Mar Species Seen

Stuart Healy Journal - March, 2010 If you use the contents of my journal for commercial purposes, please acknowledge the source to your clients - thanks.

Bottom of Page

This log is in chronological order and the most recent entries are at the bottom of the page.
The last update was on Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Monday, March 1, 2010
This morning I visited Patagonia Lake State Park for the first time in three weeks. Normally, this is a regular haunt for me in winter but the birding has been well below par this winter and I haven't spent much time here. After yesterday's grungy weather (cloudy, cold and wet), it was a beautiful sunny and calm morning at the lake.

With a few exceptions, the birding wasn't as inspiring as the weather and I only managed a tally of 60 species in 5 hours. However, it was a very pleasant outing and there were certainly some signs of impending spring with a number of species in full voice including WHITE-WINGED DOVE, BRIDLED TITMOUSE, VERDIN, BEWICK'S WREN, RUFOUS-WINGED & BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS, NORTHERN CARDINAL, PYRRHULOXIA and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD.

Other signs of spring were provided by a few BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRDS darting around, three species of swallows -- NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED, TREE & VIOLET-GREEN, at least 50 WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS swirling over the lake and several sky-dancing VERMILION FLYCATCHERS.

YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS were abundant and I also noted a few ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS. No early Lucy's or Yellow Warblers though.

I spent some time along the creek where the wintering ELEGANT TROGON was seen by many. Alas, not by me. I had to settle for an always delightful PAINTED REDSTART and a colorful male HEPATIC TANAGER.

I saw perhaps a half-dozen GRAY FLYCATCHERS but only came up with one DUSKY FLYCATCHER.

I didn't find much on the water. COMMON MERGANSERS, RUDDY DUCKS and EARED GREBES were all numerous. Small groups of NEOTROPIC and DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS were easy to see. Beyond that it was ones and twos of CINNAMON TEAL, LESSER SCAUP, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON and COMMON MOORHEN.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010
I only had a few hours available for birding this morning so I stayed close to home with visits to Carr Canyon and Sierra Vista EOP. It was a beautiful sunny, mild and calm morning. This was probably the warmest day for quite some time in Sierra Vista (75 degrees by late afternoon).

In Carr Canyon, I only worked the lower area which is dominated by oaks and junipers. In fact, I don't know if the road to the upper canyon is open yet (has been closed for months due to snow and ice). It's still a little early for mountain migrants and the only birds in that category were a few VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS foraging over the grasslands in the residential area. Also here were GAMBEL'S QUAIL, GILA WOODPECKER, VERDIN, a couple of "singing" CACTUS WRENS perched on wires, CURVE-BILLED THRASHER, a handsome male PHAINOPEPLA perched on a mistletoe clump; and numerous singing PYRRHULOXIAS. Spring has sprung for these guys (same in my yard).

I walked the trail that heads north from the picnic area above the second steam crossing. This area usually isn't very birdy but it's often good for woodpeckers and that was the case today. I noted LADDER-BACKED and at least 4 ARIZONA WOODPECKERS, a silently tapping RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER and several NORTHERN FLICKERS. Acorn Woodpecker was the only regular that I missed. I had to chip away for everything else and noted a dozen resident and wintering species including HUTTON'S VIREO, lots of MEXICAN JAYS, a flock of BRIDLED TITMICE, a couple of WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, vocalizing RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS and the usual band of GRAY-HEADED JUNCOS.

Sierra Vista EOP was more productive than I had expected, mainly due to the fact that marsh habitat has been burned back and some open water is visible from the viewing platform. Best bird was a female GREATER SCAUP that I had great difficulty identifying. I was looking southeast into the sun and agonized for some time over the Lesser-Greater decision. I was leaning towards Greater based on head shape and bill size -- then the bird kindly confirmed by flying away so that I could see the wing pattern. This may be the same bird first detected on November 29 last year and seen again on December 20. It was my 5th record at the EOP.

I enjoyed watching a spiffy male NORTHERN HARRIER coursing over the marsh without much success, although it did flush the only RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD that I saw. All told I recorded 23 species from the viewing platform including 6+ GADWALL, a couple of CINNAMON and many GREEN-WINGED TEAL; calling VIRGINIA RAIL and SORA; HORNED LARKS in the west fields; a couple of MARSH WRENS and a decent sized flock (30-ish) of WESTERN MEADOWLARKS. I managed to miss Yellow-headed Blackbird (they are often in the interior, inaccessible part of the EOP).

Friday, March 5, 2010
This morning I spent some time doing grunt work in southern Sulphur Springs Valley, primarily to check on the presence of wintering species and with the hope of early migrants. It was another beautiful "pre-spring" day without a cloud in the sky.

I started with a short visit to Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area. It's easy to get sucked in here checking every nook and cranny and before you know it the morning is gone. I made a conscious effort not to do this and limited my stay to 90 minutes during which time I noted 50 species. Of course, something had to give and I didn't spend any time birding in the south willow grove.

Highlight for me was a single WESTERN SANDPIPER in with a flock of over 100 LEAST SANDPIPERS.  Although Western Sandpipers can occasionally be found in winter in the Tucson area, I have never seen a bird in Cochise County during the winter months. Consequently, I don't have any problem calling today's bird an early migrant. In fact, it was my earliest spring sighting in Cochise County by 10 days. Other shorebirds noted were 3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS and 2 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS.

Among the continuing wintering species were the mixed flock of 200-ish SNOW (including blue phase) and ROSS'S GEESE; male and female GREATER SCAUP, 20+ BUFFLEHEADS (numbers probably bolstered by migrants) and a few scattered SANDHILL CRANES. I didn't stick around to see if any more cranes arrived in mid morning (as they do throughout the winter).

Less common species included 3 females and one male BLUE-WINGED TEAL and singletons of COMMON MOORHEN and ROCK WREN. The wren is scarce but regular here in winter; today's sighting was my latest date by one day.

I had a poor day on thrashers (they weren't my focus) and I saw only a pair of CRISSAL THRASHERS near the entrance.

A touch of color was provided by VERMILION FLYCATCHER (seeking those elusive vermilion flies) and YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD.

