Fool's Hollow Lake, Show Low, AZ-18 Aug 2012

Took some time off from work and planned a couple of short birding forays into some new places in Arizona.  First trip was to the White Mountains of eastern Arizona.  Elevation ranges from about 6000' to a couple of peaks over 10,000' which is very different from the Phoenix urban sprawl in the desert.  Will have several new areas to add to my blogs and the first stop was at Fool's Hollow Lake Recreation area just outside of Show Low, AZ.  This is a very nice park and it appears to have a lot of potential for some great birding.  I could only afford a couple of hours as I had other spots on my list to try to accomplish all in one day. 

My first photo is that of an Acorn Woodpecker.  These woodpeckers are unmistakable in their clownish markings and are always a delight to see.

Acorn Woodpecker

Closer to the ground I found a couple of Empidonax Flycatchers, which are almost always very difficult to identify readily.  These 2 turned out to be a couple of Dusky Flycatchers and they were very active flying out to capture an insect in the air or on the ground and then flying back to a bare twig perch, which is most generally how they behave.

Dusky Flycatcher

Also in the same picnic area vicinity I found a pair of Juniper Titmouse and one of them actually came out in the open to pose on a bare twig for me.  While they are mostly a drab gray in color, that little crest really gives them a bit of a cute factor, don't you think?

Juniper Titmouse



And another fairly common bird in the picnic area was the White-breasted Nuthatch.  These birds were at every stop I made during my stay in the White Mountains and always entertaining to watch.

White-breasted Nuthatch

Headed to a different spot where I could access to the water's edge and as I made my way through the grassy areas, the paths were spots that the Lark Sparrows seemed to have taken a liking and foraging. 

Lark Sparrow

Also in the same general area a Lazuli Bunting made a quick exit, but stopped long enough at a distant evergreen to give me a nice view of its backside.

Lazuli Bunting



Along the shoreline I found what I expected to find, a Spotted Sandpiper.  A fairly common shore bird but quite often overlooked as they blend in well with the shoreline.  One of their behaviors that help identify them from other shore birds is the habit of dipping their tails. 

Spotted Sandpiper



And of course a fly over by one of the most common but stately of all wading birds in the United States was the Great Blue Heron just begging me to take its photo as it flew over head.

Great Blue Heron



On the return to the car, I happened to find a very unique creature.  It reminded me of a spider, but yet it still looked rather odd.  I snapped a couple of photos and have since found out that it is a Wind Scorpion which is not a true scorpion, but also not a true arachnid.  Very interesting creature and even with its ferocious appearance, they are basically harmless to humans.

Wind Scorpion



Definitely worth a stop to explore this place.  There is an admission fee to get access to the area.  More blogs to come, plus another trip down south.

 

 

BTA -- 12 August 2012

Another very HOT day in the metropolitan Phoenix area so that calls for a short journey to someplace a tad bit cooler and away from the concrete jungle.  Boyce Thompson Arboretum was the winning destination today.  A friend of mine, Lynn M. mentioned that he would like to go back to BTA, so I said, name the date and lets go.  BTA is still very hot, but being about an hour's drive east of the metro area and nestled at the base of Picketpost Mountain, it is probably about 5 to 10 degrees cooler.  Plus the place is an arboretum and is covered with trees, which obviously always offer quite a bit of shade from the hot Arizona sun.  Our goal was not to find as many birds as we could, but to try sharpening some photography skills.  Of course, with my birding habits, it was hard for me to not notice the birds.  Even so, we still saw several lizards, butterflies, dragonflies, and of course some birds.

We arrived early and decided to hit the upper slopes and sunny areas first before the sun became too intense and our visit to Ayer Lake presented my first photo opportunity with a Black Phoebe. 

Black Phoebe



From there we took the high trail towards the mansion and along the way we had several Phainopeplas that kept flying a bit ahead of us and finally with a small turn in the path, the photo opportunity presented itself with the sun on the side of the bird instead of behind the bird.  And since this is another black bird, a silhouette photo is something that I try to avoid.  This is a male (females are gray) and of course there just happens to be a branch where I don't want it, but it is hard to pass up a photo of one of these with their red eyes!

Phainopepla

As we came to the high point in the trail and started down towards the stream bed and shade, we were surrounded by several Cactus Wrens that were quite vocal and really gave us some very nice poses.

