Species List

Stuart Healy Journal - August, 2001 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 Wednesday, August 29, 2001.

Wednesday, August 1, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Day 6 with Birdfinders. 

Although Patagonia Lake State Park is not at its best summer, our visit produced some typical species including 2-NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS, 9-BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS and great looks at a LEAST BITTERN perched high in the marsh. BOTTERI'S and CASSIN'S SPARROWS were both singing along the entrance road. Others from a total of 50 species recorded were GREAT EGRET, GREEN HERON, CINNAMON TEAL, an early N. HARRIER, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, several YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS, N. BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET, our first LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKERS of the trip, LUCY'S WARBLER and many calling YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS.

Over at the Roadside rest area, a COATIMUNDI rivaled the easy-to-see THICK-BILLED KINGBIRDS as an attention getter. A singing VARIED BUNTING was particularly cooperative whereas BELL'S VIREO was its usual elusive self. Also present were YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, N. BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET, BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER, CANYON WREN and SUMMER & WESTERN TANAGERS. 

Activity in the Paton's yard was fairly low in the late morning. Only BLACK-CHINNED and BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRDS were frequent visitors to the feeders, VIOLET-CROWNED put in a handful of brief visits. A couple of noisy THICK-BILLED KINGBIRDS were in the nearby trees.

A brief check of lower Harshaw Canyon produced GREATER ROADRUNNER, BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER, EASTERN BLUEBIRD and SUMMER TANAGER.

On the poles as we entered Sierra Vista were our first (3) SWAINSON'S HAWKS and CHIHUAHUAN RAVENS of the trip.

After a break we made a late afternoon visit to Beatty's Guest Ranch and Orchard in Miller Canyon where, in addition to many hummingbirds, we were able to see a very cooperative NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL -- thanks to Tom Beatty for his hospitality and information. Unfortunately, the light was poor and it was impossible to see any detail on the bird. Hummingbird activity was somewhat fast and furious and we recorded BROAD-BILLED, MAGNIFICENT, 3 very belligerent BLUE-THROATED,  numerous BLACK-CHINNED, at least 3 ANNA'S, a female CALLIOPE, an adult male RUFOUS and several RUFOUS/ALLEN'S types.

Our day ended very well with a very successful evening owling session. We had excellent long looks at a family of WHISKERED SCREECH-OWLS, posing, preening and nuzzling at close range. WESTERN SCREECH-OWL was only slightly less cooperative in that we had to work a little harder for several shorter views. In addition to the birds seen, other individuals of both species were vocalizing nearby.  

Thursday, August 2, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Day 7 with Birdfinders. 

A full morning of birding in Carr Canyon was mostly successful but we had to work hard for almost every species that we found, including the "easy birds". As we started into the canyon, several noisy SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS were perhaps the only exception. A flycatching VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD was in the same location. Even the normally easy-to-see GREATER PEWEE (eventually seen well) was reticent and perching low until, of course, we had seen the first one. BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHERS were abundant but boy oh boy, were they difficult to see initially. GRACE'S WARBLER was the only singing warbler that we came across and was relatively easy to see. OLIVE WARBLER was completely silent and it took quite a long time before we found a family group at a reliable location (the last one we checked!). VIRGINIA'S WARBLER was its usual elusive self and, although we heard a few calling individuals over the course of the morning, only a few brief glimpses were managed. Red-faced Warbler was MIA. As usual in this location, SPOTTED TOWHEE was abundant and singing throughout. We recorded over 40 species including close looks at COOPER'S HAWK, a fly over ZONE-TAILED HAWK, CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, STELLER'S JAY, WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, BROWN CREEPER, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, HUTTON'S, PLUMBEOUS, WARBLING VIREO, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, PAINTED REDSTART, HEPATIC & WESTERN TANAGERS and YELLOW-EYED JUNCO.

After a break we headed to a very humid Scheelite Canyon where the sign-in log indicated that the owls were high up the canyon, certainly not what we needed to hear. In the lower area we became distracted by a small group of foraging birds including 2 or 3 RED-FACED WARBLERS and I almost forgot to check for owls. Over the years I've learned not to rely too much on the log entries, particularly negative ones. It was just as well that I did look here because I soon found three SPOTTED OWLS and everyone enjoyed some great views without slogging all the way up the canyon. Among the other species present in the canyon were a couple of BAND-TAILED PIGEONS,  several WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS, a calling VIRGINIA'S WARBLER that we couldn't track down and PAINTED REDSTART.

We ended the day along Moson Road near Sierra Vista WWTP as a thunderstorm threatened. The conditions encouraged LESSER NIGHTHAWKS to start working early and we saw lots of them well before sunset.  

Friday, August 3, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Day 8 with Birdfinders was a tough day with only minor successes. My 20th visit of the season to French Joe Canyon where lots of people were looking for Plain-capped Starthroat.

Our early start resulted in only a couple of flying views of COMMON POORWILL for each van. We arrived at the upper spring at 6:10am and positioned ourselves on the slope above the spring where I've seen one or two RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLERS on all recent visits. However, it was Rich Hoyer who first located the bird at 7:00am, well below the spring. We rushed down there but only one member of the group briefly glimpsed the bird before it disappeared. We returned above the spring and after hearing the bird briefly around 8:00am I finally relocated it at 8:30am near the dry waterfall, well above the spring. I got the word out as fast as I could but, ironically, it was only a few members of Rich's group that saw the bird and only one of the Birdfinders folks! From my canyon bottom location I could see the bird well, singing from a high perch for a minute or so, but I was unable to get people on to it from their location. Very frustrating! 

Around 9:30 the warbler flew into the big Juniper near the spring and then flew into some dense vegetation and started chipping. We made a half-hearted effort to track it down but soon gave up deciding instead to go look for the Starthroat, a very bad decision as it turned out. In retrospect we should have stayed because success would have been the most likely result. The Starthroat was seen at 7:00am and 10:00am, but by the time we started looking at 10:30 it was very hot and very few hummers were around. That was more than made up for by the large crowd of people. I very much dislike this kind of birding and it's probably the main reason why I don't chase rarities any more when I'm not working. I don't think there were any further sightings on the day.

