Pima Canyon: A Visit With a Focus

This past Saturday, October 10th, I volunteered to lead a birding trip for the Maricopa Audubon Society.  I had been contacted a few months ago and I selected this place as it was a place I knew very well and I listed it as a great place for beginners to learn about desert birds and their calls and songs.  What I ended up with was a team of 4 individuals that were excellent birders in their own right.  One of them was from Ohio and in Arizona for the weekend and another was a person new to the Phoenix area and the other 2 were locals that were excellent birders with additional knowledge about the flora and other fauna.  The other 4 members of the team consisted of Virgil Troyer, Laurie Nessel, Joe Chernek, and Joy Bell.  What a great team we had assembled.  It turned out to be an excellent outing.  Doesn't this photo look like a great group?

  

We started early in the morning, with an objective of trying to locate a couple of nocturnal birds.  One was the Common Poorwill that I hear at almost every visit while it is still dark, and the other was maybe an owl.  Well the Common Poorwills definitely made a liar out of me as they did not give one call during the darkness.  However, we had a little bit better luck with the owl.  When we approached the area where I had seen them last, I caught a glimpse of one flying from one tree to another in the dark in front of us.  At that point I felt good, but shortly started to think the one I saw had disappeared since we had 5 people with flashlights.  Slowly and quietly we moved up the wash a bit and I was scanning the trees with my flashlight and I caught a glimpse of one about 15 yards ahead of us. I tuned the flashlight down quickly and made sure the rest of the team was along side of me and I lifted the light and there it sat on a limb of a palo verde tree and everyone got to see it good in the light.  It was fairly cooperative for us and sat there for some time so that the entire team got great views of it.  This was a life bird for a couple of them.  Now I felt better about the early start and I think the rest were pleased as well.

This was not a trip for me to focus on a lot of photos; I was more concerned that when we found a bird, that everyone got good views of it.  And as usual, some of those birds made that a bit of a challenge, but for the most part, I think we succeeded in getting a good look by everyone.  Not a lot of photos of birds in the blog, but some other interesting photos will be included.

Curve-billed Thrashers were abundant as they always are, and as much as I wanted to find a Bendire's Thrasher, I could not turn this one into Bendire's.

Curve-billed Thrasher

We actually found 3 species of woodpeckers; Gila and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers and also great looks at Gilded Flickers.  Three species of woodpecker in a dry desert wash is a very nice count.  The wrens must have not like that idea because we ended up with 4 species of wren, 3 of which I expected; Rock, Cactus, and Canyon.  The 4th species was the Bewick's Wren which is not a rare bird by any means, but just not that common in this type of habitat.  Only the Canyon Wren gave us close up views and it just happens to be my favorite wren in the United States.

 Canyon Wren

We were also blessed to find find a couple of Townsend's Warblers.  Most of the warblers have now passed through on migration, but some such as this one is still showing up.  By now they have escaped the snow and ice of the Pacific Northwest where they breed and they can make a leisurely trip further south for the winter.  So glad they pass through Arizona in the spring and the fall!

 Townsend's Warbler

As we approached the parking lot on our return, a juvenile White-crowned Sparrow was foraging in the damp sand below us in the wash and was not at all stressed by our presence.  This species is a migrant that spends its winter in the lower elevations of Arizona and beyond.

 White-crowned Sparrow (gambelii) - Juvenile

We had now returned to to our starting point and Laurie had pointed out an Elephant Tree on one of the upper slopes, so 4 of us went to investigate while one had to leave and head to work.  At the tree we studied its leaf structure as a male Phainopepla flew over the ridge and as we got ready to head back down into the wash to go to the parking lot on the other side, Virgil, with an eagle eye, spotted a Spotted Towhee down in the wash, which peaked my interest as I do not recall ever seeing this species in this location in the past.  It is not a rare bird for Arizona by any means, but the location really is not the most ideal habitat for it.  The four of us scrambled down and into the wash to check out the shrubs it had disappeared into and by surrounding the shrubs, it finally flew out and it was unmistakable as a Spotted Towhee.  Once I got home, I looked up my records and sure enough this was a new species for my patch, Pima Canyon Wash.  This was my 100th species for this location and quite a milestone for me.  Wonder how many more I will be able to add in the future. Thanks to Virgil for spotting it and thanks to Laurie and Joe, for helping to flush it out of the shrubs.

