Species List

Stuart Healy Journal - April, 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, April 30, 2005

Friday, April 1, 2005
Today was another diabolically windy day even in the flatlands, especially in the morning. Monday is forecast to be a repeat. I treated myself to a late start and headed down to the San Pedro at 9:00am. I knew that I'd made a mistake as soon as I got out of the car and turned around and left immediately. There's not much chance of gathering meaningful data nor of enjoyable birding in such windy conditions.

On the way back to town I stopped at Sierra Vista EOP where it was also very windy. However, here it didn't matter -- the opportunity to gather meaningful data is a thing of the past courtesy of the powers that be at the City of Sierra Vista. Roadside weeds completely eliminated, grass trimmed to bare dirt, every tree of note removed, viewing platform in the wrong place, no view of open water, no view of shorebird habitat, no access to the interior ponds .... Have a mentioned this before? I used to spend lots of time here and made the effort to go as often as I could. Now it seems like a chore and I don't look forward to it at all. Nada es para siempre.

Several TURKEY VULTURES, a NORTHERN HARRIER and many BARN SWALLOWS battled the wind just as I did. The difference was that I was able to leave after 30 minutes whereas they had to make a living all day. VIRGINIA RAIL, SORA and MARSH WREN called from the marsh. Even counting all the ducks I didn't quite make it to 20 species.

I headed home to finish up a project that I've been working on for ten years and very intensely for the past few months. I've completed revised my southeast Arizona monthly checklists and made them available in various formats including the ability to create target lists on line. You can see the fruits of my labor by checking the monthly checklist section of the website. Just a few words to sum up a tremendous amount of work that has severely limited the number of hours that I've been able to spend birding recently. Any and all feedback will be most welcome.

I feel a big weight off my shoulders having finished this project. Now it's time to move on to another, less demanding project. I purchased an MP3 player a few weeks ago and now I need to get it operational. For those who haven't delved into this technology, the hard part is not getting the bird songs or converting them to MP3 format. The key to success (at least from my perspective) is to organize the bird songs in a way that allows the fastest possible access in the field. I'll be focusing most of my energy on this aspect of the project. I'll add MP3 information to the web site as soon as I'm able. Of course, as we all know, timing is everything. On Monday I start a very busy period that will see me working with clients most days until the end of May. Something will have to give.

Monday, April 4, 2005
Out today with Frank and Mary Montgomery from Seattle, WA. On an absolutely lousy day for birding, we spent time on the San Pedro and in Sawmill Canyon. The day was pleasantly warm but extremely windy which essentially ruined the enjoyment factor as well as my ability to find birds. A bad day at the office. However, this time last year there was snow to contend with!

The least common species on the San Pedro was a NORTHERN CARDINAL near the San Pedro House. This is a bird that gets more scarce the further east one goes in southeast Arizona. I have a total of 30 records on the river scattered throughout the year (except for the summer months) in 8 of the 13 years that I have birded here.

Common species today were VERMILION FLYCATCHER, LUCY'S WARBLER, LESSER GOLDFINCH, PINE SISKIN.

Other species included SWAINSON'S HAWK, CASSIN'S KINGBIRD, GRAY and HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS (both regular migrants in April and part of May), BELL'S VIREO and BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. 43 species in all despite the wind.

The birding in Sawmill Canyon was very difficult due to the midday hour and windy conditions. However, we managed to find BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER and a handful of other species.

Species recorded:
Mallard, Swainson's & Red-tailed Hawks, Am. Kestrel, Gambel's Quail, Rock Pigeon, Mourning & White-winged Doves, Greater Roadrunner, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, N. Flicker, Hammond's, Gray, Buff-breasted & Vermilion Flycatchers, Say's Phoebe, Cassin's Kingbird, Violet-green & N. Rough-winged Swallows, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Phainopepla, Bewick's Wren, N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Am. Robin, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Bushtit, Brown Creeper, Verdin, Steller's & Mexican Jays, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens, European Starling, House Sparrow, Bell's & Hutton's Vireos, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, Lucy's, Yellow & Yellow-rumped Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Green-tailed, Canyon & Abert's Towhees, Chipping, Brewer's, Vesper, Black-throated, Song, Lincoln's & White-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed (Gray-headed) & Yellow-eyed Juncos, N. Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged Blackbird and Bullock's Oriole.

Tuesday, April 5, 2005
The first of two days with Tim Bates from the Finger Lakes area of NY was an infinitely better day than yesterday with clear blue skies, warm temperatures and very little wind. Not surprisingly, birds were easier to come by. We birded at Patagonia Lake, the Roadside Rest area, Paton's yard (two sessions) and Kino Springs. An abbreviated report today -- there'll likely be many more over the next two months as my free time becomes more precious.

Patagonia Lake was a little slow to start but eventually produced over 70 species. Birders were perhaps more numerous. Highlights included a continuing WESTERN GREBE (no sign of Clark's today), GREAT EGRET, two OSPREYS, two GRAY HAWKS, a fly over GOLDEN EAGLE, a single WILLET (my second April record at the lake) and PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER.

Other species included calling LEAST BITTERNS at both ends of the lake, BLACK VULTURE, a fair number of NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULETS, GRAY, DUSKY & ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERS, ORANGE-CROWNED, LUCY'S, BLACK-THROATED GRAY and WILSON'S WARBLERS and RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW.

At the Roadside Rest area we enjoyed seeing the screaming and swirling WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS as well as great views of ROCK and CANYON WRENS just feet apart from each other. Also here were a couple of calling GRAY HAWKS and my season first DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER.

Kino Springs produced the hoped for BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS (10 birds feeding on the grass near the sewage ponds) and the second PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER of the day. We had great looks at a perched GRAY HAWK which, unfortunately, was in poor light for a photo.

In terms of rarity, the best bird of the day was the continuing female PURPLE FINCH in Marion Paton's yard (only my second record in Arizona in the past 13 years). I've noted lots of folks report this bird but nobody has bothered to offer any id points, so I won't bother either. Just kidding. Today there weren't any Cassin's Finches to confuse the issue but look for a bird that has a very well defined ear patch that stands out well because of the light colored eyebrow and "moustache" stripe. The bird is very boldly streaked below (much wider streaks than on Cassin's) and has a bill more akin to House Finch than the acutely pointed bill of Cassin's. The National Geo illustration is a fair representation.

Other highlights in the yard were calling GRAY HAWKS, VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD (of course), LAZULI BUNTING, the continuing WHITE-THROATED SPARROW and at least three HOODED ORIOLES. My second of season DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER called nearby.

Day list (101 species recorded):
Pied-billed, Eared & Western Grebes, Double-crested & Neotropic Cormorants, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Least Bittern, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Am. Wigeon, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Black & Turkey Vultures, Osprey, Cooper's, Gray & Red-tailed Hawks, Golden Eagle, Gambel's Quail, Virginia Rail, Sora, Common Moorhen, Am. Coot, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Willet, Rock Pigeon, Mourning &White-winged Doves, White-throated Swift, Broad-billed, Violet-crowned, Black-chinned, Anna's & Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Belted Kingfisher, Acorn, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, N. Flicker, N. Beardless-Tyrannulet, Gray, Dusky, Pacific-slope, Vermilion, Dusky-capped & Ash-throated Flycatchers, Black & Say's Phoebes, Cassin's Kingbird, N. Rough-winged & Barn Swallows, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Phainopepla, Rock, Canyon, Bewick's & Marsh Wrens, N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Bushtit, Bridled Titmouse, Verdin, Common Raven, European Starling, House Sparrow, Bell's Vireo, Purple & House Finches, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, Orange-crowned, Lucy's, Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Gray & Wilson's Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Abert's Towhee, Rufous-winged, Chipping, Lark, Black-throated, Song, Lincoln's, White-crowned & White-throated Sparrows, N. Cardinal, Lazuli Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Brewer's Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird and Hooded Oriole.

