Dec Species Seen

Stuart Healy Journal - November, 2009 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 Monday, November 30, 2009

Sunday, November 1, 2009
[Website note: I've released updated versions of my Southeast Arizona Monthly Checklists. Please let me know if you find any errors -- thanks.]

Compared to recent days, the overnight low temperature rebounded nicely for the regular outing at Sierra Vista EOP this morning. Six regulars and six visitors enjoyed the sunshine and some decent birding including a couple of less common birds. It actually felt much warmer to me than the quitting time temperature of 78 degrees at noon.

Thrushes are not a species to be expected at the EOP (see my bar graph) so two in one day were a rare treat and the best birds of the day for me. A flock of 20-ish MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS were near the main entrance for the early birders. Unfortunately, I didn't pay them much attention because I was trying to sort out two species of meadowlarks at the time. Later in the morning a small group of 9 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS were seen at the Moson Road access. Western was a new location species for me (#210) and I've only seen Mountain in five of the years that I've birded here.

A couple of LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH were only the second record at the EOP and probably the highlight for most people. It's already clear that this is a good year for them in SE AZ with reports from many locations.

The four regular falcons were all present again today. Excellent views of PRAIRIE FALCON perched and in flight; MERLIN and PEREGRINE were only seen in flight, the latter close enough to hear the "whoosh" as it chased ducks. Can it ever really be a bad day if you see four falcon species? Or a Lawrence's Goldfinch for that matter.

The ROCK WREN population has increased a little (one in most winters). In addition to two birds seen in the interior of the ponds in a regular spot, one or possibly two more were near the main entrance. SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and COMMON GROUND-DOVE were also of note since they are not often seen at the EOP. However, Common Ground-Dove seems to be regular at the formerly inaccessible Moson Road side of the area.

A lone CANVASBACK was a new arrival and my own first of season bird. Three WOOD DUCKS (2 males and a female) were a treat. They are quite a rarity at the ponds (apart from a recent bird that was around for a few weeks). This is a bird that is probably more likely to be seen here after the plant conversion in the early 2000s (now many marshy ponds as opposed to just open water). A couple of LESSER SCAUP in flight plus all the established winter regulars rounded out the ducks. The only shorebird was a heard only LEAST SANDPIPER.

In the marshes, 5-6 VIRGINIA RAILS were actually more vocal than SORAS today. COMMON MOORHEN was briefly seen.

A lone EARED GREBE gave a few people pause and caused a bit of debate. I was confident enough to bet my income for the next 50 years that it wasn't a Horned Grebe. Still, that's not saying much. Seriously, it was a no-brainer. However, you have to careful during silly season when many "egrebious" errors are made.

Both WESTERN and CASSIN'S KINGBIRDS remain after the cold snap. Although I see them elsewhere later into November, I've never seen either species at the EOP after November week 1. Cassin's have been regular on my street for much of October but they departed last week.

Flocks of HORNED LARKS and AMERICAN PIPITS were active. A lone BARN SWALLOW was seen. Sparrows were conspicuous by their absence but we only came up short on Brewer's among the regulars when all was said and done. WESTERN MEADOWLARKS greatly outnumbered EASTERN.

As we finished up, VERDIN and BLACK-THROATED SPARROW on the east side of Moson Road didn't make it on the official list by 40 yards.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Wow! Did the weather ever change or what? We've gone from one extreme to the other. After last week's early cold snap, we now have temperatures more than 10 degrees above average. High 80s in Sierra Vista in November is just not bloody fair. The weekend promises some cooler temperatures.

I wasn't able to spend much time in the field today so I only ventured as far as Garden Canyon. It was extremely mild when I arrived at the fishing ponds shortly after sunrise and bird activity was unexpectedly high. As I took stock and realized how much was going on, a flock of 25 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS were the first to catch my eye. I watched them perching on snags then dropping to the water taking turns to bathe. Quite a spectacle as they fluttered around giving their soft "few" calls.

While watching the Bluebirds, I heard the somewhat unexpected call of a CASSIN'S FINCH. The bird was deep inside a willow and I had great difficulty laying eyes on what I eventually determined was a lone female. It was a finchy morning with HOUSE FINCH, PINE SISKIN and LESSER & LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCHES all contributing.

No Kingbirds today but a female VERMILION FLYCATCHER joined the regular BLACK & SAY'S PHOEBES. Vermilion is quite rare at this location from October through February. A singing HUTTON'S VIREO was another less common species. Regulars included SHARP-SHINNED & COOPER'S HAWKS, male and female ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS, GILA WOODPECKER, CANYON TOWHEE, RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW and several PYRRHULOXIAS. I wonder if RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW will become regular. The two birds that I first detected in early October were still present this morning.

As I headed up canyon through the mesquite-grassland, I noted PHAINOPEPLA and NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD defending mistletoe. Other birds in the same habitat included GREATER ROADRUNNER, LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER, more WESTERN BLUEBIRDS, VERDIN and LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE.

I checked the fruiting Madrone trees near the middle picnic area and found the same species as last week. The crafty COOPER'S HAWK was sitting quietly and didn't seem to want to move when I showed up. I was able to get very close to the bird before it cried uncle. I watched ARIZONA WOODPECKER, RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, NORTHERN FLICKER and HERMIT THRUSH doing their best to deplete the excellent fruit crop.

Among the dicky birds in the nearby oaks and junipers were HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER (regular here in winter), BUSHTIT, BRIDLED TITMOUSE, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, PINE SISKIN, TOWNSEND'S WARBLER and OREGON JUNCO.

Friday, November 6, 2009
After a couple of days at the keyboard, I managed to get back into the field today and spent a few hours on the San Pedro. Unfortunately, although September and October both provided excellent birding on the river, I'm afraid that today was super slow and I only managed to rustle up 43 species. Overnight lows continue mild and days are still warmish; 48-78 degrees this morning from 7:30am to 10:30am.

I checked Kingfisher Pond, Black Phoebe Pond and walked at least a mile of the river without coming across the Green Kingfisher. The bird was last reported on October 29. A lone GREAT EGRET at Kingfisher Pond was only the second that I've seen there. MARSH WRENS chattered and COMMON YELLOWTHROATS & SONG SPARROWS scurried around. An immature COOPER'S HAWK watched proceedings.