Other species in the canyon today included 2 or 3 COOPER'S HAWKS, 2-GOLDEN EAGLES, a calling but unseen CRISSAL THRASHER, PAINTED REDSTART, a few singing BLACK-CHINNED SPARROWS, SUMMER TANAGER and SCOTT'S and BULLOCK'S ORIOLES.

After a much needed but all-too-short break, we ventured out again and managed a couple of successes. A late afternoon visit to Ramsey Canyon resulted in some good looks at the female BERYLLINE HUMMINGBIRD, now feeding young.

We ended the day by returning to Beatty's Guest Ranch and Orchard in Miller Canyon where I was able to whistle in the NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL that we had seen two days ago. Fortunately, this time the light was much better and we saw the bird well. We spent a hour enjoying the hummers and, except for Calliope, saw the same species as on Wednesday.

Saturday, August 4, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Day 8 with Birdfinders. Today we birded in Sulphur Springs Valley and the Chiricahuas and had a much more enjoyable and productive day than yesterday.

Birding along Coffman Road and at Whitewater Draw was very good, although most of the recent "good" birds at Whitewater Draw seem to have moved on. First we worked on thrashers and managed to locate both target species. We had excellent looks at a perched and preening BENDIRE'S THRASHER but only short and distant looks at a flying and briefly perched CRISSAL THRASHER. An early group of LARK BUNTINGS was a pleasant surprise. Among the 50 species recorded here were GREAT & SNOWY EGRETS, SWAINSON'S HAWK, BURROWING OWL, LONG-BILLED CURLEW, AM. AVOCET & BLACK-NECKED STILT, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, LAUGHING GULL, TREE & BANK SWALLOWS and LAZULI BUNTING.

On our way to the mountains we stopped at a owl roost site that normally has a couple each of Great Horned and Barn Owls. Today we were specifically looking for Great Horned so, of course, Murphy's law mandated that we saw only BARN OWLS, 6 of them in fact. 

Our time in the Chiricahuas was very eventful. After a lunch break at Pinery Canyon campground, the heavens opened just as we had started walking again and heavy hail forced us to take shelter. When the rain subsided, a flat  battery on one of the vans was waiting for us back at the campground. Fortunately, someone there had jumper cables and we were able to recover. 

We spent some time looking for MEXICAN CHICKADEE, finding three separate groups before everyone managed to see them well. Probably because we didn't need them we located 2-NORTHERN PYGMY-OWLS, one of which just wouldn't leave us alone. The bird perched quite low at close range and posed for photographs. We then spent even more time looking unsuccessfully for VIRGINIA'S WARBLER (a couple of people saw one). Other species at high elevation included CORDILLERAN FLYCATCHER, OLIVE & RED-FACED WARBLERS, PAINTED REDSTART and YELLOW-EYED JUNCO.

We ended the day in Portal with a very disappointing visit to Utterback's yard. At a time of day when the feeders should have been buzzing with hummingbirds, only a few were present. A calling and briefly perched CRISSAL THRASHER was some consolation.

Sunday, August 5, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Day 9 with Birdfinders. Our last day in SE Arizona as we headed to the White Mountains and saw a radical change in weather. It was very warm in Safford during a breakfast stop but an afternoon monsoon at Luna Lake really dropped the temperature and even caused us to use the heater. A far cry from last week in Aravaipa Canyon!

We started the day with a visit to Willcox ponds where the birding was very enjoyable. Shorebird habitat is much reduced as the smaller, temporal ponds continue to dry up. The most interesting birds were a couple of very early GREATER SCAUP, always capricious at best in the southeastern part of the state. Both birds were preening on the grassy shore and only one could easily be named Greater based on head shape and bill size. Fortunately, the partially hidden second bird raised its wings and revealed extensive white to confirm its identification as well. A good bird in SE AZ in August. We recorded 30 species in 2 1/2 hours including EARED GREBE, GREEN-WINGED and CINNAMON TEAL, N. SHOVELER, NORTHERN HARRIER, SWAINSON'S HAWK, good numbers of SCALED QUAIL, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, lots of WILSON'S PHALAROPES, calling EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE that we didn't bother to track down, BANK SWALLOW and many singing CASSIN'S SPARROWS.

A stop at stateline on Hwy 78 in the Burro Mountains produced our first HAIRY WOODPECKER and BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER of the trip. The warbler made us work very hard in the heat of the day before we managed a good view.

The timing of our arrival at Luna lake could hardly have been worse and we were able to bird for only a few minutes before a very cold and heavy rain began, forcing us to wait for almost an hour. Before the rain we managed three new trip birds in quick succession -- OSPREY, BALD EAGLE and a very out of place SANDHILL CRANE for the second successive year. A small herd of ELK were in a nearby field. When birding resumed we added a few more trip birds including RING-NECKED DUCK, REDHEAD, MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD and BREWER'S BLACKBIRD.

Weather conditions improved considerably during our visit to Nutrioso Creek where the birding was excellent. For me, perhaps the most interesting birds were a few (presumably) migrating BREWER'S SPARROWS and a male LAZULI BUNTING feeding young, which confirmed my suspicion of breeding during a visit here last month. However, for the participants, I'm sure that RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER and WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER in the same tree and some great looks at 5 or 6 LEWIS'S WOODPECKERS were of far more interest! We also caught up with VIRGINIA'S WARBLER with 'scope looks for everyone. Also present  were RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, WESTERN KINGBIRD, MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, WESTERN BLUEBIRD, a very sharp looking GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE, BLACK-HEADED & BLUE GROSBEAKS, WESTERN TANAGER and BULLOCK'S ORIOLE.  

As darkness approached, we ended the day with a unsuccessful search for Pinyon Jay but it didn't seem to matter much.