Wednesday, April 6, 2005
Out again today with Tim for a long day afield that saw us start in the Huachucas at 4:30am, continue on to the Sulphur Springs Valley and finish up in the Chiricahuas. We recorded 80+ species while searching for a number of targets.

The day began well in Carr Canyon with great looks at WHISKERED SCREECH-OWL and ELF OWL. Our success didn't come without a fair amount of effort after some reticence by the owls and plenty of scurrying around by us, especially with the latter. A calling GREAT HORNED OWL perhaps didn't help. Many COMMON POORWILLS were also calling. It was very cold in the lower canyon just before sunrise.

Our owl success took a nose dive after that and we dipped on Northern Pygmy-Owl in a location where I thought we had a high chance of success. High elevation species included BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER & GREATER PEWEE (both vocal and numerous) OLIVE, GRACE'S, BLACK-THROATED GRAY and VIRGINIA'S WARBLERS (the latter were numerous, very vocal and relatively easy to see as is often the case when they first arrive), HEPATIC TANAGER, CASSIN'S FINCH and EVENING GROSBEAK (my second recent sighting in the Huachucas).

A single EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE in Tombstone was my first in this vastly underrated birding hotspot, home of Big-nosed Kate and other world famous (in Tombstone) celebrities.

A mid morning visit to Sulphur Springs Valley produced typical species such as SWAINSON'S HAWK, SCALED QUAIL, GREATER ROADRUNNER, CRISSAL THRASHER and still plentiful LARK BUNTINGS with males sporting close to breeding plumage black.

Highlights at Whitewater Draw were LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 6-SANDHILL CRANES, possibly a family hanging around because of an injured offspring (damaged leg). Other species present included CINNAMON and BLUE-WINGED TEAL, WILSON'S SNIPE, 10+ LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 8+AMERICAN AVOCETS and a fair number of WHITE-FACED IBIS.

In the Chiricahuas we picked up a several targets including MEXICAN CHICKADEE,. JUNIPER TITMOUSE, PYGMY NUTHATCH and WESTERN BLUEBIRD. Other species noted during a whirlwind visit included DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER, OLIVE WARBLER and PAINTED REDSTART

Day List:
Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, White-faced Ibis, Gadwall, Blue-winged & Cinnamon Teal, N. Shoveler, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck, Swainson's & Red-tailed Hawks, Am. Kestrel, Scaled Quail, Sandhill Crane, Am. Coot, Am. Avocet, Killdeer, Wilson's Snipe, Long-billed Dowitcher, Long-billed Curlew, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Whiskered Screech-Owl, Great Horned Owl, Elf Owl, Common Poorwill, White-throated Swift, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, N. Flicker, Greater Pewee, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Say's Phoebe, Vermilion & Dusky-capped Flycatchers, Cassin's & Western Kingbirds, Violet-green Swallow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bewick's Wren, N. Mockingbird, Crissal Thrasher, Western Bluebird, Am. Robin, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Bushtit, Mexican Chickadee, Bridled & Juniper Titmouse, Pygmy, Red-breasted & White-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creeper, Loggerhead Shrike, Steller's & Mexican Jays, Hutton's Vireo, Cassin's Finch, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, Evening Grosbeak, Olive, Virginia's, Yellow, Black-throated Gray & Grace's Warblers, Painted Redstart, Hepatic Tanager, Spotted Towhee, Lark Bunting, Chipping, Vesper, Song & White-crowned Sparrows, Pyrrhuloxia, Eastern Meadowlark and Red-winged, Yellow-headed & Brewer's Blackbirds.

Thursday, April 7, 2005
Out today with Ken O'Key from San Diego, CA. We birded at Patagonia Lake, Kino Springs and Paton's Yard. Today was the warmest day that I remember so far this year -- a mild 47 degrees at 5:00am when we left Sierra Vista and close to 90 in the Paton's Yard at noon.

Patagonia Lake birding was decidedly mediocre today and four hours barely produced 60 species. Even the scads of LUCY'S WARBLERS were subdued (I heard them early on but we didn't see one until species #40, heaven forbid!). ZONE-TAILED HAWK was the only highlight. Less common species for this location were RING-BILLED GULL, PLUMBEOUS VIREO, LAZULI BUNTING and a pair of AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES.

Other species included LEAST BITTERN (3+ heard), WESTERN GREBE, a lone female BUFFLEHEAD, OSPREY, SORA, VIRGINIA RAIL, COMMON GROUND-DOVE, numerous NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULETS, DUSKY FLYCATCHER and a singing RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW.

Productivity-wise, Kino Springs was far birder than Patagonia Lake and despite the late morning hour, an hour here produced 45 species with nothing unusual noted  Species included 4 BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS, several GRAY HAWKS (the upside of few big trees is great views of these birds), singing RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW and my second BULLOCK'S ORIOLE of the season.

It was very warm in the Paton's Yard and even hummingbird activity wasn't particularly high. The usual species were present along with several RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS. The WHITE-THROATED SPARROW continues and I may have caught a glimpse of the Purple Finch, but certainly not well enough to include on my day list. I was a little surprised to first hear and then see an ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER as it flew right across the yard. As I later discovered, my surprise was well founded since this was species #133 for me in the Paton's Yard. A singing PLUMBEOUS VIREO was only my 3rd sighting here and the first in spring. Regular stuff -- GRAY HAWK, VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD, LAZULI BUNTING and HOODED ORIOLE.

Day List
Pied-billed, Eared & Western Grebes, Double-crested & Neotropic Cormorants, Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Least Bittern, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Am. Wigeon, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Black & Turkey Vultures, Osprey, Gray, Zone-tailed & Red-tailed Hawks, Am. Kestrel, Virginia Rail, Sora, Common Moorhen, Am. Coot, Killdeer, Wilson's Snipe, Ring-billed Gull, Mourning, White-winged & Inca Doves, Common Ground-Dove, Broad-billed, Violet-crowned, Black-chinned, Anna's & Rufous Hummingbirds, Acorn, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Dusky, Vermilion & Ash-throated Flycatchers, Black & Say's Phoebes, Cassin's & Western Kingbirds, Cliff & Barn Swallows, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Phainopepla, Bewick's & Marsh Wrens, Curve-billed Thrasher, Bridled Titmouse, Verdin, Common Raven, European Starling, House Sparrow, Bell's & Plumbeous Vireos, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Lesser & American Goldfinches, Lucy's, Yellow & Yellow-rumped Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Canyon Towhee, Rufous-winged, Chipping, Black-throated, Song, White-crowned & White-throated Sparrows, N. Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Lazuli Bunting, Red-winged & Brewer's Blackbirds, Great-tailed Grackle and Hooded & Bullock's Orioles.

Friday, April 8, 2005
Out today with Dan and Jan Harville from Edmonds, WA. We visited Garden, Sawmill and Scheelite Canyons in the Huachucas. Unfortunately, it was another frustratingly windy day and I really struggled to find birds. I am heartily sick of the wind that seems to have been with us for weeks.

In Sawmill Canyon I was hoping for GREATER PEWEE, BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER and OLIVE & GRACE'S WARBLERS. Although we easily located all four species, its took us an outrageous amount of time to finally see one of the many singing Grace's Warblers. During this time we encountered several singing and calling Olive Warblers but never managed to lay eyes on one. The Jose Maria song of the pewee quickly became annoying. Buff-breasted Flycatchers were very common and easy too hear and see.

Other species were few and far between (only 20 in all) and included the usual jays, BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD, HERMIT THRUSH, PAINTED REDSTART, a fly-by female HEPATIC TANAGER and YELLOW-EYED JUNCO.

Scheelite Canyon was a tough slog with lots of effort required before we eventually located a relatively easy to find SPOTTED OWL roosting in the upper area. Of course, I had to thoroughly check the lower and middle roosting areas first! If only I could just go straight to where the bird was roosting. Other species in the canyon included VIRGINIA'S and BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS, CANYON WREN and my first HOUSE WREN of the season for this location.

A brief stop at the middle picnic area in Garden Canyon yielded HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER.