At this point, Laurie and Virgil headed out and Joe and I decided to make a quick stop to check out the Pima Canyon Wash where it meets up with the golf course.  We found a second Loggerhead Shrike that was a bit more cooperative and allowed better and closer views.

Loggerhead Shrike

A little more exploring and Joe eyed a flycatcher, and of course it had to be one of those species that belong to the empidonax family that can be difficult to ID.  I remember when I first started birding and found some of these birds; I was at a loss in identifying them and decided there is no way I will ever be able to figure them out.  But guess what?  After a few years of dedicated birding, I have learned to identify many of them.  Still miss a few because of poor looks and other factors, but I had this one pegged while observing it in the field, a Dusky Flycatcher.  The photos do help to confirm the identity, so it goes to show that with a lot of exposure and learning from many of the old time experts, many of these empids can be identified.

 Dusky Flycatcher

Dusky Flycatcher

Having Laurie along was a great benefit as she taught me much about a lot of the plant life out there and she knew to look into rock cracks and crevices because she did locate one of the local Chuckwallas that are found here and with the assistance of a flashlight everyone was able to peer into the crack to view it.  We also had other lizards including the one below, which is a Clark's Spiny Lizard.  The barring on the forelimbs is a key field mark for Clark's Spiny Lizard.

Clark's Spiny Lizard

Another point of interest was some of the petroglyphs that were visible to those not familiar with Arizona.  These can be found at various spots in South Mountain Park.  They were the original artwork of the Hohokam people that lived in this area about 700 years ago.

What an enjoyable hike with great company, and I think all had a great time and lot of knowledge was learned by all.  Our final tally of bird species was 34 which is a very good count for this location.  Can't wait to lead more walks like this.  Thank you Maricopa Audubon for allowing me to take part in your field trips this fall; I hope to do more in the the future.

          

The Diversity of Maricopa County - Part 2

On Sunday of this past weekend, I teamed up with Jason Morgan and we headed to the Seven Springs Recreation area north of Cave Creek, AZ.  This place is a totally different habitat than where I spent Saturday and it involved a couple of miles of hiking.  And the morning started out as a very cold morning where one could see their breath.  It was one of those days where the sun would appear and then disappear creating some warmth then coolness.  Plus the fact that we also spent most of our time in the washes of canyons and some shade, reminded us to bring a jacket where ever we went.

 

We were welcomed at Seven Springs Rec Area by a huge number of Cedar Waxwings that were hanging out in the trees with large numbers of American Robins and Mountain and Western Bluebirds.  A couple of Sage Thrashers were also found as well as a Red-naped Sapsucker, which I believe was a new bird for Jason.  Typical for most sapsuckers, this one was well in the shade of a tree and photos were a bit scare. Most of the other birds were a bit of distance away and did not allow for photos except for one lone Cedar Waxwing.

 

 Cedar Waxwing

 

Red-naped Sapsucker

 

Spotted Towhees were fairly common as their calls gave them away.  Usually a skulker and hiding in the undercover, at least one of them made an appearance for at least one photo.

