Species List

Stuart Healy Journal - January, 2005 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 Saturday, January 29, 2005.

Saturday, January 1, 2005
Happy New Year to everyone. Unfortunately, mine hasn't started too brightly due to the twisted ankle that I sustained in Scheelite Canyon a few days ago. I should have known better than to make the trek in such lousy conditions. My commitment to one client resulted in having to cancel and let down two other clients as well as the loss of three days income. Furthermore, my California trip is on hold and, if it happens at all, will now be very much shorter than planned. To make matters worse, I also missed Spotted Owl for my trouble.

For me, 2004 was a low key birding year. I saw a total of only 390 species including 328 in Arizona. Both numbers are below average by about 10% and 5% respectively, probably due to the fact that I stayed close to home for long periods of the year. I didn't see any new species and I added just one species to my Arizona state list (Red Knot at Willcox). I could probably have added a dozen or more had I been willing to chase around after other peoples' finds. I don't find this type of birding at all satisfying and I'd much rather work hard to find a bird on territory in its normal range and natural habitat than to do a "me too" on an out of range vagrant. But that's just me. It's perhaps just as well that we all get our jollies a different way.

After watching a disappointing Liverpool team get robbed by Chelski, I ventured down to Sierra Vista EOP which was far from where I expected (or wanted) to be on this first day of 2005. However, it did afford me the opportunity to do some birding without having to walk more than a few steps. It was a sunny and crisp morning with temperatures ranging from the mid 30s to mid 40s degrees during my 90 minute stay.

As I left the house, the honor (not really the right word) of first bird of the year went to GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE. Lots of colorful YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD at the EOP were much more pleasing. HORNED LARKS were also present in numbers. A calling BLACK-TAILED GNATCATCHER near the entrance gate was the least common species that I noted (only my second record here). PEREGRINE FALCON and MERLIN were perhaps the best birds from 30+ seen.

Schedule note: This is the time of year that many folks plan their trips to AZ. Except for three days (10, 11 and 15), I'm already booked in May. As usual, I plan to be out of state during late May, all of June and perhaps early July. Dates for July and August are starting to fill up. Better contact me soon if you are interested in dates during these months.

Tuesday, January 4, 2005
Today I finally got my much delayed trip to California underway. Finding the time to make trips away from Arizona is difficult and expensive (i.e. not scheduling clients) so I'm pretty miffed that I've already pissed away almost half the time that I had allotted. Nevertheless, I'll have to time to see my grandkids then do some birding along the coast in Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin Counties, Hopefully, I'll have time to renew my acquaintance with AL the (Laysan) Albatross in Point Arena and then strike out yet again on Black Rail during the upcoming high tide near Point Reyes. All weather permitting, of course. I expect lots of rain.

Not many birds to report today -- I broke the back of the journey by traveling 800 miles in preparation for some birding around the Sacramento refuges tomorrow before heading to Oroville. It was a difficult journey due to heavy rain that persisted almost all the way along I-10 in AZ and CA. I finally saw some sunshine amidst the snow up on the Grapevine Highway (I-5) north of LA. It didn't last long and the rain returned as I continued north.

I barely recorded into double digits and the only birds of note (for an AZ boy) were RED-SHOULDERED HAWK along 210 and a couple of WHITE-TAILED KITES on I-5 near the Taft exit.

Wednesday, January 5, 2005
This morning I pushed north another 200 miles then birded at Colusa and Sacramento National Wildlife Refuges. As is typical at this time of year in the Central Valley, the early morning fog gave way to very cloudy and dreary skies -- absolutely awful light for birding. At least it didn't rain.

Disappointingly, the auto tour route at Colusa was closed, presumably due to flooded and/or muddy roads. I had to be content by scanning the impoundments visible from the entrance and a short walk along the wetlands trail. Even so, I managed to see 50 species without too much trouble. Highlights for me were the birds that I don't see very often in Arizona. GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS were very common and far outnumbered WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS (also true at Sacramento NWR, although not by quite as much). AMERICAN BITTERN and WOOD DUCK were the pick of the rest.

At the main Sacramento refuge I also saw about 50 species, albeit with less landbirds. Highlights here included a male EURASIAN WIGEON (a bird that I've seen here before), a beautiful pair of HOODED MERGANSERS; and a plethora of raptors topped by a very cooperative BALD EAGLE, a fly-by GOLDEN EAGLE and a hunting and perched PEREGRINE FALCON. In various locations, WHITE-TAILED KITES, NORTHERN HARRIERS and RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS were all common and easily seen. The sheer numbers of waterfowl were a joy to see.

I know that I missed a fair number of species (Ross's Goose for example) due to lack of scanning in the poor light. I took a number of photographs that I might eventually publish depending on quality (hard to judge on my laptop). [Added later: GREAT EGRET and immature SNOW GOOSE.]