Sunday, April 10, 2005
A rescheduled day gave me an unexpected day to myself yesterday which was just as well since it was another windy day. I didn't have any trouble putting it to good use. Today I was out with David Hapman from Kalamazoo, MI. We birded at Patagonia Lake, the Roadside Rest area and Paton's yard without any specific targets. Very cold at the lake at 6:00am and generally a cool day despite plenty of sunshine. The wind kicked in shortly after 9:00am (must have been last night's pizza) and continued throughout the day.

Today I focused considerably more on the marsh than I usually do with commensurately more marsh loving birds seen (funny how that works). We had good looks at a number of species including GREAT EGRET, GREEN HERON ("punk look" -- note the "smooth look" in this second image), VIRGINIA RAIL, SORA, COMMON MOORHEN and SWAMP SPARROW (a bird that I haven't seen much lately). We also heard LEAST BITTERN and MARSH WREN to round out the marsh dwellers.

Waterfowl are now pretty thin but we managed one pair of CINNAMON TEAL and a lone female BUFFLEHEAD along with a smattering of other ducks, grebes and the usual cormorants. At least one OSPREY continues.

The hillside above the bench was full of birds despite initially appearing lifeless. We had a decent look at RUFOUS-WINGED and BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS. We flushed MONTEZUMA QUAIL near the steps -- my seventh record at the lake and only the second in April.

Flycatchers were not particularly conspicuous (missed both phoebes). Highlights were a very cooperative NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET (my best photo effort to date for this species) and one each DUSKY and PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS, both seen quite well. I guess I shouldn't ignore the common but beautiful VERMILION FLYCATCHERS.

A soaring GRAY HAWK near the creek mouth was a spectacular sight.

Activity was fairly high at the Roadside Rest -- migrants noted were PLUMBEOUS and WARBLING VIREOS and a surprise HEPATIC TANAGER (this mountain species is a scarce lowland migrant). Other species included GRAY HAWK, NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET and HOODED ORIOLE.

The female PURPLE FINCH put in a brief appearance in Marion Paton's yard along with the usual hummingbirds (only four species today), LAZULI BUNTING and HOODED ORIOLE. The number of LESSER GOLDFINCHES and PINE SISKINS have reached epidemic proportions.

Day list (83 species recorded):
Pied-billed & Eared Grebes, Double-crested & Neotropic Cormorants, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Green Heron, Least Bittern, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Black & Turkey Vultures, Osprey, Gray Hawk, Montezuma Quail, Virginia Rail, Sora, Common Moorhen, Spotted Sandpiper, Mourning, White-winged & Inca Doves, White-throated Swift, Broad-billed, Violet-crowned,  Black-chinned & Anna's Hummingbirds, Belted Kingfisher, Acorn, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, N. Beardless-Tyrannulet, Dusky, Pacific-slope, Vermilion, Dusky-capped & Ash-throated Flycatchers, Cassin's & Western Kingbirds, Violet-green, N. Rough-winged & Barn Swallows, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Phainopepla, Canyon, Bewick's & Marsh Wrens, Curve-billed Thrasher, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Common Raven, House Sparrow, Bell's, Plumbeous and Warbling Vireos, Purple & House Finches, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, Lucy's, Yellow, Yellow-rumped & Wilson's Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Hepatic Tanager, Abert's Towhee, Rufous-winged, Chipping, Song, Swamp & White-crowned Sparrows, N. Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Lazuli Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle and Hooded Oriole.

Tuesday, April 12, 2005
I had to cancel birding with a client yesterday due to illness. Today I was out with Dave Harper and family from Adelaide, Australia. It was a relatively cool day under partly cloudy skies and, best of all, finally a day without significant wind. We birded entirely in the Huachucas.

Our early morning session in Carr Canyon was quite productive and we easily saw several targets in quick succession -- GREATER PEWEE, BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER and GRACE'S & OLIVE WARBLERS, all at Reef. We had to work a little harder for DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER and even harder for EVENING GROSBEAK. I first heard the grosbeak calling near Ramsey Vista where I saw it last week. Unfortunately, after we tracked it down the bird flew off at the last minute. Not to worry, we triumphed in the end when we eventually relocated a super looking and cooperative male about 1/2 mile away.

Other birds in the canyon today included COOPER'S HAWK, ARIZONA WOODPECKER, three jay species, BLACK-THROATED GRAY, VIRGINIA'S & WILSON'S WARBLERS, PAINTED REDSTART, HEPATIC TANAGER, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK and SCOTT'S ORIOLE. Forty species in all.

Fort Huachuca access note: All foreign nationals must now be accompanied by a local in order to gain entry to the fort.

Our arrival at the bottom of Scheelite Canyon coincided with the appearance of a soaring GOLDEN EAGLE dwarfing a nearby COMMON RAVEN. Timing is everything emphasized once again.

Once in the canyon, we had to slog to the upper area but the reward was a very cooperative (albeit a decidedly indifferent) SPOTTED OWL, quite close to where I saw him last week. I suspect that the female is sitting on eggs and the male is sticking close by. The canyon wasn't too birdy in late morning and early afternoon hours. Only CASSIN'S VIREO was of note from sixteen species recorded.

Our evening session was a mixed bag. Despite the fact that it was a mild and calm evening with one quarter moon, COMMON POORWILLS were mostly quiet and we flushed just one bird. However, after some initial reticence from WHISKERED SCREECH-OWL we had great success. Our reward for persistence was a close range, eye level view for as long as we wanted. In fact, a walk-away view. ELF OWLS were chattering in a few locations but we didn't pursue them.

Thursday, April 14, 2005
Out today with John Archer and Bob Watts from London, England and Sky Hilts from Tucson, AZ who I've birded with previously. We started in the Huachucas, moved on to the Sulphur Springs Valley then returned to Scheelite Canyon. After a chilly start, the temperature climbed considerably by midday. John and Bob have been birding in the area for a few days and I was batting cleanup.

We left town at 4:15am and were well rewarded for our early start with great views of WHISKERED SCREECH-OWL. This species is typically quite reticent at this time of year (during nesting) and we had to exhibit some patience. ELF OWLS were chattering (not pursued) and we had a fly-by GREAT HORNED OWL.

We had good success in Sulphur Springs Valley seeing our first couple of targets without much effort -- wonderful views of SCALED QUAIL and BENDIRE'S THRASHER. However, we had to put in some time for CRISSAL THRASHER and even then we only had a brief but diagnostic view. A nice bonus bird was a singing CASSIN'S SPARROW, seen perched in a mesquite as well as doing a little skylarking. This was a bird that I didn't really expect since they usually only sing this early in the season when the weather is wet.

LARK BUNTINGS were common. I've seen a few reports that mentioned "late Lark Buntings". A quick check of the literature will show that they routinely remain in SE AZ in numbers through late May, returning again in by late July. A few AMERICAN PIPITS and lots of BREWER'S SPARROWS also continue.

We made a quick check of Whitewater Draw hoping for California Gull. Thirty minutes produced ~25 species including GREAT EGRET, WHITE-FACED IBIS, all three teal species including 6+ BLUE-WINGED TEAL, LESSER SCAUP, AMERICAN AVOCET, 10 RING-BILLED GULLS and nesting GREAT HORNED OWL.

Back in the Huachucas, a couple of soaring GRAY HAWKS near the lower picnic area in Garden Canyon is perhaps a strong indication that the birds are again nesting in this somewhat atypical location (along lower Garden Creek). I'm fairly sure that they started nesting here in 2003.

SPOTTED OWL was embarrassingly easy to find in Scheelite Canyon. My last couple of trips have required a one mile hike but today we found a bird just above 0.5m. Of course, I decided not to carry my camera (not wanting to lug an extra 5lbs to the upper area) and I missed a great photo opportunity of the owl as well as PAINTED REDSTART.

CORDILLERAN FLYCATCHER was a noteworthy sighting. Although a regular breeder in Scheelite, this was my earliest sighting in the canyon by eleven days. However, apart from the owl, a pair of MONTEZUMA QUAIL were the best birds. We flushed them twice and managed a couple of decent flight views.

