speed of 1/125s; and the power of Photoshop to render the images usable. It proves my philosophy of photography that was neatly summed up in a statement I saw the other day -- "post processing can fix most things except a shot not taken". In other words, take photos now and ask questions later.

NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET continues near the beach bathroom (if you look closely you can see where the beard would be if it had one). While waiting for the Tyrannulet to call again so I could locate it, I followed this very accommodating AMERICAN PIPIT that was foraging along the shore. Although the bird allowed very close approach, it simply would not keep still (in typical pipit fashion) and I took 60 shots just to get this one decent image! While I was tracking the Tyrannulet, a NORTHERN FLICKER watched my activities as it surveyed its kingdom. Eventually I said, okay it's your turn. CURVE-BILLED THRASHER and HERMIT THRUSH were feeding on hackberries in the same area.

As I started the trail at the east end of the lake, bird activity near the bench was very high. Lots of BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS and CANYON TOWHEES and this rather tame ROCK WREN (nothing comes easy though, I had to work in some very prickly stuff to get this shot!).

Not long after I dropped down to lake level and started the marsh trail, I heard weak and distant gnatcatcher calls. I hadn't planned to look for BLACK-CAPPED GNATCATCHER but after I heard two birds calling to each other, the chase was on! Although it didn't take me very long to locate the gnatcatchers, I then proceeded to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by staying with the pair for over 30 minutes, trying to get a bird in the frame. It made the pipit seem easy. The photo is of a male although you really can't tell from this image. Note the tail feather graduation: there's a significant difference between shortest and longest tail feathers. I took many shots, most of which were lovely views of mesquite branches. However, I did manage another image showing the bird looking at me rather inquisitively. A delightful bird.

Resuming my walk, I scanned the edge of the marsh and eventually turned up a SWAMP SPARROW among the many SONG SPARROWS. The squelchy mud and grass here was heavily populated with YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and LARK SPARROWS. This is were I heard the Dusky-capped Flycatcher calling from Nutting's wash.

Flycatchers didn't seem as common today but I eventually came across GRAY FLYCATCHER and DUSKY FLYCATCHER with the latter being in the minority. I looked and listened a little while for Hammond's without success.

For the second time in recent trips, I found several RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROWS on the hillside below the Ranger's residence. This is where I saw this species at the lake for the first time in 2002. Since then, they have become more common (at least, I have detected them more often); and they have nested in the wash near the entrance gate for a least the past two years.

Along the entrance road, I heard several RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROWS singing at noon. Perhaps they found the great weather to their liking.  BLACK-TAILED GNATCATCHERS were in the same area along with a variety of towhees and sparrows including BREWER'S SPARROW and GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE.

Strolling around and finding more than 70 species in 5 hours made for a very productive and enjoyable morning. Now, if only I could get paid for doing such things.

73 species recorded at Patagonia Lake State Park (7:00am-12:00pm):  PLSP Bar Graph
Pied-billed, Eared & Western Grebes, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, N. Shoveler, Canvasback, Greater Scaup, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, N. Harrier, Am. Kestrel, Sora, Common Moorhen, Am. Coot, Wilson's Snipe, Spotted Sandpiper, Mourning & Inca Doves, Anna's Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, N. Flicker, N. Beardless-Tyrannulet, Black & Say's Phoebes, Gray, Dusky & Dusky-capped Flycatchers, Am. Pipit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Phainopepla, Rock, Bewick's, House & Marsh Wrens, Curve-billed Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, Black-tailed & Black-capped Gnatcatchers, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Common Raven, Hutton's Vireo, Orange-crowned & Yellow-rumped Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Green-tailed & Canyon Towhees, Rufous-crowned, Rufous-winged, Chipping, Brewer's, Lark, Black-throated, Song, Lincoln's, Swamp & White-crowned Sparrows, N. Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

Friday, December 10, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day  
Out today with Pete Shen and Dorothy Poole from NY. I birded with Pete earlier this year and Dorothy eight years ago. For the next three days we'll be working on a list of year birds. We had a mostly successful day birding a loop through Santa Cruz and Pima Counties from San Rafael Valley on to Patagonia Lake, Peņa Blanca Lake and Green Valley; returning to Sierra Vista via Box Canyon Road. After a moderately nippy ice-scraping start, the day warmed nicely and was a little too warm for my liking by early afternoon.

Although it was sunny and calm in San Rafael Valley, bird activity was minimal in the early morning chill. We had just two target species here and after a couple of hours of effort we left after seeing only one of them -- good scope looks at GRASSHOPPER SPARROW but not a sniff of Baird's Sparrow.

Our visit to Patagonia Lake couldn't have worked out any better and we saw all five target species in about two hours. We very quickly saw a pair of BLACK-CAPPED GNATCATCHERS immediately after starting the trail, even before we reached "the bench". The birds foraged silently for a few minutes in the mesquite next to the trail allowing very close views. Eventually, they started calling to complete the experience. Note my reference to "a pair" and not "the pair" as many have reported. At least two pairs (possibly three pairs) nested at the lake this year and (presumably) all those birds plus offspring may still be present.

Continuing along the trail as far as the creek we worked on empids and eventually had good looks at HAMMOND'S, DUSKY and GRAY FLYCATCHERS. We finished up at the beach area where we soon tracked down a continuing NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET by picking up on its distinctive "eeek" call.

During the search for our targets we noted  45 species at the lake including WESTERN GREBE, the continuing pair of GREATER SCAUP (today with a group of LESSER SCAUP again), a few BUFFLEHEADS and many of the usual dickey bird suspects.