Driving over to Oroville through Butte County, I picked up lots of TUNDRA SWANS on highway 162 just west of highway 99, a regular wintering spot by my results

68 species recorded:
Pied-billed Grebe, Am. White Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Great & Snowy Egrets, Am. Bittern, White-faced Ibis, Tundra Swan, Greater White-fronted, Snow & Canada Geese, Wood Duck, Eurasian & American Wigeon, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, N. Pintail, Cinnamon Teal, N. Shoveler, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Turkey Vulture, White-tailed Kite, Bald Eagle, N. Harrier, Sharp-shinned, Red-shouldered & Red-tailed Hawks, Golden Eagle, Am. Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Ring-necked Pheasant, Common Moorhen, Am. Coot, Black-necked Stilt, Killdeer, Long-billed Dowitcher, Greater Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper, Am. Herring Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, N. Flicker, Black Phoebe, Am. Pipit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bewick's Wren, Marsh Wren, Loggerhead Shrike, Western Scrub-Jay, Am. Crow, Common Raven, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Savannah, Song, Lincoln's, White-crowned & Golden-crowned Sparrows, Red-winged & Tricolored Blackbirds, Western Meadowlark, Brewer's Blackbird and House Finch.

Thursday, January 6, 2005
With the approach of a significant storm that promises to bring plenty of rain and very high winds over the next 3-4 days, it didn't seem like a good idea to work my way up the coast (might be good Black Rail weather though). Consequently, it was with some reluctance that I changed direction this morning -- I left the fog of the central valley behind and headed south as far as Atascadero. I managed to find some sunshine and shorts weather during birding stops in Santa Cruz and Moss Landing, probably the last decent conditions I'll see for a while.

Lots of people were enjoying the great weather on West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz. I had intended to go to Natural Bridge to look at the wintering Monarchs but crowds are not my cup of tea. Not many birds of note -- BLACK TURNSTONES and SURFBIRDS on the rocky shore, SURF SCOTERS and COMMON LOONS out on the open water and lots of (mostly) PELAGIC CORMORANTS and BROWN PELICANS loafing on the large rocks.

Moss Landing State Beach was much more interesting -- far fewer people and many more birds (30 species). Especially interesting birds (for me) included a handful of BRANT, a few COMMON GOLDENEYES, several hundred BUFFLEHEADS, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, a MERLIN that sat in the same tree for almost two hours, a small group of FORSTER'S TERNS; and a BELTED KINGFISHER that dove from a significant height into shallow water (ouch!). SANDERLINGS and WESTERN SANDPIPERS were abundant.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to bird in Morro Bay, MDO, Oceano etc. However, if the weather guys are correct, I suspect that conditions will not be at all conducive to birding. We'll see.

50 species recorded:
Common Loon, Eared & Western Grebes, Brown Pelican, Double-crested, Brandt's & Pelagic Cormorants, Great Blue Heron, Great & Snowy Egrets, Brant, Surf Scoter, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, White-tailed Kite, Red-shouldered & Red-tailed Hawks, Am. Kestrel, Merlin, Am. Coot, Black-bellied Plover, Marbled Godwit, Long-billed Curlew, Willet, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Sanderling, Western & Least Sandpipers, Heermann's, Ring-billed, California, Western & Am. Herring Gulls, Forster's Tern, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Black & Say's Phoebes, Western Scrub-Jay, Am. Crow, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow, Red-winged & Brewer's Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbird and House Sparrow.

Tuesday, January 11, 2005
First, a little bitching and moaning about my CA trip then on to some birds. The trip seemed doomed from the start. Before -- my fridge died, the water pump on my car died, then I twisted my ankle delaying the trip and costing me three days of business. During -- crappy weather (fog, wind, rain) and an unrepairable flat tire. After -- two cancellations costing me four days of business. Happy New Year to me. ¿Porque me sucede tanta mierda?

Today I eased back into AZ birding with a routine visit to Patagonia Lake State Park, my first real birding of the year in the state. The day started well with zero wind and a very mild temperature under partly cloudy skies. Numerous sun breaks made for very pleasant conditions (especially after my CA experience!). Clouds increased as the morning wore on and it became quite windy by 11;00am. Given the excellent early conditions, I was very surprised by the lack of activity -- very little movement or vocalization. Sparrows and Towhees were particularly lacking. I birded for about 4 hours (until the wind picked up) but didn't venture upstream along the main creek beyond the split.

The lake level has increased dramatically since my last visit of 2004 on December 29. There's a significant amount water around the edge of the marsh and the south fork of the creek is flowing. As far as I can tell (as evidenced by the lack of standing water on the grass, or any water in the washes and trails), the increase is due to distant rainfall entering the lake via Sonoita Creek.

I started at the west end of the lake and was happy to see the return of NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS (at least 6 present). It's odd how their numbers decline in December each year (I missed them on all my visits in December this year). Incidentally, I made 7 visits in December 2004 and saw exactly 100 species. In addition to bar graphs, another type of report produced by my home grown software shows daily detail. I don't remember publishing an example of this report before, so here's the report for last month at the lake.

COMMON MERGANSERS were abundant, EARED GREBES common; one, possibly two WESTERN GREBES continue. At least 20 WHITE-WINGED DOVES were near the visitor center. BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON and SPOTTED SANDPIPER were on the north side of the lake opposite the visitor center.

