Dec Species Seen

Stuart Healy Journal - December, 2008 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 Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Monday, December 1, 2008
This morning I headed down to the San Pedro to get December underway. In years past it was my custom to come here on the first of the month but I got out of the habit. Conditions were much the same as yesterday with a clear sky and zero wind. It actually felt colder and warmer respectively than the 40-60 degree temperature range that I encountered between 7:30 and 11:00am. Heavy frost was present in the shady areas and the low angle direct sun on my face really had an impact.

Highlights were all three regular wintering empids -- HAMMOND'S, DUSKY and GRAY FLYCATCHERS. The latter two were detected by their calls otherwise I would not have found them. Hammond's was silent but very active and easy to detect. At the other end of the scale, Kingfisher Pond was the lowlight -- I didn't find a single bird out on the water. There may have been stuff around earlier but nothing at 10:30am.

I started out studying sparrows for an hour in the grass, mesquite and weeds southwest of the San Pedro House (between the house and del Valle road). LARK SPARROW was by far the most common sparrow here (I counted at least 80, including many hatch year birds). Unfortunately, the only image that I could obtain was shot from a distance because the sparrows simply wouldn't tolerate close approach. BREWER'S SPARROWS were also common and it seemed like they were having a song contest with the Lark Sparrows. GREEN-TAILED TOWHEES were conspicuous (here and everywhere else that I went) and by the time the morning was over I had tallied over 30 of them. ABERT'S & CANYON TOWHEES were also present. LINCOLN'S SPARROWS were very common throughout.

After a brisk and relatively birdless walk south on the del Valle road, I checked west Garden Wash (this is the section west of del Valle). I looked at all the Desert Hackberry trees hoping to find a Long-eared Owl roost without success. In fact, a slow, one way trudge of 1.5 miles produced very few birds. It wasn't a complete bust though since I did manage to find a few species that I didn't see elsewhere, particularly GRAY FLYCATCHER, BLACK-THROATED SPARROW, several RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS and a vocal and inquisitive ROCK WREN. The latter two species are quite rare on the SPRNCA.

I continued south down Garden Wash towards the river. Sparrows and towhees were much more numerous and active than the sparser northern section. A calling LAZULI BUNTING in the Johnson grass was the only bird of note (I have few December records for this location).  Black Phoebe and Kingfisher Ponds were both completely unproductive.

I finished up by walking north along the river to the San Pedro House trail. At regular intervals, I looked and listened for what has become a regular wintering Louisiana Waterthrush (can't remember if I've seen a report yet this year at this location). I picked up the aforementioned HAMMOND'S & DUSKY FLYCATCHERS along the immediate river trail south and north of kingfisher pond respectively.

38 species recorded:
Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers; N. Flicker, Hammond's, Gray & Dusky Flycatchers; Black Phoebe, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Rock, Bewick's & House Wrens; Curve-billed Thrasher, White-breasted Nuthatch, European Starling, House Sparrow, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Green-tailed, Canyon & Abert's Towhees; Rufous-crowned, Chipping, Brewer's, Vesper, Lark, Black-throated, Song, Lincoln's & White-crowned Sparrows; Pyrrhuloxia, Lazuli Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark and Great-tailed Grackle.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008
This morning I made a very time consuming, frustrating and ultimately successful visit to San Rafael Valley (my third visit of the season). Of course, Baird's Sparrow was my main objective. As I mentioned in the reports for the two earlier visits (one successful, one not), the habitat on the southeast corner of FR58 and Apache Road has been recently grazed and the grass is far from ideal for the sparrows. Consequently, I had to extend my search area and ended up doing lots of walking, most of it on the west side of Apache Road where I usually don't go. On my next trip I'll try further east in the valley.

Throughout the morning (and perhaps 5 total miles of walking) I saw exactly six sparrows -- and I'm not talking about six species, I mean six individuals! However, since they were 3 SAVANNAH, 2 BAIRD'S and 1 GRASSHOPPER, that wasn't all bad. I also saw EASTERN and WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, HORNED LARKS and a few NORTHERN HARRIERS.

I've saved the best for last. As I was trudging back to my vehicle on an old "road" (a partially overgrown dirt track), I came across a bird in the track just 20 feet away from me. I knew right away that it was a SPRAGUE'S PIPIT, a bird that wasn't even on my radar for the day. I was able to look at the bird in detail (mostly from behind) for about 30 seconds. I noted white streaks on the back giving a scaly appearance, brightly colored legs, and a bold eye as the bird turned to look at me. I took one step too many as I tried to maneuver into a better viewing position and the bird flushed giving its "squeet" call and showing extensive white in the tail (good confirmation of my identification). A totally unexpected and fortuitous sighting. I'll take it!  Please feel free to contact me if you would like to know where I saw this bird.

I spent so much time in the valley that I never made it to Patagonia Lake and Kino Springs as was my intention when I left home. Harshaw Canyon birds included 10 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS (just below the grasslands) and 20 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS (near Hale Ranch).

Sunday, December 7, 2008
To paraphrase Groucho Marx, "I've had some perfectly wonderful birding days but this wasn't one of them". I can't find the words to describe how poor the birding was at Sierra Vista EOP today. Ergo, no words!

36 species recorded at Sierra Vista EOP (8:00-10:30am; cloudy, calm, 41-55 degrees):
Am. Wigeon, Gadwall, Green-winged & 6 Cinnamon Teal; N. Shoveler, 20 Ring-necked & 7 Ruddy Ducks; 3 Lesser Scaup, N. Harrier, Am. Kestrel, Virginia Rail, Sora, Am. Coot, Rock Pigeon, Mourning & White-winged Doves; Say's Phoebe, 5-Am. Pipits, Rock & Marsh Wrens; Loggerhead Shrike, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens; House Finch, Yellow-rumped Warbler, 10 Brewer's, Vesper, Savannah, Song, Lincoln's & White-crowned Sparrows; Red-winged, Yellow-headed & Brewer's Blackbirds; Western Meadowlark and Great-tailed Grackle.