 Cactus Wren

Cactus Wren

Also at the top of one of the rocky points a lone Turkey Vulture perched in the full sun.  This place always has a large contingent of these birds in the spring, summer, and fall and  This one presented itself well with the nice blue sky as a backdrop.

Turkey Vulture



Along the trail at various places we found many lizards of all kinds.  Some were very camera shy and did not stick around to allow any photos, but a few posed upon some rocks and allowed us to capture a couple of photos.  While I am not an expert at identifying reptiles, I think this first photo is an adult male Common Side-blotched Lizard, which is a very common and wide-spread species throughout the state of Arizona. 

Common Side-blotched Lizard



This second lizard appears to be an Elegant Earless Lizard.  If a reptile expert is reading this post and can give me a better identification on either of these lizards, please post this in the comments so I can edit my post and make corrections.

Elegant Earless Lizard



Once we retreated to the shade created by the canopy of trees, we paid a visit to the bird bath near the
Smith Center and the Lesser Goldfinches did not fail us with their bathing and drinking.  This flowing bird bath is a great attraction for many birds especially in the hot and dry summer months.  Believe it or not, there really are two birds in this photo below, one of them is really getting into it! 

Lesser Goldfinches



As I have mentioned in earlier posts, this place is one of my favorite spots to visit and I never get tired of seeing what might show up.  If you ever plan a trip to AZ and enjoy nature and wildlife this place is well worth the time to visit.

GWR---11 August 2012

GWR----If you are a birder and live the Phoenix vicinity you know that GWR is the short abbreviation for Gilbert Water Ranch.  Technically the official name is Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert, AZ.  This is a very unique place and it consists of 7 man made ponds of recycled water and 1 pond that is a designated fishing pond.  The 7 ponds can vary with the amount of water in them from week to the next.  What is amazing about this place is that it has a huge variety of bird life and in the past it has attracted some very rare birds.  I think they have recorded about 270 species at this location over the years.  On Friday there was a report of 3 species of sandpipers seen there that are not necessarily rare, but they are also not common;  Solitary Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, and Baird's Sandpiper.  So on a whim, Ellen and I decided to meet there early this morning to see if we could find any of these 3 species.  We found 2 of the 3 species along with a lot of other very common birds and also ran into another birding friend, Bernie H.  We missed out on the Baird's, but we had seem some before today at another location and I am sure we will run into them again sometime.  Pond 6 was covered with 'peeps', probably well over 100 Least Sandpipers and they are a common site at this location during the winter months.  Also had several Greater Yellowlegs and one of them walked right towards us really strutting and showing off.  Not hard to see how they got the name Yellowlegs in these photos!

 Greater Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs



Another bird found in fairly large numbers and is also a winter resident were the Long-billed Dowitchers.  These are birds that have returned from their breeding grounds far north from Arizona and some are still wearing their breeding colors such as the one in the photo below.

Long-billed Dowitcher

Finally found one of our target birds, the Solitary Sandpiper.  As their name suggests, they are usually found alone, not in flocks.  When scoping the waters in the ponds it can be difficult to pick out a single different bird, but size is one of the keys in trying to locate a single different bird such as this Solitary Sandpiper.  And of course they always have to be far out in the mud flats making it more difficult to get a proper photo!

Solitary Sandpiper

The other target bird we found was even further out in the mud and water.  A Stilt Sandpiper which just happened to be a new life bird for me.  Even though the photo is not great quality, at least I do have one recorded for my records.

Stilt Sandpiper



Another very common bird found here year-round, is the Killdeer and today there were several.  They are so common that it is sometimes easy to ignore them, but when they cooperate and get in close to allow photos, you have to shoot a couple of shots so try and capture that bright orange and black eye.

 Killdeer

Killdeer

One more water bird to add to the photo list is a Green Heron, that was doing some very serious hunting for small fish along the waters edge.

Green Heron



The final photo is one of an Inca Dove.  Not a water bird by any means, but a fairly common but small dove of the American Southwest.  Note the red primary feathers on the wings, which is quite colorful and showy when they fly.  This is one of my favorite doves.

Inca Dove



Well, as you can see, not a lot of 'colorful' birds, but they are unique in their own way and are probably often overlooked by most people that are walking around these ponds.  Since this place is fairly close to my home, it is one place I visit quite frequently all year long and I will always keep my eyes open for something new or rare to show up. 