At the east end of the lake, a male GREATER SCAUP continues, today associating with ~10 male LESSER SCAUP (scaups doesn't sound right). The bird can occasionally be difficult to detect, but not so today. Typically, with sitting birds, scanning and looking for a bird with a rounded head is about all you can do, although this character can be hard to discern from a distance. However, when the light is good (as it was during a sun break today), the green head (of this particular individual) glows like a beacon. Of course, in many cases this isn't diagnostic in itself but it will often get you on the right bird. I watched both species preening and enjoyed a serendipitous moment when they reared up out of the water, wings flapping, showing a nice side by side comparison of the white wing bands (longer on Greater, extending onto primaries).

I didn't look for anything specific today, I just strolled around enjoying whatever came my way. Shortly after dropping down the steps to lake level, I encountered a BRIDLED TITMOUSE flock containing this PLUMBEOUS VIREO. They are quite uncommon in winter and in my experience actually closer to rare (although this may be colored by where I spend my time). In fact, this was my first at the lake in January.

Continuing along the marsh trail, I saw lots of CINNAMON and GREEN-WINGED TEAL taking advantage of the recent influx of water with ample cover provided by the adjacent marsh. COMMON MOORHENS were more numerous than usual. VIRGINIA RAIL and SORA both called but remained unseen.

EASTERN PHOEBE has become an annual wintering species at the lake. Today I saw a/the bird near the mouth of the third wash. GRAY and DUSKY FLYCATCHERS came later as I walked further along the trail.

On my return walk, I investigated a BRIDLED TITMOUSE flock near Nutting's Wash and it didn't take long to find male and female BLACK-CAPPED GNATCATCHERS. I got the impression that the gnatcatchers were only loosely associated with the titmice, perhaps staying within earshot of the flock. I stayed with the birds for 30 minutes trying to get a photograph of the female. I lost count of how many times I ending up following the male or a BEWICK'S WREN by mistake. The gnatcatchers were silent when foraging together, only issuing contact calls when the distance between them increased. I stood motionless except for some camera movement and the birds came incredibly close to me on several occasions. As my wandering took me to the fourth wash, I noticed that the birds became agitated and started calling with an "annoyed tone". The reason soon became clear -- I heard a second pair of gnatcatchers calling on the hillside south of the wash.

From personal experience, I know that there were at least two (successful) breeding pairs last year, each with multiple clutches. It will be interesting to see what happens to the population in years to come. Will it increase or decline and disappear due to inbreeding? I mention the latter because, unless there's been an influx of gnatcatchers to the lake, all of the birds would appear to stem from the original pair first detected in October 2002. Just speculation on my part.

A small flock of meadowlarks along the entrance road near highway 82 turned out to be WESTERN MEADOWLARKS (rare at the lake). My records (only 15 in all) indicate that they first show up here in January and then become slightly more regular in February and March.

I didn't see anything particularly outstanding on my first day back in the field, just some pleasant birding and a nice variety of typical species. One of those uncooperative SE AZ bird guides signing off. Hasta la proxima.

62 species recorded at Patagonia Lake State Park:
Pied-billed, Eared & Western Grebes, Double-crested & Neotropic Cormorants, Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, N. Shoveler, Canvasback, Greater & Lesser Scaup, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Virginia Rail, Sora, Common Moorhen, Am. Coot, Spotted Sandpiper, White-winged Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Belted Kingfisher, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, N. Flicker, Gray & Dusky Flycatchers, Eastern, Black & Say's Phoebes, Am. Pipit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Rock, Bewick's, House & Marsh Wrens, N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, Common Raven, Plumbeous Vireo, Orange-crowned & Yellow-rumped Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Chipping & Song Sparrows, Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco, N. Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

Wednesday, January 12, 2005
I don't have any birds for you today. Following the Tuesday afternoon and overnight winds, the clouds disappeared and it was a very cold morning with continuing wind (albeit much less strong) and a high temperature of less than 50 degrees. I had planned to do the Sawmill/Scheelite routine but I decided to sit this one out.

Instead, I used the day to catch up on paperwork and computer work. For those of you interested in photography matters, I've added some more material about the 20D (Update #1 and Image File Organization) to the photography section.

The overnight low is expected to be around 20 degrees in Sierra Vista so I'll play it by ear regarding my Thursday birding. I don't mind the cold but all bets are off if it's windy again.

Thursday, January 13, 2005
The cold overnight temperature was a fair price to pay for the gorgeous day that followed -- lots of sunshine, a pristinely clear sky and calm winds. Speaking of price, the price of gas in Sierra Vista has dropped below $1.70 for the first time in quite a while. What more could a birder ask? Who would have thought that $1.70 would seem like a bargain. I paid almost $2.20 in California last week.

I started in a typically cold (25 degrees) and frosty Sawmill Canyon and finished up in Scheelite Canyon where it seemed positively balmy by comparison at 1:00pm. I enjoy the crispness and solitude of Sawmill during the winter and I was happy to be up there for the first time this year. The trudge up Scheelite seemed more like "getting back on the horse", a reference to my twisted ankle woes.