Monday, August 6, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Day 10 with Birdfinders. A beautiful morning gave way to afternoon clouds and rain that affected us somewhat. Nevertheless, we had a productive and enjoyable day despite some soggy conditions.

The weather on Green's Peak cooperated very well early this morning, but the clear blue sky and windless conditions didn't help our cause very much. BLUE GROUSE was very hard to find and it took almost two hours before we found a pair. A beautiful  male stepped up on to a log and gave us a fairly decent display with the female close by. We certainly earned it because walking around for long periods on a 45 degree slope at over 10,000 feet takes some doing! Other birds recorded during the search included HAIRY WOODPECKER, a band of 7 very raucous CLARK'S NUTCRACKERS, PINE SISKIN and flyover RED CROSSBILLS.

After breakfast at the Country Cafe in Greer (very good as usual although, as might be expected, a tad on the slow side with 19 people), we birded in Butler Canyon along the East Fork of the Little Colorado where we managed only an hour before the rain began. We didn't find our target Dusky Flycatcher as we recorded 15 species including OSPREY, several calling VIRGINIA RAILS with two seen, RED-NAPED and WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKERS in the same tree for the second day in a row, more CLARK'S NUTCRACKERS, PYGMY NUTHATCH and WESTERN TANAGER.

We moved on to West Fork figuring that looking for AMERICAN DIPPER would be a good way to deal with the rain. This turned out to be a good move because, although we got pretty waterlogged, we did find one juvenile and everyone had good looks. After the rain stopped we spent some time looking for Three-toed Woodpecker without success. Among the species here were BAND-TAILED PIGEON, WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER, BELTED KINGFISHER, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET and  MACGILLIVRAY'S, 3-VIRGINIA'S & 7-RED-FACED WARBLERS.

A brief return visit to Butler Canyon was successful and produced a cooperative DUSKY FLYCATCHER after 30 minutes of searching.

We decided not to risk missing Pinyon Jays further north and headed back to Nutrioso -- we missed them there last night because the birds had already gone to roost. On the way we stopped at Nelson Reservoir where a PEREGRINE FALCON surveyed the scene from a dead tree high on the east ridge. Birds on the water and in the marsh included BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, GADWALL, PINTAIL, CINNAMON TEAL, VIRGINIA RAIL, SORA and YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD.

Our return to Nutrioso turned out to be successful but very nearly wasn't. We located a small flock of PINYON JAYS almost as we arrived only to lose them as we piled out of the vans. Then came 30 minutes of cruising around before we relocated them as they started to settle in to roost. The birds flew in calling softly and it would have been very easy to miss them again for the sake of a few seconds difference in driving down the road. A few COMMON NIGHTHAWKS took to the sky as we 'scoped the Jays. A good end to the day. 

Tuesday, August 7, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Day 11 with Birdfinders. Today we moved on to the sightseeing portion of the trip after a soggy morning of birding in the White Mountains. We encountered rain at most locations but managed to find a number of target birds and add another 13 species to the trip list.

We had planed to start at South Fork but continued instead to Sunrise where the weather looked better. Viewing conditions in the drizzle at the lake were quite bad and made distant birds difficult to identify, so I'm sure we left a few behind. However, we did manage to find our target VESPER and SAVANNAH SPARROWS as well as our first CANADA GEESE and HORNED LARKS of the trip, plus OSPREY, BALD EAGLE and MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD.

At the campground we got well and truly soaked as we worked hard to eke out a few species. I was pleased to find that CASSIN'S FINCHES were still visiting the site host's feeders (in fact, there were probably more present than on my last visit three weeks ago). Also at the feeders were CALLIOPE, BROAD-TAILED and RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS. After much time trying and walking the trails, our persistence finally paid off as we found a few completely silent GRAY JAYS with a bonus of two OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS. Other species recorded included RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, a noisy family of HAIRY WOODPECKERS, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET and RED CROSSBILL. A group of STELLER'S JAYS were harassing what was probably a Great Horned Owl but we got there just a little too late to see it.

A stop at Sheep Crossing soon produced our target LINCOLN'S SPARROW as well as TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE which saved us some valuable time that we were rapidly running out of. Among the other species here were (amazingly) a trip first RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, VIRGINIA'S and MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS and GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE.  

A brief stop at Crescent Lake produced 6-COMMON MERGANSERS and a very cooperative SORA, a heard only species up to today. Also present at the lake were OSPREY and REDHEAD and nearby, a NORTHERN HARRIER.

Before heading north we checked Becker Lake where our target WESTERN MEADOWLARK was easy to find. Very few species were actually on the water but around it we saw PEREGRINE FALCON (that I initially misidentified as a Prairie Falcon to get everyone's hopes up), 5-LEWIS'S WOODPECKERS and a couple of BREWER'S SPARROWS.

Disappointingly, we lost a considerable amount of time due to the rain over the last couple of days and we left the White Mountains minus Three-toed Woodpecker as we ran out of time.

The rocks in Petrified Forest NP were just as petrified as ever and poor light didn't really do justice to the Painted Desert. We did see a few birds in this generally bird free zone including a perched GOLDEN EAGLE, 3-COMMON NIGHTHAWKS, WILLOW and DUSKY FLYCATCHERS and 2-WARBLING VIREOS in the trees at the visitors center, ROCK WREN, HORNED LARK and BREWER'S SPARROW. 

Wednesday, August 8, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Day 12 with Birdfinders. A relatively late start for a morning of sightseeing at the Grand Canyon. It was cold and threatening rain as we left Flagstaff but, fortunately, the weather at the canyon was much better which was good news for those taking a sightseeing flight. 

We had only one target bird here -- JUNIPER TITMOUSE, which we saw along the rim trail with minimal effort. Among the other species on the trail were HAIRY WOODPECKER, WHITE-THROATED SWIFT, GRAY & ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERS, PYGMY NUTHATCH, WESTERN BLUEBIRD, ROCK WREN, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, PLUMBEOUS VIREO, BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, LARK SPARROW and RED CROSSBILL. 