A kettle of 20ish BLACK VULTURES in Nogales obviously found the warm midday conditions to their liking.

I decided to make a detour to Peņa Blanca Lake in order to ensure that we didn't miss RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER. The lake is a sure bet for them during the winter months. We didn't stay long and there was nothing of real note among 20+ species seen.

Next, we headed north to Green Valley to look for goldfinches. Wouldn't you know it, RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER was almost the first bird that we saw after stepping out of the car at the Old Pima County Maintenance Yard (I was hoping it was the sometimes-seen Yellow-bellied). Dorothy and I moved off to check the water trough only to be called back immediately by Pete who spotted a HARRIS'S SPARROW. Here's another shot taken from closer range -- partially obstructed but showing more detail of the breast and facial pattern. This is an extremely scarce winter visitor to the southeast part of the state and only my second sighting in Arizona. Ironically, we had talked about this species earlier in the day and I had basically said "no chance". Go figure! The bird was a first winter individual and, if males are really bigger than females, I would say it was a male. However, I haven't seen enough of them to know if size is a reliable sexing character or not, especially since this is a "giant" sparrow anyway.

Initially, the sparrow was on the ground in the southwest corner of the small parking enclosure. We later relocated the bird across the highway next to the railroad tracks as we resumed the search for goldfinches. After about 45 minutes a small group of LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCHES flew in to the mesquites near the water trough.

After a string of successful birds, we almost struck out on the easiest bird of the day on Box Canyon Road -- RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW. It was already sunset in some parts of the canyon but we managed to wake one up.

A group of fifteen or so EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were on the wires in Sonoita.

Day list (84 species recorded):
Pied-billed, Eared & Western Grebes, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, N. Shoveler, Redhead, Greater & Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Black & Turkey Vultures, N. Harrier, Sharp-shinned & Red-tailed Hawks, Am. Kestrel, Common Moorhen, Am. Coot, Spotted Sandpiper, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Red-naped Sapsucker, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, N. Flicker, N. Beardless-Tyrannulet, Hammond's, Gray & Dusky Flycatchers, Black & Say's Phoebes, Horned Lark, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Phainopepla, Rock, Canyon, Bewick's & House Wrens, Hermit Thrush, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Bushtit, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, Mexican Jay, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens, European Starling, Hutton's Vireo, Orange-crowned & Yellow-rumped Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Spotted & Abert's Towhees, Rufous-crowned, Rufous-winged, Chipping, Black-throated, Savannah, Grasshopper, Song, White-crowned & Harris's Sparrows, Dark-eyed Junco, Chestnut-collared Longspur, N. Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern & Western Meadowlarks, Great-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, Lesser & Lawrence's Goldfinches and House Sparrow.

Saturday, December 11, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day  
Out again today with Pete and Dorothy looking for more year birds. We visited Sulphur Springs Valley, St. David, San Pedro River and Sawmill Canyon. We turned up 6 of 8 species that we sought, some of which were a forgone conclusion, others not so much. After a below freezing start in the valley, it was an unseasonably warm day.

We started near Whitewater Draw (although we didn't enter) and worked Coffman, Lee and Central roads for almost an hour before finding our first singing BENDIRE'S THRASHER. This is close to the start of their breeding season so I was mildly surprised that it took so long. We later saw three more Bendire's further north in the valley. Additional target species noted during the search included BREWER'S SPARROW and LARK BUNTING (both very common) and GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE.

We arrived shortly before sunrise and were able to enjoy the spectacular sight of thousands of SANDHILL CRANES heading out for the day. Other species included lots of BREWER'S, YELLOW-HEADED & RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS leaving their roosts in large groups in the order listed.

Next, we checked the fields at Davis and Central in our first unsuccessful search for Mountain Plover. The only consolation here was the first FERRUGINOUS HAWK (image #2 in flight) of the day.

Continuing north, a EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE was on a wire in "downtown" Elfrida.

We worked the fields on Rucker Canyon Road for a while striking out again on Mountain Plover. Plenty of FERRUGINOUS HAWKS here plus the usual sparrows, pipits, meadowlarks, etc. Of note was a flock of 70+ CHESTNUT-COLLARED-LONGSPURS.

After a drive west, we resumed birding at Holy Trinity Monastery in St. David for a Lewis's Woodpecker "Hail Mary". With its cottonwoods and pecan grove, this has been a reliable location for the past few winters. However, Lewis's have been very scarce so far this season and I've seen very few reports. I've checked for them here three times already. Not surprisingly, perhaps, not a sniff (except from me, I'm under the weather with a cold). 

Among the birds of note were BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (my first at the Monastery), GRAY FLYCATCHER (regular here in winter)  HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER (my second record at the Monastery), a flock of 25+ AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES (seems like a good year for them in AZ) and a fly-by RED CROSSBILL. Interestingly, I've recorded Red Crossbill in four different years at this lowland location between November and January.

Our next stop was at the San Pedro House where our timing was impeccable -- other folks were already looking at the pair of RUDDY GROUND-DOVES. Both male and female were sitting at the base of a mesquite with a COMMON GROUND-DOVE. The photo shows the male and you can just see the heads of the other two birds.

Our final destination of the day was Sawmill Canyon for Williamson's Sapsucker, a location  that I was worried about reaching. However, our dinky little rental car just made it past the pictograph site. This area doesn't receive much sun at this time of year and the snow always turns to a large expanse of ice.