As I crunched the icy puddles in Sawmill, it seemed hard to believe that Buff-breasted Flycatchers will be returning to the canyon in just two months (their early arrival date is around March 16). Today my target was Williamson's Sapsucker. Although it only took forty minutes to find one, I did go through a couple of highs and lows before enjoying success.

I headed to an area where I've been seeing them and started listening. After fifteen minutes I was encouraged to hear some weak tapping and immediately tried to figure out the location. It all went south when an army truck came down the mountain from Gate 7. Back to square one. Another 15 minutes passed before I heard what I believed to be the weak "churring" sound of a WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER. This surprised me a little because my experience has been that they rarely call on their wintering grounds. I headed towards the sound only to hear the much louder "churring" of a RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER. Instant deflation. Did I  mistake the first call? Williamson's "chur" call is usually shorter and much softer (less whiny) than Red-naped. I pondered what to do and decided to stick to my guns. Both species must be there I thought. I huffed and puffed up a hillside to claim my reward --  a male of each species. Now I was happy. The birds were engaged in a little argy-bargy from which the Red-naped eventually triumphed -- the Williamson's flew away.

The canyon was initially very quiet but by now the MEXICAN and STELLER'S JAYS were kicking up a fuss and it was hard to hear tapping. However, I did find a couple of ARIZONA WOODPECKERS amidst the noise. Activity continued to increase as a small flock of calling WESTERN BLUEBIRDS flew by and PINE SISKINS became quite vocal. YELLOW-EYED and DARK-EYED (Oregon and Gray-headed) JUNCOS appeared from nowhere. I was surprised to learn that this was the first time that I'd photographed this super abundant race of Junco!

I heard the high pitched calls of CEDAR WAXWINGS and set off in pursuit (a Bohemian Waxwing was seen in the Huachucas about a month ago). I soon found a flock of about a dozen perched in a pine. You see, that's how it works, first you hear the waxwings then you cedar waxwings. Unfortunately, they flew off before I had a chance to sift through them. Drat! This is a very uncommon species in Sawmill and today was only my 6th record here, seen in two of the last twelve winters. It was also my first January sighting in the Canyon. It seems that everyday in the field advances my knowledge base in one way or another -- a good reason to keep going out!

I started up Scheelite Canyon with a little apprehension. That all disappeared when I bumped into my first MONTEZUMA QUAIL of the year, about 1/8 mile from the trailhead. Two birds immediately rocketed away up the hillside.

My last visit to the canyon was marred by wind and rain. Today it was sunshine causing a problem. A late morning visit at this time of year means that you are heading into full sun which makes it difficult to look for owls. I stopped often and looked back down the trail. I've long had a theory that in times of bad weather, the owls choose a roost location based on the prior day's (or days') weather. Since it has been windy recently, I figured that I would likely find an owl in one of several locations that are protected from the wind (trees that are very close to a cliff face). That's the way it worked out and I located this relatively easy to find SPOTTED OWL tucked away off the beaten path in the "Windy Oak". A lucky coincidence or more support for my theory? I guess the stats don't lie over time. You wouldn't know it from the photo, but the owl was in a very dark location (look at the camera stats). The bird was mostly obscured by twigs through which I found a window to shoot. Another fact that you can't tell from the photo is that this is a really small bird and may be a new arrival.

I didn't see many species today but it sure was a super day to be in the field. Putting together the birds from Garden, Sawmill and Scheelite Canyons plus Fry Boulevard and my street, I could still only come up with the following 38 species:

Red-tailed Hawk, Am. Kestrel, Montezuma Quail, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Spotted Owl, Gila & Arizona Woodpeckers, Williamson's & Red-naped Sapsuckers, N. Flicker, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Phainopepla, Cedar Waxwing, Cactus, Canyon & Bewick's Wrens, N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Western Bluebird, Bushtit, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, Steller's & Mexican Jays, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens, Dark-eyed & Yellow-eyed Juncos, Pyrrhuloxia, Eastern Meadowlark, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

Friday, January 14, 2005
Quite a change in the weather today -- high, thin clouds with a temperature in the mid 30s when I started on the San Pedro at 8:30am; completely cloudy and 55 degrees when I headed to Sierra Vista EOP at 11:30am.  Nevertheless, it was a decent morning to be out (any day without wind and/or rain is a good day) even if the birding wasn't very inspiring.

On the San Pedro, I walked a couple of miles along the river and spent time at both ponds and in Garden wash. I didn't see Green Kingfisher, the wintering Louisiana Waterthrush nor a single empid. Back at the San Pedro House, I poked around in the "dove area" and saw nothing except Mourning Doves. I checked the sighting log -- lots of birders have been around but the Ruddy Ground-Doves have not been reported since late December. Green Kingfisher was last reported on January 10.

Sparrows and Towhees were plentiful. Highlight of my morning was seeing GREEN-TAILED, CANYON and ABERT'S TOWHEES in the same binocular view. The only bird of note along the river was a single WILSON'S SNIPE, fairly uncommon here at any time. I have six January records.