I worked my way north on the back roads as far as Rucker Canyon Road. I made a special effort to check for SAGE SPARROW and found just one bird where I've been seeing four or more since last October. Conclusion -- they have already moved north. Although I've seen them further north later in the month, this was my latest sighting in the southern part of valley. Every day some new stats.

I was disappointed not to find a FERRUGINOUS HAWK on Rucker Canyon Road (at least 4 wintered here) and I had to settle for one bird in the fields at Davis and Central. Some years they stick around until early April so perhaps I just missed them. On the other hand, perhaps the weather has encouraged them to depart early. My latest date in the valley is April 10.

Apart from residents, sparrow diversity and numbers remain very low. Even LARK BUNTINGS were scarce today. In the silver lining category, with so few sparrows present this winter, it's a good opportunity to see when migration occurs. Timing of sparrow migration isn't well reflected in published bar graphs. Normally, migration is masked by the fact that birds are abundant in winter and spring so a few extra migrants go unnoticed. Today I saw plenty of VESPER SPARROWS and zero Brewer's which tells me that Vesper migrate earlier than Brewer's

67 species recorded:
Snow & Ross's Geese; Gadwall, Am. Wigeon, Mallard, Blue-winged, Cinnamon & Green-winged Teal; N. Shoveler, N. Pintail, Canvasback, Ring-necked & Ruddy Ducks; Greater & Lesser Scaup; Bufflehead, Gambel's Quail, Great Blue Heron, N. Harrier, Red-tailed & Ferruginous Hawks; Am. Kestrel, Common Moorhen, Am. Coot, Sandhill Crane, Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Western & Least Sandpipers; Long-billed Dowitcher, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged & Mourning Doves; Great Horned Owl, Gila Woodpecker, Black & Say's Phoebes; Vermilion Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrike, Chihuahuan Raven, Horned Lark, Tree Swallow, Verdin, Cactus, Rock & Marsh Wrens; N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed & Crissal Thrashers; Canyon Towhee, Vesper, Black-throated, Sage, Savannah, Song & White-crowned Sparrows; Lark Bunting, Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged, Yellow-headed & Brewer's Blackbirds; Eastern & Western Meadowlarks; Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch and House Sparrow.

Monday, March 8, 2010
Out today target birding with Neil Davis from Langley, BC, who I've birded with on two previous occasions. After a wet and windy Sunday and continued rain throughout the night, conditions didn't look promising when we met in Sonoita before dawn this morning. The sky was heavy with dark clouds and it was cold, wet and quite windy. Since there's no winning the raffle without buying a ticket, we ventured forth regardless. Despite the poor prospects, we braved running water and mud and managed to have a successful day (two main targets seen, one Hail Mary target missed).

Our first destination was Santa Gertrudis Lane in search of the recently resurfaced RUFOUS-BACKED ROBIN. I was hopeful without being too optimistic since I knew how potentially difficult it can be to spot the bird even when it's coming to a staked out fruit source. Without such a fruit source, all bets are off. However, within 15 minutes of arriving, we saw the bird on the east side of De Anza Trail about 80 yards north of Santa Gertrudis gate. Neil spotted some movement and it turned out to be the Robin. The bird then sat motionless about 10 feet off the ground in a fairly open bush for 10 minutes. Time of the first sighting was 7:35am.

We moved on to Florida Canyon where there was more water flowing than I've ever seen before. It was difficult to even cross the creek at the trailhead. We had a few more adventures crossing the creek on the way up to the dam, more like a mini Niagara Falls on this day. Not long after clambering over the dam we encountered a birder who had passed us on the trail and he already had the RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLER in sight about 20 yards below the sycamores. We observed the bird foraging low from about 9:20-9:30am, slowly working downstream towards the dam.

With our two main targets seen, the day was already a success at 10:00am. However, we managed to take the gloss of it a little by trying for Baird's Sparrow in San Rafael Grasslands (a bird that I haven't personally seen this late in March). The unpaved section of Harshaw Canyon Road was extremely muddy and I'm still not sure how we made it to the grasslands in a small rental vehicle. Maintaining traction and control of steering were extremely difficult tasks. We didn't risk driving on FR58, choosing instead to park at the western edge of the grasslands then working the grasslands in the vicinity "Lone Tree". Sadly, and not unexpectedly, we didn't get a sniff of Baird's, just a few SAVANNAH and VESPER SPARROWS and very little else as we tramped around in the mud and grass. What a mess when we returned to the vehicle!

Still, it's hard to be disappointed when you've seen Rufous-backed Robin and Rufous-capped Warbler in adverse conditions. On his way back to Phoenix, Neil also saw the wintering SHORT-TAILED HAWK in Tucson.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Out today target birding with Mike Smith from Anchorage, AK who I've birded with on one previous occasion. Today our targets were Rufous-capped Warbler and McCown's Longspur. After a below freezing start in Sierra Vista, the weather was much better than on Monday and it was a sunny and mostly calm day, albeit on the cool side as temperatures continue at least 10 degrees below average.

Although water is still flowing strongly in Florida Canyon, the level is down slightly which made for a manageable journey to the dam (though caution and common sense are required to ensure safety). If you don't mind getting wet, the walk is much easier! We reached the dam at 9:00am and first concentrated our efforts between the dam and the sycamores 100 yards or so upstream from the dam). I then ventured a little further upstream along the east side of the streambed which was challenging to say the least. I stopped every few feet and surveyed the vegetation on the west side.

At 10:00am I spotted the RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLER foraging on the ground about 20 yards above the sycamores. I signaled to Mike who was still downstream and he hurriedly worked his way towards me. We observed and enjoyed the bird for a few minutes as it worked its way down canyon staying very low to the ground the entire time. Ground cover is quite dense here and if you are not close to the bird it's almost impossible to see when it stays low (as it usually does).

Very few other species in the canyon and the best bird was a single VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW as we left the parking lot.

San Rafael Valley was our next destination and it was a lot easier to reach than on Monday. The muddy road in upper Harshaw Canyon had dried considerably and we reached the west end of the valley without incident. From there we were able to travel east on FR58 through the valley without problems even in a small rental vehicle (something that wasn't possible two days ago).