In the late afternoon we birded along Eldon Mountain Lookout Trail near Flagstaff looking unsuccessfully for Three-toed Woodpecker. Even though we failed on the woodpecker, the birding was interesting and we added DOWNY WOODPECKER and HERMIT WARBLER to our trip list. PYGMY NUTHATCHES and PINE SISKINS were very common here. Also present were a male WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER, CLARK'S NUTCRACKER and OLIVE WARBLER.

Thursday, August 9, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Day 13 with Birdfinders. Today our targets were Gray Vireo and Black-chinned Sparrow, both "big grebes", White-faced Ibis and any other water species that we could find.

We drove much of the way south from Flagstaff in swirling mist and rain and it was still very cool and a little damp when we reached Slate Creek Divide at 7:45am. It was quite an adventure driving up from the old highway to the corral as both vans struggled to maintain traction and steering control on the deceptively slick surface. Thankfully, we made it without any significant problems, just some frayed nerves. The delightfully cool conditions were apparently not to the liking of the birds because the area was extremely quiet. Nevertheless, with a little bit of effort we managed to see a fairly cooperative GRAY VIREO and a couple of very reticent BLACK-CHINNED SPARROWS without burning too much daylight. Both species can sometimes be elusive and time consuming. Among the other species present were GAMBEL'S QUAIL, CASSIN'S KINGBIRD, WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, PHAINOPEPLA, BEWICK'S WREN, CANYON & SPOTTED TOWHEES, LARK, BLACK-THROATED & RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS and HEPATIC TANAGER. 

By the time we reached Roosevelt Lake the sun was breaking through and the humidity started to make its presence felt. At Bermuda Flats we immediately saw both WESTERN and CLARK'S GREBES in numbers and then spent several hours birding our way south along the lake with stops at Windy Hill and Grapevine. A distant flock of gulls caught our attention and although most were obviously RING-BILLED GULLS, a larger and darker mantled gull intrigued us enough to walk a mile or so, zig-zagging around the shore line. Our persistence paid off with a CALIFORNIA GULL (probably a third year bird), only my 5th record for Arizona. Other species new for the trip here were AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT and WHITE-FACED IBIS although, disappointingly, we found no terns nor shorebirds.  

We recorded a total of 40 species including GREAT EGRET, GREEN HERON, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, 2 soaring COOPER'S HAWKS, VERMILION and ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERS, a calling and briefly perched CRISSAL THRASHER, BLACK-TAILED GNATCATCHER, a small group of LAZULI BUNTINGS and HOODED & BULLOCK'S ORIOLES.

After a break, we ended the day and the tour with a leisurely visit to Gilbert Wildlife Area which, surprisingly and thankfully, had some water!  The last couple of hours before dark yielded 30 species including a new-for-the-trip 5-GREATER YELLOWLEGS. Species included PEREGRINE FALCON on a power line tower, GREAT EGRET, a small group of BLACK-NECKED STILTS, 19-LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 5-LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 3-SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, peek-a-boo views of a shy SORA, 2-GREATER ROADRUNNERS, ABERT'S TOWHEE, LAZULI BUNTING and BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. 

Friday, August 10, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
The Birdfinders group returned home today and after parting company at Phoenix airport I drove home under relatively cool and cloudy skies. Now I have a whole day off before I start work again. What the hell I am going to do with myself?

Summary:
As with all Birdfinders tours that I've done, we focused on finding area specialties rather than simply concentrating on building a big trip list (for example, we didn't chase any species that would be easy to see on another tour). Generally, we enjoyed cooler weather and saw more daytime rain than is normal for this time of year. In fact, the rain caused us to lose some birding time, particularly in the White Mountains. 

Although we found most of the species that we specifically looked for, we did miss a number of "easy" birds seen on most previous tours such as Montezuma Quail, Three-toed Woodpecker, Great Horned and Elf Owls and White-eared, Lucifer and Costa's Hummingbirds. Nevertheless, in 12 birding days and 2200 miles traveled, we managed to see a tour record 247 species (the high on 3 previous tours was 246). We added 9 species not previously recorded on the tour (cumulative list is now 267) including Least Bittern (Patagonia Lake), California Gull (Roosevelt Lake), Elegant Tern (Avra Valley WWTP), Eurasian Collared-Dove (Winkleman & Willcox) and Cassin's Finch (Sunrise Campground). For a complete trip list see the itinerary summary and species list. 

Sunday, August 12, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
I was scheduled to start a 3 day job today but a cancelled flight out of Buffalo put paid to that so now I have three days to myself instead. Although it's tough to lose income, I really welcome the opportunity for some R&R and personal birding time.

I made a late afternoon visit to Whitewater Draw where it was quite warm and humid, and bird activity was fairly low. I recorded the following from 4:30-6:00pm.

Ruddy Duck, Mallard, N. Pintail, Cinnamon Teal, N. Shoveler, 12+Snowy & 10+Great Egrets, Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Scaled Quail, Am. Coot, Greater Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper, 10+Black-necked Stilts, 40+American Avocets, 19-Black & 2-Forster's Terns, Mourning Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Belted Kingfisher, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Black Phoebe, Cassin's & Western Kingbirds, Loggerhead Shrike, N. Mockingbird, Barn Swallow, Yellow Warbler, Song & Cassin's Sparrows, Blue Grosbeak, 30+Lazuli Buntings, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark and Brown-headed Cowbird.

Monday, August 13, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Today I made my 21st visit of 2001 to French Joe Canyon to check on the warblers. After watching the birds carrying food to a nest site some time ago and then not seeing any young birds, I had assumed that the nestlings were predated upon. Recent sightings have been of only one bird which led me to believe a second nesting attempt was in progress, and in fact I received some confirmation of that a few days ago.