 

Spotted Towhee

 

As we followed the trail along Cave Creek we watched for the sign that designated the crossing to the south which used to be marked by cairns placed in the streambed to assist people as where to cross.  The summer monsoons had washed away all those cairns and someone was kind enough to tie some pink ribbons on the trees in the streambed to mark where to go.  Shortly after we crossed the first small stream of running water, I heard a double 'chimp' call. And  mentioned to Jason that there might be a Winter or Pacific Wren nearby.  I have not had a lot of experience with either one of these birds having only seen one of each in the past.  The Winter Wren from my past was the one that wintered at the Gilbert Riparian Water Preserve three years ago and after some patience it showed itself and I was able to obtain photos.  My only previous experience with a Pacific Wren was one at the Rio Salado in Phoenix two years ago and that one was so secretive that I only got about 3 glimpses of it dashing about deep in the brush and no photos.  Well this time, this one was not so timid and once it showed itself, I knew it was a Pacific Wren because of its rich brown color.  Both species have very short stubby tails.  This little 4" bird was truly the find of the day.

 

 Pacific Wren

 

 Pacific Wren

 

Pacific Wren

 

Once we finished up in the Seven Springs area, we headed to Rackensack Canyon on the way back, which really turned out to be a bust.  It was very quiet with very little bird activity and almost no singing.  We did happen to find an Empidonax Flycatcher, which belongs to a family of hard-to-identify birds.  The most common species at this time of year would normally be the Gray Flycatcher and they are usually one of the easiest to identify due to their behavior of dipping their tail downward like a phoebe.  Well this one was not doing that and based on the fairly small bill, I initially thought this was a Hammond's Flycatcher.  But after looking at my photos once I got home, I started leaning toward's a Dusky Flycatcher due to the short primary projections.  Hammond's has longer primary projections.  Both Hammond's and Dusky would both be considered rare at this time of the year, however, both have been reported in that vicinity this month, so it is not out of the realm of possibilities that this is one of them. 

 

 Hammond's/Dusky Flycatcher

 

Hammond's/Dusky Flycatcher

 

Jason and I both came away with some great birds, maybe not much in the way of photos except for my first photos of a Pacific Wren.  By the time we left Rackensack Canyon, a few rain showers had started which was a sign to maybe call it a day to keep from getting our gear wet.

 

  

 

 

Mt Ord & Sunflower - 4 May 2013

Saturday May 4th, I was joined by a couple of FB birding blogger friends, Kathie Brown and Chris Rohrer, along with Mark Ochs and we went birding to Mt Ord with a stop at Sunflower on the way home.  Kathie got a bunch of new Maricopa County birds and Chris got a new life bird in the process as well.  By the time the day was over, it was dusty and windy and everything was covered in dust and everyone was exhausted! 

 It was cool and windy at our first stop on the road up to Mt Ord.  We made about 3 stops before we came to the 1688 trail head.  And along the way, we saw several Scott's Orioles, which are absolutely beautiful birds all decked out in bright yellow and black with a decorative trim of a white wing bar.  Had one land in a shrub right outside my window as I was driving and I couldn't get my camera up and turned on fast enough, but did manage to capture a photo.

Scott's Oriole

Also in about the same general area, we had Rufous-crowned Sparrows and Ash-throated Flycatchers.  However, they did not want to pose for us quite as nicely as the Scott's Oriole did.

 Ash-throated Flycatcher

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

Once we reached the pine forested slopes we started seeing lots of warblers, but most of them did not want to be photographed.  I did manage a few photos of some, but definitely not the best shots on these birds.  Photos include a Black-throated Gray Warbler, which was a very common species at this location where it breeds and resides in the summer months.  Also have a photo of a Painted Redstart, a dynamically colored bird all decked out in red, white, and black.  We also found Virginia's Warblers.  I had only seen this species  once before but did not get any photos.  This time I did manage to get a photo, but it leaves a lot to be desired.  Guess it is another one of those birds to come back for.

 Black-throated Gray Warbler

 Painted Redstart

Virginia's Warbler

Another group of birds, the vireos, were also well represented.  The Plumbeous Vireo was quite numerous just about every stop we made.  My photos came with a nice stick in front of the bird!  We also had Hutton's Vireos and in one case, one of them had found a nice green headed worm to snack on.  I did not even realize the worm had a green head until I saw my photos.