Monday, December 8, 2008
After I saw the weather forecast last night, I decided to head over to Willcox this morning to see if the predicted bad weather would bring in a "good" bird. All birds are good, but you know what I mean. I arrived at dawn (not that you could tell).  Heavy clouds were widespread and it was wet and windy. Good conditions for my purpose.

The only birds that I saw along the entrance road (Rex Allen Junior Drive) were a very bedraggled RED-TAILED HAWK and an in flight NORTHERN HARRIER. Not a sparrow in sight. Tons of NORTHERN SHOVELERS came into view when I reached the north east corner of the main pond. I stopped here to scope despite the rain and was immediately rewarded for my diligence (stupidity?, misguided effort?, call it what you will).

Around 7:20am, I glassed the east end of the pond and saw a small "loon shaped" bird off in the distance. Even with choppy water and a crappy view, my gut told me right away that it wasn't a Common Loon (the only "expected" loon in SE AZ). I hurriedly fumbled to set up the scope in the wind only to see the bird take flight before I was ready. It's a good thing that nobody else was around to hear my response.

Then, a miracle happened. The bird circled a couple of times and landed back in the same location. Perhaps it didn't like the weather, I sure didn't. Although the bird soon took flight and landed again, between flights I was able to determine that it was a RED-THROATED LOON. Based on the ill defined contrast between the dark and light areas on the neck (as seen from quite a distance), I surmised that it was a juvenile. At this point I went into town to report the presence of the bird.

While I was gone, the weather improved tremendously. As I tried to relocate the loon, I came across the injured BROWN PELICAN that has been around for a few days. The bird has an injured wing and I'm pretty sure that it can't feed (at least, not by plunge-diving) so will likely perish before too long if not rescued. I've seen quite a few Brown Pelicans in SE AZ but I think this is the first adult that I've seen.

I relocated the loon resting peacefully with its head tucked in. I stayed with the bird for about 30 minutes and it eventually started swimming around, diving (presumed feeding) and even called a few times. About 9:10am the bird took flight, circled a few times to gain altitude then headed south. While circling, the bird gave a series of duck-like quacking notes. As far as I am aware, there is only one previous documented record for SE AZ (and some sight records, included a previous sighting by yours truly in 1996).

I took a number of shots and have published two. RTLO image #1 shows the bird resting. Even without the benefit of perspective, the impression of a small bird is readily apparent (at least to me!). RTLO image #2 shows the bird alert in what you might call a typical posture for this species. I think my first impression of a juvenile bird was correct.

Photo notes for geeks: Both images were taken from a fair distance -- #1 about 100 feet, #2 about twice that distance. Both were shot with the same lens, a Canon 400mm DO IS, and both images have been heavily cropped. Image #1 was taken with a Canon ID Mark II with a 2X converter. Image #2 was taken with a Canon 40D and 1.4X converter. Typically, I only use the ID II when I want to get maximum reach (i.e., use a 2X converter). The 1D II will drive a 2X and maintain auto focus (something that the 40D can't do). This gives me an effective focal length of 1040mm -- 400mm x 2 x 1.3 (the camera's effective focal length multiplier). Since the 40D has an effective focal length multiplier of 1.6X (compared to 1.3X on the 1D II), its usually my first choice when I'm not using the 2X converter.

Excitement over, I did some general birding. The main pond didn't have much in the way of duck diversity. Only EARED GREBE, lots of airborne SANDHILL CRANES and a few SCALED QUAIL were of note.

The best birding was at the golf course pond. Here I found, GREEN HERON, 4 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS (trying to hide in the rapidly disappearing willow leaves); EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE and a few sparrows. I also saw the hybrid AMERICAN x EURASIAN WIGEON that has been a regular here for a number of years. Note the lack of a solid gray flank shown by pure Eurasian. The bird was feeding alone away from the main Wigeon flock.

A check of the road on the north side of the golf course produced a very soggy looking FERRUGINOUS HAWK. By my records, this is a very scarce species for this location (see Willcox bargraph).

41 species recorded:
Red-throated Loon, Pied-billed & Eared Grebes; Brown Pelican, Great Blue & Green Herons; Black-crowned Night-Heron, Am. Wigeon, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, N. Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, N. Harrier, Red-tailed & Ferruginous Hawks; Am. Kestrel, Scaled Quail, Sandhill Crane, Am. Coot, Killdeer, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Black & Say's Phoebes; Marsh Wren, N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Loggerhead Shrike, Chihuahuan Raven, House Finch, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Vesper, Savannah, Song & White-crowned Sparrows; Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged & Yellow-headed Blackbirds; Western Meadowlark and Great-tailed Grackle.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008
There was a real wintry feel to the weather this morning, starting with rain and hail while it was still dark where I live. Although the sky soon cleared, a strong and biting wind persisted throughout the morning hours. Had I not neglected my birding for the past couple of months because of computer work, I probably wouldn't have ventured out today. I stayed close to home though with a visit to Garden Canyon in the Huachucas. Given the conditions, I was pleased with the quality of species that I found.

After leaving French Fry Boulevard that was heavy with CHIHUAHUAN RAVENS, I didn't see a single bird until I reached the fishing ponds. A large flock of LESSER GOLDFINCHES huddled together in a mesquite were the only obvious birds. The ponds held 8 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, 3 MALLARDS, 5 SHOVELERS, a lone RING-NECKED DUCK and a female BELTED KINGFISHER.

The wind was a major problem and I considered heading home. I pushed on through the grassland where I came across a surprise ARIZONA WOODPECKER (well out of habitat below the Lower Picnic Area) along with more expected species including AMERICAN KESTREL, PHAINOPEPLA, VESPER SPARROW and a continuing flock of WESTERN MEADOWLARKS.