A brief stop at the feeders at the RV Park on lower Harshaw Road yielded a few species including several EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES, BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS and many PINE SISKINS. Further up canyon an ARIZONA WOODPECKER flew by.

After spotting a flock of McCOWN'S LONGSPURS in the fields north of Vaca Ranch Corral, we focused our efforts near the corral. The birds eventually came in to the corral area with plenty of HORNED LARKS. By patiently sifting through them we were able to find a few males in close to full breeding plumage; i.e. very gray about the face with a strong black cap, strong chestnut on the wing and a full black upper breast band. It was interesting to note the variation in plumage development. Although all the males had a well developed black breast band and showed some chestnut on the wing, most did not have a black cap.

Other species at the corral included KESTREL, NORTHERN HARRIER, GREATER ROADRUNNER and VESPER & SAVANNAH SPARROWS.

Monday, March 15, 2010
This morning I spent some time on the San Pedro River ostensibly looking for migrants. It was a beautiful morning appropriate to the impending spring season -- sunny, calm and quite mild (44 degrees when I started birding a little before 8:00am.).

Spring is coming slowly to the San Pedro in terms of "greening of the vegetation". However, even though I didn't find much in the way of migrants, there were certainly many signs of spring today. VERMILION FLYCATCHERS are already very numerous and one or more birds were constantly in sight once I left the San Pedro House. Most birds are already paired up with the males singing and "sky-dancing". I had a serendipitous moment as walked through the mesquite-grassland and paused to admire the first one of the morning. While looking at a glowing male Vermilion, in the same view I had a flock of wintering WESTERN MEADOWLARKS (some singing); a closely perched, singing resident EASTERN MEADOWLARK; and several grazing deer. All this with a backdrop of the snow-capped Huachucas. It doesn't get any better than that without the Swedish Women's volleyball team!

NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS (another breeder) were also present in numbers. I watched them working over Kingfisher Pond, some coming within feet of my face. I stopped counting at 20 and there were probably many more. I spotted a lone migrant VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW mixed in with them. [Non-photo note: In a time when it has become commonplace for some to carry a camera and not binocular, I recently decided not to carry my camera when birding is my primary focus. Sure, I'll miss some serendipitous photo opportunities but I'd rather focus my attention on the task at hand. I missed a good chance to photograph a perched swallow today.]

More evidence of spring was provided by a pair of copulating BUSHTITS. I watched intently as both birds took turns to peck each other on the belly and tail several times in succession, after which ensued a few seconds of copulation. The whole process was repeated with each "set" lasting perhaps 30 seconds. After three such sessions, a flock of Bushtits appeared and the amorous pair joined the flock and moved away.

Other amorous behavior in the form of much chasing came from GILA WOODPECKER, CURVE-BILLED THRASHER and ABERT'S TOWHEE. Singing species included WHITE-WINGED DOVE, BEWICK'S WREN and BRIDLED TITMOUSE. Several wintering/migrant RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS gave a few bursts of song.

Apart from the Violet-green Swallow, a lone WILSON'S WARBLER was the only definite migrant. I also saw singletons of (wintering/migrant) DUSKY FLYCATCHER and (arriving breeder/migrant) YELLOW WARBLER.

Nothing out of the ordinary in terms of species but an enjoyable outing nonetheless. As Yogi said, "you can see a lot just by observing".

Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Out today with Pat & Juanita Tate from Annapolis, MD who I've birded with on seven previous occasions. We birded in San Rafael Valley and at Patagonia Lake State Park. It was a warm sunny day and certainly the warmest day of the year so far. Even so, it was brass monkey weather as we entered San Rafael Valley at dawn (28 degrees) and Phil Collins weather when we left Patagonia Lake at 2:00pm (80 degrees). Birding was a little on the slow side but we saw a few decent species. A brief report follows.

Valley highlights included WHITE-TAILED KITE on FR58; a couple of MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS near the Santa Cruz river crossing, also on FR58; and a MERLIN north of Vaca Ranch Corral. Other species near the corral included GREATER ROADRUNNER, a few calling CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPURS, a small flock of distant McCOWN'S LONGSPURS (neither longspur species seen well) and GRASSHOPPER SPARROW.

Patagonia Lake was crowded with spring-breakers. We arrived there quite late and bird activity was low; very low by the time we left. Lots of boats on the lake meant that there were few waterfowl on offer. LESSER SCAUP was the only duck of note. Wintering COMMON MERGANSERS are still present in numbers as are EARED GREBES. Both Cormorant species were well represented.

NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS worked over the water. A few BLACK VULTURES were seen soaring over the lake. Raptors were scarce with NORTHERN HARRIER being the least common location species.

The vegetation has greened up considerably since my last visit. Recently arrived YELLOW WARBLERS were initially quite active and vocal (chip notes only, no song heard). I also saw my first of season LUCY'S WARBLER (just one!). I was hoping for a few more arriving species such as Bell's Vireo and Bullock's Oriole but detected none. 

VERMILION FLYCATCHERS were seen copulating. We also saw a couple of wintering GRAY FLYCATCHERS. They typically become less numerous by the end of March; present every year through the end of April but more difficult to find; present through the end of May in some years.

LESSER GOLDFINCHES were abundant and could be heard throughout. We also noted a few PINE SISKINS (quite uncommon at the lake).

In the early evening, WHITE-WINGED DOVES and EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were dueling by song in my yard.

Thursday, March 18, 2010
This afternoon I drove from home to El Centro, California (370 miles) and don't have any birds to report. It was a warm and windy ride. I was scheduled with a client in CA for the next week but a last minute cancellation due to illness left me with time on my hands. I could have stayed in Arizona working on migration but I decided to go ahead with the California trip at my own expense. I have more to learn in CA compared to AZ so it will be worthwhile.

I'll be in California for the next 5-7 days (exact schedule will depend on various factors including the weather and my mood). I plan to bird at the Salton Sea then work my way up the coast through San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties  I may even go a little further north to Monterey.

I'll try to publish the journal daily but may only get it done every other day.