McCook, Nebraska, Aug 2012

After having such a successful birding adventure with my niece, Trina, I ventured back to the 'city' of McCook which is where I was staying with my sister and her family.  In the afternoon I asked my nephew if he was interested in visiting Barnett Park on the south side of McCook.  This park is a picnic area with a few trails and a pond with some water fountains in it.  My nephew, Maxwell, has a good eye for birds as he was quickly pointing out several that he saw.  The pond was populated with over 50 Canada Geese and a few domestic ones as well.  Also found one Mallard and a couple of 'Mutt Ducks', which are hybrid cross with Mallard and domestic ducks.  Probably the one water bird that struck me as being out of place was a Double-crested Cormorant.  Guess I never really expected one on a pond in the plains of southwestern Nebraska, but guide books show they do occur in this area, but sure don't remember any from my youth.  Here are a couple photos of this bird after it left the water to dry out its feathers.

 Double-crested Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

This is the only bird I was able to photograph in the park, but we did see several other very nice birds as well, including; American Kestrel, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Red-headed Woodpecker, Western Kingbird, Warbling Vireo, Blue Jay, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Wren, Brown Thrasher, and Northern Cardinal.

Once we returned to my sister's house she decided to go for a walk in her neighborhood and of course, I just had to go along and take my camera with me.  During the walk we found an American Goldfinch, Eurasian-collared Doves, Mourning Doves, Western Kingbirds, House Finches, and a very cooperative Baltimore Oriole.

 Baltimore oriole

Baltimore Oriole



And as we were near the end of our walk we came upon a couple of Western Kingbirds, and one of them was very approachable.  I don't think this bird knew what to think of a human with a camera.  Sure gave me some quizzical looks.

Western Kingbird



We finished our walk with a leisure evening on the back patio.  During this time I saw American Robins, Northern Cardinals, House Finches, lots of Chimney Swifts in the evening sky, Common Grackles, Mourning Doves, and a European Starling.  This starling was a bit unusual as it was a juvenile in the middle of a molt and looks very different than most starlings that we see day to day.

European Starling



Maybe birding this state is overlooked by many birders.  Obviously there are a lot of great birds to be found within the state, but like most states, knowing where to find them is a bit tricky.  Just about everyone is familiar with the Sandhill Crane migration that occurs every year in February and March in the central part of the state, but I think there is much more to explore and see throughout the state. 

Nebraska Birding

This past week I paid a short visit back to my home state of Nebraska and time with close relatives.  While there I was able to squeeze in one day of birding.  Surprisingly, my family did not laugh at me or poke fun at me and my birding obsession, but in fact, some of them actually joined in I think they had a good time in the process.  The first excursion was with my niece, Trina, who drove me out to Hugh Butler Lake north of McCook, Nebraska which is located in the southwest corner of the state near the Kansas and Colorado borders.   The water level at the lake is currently very low due to some repair work being down to the dam itself.  We went to the marina area and found several small inlets overgrown with vegetation.  This proved to be prime habitat for birds.  Although it was cool, overcast and windy with sprinkles in the air, the birds did not disappoint.  One of the most exciting first finds was a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers.  I have not seen them for years and had forgotten how stunning they really are.  Perhaps the mot attractive woodpecker in North America.  Not only did we find a pair, but we also discovered they had a fledgling following them around. 

 Red-headed Woodpecker with Cicada

Red-headed Woodpecker with Fledgling



We also discovered several Indigo Buntings in the area.  Unfortunately we were not able to get too close to them for great photos, but what a bright addition to the green surroundings.  This is the bird that really peaked my interest when I was very young in Nebraska.

Indigo Bunting

We also observed a Great-horned Owl that was flying from tree to tree and in the process landed in a tree with an American Kestrel that was very distraught with the owl in such close proximity.  Was not able to capture a photo of the owl, but did manage to capture a very fuzzy photo of the kestrel in flight.

American Kestrel



We made our way down to a beach and sat on a couple of stumps and watched and waited as birds flew in around us, including a very bright male American Goldfinch which came down to the water's edge for a drink.

American Goldfinch



Also while sitting on those stumps, a pair of Gray Catbirds made an appearance on a pile of tree limbs.  This was quite a surprise as they tend to be a bit secretive.

Gray Catbird



The picnic areas were full of American Robins who stoically hop around and spend more time stopped and standing still, but I finally got a photo of a robin in motion, or guess you could call it 'in the middle of a hop'.