I proceeded directly to the Middle Picnic Area. This fairly small area of oaks and junipers is often productive on a winter morning because it faces southeast. That was certainly the case today. I was pleasantly surprised by the activity level and pleased with the species present. Although none were really unexpected, some were more typical of a summer day than a cold December morning.

I heard a PAINTED REDSTART almost immediately (regular here in winter) and then spent 30 minutes trying to see the bugger! This is one of my three favorite species and it bugs me that I don't have a good photo (these birds rarely sit still). I still don't have a good photo! It wasn't all bad though because in the tracking exercise (during which I would point the camera at the bird only to hear it five trees way), I stumbled into a number of other good birds including a male BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, several TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS and a female HEPATIC TANAGER seen crawling along branches and picking at bugs

Among the more expected species were ARIZONA WOODPECKER, HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER and a mixed flock comprising BRIDLED TITMICE, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, HUTTON'S VIREOS and the aforementioned warblers and tanager. Other species present included many noisy MEXICAN JAYS, a flock of 12 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS, RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW, LESSER GOLDFINCHES feeding on seed heads and numerous GRAY-HEADED JUNCOS.

I made a second stop at the fishing ponds as I headed back down Garden Canyon. I was hoping to confirm the continuing presence of Swamp Sparrow but I was barely able to rustle up a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW. At this point I was really just pishing in the wind. However, there was a twist in the tail (and to this tale).

I've mentioned before that whenever I push myself in adverse conditions I'm often (but not always) rewarded. Yesterday my reward came early. Today it was my last bird before calling it a morning. I was about 50 feet from the blue trogon when I came across 3 MONTEZUMA QUAIL. I was taken completely by surprise by this most unexpected turn of events and missed a photo opportunity because I didn't react quickly enough before the birds rocketed away!

Now it was time for some Wendy's Chili and the Liverpool - PSV Eindhoven Champions League game.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The wind velocity was much less today (just breezy really) and it was a glorious day after a chilly start (a little ice on my windshield first thing). I visited Patagonia Lake State Park for the first time in a month. I focused mostly on the water and spent less than an hour on the trail.

Although it's a large body of water, the lake doesn't usually host lots of waterfowl (I'm guessing because of disturbance by boat traffic). Today was about as good as I've seen it with 20+ NORTHERN PINTAILS and 10 CANVASBACKS near the spillway being of note among good numbers of the more expected species. I saw at least 5 COMMON GOLDENEYES including an adult male (pictured), 3 immature males and 1 female. The image was shot from the fishing dock behind the visitor center. Interestingly, I didn't see a single Common Merganser, a species that is usually well represented at this time of year. I was also unable to find a Neotropic Cormorant (something that seems to happen every year in December).

Among the other stuff on and around the lake were 40+ EARED GREBES, a lone WESTERN GREBE, 18-20 GREAT BLUE HERONS, 6 adult BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, 4 LESSER SCAUP, a few COMMON MOORHENS, 1 SPOTTED & 3 LEAST SANDPIPERS and a BELTED KINGFISHER.

As I dropped down the steps at the east end of the lake, I immediately encountered GRAY & ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERS and an EASTERN PHOEBE. I witnessed some aggressive interaction between the phoebe and the Gray (one of six Gray Flycatchers that I eventually saw). I tried for a photo of the phoebe but it was too high and too far away for a decent quality image (however, it made the cut as today's featured bird).

Although Eastern Phoebe is generally a rare winter visitor in SE AZ, it has become quite reliable at this location every year (but often missed even when present). This was my 22nd three phoebe species day at the state park.

Other species along the trail and in the willow forest (I didn't make it to the creek) included DUSKY FLYCATCHER, 5 AMERICAN PIPITS, HERMIT THRUSH, a silently foraging PLUMBEOUS VIREO, the usual plethora of YELLOW RUMPED WARBLERS (most were on the ground) and a few ABERT'S TOWHEES. Elsewhere in mesquite habitat I picked up RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW.

Thursday, December 11, 2008
This morning I spent a couple of hours in lower Carr Canyon. I'd also planned to head up to Reef but I wasn't able to do that. While pursuing Olive Warblers on a rocky slope, I had a pretty bad fall and had to put an end to the day's proceedings.

In winter, I like to spend some time birding in the lower canyon oaks and sycamores before proceeding to higher elevation locations. Two good areas at this season are the creekside riparian habitat adjacent to the parking area a few hundred yards above the second stream crossing (south side of the road); and the picnic area and trail into the small canyon on the north side of the road. Both locations get the early morning sun, especially the picnic area.

After an overnight low around freezing, the lower canyon was surprisingly mild and completely calm. Great conditions for birding and bird activity was very high.

I started on the canyon trail and soon became interested in a mixed flock containing BLACK-THROATED GRAY & TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS in addition to the usual canyon residents. When I heard the "phew" contact calls of several OLIVE WARBLERS I set off in pursuit in hopes of a photo opportunity. I had to negotiate a steep and rocky slope and I didn't fare too well. As I felt myself losing balance, I decided to sacrifice my body to protect binocular, camera and lens. Sinking to my knees seemed like a good option. That was a mistake. My left knee hit a sharp rock that ripped my pants and gashed my knee, causing acute pain and eventual bruising. It felt pretty bad at the time but it feels even worse now at the end of the day. Wow! It sure knocked the stuffing out of me. I sat on that slope for 15 minutes before regaining my composure. Of course, the flock was long gone so my pain was in vain. It gets worse -- I'd planned to head to Florida next Monday. Since walking is tough at the moment, I reluctantly decided to postpone that until January. Not one of my better days.