When I found a SPOTTED TOWHEE at Black Phoebe Pond I thought that I would easily be able to tie a record set by many with a four towhee day. I had no problems at all finding CANYON and ABERT'S TOWHEES but I dipped on Green-tailed. This is like starting with a triple then failing to hit for the cycle. Apart from WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, seed eating species were generally scarce today. The habitat north of the pond was an exception with singletons of VESPER & BREWER'S SPARROWS, 3 LARK BUNTINGS and umpteen PYRRHULOXIAS. A vocal "Myrtle" YELLOW-RUMPED stood out from the regular "Audubon's".

The best bird of the morning came as I walked back north along the river. I heard the loud "chink" of a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH and was soon able to locate the bird as it foraged (tail a bobbing) in what is now very shallow water. The location was 80 yards south of trail marker #7 (this is along the straight section of the river not far south of where the trail from the San Pedro House meets the river). A bird has wintered within 1/2 mile of this location since 2003.

Apart from the vicinity of the San Pedro House, this section of the river held the largest concentration of birds. A very vocal HUTTON'S VIREO, constantly calling as it foraging, was of note -- only my 10th record on the river. Also present were a calling DUSKY FLYCATCHER, a silent HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, at least 10 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS and a small flock of BRIDLED TITMICE.

The dense habitat around the San Pedro House held GAMBEL'S QUAIL, a flock of 10+ WHITE-WINGED DOVES, ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, GILA & LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKERS, CURVE-BILLED THRASHER and more ABERT'S TOWHEES and PYRRHULOXIAS than I could easily count. I tried unsuccessfully to squeeze a Lawrence's Goldfinch out of the regular horde of LESSER GOLDFINCHES.

Sunday, November 8, 2009
First of two days with Peter Burke from Peapack, NJ. We birded together on the exact same dates last year. Today we visited Sulphur Springs Valley and the Chiricahua Mountains in search of target birds and photo opportunities. After a cool start it was a warm day by November standards, cloudy in the afternoon in the mountains.

We spent several early morning hours at the southern end of Sulphur Springs Valley. Somewhat surprisingly, the sparrow population was extremely low and even common sparrows such as WHITE-CROWNED and BREWER'S SPARROWS were in very low numbers. However, it wasn't a surprise to see only one FERRUGINOUS HAWK given the dominance of cornfields over wheat. Many of the former traditional Mountain Plover fields at the old Essary Hay outfit are now cornfields. The normally abundant LARK BUNTINGS were very hard to come across and we only saw one small group. On the plus side, GREATER ROADRUNNERS were conspicuous throughout.

We began by working Coffman & Lee Roads & Central Highway where we had good target success finding a total of 3 BENDIRE'S THRASHERS and 3 CRISSAL THRASHERS. All were seen within a couple of miles of Whitewater Draw (a location that we did not visit). Other typical fare included SAY'S PHOEBE, HORNED LARK, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, CANYON TOWHEE (very conspicuous today); CACTUS WREN, VESPER & BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS, PYRRHULOXIA, a few YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS and lots of BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS.

We journeyed a few miles north to look for our next target -- SAGE SPARROW. After a modicum of effort we enjoyed excellent views of several birds foraging on the flats and perching in mesquites.

Next, we headed to the Granites in the foothills of the Swisshelms. Although only a few miles east of Elfrida, there are a number of birds on offer here that can't be seen regularly on the valley floor. It always seems warm in the rocky habitat at this location and today wasn't an exception. Fortunately, it didn't take long to find our target BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW, a bird that I always think of as being "dapper". Once again we enjoyed excellent looks at 2-3 individuals.

We lingered for an hour enjoying the other birds present that included GRAY and HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS (the latter heard only), CACTUS WREN, calling ROCK & CANYON WRENS, BRIDLED TITMOUSE, several WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS, RUFOUS-CROWNED & BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS and NORTHERN CARDINAL.

It was late morning by the time we reached the Chiricahuas and Pinery Canyon was very quiet. In the lower elevation area consisting of open grassland with scattered junipers, we found bluebird flocks mostly comprised of WESTERN BLUEBIRDS but with at least a couple of EASTERN BLUEBIRDS. Eastern Bluebird generally only occurs in the Chiricahuas in winter and these birds may not have been the regular race of Eastern that is resident further west in southeast Arizona.

Another low elevation stop yielded two targets at the same spot -- ARIZONA WOODPECKER and several YELLOW-EYED JUNCOS well below their breeding elevation.

We had to work for our MEXICAN CHICKADEES and found them in only two locations. Just 2 birds about 1/2 mile above Pinery Campground and another couple 2 miles below Onion Saddle on Rustler Park Road. Upper elevation birds were scarce and included ACORN WOODPECKER, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, BUSHTIT, BROWN CREEPER and STELLER'S JAY.

We finished up near the cemetery on Paradise Road where its was surprisingly active in mid afternoon. The best bird came before we even stepped out of the vehicle. Two OLIVE WARBLERS flew into the top of a juniper and briefly posed in clear view. I was surprised to see them at such low elevation so early in the "winter" season.

Away from feeders, this is perhaps the best location in the Chiricahuas to find JUNIPER TITMOUSE on a regular basis. Even so, it's often a tough nut to crack. Not so today though. We heard a couple of birds almost immediately and it only took 10 minutes to get a decent view. Getting a photo was another story and I don't think Peter had success in that regard.

TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE sang for most of the time that we were present and we saw the bird perched atop a snag in typical fashion. WESTERN BLUEBIRDS and PHAINOPEPLAS were also present in the oak and juniper habitat containing plenty of mistletoe.

Although it certainly isn't a stunner, Juniper Titmouse was a good end to a successful day. Now came the two hour drive back to Sierra Vista.  