18 species roadside recorded in AZ:
Turkey Vulture, N. Harrier, Sharp-shinned & Red-tailed Hawks; Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged & Mourning Doves; Gila Woodpecker, Chihuahuan & Common Ravens; N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Canyon Towhee, Pyrrhuloxia, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch and House Sparrow.

Friday, March 19, 2010
California Day 1
The itinerary and timing for all my southern California target birding trips are built around the Island Packers boat schedule to Santa Cruz Island. On this trip, that outing is scheduled for Sunday and allowed me to plan the route from south to north which is what I prefer. This way, I'm able to bird first in the busiest areas of southern California and end up in the less populous, more scenic and more enjoyable areas in San Luis Obispo County where I can spend some quality time. [Is my bias showing through?]  Lack of time was my biggest problem today. Having decided to do this trip on my own, I condensed the first two days into one which meant that something had to give. I looked for a few target species starting with several hours at the south end of the Salton Sea then headed over to the coast to bird a couple of locations in San Diego County. At the end of the day I continued north to Irvine in Orange County for an overnight stay. It was a sunny, warmish day marred only by the wind that didn't die down until mid afternoon.

Yellow-footed Gull is always the focus of my efforts at the Salton Sea and looking for the bird was pretty much all that I did today. Late winter is perhaps the toughest time to find this species so I headed directly to Obsidian Butte to give myself the best chance. By the way, late summer/early fall is the best time to guarantee the bird -- you'll be kicking them out of your way. However, it will be hot! I remember being here one September when the temperature was 115 degrees in the shade (and, as they say, there is no shade).

I arrived at Obsidian Butte at dawn trying to beat the heat and the wind. I did okay on heat (not an issue for a couple of hours); but not so much with the wind which was blowing for most of the day. Fortunately, although the wind made scoping distant birds difficult, it wasn't a deal breaker and after two hours of effort I was able to find an adult YELLOW-FOOTED GULL.

Gulls and Terns noted while searching were HEERMANN'S, RING-BILLED, CALIFORNIA & HERRING GULLS and GULL-BILLED & CASPIAN TERNS. I was pleased to see the Gull-billed since they are rare in March (although I have four March records in my limited trips). I didn't focus on shorebirds and probably missed a bunch. Among the species seen were BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, WILLET, LEAST SANDPIPER and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER.

Before heading out I spent a little time looking at a few other locations. Duck numbers and diversity were low so many birds have already left. LESSER SCAUP, SHOVELER and EARED GREBES were the only species that I could call numerous. WHITE and BROWN PELICANS and DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS were all common. Other species included BLUE-WINGED & CINNAMON TEAL, WESTERN GREBE, SNOWY & GREAT EGRETS, a small flock of WHITE-FACED IBIS, a few BLACK-NECKED STILTS and scads of AVOCETS.

I left 100s (1000s?) of gulls unexamined at Red Hill and the cove at Lindsey and Lack where Glaucous and Glaucous-winged Gulls were present yesterday.

Species in the fields included plentiful CATTLE EGRETS, a few LONG-BILLED CURLEWS and many WESTERN MEADOWLARKS. I noted BURROWING OWLS in a couple of places but not as many as in the past.

The drive over the mountains to San Diego was extremely windy and not very pleasant. I resumed birding along the Silver Strand just north of Imperial Beach where my timing was lousy. I arrived at high tide (another downside of cramming two days into one) and I had to wait a while for the tide to recede to reveal the tern/shorebird areas. ELEGANT TERN was my main target (almost guaranteed at this location) and my patience was rewarded with several birds along with ROYAL and FORSTER'S TERNS. I will not stoop to a tern joke.

Other species included 100s of BRANT; several flocks of LESSER SCAUP; SURF SCOTER, a few BUFFLEHEADS and lots of BLACK-BELLIED & SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS appearing like magic as the tide receded.

Heading north, I drove past the upscale Hotel del Coronado which reminded me of a time when I had more money than sense (a requirement to stay there). My money-sense ratio has spiraled downward significantly since those days (and it's not because I'm wiser!).

I skipped La Jolla Cove and my only other birding stop of the day was at San Elijo Lagoon in Solano Beach. This is my favorite birding spot in coastal San Diego County. A piece of preserved habitat amidst a sprawling mass of humanity. I spent a couple of productive hours here on a receding tide and recorded 45 species.

I sometimes see California Gnatcatcher and California Thrasher on the trails but not today (although I didn't specifically look for them). I had to settle for three of the California's -- QUAIL, GULL and TOWHEE (abundant). 

An OSPREY was sitting on a post easting a fish when I arrived and the bird was still in the same spot when I left two hours later. Ditto for a PEREGRINE FALCON (sans fish).

I enjoyed the rapid bouncing ball song of WRENTITS without attempting to chase one down. There are easier places to see this sadistic skulker.

All good things must come to an end and the drive north to Orange County in Friday night traffic was horrendous. Nevertheless, a good first day.

Saturday, March 20, 2010
California Day 2
As I've mentioned previously, whenever I'm traveling there always seems to be a messed up/wasted day on every trip. I hope it was today. I spent lots of time driving in heavy traffic and far too little time birding. Oh to be in heavily populated areas on the weekend. However, despite road work and traffic on the freeways and city streets, I had a successful day with target species. Another mostly sunny day, quite warm away from the coast.

I began at Crystal Cove State Park south of Newport Beach where California Gnatcatcher was my main quarry. Based on personal results, the bird is about as guaranteed as any bird can be at this location. The morning began well just after dawn with four of the five "California's" in quick succession -- CALIFORNIA QUAIL, CALIFORNIA THRASHER, CALIFORNIA GNATCATCHER and CALIFORNIA TOWHEE all in the first ten minutes. I had to wait almost an hour before seeing CALIFORNIA GULL. Boo Hoo.

Quail were running around in the parking lot when I arrived and a Thrasher was perched up singing. Towhees were very common on the pathways. A little walking around and listening soon led me to a pair of Gnatcatchers.