Otherwise Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? Actually, the birding was excellent. Warblers were particularly numerous and I saw multiple individuals of those already mentioned with at least 2 BLACK-THROATED GRAY, 8 TOWNSEND'S, 3 OLIVE plus a couple of PAINTED REDSTARTS. I also did okay on woodpeckers with many ACORN, 4 LADDER-BACKED and 3 ARIZONA WOODPECKERS plus RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER and NORTHERN FLICKER.

Dicky birds were also well represented with RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS and DARK-EYED JUNCOS both abundant. I also came across ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, BEWICK'S & HOUSE WRENS (several of each); small flocks of WESTERN BLUEBIRDS and BRIDLED TITMICE; a handful of WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, a couple of HUTTON'S VIREOS, 3 PINE SISKINS, a few LESSER GOLDFINCHES, many YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and one each RUFOUS-CROWNED & LINCOLN'S SPARROWS.

39 species recorded:
Rock Pigeon, Mourning & White-winged Doves; Anna's Hummingbird, Acorn, Gila, Ladder-backed & Arizona Woodpeckers; Red-naped Sapsucker, N. Flicker, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bewick's & House Wrens; N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Western Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Mexican Jay, Chihuahuan Raven, House Sparrow, Hutton's Vireo, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, Olive, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Gray & Townsend's Warblers; Painted Redstart, Spotted & Canyon Towhees; Rufous-crowned & Lincoln's Sparrows; Dark-eyed Junco, Pyrrhuloxia and Great-tailed Grackle.

Sunday, December 14, 2008
Extremely windy conditions for the Sunday outing at Sierra Vista EOP and only a few die-hard locals and one visitor turned out. I made the effort to give my injured knee a workout as much as anything. So far so good with that.

Birding in the wind was difficult and a little unpleasant. Nevertheless, we just about made it to 40 species (equivalent to Baseball's "Mendoza Line"); and an excellent look at a perched PRAIRIE FALCON was worth the price of admission and certainly the highlight of a three falcon day. The bird was first seen perched on a berm from some distance, then on a even more distant pole on Moson Road. The best view came on an irrigation rig along the entrance road. A couple of AMERICAN KESTRELS and a distant, dark MERLIN were also seen. No sign of the "regular" Peregrine! Apart from the falcons and an adult male COOPER'S HAWK (uncommon at the EOP), it was pretty much standard fare.

Two male and a female LESSER SCAUP were the best ducks. GREEN-WINGED TEAL and RING-NECKED DUCKS were in higher numbers than normal (over 30 of each). At least 7 CINNAMON TEAL were present along with a few PINTAILS and GADWALLS.

MARSH WRENS were far less vocal today as were SORA and VIRGINIA RAIL.

Although landbirds were generally inconspicuous, we picked up most of the regulars by the time we completed the standard route.

Monday, December 15, 2008
Earlier this month I scheduled a trip to Florida that should have started today. However, due to my knee injury, I rescheduled for late January. Today I decided to give my knee another close-to-home work out with a visit to Scheelite Canyon. Although I was certainly very happy not to have felt any adverse reactions to my time in the field yesterday, that was an easy walk of a couple of miles on flat terrain. Scheelite is an entirely different, knee-bending, kettle of fish. I certainly felt some pain today with the walk up and down the canyon. Coming down was much worse, especially since I was forced to lead with my gimpy left leg. Have you ever tried to lead with your "opposite" leg? I simply couldn't do it -- it's harder than trying to write with the wrong hand! In retrospect, it was probably a mistake to test myself in Scheelite since trailside help would not have been forthcoming in a timely manner at this time of year. Anyway, all's well that ends well and I even found an owl for my effort.

There was a light dusting of snow on the higher elevations of the Huachucas this morning. Generally, though, the weather was a little better today. Mostly sunny and cold but not quite as windy as yesterday at low elevation. The wind picked up later and it was really blowing hard by late morning in Scheelite.

I made a few stops in Garden Canyon before heading to Scheelite and hoped that a later start would maximize productivity. Scheelite usually doesn't have many birds at this time of year and that was the case today despite the late start. All that I succeeded in doing was to guarantee that I would be walking up canyon (south) with the sun in my eyes. It's been five weeks since I was last here (November 8) and I hoped that finding an owl would be a little more challenging than on that day. Although it was a little more difficult today, there wasn't much in it and I'd have to say it was easy. I know that I'll pay somewhere down the road.

Given the conditions, I expected to find an owl either a) roosting high near the top of the canopy to get some rays, or b) roosting low near a rock face to get out of the wind. As it turned out, the bird had other ideas. I found a single SPOTTED OWL roosting at medium height in a shady and cold spot (although not too far from a rock face). I recorded only 8 species including numerous CANYON WRENS (at close range) and a few WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS high up on the steep slopes of the canyon.

Photo notes for geeks: I carried my "old clunker" 100-400mm zoom f/5.6 lens into the canyon. This lens is still used by lots of people and it served me well on a daily basis for 18 months after I first started using Canon equipment back in January 2004. At that time, I thought that it was the best and cheapest way to get a 400mm telephoto lens (even though I didn't really want the zoom feature). I subsequently tried the 300mm f/4 lens with a 1.4X converter and discovered that it produces sharper images and costs a little less. (This is the combo that I now use as my everyday hand-held equipment with the 40D camera.)  However, the benefit of using the 100-400mm lens in Scheelite is that it compresses easily to fit in my backpack and I can use it at 100mm (important, since I'm normally close to a Spotted Owl).

I was close to the owl today but all the normal photo challenges for this bird were in play simultaneously. The owl was roosting in a dark location, obstructed by branches, and backlit just to increase the level of difficulty. I needed to use a shutter speed of 1/40s which means that getting a sharp image (even with an image stabilized lens) is almost impossible. However, when have you known me not to try? A little jiggery-pokery with Photoshop produced a somewhat usable image.