I left home at 4:37am, parked in the canyon at 5:30am, then broke my own record for speed hiking and by 6:04am I was looking at both RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLERS. For over an hour I observed both birds carrying food to a nest at 5-8 minute intervals. The nest is quite some distance from the old nest and I will not disclose the location. I very quickly learned the bird's approach route and perching spots and, by positioning myself accordingly, I was able to observe the birds at very close range without going anywhere near the nest. At one point a bird perched just 2 feet from me and sang its heart out, even with food in its mouth. Hell, my eyes don't even focus that close, let alone my binoculars.

[Entering soap box mode: If you find the nest, please do not disclose its location or approach the nest. It simply isn't necessary for a good view. I learned of a recent incident where someone (probably a guide, no less) went up to the nest to examine its contents. At best this distresses the birds, at worst it may lead a predator to the nest. Would you want to be responsible for a second nest failure? These birds deserve the chance to succeed. Thanks for your cooperation.]

It was still dark when I drove into the canyon and I saw both LESSER NIGHTHAWK and COMMON POORWILL, the latter sitting on the road for about 1 minute. Singing in the dark were BLUE GROSBEAK, N. MOCKINGBIRD, CASSIN'S and BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS and CANYON TOWHEE.

Warblers apart I didn't spend much time in the canyon proper, however, I recorded a few regular species including ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER, WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, CANYON & ROCK WRENS, BRIDLED TITMOUSE, BUSHTIT, CRISSAL & CURVE-BILLED THRASHERS, HUTTON'S VIREO, SPOTTED TOWHEE, BLACK-CHINNED & RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS, SUMMER & HEPATIC TANAGERS, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, N. CARDINAL and SCOTT'S & HOODED ORIOLES.

In the lower oak area were a couple of immature COOPER'S HAWKS and at least 4 NASHVILLE WARBLERS, indicating that migration is indeed underway. I didn't spend any time looking for the Starthroat.

Wednesday, August 15, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Day 1 of 4 days with Alan Gast from Cincinnati, OH and Evelyn Kritchevsky from Bryn Mawr, PA. This trip was scheduled almost a year ago to look for half a dozen rarities, some of which are not present this year. Consequently, we may only do a couple of days.

I left home early (for a change) to pick up Alan and Evelyn in Tucson and after a drive south to the Santa Ritas we entered Chino Canyon shortly before 6:00am. The weather cooperated with cloudy skies that allowed us to stay comfortable for almost 5 hours. Unfortunately, that time didn't pay off with a Black-capped Gnatcatcher. In fact, we came across only two Gnatcatchers, neither of which we were able to see. The calls were ambiguous enough that I wasn't able to put a name to them. but most likely they were BLACK-TAILED..

The grassland approach road to the canyon was alive with the song of sparrows and we recorded six species -- LARK, BLACK-THROATED, CASSIN'S, BOTTERI'S, RUFOUS-WINGED and RUFOUS-CROWNED. Throughout the canyon, VARIED BUNTINGS were absolutely abundant, singing from conspicuous perches. The only migrants noted were WESTERN TANAGER and many NASHVILLE WARBLERS. Also present among the 40 species that we recorded were WESTERN SCREECH-OWL (responded to my attempt at calling in a Gnatcatcher), N. BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET, CRISSAL THRASHER, BELL'S VIREO, BLUE & BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS, LAZULI BUNTING and SCOTT'S ORIOLE.

In contrast to the 5 hours without success in the morning, later in the day it took only 30 seconds to get the first look at BERYLLINE HUMMINGBIRD in Ramsey Canyon. Over the next hour we had numerous views of one or more birds visiting a feeder and perching in a juniper (Apparently, two youngsters fledged.) We saw very little else around the feeders save for a single visit by a VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD. 

Thursday, August 16, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Day 2 with Alan and Evelyn. Another early start for a visit to French Joe Canyon. Evelyn needed the Starthroat so we left her at "the Starthroat spot" in the lower canyon, Alan needed the warbler so he and I continued up canyon and joined her later. There was continuous coverage from 6:00am until 11:00am but the bird was a no-show. Someone present yesterday told us that after the sighting at 9:55am, the bird did not reappear through 3:30pm. There are many flowering Agaves throughout the canyon so it's quite possible that the bird is not in the same area every day. Hummingbirds present today were BLACK-CHINNED, CALLIOPE, BROAD-TRAILED and RUFOUS.

Alan and I had excellent views of the RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLERS, singing seemingly more often and louder than ever (if that's possible), as they brought food to the nest. 

Migrants in the canyon today included BLACK PHOEBE, NASHVILLE, WILSON'S and MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS, PAINTED REDSTART and WESTERN TANAGER.

We recorded almost 40 species and the drive in yielded a couple of COMMON POORWILLS.

Sunday, August 19, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Out today with Ralph Fielding from Pasadena, CA for another trip to French Joe Canyon to look for Rufous-capped Warbler. An early start produced 4-COMMON POORWILLS and many CASSIN'S SPARROWS singing in the dark along with BLACK-THROATED SPARROW, CANYON TOWHEE and BLUE GROSBEAK.

In the upper canyon, both RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLERS were singing and easy to find shortly after 6:15pm. Lots of Bees were around so after seeing the warblers we didn't stay long.

We lingered in the lower area for about 45 minutes for a half-hearted attempt at the Starthroat. Hummingbirds present were BLACK-CHINNED, ANNA'S, COSTA'S, BROAD-TAILED and RUFOUS.

Among the migrants in the canyon today were BAND-TAILED PIGEON, GREATER PEWEE, BLACK PHOEBE, ORANGE-CROWNED, NASHVILLE, BLACK-THROATED GRAY and WILSON'S WARBLERS, WESTERN TANAGER and LAZULI BUNTING.