It was pretty dead in the canyon and the few times that we heard very quiet tapping turned into disappointing dead ends. Fortunately, however, we were in the right place at right time to see a bird fly across canyon and we tracked it to the top of a pine -- Pete saw it well enough to identify a male WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER. We persevered and eventually came across a female WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER that we all saw well.  

A few birds noted heading back down Garden Canyon included GREATER ROADRUNNER, a small flock of WESTERN BLUEBIRDS and the usual PHAINOPELAS and PYRRHULOXIAS.

Day list (71 species recorded):
Black-crowned Night-Heron, Am. Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, N. Shoveler, N. Harrier, Sharp-shinned, Cooper's, Red-tailed & Ferruginous Hawks, Am. Kestrel, Scaled Quail, Sandhill Crane, Killdeer, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Common & Ruddy Ground-Doves, Greater Roadrunner, Belted Kingfisher, Williamson's Sapsucker, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Hammond's & Gray Flycatchers, Say's Phoebe, Horned Lark, American Pipit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Phainopepla, N. Mockingbird, Bendire's & Curve-billed Thrashers, Western Bluebird, Bushtit, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, Steller's & Mexican Jays, Chihuahuan Raven, Hutton's Vireo, Orange-crowned & Yellow-rumped Warblers, Canyon & Abert's Towhees, Lark Bunting, Rufous-crowned, Brewer's, Vesper, Black-throated, Savannah, Lincoln's & White-crowned Sparrows, Chestnut-collared Longspur, N. Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Eastern & Western Meadowlarks, Red-winged, Yellow-headed & Brewer's Blackbirds, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch, Red Crossbill, Lesser & American Goldfinches and House Sparrow.

Sunday, December 12, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day
Third and last day with Pete and Dorothy, out again looking for year birds. On a long day of traveling day that was extremely warm at times, we managed to find four of five species that we sought.

We left Sierra Vista at 4:00am and almost 250 miles later began birding at the "thrasher spot" (corner of Baseline Road and Salome Highway) near Buckeye in Maricopa County. Although a tad early, the date was close enough to the start of the thrasher breeding season and I was very optimistic. Even though this location is often described as being "in the middle of nowhere", there's a surprising amount of traffic constantly whizzing by. Traffic noise coupled with a constantly singing CRISSAL THRASHER made listening very difficult (absolutely infuriating if you're an ear birder). Nevertheless, after much walking around, by 9:00am we had located three LE CONTE'S THRASHERS. True to form, the birds were eventually very cooperative. We saw them perched up (great scope looks) and running on the ground -- very little vocalization was heard, more calling than singing. My "guess" would be a couple of males courting a female.

Other species from < 20 noted included BLACK-TAILED GNATCATCHER, BLACK-THROATED SPARROW, scads of SAGE SPARROWS (you've heard the expression "kicking them out of our way", in this case it was true) and ABERT'S TOWHEE.

Sage Thrasher was another target here and we hadn't come across one in all the habitat that we covered. On our way back south, we stopped on Sunland Gin Road near Harmon (Pinal County) and persevered in the heat to eventually turn up a very secretive and uncooperative SAGE THRASHER. We also saw BENDIRE'S THRASHER and a few SAGE SPARROWS. This is a location where I've seen Le Conte's Thrasher in previous years but I'd hardly call it a reliable spot. If it was, I'd hardly make the trek to Buckeye would I?

We continued south a few miles to check the fields at Western Sod Farm for Mountain Plover. Just like yesterday in Sulphur Springs Valley, once again we were unsuccessful. This is a species that should be present by now yet, apart from an isolated report on a single bird several months ago, there have been zero positive and many negative reports. Since the winter of 1993 (when I started birding full time in SE AZ), I've recorded them every year through the winter of 2003/2004. They are typically late in arriving and perhaps this year they are later than ever -- maybe they won't show at all.

There isn't much in the way of great habitat for them at the sod farm, perhaps evidenced by the absence of Killdeer. Many AMERICAN PIPITS were present along with a few HORNED LARKS and LEAST SANDPIPERS. The only raptors noted were NORTHERN HARRIER and RED-TAILED & FERRUGINOUS HAWKS.

Our final stop of the day was on Woodland Road in east Tucson, a nice neighborhood with lots of trees, fields and a pecan grove. This location has been home to a few winter rarities but our prey today was more low key -- LEWIS'S WOODPECKER (perhaps my favorite woodpecker along with Williamson's Sapsucker). They have wintered here before and were first detected this year in mid November. It didn't take long to find one --  atop a pole in typical fashion across from the pecan grove.

Lots of blackbirds, grackles and starlings here with a beautiful male VERMILION FLYCATCHER to add a splash of color.

I'm very much under the weather so you might not see any reports for a few days.

Wednesday, December 15, 2004    Previous Day   Next Day  
I felt considerably better this morning and decided to make my second visit of the month to Willcox. I left home in darkness and timed my arrival for about 15 minutes after sunrise. The sunny and brisk conditions conjured up images of good stuff. Alas, the birding was a little on the mediocre side. Just nature's way of telling me I should have stayed home for another day.

Despite the below freezing start, several EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were active and singing along the entrance road and near the golf course buildings. A small flock of SANDHILL CRANES were just starting their outbound journey for the day.

I made a 30 minute pass around the main pond and a second similar pass at 9:30am. Apart from a group of 8 RING-BILLED GULLS that departed as I arrived (setting the tone for the visit), birds were the same each time. Waterfowl diversity and numbers were well below what I expected.