I came across a few noteworthy birds on my earlier stops in Garden Canyon. At the fishing ponds I saw a beautiful male NORTHERN HARRIER at the water's edge (but couldn't get close enough for a useful photo without spooking the bird); and a CRISSAL THRASHER in a mistletoe clump alongside a PHAINOPEPLA and MOCKINGBIRD. Several waterfowl species were present on my last visit but I couldn't find a single duck today. BELTED KINGFISHER continues.

Despite the now bothersome wind at the middle picnic area, I found a few continuing species including HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, TOWNSEND'S WARBLER and a female HEPATIC TANAGER (fairly scarce in December, especially in mountain locations).

A little further up canyon I saw a GOLDEN EAGLE soaring over the ridge south of the upper picnic area.

Any pain tomorrow will be mitigated by the Owl and Eagle sightings. A day with both these species is a good day.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Not much to report today since I only made a very brief visit down to the San Pedro House where it was cold and windy. The cold I can handle but the wind really impacts the data collection aspect of my birding, not to mention the enjoyment factor. I soon realized that my efforts would be futile and bailed out to do grocery shopping. Now you really know how bad it was. I detest grocery shopping. I probably wouldn't have tried any birding at all today if it were not for the fact that tomorrow is going to be wet and even more windy.

Even though clouds hung over the tops of the Huachucas, I could still see that a little fresh snow had fallen and the elevation had dropped considerably. A fair amount of snow is expected in the mountains from the next storm system.

Activity was very high around the San Pedro House feeders yet there was nary a bird to be seen a few hundred feet in any direction. The most conspicuous birds were a large flock of female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS; a flock of at least 30 and perhaps 50 WHITE-WINGED DOVES; and 10+ PYRRHULOXIAS festooned like Christmas ornaments in a mesquite with LESSER GOLDFINCHES.

GREEN-TAILED & ABERT'S TOWHEES were both present (heard but not seen) along with several LINCOLN'S SPARROWS and a few other common species.

BRIDLED TITMOUSE took me by surprise. They are regular enough along the river at this time of year but I don't recollect seeing one at the San Pedro House before.

Friday, December 19, 2008
After following the weather forecast throughout the week, I had tentatively allocated this morning to visit Willcox to look for storm refugees. I followed through even though yesterday's storm wasn't much of an event this far south (it packed quite a punch further north in the state). It was certainly windy at times and we had a fair amount of rain, but very little snow fell in the Huachucas. The storm dissipated quite early in the day which meant that any birds driven into Willcox could easily continue south. Judging by what I saw (or rather, didn't see today), that was certainly the case (or nothing actually showed up at all).

Clear sky overnight and lingering humidity meant that I had to do some serious ice scraping this morning. I spent several hours at Willcox and the temperature remained below freezing during the entire time. Vapor rising of the water made for an eerie start with almost zero visibility. Distant shapes drifted in and out of my view. Great views to the north though with lots of snow visible on Mt. Graham in the Pinaleņo Mountains. This is the highest elevation range in the SE AZ "sky islands" as well as the least known and least birded. Not because the birding is poor, quite the contrary in fact. It's just because of location, a little off the beaten path. But I digress.

After last week's "Loonacy", I was hoping for more of the same and perhaps scoters, red phalaropes and other seasonal goodies. However, that wasn't to be. The main pond had very little going on and even the regulars were in short supply. The best birds were 4 male COMMON MERGANSERS (my first of season birds, quite late). Apart from lots of KILLDEER on the golf course grass, the only shorebird noted was a lone LEAST SANDPIPER. Well, at least it was a sandpiper. I've never used that one before. Two white blobs that piqued my interest turned out to be RING-BILLED GULLS.

Several loose flocks of SANDHILL CRANES milled around southwest of the golf course. The continuing hybrid AMERICAN x EURASIAN WIGEON was with the main Wigeon flock on the golf course grass. Among the birds at the golf course pond were GREEN HERON, 3 adult and 1 juvenile BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, SORA and an immature male VERMILION FLYCATCHER (there may also have been a second bird, possibly a female). Vermilion is fairly scare at Willcox at any time of year.

Other species in various locations included a very small male SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (a new location species for me, #193); a couple of PINTAILS, a few AMERICAN PIPITS and both EASTERN & WESTERN MEADOWLARKS. 31 species in all.

On the way home I stopped for an hour or so at Holy Trinity Monastery in St. David. I took the Sibyl Road shortcut and saw numerous PHAINOPEPLAS perched in mesquites next to mistletoe clumps (SOP for these birds). I also picked up my second SHARP-SHINNED HAWK of the day, this time a female.

Best bird at the monastery was a female HEPATIC TANAGER, initially seen in the hackberry trees on the west side of the main pond (lots of fruit here). This was my second new location species of the day, #162 for the monastery. From my own recent observations and from CBC reports that I've seen, it appears to be a good year for lingering Hepatic Tanagers.

WHITE-WINGED DOVES were numerous in small groups scattered around the property and I also came across COMMON GROUND-DOVE for the second consecutive visit,

Although there's plenty of food for seed eating species, I didn't see many sparrows and missed all possible species of goldfinches! Species seen included 8 GADWALLS, 3 RING-NECKED DUCKS, vocal and conspicuous GILA & LADDER BACKED WOODPECKERS (several of each); plenty of ABERT'S, a few CANYON and one GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE; and a couple of NORTHERN CARDINALS. 38 species in all.

Website note: I've updated the sun-moon data page to include info for the next couple of years. For those who haven't viewed it before, this page contains sun rise and set, moon rise and set and moon phase information. From now on, the data on this page will be on a rolling, three year basis. Don't be shy -- let me know about mistakes.