American Robin



When we were near the Marina itself, we happened to find a couple of Northern Flickers and these were the 'Yellow-shafted' form instead of the 'Red-shadfted' form.  You can see the hint of yellow on the edges of the primary feathers.

Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker



One of the local residents saw us birding and invited us to come to their home and see the birds that were feeding on the bird seed that they occasionally tossed out on the road.  We had a White-breasted Nuthatch come in along with some House Finches and one of the males was about the brightest red House Finch I have ever seen.  Also had another American Goldfinch pay a visit and the photo below captured him discarding the hull of a black oil sunflower seed.  In fact all 3 of these birds were enjoying the black oil sunflower seeds, worth taking note of this for those of you wanting to feed birds.

 White-breasted Nuthatch

 House Finch

American Goldfinch



Near the road entrance to the marina area, we found a couple of juvenile Red-tailed Hawks and one adult, so it is evident that they have nested in this area.

 Red-tailed Hawk-Juvenile

Red-tailed Hawk-Adult



The last photo is one of several Wild Turkeys and I counted at least 6 young ones in the flock.

Wild Turkeys



Nebraska is probably not considered one of the nation's hotspots for birding, but one can't complain with the variety and color seen here.  We saw many other birds as well such as Eastern Bluebirds, Yellow Warblers, Great Blue Herons, Lark Sparrows, Bell's Vireo (heard song only), and Turkey Vultures.  But this was definitely worth the time spent there, and maybe someones interest in birds just might have gotten a little stronger.

Mt Ord, the 1688 Trail, 29 July 2012

Wanting to be adventurous, Ellen once again joined me on checking out a new birding spot: the 1688 road/trail on Mt Ord in Arizona.  I think it is referred to as a road, but most vehicles would have a tough time navigating it.  But it is a fantastic hiking trail.  It is located on the west side of Mt Ord so it is entirely in Maricopa County and the trail is about 2 miles long and then the 2 miles return made for a great hike and some much needed exercise.  We got started early in the morning and with the higher elevation, it made for a very cool and comfortable hike.  We felt pretty good as the first bird we actually saw was a Painted Redstart.  In all, we saw 3 on our hike but heard more and of those three we actually saw, 2 of them were juveniles from this year's hatch, which is nice to know that this species is breeding on Mt Ord.  Here is a photo of one of the juveniles (no red on their bellies)!

Painted Redstart

One of the next exciting birds birds was a Black-throated Gray Warbler juvenile that flew across our trail in front of us and then proceeded to come out and pose for us.  Maybe it was checking us out since it was a juvenile and had not inherited its caution with humans yet.  Very striking little birds with that spot of yellow in front of the bill which is quite interesting.

 Black-throated Gray Warbler, Juvenile

Black-throated Gray Warbler, Juvenile



Another fairly common bird that we found were Western Wood Pewees doing what they do best, perching on bare branches and flying out to snag an insect and return to its perch.

Western Wood Pewee



We also discovered 3 Greater Short-horned Lizards during our hike; 2 adults and then a young one.  Does a baby lizard have a name?  Many people call these lizards, Horny Toads, but in fact they are lizards, not amphibians.  I don't see these that often, so when I do I get excited at seeing them and I am always amazed at them.

 Greater Short-horned Lizard, Adult

Greater Short-horned Lizard, Baby



It is probably a toss-up on which bird was the most numerous during our hike; the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher or the Rufous-crowned Sparrow.  The gnatcatcher can be found in a lot of places in AZ and they are active and busy as most small birds are.  Couldn't seem to capture a decent photo of one sitting in the sun for me, so I had to settle for this photo of one in the process of hopping from one twig to another. 

 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

The Rufous-crowned Sparrow had eluded me until last year when I found my first 2, but this trip really increased my count of this species.  They were everywhere along the trail and I finally had a couple stop long enough to let me capture some decent photos of them.  One photo is a straight on head shot that readily shows off the strong facial markings of this bird and the second photo give a side view of this bird.  It was very nice to capture some decent photos of this sparrow to add to my sparrow collection.

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

Rufous-crowned Sparrow



This place is definitely a worthwhile place to visit for the views, scenery, birds and other wildlife and of course the solitude.  We only encountered 1 other person during our 4 mile hike.  Need to stay in shape for some upcoming short trips planned in the month of August.