Among the other species were DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER (bugging the owl), lots of WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS soaring overhead, VIRGINIA'S, BLACK-THROATED GRAY and TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, singing SPOTTED TOWHEES, and a RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW.

My record keeping wasn't as thorough as usual today (a neighbor's dog woke me up and 1:30am and I decided to get up). Nevertheless, I recorded ~75 species.

Pied-billed Grebe, Great Egret, White-faced Ibis, Am. Wigeon, Green-winged, Blue-winged & Cinnamon Teal, N. Shoveler, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck, N. Harrier, Gray, Swainson's & Red-tailed Hawks, Am. Kestrel, Scaled, Gambel's & Montezuma Quail, Am. Coot, Am. Avocet, Killdeer, Long-billed Dowitcher, Least Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning & White-winged Doves, Greater Roadrunner, Whiskered Screech-Owl, Great Horned, Spotted & Elf Owls, White-throated Swift, Arizona Woodpecker, Cordilleran & Dusky-capped Flycatchers, Say's Phoebe, Western Kingbird, Barn Swallow, Am. Pipit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cactus, Canyon & Bewick's Wrens, N. Mockingbird, Bendire's, Curve-billed & Crissal Thrashers, Hermit Thrush, Bushtit, Bridled Titmouse, Loggerhead Shrike, Mexican Jay, Chihuahuan Raven, House Sparrow, Hutton's Vireo, Lesser Goldfinch, Virginia's, Yellow, Black-throated Gray, & Townsend's Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Painted Redstart, Spotted Towhee, Cassin's, Rufous-crowned, Brewer's, Vesper and Lark Sparrows, Lark Bunting, Eastern Meadowlark, Red-winged & Brewer's Blackbirds and Great-tailed Grackle.

Friday, April 15, 2005
First of three days with Bob and Charlotte White from Guildford, CT. We birded at Patagonia Lake, Kino Springs and Paton's Yard. After a mild start it was a very warm day, a stern warning of what lies ahead!

We started at the west end of Patagonia Lake where we heard several LEAST BITTERNS and managed to see one bird in flight while standing on the Marina Bridge. There was very little in the way of waterfowl as the lake is now very much in summer mode.

A very cooperative NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET greeted us near the bench as we started the main trail at the east end of the lake. We saw typical species such as VERMILION, ASH-THROATED and DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHERS, BELL'S VIREO, LUCY'S WARBLER and newly arrived SUMMER TANAGERS that are already quite numerous and vocal.

Among the continuing winter visitors and migrants were EARED GREBE (now in breeding plumage), WHITE-FACED IBIS (a scarce but regular spring migrant at the lake), female BUFFLEHEAD, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, CASSIN'S VIREO and WILSON'S WARBLER.

Kino Springs produced the expected good views of GRAY HAWK (perched in one of the few trees left at the club house pond) and three BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS on the sewage pond.

Our arrival in Marion Paton's yard coincided with a flurry of hummingbird activity and in short order we saw male CALLIOPE and COSTA'S along with all the regulars including VIOLET-CROWNED.

The seed feeders had lots of PINE SISKINS and LESSER GOLDFINCHES along with at least one male AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, male BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, male and female LAZULI BUNTINGS and the continuing WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (my latest date at the Paton's is April 22).

At least one Thick-billed Kingbird has returned but we didn't see nor hear the bird.

84 Species recorded:
Pied-billed and Eared Grebes, Double-crested & Neotropic Cormorants, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Least Bittern, White-faced Ibis, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Am. Wigeon, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Black & Turkey Vultures, Cooper's, Gray & Red-tailed Hawks, Gambel's Quail, Sora, Common Moorhen, Am. Coot, Spotted Sandpiper, Mourning, White-winged & Inca Doves, Broad-billed, Violet-crowned, Black-chinned, Costa's, Calliope & Rufous Hummingbirds, Acorn, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, N. Beardless-Tyrannulet, Black & Say's Phoebes, Vermilion, Dusky-capped & Ash-throated Flycatchers, Cassin's & Western Kingbirds, Cliff & Barn Swallows, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Phainopepla, Bewick's Wren, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Common Raven, European Starling, House Sparrow, Bell's & Cassin's Vireos, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Lesser & American Goldfinches, Lucy's, Yellow, Yellow-rumped & Wilson's Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Summer Tanager, Abert's Towhee, Rufous-winged, Chipping, Lark, Song, White-crowned & White-throated Sparrows, N. Cardinal, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, Red-winged & Brewer's Blackbirds, Great-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird and Bullock's Oriole.

Saturday, April 16, 2005
Out again today with Bob & Charlotte for some specialty target birding. On another warm and slightly breezy day, we birded in Carr and Garden Canyons in the Huachucas. I chose to go to Carr rather than Sawmill first thing this morning because the high elevation species are much easier to find there. Even though the drive up Carr takes much longer and the road is in bad condition, my decision to do this was based on the fact that Reef and Ramsey Vista campgrounds are closed. Image my surprise and annoyance to find that Reef Campground was occupied with lots of noisy campers -- well over 50 people. Que pasa USFS?

Even though we were denied the expected solitude, we managed to find all the area specialties and see all but one of them very well. We started out well with  great looks at GREATER PEWEE,  many BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHERS engaged in nest building activity, GRACE'S WARBLER and YELLOW-EYED JUNCO. We had to work a little for OLIVE WARBLER then eventually saw a handful of birds at close range. VIRGINIA'S WARBLERS were vocal but not particularly easy to see. HEPATIC TANAGER was initially hard to find but we ended up with wonderful looks at an immature male courting two females. It also took a while to track down two PLUMBEOUS VIREOS. I was delighted to hear the sweet song of my first of season RED-FACED WARBLER and we soon tracked down a foraging bird. A singing PAINTED REDSTART also clued us in to its presence. Other warblers seen were ORANGE-CROWNED, YELLOW-RUMPED, BLACK-THROATED GRAY (many) and WILSON'S. We saw 40+ species between Reef and Ramsey Vista, all in all an excellent morning. We didn't look for the Evening Grosbeak that I've seen a couple of times recently.

It was very warm during our early afternoon visit to Garden Canyon and it looked a little bleak for finding birds. We stuck at it and eventually tracked down a male ELEGANT TROGON that vocalized somewhat irregularly. The photo was salvaged from a shadowy location. A perched GRAY HAWK was once again near the lower picnic area.

55 species recorded:
Turkey Vulture, Gray & Swainson's Hawks, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, White-throated Swift, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Elegant Trogon, Acorn Woodpecker, N. Flicker, Greater Pewee, Buff-breasted, Dusky-capped, Ash-throated, Cassin's Kingbird, Violet-green Swallow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bewick's & House Wrens, Curve-billed Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, Am. Robin, Bushtit, Bridled Titmouse, Red-breasted & White-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creeper, Loggerhead Shrike, Steller's & Mexican Jays, Western Scrub-Jay, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens, Plumbeous & Hutton's Vireos, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, Olive, Orange-crowned, Virginia's, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Gray, Grace's, Wilson's & Red-faced Warblers, Painted Redstart, Hepatic Tanager, Spotted Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Yellow-eyed Junco, Black-headed Grosbeak, Great-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird and Scott's Oriole.

Sunday, April 17, 2005
Third and last day with Bob & Charlotte. We spent the early part of the morning in Sulphur Springs Valley and finished up in Scheelite Canyon. It was another warm day with increasing winds as the day wore on.

We started out cruising a few back roads and picked up the typical valley species such as SWAINSON'S HAWK, SCALED and GAMBEL'S QUAIL, WESTERN and CASSIN'S KINGBIRDS, BENDIRE'S THRASHER, LARK BUNTING, BREWER'S SPARROW and BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. A lone CATTLE EGRET on Noble Road was much less typical, although this is certainly their time of passage through southeast Arizona.

EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES continue in their now established location on Davis Road between Central Highway and Highway 191 in McNeal.