I took advantage of this pair of wary but tolerant MEXICAN MALLARDS. They didn't seem to know that standard procedure mandates they should start quacking like crazy and fly away. Since this was actually my first photograph of a Mallard, it was noteworthy a occasion! Species #315 on my photo list. Not bad for two years. Watch out Jim Burns -- if I live to be 127 (and win the lottery), I might just catch up to you. I'll also need a lot more patience.

On the way home, I stopped for 30 minutes at Sierra Vista EOP. Talk about quiet. GREATER ROADRUNNER near the entrance gate and PEREGRINE FALCON on its regular pole were the only birds worthy of mention.

50 species recorded at SPRNCA and SVEOP:
Pied-billed Grebe, Am. Wigeon, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, N. Pintail, N. Shoveler, Ring-necked & Ruddy Ducks, N. Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Am. Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Gambel's Quail, Am. Coot, Wilson's Snipe, Mourning Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, N. Flicker, Black & Say's Phoebes, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bewick's, House & Marsh Wrens, Curve-billed Thrasher, Bushtit, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Green-tailed, Canyon & Abert's Towhees, Chipping, Brewer's, Vesper, Song, Lincoln's & White-crowned Sparrows, Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

Sunday, January 16, 2005
This morning I joined the regular Sunday morning tour of Sierra Vista EOP. Conditions were wonderful -- lots of sunshine under a pristine, clear blue sky and absolutely zero wind. The temperature ranged from 38-62 degrees between 8:00 and 11:00am. However, splendid weather and slow birding best describe the outing. It's no secret that the birding here has deteriorated dramatically since the reconfiguration of the facility several years ago.

The "resident" PEREGRINE FALCON was the highlight of the morning and we had several looks at the bird perched and in flight. The best moment was saved for last as we returned to the main marsh ponds -- the falcon streaked by and snatched a GREEN-WINGED TEAL out of the sky as it flushed from a pond (not the best moment for the teal though). Although the falcon was definitely laboring a little carrying its prey, the bird still managed to fly away at a good clip (distant flight shot).

Other than that it's hard to find any real birds of note. Several male CINNAMON TEAL, a lone female LESSER SCAUP, coveys of both GAMBEL'S and SCALED QUAIL, a GREATER ROADRUNNER and a small flock of LARK BUNTINGS were perhaps the pick of the rest. Of course, the YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS are always worth the price of admission.

44 species recorded:
Am. Wigeon, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, N. Pintail, Cinnamon Teal, N. Shoveler, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck, N. Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Am. Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Scaled & Gambel's Quail, Am. Coot, Killdeer, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Black & Say's Phoebes, Horned Lark, Am. Pipit, Marsh Wren, N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, European Starling, Lark Bunting, Brewer's,, Vesper,, Savannah,, Song & White-crowned Sparrows, Eastern & Western Meadowlarks, Red-winged, Yellow-headed & Brewer's Blackbirds, Great-tailed Grackle and House Finch.

Tuesday, January 18, 2005
After a long layoff due to a scheduled vacation that was a non event followed by a couple of cancellations, today I was back at it with Stephen and Linda Page from Philadelphia, PA. We visited Patagonia Lake State Park, Kino Springs and Paton's yard. After a chilly start it was a slightly warmer than average day (mid to high 70s) under a clear blue sky with very little wind.

Although birding at the state park was a little slow, it's hard to be critical of any day in January with ELEGANT TROGON. We certainly paid our dues though with plenty of walking along the creek and the requisite amount of mud wrestling. We eventually found the bird on the north side of the creek almost at the end of the trees where the creek feeds the lake. If only we'd looked at the lake end first instead of walking upstream! Of the other rarities -- we didn't look for the gnatcatcher, others saw the Eastern Phoebe and Louisiana Waterthrush.

Best birds on the water were the continuing WESTERN GREBE, male GREATER SCAUP and male COMMON GOLDENEYE. A couple of spiffy male BUFFLEHEADS made my morning. CINNAMON TEAL were easy to see. An adult BALD EAGLE was perched in a cottonwood at the west end of the lake.

GRAY FLYCATCHERS were common but we only just managed to find one DUSKY FLYCATCHER. A dozen WESTERN BLUEBIRDS represented only my 7th record at the lake. Sparrows and Towhees were again scarce (none of the latter seen).

53 species recorded at Patagonia Lake from 7:30am-noon:
Pied-billed, Eared & Western Grebes, Double-crested & Neotropic Cormorants, Great Blue Heron, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, N. Shoveler, Greater & Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Bald Eagle, Virginia Rail, Sora, Common Moorhen, Am. Coot, Killdeer, Wilson's Snipe, White-winged Dove, Elegant Trogon, Gila Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, N. Flicker, Gray & Dusky Flycatchers, Black Phoebe, Say's Phoebe, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bewick's, House, Marsh Wren, Western Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Common Raven, Orange-crowned & Yellow-rumped Warblers, Chipping, Song & White-crowned Sparrows, N. Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

The first bird that we saw at Kino Springs was our target VERMILION FLYCATCHER at the club house pond. Waterfowl were fairly plentiful here. Species noted included GREEN HERON, PINTAIL, RING-NECKED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD and GRAY FLYCATCHER  The first pond was almost devoid of landbirds, although GREATER ROADRUNNER was worth the effort of our walk around the pond.