Highlights on the main pond were the continuing  2 SNOW GEESE, a few LESSER SCAUP and about 10 COMMON MERGANSERS (photo is of a female on a rock often used by many species). A couple of LEAST SANDPIPERS were the only shorebirds noted.

Activity at the golf course was a little better. The best bird here was a single adult GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE out on the golf course grass. A good looking FERRUGINOUS HAWK spooked the grazing AMERICAN WIGEON flock a few times but I still managed to locate the hybrid EURASIAN x AMERICAN WIGEON.

The small pond had SORA and WILSON'S SNIPE out in the open. A large flock of  LARK BUNTINGS were active as I departed.

40 species recorded at Willcox Ponds (7:30-10:00am):
Pied-billed & Eared Grebes, Great Blue Heron, Greater White-fronted Goose, Snow Goose, Am. Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, N. Shoveler, Lesser Scaup, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, N. Harrier, Ferruginous Hawk, Gambel's Quail, Sandhill Crane, Sora, Am. Coot, Killdeer, Wilson's Snipe, Least Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Black & Say's Phoebes, Marsh Wren, Loggerhead Shrike, Chihuahuan Raven, European Starling, Lark Bunting, Brewer's, Vesper, Savannah, Song, Lincoln's & White-crowned Sparrows, Eastern Meadowlark, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch and House Sparrow.

I stopped at the Monastery in St. David on the way home where the birding wasn't any better than at Willcox. Perhaps the late morning hour and the presence of a COOPER'S HAWK combined to keep activity down. An hour of working the various habitats produced a meager 20 species. Only this dapper looking NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD qualified as a highlight (a photo first and the best photo of the day by far).

Friday, December 17, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day  
Had I not been forced to stay home for much of this past week, I wouldn't even have bothered to go out this morning because of a high wind forecast. As it was, I started late and spent a couple of hours on the San Pedro where it was indeed windy, although not as bad as I expected. I also stopped at Sierra Vista EOP where it was extremely windy and I quickly abandoned that visit.

A pleasant surprise at the San Pedro House as I stepped out of the car was a close up GILDED FLICKER trying to get seeds from a tube feeder! This is a scarce species here and I've only recorded it 8 times in over 520 visits. However, I suspect it's a little more common than those numbers would indicate since I don't pay attention to every Flicker that I hear.

I walked the river trail down to Kingfisher pond and returned through the open fields. I burned an inordinate amount of time sifting through the hundreds of WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS hoping for Golden-crowned; as well as working on photographing an extremely cooperative HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER along the river trail (a photo first for me).

Hammond's is the least common of the three regular wintering empids. It's also the least vocal of the three (in winter) and today's bird didn't say word one the entire time I watched it. The flycatcher was consistently working low and I stayed with it for 30 minutes hoping to get something that could form the basis of an identification article. The bird was completely unfazed by my presence and flew within inches of me half a dozen times. The only downside was that it was in a very twiggy location and my views were mostly obstructed. However, I did get some very useful images from 80 shots taken. I selected three to publish here.

Photo #1 shows the main features that I look for to identify Hammond's. First of all, note the slightly "dumpy" jizz caused by the "no neck" appearance. This is always a useful character (Gray and Dusky usually present a more extended appearance). Another very good character is the lopsided eye ring -- most evident behind the eye. I find this to be a very reliable field mark. The jizz and eye ring are often enough to clinch the id. Other supporting characters visible in this image are small bill, raised hackles giving a peak towards the rear of the head, and the contrast between the gray on the face and back of the head and the green back. Be aware, however, that Dusky Flycatcher often shows the latter two characters and depending on viewing angle, attitude of the bird and lighting conditions, these characters can "disappear" in both species. [Dusky doesn't usually show gray on the back of the head. If you look at the photos of Dusky Flycatcher in the gallery, you'll see what I mean.]

Primary extension is another good character to look for. Although you can certainly see this in photo #1, it doesn't jump out at you because of the viewing angle. However, in photo #2 and especially in photo #3, it's as noticeable as getting hit on the head with a sledgehammer (very long compared to the more moderate extension of Gray and Dusky). Note also that the eye ring shape remains consistent despite different viewing angles.

I don't rely on bill color as a useful character since it can be quite variable. Some sources maintain that the underside of the lower mandible always shows mostly dark. Photo #1 (showing some edge color that could be misleading) and Photo #2 (mostly dark) are somewhat contradictory in this regard, highlighting the problem even when viewing the same bird from different angles, let alone different individuals.

In addition to voice, there's another very strong field character that doesn't show in any photograph or artists illustration. Hammond's has a habit of flicking its wings and tail upward at the same time, almost a whole body twitch or a nervous tick. This usually occurs very quickly. This is in strong contrast to the very deliberate tail up-flicking at moderate speed of Dusky Flycatcher; and the slow tail down-wagging of Gray Flycatcher. The beauty of these particular behavioral characters is that you can usually identify a bird even when the light and/or general view is lousy.

Okay, that dead horse is well and truly flogged, it's time to move on. However, I don't have a lot more to report. I didn't look at all for the Ruddy Ground-Doves and I spent only a few minutes at the pond looking for Green Kingfisher. Both birds were seen yesterday. Apart from the aforementioned Gilded Flicker, the only birds of note were a very vocal DUSKY FLYCATCHER and a CRISSAL THRASHER at Kingfisher Pond.