70 species recorded:
N. Harrier, Cooper's, Red-tailed & Ferruginous Hawks; Am. Kestrel, Scaled & Gambel's Quail; Sandhill Crane, Killdeer, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Acorn, Gila & Arizona Woodpeckers; N. Flicker, Hammond's & Gray Flycatchers; Say's Phoebe, Horned Lark, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Phainopepla, Cactus, Rock, Canyon & Bewick's Wrens; Bendire's, Curve-billed & Crissal Thrashers; Eastern & Western Bluebirds; Townsend's Solitaire, Bushtit, Mexican Chickadee, Bridled & Juniper Titmice; White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, Steller's & Mexican Jays; Western Scrub-Jay, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens; House Sparrow, Hutton's Vireo, House Finch, Olive & Yellow-rumped Warblers; Canyon Towhee, Rufous-crowned, Chipping, Brewer's, Black-chinned, Vesper, Black-throated, Sage & White-crowned Sparrows; Lark Bunting, Dark-eyed & Yellow-eyed Juncos; N. Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged, Yellow-headed & Brewer's Blackbirds; Eastern Meadowlark and Great-tailed Grackle.

Monday, November 9, 2009
Out again this morning with Peter Burke for more target birding. Peter needed to depart early for Phoenix so we only had a few morning hours. We spent that time in a couple of lower elevation locations of the Huachucas with excellent results. Another glorious blue sky day that warmed quickly into the low 80s.

Our primary target was Elegant Trogon in Huachuca Canyon. However, since it takes a while for the sun to reach Huachuca Canyon in the colder months, it doesn't pay to be there at the crack of dawn. Consequently, we began at Garden Canyon Fishing Ponds where we hoped to find Lawrence's Goldfinch (a bird that I've seen here quite a few times of late). Sadly, although activity was high and we saw a decent selection of species, Lawrence's wasn't one of them.

DARK-EYED (OREGON) JUNCO was the least common location species. Other less common species were SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER and SPOTTED TOWHEE. A female BELTED KINGFISHER was the first I've seen here for a month. Continuing species included a flock of ~30 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS, a lone WILSON'S SNIPE, a few PINE SISKINS and RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW. Regulars included ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, PHAINOPEPLA, CANYON TOWHEE and PYRRHULOXIA. 30 species in all.

Even though we delayed our start time, it was still a little nippy when we arrived in Huachuca Canyon and it took some time before activity picked up. Nothing at all was going on at the 1.7 mile picnic area. However, just up canyon, numerous AMERICAN ROBINS, HERMIT THRUSHES and a RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER were taking advantage of a large fruiting Madrone. WESTERN BLUEBIRDS milled around.

A hoped for but unexpected target bird and the second best event of the morning occurred in this stretch of the canyon. Movement caught my eye and I looked up to see a flock of what turned out to be 10-12 MONTEZUMA QUAIL flying towards me at head height. They must have seen me at the last second and all the birds veered away and plopped down in the grass very close to us. A couple flew off again immediately but most began giving their contact calls and slowly waddled away. Almost all of my Montezuma Quail sightings have been serendipitous and it's often said that you don't find them, they find you. However, this was the first time that they have quite literally found me. A serious "Murphy gets screwed moment" if ever there was one.

After the quail evaporated, I heard a brief "pip" call of another target bird and we headed off to find HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER. This is regular wintering species and a bird that I had expected to find. We enjoyed a good view and managed to see all of the field marks of a fairly cooperative bird. Other birds present included ARIZONA WOODPECKER, a calling CANYON WREN, HUTTON'S VIREO and SPOTTED TOWHEE.

Next, we checked a large fruiting Madrone below the picnic area. Still no action other than RED-NAPED SAPSUCKERS. I suggested that we wait since I've been at this very spot in winters past when a trogon appeared out of the blue -- and so it was today. After just a few minutes of waiting a male ELEGANT TROGON graced us with its presence. The bird was very placid and just sat still and watched us for a while before making a few ungainly berry sorties (hover-gleaning like a Kinglet). This is regular behavior and not very becoming in a bird the size of a trogon.

Montezuma Quail and Elegant Trogon -- two great birds that put the icing on the cake of a dozen lifers for Peter.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Out today with Bob and Hannelore Lewis and Obie Gilkerson, all from Berkeley, CA. We visited the San Pedro House, Huachuca Canyon and Garden Canyon in search of photo opportunities with limited success. It was yet another clear blue sky day that reached the low 80s in Sierra Vista. Quite breezy by late morning.

We began at the San Pedro House where the objective was to photograph a number of common species. I selected this location because such an objective would normally be easy to achieve. I should know by now that there's no such thing as normal. As it turned out, a banding session coupled with a school visit created a Grand Central Station environment. Timing is everything (or nothing).

Photo ops were hard to come by to say the least. GILDED FLICKER was a notable exception since it's often hard to find at this location. A fly-by MERLIN was snapped well enough to identify, something I couldn't do with the naked eye. PINK-SIDED JUNCO represented a scarce species for this location where it is less than annual. Regulars included a small flock of WHITE-WINGED DOVES, numerous GILA WOODPECKERS, a lone GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE, multiple CANYON & ABERT'S TOWHEES and PYRRHULOXIA.

I decided to visit Huachuca Canyon in the hope that lighting would strike twice. Sadly, there was no sign of yesterday's Montezuma Quail and Elegant Trogon. In fact, there were far fewer species and numbers of birds compared to yesterday. Photographically, some excellent shots of RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER eating Madrone berries and a foraging PAINTED REDSTART were the highlights.

Other species present among only 20 recorded in the canyon were ARIZONA WOODPECKER, PHAINOPEPLA, WESTERN BLUEBIRD and a sub-adult male OLIVE WARBLER. Most activity was at the mouth of the canyon.

It was pretty warm by the time we reached Garden Canyon fishing ponds in the early afternoon. Activity was minimal and it took some time and effort to find a skulking and mostly silent RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW. We all saw the bird but it was hardly a winner since there was no chance of a photo.

We finished up in the vicinity of the lower and middle and picnic areas where a columbarius MERLIN posed on a snag. A roadside GREATER ROADRUNNER wasn't as cooperative. 

Saturday, November 14, 2009
Out today with Robert and Carol Goodell from Santa Barbara, CA looking for photo opportunities. We were also scheduled yesterday but it's just as well that Bob & Carol arrived a day later than expected because Friday was very windy day. I actually hit the road early yesterday morning for Whitewater Draw then turned around when I realized how windy it was. The weather was a little better today for our visit to Patagonia Lake State Park. It was a cool, mostly cloudy day with occasional sun breaks, becoming progressively more breezy with a few sprinkles by midday.