I recorded the following 42 species:
Band-tailed Pigeon, Mourning & White-winged Doves, Common Poorwill, Black-chinned, Anna's, Costa's, Broad-tailed & Rufous Hummingbirds, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Greater Pewee, Western Wood-Pewee, Black Phoebe, Western Scrub-Jay, Mexican Jay, Hutton's Vireo, Phainopepla, Crissal Thrasher, White-breasted Nuthatch, Cactus, Rock, Canyon & Bewick's Wrens, Verdin, Bridled Titmouse, Orange-crowned, Nashville, Black-throated Gray, Wilson's & Rufous-capped Warblers, Black-throated & Cassin's, & Rufous-crowned Sparrows, Spotted & Canyon Towhees, Hepatic & Western Tanagers, Black-headed Grosbeak, Northern Cardinal, Blue Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting and Scott's Oriole.

Monday, August 20, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Day 1 of 5 days with Carole Vande Voorde from Asotin, WA, her daughter Lucy Miller from Albuquerque, NM, and Clare and Sharon Wiser from Pullman, WA. We'll be focusing on a small list of target birds for Carole and a somewhat larger list for Clare and Sharon. Lucy has plenty of possibilities. 

Targets for today were Spotted Owl, Elegant Trogon and hummingbirds. As it turned out, we ran out of time and the hummers will have to wait until another day. We spent much of our time in Garden and Sawmill Canyons looking unsuccessfully for ELEGANT TROGON. However, a late afternoon retry in Garden Canyon proved successful when we found a nicely plumaged male perched in a sycamore, well below the upper picnic area. As is often the case at this time of year when the birds are not calling, persistence is the name of the game.

In contrast, SPOTTED OWLS were easy to find in a very humid Scheelite Canyon. We found two adults roosting separately in oaks, about 120 yards apart.  

The grassland sparrows were a little subdued during our drive in to Garden Canyon this morning, perhaps due to recent heavy rain. Nevertheless, we saw LARK, CHIPPING, BOTTERI'S, CASSIN'S and RUFOUS-CROWNED along with many singing BLUE GROSBEAKS, PYRRHULOXIA and lots of EASTERN (LILIAN'S) MEADOWLARKS.  Both WESTERN KINGBIRDS and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS were abundant.

Upper Garden Canyon yielded HUTTON'S VIREO, PAINTED REDSTART, WESTERN TANAGER and a few other common species. In a very quiet Sawmill Canyon we briefly saw GRACE'S WARBLER and had a reasonable look at ARIZONA WOODPECKER.

Tuesday, August 21, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Day 2 with the Vande Voordes and Wisers. Today was the first dry day in quite a while and a little warmer without the monsoon clouds.

COMMON POORWILLS found the pre-dawn conditions to their liking and we recorded an unusually high 10 individuals as we drove along the Ruby Road. At least half of them stayed put and provided  good views.

In California Gulch, it didn't take us very long to find a very cooperative FIVE-STRIPED SPARROW. The bird sang as it preened while perched in dead limbs at close range (we later heard two other birds singing.) Our timing here was impeccable because immediately after we had finished looking at the sparrow, our other main target for the day, ZONE-TAILED HAWK, soared over the gulch heading southwest.

As usual, VARIED BUNTINGS were common and easy to see, singing throughout the gulch. We had to work a little harder to see the equally common but elusive BELL'S VIREO, and much harder for N. BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET. Migrants in the gulch today included NASHVILLE, WILSON'S and MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS. 

Activity was minimal by the time we reached Kino Springs and we had to spend quite some time before finding a single TROPICAL KINGBIRD at the west end of the club house pond.. The bird was mostly silent and vocalized only once.

At the Roadside Rest area, THICK-BILLED KINGBIRDS were a little more vocal and it didn't take us long to see one near a nest site, although the young have long since fledged. BLACK VULTURES and WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS were in the air here.

In mid afternoon we finished our day in the Paton's yard where several  THICK-BILLED KINGBIRDS were extremely raucous. BROAD-BILLED and BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRDS were abundant, ANNA'S and at least two VIOLET-CROWNED put in several appearances. No migrants were noted. Many GAMBEL'S QUAIL and WHITE-WINGED DOVES were at the seed feeders, ACORN and GILA WOODPECKERS visited the orange halves.

Wednesday, August 22, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Day 3 with the Vande Voordes and Wisers. Another warmish day without rain. We looped around extreme southeast SE AZ with visits to Whitewater Draw in the Sulphur Springs Valley, several locations in the Chiricahuas and ended up at Ramsey Canyon in the Huachucas.

An hour of casual birding at Whitewater Draw from 7-8am was very enjoyable and produced 40 species. The sight of uncountable 1000s of TREE SWALLOWS perched in the marsh and working over the water and nearby fields was quite spectacular. Other interesting migrants included WILLOW FLYCATCHER (I have numerous records for the 3rd week of August but this was my first at WWD), a slightly early MARSH WREN and a few continuing LAZULI BUNTINGS.

Among the other species present were 4-AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, several GREAT and SNOWY EGRETS, GREEN HERON, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, CINNAMON & GREEN-WINGED TEAL,  NORTHERN HARRIER, SWAINSON'S HAWK, lots of AMERICAN AVOCETS, a few BLACK-NECKED STILTS, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, ROADRUNNER, SCALED & GAMBEL'S QUAIL, BELTED KINGFISHER and many YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS.

Now it was time to go to work in search of MEXICAN CHICKADEE and OLIVE WARBLER, both of which we found easily on the Pinery Canyon Road. (Chickadees were very common and vocal in all areas that we visited). For my money, Pinery Canyon Road is one of the better birding locations in the mountains and today our journey from the grasslands to about 1 mile below the campground (where we stopped birding and headed to Rustler) produced 40 species.

The diversity was also good ranging from skylarking CASSIN'S SPARROWS and lots of BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS in the mesquite grassland, BAND-TAILED PIGEON, abundant HUTTON'S, PLUMBEOUS & CASSIN'S VIREOS at middle elevation, to GREATER PEWEE, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, MEXICAN CHICKADEE, many juvenile OLIVE and several singing RED-FACED WARBLERS at higher elevation.