31 species recorded:
Mallard, N. Shoveler, Am. Kestrel, Am. Coot, Mourning Dove, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Northern & Gilded Flickers, Hammond's & Dusky Flycatchers, Black Phoebe, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bewick's Wren, Crissal Thrasher, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, Abert's Towhee, Chipping, Brewer's, Vesper, Savannah, Song, Lincoln's & White-crowned Sparrows, Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, House Finch and Lesser Goldfinch.

Sunday, December 19, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day  
First of two days with Jim Murphy from Baltimore, MD. We'll be birding in several habitat types without any serious target species, although we did look look (unsuccessfully) for Elegant Trogon at Patagonia Lake. We also checked Kino Springs and Marion Paton's Yard. After a moderately chilly start it was a pleasant day with filtered sunshine and occasional high winds.

Patagonia Lake was fairly quiet by its own standards this morning. Nevertheless, five hours wandering around produced 60 species. Highlights included a few continuing "winter specialties" -- adult BALD EAGLE,  a couple of WESTERN GREBES, male GREATER SCAUP and an elusive-as-ever LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH along Sonoita Creek about 1/2 mile upstream from the split. As luck would have it, we also stumbled into BLACK-CAPPED GNATCATCHER while trying to get a good look at a more mundane BRIDLED TITMOUSE (a pair of them were foraging silently in the second wash around 9:00am). Let me know if I'm boring you with the gnatcatcher photos (there's quite a collection in the gallery now).

GRAY FLYCATCHERS were easy to see. DUSKY FLYCATCHER took a little more effort. Other than BLACK-THROATED & SONG, sparrows were generally scarce. Only a single SWAMP SPARROW and a single grunting VIRGINIA RAIL were noted.

Kino Springs produced GREEN HERON, one female BUFFLEHEAD and a good looking male VERMILION FLYCATCHER among 30 species seen around noon.

Marion Paton's yard was fairly quiet except for many LESSER GOLDFINCHES, a handful of PINE SISKINS and a male LAZULI BUNTING among the more common species.

Day List (73 species recorded):
Pied-billed, Eared & Western Grebes, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue & Green Herons, Am. Wigeon, Gadwall, Green-winged & Cinnamon Teal, Mallard, N. Shoveler, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Bald Eagle, Sharp-shinned & Red-tailed Hawks, Am, Kestrel, Gambel's Quail, Virginia Rail, Common Moorhen, Am. Coot, Wilson's Snipe, Spotted & Least Sandpipers, Rock Pigeon, Mourning, White-winged & Inca Doves, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, N. Flicker, Black & Say's Phoebes, Gray, Dusky & Vermilion Flycatchers, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bewick's, House & Marsh Wrens, N. Mockingbird, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens, European Starling, Orange-crowned & Yellow-rumped Warblers, Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, Abert's Towhee, Chipping, Black-throated, Song, Lincoln's, Swamp & White-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco, N. Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Lazuli Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

Monday, December 20, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day  
Out again today with Jim. In the morning we birded at Whitewater Draw and some of the nearby back roads; then spent the early afternoon hours in Garden Canyon. The day began pretty cold in Sulphur Springs Valley (around 20 degrees on Coffman Road) but in typical winter fashion it was quite warm by mid afternoon. Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the day was a total of 8 GREATER ROADRUNNER sightings (probably of 6 individuals), 2 in the valley and 6 in Garden Canyon. Just try actually looking for this species.

We started down Coffman Road early enough to see the SANDHILL CRANES streaming out of Whitewater Draw. The early start meant that it was cold enough for roadside birds to be at a premium, although we did see some of the usual suspects such as BREWER'S SPARROWS and LARK BUNTINGS.

Whitewater Draw had plenty of waterfowl with nothing particularly rare or in high numbers. The female GREATER SCAUP that I first saw on November 23 is still around along with many LESSER SCAUP. Other stuff on the water included good numbers of NORTHERN PINTAILS and CANVASBACKS and a few REDHEADS. At least two VERMILION FLYCATCHERS continue along with SWAMP SPARROW and a LAZULI BUNTING in the south willow grove. A resident GREAT HORNED OWL was also in the grove, the other was in the willows near the north viewing platform. We saw a total of 40 species within the boundaries of WWD.

We picked up a spontaneously singing BENDIRE'S THRASHER on Central Highway ('tis their season). Unfortunately, a passing truck caused the bird to drop from its perch so our viewing time was limited. Several FERRUGINOUS HAWKS were in the fields on Central, just north of Davis.

Garden Canyon was very quiet between noon and 3:00pm. You know you're in trouble when you actually have to look for MEXICAN JAY. We eventually found a few silently feeding birds at the lower picnic area. Also here was a very elusive PAINTED REDSTART. Assuming this bird continues throughout the winter, this will be the fifth year since 1993 that a bird has overwintered in the vicinity of the lower and middle picnic areas.

Day List (63 species recorded):
Pied-billed Grebe, Gadwall, Mallard, N. Pintail, N. Shoveler, Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Greater & Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck, N. Harrier, Red-tailed & Ferruginous Hawks, Am. Kestrel, Sandhill Crane, Sora, Am. Coot, Killdeer, Least Sandpiper, Mourning Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Great Horned Owl, Acorn & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, N. Flicker, Black & Say's Phoebes, Vermilion Flycatcher, Am. Pipit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Phainopepla, Cactus, Bewick's & Marsh Wrens, N. Mockingbird, Bendire's Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Loggerhead Shrike, Mexican Jay, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens, Common Yellowthroat, Painted Redstart, Lark Bunting, Rufous-crowned, Chipping, Brewer's, Vesper, Savannah, Song, Lincoln's, Swamp & White-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed Junco, Pyrrhuloxia, Lazuli Bunting, Red-winged & Yellow-headed Blackbirds, House Finch and Lesser Goldfinch.