A two hour session at Whitewater Draw was very pleasant and productive and we recorded close to 60 species. Highlights were a very pink looking FRANKLIN'S GULL (always a delight to see in breeding plumage) and two each SNOWY and CATTLE EGRETS.

Among the less common species were several (3+) singing VIRGINIA RAILS. I've been keeping records at this location for over 11 years (since before it was named Whitewater Draw) and this is the first year that I've recorded this species here.

The small group of 6-8 BLUE-WINGED TEAL continue along with LESSER SCAUP. A few CINNAMON TEAL, a fair number of NORTHERN SHOVELERS and the usual MALLARDS and RUDDY DUCKS rounded out the ducks. Waders/shorebirds were not plentiful -- in decreasing order of abundance we noted WHITE-FACED IBIS, AMERICAN AVOCET, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, LEAST SANDPIPER and SPOTTED SANDPIPER. Other waterbirds included two BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, SORA, a handful of RING-BILLED GULLS and lots of KILLDEER.

Landbirds included a pair of nesting GREAT HORNED OWLS, ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, nesting YELLOW and migrant ORANGE-CROWNED & WILSON'S WARBLERS, GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE and the continuing WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (singing).

GREATER ROADRUNNER was still a target and we finally picked one up on Lee Road, a very reliable location for this species.

While ultimately successful, our time in Scheelite Canyon was very frustrating (at least for me). It was almost noon and quite warm when we entered the canyon and I tried to save some time. On most occasions I don't even look at the sighting log, preferring to have the challenge of finding an owl myself. However, since I've been finding the bird in the upper area, I looked at the log to see if the bird had been sighted up there to avoid spending time checking the lower area. I should known better than to trust descriptions by (presumed) first time visitors  -- today I took "where the trail peters out" too literally. The trail actually peters out about 1 mile above where I eventually found the bird. I must write on the blackboard 100 times "don't be a dumb shit". Nobody to blame but myself even though someone left completely misleading information.

After three hours of searching in the wrong location (so much for saving time), I found this very sleepy and contented looking SPOTTED OWL next to the trail in the upper area, very close to where I've seen it several times in recent days. As I mentioned previously, I think the female is at a nest and the male is sticking close by.

We also managed good views of a female ARIZONA WOODPECKER,  male ELEGANT TROGON (1.5 miles from trailhead, west fork of canyon) and the usual CANYON WRENS. Other species included HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER (brief but diagnostic views), DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER, BROWN CREEPER, BLACK-THROATED GRAY and VIRGINIA'S WARBLERS and PAINTED REDSTART.

SPOTTED TOWHEES were singing and WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS soared overhead.

A very good if somewhat exhausting end to three days afield during which time we recorded 150+ species and a fair number of specialties.

90 species recorded:
Snowy & Cattle Egrets, Black-crowned Night-Heron, White-faced Ibis, Mallard, Blue-winged & Cinnamon Teal, N. Shoveler, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck, Turkey Vulture, N. Harrier, Swainson's & Red-tailed Hawks, Scaled & Gambel's Quail, Virginia Rail, Sora, Am. Coot, Am. Avocet, Killdeer, Long-billed Dowitcher, Spotted Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Ring-billed & Franklin's Gulls, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning & White-winged Doves, Greater Roadrunner, Great Horned Owl, Spotted Owl, White-throated Swift, Elegant Trogon, Ladder-backed & Arizona Woodpeckers, N. Flicker, Say's Phoebe, Hammond's, Vermilion, Dusky-capped & Ash-throated Flycatchers, Cassin's & Western Kingbirds, Cliff & Barn Swallows, Phainopepla, Cactus, Canyon & Bewick's Wrens, N. Mockingbird, Bendire's & Curve-billed Thrashers, Bridled Titmouse, Brown Creeper, Loggerhead Shrike, Mexican Jay, Chihuahuan Raven, House Sparrow, Hutton's Vireo, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, Orange-crowned, Virginia's, Yellow, Black-throated Gray & Wilson's Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Painted Redstart, Green-tailed, Spotted & Canyon Towhees, Lark Bunting, Brewer's, Vesper, Black-throated, Savannah, Song, Lincoln's, White-crowned & White-throated Sparrows, Pyrrhuloxia, Eastern Meadowlark, Red-winged, Yellow-headed & Brewer's Blackbirds, Great-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird and Bullock's Oriole.

Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Out today with John and Rebecca Carr from Daytona Beach, FL. We birded in Carr and Garden Canyons for the usual Huachuca Mountain species and finished up with a short visit to the San Pedro House. It was a cooler day than of late and quite windy at times.

Although our birding in Carr Canyon was certainly impacted by the windy conditions as the morning wore on, we still managed to see all the species that we looked for. The morning began with a well timed stop at the overlook just before Reef just as a ZONE-TAILED HAWK glided into view. We watched the bird swoop down to snatch prey then head off to a ledge on the cliffs to consume its breakfast.

We headed to (an empty) Reef campground where we had good looks at several typical species including GREATER PEWEE, BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER, GRACE'S WARBLER and my first of season WESTERN TANAGER, a beautiful male. This is right about on time for this species and just one day later than my earliest record of April 19. A briefly singing OLIVE WARBLER and a typically sadistic VIRGINIA'S WARBLER both eluded us. Virginia's are often quite easy to see when they first arrive then become very secretive during the breeding season, always doing their best to lead you in circles around their territory. Later in the year they become easier to see again.

In various locations between Reef and Ramsey Vista we had to work a little for OLIVE, RED-FACED and VIRGINIA'S WARBLERS before eventually being satisfied. Among the other species were WHITE-THROATED SWIFT, DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, HUTTON'S & PLUMBEOUS VIREOS, ORANGE-CROWNED and BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS, HEPATIC TANAGER, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK and YELLOW-EYED JUNCO.

Despite the midday hour, a very cooperative ELEGANT TROGON was relatively easy to find near the upper picnic area in Garden Canyon. At least two birds were calling. We also heard and then found a male ARIZONA WOODPECKER. Other species calling and not pursued included ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, PLUMBEOUS VIREO, PAINTED REDSTART and HEPATIC TANAGER.

Not much was stirring around a very warm San Pedro House in the early afternoon, although singing GREEN-TAILED TOWHEES were conspicuous. Presumably they're happy that it's almost time to head to the White Mountains (so am I, I'll be there next week). A male BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD represented a scarce record for this location (I've averaged less than one record per year, roughly 50-50 between spring and fall).

71 species recorded:
Turkey Vulture, Swainson's, Zone-tailed & Red-tailed Hawks, Scaled & Gambel's Quail, Rock Pigeon, Mourning & White-winged Doves, White-throated Swift, Black-chinned & Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Elegant Trogon, Acorn, Gila, Hairy & Arizona Woodpeckers, N. Flicker, Greater Pewee, Say's Phoebe, Buff-breasted, Vermilion, Dusky-capped & Ash-throated Flycatchers, Cassin's & Western Kingbirds, Violet-green & Barn Swallows, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Canyon, Bewick's & House Wrens, N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Am. Robin, Bushtit, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, Steller's & Mexican Jays, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens, European Starling, House Sparrow, Plumbeous & Hutton's Vireos, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, Olive, Orange-crowned, Virginia's, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Gray, Grace's & Red-faced Warblers, Painted Redstart, Hepatic & Western Tanagers, Green-tailed, Spotted & Canyon Towhees, Rufous-crowned, Chipping & White-crowned Sparrows, Yellow-eyed Junco, Pyrrhuloxia, Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle and Brown-headed Cowbird.

Thursday, April 21, 2005
I had a two day cancellation which left me with time to do my own thing. It was the best of days, it was the worst of days. Read on McDuff, you'll see.

Since 1994, I've been visiting the Dragoon Mountains once or twice each winter where I've found a few interesting birds. I've always promised myself a spring visit but have never managed to find the time. This past November I looked at a lot of promising Gray Vireo habitat and today I decided spend some time trying to locate them. The "Monson and Phillips" reference states that they are absent from the border ranges west of the Chiricahuas.