After a lunch break at Rustler Park which yielded many HERMIT WARBLERS, we headed up the trail to Long Park where we soon found the previously reported WHITE-EARED HUMMINGBIRD, already being viewed by another group of birders. The bird was defending a patch of penstemmon and allowed close approach.  

Back closer to home it didn't take long to see BERYLLINE HUMMINGBIRD visiting a feeder in Ramsey Canyon. A good end to an enjoyable and successful day.

Thursday, August 23, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Day 4 with the Vande Voordes and Wisers. A very warm day as (perhaps) the monsoon season winds down. The temperature in Sierra Vista was almost 100 degrees by 1:30pm.

A slightly later start for French Joe Canyon put us at the upper spring at 6:30am where we enjoyed the RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLERS for about an hour. It's difficult to say how many birds were present, although I can definitely say 2 adults and at least 1 juvenile. It would be a little disappointing if only one bird successfully fledged.

We spent from 8:30-9:30am at the "Starthroat spot" without any sign of the bird. However, around 8:45am a male BERYLLINE HUMMINGBIRD perched in the "Starthroat Oak" for about 1 minute.

The canyon was fairly active with migrants this morning with ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS being particularly numerous. NASHVILLE and WILSON'S WARBLERS were also in good numbers. We recorded the following:

Cooper's Hawk, Band-tailed Pigeon, White-winged Dove, Berylline, Black-chinned, Anna's, Broad-tailed & Rufous Hummingbirds, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Western Wood-Pewee, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Hutton's, Plumbeous & Warbling Vireos, White-breasted Nuthatch, Rock, Canyon & Bewick's Wrens, Bushtit, Bridled Titmouse, Lesser Goldfinch, Orange-crowned, Nashville, Wilson's & Rufous-capped Warblers, Black-chinned, Black-throated, Cassin's & Rufous-crowned Sparrows, Spotted Towhee, Hepatic, Summer & Western Tanagers, Black-headed & Blue Grosbeaks and Scott's Oriole.

A late morning visit to Beatty's Guest Ranch and Orchard in Miller Canyon was enjoyable and productive. Thanks once again to Tom Beatty for his hospitality. Hummingbird activity was very high with lots of individuals. We saw seven species --  BROAD-BILLED, MAGNIFICENT, BLUE-THROATED, BLACK-CHINNED, ANNA'S,  RUFOUS and BROAD-TAILED. A male Calliope was seen by others and Violet-crowned is also present. 

Friday, August 24, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Day 5 and last day with the Vande Voordes and Wisers. The monsoon free conditions continued and today was the warmest day for some time, over 100 degrees in Sierra Vista when we quit around 4:00pm. Ironically, we had to bird in Tucson this morning but an early start and success enabled us to beat the heat.

It was still relatively cool around the San Xavier Mission around 6:15am. Although BURROWING OWL wasn't a real target bird, we saw them in numbers. Conversely, RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW couldn't have been more uncooperative and it took almost an hour before we saw one well in the 'scope. As might be expected, GILDED FLICKER was relatively easy to find and see. Next, we headed over to the Desert Museum where it was already quite warm by 8:00am. Thankfully, the only bird that we needed to find here was COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD and that didn't take too long.

We spent late morning through mid afternoon birding in Carr Canyon looking unsuccessfully for BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER. They are starting to get thin on the ground and we encountered only four individuals, one which only I glimpsed and three heard only, so it doesn't go in the win column. Bird activity was generally quite low and we recorded only 30 species including a ARIZONA WOODPECKER, calling GREATER PEWEE & CORDILLERAN FLYCATCHER, STELLER'S & WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS, BROWN CREEPER, a few (mostly juvenile) EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, still singing PLUMBEOUS VIREOS, ORANGE-CROWNED & GRACE'S WARBLERS and YELLOW-EYED JUNCO. 

Sunday, August 26, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Out today with Cal Keppler from Boardman, OH who had originally scheduled for 3 days, but we will probably only need 2. Today we had 3 target species that represented ABA birds #704, 5 and 6 for Cal. 

An early start and a 2/12 hour drive put us at Rustler Park while it was still cool. The short but steep walk up the trail was fairly birdless until we heard PLUMBEOUS VIREO. A few owl whistles soon brought the bird in for our first success. We had to wait about 45 minutes for the next. We examined numerous hummers, most of which were BROAD-TAILED, until eventually, a WHITE-EARED HUMMINGBIRD visited the same patch of flowers where I had seen it a few days ago. However, this bird was a different individual, perhaps a youngster. Other birds in the area included several BAND-TAILED PIGEONS, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, all three nuthatches, MEXICAN CHICKADEE and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER.

Around noon at Ramsey Canyon I was dismayed to find that the feeder at the front of the office (where the Berylline had been visiting) was not present. However, shortly after we arrived we briefly saw the BERYLLINE HUMMINGBIRD as it zoomed in to check the feeder location and almost immediately turned away and flew into the trees. We persuaded someone to hang a feeder but the bird didn't return in the next hour. Nevertheless, we had managed all three target birds and at 1:00pm we quit for the day as the temperature headed for 100 degrees once again.

Monday, August 27, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Out again today with Cal Keppler from Boardman, OH. Yet another visit to French Joe Canyon (my 25th of 2001) to look for Rufous-capped Warbler. Unfortunately, the monsoon season seems to be over and warm conditions continue. The temperature in town was almost 100 by late morning.

Birds were everywhere when we arrived at the upper spring at 6:45am, definitely a case of not knowing where to look first. Hummingbirds were abundant -- most were RUFOUS but ANNA'S were also in good numbers. Both adult RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLERS were singing their hearts out in separate locations and we had several good looks at them along with one juvenile. Migrants were very much in evidence and over a period of 45 minutes, in addition to many resident and summer species, we saw HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, BLACK PHOEBE, CASSIN'S VIREO, ORANGE-CROWNED, NASHVILLE, HERMIT and WILSON'S WARBLERS and LAZULI BUNTING.  