Although the light was hardly conducive to photography and the birding was a little slow, Bob managed to get decent images of a number of common species which was our objective. We began in mesquite and desert scrub habitat where Bob was able to get very good images of LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER, RUFOUS-WINGED, BLACK-CHINNED & BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS and PYRRHULOXIA. I was pleased to find the Black-chinned Sparrow, a species that doesn't winter at the park every year. Also present were PHAINOPEPLA, VERDIN, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, CANYON TOWHEE and an uncommon here BREWER'S BLACKBIRD.

At the boat launch Bob got some close range images of a very cooperative CANVASBACK, another species that is far from common at the lake. NORTHERN CARDINAL was another successful photo target.

Photo opportunities and birds in general were scarce along Sonoita Creek trail. A lone GREATER ROADRUNNER and several GRAY FLYCATCHERS were present but all were elusive. A flock of BRIDLED TITMICE and a HUTTON'S VIREO were even more elusive.

Activity was better once we reached the east end of the lake. Species on the flats, shallow inlets and on the lake proper included EARED and WESTERN GREBES, 4 immature DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANTS, GREAT EGRET, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, a single SPOTTED and a couple of LEAST SANDPIPERS; a hovering BELTED KINGFISHER and a handful of AMERICAN PIPITS wandering around with LARK SPARROWS. 58 species in all.

The birding was also slow at Paton Birder Haven and an hour in the early afternoon failed to produce a single hummingbird. GAMBEL'S QUAIL and 3 INCA DOVES were the highlight of 20 species seen.

Sunday, November 15, 2009
Out today with Matt Streich and Ellen Richmond from Bethesda, MD. We spent the morning at Patagonia Lake State Park without looking for anything in particular. Weather conditions were just about the complete opposite compared to yesterday -- not a cloud in the sky, very calm and quite warm after the early chill (even a little frosty in Sonoita when we met). Birding was slow and steady but we did find a few less common species.

I always find it surprising how day to day activity levels of resident species can be so different. This morning we only saw a single RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW in the exact same spot where many sparrows of three species were present yesterday. In the silver lining department, the owl-like tooting of a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE got my attention and we eventually enjoyed excellent views at close range after first locating the bird atop a distant juniper. Solitaires are not a regular winter visitor at the lake and I've only seen them here every other year on average (20 total records). A barely annual fly-by PINE SISKIN was also of note.

The lone CANVASBACK was again at the Marina. Nearby birds included COMMON MOORHEN, a fly-by RING-BILLED GULL and a very reticent GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE that finally deigned to show itself.

Birding at the east end of the lake continues slow but was certainly better than yesterday. EARED & WESTERN GREBES, GREAT EGRET, a male BELTED KINGFISHER and small flock of AMERICAN PIPITS all continue. New today were REDHEAD, GREEN-WINGED TEAL and 2 AMERICAN AVOCETS. A single NEOTROPIC CORMORANT had joined the small group of DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS.

The two Avocets represented a very uncommon sighting at the lake. I've only seen them here 6 times in 5 different years and today was a November first. In terms of southeast Arizona, Avocets are casual in the winter months. I have winter records from Sierra Vista EOP and Whitewater Draw.

The extremely low water level has created extensive mud flats at the east end of the lake. While scanning the lake from the mud flats, I spotted an EASTERN PHOEBE working low along the eastern lakeshore. The sighting tied a record set by many -- 3 phoebe species seen on the same day, the 47th time it has happened to me in Arizona.

In recent years, at least one Eastern Phoebe has become a regular winter visitor at the lake. By my records, one or more birds have been present from early November through early March since 2001. My personal earliest and latest dates are October 22 and March 14.

Looking west from the same mudflat vantage point, I spotted a sapsucker in the willow forest. Red-naped, right? No it wasn't. As we drew closer I was very surprised to see a beautiful RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER. Established sapwells were present so the bird has worked the area for a while. I observed the bird for a few minutes and determined that it was a good candidate for a pure Red-breasted. I couldn't see any black in the red on the breast. There was a little white on the face but that isn't a deal killer. If the bird is a hybrid Red-breasted x Red-naped, I'd put it no higher than "1" on the 0-12 scale. This was a new location species for me. Red-breasted Sapsuckers have been seen here in past years but I didn't chase any of them.

After struggling to see a single GRAY FLYCATCHER along Sonoita Creek trail on Saturday, today we had good looks at four of them. At the top of the steps near the start of the trail, a flock of BUSHTITS provided entertainment as we tracked an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER in a dense willow. HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER called in this area.

Further along the upper trail, a preening NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET in a mesquite near the bench was a pleasant surprise. Officially rare in winter, they are always possible at the lake but never to be expected at this time. Quantifying my own data, I'd put the chances at about 10% from November through February.

I recorded 62 species at the state park today compared to 58 yesterday. 78 total for both days.

[Website note: This past fall migration was exceptional for Vaux's Swift in Arizona. I've put together a summary and included it in a new "Miscellaneous Documentation" section of the website along with a few other odds and ends.]

70 species recorded:
Pied-billed, Eared & Western Grebes; Double-crested & Neotropic Cormorants; Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, N. Shoveler, Canvasback, Redhead, Ruddy Duck, Red-tailed Hawk, Am. Kestrel, Gambel's Quail, Common Moorhen, Am. Coot, Am. Avocet, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning & Inca Doves; Anna's Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Acorn, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers; Red-breasted Sapsucker, N. Flicker, N. Beardless-Tyrannulet, Hammond's & Gray Flycatchers; Eastern, Black & Say's Phoebes; Am. Pipit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Rock, Bewick's, House & Marsh Wrens; N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Townsend's Solitaire, Hermit Thrush, Bushtit, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Verdin, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens; House Finch, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, Orange-crowned & Yellow-rumped Warblers; Green-tailed & Canyon Towhees; Rufous-winged, Chipping, Song, Lincoln's & White-crowned Sparrows; N. Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged Blackbird and Great-tailed Grackle.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
I'm busy doing website maintenance at the moment so I was happy to escape for a little "token" birding this morning. I spent a few hours in Garden and Huachuca Canyons. Overnight lows have climbed from the mid 20s to low 30s over the past few days and it was certainly a little nippy in the canyons this morning.