Thursday, December 23, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day
This morning I made a routine visit to Sawmill Canyon -- not a very birdy place in winter. It's a dirty job but somebody has to do it. Besides, if I weren't doing this I'd be wasting my time chasing Bohemian Waxwings and Le Conte's Sparrows.

After a long sequence of cold nights, Sawmill Canyon is now well and truly into winter mode and the icy patches are frozen solid. Woodpeckers are generally the reason that I visit here in winter and Williamson's Sapsucker is often the main target. In fact, if somebody held a gun to my head saying "show me a Williamson's or you're a dead man", I'm not sure where else I could go with any real chance of staying alive. Although I sometimes strike out completely, on average I have good results throughout the winter and a 60% success rate in December.

It was really cold when I got started and I didn't hear anything for over 30 minutes. The wind picked up as the morning progressed so my window of opportunity was narrow indeed. I stayed fairly deep within the pine forest, covered a fair amount of ground and paused often to listen. This is the time of year (after sapwells are well established) that the birds don't make much noise. Consequently, it's imperative to eliminate extraneous noise caused by clothing, binocular straps, boots in the pine needles and so on. I try to find flat rocks or bare areas to stand on while listening. It's very difficult to maintain such a quiet operating mode when I'm not alone. In the end I was well pleased with a tally of 3 male WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKERS. This is quite exceptional and about the most you might encounter here on any given day. I know there's a female around (seen last visit) so there at least four birds in the canyon.

Not much else to report. ARIZONA WOODPECKER, a few dickey birds, the usual MEXICAN and STELLER'S JAYS and a flock of not so usual WESTERN BLUEBIRDS.

Friday, December 24, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day  
Fresh snow fell in the Huachucas last night and there was even a light dusting where I live in town. On this beautiful, sunny and chilly Christmas Eve morning, I headed down to the San Pedro where the temperature was barely 32 degrees at 8:00am; up to only 40 degrees at noon when I left Sierra Vista EOP.

The dove show continues near the San Pedro House with five species still hanging around. Male and female RUDDY GROUND-DOVES were almost the first birds that I saw just west of the house. Also present here was a continuing GILDED FLICKER.

After a brief check of Kingfisher Pond, I walked south along the river where I found the female GREEN KINGFISHER about 50 yards north of Garden Wash.  If you seek this bird, don't fall in love with the pond. Now that the river is running clear again, the kingfisher will likely spend more time there. Obviously, the bird likes the pond so a thorough check is in order. However, don't neglect to check the river before giving up.

I can't be sure, but I think the bird continued upstream (south) along the river. I walked south for about a mile without relocating the bird. HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER was the only bird of note along the way. Several PYRRHULOXIAS provided the only color among the little brown jobs drab flitting in the drab winter vegetation.

At 11:00am as I returned, the weedy area near where the SP House trail meets the river was teeming with sparrows (nary a bird was evident earlier). Most were WHITE-CROWNED with BREWER'S not far behind. VESPER SPARROW was well in the minority. I recorded a total of 42 species.

At Sierra Vista EOP, I saw the seemingly ever present PEREGRINE FALCON and the slightly less reliable PRAIRIE FALCON. However, COMMON MOORHEN was the least common species that I noted among 25 species recorded. I somehow failed to see Yellow-headed Blackbird but managed to avoid having my optics confiscated.

58 species recorded at SPRNCA and SVEOP:
Great Blue Heron, Am. Wigeon, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, N. Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, N. Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Am. Kestrel, Prairie & Peregrine Falcons, Gambel's Quail, Common Moorhen, Am. Coot, Mourning, White-winged & Inca Doves, Common & Ruddy Ground-Doves, Greater Roadrunner, Belted & Green Kingfishers, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Northern & Gilded Flickers, Hammond's Flycatcher, Black & Say's Phoebes, Horned Lark, Am. Pipit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bewick's & Marsh Wrens, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, Chihuahuan Raven, European Starling, Common Yellowthroat, Canyon & Abert's Towhees, Brewer's, Vesper, Black-throated, Song, Lincoln's & White-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed Junco, Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Brewer's Blackbird, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

Saturday, December 25, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day
Merry Christmas to all my readers. Ah, the holidays, a time of misery and obligation for the masses. Me? I just went birding. This is my last day of casual birding in Arizona before a period of work until the end of the year, a two week trip to California and then more work later in January.

I'm very short of data for Willcox in December so that's where I headed this Christmas morning. I figured I wouldn't have to fight the crowds. After another night in the teens it was a beautiful, sunny and cold morning again. Several days of significantly below freezing temperatures were evident at the ponds. The ice line on the main pond extended out 50 feet in places and the larger of the golf course ponds was about 80% iced over. I enjoyed watching a EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE walking around on the ice, perhaps a new experience for the bird.

Although I didn't find anything exciting among the 40 species that I recorded, there were a few noteworthy species as well as increased numbers of several species. Three types of geese were present -- 2 SNOW GEESE (main pond) and a single GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (interior golf course) continue; 16 CANADA GEESE were on the main pond.