In contrast, activity around the lower waterfall (Starthroat spot) was minimal, although over a period of an hour we saw most of the same migrants as in the upper canyon plus WARBLING VIREO,  BLACK-THROATED GRAY & MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS and WESTERN TANAGER. We didn't see the Starthroat and, in fact, we saw very few hummers at all in this area, certainly none visited the agaves which may no longer be providing any food. 

The abundance of individuals today was also reflected in a higher species count, slightly over 50 for the first time in a while. Our list in the canyon was as follows:

Turkey Vulture, Cooper's Hawk, Band-tailed Pigeon, Mourning & White-winged Doves, Black-chinned, Anna's & Rufous Hummingbirds, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Western Wood-Pewee, Hammond's & Cordilleran Flycatchers, Black Phoebe, Western Scrub-Jay, Chihuahuan Raven, Hutton's, Cassin's, Plumbeous & Warbling Vireos, Phainopepla, N. Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Rock, Canyon & Bewick's Wrens, Bushtit, Bridled Titmouse, Lesser Goldfinch, Orange-crowned, Nashville, Black-throated Gray, Hermit, MacGillivray's, Wilson's & Rufous-capped Warblers, Chipping, Black-chinned, Black-throated, Cassin's & Rufous-crowned Sparrows, Spotted & Canyon Towhees, Hepatic, Summer & Western Tanagers, Black-headed & Blue Grosbeaks, N. Cardinal, Lazuli Bunting and Hooded & Scott's Orioles.

Later, Cal visited Ramsey Canyon and had good looks at a BERYLLINE HUMMINGBIRD, again visiting the front feeder and perching in the adjacent Juniper around 1:00pm.

Tuesday, August 28, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
Today I was scheduled into French Joe Canyon again with last minute clients. Unfortunately, when I arrived at their motel shortly before 5:00am this morning I was greeted by a smoker -- so that was the end of that. As far as I know, I am the only guide who has a published non-smoking policy and I take it very seriously. With that, my very busy summer season came to rather abrupt and inauspicious end. 

For much of September I'll be doing some personal birding before beginning work again in California in early October. After the Labor Day weekend is over I'm planning to spend a few days in the White Mountains and other Northern AZ locations before heading north to somewhere that's not colored red or orange on the weather page of USA Today.

I didn't want to waste getting up at 4:00am so I headed over to Whitewater Draw where the birding was steady without being spectacular. Although I saw many species typical of this time of year, shorebird numbers were low due to a disappointing lack of shorebird habitat. How difficult would it be to manage one pond for shorebirds?

The highlight of my visit came as I was leaving when I spotted a  female/immature plumaged columbarius MERLIN perched on a pole, eating an unidentified bird. Published data shows their arrival date as mid September, my previous early record for SE AZ was October 2, 1995 at Sierra Vista WWTP.

When I arrived at 6:00am, 4-BURROWING OWLS were perched up in a mesquite catching the first rays of the sun. My records indicate that they have bred here for at least the past three years, perhaps even longer.

I was a little surprised to see a small group of CHIPPING SPARROWS, seemingly out of habitat here. However, on checking my records I discovered that I have a number of fall records in several Sulphur Springs Valley locations. BREWER'S SPARROWS are back in numbers and a few LARK SPARROWS continue in the area.

I recorded the following 53 species from 6:00-7:45am.
Green-winged Teal, Mallard, 20+ N. Pintail, Cinnamon Teal, 1-N. Shoveler, 8+ Snowy Egrets & 5+ Great Egrets, Great Blue Heron, 2-Green Herons, Black-crowned Night-Heron, 2-N. Harriers, Swainson's Hawk, Am. Kestrel, Merlin, Scaled & Gambel's Quail, Am. Coot, 8-Long-billed Curlews, 2-Greater & 8+ Lesser Yellowlegs, 2+ Spotted Sandpipers, several Least Sandpipers, 15+ Black-necked Stilts, 50+ American Avocets, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, 3-Greater Roadrunners, 4-Burrowing Owls, Belted Kingfisher, Willow Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Cassin's & Western Kingbirds, Loggerhead Shrike, Cactus & Marsh Wrens, many 1000s of Tree, small numbers of Bank, Barn & Cliff Swallows, Horned Lark, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Song, 6+ Chipping, many Brewer's and a few Lark Sparrows, Blue Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, Bullock's Oriole, Yellow-headed & Red-winged Blackbirds and Eastern Meadowlark.

Wednesday, August 29, 2001    Previous Day    Next Day
After a week of 100 degree temperatures the monsoons made a comeback today. At first I thought the buildup of clouds wouldn't bring any rain but, boy, was I wrong! In mid afternoon I headed over to Willcox and ran into a major storm on Hwy 90 near the entrance to French Joe Canyon. Visibility was almost zero as some decent sized hail pelted down and forced vehicles off the road to wait it out. (This same area was still pretty bad when I returned.) I arrived at Willcox at 4:00pm and managed only 50 minutes of birding before the storm hit there. The ride back along I-10 was pretty hairy but the 360 degree view of thunderstorms over all the mountain ranges was quite spectacular.

Oh yes, the birding. Birds at Willcox were conspicuous by their absence and I turned up only 17 species before rain stopped play. On the main pond I found the continuing BROWN PELICAN (perhaps the same bird that was at Whitewater Draw in July?) and a very ratty looking LESSER SCAUP along with 1-PIED-BILLED GREBE, a few EARED GREBES, good numbers of NORTHERN SHOVELERS and the usual COOTS and RUDDY DUCKS.

Habitat for waders is pitiful and for a while I struggled to find any at all. In the end I managed 1-WHITE-FACED IBIS, 2-GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 3-SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, a few LEAST SANDPIPERS and 1-BAIRD'S SANDPIPER; all of them found away from the main pond.

This log is in chronological order and the most recent entries are at the bottom of the page.
The last update was on Wednesday, August 29, 2001.

Species List

Stuart Healy Journal - August, 2001 If you use the contents of my journal for commercial purposes, please acknowledge the source to your clients - thanks.

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