Marion Paton's yard was fairly quiet in the early afternoon. Our timing was bad for Lazuli Bunting and the only bird of note was a single AMERICAN GOLDFINCH in with scads of LESSER GOLDFINCHES. The only hummingbird seen was a male ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD.

Wednesday, January 19, 2005
First of two days with John Black and Jeanne Kleyn from La Conner, WA; the second day will be next week. We duplicated yesterday's itinerary with visits to Patagonia Lake, Kino Springs and Paton's yard. It was another warm day and the birding was even slower than yesterday. However, since the objective was general photo opportunities for John (he uses the same equipment that I use), the slow birding wasn't really significant.

Other than a brief effort for the trogon, we didn't look for anything in particular at the lake. Species on the water not seen yesterday included BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON and a first winter male COMMON GOLDENEYE in addition to the adult male. Among the landbird additions were RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, PHAINOPEPLA, ABERT'S TOWHEE and RUFOUS-WINGED & BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS. Four hours produced 55 species.

VERMILION FLYCATCHER was a little harder to find at Kino Springs today. A pair of Hooded Mergansers were seen by others today and a two Least Grebes were seen here yesterday.

Marion Paton's yard was again very quiet in the early afternoon with nothing of note seen. Only a flock of BUSHTITS were new compared to yesterday.

70 species recorded:
Pied-billed, Eared & Western Grebes, Double-crested & Neotropic Cormorants, Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Am. Wigeon, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, N. Pintail, Cinnamon Teal, N. Shoveler, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Bald Eagle, N. Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Am. Kestrel, Gambel's Quail, Virginia Rail, Sora, Common Moorhen, Am. Coot, Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove, Acorn, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Red-naped Sapsucker, N. Flicker, Gray Flycatcher, Black & Say's Phoebes, Vermilion Flycatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Phainopepla, Bewick's, House & Marsh Wrens, Northern Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Bushtit, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, Common Raven, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Abert's Towhee, Rufous-winged, Chipping & Black-throated, Song, Lincoln's & White-crowned Sparrows, N. Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

Thursday, January 20, 2005
First of four days with Chuck Gooding from Elkhart, IN. We birded together previously for six days last August. On this trip we'll be looking for a number of seasonal target birds and today we began in the Sulphur Springs Valley. Although we found three of four primary target birds, all of our success came early in the morning so the rest of the day, while productive and interesting, did not produce further target bird success.

We started by systematically checking the fields on Central Highway north of Davis Road. Of course, FERRUGINOUS HAWK was easy to see here and we saw many more throughout the valley. MOUNTAIN PLOVERS were just a tad harder to find <grin>. However, we eventually tracked down at least 30 of them in the northern section of the third field north of Davis. Tons of KILLDEER were in the second field and a lesser number in the third field -- a good clue to the potential presence of plovers. Over the past several years, this set of fields have become almost as reliable (if not more reliable) than the Essary Hay fields.

Next, we turned our attention to Prairie Falcon and Golden Eagle and started cruising various back roads. We found what appeared to be a cooperative PRAIRIE FALCON on Webb Road. After backing away to a safe distance, I set up the scope only to have a nasty RED-TAILED HAWK come swooping in to bump the falcon from its perch. Drat, or words to that effect. We continued to search and turned up the bird again about two miles away on Bell Road. As if we really needed more proof that shit happens, a couple of  farm vehicles came by and spooked the bird once again. Double Drat. However, all was not lost -- the bird flew by us at a fairly slow pace (for a falcon) and we had great flight views. Shortly afterwards we caught up with the bird again and finally managed a satisfying scope view.

That was the end of our success for the day and we spent lots of time looking in vain for Golden Eagle before continuing on to Willcox. In mid afternoon we spent some time at Montezuma Pass (near Coronado Memorial) which is a consistently reliable location for the Eagle. Unfortunately, we struck out again. Conditions for soaring birds were poor throughout the day (cloudy and relatively cool compared to recent days) which may have been a factor (at least, it's an excuse!).

Random sightings from various locations on our travels:
Perhaps the most bizarre sighting of the day was a CATTLE EGRET on Kansas Settlement (KS) Road just north of the Bonita Bean Company (flight shot). Although they are regular in the greater Phoenix area, Arlington Valley and further west, they are always scarce in SE AZ and this was my first January record in the southeast part of the state. An adult BALD EAGLE was soaring over the grassland where KS road meets highway 186. We spent some time watching a distant swirling flock of potential longspurs near Kennedy Farms, also on KS road. They turned into AMERICAN PIPITS, perhaps 80-100.

We saw EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES in three locations -- on Hwy 191 in "downtown" Elfrida, on Courtland Road near Moore Road and at the usual location in Willcox. SANDHILL CRANES and LARK BUNTINGS were common throughout.

The entrance road to Willcox ponds (Rex Allen Jnr Drive) yielded a pair of CRISSAL THRASHERS (perched up, singing, chasing, etc.; 'tis the season for them). This was a first for me within my Willcox measurement area (#181). The ponds yielded three species of continuing geese -- 2 GREATER-WHITE FRONTED, 2 SNOW and 14+ CANADA.; scads of COMMON MERGANSERS and 5-RING-BILLED GULLS.