The water level at Garden Canyon fishing ponds is getting really low and I haven't seen any ducks for a while. Consequently, I was surprised and really pleased to see a pod of BUFFLEHEADS (1 female and 3 males) on the remaining "deep" section. It was a double whammy in a good way -- Bufflehead is one of my favorite ducks and it was a new species for me in the Huachuca Mountains.

An adult female SHARP-SHINNED HAWK continues to terrorize the birds and I probably saved at least one today by keeping the hawk at bay with my presence. The cold snap hasn't deterred the recently arrived RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROWS. I saw what I'm assuming are the same two birds along with a hordes of CHIPPING, a few WHITE-CROWNED and singletons of BREWER'S and RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS. Also present were GREATER ROADRUNNER and several CANYON TOWHEES.

The flock of 25-30 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS continue as does a lone WILSON'S SNIPE. Regulars included GILA & LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKERS, the usual BLACK & SAY'S PHOEBES, PHAINOPEPLA, CURVE-BILLED THRASHER and far fewer numbers of LESSER GOLDFINCHES. I watched the Black Phoebe fly to a regular perch just 3 feet from where the Sharp-shinned Hawk was lying in wait. The Phoebe bolted as though it had landed in boiling water when it realized its mistake!

I only ventured about a half mile into Huachuca Canyon (this area gets the sun much earlier than the 1.7m picnic area). Woodpeckers were the most conspicuous species and I saw 5 species from the same spot -- GILA, LADDER-BACKED & ARIZONA WOODPECKERS, RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER and NORTHERN FLICKER. The pictured female Arizona Woodpecker was working upside down, drilling away frantically, in a very shady oak. The bird wouldn't keep its head still and since I could only manage 1/160s shutter speed in the poor light, I wasn't hopeful of a usable image. I selected burst mode and fired off about 20 shots in 2 seconds. Fortune favors the brave and I got lucky with one in focus!

PAINTED REDSTART was good to see on a cold November morning. This is one of my three favorite birds along with Vermilion Flycatcher and Red-faced Warbler. An OLIVE WARBLER was calling nearby but I failed to track it down.

A mixed flock of oak woodland birds included BRIDLED TITMOUSE, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, MEXICAN JAY and HUTTON'S VIREO. Also present were a small flock of WESTERN BLUEBIRDS (seemingly everywhere right now); HERMIT THRUSH, PINE SISKIN and numerous PINK-SIDED JUNCOS.

Thursday, November 19, 2009
This morning I made a routine visit to Sawmill Canyon where I hoped to find a Williamson's Sapsucker. I chose today because the expected wind velocity was the lowest of the week. There's nothing worse than trying to listen for light tapping when it's windy. Although the overnight low was a little above freezing in town last night, the canyon was still below freezing when I arrived at 8:00am. Clear sky when I began and mostly cloudy by noon.

As things turned out, it was completely calm for the entire four hours that I spent in the canyon (so no excuses). Unfortunately, despite covering lots of ground and checking a number of regular sapwell trees, I failed to find Williamson's Sapsucker. Typically, at this time of year, several birds are well established in the canyon and my records show a 60% chance to see a bird in November. It was bad enough missing the bird but I was more disappointed to find that none of the sapwell trees showed any sign of recent activity (i.e. no fresh sap running). Plenty of other woodpeckers present though. I found 3 RED-NAPED SAPSUCKERS, at least 4 ARIZONA WOODPECKERS and more NORTHERN FLICKERS than I cared to count.

When I mentioned yesterday that RED-FACED WARBLER was one of my three favorite birds, I certainly wasn't expecting to see one today (more like next April). However, fact is often stranger than fiction and that's exactly what happened. About 1/2 mile into the canyon (near picnic table #3 for the cognoscenti), I heard the warbler's metallic chip that got my immediate attention. I quickly headed towards the sound and it only took a few seconds to locate the bird. I stayed with it for 45 minutes trying to get a documentary photo without success. I managed to get a number of images in the frame (as well as many shots of oak leaves) but none good enough to even meet the standard of "documentary quality".

It's tempting to think that the bird is the same individual that spent last winter in the canyon. Normally, Red-faced is an April-September bird. There have been a few recent wintering records in Patagonia and last winter I found one in Sawmill Canyon for the first time. The overnight low at my place in Sierra Vista was 24 degrees a few days ago so it must have been really cold up in the canyon. However, if this bird really wants to stick around, many colder nights are in its future.

Sawmill is not the place for species diversity in the colder months and activity in the canyon was very low. If you see 20 species on a mid November morning it's a good morning (I managed 21). Looking at my Sawmill data for November the species numbers are 4 minimum, 16 average and 27 maximum; 51 species cumulative since 1994.

It's interesting to note that OLIVE WARBLER numbers peak during the first three weeks of November (you can see this in my Sawmill bar graph) -- and this is not an artifact of too few visits. I found at least 8 birds to today and most of them were calling; two were singing. The pictured adult male looked at me curiously as I was trying to get an image of the Red-faced.

Other species present included 5 MONTEZUMA QUAIL (seen in a wash as I searched for sapsuckers), a calling TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, HERMIT THRUSH, a few AMERICAN ROBINS, BROWN CREEPER, COMMON RAVEN, HUTTON'S VIREO, PINE SISKIN, three flavors of DARK-EYED JUNCO (Gray-headed, Pink-sided & Oregon) and YELLOW-EYED JUNCO. 

On my way back down Garden Canyon I stopped at a fruiting Madrone that was loaded with WESTERN BLUEBIRDS. I also found HOUSE FINCHES that I tried to make into Purple Finches since they were obviously not Cassin's. No luck with that. Nearby trees held RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, PINE SISKINS, yet another OLIVE WARBLER, SPOTTED TOWHEE and several WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS that surprised me at this location.