I left home early (for a change) and not long after sunrise I was listening to the birds at Middle March Pass. If coming from the west (as I was), this is the first spot that catches the early morning sun and I've always found it to be reasonably birdy. SCOTT'S ORIOLES were numerous and vocal with lesser numbers of HOODED ORIOLES. I also noted WESTERN SCRUB-JAY and BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER (both common wherever I went throughout the Dragoons), HEPATIC TANAGER and several common dicky birds.

Gray Vireo habitat here is marginal so imagine my surprise when I heard one! I feared the worst and soon realized it was a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD. However, it gave me hope since the mocker must have learned it from the real thing. Now, imagine my further surprise when the mocker gave a (nigh on perfect) rendition of a Buff-collared Nightjar! What's that all about? It would appear that I need to make an evening visit.

Gray Vireo habitat is patchy at best until one reaches Soren Pass which was my real destination. Soren Pass Road (FR 345A) leaves Middle March Road (FR 345) about 15 miles from Highway 80 (just north of Tombstone). The "road" climbs to an elevation of ~7000 feet at the pass after 3 miles, then drops to a dead end about 2 miles below the pass. The road condition varies from fair to much worse than a combination of French Joe Canyon and California Gulch (rocky, deep ruts, large boulders, etc.). JUNIPER TITMOUSE and especially BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER were both common in places along the road.

I reached the pass at 7:45am and even before I could field test my new MP3 player for the first time, I heard a spontaneously singing GRAY VIREO. I stayed for two hours and followed the bird around but never managed to positively confirm a second bird. Ergo, I can't even say that breeding is "likely", just possible, since the sighting was in good habitat in breeding season. In fact. the bird may just have been passing through and trolling for a mate. I once saw a bird in French Joe Canyon (where the habitat is much inferior) and assumed it was just passing through.

The habitat at the pass is similar to (but much denser than) Slate Creek Divide where the vireos are common breeders. Photo #1 will give you some idea, Photo 2 shows part of the almost 360 degree view but, of course, can't do justice to actually being there. I noted a number of other species typical of the habitat (also present at Slate Creek Divide) including WHITE-WINGED DOVE, BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD, CRISSAL THRASHER, BUSHTIT, WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW, SPOTTED TOWHEE and SCOTT'S ORIOLE.

Other species included a MOUNTAIN PYGMY-OWL  tooting from the canyon below me (no chance to get down there!), MEXICAN JAY, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, migrant ORANGE-CROWNED and WILSON'S WARBLERS and fly-by PINE SISKINS. I continued on to the dead end where I added singing VIRGINIA'S WARBLERS.

At this point I was obviously pleased at being able to confirm the presence of Gray Vireo but disappointed that it was in such an impractical location for regular visits (I'd rather drive north of Phoenix!). Apart from the French Joe sighting, my only other Gray Vireos in Cochise County have been in Baker Canyon (in June) located in the south west corner of the state near Guadalupe Canyon. I recorded a number of singing birds there in the mid 90s while working on a census for USFS.

I returned to the pass from which point it was all downhill and plain sailing, right? Wrong! My vehicle developed engine trouble and repeatedly stalled, becoming more difficult to start each time. Eventually, it died altogether. I was past the worst part of the road but I knew there was no way in hell that a tow truck was going to reach me. I walked a mile back to Middle March Road, hitched a very dusty ride to Tombstone in the back of a truck, then found a towing company in St. David that was willing to go into the mountains. The driver got his truck in as far as possible (where he could turn around) then we rolled the car downhill to the truck. How the tow driver controlled my vehicle without power brakes and steering I'll never know. I was running behind but he was soon out of sight! Anyway, to cut a long story short we made it back to Sierra Vista. My tow cost almost $300 but the guy earned every penny. A very expensive Gray Vireo, especially since I'd lost two days pay because of a cancellation in the first place.

44 species recorded on Middle March and Soren Pass roads, Dragoon Mountains:
Turkey Vulture, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Gambel's Quail, Mourning & White-winged Doves, N. Pygmy-Owl, White-throated Swift, Broad-tailed, Hummingbird, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Say's Phoebe, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Cassin's Kingbird, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cactus, Canyon & Bewick's Wrens, N. Mockingbird, Crissal Thrasher, Bushtit, Bridled & Juniper Titmouse, Verdin, Western Scrub-Jay, Mexican Jay, Chihuahuan Raven, Gray & Hutton's Vireos, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Orange-crowned, Virginia's, Lucy's, Black-throated Gray & Wilson's Warblers, Hepatic Tanager, Spotted & Canyon Towhees, Rufous-crowned, Black-chinned & Black-throated Sparrows, Pyrrhuloxia, Black-headed Grosbeak and Hooded & Scott's Orioles.

Saturday, April 23, 2005
First of two days with Phil and Maureen Ostenso from Leesburg, FL. We birded at Patagonia Lake, Kino Springs and Paton's yard without looking for anything in particular. A fairly warm and calm day with clouds building in the afternoon. Just a few brief notes today.

The campground at Patagonia Lake was full but the trails were relatively empty until mid morning. Despite the absence of almost all the winter species, birding was quite productive and we recorded close to 70 species. Recently arrived YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS are already numerous and just as elusive as ever. Common species included lots of singing BELL'S VIREOS, migrant WILSON'S WARBLERS, YELLOW WARBLERS and SUMMER TANAGERS.

I haven't been looking for BLACK-CAPPED GNATCATCHER on recent visits, preferring to let the birds get on with nesting. Today we stumbled into a female foraging near the nest site (probably feeding young by now).

ASH-THROATED and DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHERS were "fighting", perhaps competing for nest cavities. BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHERS were also present. A female BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD was on a nest very close to the trail. I had the camera set to the wrong mode and this photo is not so good.

LEAST BITTERNS were calling at both ends of the lake and Maureen caught a brief glimpse near the Marina. At the east end of the lake, a very cooperative VIRGINIA RAIL foraged out in the open. WHITE-FACED IBIS, CINNAMON TEAL, SPOTTED SANDPIPER and the continuing female BUFFLEHEAD were nearby. About a dozen NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS were on the lake along with a migrant OSPREY.

A late morning hour at Kino Springs produced 40+ species including great looks at 3 GRAY HAWKS on the "island", a single BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK on the larger section of the club house pond; several BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHERS and a NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET collecting nesting material at the first pond.

Marion Paton's yard was almost devoid of hummers in the early afternoon. However, the seed feeders were quite active and produced the usual suspects including colorful male LAZULI BUNTINGS.

Day List (91 species recorded):
Pied-billed & Eared Grebes, Double-crested & Neotropic Cormorants, Great Blue & Green Herons, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Least Bittern, White-faced Ibis, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, N. Shoveler, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Cooper's, Gray & Red-tailed Hawks, Am. Kestrel, Gambel's Quail, Virginia Rail, Common Moorhen, Am. Coot, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Rock Pigeon, Mourning, White-winged & Inca Doves, Broad-billed, Violet-crowned & Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Acorn, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, N. Beardless-Tyrannulet, Black & Say's Phoebes, Vermilion, Dusky-capped, Ash-throated & Brown-crested Flycatchers, Cassin's & Western Kingbirds, Tree, N. Rough-winged & Barn Swallows, Phainopepla, Bewick's Wren, N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Bushtit, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens, European Starling, House Sparrow, Bell's & Cassin's Vireos, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Lesser & American Goldfinches, Lucy's, Yellow, Yellow-rumped & Wilson's Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, Green-tailed & Abert's Towhees, Rufous-crowned, Rufous-winged, Chipping, Lark, Song & White-crowned Sparrows, N. Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird and Bullock's Oriole.

Sunday, April 24, 2005
Out again today with Phil and Maureen. After some overnight rain, an otherwise pleasant and cool day was marred by high winds. We started up Carr Canyon but  a couple of miles from the top I realized that our journey was going to be in vain so we turned around and headed to Garden Canyon instead. We battled the wind for several hours before abandoning the day altogether.