The state park is also an excellent place to see rockpipers. After finding the gnatcatcher, I left the bluffs and dropped down to the beach to try my luck. The tide was high and I had immediate success with BLACK OYSTERCATCHER and WHIMBREL. Over the next couple of hours I found at least 8 of each species. Next, I came across a few BLACK TURNSTONES (image #1, a bird intent on feeding but keeping an eye one me; image #2, a different individual alert after a preening session); a couple of RUDDY TURNSTONES were more difficult to find. I had to work a little harder for the remaining species. SURFBIRDS were not to be found for quite a while (6+ eventually) and WANDERING TATTLER was particularly difficult and only revealed itself when I threatened to leave.

Other birds on the beach included BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, MARBLED GODWIT, WILLET, SANDERLING, a couple of immature HEERMANN'S GULLS, lots of WESTERN GULLS and the aforementioned lone CALIFORNIA GULL. I didn't spend much time looking at the ocean; inshore birds noted were RED-BREASTED MERGANSER and WESTERN GREBE. I had to leave a distant loon unidentified.

It was sunny for the 2+ hours that I spent on the beach and I shot a few images that I may publish later when I get some time. The Marine layer thickened around 9:15am and I returned to the motel for breakfast before driving north to Los Angeles.

Now that Spotted Doves are pretty much restricted to the inner city, I've been successfully visiting East LA for them in recent years. However, it's not good to have all one's eggs in one basket so today I tried a new location. I'm happy to say that I saw at least 6 SPOTTED DOVES in Huntington Park. All that slogging through traffic paid off. By the way, that's the city of Huntington Park just outside East LA, not Huntington Beach central park. I got some weird looks and inquiries from the locals when I returned to the vehicle to get my camera and tried for a photo. The difference between Mourning Doves and Spotted Doves was largely lost on them; perhaps in translation.

It was now late morning and the remainder of the day soon went pear-shaped. I rejoined the traffic (now even worse) and worked my way north to La Caņada-Flintridge ready for a trip into the San Gabriel Mountains on the Angeles Crest Highway. Although the highway is normally closed after about 30 miles in winter, it's still easy to reach White-headed Woodpecker habitat. Unfortunately, I wasn't aware that the road was completely closed (probably due to the heavy rains in January). Anyway, I had a wasted journey and the woodpecker is probably off the menu within the scope of the rest of my current trip.

At this point I was pretty frustrated and decided to head to my overnight destination of Ventura. I encountered plenty more slow traffic on 101 so I detoured into the hills. By the time that I arrived I'd had enough for the day. It was quite foggy on the coast and I spent an unproductive 30 minutes at Marina Park before calling it a day. RED-NECKED and CLARK'S GREBES were the only birds of note.

After two days I've seen a half-dozen major targets and two dozen overall targets so I guess I shouldn't really complain. But I will anyway.

Sunday, March 21, 2010
California Day 3
Today I visited Santa Cruz Island on an Island Packers trip out of Ventura. From my standpoint (being a landlubber), conditions for the trip were excellent (very calm water; a solid zero on the puke-meter). Morning marine layer made for a slightly chilly conditions on the bow of the upper deck and high, thin clouds kept the temperature down on the island. Timing is indeed everything.

The journey provided sightings of many Common Dolphins and a few Humpback Whales. There was also more seabird action than I've seen on previous trips. Since this is a poor man's pelagic trip (or, in my case, a landlubber's pelagic trip), I got to see several birds that I don't see very often. COMMON MURRES and XANTU'S MURRELETS were easily seen in the channel between Ventura and Scorpion Landing. A few RHINOCEROS AUKLETS and single NORTHERN FULMAR were also seen. BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATERS were quite plentiful (many 100s) with most coming on the short ride between Scorpion and Prisoner's Harbor. As usual, PIGEON GUILLEMOTS were easily seen on this section.

A successfully fishing OSPREY provided entertainment during the unloading/loading delays at Scorpion in both directions. SURF SCOTERS, a single COMMON LOON, BRANDT'S & PELAGIC CORMORANTS and of course, many BROWN PELICANS all added to the Scorpion area viewing spectacle.

Additional species included many WESTERN GREBES in the channel, RED-NECKED & CLARK'S GREBES in Ventura Harbor; and BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS on the rocks (on the island and at Ventura Harbor). Also in the harbor on the return journey were SURFBIRD and few ROYAL and ELEGANT TERNS (I wasn't expecting Elegant so far north in March).

So what about the island? I've never seen much bird activity here on any of my dozen trips and that was the case today. ISLAND SCRUB-JAY was easily seen with a little patience and at one point I watched a bird perched motionless in a willow for 30 minutes. Male ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRDS were also seen well with a little patience.

While viewing the jay, I heard the unmistakable call of a DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER. Amazingly, I had one here about the same time last year otherwise I would have been gobsmacked. As it was, I was still blown away by the coincidence. The bird eventually worked its way up the creek and on to Nature Conservancy property where I couldn't follow. This is a rare but regular species on the mainland in winter; I have no idea about island records.

The most common species were BEWICK'S WREN, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, SPOTTED TOWHEE and SONG SPARROW. Others among a total of 30 species noted on the island included an adult BALD EAGLE that spooked several hundred gulls (mostly WESTERN GULLS and 30+ immature HEERMANN'S GULLS); several ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS, NORTHERN FLICKER, a couple of calling PACIFIC SLOPE-FLYCATCHERS, the ubiquitous BLACK PHOEBE, a couple of striking COMMON RAVENS scavenging at the picnic tables; BARN SWALLOW, HERMIT THRUSH and LESSER GOLDFINCH.

As always, the non-avian highlight of my trips to the island was the delicious soup at Pea Soup Andersen's in my overnight destination of Buellton, near Solvang. I first discovered it 30 years ago during my Silicon Valley days when I made weekend trips to Solvang. The soup tastes just as good now as it did then. I kid you not. Be sure to give it a try if you are in the area.