NORTHERN SHOVELERS, AMERICAN WIGEON and RUDDY DUCKS are always numerous here and they were today. However, at least 50 COMMON MERGANSERS (about equal male and females) exceeded my previous high count at this location. Also present were over 40 handsome NORTHERN PINTAILS and 20+ CANVASBACKS.

Not to be outdone, landbirds checked in with 50+ CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPURS (very skittish, occasionally landing along the shoreline) and 300 LARK BUNTINGS in three loose flocks. HORNED LARKS and BREWER'S SPARROWS were both very common.

Regular birds that I didn't see included Quail, Sandhill Crane and any species of blackbirds (and I checked the sewage ponds on the highway).

40 species recorded at Willcox Ponds:
Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Greater White-fronted, Snow & Canada Geese, Am. Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, N. Pintail, N. Shoveler, Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, N. Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Am. Coot, Killdeer, Least Sandpiper, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Black & Say's Phoebes, Horned Lark, Marsh Wren, Loggerhead Shrike, Lark Bunting, Brewer's, Vesper, Savannah, Song, Lincoln's & White-crowned Sparrows, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Eastern Meadowlark, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch and House Sparrow.

Sunday, December 26, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day  
Out today with Donna McCormick from Santa Ana, CA. We met in Sonoita exactly as we did on this day last year. On that occasion we abandoned the day because of high winds. No such problem today, in fact, it was balmy by recent standards and I was able to change into shorts by late morning. We had a mostly successful day of birding in Patagonia and on the San Pedro, seeing 6 of the 7 birds we targeted.

Our trip to Patagonia Lake State Park was quite short (3 hours) and the species total of just over 50 was commensurately low. However, our focus was on target birds and we saw all four of the sought after species. First up was GRAY FLYCATCHER, generally an easy bird to find at the lake in winter. Next we worked on BLACK-CAPPED GNATCATCHER -- easy to see in the end but we covered a lot of ground following BRIDLED TITMICE (somewhat unnecessarily) before catching up with a pair near the third wash. The presence of a HUTTON'S VIREO finally clued me in. I took more photos but I'll refrain from publishing any more unless I get a cracking shot! We then headed to the willow forest where a DUSKY FLYCATCHER was conveniently calling. After a little effort, we picked up our last target along the entrance road -- RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW.

For me, the best bird of the morning was a very cooperative ROSS'S GOOSE -- my first white goose at the lake, location species #251. This image is just a scaled down version of the 3504 x 2336 pixel full frame shot, no cropping required!

Continuing species included a couple of WESTERN GREBES, male GREATER SCAUP and EASTERN PHOEBE. The Elegant Trogon was seen by others on the creek, but we didn't look for the bird.

Our next stop was at Patagonia Roadside Rest area for CANYON WREN, a nemesis bird for Donna. For a while it looked like that status would be maintained when a distant and not very vocal bird didn't show much interest. Threatening to leave was the turning point -- the bird came down to the roadside and put on a good show.

We resumed birding at the San Pedro House and quickly saw four of the five continuing dove species. Over an hour of wandering around didn't add to that total. We then made a token effort for Green Kingfisher at the pond and on the river before returning to the San Pedro House. This time, we quickly found a female RUDDY GROUND-DOVE. Although the light was poor and I was some distance from the bird, I've never photographed a female before so it's a keeper for now.

Also of note here was a CRISSAL THRASHER, about the closest that I've seen this species to the SP House (they're regular along the Del Valle road).

70 species recorded:
Western Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Ross's Goose, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, N. Shoveler, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Red-tailed Hawk, Am. Kestrel, Sora, Common Moorhen, Am. Coot, Spotted Sandpiper, Rock Pigeon, Mourning, White-winged & Inca Doves, Common & Ruddy Ground-Doves, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, N. Flicker, Gray & Dusky Flycatchers, Eastern, Black & Say's Phoebes, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cactus, Rock, Canyon, Bewick's, House & Marsh Wrens, Crissal Thrasher, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Bushtit, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens, Hutton's Vireo, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Green-tailed, Canyon & Abert's Towhees, Rufous-winged, Chipping, Vesper, Black-throated, Song, Lincoln's & White-crowned Sparrows, Northern Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

Monday, December 27, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day
Out today with John Kellam from San Diego, CA. We spent the morning birding in the Sulphur Springs Valley for a handful of target species. A much milder day than I anticipated but marred by wind in the early afternoon. Rain kicked in after we finished for the day. It was a day of very few species as we concentrated only on targets, consequently, this is a very short report.

We started on the back roads around Whitewater Draw where we picked up BENDIRE'S THRASHER and SCALED QUAIL without too much effort. On the downside, we struck out completely on Crissal Thrasher.

Central Highway yielded the no-miss LARK BUNTINGS. We also saw MERLIN, several FERRUGINOUS HAWKS and a handful of EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES in Elfrida.

A trip to the Granites was very productive and it didn't take long to find BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW.

On Thompson Road (near the landfill) we located a very uncooperative CRISSAL THRASHER -- the bird came very close to the road, vocalized, but did not reveal itself.

We then spent some time unsuccessfully scanning the fields on Rucker Canyon Road and Central Highway for Chestnut-collared Longspurs. Rucker Canyon Road had SAGE THRASHER and lots of HORNED LARKS and AMERICAN PIPITS. Both locations had KILLDEER and MOUNTAIN PLOVERS. My thoughts earlier in the month about the plovers being late this year turned out to be correct -- they finally showed up on the Santa Cruz Flats and in the Sulphur Springs Valley perhaps one to two weeks later than normal.