Sunday, December 21, 2008
Remember my remark earlier this month about "often (but not always) being rewarded" whenever I make an effort to do something. Well, after investing in a trip to Willcox on Friday to look for storm refugees and coming up empty, I later learned that a Pacific Loon had dropped into a city park in Tucson (still present) and a Red Phalarope was at Amado Sewage Pond (now gone). Birding is like real estate in one respect -- its all about "location, location, location".

Today my location was Sierra Vista EOP which, as expected, was loaded with Pacific Loons and Red Phalaropes. What a absolutely gorgeous morning to get winter underway. Zero wind (in stark contrast to last week), a cloudless sky and zero particulate matter provided crystal clear viewing conditions in all directions. Even the observatory atop the distant, snow clad Mt. Graham in the Pinaleņo Mountains was clearly visible. A rare occurrence indeed.

The best bird of a fairly routine morning came just after we got started. As we scanned for AMERICAN PIPITS, a WILSON'S SNIPE decided to flush near a frozen puddle where the pipits have been hanging out in recent weeks. Interestingly, although Wilson's Snipe is reasonably common in SE AZ (and I have quite a number of records at the EOP), this was a location first for me in December.

Apart from BUFFLEHEAD (sporadically present recently and represented by a single female today), diving ducks such as Redhead and Canvasback have not put in an appearance yet this season. Most of the regular ducks were present in higher numbers today, particularly PINTAIL. A group of at least 11 CINNAMON TEAL represented a good sighting since their numbers usually drop at this time of year.

Raptors were decidedly inconspicuous today, including the normally numerous and obvious NORTHERN HARRIER (I only recall seeing two individuals). The only way to claim a four falcon day is via the same KESTREL seen four times.

Landbirds (particularly sparrows) were hard to come by. The best sightings were a male LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER (seen irregularly here fall through spring) and a flock of 60+ WESTERN MEADOWLARKS. By scanning one of the blackbird flocks, a picked up a couple of BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS. While generally fairly common at the EOP, I haven't seen one here since the end of September -- and we all love to see cowbirds.

The group tallied 44 species; I came up with a few less. One of my misses was Ring-billed Gull (2 birds seen before I arrived). You snooze you lose (good thing it wasn't a Pacific Loon or Red Phalarope).

Monday, December 22, 2008
This morning I checked Parker Canyon Lake. It was another gorgeous winter morning, initially chilly then warming quickly -- quite warm on the lakeshore trail in fact. Clear sky and zero wind eventually gave way to high clouds as the morning wore on and the wind started to pick up. As I write these notes on Tuesday morning, the wind is howling and rain can't be far behind. No birding today!

The lake is close to home (~25 miles via Fort Huachuca from the west end of Fry Blvd. in Sierra Vista) yet I only visit this location once or twice per year. Although it's a fair sized lake by Arizona standards (130+ acres, 5 miles around the shoreline) and therefore a good place to look for deepwater species, I've never actually seen anything truly unusual here. Today didn't improve on that.

In terms of birds seen, the trip didn't provide a good return on the investment of miles driven and 5 miles walked. Fortunately, however, there are other factors at play. I enjoyed the clear air, great views and solitude; and hardly a man made noise. To quote Benny Hill, "how can one define the intangerine"

Least common (but certainly far from unexpected) species were 2 each COMMON GOLDENEYES and COMMON MERGANSERS. No loons, no big grebes and I even missed the regular wintering Bald Eagle (not sure if it's back yet). PIED-BILLED GREBE, GADWALL, RUDDY DUCK and COOT were common to abundant.

Walking completely around the shoreline is awkward because the south end of the east shore has lots of little inlets and backwaters that have to be negotiated. Today I tried a different approach. I hoofed it to the north end of the lake on the (gated) interior road that continues beyond Lakeview and Rock Bluff campgrounds. When I reached the area where feed water enters from Parker Canyon, I worked my way south along the west shore as far as the spillway and then retraced my route. I didn't save any miles but it was a more efficient and enjoyable route.

I found many of the expected species including abundant PHAINOPEPLAS, WESTERN BLUEBIRDS, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS and DARK-EYED JUNCOS (mostly Gray-headed, a few Pink-sided). CHIPPING SPARROWS were in far less numbers than expected (normally abundant). I also came across several large flocks of PINE SISKINS. I've always found this species to be more common on the west side of the Huachucas than on the east side.

Other species typical of the oak, juniper and mazanita habitat (some pine) were RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, numerous scolding BEWICK'S WRENS complaining at my presence; several flocks of twittering BUSHTITS; raucous groups of MEXICAN JAYS; surprisingly silent HUTTON'S VIREOS (often the first to scold); a few YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and a couple of RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS.

I only came across one clearly recognizable mixed flock. BRIDLED TITMOUSE was the main component along with WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, TOWNSEND'S WARBLER and several of the species previously mentioned. The quickly taken titmouse photo (before the bird realized its mistake popping out into the open to investigate my squeaking noises) was worth my walk.

I checked a couple of roads around Canelo Hills as I returned. Canelo Road that drops down from Hwy 83 opposite Lyle Canyon has several ranch style properties with some large fields and ponds. The area is usually good for several flavors of Blackbirds at least, but today I couldn't find a single bird of any species.

41 species recorded:
Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, N. Shoveler, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Cooper's & Red-tailed Hawks; Am. Kestrel, Am. Coot, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Acorn & Gila Woodpeckers; Red-naped Sapsucker, N. Flicker, Say's Phoebe, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Phainopepla, Bewick's Wren, Western Bluebird, Bushtit, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Mexican Jay, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens; House Sparrow, Hutton's Vireo, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Yellow-rumped & Townsend's Warblers; Rufous-crowned & Chipping Sparrows; Dark-eyed Junco, Brewer's Blackbird and Great-tailed Grackle.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Following yesterday's stormy weather, I took another crack at Willcox today hoping for some avian Christmas joy. I got scrooged. No complaints about the weather though, which rebounded nicely after the wind and rain yesterday. Very mild when I left home at 5:30am and almost warm enough for A/C by midday in St. David.