52 species recorded:
Mallard, Surf Scoter, Common Loon, Red-necked, Western & Clark's Grebes; N. Fulmar, Black-vented Shearwater, Brown Pelican, Brandt's, Double-crested & Pelagic Cormorants; Snowy Egret, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Killdeer, Black Oystercatcher, Willet, Whimbrel, Surfbird, Heermann's & Western Gulls; Royal & Elegant Terns; Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Xantus's Murrelet, Rhinoceros Auklet, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Anna's & Allen's Hummingbirds; N. Flicker, Pacific-slope & Dusky-capped Flycatchers; Black Phoebe, Island Scrub-Jay, Am. Crow, Common Raven, Barn Swallow, Bewick's Wren, Hermit Thrush, European Starling, Orange-crowned Warbler, Spotted & California Towhees; Song Sparrow, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

Monday, March 22, 2010
California Day 4
Today I peedled up the coast to Morro Bay just enjoying the day. I had a few target species but none of them required more than simply showing up. After a foggy start, it was a sunny day with increasing wind.

I started on Alisal Road near Solvang where it was extremely foggy. Although YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE is a forgone conclusion here, I had to wait quite a while before actually laying eyes on a bird. I could hear them calling but the fog was so thick I wasn't able to see them. Other species included RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER, PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, OAK TITMOUSE (very common); lots of WESTERN BLUEBIRDS, CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, LARK SPARROW and PURPLE FINCH. 30 species in all noted in the gloom.

I traveled west and resumed birding west of Lompoc at Ocean Beach Park. This isn't normally on my itinerary but since I was birding alone I decided to linger for a couple of hours. The fog had burned off and I enjoyed the sunshine and coastal sights and sounds. I've been light on shorebirds on this trip and I was hoping to fill a few gaps. Lots of shorebirds were present in the Santa Ynez river bed but due to distance and sun angle I was unable to identify most of them.

This beach here is off limits to protect Snowy Plover habitat. Ditto at nearby Surf Beach where I found a couple of WHIMBRELS and hundreds of SANDERLINGS. No Snowy Plovers though (perhaps a tad too early). I enjoyed watching the Sanderlings strung out along the tide line doing their comical wave defying feeding behavior. I also enjoyed watching a displaying ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD, a singing CALIFORNIA THRASHER and an AMERICAN GOLDFINCH singing on territory (still at it when I passed the same bush 2 hours later).

I had a fun few minutes with BARN and TREE SWALLOWS taking it in turns to perch atop a short pole. I slowly inched my way towards the pole to see how close I could get before they would cry uncle. Two feet from my face was the answer!

Other species among 40+ that I recorded included a fine looking group of male CINNAMON TEAL, several always delightful male BUFFLEHEADS, a calling SORA, CALIFORNIA QUAIL and numerous WRENTITS.

Continuing north, my next stop was at Waller Park in Santa Maria to see the world's best fed CACKLING GOOSE. To my personal knowledge, this bird has been present in March every year since 2006. [To any locals reading this: has the bird ever left the area?]

I lingered here for lunch then strolled around the park seeing 30+ species including RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE. A lone BROWN CREEPER was perhaps the most interesting bird for the location.

I resumed my northward journey, pausing briefly in Guadalupe for TRICOLORED BLACKBIRD then at Oceano and Shell Beach without seeing much

It was really windy when I reached Morro Bay. I finished up my birding day by checking both sides of the bay, first from Sweet Springs in Los Osos. This is often a productive location but it wasn't today with just a dozen species immediately obvious. Many hundreds of BRANT were visible close to shore and BLUE-WINGED TEAL offered close up views.

On Coleman Drive near the big-assed rock from which Morro Bay gets its name, my timing was impeccable and I saw PEREGRINE FALCON streaking across the bay then fly in to its nest location.

I spent a couple of hours scanning as the tide receded. COMMON and RED-THROATED LOONS were quite common but I failed to turn up Pacific Loon. Ditto for EARED GREBES but no Horned Grebe. WESTERN GREBES far outnumbered CLARK'S. Other species included BRANT, lots of SURF SCOTERS, several spiffy male RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, PELAGIC CORMORANTS to-ing and fro-ing, LONG-BILLED CURLEWS and MARBLED GODWITS feeding side by side and the usual collection of mooching gulls.

Earlier in the day I twisted my ankle while walking on soft sand and by day's end it was quite swollen. Sadly, I decided to forgo north county coast birding tomorrow and to make this my last day. I didn't want any further aggravation and run the risk of not being able to work. Tomorrow I'll make the drive home in one fell swoop. My next client is on Friday so, all being well, look for reports to resume then.

Friday, March 26, 2010
Out today with first time clients Janet and Hal Stamm from Gilbert, AZ. We visited Patagonia Lake State Park and Paton's Yard without a specific agenda other than to see a variety of species and learn a little about them. The forecast was for high winds by late morning and we managed to get a decent amount of birding done before that became a reality. Otherwise, it was a pleasant morning with a temperature range of 27 to 71 degrees. Lots of birders were out enjoying the day.

Signs of spring were readily apparent today. Although it's only a little over a week since I was last at the state park, changes in vegetation were very noticeable. Lakeshore willows, in particular, are now very leafy and green and lots of LUCY'S and YELLOW WARBLERS (the two earliest arriving warblers in SE AZ) were taking advantage. BELL'S VIREO is another early arriving species and I was surprised to see only a couple of them. NORTHERN-ROUGH-WINGED, TREE, VIOLET-GREEN & BARN SWALLOWS and WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS foraged over the lake.

An increase in migrant YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS over winter levels was quite noticeable. The breeding population of VERMILION FLYCATCHERS has probably reached maximum now and they were always in view today.

Another indication of spring came from the lack of duck diversity and numbers. Green-headed MALLARD, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, BUFFLEHEAD and EARED GREBES were the only winter holdouts that I noted. A migrant WESTERN GREBE (none present during the winter months) was perhaps the best bird on the water. For the first time in a while, NEOTROPIC significantly outnumbered DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS.

Wintering flycatchers avoided us (although we didn't walk the creek) and a single, briefly singing NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET remained heard-only. I expected them to be more numerous.

Migrant raptors were not much in evidence and apart from many TURKEY VULTURES we only came across OSPREY (has been around for a while), NORTHERN HARRIER, resident COOPER'S HAWKS (active and vocal) and RED-TAILED HAWK.

Highlights were the continuing male ELEGANT TROGON in Nutting's Wash about 50 yards from the main trail and a pair of BLACK-CAPPED GNATCATCHERS about 150 yards into the wash. The male of this pair did not have a noticeable black cap. However, another male seen on the main trail between the second and third washes had a partial black cap.