Tuesday, December 28, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day  
Out with Drew and Pam Pallette from Encinitas, CA for a day of general birding with a few "soft" targets. We birded a loop (starting and ending in Sonoita) through Santa Cruz and Pima Counties with stops at Patagonia Lake State Park, Amado Sewage Pond, Chino Canyon and Madera Canyon; returning via Box Canyon Road. It was a very mild and cloudy day ahead of the impending storm front heading our way from California.

It wasn't the best day to be at Patagonia Lake -- a possible Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was reported yesterday (rarer than rocking-horse shit in AZ) and there were lots of "tickers" out there today trying to relocate the bird. Although the bird was seen again, Pacific-slope and Pine Flycatcher are possible alternatives now being proffered.

We had our own little empid clinic going on with HAMMOND'S, GRAY and DUSKY FLYCATCHERS all seen well. The continuing LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH was on the north side of the creek near the creek split.

BRIDLED TITMICE and HUTTON'S VIREO led us to a pair of (apparently ho-hum now for many) BLACK-CAPPED GNATCATCHERS  in the mesquite bosque north of Nutting's Wash. The photo is of a female which, until today, I had never managed to successfully photograph. I followed the bird around and took 40 shots of twigs and ass-ends just to get this one image! I wasn't able to capture the upperparts but note the brown wings and pinkish-brown wash on the flanks. The pair foraged separately as well as close to each other, keeping in touch by calling regularly.

A stop in lower Chino Canyon (end of Hawk Way) almost spoiled my 100% record on RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW at this location. For almost 30 minutes we had trouble finding any birds at all here. However, in the end we located a very cooperative bird that allowed close approach and sat still for ~5 minutes (camera in the car, of course).

During a very brief visit, Madera Canyon yielded a few typical species -- gobs of MEXICAN JAYS and ACORN WOODPECKERS, a couple of ARIZONA WOODPECKERS, WESTERN BLUEBIRD, three flavors of DARK-EYED JUNCO (Gray-headed, Pink-sided and Oregon) and YELLOW-EYED JUNCO.

70 species recorded:
Pied-billed, Eared & Western Grebes, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Ross's Goose, Am. Wigeon, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, N. Shoveler, Greater & Lesser Scaup, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Red-tailed Hawk, Am. Kestrel, Gambel's Quail, Sora, Common Moorhen, Am. Coot, Spotted Sandpiper, Rock Pigeon, Mourning & White-winged Doves, Greater Roadrunner, Acorn, Gila, Ladder-backed & Arizona Woodpeckers, N. Flicker, Hammond's, Gray & Dusky Flycatchers, Black & Say's Phoebes, Am. Pipit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Phainopepla, Cactus, Bewick's, House & Marsh Wrens, N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Western Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, Mexican Jay, Common Raven, Hutton's Vireo, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, Canyon Towhee, Rufous-winged, Chipping, Song & Swamp Sparrows, Dark-eyed (Gray-headed, Pink-sided & Oregon) & Yellow-eyed Juncos, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch and Lesser Goldfinch.

Wednesday, December 29, 2004    Previous Day    Next Day
Out today with Thor Manson from Hope, BC. The predicted storm arrived a little later in the day than expected which allowed us to get some early birding done in only moderately poor conditions. However, the afternoon was thoroughly miserable. It was a poor day results wise with only 2 of 4 targets seen

We began at Patagonia Lake where it was completely cloudy with on and off drizzle. Nevertheless, despite the less than ideal conditions we had some initial success. We quickly found the continuing LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH near the creek split and managed to get a look at this often difficult to see bird. I was focusing on the area where the calls were coming from and saw the bird fly some distance and up into a bare tree. Thor was able to get his glasses on it before the bird evaporated. Of all the birds that we were looking for today, this is the one I thought most likely not to be seen!

Next, we spent a fair amount of time working the various washes without a sniff of a gnatcatcher. Finally, I decided to expand the search zone and we found a pair of BLACK-CAPPED GNATCATCHERS on the hillside above the fourth wash. Although it was a bit of a tough scramble on the cow trails (loose rocks and shin dagger -- shades of upper French Joe), we enjoyed good looks for our bravery/stupidity (especially of  the male).

Alas, that was the end of our success for the day. We spent several hours along the creek (and walked up almost as far as Circle Z) without any sign of the wintering Elegant Trogon. Even without windy conditions this can be a tough bird.

At this point, the day went from bad to worse. Back at the trailhead, Thor's rental car had a flat tire and we had to use the dinky little spare (not really recommended for a trip into the mountains!). By the time we returned to Sierra Vista at 1:00pm, the Huachucas were completely socked in and the wind and rain and had picked up considerably. We spent 3+ hours in a very wet, windy and miserable Scheelite Canyon where I failed to find a Spotted Owl. This was my first miss since January following 30 consecutive sightings! Of course, we slogged all the way up to the upper sections of both forks. To make matters worse, I twisted my ankle. Although it seemed innocuous at the time, as I write these notes at 5:00am on Thursday morning it certainly doesn't feel innocuous now and I'll have to cancel today's birding. Hopefully, the pain will subside by tomorrow, if not my California trip will be in jeopardy.

These are the days that retirement seems attractive  

This log is in chronological order and the most recent entries are at the bottom of the page.
The last update was on Wednesday, December 29 2004.

Species List

Stuart Healy Journal - December, 2004 If you use the contents of my journal for commercial purposes, please acknowledge the source to your clients - thanks.

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