56 species recorded:
Cattle Egret, Greater White-fronted, Snow & Canada Geese, Am. Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, N. Pintail, N. Shoveler, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Bald Eagle, N. Harrier, Sharp-shinned, Red-tailed & Ferruginous Hawks, Am. Kestrel, Prairie Falcon, Scaled Quail, Sandhill Crane, Am. Coot, Killdeer, Mountain Plover, Ring-billed Gull, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Black Phoebe, Say's Phoebe, Horned Lark, Am. Pipit, Cactus, Rock & Canyon Wrens, Bendire's, Curve-billed & Crissal Thrashers, Bridled Titmouse, Loggerhead Shrike, Mexican Jay, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens, Spotted & Canyon Towhees, Lark Bunting, Brewer's, Vesper, Savannah & White-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed Junco, Eastern & Western Meadowlarks, Red-winged & Brewer's Blackbirds, House Finch and House Sparrow.

Friday, January 21, 2005
The second day with Chuck was a day of many miles and few birds. However, since we saw all three primary target birds it was also a very successful day. Given our birding locations, the weather cooperated well with overcast skies and a temperature in the 60s. The overnight rain continued as very sporadic sprinkles until we returned to Sierra Vista in mid afternoon where it looked pretty bleak. A thunderstorm was in progress and the Huachucas were almost completely obscured.

We left Sierra Vista at 4:00am and arrived at "The Thrasher Spot" near Buckeye at 7:30am after a journey of ~240 miles. We heard a LE CONTE'S THRASHER singing within minutes of leaving the vehicle and before long enjoyed scope looks at the bird. This is the start of their breeding season and a great time to make the trek to find them. Next up was SAGE SPARROW which is about as certain as any bird can be at this location and season. We saw them perched up as well as running around on the ground.

We then spent about 45 minutes looking unsuccessfully for Sage Thrasher. Although they winter here sparsely, I've had far more success at this location during February and March as the birds that wintered further south start to push north again. See the Baseline/Salome Bar Graph for more reinforcement of this. General activity was fairly low and the only other thrasher seen was a perched but silent CRISSAL THRASHER. Other species included BLACK-TAILED GNATCATCHER and at least three ABERT'S TOWHEES.

Before heading south we checked the ponds on Lower River Road hoping for California Gull. Unfortunately, the ponds are almost dry and not even a Ring-billed Gull was present. Birds noted here included SNOWY EGRET, OSPREY (near the irrigation channel) , LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LEAST SANDPIPER, BLACK-NECKED STILT and BELTED KINGFISHER.

We took the long way home via Old US Hwy 80 and were rewarded with a SAGE THRASHER just south of Gillespie Dam near mile marker 21. Even though we managed a scope view, we could certainly have used a longer look before the bird dropped from its roadside perch, never to reappear. Nevertheless, our third target of the day was in the bag.

Further south, we spent time cruising around the Santa Cruz flats hoping to pick up a Golden Eagle that we missed yesterday. Alas, our efforts were again in vain despite seeing lots of raptors. Harmon Road was quite productive with CATTLE EGRET (not quite as unexpected here as yesterday's bird), HARLAN'S HAWK, scads of RED-TAILED HAWKS, FERRUGINOUS HAWK, PRAIRIE FALCON, PEREGRINE FALCON, SAGE SPARROW and a number of common species.

Saturday, January 22, 2005
Day three with Chuck was another day of few birds but one on which we enjoyed a fair measure of success -- we managed to see two of three target species plus we finally caught up with that pesky eagle at the third time of asking. The day began sunny and slightly chilly following yesterday's stormy conditions and it appeared that we would have our first nice day. However, clouds eventually prevailed and it was generally a cool and blustery day.

We began at sunrise (7:30am) in a very soggy San Rafael Valley -- never a very birdy location. Today it was about as dead as it gets and we failed to find Baird's Sparrow, although we may have seen one candidate. Only EASTERN MEADOWLARKS were vocal and common.

By 9:00am we bailed out to make a brief visit to Patagonia Lake State Park. After two fairly slow birding days there earlier this week the place was quite birdy today. Several groups appeared to be looking at the gnatcatchers but we didn't stop to check. Our mission was just to zip in to pick up GRAY FLYCATCHER and a very cooperative bird ensured that we wouldn't end up with an "ofer" day.

By the time that we returned to San Rafael Valley in the late morning the wind had picked up and our quest for longspurs looked in jeopardy. Although we soon found a flock of 50+ CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPURS, getting a decent view was another story. Eventually we managed several fairly close flight views plus a couple of birds perched on a fence wire and another individual drinking from a stock pond, already showing some chestnut on the collar. Some of the birds in flight also showed a significant amount of black breeding plumage. Okay, now things looked a little better.