42 species recorded:
Red-tailed Hawk, Montezuma Quail, Killdeer, Rock Pigeon, Gila, Ladder-backed & Arizona Woodpeckers; Red-naped Sapsucker, N. Flicker, Black & Say's Phoebes; Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Phainopepla, Canyon & Bewick's Wrens; Curve-billed Thrasher, Western Bluebird, Townsend's Solitaire, Hermit Thrush, Am. Robin, Bushtit, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Mexican Jay, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens; European Starling, House Sparrow, Hutton's Vireo, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, Olive & Red-faced Warblers; Spotted & Canyon Towhees; Chipping & White-crowned Sparrows; Dark-eyed & Yellow-eyed Juncos and Great-tailed Grackle.

Saturday, November 21, 2009
Today's report is short and definitely not sweet. I decided to forfeit my normal Saturday activities in favor of a visit to Scheelite Canyon to check on Spotted Owls. I struck out in a big way. I walked my legs off for four hours covering the middle and upper areas in addition to the more often used lower roosting area. It was a lonely journey with very few birds to keep me company and I recorded only 13 species in the canyon. Despite the paucity of birds and my failure to find an owl, I thoroughly enjoyed the chilly conditions, solitude, fall colors and views from the upper area.

As I trudged up the trail, a loud "pip" announced the arrival of HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER. It's a constant source of wonder to me that these tiny flycatchers choose to spend time here in the colder months. The bird may well have been thinking the same thing about me. Other species encountered included ARIZONA WOODPECKER, 2 RED-NAPED SAPSUCKERS and SPOTTED TOWHEE.

Before entering Scheelite I dallied for an hour at Garden Canyon fishing ponds. Every visit is more depressing as the water in the main Gravel Pit pond becomes more "fragmented" (if you can use that word to describe unconnected pools of water). The smaller pond has been dry for months (a couple of years ago Canvasbacks were diving here).

Most interesting birds today were a couple of species that are seen infrequently at this location -- BUSHTIT and BRIDLED TITMOUSE. Others included PHAINOPEPLA, WESTERN BLUEBIRD, PINE SISKIN and RUFOUS-WINGED, VESPER & SAVANNAH SPARROWS.

Sunday, November 22, 2009
This morning I participated in the main segment of the regular Sunday morning outing at Sierra Vista EOP (I skipped the Moson Road segment). The weather was excellent (sunny, fresh and calm) and the birding about average for this time of year. Highlight species were a group of 10-ish MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS working along the main entrance road; and a SWAMP SPARROW in the marsh 100+ yards south of the viewing platform.

Most of the regular winter ducks are now present and AMERICAN WIGEON numbers have increased to around 100 or more. Less common ducks included a dozen BUFFLEHEADS (3 males) and 5 LESSER SCAUP (1 male).

The regular PEREGRINE FALCON has outlasted Prairie Falcon and Merlin, neither of which were present today.

A lone WILSON'S SNIPE was the only shorebird. SORA and VIRGINIA RAIL were both vocal in the marshes. Virginia Rails were quite numerous today. At least 3 COMMON MOORHENS were present.

Sparrows were reasonably well represented (in diversity, if not numbers) and at least one ROCK WREN continues.

Monday, November 23, 2009
This morning I headed over to Florida Canyon to check on Rufous-capped Warbler. It's actually not far from home via Box Canyon (1 hour 15 minutes to the trailhead) but the route is awkward. Box Canyon Road is heavily washboarded as usual but remains in generally good condition. After leaving the Florida Canyon I traveled south to check on Rufous-backed Robin at Santa Gertrudis Lane (near Tumacacori) then continued south for some casual birding at Kino Springs. It was another typical SE AZ late November day that required using the heater in the morning and A/C for the drive home.

I started walking up the Florida Canyon Trail at 7:45am and heard RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLER singing as I approached the dam at 8:00am. I soon found the bird just above the dam and stayed with it for 45 minutes as it worked a small area from 50 feet above the dam to 20 feet below, mostly on the east side of the (dry) streambed. The bird stayed low and out of view for much of the time as it foraged in low vegetation and grass. Fortunately, I was able to track the bird via its "tick" call (given quite often) and occasional burst of song. The sun hadn't reached the area so photography was very difficult. I stuck at it and managed just one unobstructed image from 34 shots. It's a pity the light was so poor otherwise the image might have been excellent. Actually, it's not bad for a 1/160s shutter speed hand-held shot!

Other species in the vicinity of the dam included LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER, BLACK PHOEBE, CACTUS, ROCK, CANYON & BEWICK'S WRENS; a handful of LESSER GOLDFINCHES and three CANYON TOWHEES.

Back near Florida Work Center, I was surprised to hear the loud and distinctive whistled "phew" calls of several OLIVE WARBLERS coming from the sycamores (I estimated 4 or 5 birds). I actually saw two beautiful orange-headed males in a mesquite near the old water trough.

PHAINOPEPLAS were common on the road down to Continental. This is the Phainopepla capital of SE AZ (and maybe the world).

A brief stop at Amado Sewage Pond was generally unproductive with only a lone WILSON'S SNIPE of note.

In the mid 90s I frequented Santa Gertrudis Lane quite regularly but I haven't visited this birdy area for many years now. I arrived at 10:00am and briefly checked the river crossing where I saw GRAY FLYCATCHER. I did not walk the trail to look for the Rose-throated Becard (seen by others later in the morning). I turned my attention to the fruit laden Pyracantha opposite the driveway of #12. I didn't have to spend much time before movement in the back of the bush got my attention. That movement turned out to be the RUFOUS-BACKED ROBIN, initially seen at 10:20am. The bird sat very still for a while and was difficult to see in the southeast section of the Pyracantha. I tried unsuccessfully for a photo.

Other species that I saw partaking of the fruit were NORTHERN FLICKER, CEDAR WAXWING, WESTERN BLUEBIRD, HERMIT THRUSH, AMERICAN ROBIN, HOUSE FINCH and NORTHERN CARDINAL. By the way, when this bush is depleted there are plenty more along the lane.

It was close to noon by the time I reached Kino Springs and the temperature was way higher than I had expected. I ended up only spending an hour working the club house ponds before bailing out. The small pond doesn't have much water and even the large pond is showing signs of drying up. Highlights were an OSPREY sitting in a shady cottonwood on the island between the two ponds; 5 HOODED MERGANSERS on the large pond and a brilliant male VERMILION FLYCATCHER glowing in the sunlight. I didn't scope the mergansers but they all appeared to be females or immature males.