To say that birding was tough going was an understatement. Even minor successes like HUTTON'S VIREO and RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW seemed like major victories. We plugged away in the vicinity of the upper picnic area and eventually had decent views of ARIZONA WOODPECKER, BUFF-BREASTED, DUSKY-CAPPED & ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERS, a pair of PLUMBEOUS VIREOS building a nest, numerous BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS, one TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, a pair of LAZULI BUNTINGS and a pair of HEPATIC TANAGERS. 23 species in all.

It was well over an hour before we heard ELEGANT TROGON but our patience was eventually well rewarded. A persistent male was encouraging my first of season female to check out a nest cavity. The male sat nearby almost being blown inside out in this image from an unusual angle. I managed a couple more images of the female and male but a combination of wind, poor light and bad poses rendered most of my photo attempts unusable. Nevertheless, this was obviously the highlight of a generally miserable morning.

Phil and Maureen will be around for a few more days and hopefully they'll see some better weather and a few more birds.

As for me, my $300 Gray Vireo is becoming much more expensive. My car is still in the shop, not even diagnosed let alone fixed. I'm scheduled to be in the White Mountains for the coming week but unless I can get a rental car in the morning the trip is in jeopardy. I allocated this time to do some spring migration work in the White Mountains ahead of a solid four weeks of work. Enterprise in Sierra Vista didn't have a single car available on Friday night! Does shit happen or what?

Monday, April 25, 2005
After wasting much of the morning getting a vehicle, I finally got my trip to the White Mountains underway around noon. Consequently, my time was mostly spent traveling and I was only able  to make brief stops at Willcox and Luna Lake. It was generally a cloudy and mild morning in Cochise County becoming cold and wet in the White Mountains.

My stop at Willcox was brief and not very thorough and I could easily have missed anything less obvious than a Pelican. I haven't visited here for a couple of months and this was my first opportunity to see the two recently installed "blinds" (I use the term very loosely). I hope the city didn't pay more than tuppence ha'penny for them. I'm have no idea who designed them but they are essentially unfit for their purpose -- very little cover, shade from the sun or shelter from the wind.

Birds present in the early afternoon included 8+ BLUE-WINGED TEAL, WHITE-FACED IBIS, 40+ LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS,  gobs of WILSON'S PHALAROPES and 4 RING-BILLED GULLS.

The temperature was in the high 30s when I arrived at Luna Lake around 5:00pm (shortly after the rain had stopped). I immediately saw a couple of adult BALD EAGLES -- one near the nest and the other working over the lake. I could only make out one juvenile in the nest. I managed a flight shot as this bird tried unsuccessfully half a dozen times to snatch a COOT. The coots scattered but didn't seem too concerned. I recorded about 30 species in an hour including CANADA GOOSE, lots of LESSER SCAUP and COMMON MERGANSERS,  BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD, a handful of WESTERN BLUEBIRDS, VESPER SPARROW and BREWER'S BLACKBIRD.

On my way to The Bunkhouse at Juniper Hill in Nutrioso, I spotted a roadside LEWIS'S WOODPECKER just north of town to finish up my scant birding for the day.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005
The morning began very cold in Nutrioso and I had to do some windshield scraping before heading out. The day soon warmed under mostly clear skies then cooled down considerably as clouds increased. My plans to look for migrants in riparian areas didn't really materialize today. However, I was able to get a good feel for current conditions. Many of the higher north facing slopes still have a fair amount of snow, notably Escudilla. All the water areas that I looked at are high, all creeks are running strongly and many of the meadow areas have a considerable amount of standing and/or flowing water. Riparian growth is not very well advanced.

I began the day by heading towards the "back entrance" of Sipe Wildlife Area on road N2171. Here I found a few PINYON JAYS and CANYON TOWHEE. I was foiled by a locked USFS gate on the Greenwood cutoff road. Hopefully, this is just a seasonal closure and it will open on May 1 when most of the seasonally closed roads typically reopen.

At this point I didn't want to backtrack and go the long way round  to Sipe so I decided to check "Quarry Canyon". This is my own name for a rather sparse and rocky canyon where I found Montezuma Quail last year. I did some trolling, this time without success. However, I did come across the best bird of the day in PRAIRIE FALCON, a bird that I rarely see in the White Mountains. The falcon was past me almost before I could react and I just about managed a marginal flight shot (although it does show the underwing pattern quite well). I walked a little further into the canyon than before (~4 mile round trip) and discovered another promising canyon with water. More on this as and when I figure out what it is (probably another location that the USFS don't have a name for). I recorded an untold number of ROCK WRENS -- there was never a time over a two mile stretch when I couldn't hear one (singing every 100 yards or so). Interestingly, I only heard one CANYON WREN. I also recorded a few more PINYON JAYS.

My next stop was at Nelson Reservoir. More PINYON JAYS were on the eastern slopes along with singing PLUMBEOUS VIREOS. The water level is high enough such that the fields at the south end are very soggy but I didn't detect any rails, herons or Yellow-headed Blackbirds. CINNAMON TEAL, REDHEADS and BUFFLEHEADS were fairly common.. Four flavors of swallows worked over the water. I was happy to see my first MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD of the trip --a  bird that never fails to impress.

I spent about three hours at Sipe (lots of walking) with disappointing results in terms of migrants. Only BEWICK'S WREN (a new location bird for me), WILSON'S WARBLER and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW could really be placed in this category. BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRDS, PINYON JAYS, WESTERN BLUEBIRDS and BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS were all numerous. McKay Reservoir held very little of note despite having plenty of water. EARED GREBE and BUFFLEHEADS were the pick. VESPER SPARROWS sang from the lake margins. WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS voiced their displeasure at my presence.

A check of Becker Lake produced the second access problem of the day -- a couple of barriers preventing vehicular access to the south end of the lake. Having walked about 8 miles already, I wasn't willing to go the extra mile and I scanned from the north end. Highlights were WESTERN and CLARK'S GREBES and 3 OSPREYS. Becker Lake Road produced EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES and my only YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS of the day at residential feeders.

After a much needed break back at Juniper Hill, I checked a few Nutrioso area locations. The seemingly ever present EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were near the Post Office. Elsewhere, on an outlying county road, I found LEWIS'S WOODPECKER and three ACORN WOODPECKERS sunning themselves on adjacent fence posts. The dorky looking woodpecker in the photo appears content but flew away seconds after I took this shot.

Nutrioso Reservoir was full of water but not of ducks. Only a few CANVASBACKS were of note. I was disappointed to find that a regular Lewis's Woodpecker tree has been felled. What a shame. As if that wasn't enough, a regular Red-naped Sapsucker tree near the lumberyard along Nutrioso Creek had been removed.

68 species recorded:
Pied-billed, Eared, Western & Clark's Grebes, Double-crested Cormorant, Canada Goose, Gadwall, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, Canvasback, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Am. Kestrel, Prairie Falcon, Am. Coot, Killdeer, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Lewis's & Acorn Woodpeckers, N. Flicker, Black & Say's Phoebes, Tree, Violet-green, N. Rough-winged, Cliff & Barn Swallows, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Rock, Canyon & Bewick's Wrens, N. Mockingbird, Western & Mountain Bluebirds, Am. Robin, Bushtit, White-breasted Nuthatch, Western Scrub-Jay, Pinyon Jay, Am. Crow, Common Raven, European Starling, House Sparrow, Plumbeous Vireo, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, Yellow-rumped & Wilson's Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Canyon Towhee, Chipping, Vesper & White-crowned Sparrows, Eastern & Western Meadowlarks, Red-winged, Yellow-headed & Brewer's Blackbird and Brown-headed Cowbird.

Wednesday, April 27, 2005
I woke up feeling crappy with flu-like symptoms this morning and toughed it out birding until lunchtime before deciding to head home. Thus, my ill-fated trip to the White Mountains that almost didn't get started came to a premature end. I started at Wenima Wildlife then moved to South Fork before heading to the higher elevation locations of Green and Sunrise where it was very windy.