Despite the muddy roads, we decided to return the long way through the valley over to Coronado National Memorial via Montezuma Pass. I'm happy to say that our persistence over three days and our perseverance today finally paid dividends with a pair of GOLDEN EAGLES. We first spotted the birds several miles away by scanning from the pass (where the wind was quite significant). After driving down to the memorial, we miraculously relocated the birds and tracked one individual to where it landed and proceeded to devour a prey item for 30 minutes or so.

The bird took off again, this time perching in a dead tree in a location that allowed us to get an excellent scope view. We soon found out that the bird was a female when the male came in and copulation ensued. -- what a way to end our eagle pursuit! Who deserved a cigarette more, us or the eagle?

Sunday, January 23, 2005
Fourth and final day with Chuck was short and not so sweet. We returned to San Rafael Valley for another try at Baird's Sparrow. The early morning conditions were somewhat better than yesterday -- cloudy, mild (40s) and, most importantly, very calm.

The day began as yesterday ended -- with an eagle sighting. This time an adult BALD EAGLE sitting in a bare cottonwood as we entered the valley.

Despite the fairly pleasant conditions, bird activity was again minimal and we spent a couple of hours looking unsuccessfully for Baird's Sparrow. The only bird of note from only a dozen species seen was a lone LEAST SANDPIPER at Meadow Valley Flat pond -- a first sighting for me in San Rafael Valley.

A disappointing end to what otherwise was a very successful few days with 9 out of 10 target species seen.

Monday, January 24, 2005
Second day with John Black and Jeanne Kleyn from La Conner, WA. Overnight rain gave way to mostly clear skies and it was a very mild and pleasant day.

We spent the morning in Sulphur Springs Valley, mostly in the Whitewater Draw area where it was quite foggy at sunrise. We watched the SANDHILL CRANES streaming out to feed as we arrived and circling overhead in their thousands in the early afternoon. If I ever get to the point where I'm too jaded to be impressed by this spectacle, please check my pulse then nail down the coffin lid.

We wandered around the various ponds and willows and tallied a total of almost 50 species. Highlights for me were COMMON GOLDENEYE and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, species #189 and #190 respectively at this location. Other species included an adult BALD EAGLE, a few CINNAMON TEAL, CANVASBACKS and REDHEADS, lots of PINTAILS, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 30+ LEAST SANDPIPERS, 2 GREAT HORNED OWLS, adult and immature male VERMILION FLYCATCHERS, GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE, many LARK BUNTINGS, at least 2 SWAMP SPARROWS and a few PYRRHULOXIAS.

In between visits here we headed north to Rucker Canyon Road so John could photograph FERRUGINOUS HAWK. We also checked the fields on Central Highway but didn't detect any Mountain Plovers. However, heat haze was a factor and they could have easily been present.

Saturday, January 29, 2005
This past week I've been slaving away over a hot computer which is perhaps just as well since we've had a few rainy days. Although I really didn't have the time to spare, I took a break this morning and spent some time on the San Pedro. The birding was uninspiring unless you count the fact that it inspired me to become disciplined again and get back to what I should be doing. Being your own boss is sometimes not what it's cracked up to be, especially when you're the head cook and bottle washer too.

Conditions on the San Pedro were quite pleasant -- around 40 degrees with plenty of sunshine when I started (with frost in places where the sun hadn't yet reached); becoming more than just a little windy by mid morning. Despite recent rain, the trails were in good shape and the only mud was immediately adjacent to the river.

There were a few signs of approaching spring -- particularly noticeable were the many BEWICK'S WRENS singing throughout. I also noted WHITE-WINGED DOVES already singing in the cottonwoods by the river. This is typical in late January and by mid February they'll really be in full voice. I've missed EASTERN MEADOWLARK a few times here recently but they were singing today. A few WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were also present (calling, but not singing).

Seeing all four regular towhees here in winter is not unusual. A little twist today was that my first sightings of the morning were in exact reverse order of abundance (for this location) -- SPOTTED TOWHEE, GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE, CANYON TOWHEE and ABERT'S TOWHEE -- without any intervening species! Wham bam thank you towhees. Three species were even in the same tree. The Spotted photo is not great (I was too far from the bird) but is included because it's my first of this species.

On the depressing and rather desolate looking "Kingfisher Pond", I noted a few SHOVELERS & CANVASBACKS and a BELTED KINGFISHER. I don't remember seeing any recent reports of Green Kingfisher. If anyone responsible for the beaver introduction is reading this -- please -- admit failure and get rid of the !@#$ing beavers.

35 species recorded:
Great Blue Heron, Mallard. N. Shoveler, Canvasback, N. Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Gambel's Quail, Am. Coot, Mourning & White-winged Doves, Belted Kingfisher, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, N. Flicker, Bewick's Wren, Curve-billed Thrasher, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Green-tailed, Spotted, Canyon & Abert's Towhees, Vesper, Song, Lincoln's & White-crowned Sparrows, Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern & Western Meadowlarks, House Finch and Lesser Goldfinch.

This log is in chronological order and the most recent entries are at the bottom of the page.
The last update was on Saturday, January 29, 2005.

Species List

Stuart Healy Journal - January, 2005 If you use the contents of my journal for commercial purposes, please acknowledge the source to your clients - thanks.

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