 Plumbeous Vireo

Hutton's Vireo with a green headed worm

Another group of birds that was well represented was the tanagers, as we found 3 species during the day. We found the Hepatic Tanager and the Western Tanager in the pines and upper elevations of Mt Ord, and we found several Summer Tanagers in the afternoon when we visited Sunflower.  

 Hepatic Tanager

 Western Tanager

Summer Tanager

One of the other birds that caught my eye was a female hummingbird that was flying around a dead log and some dried out pine needles and other litter. Looked strange to me as I saw nothing of interest for it, but once I got my photo, it appears it was gathering nesting material in this area.  Also of interest were a Chipping Sparrow and a Dusky Flycatcher.

 Anna's Hummingbird gathering nesting material

 Chipping Sparrow

Dusky Flycatcher

Among the non-avian photos, we have a couple of flower photos; one is of the lovely Desert Lupine, which was found near the top and a bright red Hedgehog Cactus that was also found at the very top of Mt Ord.

 Desert Lupine

Hedgehog Cactus

We had a great day together and hope to have many more.  Next gathering of us 3 bloggers might be the Tucson area if everything falls into place.  

  

Mt Ord, Arizona -- 1 Sept 2012

On Saturday, September 2, 2012, I paid another trip to Mt Ord and I was joined by Muriel, who is the person that has taught me the most about photography and she is also a very fine birder. We found some great birds, and discovered migration is already in full force with views of some migrants passing through. As soon as we got to the parking area near the top and within 50 yards of the parking area we found some oak trees that were alive with birds, mostly warblers and vireos. We found 4 vireo species; Hutton's, Warbling, Plumbeous, and Cassin's. And we also found Olive, Hermit and Black-throated Gray Warblers. Here are some of the photos that I was able to capture.  The first 2 photos are a couple of vireos, first a Cassin's Vireo and the second is a Plumbeous Vireo.

 

 Cassin's Vireo

 

Plumbeous Vireo

 

As all of these small birds began to move on, we were also joined by a pair of Hepatic Tanagers.  Had to share a photo of the male to add a bit of color to our great birding day.

 

Hepatic Tanager



And shortly after that we found an Olive-sided Flycatcher, which for me was very exciting as it was a new life bird for me. 

Olive-sided Flycatcher



As we continued hiking to the top we ran across a White-lined Sphinx Moth (aka, a hummingbird moth).  These moths are almost the size of hummingbirds and they have very long tongues.

White-lined Sphinx Moth



Western Scrub Jays were just about everywhere, but did not want to be close to us, but at the top one of them actually paused long enough on a dead tree with nice views. 

Western Scrub Jay



On our way back to the parking area we also found Western Wood Pewees and an Empidonax Flycatcher.  The 'Empid' family is one of those that many birders hate as they are very hard to identify.  Sometimes the only way to ID them is to listen to their call notes.  With that being said, this happens to be the start of fall and birds are not calling for mates too much this time of the year, so we are left to try to figure out the species by various other means.  That includes minute details in plumage, habitat and time of year and where they have been seen.  I have identified my 'Empid' as a Dusky Flycatcher, but I would not argue if someone told me it was a Hammond's Flycatcher instead.  My key reasoning is the short primaries on this bird.

Western Wood Pewee



Dusky Flycatcher (possibly Hammond's Flycatcher)



Also on the way down and just before we reached the parking area we discovered a small area that seemed to be full of Rufous Hummingbirds.  Just a short walk into the grass and we were able to stand there and these little jewels just almost ignored us and we got some wonderful images of these birds.

 Rufous Hummingbird

 

Rufous Hummingbird



And finally on our way down the slopes and in the lower elevations, we got to view a Rufous-crowned Sparrow.  This is probably the best photo I have ever gotten of one of these sparrows.

Rufous-crowned Sparrow



Mt Ord, is always worth the drive to the top as you never know what you might find.