Others present included GREAT EGRET, RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER (club house pines), BLACK & SAY'S PHOEBES, MARSH WREN, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT and RUFOUS-WINGED, VESPER and SAVANNAH SPARROWS. 30 species in all.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009
This morning I spent several hours at Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area at the southern end of Sulphur Springs Valley. It was finger numbing cold out on the dikes at 7:30am and there was a cold breeze just for good measure. It was mid morning before the sun had any real impact under a clear blue sky.

Coffman Road was almost a bird free zone and yielded just five species between Davis Road and Whitewater entrance. I didn't see a single sparrow!

I picked up 2 BENDIRE'S and a CRISSAL THRASHER between Whitewater entrance and the parking area. No GREAT HORNED OWL in the old barn today but I did see one elsewhere. Perhaps the 5 RVs in the parking lot had something to do with that. A single EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE at the entrance was unusual. Although they are very common just 2 miles north on Coffman Road, I have less than 10 records at Whitewater proper.

SANDHILL CRANES were streaming north in large groups but there will still plenty on the ground when I started scanning the open water. I came up with a lone SNOW GOOSE and 13 species of ducks with NORTHERN PINTAIL and NORTHERN SHOVELER being the most numerous (at least 200 of each). Least common species in terms of my own sightings at this location were 4 BUFFLEHEADS, CANVASBACK, 10 REDHEADS and 10 LESSER SCAUP. November is a good month for Bonaparte's Gull in SE AZ but I could only find 3 RING-BILLED GULLS. I watched a SORA foraging in the open apparently unconcerned by my presence.

I noted a perched PEREGRINE FALCON that later spooked the ducks a couple of times. An adult BALD EAGLE flew in later in the morning causing what seemed like every duck out there to take flight.

Shorebird diversity and numbers were probably typical for the location and date with a few KILLDEER, a lone WILSON'S SNIPE, an unknown number of heard only LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 6 GREATER YELLOWLEGS and at least 50 LEAST SANDPIPERS.

HERMIT THRUSH in the willows on the central berm was most unexpected and the best bird of the morning for me (I'm easily pleased). In fact, it was a new location species for me (#221 -- full list). I have four records in four different years from the Granite foothills in the not-too-distant Swisshelm Mountains but this sighting was my first on the valley floor. VERMILION FLYCATCHERS are regular in this location and at least two males and a female were present today.

I picked up a few landbirds by checking the willow grove and by walking the south berm for a mile or so. Species here included scads of HORNED LARKS, a few AMERICAN PIPITS, CANYON & ABERT'S TOWHEES, PYRRHULOXIA and a handful of CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPURS.

On my way home I saw a couple of AMERICAN CROWS in a field on Davis Road. Crows are resident well north of SE AZ and occasionally irrupt south in winter. This seems like a good year for them with reports coming in from several locations. A flock of 200 birds were seen today further north in the valley. Personally, the last time I saw any in SE AZ was the winter of 2000-2001.

Thursday, November 26, 2009
I returned to Sawmill Canyon this morning for another crack at Williamson's Sapsucker. There was some filtered early morning sunshine through thin clouds and just a hint of a breeze when I left home. It was a little warmer than of late but not warm enough to prevent ice from forming near the pictograph site in upper Garden Canyon. I figured that I wouldn't encounter too many people up in Sawmill on Thanksgiving morning and I was right -- just one UDA.

A thirty minute stop at the fishing ponds (soon to be called "mud hole") yielded 16 species including a couple of firsts for this month -- GRAY FLYCATCHER and 4 AMERICAN PIPITS. Continuing species included WILSON'S SNIPE, a small flock of WESTERN BLUEBIRDS and RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW.

When I reached Sawmill Canyon I was a little concerned that the increasing wind would put paid to my chances of finding a Williamson's Sapsucker. Fortunately, that wasn't the case and about 1 mile into the canyon I heard some light tapping that first led me to a RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER and then to a male WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER. For those who know the canyon, the location was a good sized pine tree next to the trail (on the left) about 50 yards below "the big juniper". Okay, I'll elaborate. Take the wide Sawmill trail and bear right at the second cable that blocks the trail to vehicles. About 1/2 mile above this point there's a large boulder a.k.a. "big rock" on the left as you walk up canyon. Smitty didn't get fancy when it came to naming landmarks. By the way, this rock marks the start of Red-faced Warbler breeding territory. The "big juniper" (also on the left) is some 200 yards above "big rock".

As I tried to photograph the Williamson's (no hope, too dark), I heard the metallic chip note of RED-FACED WARBLER and immediately abandoned the sapsucker. Just like waiting for a bus; two come along at once. I soon tracked down the warbler and attempted to get an image to document the November occurrence. Although I fared better than last week, I failed to obtain anything remotely publishable. Two OLIVE WARBLERS were in the same vicinity along with a few dicky birds but the Red-faced was essentially doing its own thing. Did you know that in addition to meaning a generic small bird, "dicky bird" is cockney rhyming slang for "word" (e.g. "he never said a dicky bird").

Happy Turkey Day.

44 species recorded:
N. Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Am. Kestrel, Killdeer, Wilson's Snipe, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers; Williamson's & Red-naped Sapsuckers; N. Flicker, Gray Flycatcher, Black & Say's Phoebes; Am. Pipit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Phainopepla, Western Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Am. Robin, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, Mexican Jay, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens; House Sparrow, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, Olive & Red-faced Warblers; Canyon Towhee, Rufous-winged, Chipping & White-crowned Sparrows; Dark-eyed & Yellow-eyed Juncos; Pyrrhuloxia, Western Meadowlark and Great-tailed Grackle.

Sunday, November 29, 2009
The first wintry weather arrived during the holiday period and there's more to come over the next few days. Early conditions at Sierra Vista EOP didn't look promising this morning. The Huachucas were completely obscured by clouds and heavy clouds also covered the valley. Fortunately, light rain didn't turn into anything worse and it was eventually a very pleasant morning when the sun finally appeared. Rain returned in the afternoon and snow is expected as low as 4000 feet on Monday night.