Conditions at Willcox were serene and I was pleased to see plenty of white on the glassy water (white is a good color when scanning water, yellow is good for trees). I counted 23 COMMON MERGANSERS (1 female) and 4 RING-BILLED GULLS (3 adults, 1 first winter).  Other than a handful of regulars, that was it for the main pond.

At the golf course pond I saw the continuing group of BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS (3 adults, 1 immature); SORA and 2 VERMILION FLYCATCHERS (adult and immature males).

Other species from a total of 37 included several hundred SANDHILL CRANES, SCALED & GAMBEL'S QUAIL, 6 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES, a few sparrow species and both EASTERN & WESTERN MEADOWLARKS.

On my way to take another pass around the main pond, I spotted a PRAIRIE FALCON on a pole and had no option but to drive past it slowly in order to get the light behind me. I stopped to try for a photo only to be foiled by some yahoo in truck who deliberately flushed the bird. So much for goodwill to all men! The bird flew off to another pole and I drove to a new position for another try. However, when I arrived at my destination the bird had departed and didn't leave a forwarding address. Color me crestfallen once again.

Thirtyfive or so miles to the west, Benson Wastewater Treatment Plant had a much better showing of ducks. The lower, south pond held most of the birds. I scanned the 40+ RING-NECKED DUCKS repeatedly but couldn't find a scaup species. Also present were a dozen each CANVASBACKS and BUFFLEHEADS, a single COMMON MERGANSER (male), WILSON'S SNIPE and a few AMERICAN PIPITS.

I noted at least 6 EARED GREBES on the smaller pond. This is a regular species at Willcox but I've missed them there on the last two visits. My third VERMILION FLYCATCHER of the day (an immature male) worked from the fence at the small pond. Don't you just hate having to keep looking at them.

BLACK-THROATED & BREWER'S SPARROWS were easy to see in the scrub beyond the entrance date.

I finished up with a productive visit to Holy Trinity Monastery in St. David. It was surprisingly warm here when I arrived at 10:45am and I regretted wearing long sleeves. I started as I always do by checking the main pond from the east side. As usual at this season, the pond contained BELTED KINGFISHER and a smattering of ducks including a few GADWALLS that I hadn't seen at my earlier destinations. While viewing the ducks, I spotted a well concealed GREEN HERON on the far side of the pond.

I walked over to the west side of the pond to try for a photo. It was here that the theory of "swings and roundabouts" came into play (or in this case, Prairie Falcons and Green Herons). As I crept up on the heron, someone walked past me and the bird flushed. At this point I'm thinking "drat, here we go again". However, the heron soon put down in a much better location (in fact, I would never have managed a shot had it not flushed). Image #1 was taken milliseconds after the bird landed on a tree branch in the water. It's a little different than my normal closely cropped shots in that I've included some background. The bird then proceeded to preen and hang out for a while. Image #2 is one of many that I shot. The bird stayed put for so long that I was tempted to walk back to the car for my bigger lens and tripod. However, I settled for the hand-held shots. I can feel the real photographers out there cringing.

Language note: In case you haven't come across it before, "What you lose on the swings, you gain on the roundabouts" (or vice versa) is an expression that is common in the old country.

Photo session over, I spent the next hour walking the trails during which time I came across at least 30 WHITE-WINGED DOVES including a few singing birds. They usually don't start singing until January but perhaps they were encouraged by the beautiful day.

The cottonwood grove held the most interesting birds. Here I found RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER and 4 COMMON GROUND DOVES (double what I've seen on recent visits). Neither species has been particularly common at this location. In terms of numbers over the past 15 years, I have 6 sapsucker sightings in 5 different years; 6 ground-dove sightings in 4 different years -- and 3 of those were on my recent 3 visits.

Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas everyone. I spent the first few hours of mine in a very cloudy, wet and windy Garden Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains. I'm not sure why! If only I had had looked outside before getting ready and heading out I would probably have stayed home. Once outside, I stuck with the plan, although I certainly didn't head up to Sawmill as was my original intention. Cold rain eventually drove me out of the mountains by 9:30am. Much improved conditions prevailed by late morning -- sometimes the early bird just gets screwed instead of a getting the worm.

Despite the adverse conditions and brief time in the field, I had a few good sightings.

The smallest of the fishing ponds was loaded with 100 RING-NECKED DUCKS. This wasn't an estimate, I actually counted them. Given the difficulty of getting an accurate count in the wind, there were probably a few more or a few less than this but the flock took flight before I had a chance to count them again. This was far and away the most that I've seen at this location (previously 45 on Christmas Day 2006). Other species from very few noted were a calling SORA and a continuing female BELTED KINGFISHER.

At the Middle Picnic Area, I was surprised to find that the continuing female HEPATIC TANAGER was still present. The bird called loudly and continuously for over a minute (perhaps looking for a companion?).  Not surprisingly, I didn't hear a reply. The bird flew a short distance down canyon and started to call again.

I decided to follow the tanager and came across the regular mixed flock on the north side of the road just above the Lower Picnic Area. Before the rain became a problem, I was able to pick out PAINTED REDSTART and TOWNSEND'S WARBLER among the more common RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, BUSHTITS, BRIDLED TITMICE, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES and HUTTON'S VIREOS.

Of particular interest to me In the same location were a couple of CEDAR WAXWINGS feeding on mistletoe along with 12 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS and a few PHAINOPEPLAS. Cedar Waxwings are fairly sporadic winter visitors to various areas in the Huachucas. I only have 20 total records in 9 different years; 8 of those records are from Garden Canyon.

So, lots of Ring-necks plus the tanager, redstart and waxwings -- there always seems to be a few birds of seasonal interest even on poor days.