In fact, we found all three species of gnatcatchers in Nutting's Wash. It's easy to get confused at this time of year if you are not alert to the possibility of multiple species in close proximity. Migrant BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS were seen in several locations. Resident BLACK-TAILED GNATCATCHERS can be seen anytime of year once you get into their habitat which is typically not the same as Black-capped. However, there are overlap zones including the upper portion of Nutting's Wash (at the head of the wash furthest from the lake). Twice today we had two species in view at the same time: Black-tailed - Blue-gray (the easiest pair to differentiate due to undertail color); and Black-capped - Blue-gray (which can present problems when females are seen).

Also in the wash was a spiffy BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER. There are lots of colorful warblers in North American but this guy looks really handsome in plain black and white. Black-throated Gray is an uncommon migrant at the state park, more common in fall than in spring.

We noted four species of hummingbirds at various feeders. Abundant BROAD-BILLED were seen throughout; a male COSTA'S put in a brief appearance near the visitor center; a few BLACK-CHINNED were around and a migrant RUFOUS was at the site host feeders adjacent to the the main Sonoita Creek trailhead. Violet-crowned has been reported here but we didn't see it. Jan also saw Anna's that I missed.

We spent 5.5 hours at the lake and recorded 66 species. We started at the day use area (west of the visitor center) then worked nearby mesquite scrub areas before walking the main Sonoita Creek trail at the east end of the lake. Species not already mentioned included BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, many vocal WHITE-WINGED DOVES, the usual GILA & LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKERS, BLACK PHOEBES and VERDINS; HUTTON'S VIREO (my latest sighting at the lake by 10 days); a couple of groups of BRIDLED TITMICE; multiple MARSH WRENS, 3 HERMIT THRUSHES, a small band of continuing AMERICAN PIPITS and several RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROWS in full voice. 

We made an early afternoon visit to Paton's Yard (now run by fellow Brit Michael Marsden). Obviously, this wasn't the best time to be here and we missed a few of the more interesting species (Lazuli Bunting, 3 Oriole species, Lawrence's Goldfinch). Highlights were GRAY HAWK (a close flight view over the yard); VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD, ABERT'S TOWHEE, LINCOLN'S SPARROW, side by side comparison views of CARDINAL and PYRRHULOXIA; and tons of PINE SISKINS.

A productive and enjoyable day.

Monday, March 29, 2010
This morning I made my first trip of the year to Sawmill Canyon.  It's amazing how my birding habits have changed -- there was a time when I would make regular visits throughout the winter months despite snow and ice. However, now that I have 17 years worth of data for the canyon, the incremental value of additional visits is significantly less and will continue to diminish. Nevertheless, it's still one of my favorite places.

Today was one of those early spring days that are partly winter and partly summer. I saw ice early this morning and it's in the low 80s as I write these notes in mid afternoon. It was a sunny day and the wind of recent days finally abated (although it will be back with a vengeance on Wednesday).

Spring is coming late this year to the higher elevation locations in the Huachucas. [I called USFS this morning and couldn't even get an estimate from them regarding an opening date for Carr Canyon Road.] There was frost on the grass in the shady spots when I started birding in Sawmill Canyon at 7:30am and there was skim ice on the puddles even after an hour of sunshine. I had to work hard for scant reward and ended up with 20 species for my efforts. It's a good thing that I was only birding with Tod Sloan.

In late March I would normally be super confident about finding Buff-breasted Flycatcher. Not so this year though with the lingering wintry conditions. When the flycatchers first arrive they typically stage in the riparian area below the former cabin site before moving into the main canyon. I spent the first hour checking  this area and came up empty. At this point I was even less hopeful of finding a flycatcher than when I started. However, since faint heart never won fair lady and nobody ever wins a raffle without buying a ticket, I decided to persevere. It took a while but I was delighted to eventually find two singing BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHERS. I wonder when they actually arrived?

The first individual was about 1/4 mile into the main canyon in the vicinity of former concrete picnic table #3 (which is the first on the right hand side of the canyon as you walk in). [For whatever reason, the army decided to demolish some of the picnic tables years ago. This was perhaps done to discourage fires, although a fair number of tables remaining would seem to contradict this.] The second bird was about 1 mile into the canyon near "Big Rock" that marks the start of Red-faced Warbler breeding habitat.

Both birds exhibited the same behavior. They moved rapidly through the trees perching in likely looking nest locations and gave several loud bursts of song before moving on to a new location. I interpreted this as trolling for a mate. Given the speed of movement, I though that the second bird might actually be the same lower bird that had moved up canyon (even though there was a quite a distance between them). I was able to dispel the possibility of only one bird when I relocated the lower bird again as I headed back down canyon. A good result in the end. My average first sighting date is March 23 and my earliest date is March 13. Obviously, sample interval plays a part but, given the amount of time I've spent here in March over the years, I think the average is a solid data point.

I was also hoping for Grace's Warbler which is to be expected in late March (my earliest sighting is March 20). No success with this bird.

Noteworthy species seen during my search efforts were a female WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER, 4+ ARIZONA WOODPECKERS, 2 singing OLIVE WARBLERS and a singing BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER.

Other species included RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, many singing HUTTON'S VIREOS, STELLER'S JAY, silently foraging BRIDLED TITMICE, several singing BROWN CREEPERS, more RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS than I could count; a couple of AMERICAN ROBINS, multiple PAINTED REDSTARTS and DARK-EYED (Gray-headed) & YELLOW-EYED JUNCOS.

A quick analysis of my data for the canyon revealed that the overall results were actually quite good. In 67 visits during March since 1994 (one year without any access), I've seen a cumulative total of 59 species in the canyon. Highest on any day was 26 (low 2!) and the average is 15 species.

Earlier in the morning I stopped at Garden Canyon Fishing Ponds. Both ponds have high water and even the temporal pond (dry in most years) had enough water to support MALLARDS. Overall activity was disappointingly low (no sparrows) and I only spent 40 minutes before continuing on to Sawmill. LESSER GOLDFINCH was the most common species (at least 50 birds present). A migrant BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER and a lone AMERICAN ROBIN were second and first location sightings respectively.