I was hoping that the inclement weather would have brought in something good and that's the way it turned out -- in this case "good" was a female GREATER SCAUP. It was an interesting bird and had I only seen it on the water, I would likely have put it in the Lesser category to err on the side of caution. The bird was first seen in flight with a group of LESSER SCAUP and it was clear that the white on the wing extended beyond the secondaries to the primaries. Later, at rest, although the bill and general head shape looked okay for Greater, there was a hint of a tuft at the rear of the head. However, a second flight view confirmed that it was indeed a Greater.

Apart from the GREATER SCAUP (3,3), the best birds were a male WOOD DUCK (12,3), INCA DOVE (4,4) ~4 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS (13,5) and SWAMP SPARROW (9,5). A total of 23 BUFFLEHEADS including 3 males weren't too shabby either. To give some perspective to why I classified these as the best birds, the numbers above indicate my total sightings and the number of years I have seen them at the EOP (in 963 birding days since October 1993).

Although raptors were not very conspicuous, the seemingly ever present PEREGRINE FALCON was on duty as usual on a regular perch. The bird had a full crop so we probably just missed some action. VIRGINIA RAILS and SORAS were both very vocal in the marshy ponds. HORNED LARKS, AMERICAN PIPITS and SAVANNAH SPARROWS were all quite numerous. Two ROCK WRENS continue.

Some of the ponds accessible from the Moson Road gate have been recently filled with water and held hundreds of common ducks. Unused ponds have been recently swealed and held lots of common sparrows feeding in the charred grass and weeds.

Landbirds seen from the Moson access included COOPER'S HAWK, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (3,3), BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, ABERT'S TOWHEE and PYRRHULOXIA.

The group total was 57; I missed Common Moorhen, Lesser Goldfinch and Eastern Meadowlark. 

Monday, November 30, 2009
Today was a very dismal day to be out in the field; yet there I was, out in the field.  I couldn't see most of the mountain ranges but snow was visible on most higher peaks whenever a break in the clouds afforded a view. Some parts of the Chiricahuas received over a foot of snow. I haven't seen the Huachucas yet so who knows. I visited St. David Monastery and Willcox then traveled south through Sulphur Springs Valley with the intention of visiting Whitewater Draw. However, by the time that I arrived in the early afternoon I abandoned that idea due to increasing wind and rain. It was mostly cloudy and windy everywhere with on and off rain throughout the morning.

Holy Trinity Monastery in St. David had the feel of a ghost town this morning with very few people out and about. Ditto that for the birds apart from 40+ WHITE-WINGED DOVES, 12+ GILA WOODPECKERS and scads of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS; all of which were vocal and conspicuous. I scanned the Pecan grove hoping for a Lewis's Woodpecker to no avail. I only found the above three species in the Pecan Grove (and throughout the property).

I recorded just 30 species including several INCA DOVES, BELTED KINGFISHER, a small flock of CEDAR WAXWINGS, HERMIT THRUSH (feeding in very depleted Hackberry trees), side by side CHIHUAHUAN & COMMON RAVENS, ABERT'S TOWHEE and ~10 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS.

I was hoping for some weather driven refugees at Willcox but that didn't work out for me. Conditions were really bleak and windy when I arrived at 10:00am and the only good news was that the main pond is being filled with water. The shallow end (completely dry this time last month) still has some mud flats but is now well covered with water. I saw about 50 LEAST SANDPIPERS, a lone DUNLIN and 2 RING-BILLED GULLS. Waterfowl at the deep (east) end included 4 EARED GREBES, 12 CANADA GEESE, 24 NORTHERN PINTAILS and 30 CANVASBACKS. Landbirds were inconspicuous save for a few HORNED LARKS and 50-ish HOUSE FINCHES.

As I headed south, I noted a handful of MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS sitting in a field on the west side of Kansas Settlement Road just north of Busenbark Road. A little further south, a stop at the Faria Diary pond was, shall we say, challenging. It was blowing a gale here straight into my face. A Common Loon was present recently but I didn't see it today. However, the wave action was pretty serious so it could still be present. The only species of note were 2 WESTERN GREBES, a lone BONAPARTE'S GULL and a VERMILION FLYCATCHER foraging on the ground to escape the wind.

Further south on Hwy 191 (near mile marker 33) I found 6 AMERICAN CROWS where 200 were seen recently. This is often a good area for Longspurs but scanning was out of the question. Two more Crows were on Moore Road (I saw my first SE AZ Crow on this road many years ago).

Rucker Canyon Road and Courtland Road were the most active places that I checked all day. SCALED QUAIL were numerous on Rucker Canyon Road and both roads had LARK BUNTINGS and large blackbird flocks containing RED-WINGED, YELLOW-HEADED and BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS. The only FERRUGINOUS HAWK of the day was at the corner of Rucker Canyon Road and Highway 191.

A tough day.

67 species recorded:
Pied-billed, Eared & Western Grebes; Great Blue Heron, Canada Goose, Am. Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, N. Pintail, N. Shoveler, Canvasback, Ruddy Duck, N. Harrier, Cooper's, Red-tailed & Ferruginous Hawks; Am. Kestrel, Scaled Quail, Sandhill Crane, Am. Coot, Killdeer, Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ring-billed & Bonaparte's Gulls; Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning, White-winged & Inca Doves; Belted Kingfisher, Gila & Ladder-backed Woodpeckers; N. Flicker, Black & Say's Phoebes; Vermilion Flycatcher, Horned Lark, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cedar Waxwing, Bewick's & Marsh Wrens; N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Mountain Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Verdin, Loggerhead Shrike, Am. Crow, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens; European Starling, House Sparrow, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Abert's Towhee, Chipping, Savannah & White-crowned Sparrows; Lark Bunting, Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged, Yellow-headed & Brewer's Blackbirds; Western Meadowlark and Great-tailed Grackle.

This log is in chronological order and the most recent entries are at the bottom of the page.
The last update was on Monday, November 30, 2009

Dec Species Seen

Stuart Healy Journal - November, 2009 If you use the contents of my journal for commercial purposes, please acknowledge the source to your clients - thanks.

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