Note: In case any of you think we're having a White Christmas, the Cassin's Finch on today's journal page was shot on a snowy day in the White Mountains in late May!

Sunday, December 28, 2008
The temperature was 24 degrees when I poked my head out the door yesterday morning. I made like a groundhog and retreated. Today was actually a little colder (22 degrees at 7:00am) but I joined a handful of other foolhardy souls at Sierra Vista EOP. Before heading out, I rose early to watch the Scousers (Liverpool) completely outclass the Geordies (Newcastle) with a convincing 5-1 road win. Liverpool are having a good season so far (at the halfway stage) and they have an excellent opportunity to take the league title away from a (so far) lackluster Manchester United. Chelsea may also have a say. Today was the second match day of the holiday season. With 9  televised English Premier League games on Boxing Day and 8 today, it's a good thing that DVRs and fast forward were invented. By the way, if you want to know the origin of the terms "Scouser" and "Geordie" check the following links:

http://virtuallinguist.typepad.com/the_virtual_linguist/2008/10/scousers-and-dicky-sams.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geordie

Apart from the cold, conditions were perfect this morning -- not a cloud in the sky and completely calm. Despite a colder overnight low, the temperature climbed quickly and it was a very pleasant walk along the berms. Birding was much the same as in recent weeks with just a few changes noticeable.

At least one PRAIRIE FALCON was present, possibly two. RED-TAILED HAWKS were much more conspicuous today and there were a  surprising number of calling VIRGINIA RAILS. Unfortunately, several sessions scrutinizing the marsh margins failed to turn up a sighting. Apart from GREEN-WINGED TEAL and PINTAIL, numbers dropped off significantly for all the common duck species. Although most of the usual landbird species were seen, species other than the blackbird flocks were in low numbers. Horned Lark and American Pipit were both missed.

The lone WILSON'S SNIPE first noticed last week was still present and the flock of WESTERN MEADOWLARKS is still around.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Out today with Amy Davis from PA. We birded in lower Carr Canyon and Sulphur Springs Valley.

What a difference a few days can make to the weather. After the recent bitterly cold mornings (by Arizona standards!), the overnight low barely reached freezing and it was quite mild even in Carr Canyon. A clear and calm day with lots of sunshine made for a warm afternoon in Sulphur Springs Valley (well into the 70s, at least 10 degrees above average). I even used A/C for the first time in months. Hello northern tier states -- how's the weather? You can taunt me in June (or maybe not since I'll be in your neck of the woods by then!).

The early morning birding in lower Carr was excellent and we didn't need to travel beyond the parking area just above the second stream crossing. If there was a downside, it was that we spent far more time here than I had planned and eventually ran out of time to look for Spotted Owl.

Many of the birds that we found were associated with mixed flocks that contained the usual suspects including RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, BEWICK'S WREN, BUSHTIT, BRIDLED TITMOUSE, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH and HUTTON'S VIREO.

Highlights were great views of ROCK and CANYON WRENS when it looked like we would get skunked on both species; ~6 OLIVE WARBLERS including, yes, you guessed it, "a cracking orange-headed adult male"; and a pair of HEPATIC TANAGERS perched in a bare sycamore.

Others from a total of 40 species included ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, many ACORN and LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKERS (the latter took some time to finally lay eyes on); a RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER silently tapping in typical fashion; a silent but cooperative HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, male BLACK-THROATED GRAY & TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, SPOTTED & CANYON TOWHEES, RUFOUS-CROWNED & LINCOLN'S SPARROWS and two flavors of DARK-EYED JUNCO (Gray-headed and Pink-sided).

A very secretive PHAINOPEPLA called from inside a clump of mistletoe and no amount of coaxing brought the bird into view. However, we managed to see one later in the lower canyon scrub along with GILA WOODPECKER and CACTUS WREN.

Species that I'd hoped to find but didn't were Arizona Woodpecker and Painted Redstart. WESTERN BLUEBIRDS were a fly-by heard only.

It was early afternoon by the time that we arrived in Sulphur Springs Valley and we certainly suffered the effects of spending too much time in Carr Canyon. Lark Bunting was an exceptionally big miss given the amount of effort that we expended. This is normally a very common and easy bird to see. We also didn't get a sniff of Bendire's or Crissal Thrashers.

That's not to say the visit was unproductive, far from it. FERRUGINOUS HAWKS were well into double figures soaring over the fields on Davis just west of Central. They made for quite an impressive sight as did a low soaring adult BALD EAGLE on Coffman Road. Several rufous morph RED-TAILED HAWKS weren't too shabby either. Coffman also yielded the first three of six GREATER ROADRUNNERS that we saw throughout the afternoon.

Although we didn't spend a lot of time looking at the water during our successful search for CINNAMON TEAL and VERMILION FLYCATCHER, other species noted at Whitewater Draw included many SNOW and at least 2 ROSS'S GEESE, several regular duck species and 2 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS.

The willows yielded 4 BARN OWLS and a GREAT HORNED OWL, a calling but unseen COMMON GROUND-DOVE, lots of PYRRHULOXIAS, a surprise female/immature male BLUE GROSBEAK and a female LAZULI BUNTING. While very common in summer, there are few Blue Grosbeak records for the winter months and this species is decidedly scarce in late December. Seasonally speaking, it was probably the best bird of the day.

While cruising for Lark Buntings and Thrashers we saw ~20 SCALED QUAIL on Lee Road; EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES in a couple of locations, several WHITE-WINGED DOVES and GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE on Mormon Road; 3 more GREATER ROADRUNNERS and well into double figures of LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES.

Not a bad day to end my birding for 2008.

This log is in chronological order and the most recent entries are at the bottom of the page.
The last update was on Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Dec Species Seen

Stuart Healy Journal - December, 2008 If you use the contents of my journal for commercial purposes, please acknowledge the source to your clients - thanks.

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