Among the species that I noted elsewhere in Garden Canyon were 2 "pipping" HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS near Scheelite Canyon entrance; multiple CANYON WRENS near the pictograph site; and 10+ singing PAINTED REDSTARTS distributed throughout the upper canyon.

The stream crossings at the middle and upper picnic areas are flowing as strongly as I've ever seen them at this time of year. They'll probably do so for a while as the snow continues to melt.

51 species recorded:
Mallard, Red-tailed Hawk, Killdeer, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged & Mourning Doves; Anna's Hummingbird, Williamson's & Red-naped Sapsuckers; Ladder-backed & Arizona Woodpeckers; N. Flicker, Hammond's & Buff-breasted Flycatchers; Black & Say's Phoebes; Loggerhead Shrike, Hutton's Vireo, Steller's & Mexican Jays; Chihuahuan & Common Ravens; Bridled Titmouse, Verdin, Bushtit, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Cactus, Canyon & Bewick's Wrens; Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Am. Robin, N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Olive, Yellow-rumped & Black-throated Gray Warblers; Painted Redstart, Canyon Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Dark-eyed & Yellow-eyed Juncos; Pyrrhuloxia, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010
This morning I visited Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area at the southern end of Sulphur Springs Valley then spent a little time working the back roads north and south of Elfrida. Generally, the day was about checking for lingering winter species and arriving summer birds and migrants. I was up at the crack of night in order to be in the valley before dawn for several reasons. Firstly, I wanted to watch the morning departure of Sandhill Cranes from the wildlife area for the last time this season. Secondly, I wanted to have crisp and clear conditions for scoping the ponds before heat shimmer became a problem. Thirdly, I wanted to get my birding done before the wind picked up. I managed two out of three.

[Weather note: There's some interesting weather in prospect at the moment. After several days of 10 degrees above average temperatures (today was another such day), a winter storm is expected on Thursday and to a lesser extent on Friday. The storm is forecast to produce snow in the mountains. Ahead of the storm, 30+ mph winds are expected tomorrow. Oh joy.]

A report of 2000 cranes still roosting at Whitewater on Monday gave me great hopes of a reasonable spectacle this morning. I was at the intersection of Coffman and Davis Roads well before dawn to see the cranes head north into the valley. No skeins in the sky heading towards me, no vocalizations -- what's going on I thought. Well, those 2000 birds obviously bailed out before I arrived. What a disappointment! I spent almost 3 hours at the wildlife area and later scoured a number of cornfields further north without sight nor sound of a single crane. Perhaps they have left for good (I have very few April records). Just watch, Murphy will screw me yet again and 2000 will be present again tonight.

Birding at the wildlife area was interesting and productive. I enjoyed zero wind and crystal clear viewing conditions (at 32 degrees I should hope so).  As one would expect at the end of March, duck diversity and numbers have dropped considerably and shorebird activity is picking up. Habitat for shorebirds and waders is very good at the moment, although most of the better habitat is fairly distant.

A lone DUNLIN was by far the best bird. This is a rare fall migrant and wintering species; only casual in spring. Today's bird was my latest SE AZ sighting by over three weeks (previously March 5). Also of note was a lone BLACK-NECKED STILT -- regular but generally uncommon in Cochise County. This was my fourth earliest sighting. Also present were 75+ KILLDEER, 16 AMERICAN AVOCETS, 5 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, well over 200 LEAST SANDPIPERS (one flock alone had 75 birds); and 20 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS. The only gulls that I noted were 3 RING-BILLED GULLS.

While scanning the shorebirds at the north viewing platform, I watched a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE swoop down and catch a mouse. The bird then sat in a willow and proceeded to eat the unfortunate critter, keeping a wary eye on me at the same time.

SHOVELER and GADWALL were perhaps the most common duck species followed by RUDDY DUCK. All three teal species were represented. GREEN-WINGED remain very common and CINNAMON are still well into double figures. A single male BLUE-WINGED was the prize. I also noted at least 10 BUFFLEHEADS, mostly females with a couple of immature males. COOTS were abundant and I noted one sneaky SORA.

In the big and tall department were a half-dozen GREAT BLUE HERONS and singletons of GREAT EGRET and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON.

Apart from multiple AMERICAN KESTRELS and a single rufous morph RED-TAILED HAWK, raptors were not in evidence. I counted at least 20 Kestrels and I have to assume that most were migrants since that many were not present throughout the winter. A found my first of season SWAINSON'S HAWKS just outside the wildlife area boundary on Bagby Road.

The usual BLACK & SAY'S PHOEBES and VERMILION FLYCATCHERS were present. I also saw my first of season WESTERN KINGBIRDS; 2 birds that didn't linger very long.

There must be a push of SAGE THRASHERS at the moment. I saw one at the entrance to the wildlife area and 3 more in two other locations further north. This a personal late date in Cochise County.

LUCY'S WARBLERS worked the willows along with YELLOW-RUMPED and YELLOW WARBLERS.

Sparrows continue scarce although I did see 6 species. EASTERN and WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were present (the latter in numbers; they'll be leaving soon). At least 50 male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS were very pleasing on the eye (if not the ear). Just be thankful you are not a female Yellow-headed Blackbird -- you'd have to learn to love that sound.

All told I recorded 60 species at Whitewater. After leaving, I worked the fields at Davis and Central then along Rucker Canyon Road hoping for a lingering Ferruginous Hawk (no success; ditto with cranes in multiple locations). Several SWAINSON'S HAWKS were on Rucker Canyon and I found just one lousy LARK BUNTING where many spent the winter. On Hopkins Road I saw 2 SAGE and 3 BENDIRE'S THRASHERS. Another SAGE THRASHER was along Bell Road along with a cute BURROWING OWL.

Missing the cranes was a minor blow but overall it was good day with a decent selection of birds and a few stats to update.

This log is in chronological order and the most recent entries are at the bottom of the page.
The last update was on Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Mar Species Seen

Stuart Healy Journal - March, 2010 If you use the contents of my journal for commercial purposes, please acknowledge the source to your clients - thanks.

Top of Page