Although I found a few migrants today, I have to say that migration in the White Mountains seems late this year. This is the first time that I have visited here in the last week of April and my visits during the early weeks of April in previous years have yielded much more in terms of migrants.

A singing BULLOCK'S ORIOLE greeted me as I left Juniper Hill. MOUNTAIN and WESTERN BLUEBIRDS were also around along with the omnipresent BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRDS and PINE SISKINS.

My first bird at Wenima was ROCK WREN, as if I didn't see enough yesterday. Migrants noted were WILSON'S WARBLER, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW and the Gray-headed form of DARK-EYED JUNCO (I was careful to rule out the resident Red-backed form). CANYON TOWHEES were numerous (I saw at least 10). Either I haven't been very observant over the past ten years or this species is becoming more common in the White Mountains. Only 23 species in all over a two hour period.

It's not often that I hear a song that I don't recognize but today I was fooled by a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT singing a new (to me) song. It was neither of the two songs that I'm familiar with: "witchety witchety" and "to-greet-you to-greet-you". I thought it was perhaps an aberrant MacGillivray's Warbler so I tracked the bird and watched it sing to be absolutely sure. Another mystery that may be solved over time.

Heading back to town (Springerville), I stopped to look at 70 WHITE-FACED IBIS in a flooded field near Becker Lake. Migrant flocks of 50-75 are typical in southeast Arizona and congregations of over 100 are far from unprecedented. I've also seen them regularly passing through the White Mountains.

The creek at South Fork was running fast and loud and listening was difficult. The only migrants that I detected were OSPREY (a location first for me) and WARBLING VIREO. I followed the vireo around trying to get a photo but ended up snapping a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET by mistake. Only BUSHTITS were common. PINYON JAYS called from the nearby slopes.

As I drove down Hwy 373 into Greer, an OSPREY flew by and I wondered if it was the same bird that I saw a few miles down the road at South Fork. It was blowing a gale in West Fork and I stayed just long enough to record an AMERICAN DIPPER at the Four Seasons bridge. Ditto at Sunrise Lake with nothing of note seen (scoping was almost impossible).

Although there were about 30 minutes of daylight left as I drove through Willcox, I was feeling so grungy and I couldn't force myself to stop. I start a long period of work on Saturday so now I need to rest and start feeling better.

48 species recorded:
White-faced Ibis, Gadwall, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Am. Kestrel, Am. Coot, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Broad-tailed Hummingbird,. N. Flicker, Black & Say's Phoebes, Horned Lark, Violet-green & Cliff Swallows, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Am. Dipper, Rock Wren, N. Mockingbird, Western & Mountain Bluebirds, Am. Robin, Pygmy Nuthatch, Pinyon Jay, Am. Crow, Common Raven, European Starling, House Sparrow, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, Yellow-rumped & Wilson's Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Canyon Towhee, Chipping, Vesper & White-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed (Gray-headed) Junco, Eastern & Western Meadowlarks, Red-winged & Brewer's Blackbirds and Bullock's Oriole.

Saturday, April 30, 2005
First of two days with Ron and Pat Freed from Carlisle, PA. We birded entirely in the Huachucas starting in a very cold Carr Canyon then moved on to Garden and Scheelite Canyons.

Despite the chilly conditions, early morning birding in Carr Canyon was excellent and we eventually weeded out all the expected species. Carr is an excellent place for BAND-TAILED PIGEONS and a couple of birds seen on the drive up to Reef were my first of the month. GREATER PEWEE and BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER were both vocal and easy to see. OLIVE WARBLER females and sub-adult males were also easy to see but I had to go to my "best" spot before finding a super "orange-headed" adult male. A nearby HERMIT WARBLER was a nice bonus. Other species included HAMMOND'S and DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHERS, VIRGINIA'S, GRACE'S, RED-FACED and BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS, PAINTED REDSTART, HEPATIC and WESTERN TANAGERS and YELLOW-EYED JUNCO.

Back in the lower canyon, perhaps the toughest bird of the morning to find was SCALED QUAIL. However, a very reticent individual eventually capitulated and gave us great views. Numerous BULLOCK'S and a singing SCOTT'S ORIOLE were also present in the lower canyon grassland along with CACTUS WREN, CURVE-BILLED THRASHER and PYRRHULOXIA.

With a little patience, a pair of ELEGANT TROGONS were easy too see at the upper picnic area in Garden Canyon. All you need to do is stand around and wait for them to vocalize. A male was enticing a female to check out a cavity in a tree about 200 yards from where I saw a pair doing the same thing on my last visit. GREATER ROADRUNNER was singing nearby and a few of the usual suspects were in evidence including ARIZONA WOODPECKER, DUSKY-CAPPED and ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERS, PLUMBEOUS VIREO (on nest), PAINTED REDSTART and SCOTT'S ORIOLE.

A fair number of cars were parked at the bottom of Scheelite Canyon and the glum faces of all the parties that we met exiting the canyon all told the same story, none had found an owl. I knew we were likely in for a trip to the upper area but, as I've mentioned before, I've learned not to forgo a thorough check of the lower area in such cases. Unfortunately, that effort didn't pay off today and I had to work long and hard before finding a well concealed SPOTTED OWL in the upper area. I also lost a little more faith in human nature -- three birders who would never have found the owl benefited from my efforts (the same guys who I had already helped get on a trogon earlier) and not one of them said thank you in either case. Cause for concern in a messed up world. Sometimes I forget to reply to an email or return a phone call, but face to face? Maybe I won't be as keen to be helpful in the future, especially when I'm working.

For those seeking an owl in the coming weeks, don't assume that you will find a bird in the lower roosting area (with one bird likely at a nest in the upper area). I saw a post on the local birding list recently that said "the owl was in its usual place at 5/8" which is downright misleading and incorrect. In my last 6 visits, I've only found an owl once in the lower roosting area let alone around 5/8 mile. On four of those occasions I found an owl in the upper roosting area, about 1 mile from the trailhead; and once in the middle roosting area. Don't assume anything.

RED-FACED WARBLERS were very vocal in the canyon from as low as 3/8 mile up to one mile. Also in the canyon were ARIZONA WOODPECKER, lots of WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS screaming overhead (some coming down to below tree level which is quite unusual on a clear day), HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER (a regular migrant here), BLACK-THROATED GRAY and WILSON'S WARBLERS, PAINTED REDSTART, HEPATIC TANAGER, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK and YELLOW-EYED JUNCO.

Our evening owling session couldn't really have gone any better. Although we had to do a little scrambling around on rocky, uneven terrain, it didn't take much time to get excellent prolonged views of  ELF OWL and WHISKERED SCREECH-OWL, both of which were very cooperative after some initial reticence. I wish it were always like this. GREAT HORNED OWL perched on a wire made for a four owl day.

67 species recorded:
Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, Scaled & Gambel's Quail, Rock Pigeon, Band-tailed Pigeon, Mourning & White-winged Doves, Greater Roadrunner, Whiskered Screech-Owl, Great Horned Owl, Spotted Owl, Elf Owl, Black-chinned & Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Elegant Trogon, Acorn, Gila & Arizona Woodpeckers, N. Flicker, Greater Pewee, Hammond's, Buff-breasted, Dusky-capped & Ash-throated Flycatchers, Cassin's Kingbird, Violet-green Swallow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cactus, Canyon, Bewick's & House Wrens, N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Am. Robin, Bushtit, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Steller's Jay, Mexican Jay, Chihuahuan Raven, Plumbeous & Hutton's Vireos, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, Olive, Virginia's, Lucy's, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Gray, Hermit, Grace's, Wilson's & Red-faced Warblers, Painted Redstart, Hepatic & Western Tanagers, Spotted Towhee, Yellow-eyed Junco, N. Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Black-headed Grosbeak, Brown-headed Cowbird and Bullock's & Scott's Orioles.

This log is in chronological order and the most recent entries are at the bottom of the page.
The last update was on Saturday, April 30, 2005

Species List

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

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