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.

          

Saguaro Lake: A Huge Oasis in the Desert

Recently, I decided to head out to Saguaro Lake on the Salt River to take in a much needed hike for exercise and of course do some birding in the process.  Now that fall has arrived in the Sonoran Desert, the temperatures are so much more inviting for long hikes.  Saguaro Lake is a man-made lake on the Salt River and is surrounded by some incredible scenery.  On the north side of Saguaro Lake is a picnic/campsite known as Butcher Jones Beach and from this site is probably one of the most scenic hiking trails in Maricopa County, at least in my opinion, but then, I have not hiked every trail in the county, so I could be wrong.  This trail was the focus of my hike and it surely did not disappoint.  I started my hike early in the morning and apparently was the first person of the day to set out on this trail as I did not run into any other hikers until on my return. Here are some photos from various points along the trail.   

Birding was actually pretty good along with many of the expected species such as Black-tailed Gnatcatchers and Black-throated Sparrows.

 Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

Black-throated Sparrow

One bird that I was not expecting at this location was the Sagebrush Sparrow.  It is not a rarity by any means, but the habitat just did not seem quite right for this species.  It is a wintering bird in Maricopa County and I have observed this species in many other spots in the county.  But on the other hand, this habitat is not that too far off, so maybe they are around, but have just gone undetected in the past.  (Once I returned home, I checked eBird and found that they had not been reported there in the past, at least in eBird.  So I got to add a new species to eBird for this location.)

Sagebrush Sparrow

Near my turn-around point, I discovered a gorgeous female Belted Kingfisher.  They can be a very shy bird and this one was no different, quickly flying across a small inlet when I flushed it.  Considering the distance, I was kind of surprised I got a photo that was recognizable.

Belted Kingfisher - Female

By the time I returned to the beach area, the waterfowl were much more active than when I started, so I sat myself down on a rock along the shoreline and noticed that mixed in with the hundreds of American Coots was a Redhead duck.  This was my first of the fall sighting of this handsome drake and he looked a bit out of place with all those coots and a few Pied-billed Grebes.

 Redhead

Pied-billed Grebe

Not sure what was going on with the coots that morning, but many of them were flying high over the water.  Usually, when I see a coot in-flight, it is low and near the surface of the water and quickly sets down in the water at a different location.  With them flying over my head, I asked myself, 'Why not?' in reference to taking a photo of one in-flight.  Really gives a different perspective on this oh-so-common bird.  

 American Coot

One last walk through the picnic area before heading home, in the search for a Gray Flycatcher.  The past couple of winters have had one or two residing in this location.  And sure enough, I found it, or maybe I should say, it found me, as it flew into a tree right above me.

Gray Flycatcher

A great overall hike of about 4½ miles with some incredible scenery and some great birds along the way.  Even some of the flora along the trail is pretty amazing.  I am always amazed at how some of the cacti dispersed seeds can germinate and survive in and among the rocks.

 My hike, from my GPS app,

 Some type of a fishhook cactus.

 Cholla cactus

    

  

The 2nd Meandering: The Salt River

After an interesting hike on Saturday, and really having an an epic moment or two, (see previous post), I opted for a place with some water nearby on Sunday, the Salt River area, specifically Coon Bluff and Granite Reef.  An early arrival at Coon Bluff found not too many people there except for a few people fishing.  I love coming to this place but this time I noticed that the grassy vegetation surrounding all the mesquites and trees is gone.  It always used to be a lush green carpet of grass.  I am not certain for the reason of this, but one theory is the wild horses of the Salt River might have contributed to its disappearance by overgrazing on land that cannot support the number of horses located there.  Or maybe it is due to some other reason.  Recently there was a big controversy about the wild horses and there was to be a round up to capture some of the horses to reduce their numbers and auction them off.  A big rally of support from many people got them to change their minds and they did not go through with the plan.  I too, enjoy seeing the horses along the Salt River and in fact I did see a few on Sunday morning.  But after seeing the grass vegetation gone, it made me contemplate the reasoning.  With no grass, it will greatly affect the wintering birds, especially sparrows and ground dwelling birds.  A year ago, a nice vagrant Harris's Sparrow spent the winter there with dozens of White-crowned Sparrows, but it is probably unlikely for that to happen again with these conditions.  Only time will tell if this habitat is in trouble or not.

Coon Bluff is quite frequently one of the best places to see Bald Eagles in Maricopa County and this day was no exception.  A pair of adults were waking from a night of slumber and in the first rays of sunlight, they made for a nice silhouette in a tree along the river.

Bald Eagles

A nice kettle of Turkey Vultures perched on a dead tree also greeted me before the sun had risen high enough to give them warmth for their first flight of the day.  They rely on the heating of the sun which creates those warm thermals that they rely on to glide almost effortlessly as they soar the skies hunting for a dead animal corpse to consume.

Turkey Vultures

One of the reasons that I love to come to this place is for the Vermilion Flycatchers; one of the most colorful birds in Arizona.  And as usual, they were present and actively foraging for insects in the air.  On this trip they were found in a bit different location than the normal campground where I used to see them.  But knowing where they are always makes the trip worthwhile.  Most non-birders are awe struck by the brilliant red of the males, but those females have a more muted coloration, but are really quite spectacular as well.  

 Vermilion Flycatcher - Female

Vermilion Flycatcher - Male

One of my favorite warblers, the Townsend's Warbler made an appearance, but was playing hard to get in the trees.  I will admit that this bird does make me ponder the thought that it might be a Townsend's x Hermit Warbler hybrid.  These 2 species do hybridize quite frequently and this bird does give me that vibe of possibly being a hybrid.

Townsend's Warbler?

A Spotted Sandpiper was resting on a rock out in the middle of the river as I explored the river as well.

Spotted Sandpiper

As I prepared to leave a Greater Roadrunner toured the parking lot and as I was headed out about 200 yards from the parking lot a second one ventured out onto the road in front of me and then crossed over to the left side and I was able to shoot photos out of the window of my vehicle.  (Guess that is why they are called 'roadrunners', they like to sometimes run on the roads!)

 Greater Roadrunner

After departing Coon Bluff, I decided to stop in at Granite Reef before returning home.  The most exciting observation at Granite Reef was a male Belted Kingfisher that was hovering over the water for sometime before taking a plunge into the water for a fish.  I knew it was successful in its plunge, but had a heck of a time detecting what it had caught as it appeared to carryout some moss or seaweed.  After reviewing my photos at home, I finally discovered it had captured a fish, but apparently some plant life came with it.  I love watching them hover like that while in a hunting mode.

 Belted Kingfisher - Male

 Belted Kingfisher - Note the tail of the fish under the wing on the right side.

And here it is carrying its fish and the seaweed as well.

Another fun and enjoyable outing to observe nature at its finest.  There is never a place too boring to return to for birding in Maricopa County of Arizona.

        

Weekend Meanderings

Finally with the days becoming shorter and the nights a bit longer, the temperatures in and around the metro area of Phoenix have been moderating.  The mornings are actually quite pleasant before the sun starts beating down, so now is the time to start birding some of the local spots once again.  

Saturday morning I decided I needed to do a scouting trip out to my local patch, Pima Canyon Wash.  I will be leading an Audubon trip out there in October, so I wanted to see if anything new was taking place.  Arriving before sunup, allowed me to listen for Common Poorwills and this morning was no exception.  They call from the steep slopes of the canyon before the sun rises but then quickly stop calling as they go to roost for the day.  I have never actually seen one here, but maybe one day I will get lucky.  About the same time the COPO's stopped calling I saw a movement in the dark in the trees and flashed my light up in the trees and was met by 4 eyes from 2 Western Screech-Owls staring back at me.  I made a feeble attempt to mimic one of their hoots and it got their attention enough that one even came a bit closer to check me out.  While they were interested in me, I noted 2 more a bit more distant in the next tree to give me a count of 4 of them.  I attempted to bump up my ISO on the camera and by holding the flashlight next to the lens I was able to get a couple photos.  This one was so close, that I could not focus on the entire bird.  Once I got the photos downloaded on my computer at home, I noticed the red blood on the beak and some feathers around the beak, indicating this one must have just finished its breakfast before going to roost for the day.  What an amazing moment that I got to share with these awesome birds.  When they finally flew away, they were so silent.  It is amazing how their wing beats do not make a sound, even in the trees.

Western Screech-Owl

That little experience was just about the best I could have hoped for, but a few more surprises awaited me before this hike was done.  I was excited a couple of weeks ago when I found a new bird to add to my patch  list for Pima Canyon Wash with a Black-chinned Sparrow.  Well this trip I chalked up 2 more new species for this patch.  I had 3 Barn Swallows fly over the wash as I was there and I also discovered an Olive-sided Flycatcher toward the end of the hike.  These 2 species now puts me at 99 species for this location.  Wonder what number 100 will be???

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Found 2 warblers in the canyon, a Yellow Warbler juvenile and a handsome Black-throated Gray Warbler adult male.  The Yellow Warbler was not cooperative and the BTYW at least allowed one mediocre shot.

Black-throated Gray Warbler

I usually get 3 species of wrens in this location and Cactus and Rock Wrens are almost always assured.  Canyon Wren has only recently become a steady find and on this trip, I thought was going to dip on it until on the return back down the canyon and I heard its single note 'jeep' call and quickly found it hopping around in the rocky canyon walls.  Probably my most favorite wren that can be found in the US.

Canyon Wren

As mentioned in my previous post, I do not hesitate to photograph other creatures and the Harris's Antelope Ground Squirrel is so numerous there that I rarely pay too much attention to them, but every once in a while, one of them poses in just the right spot and with the right light to capture a photo.  I remember when I first started birding several years ago, I chased many of these squirrels thinking it was a bird calling.  Felt like a fool when I discovered it was a squirrel instead!

Harris's Antelope Ground Squirrel

On the return trip back to parking lot as I was walking down the sandy wash, I heard a slight rustling in some brush off to my left side.  When birding, I always check out any noises like this to check for birds as many birds like to forage in the brush.  Well this time it was not a bird but a rattlesnake that was contemplating crossing the wash.  As I was trying to get photos of it with only its head showing in the edges of the brush, it retreated just a bit to conceal itself.  At this point, I was not 100% sure of the species, so I walked to the back side of the brush and saw the tail and knew then it was another Black-tailed Rattlesnake.  Since I was in the back of the brush pile, this handsome snake then decided that the coast was clear for it to complete its journey to the other side of the wash.  This one was larger than the one that I previously saw; about 3 feet in length and was very fat appearing in the middle of the body which might be a sign that it is well fed, or maybe a female getting close to giving birth.  Not once did this reptile show any aggression or concern with me.  They really do not want to tangle with humans and as long as we show them respect they are most likely going to try and get away from us.

 This was taken when I first discovered it.

 This was taken right after it withdrew a bit into the brush pile.

 This was taken when it decided to complete its crossing of the wash.

And this is the tail that confirms the species identification.

Once again, my patch excelled in giving me than I bargained for it is a good example of why it is always advantageous to re-visit some of those well known and common sites.