crispycreme
Well-known member
After nearly a week's worth of rain, the weather cleared up nicely and we took the opportunity to dash from central Arizona down to a couple of the famous birding spots a hundred and fifty miles to the southeast of us (our first time). Since we only had two days in which to wallow in birdwatching bliss, we chose two of the closer (to us) birding havens - Lake Patagonia and Madera Canyon.
We stopped briefly in Tucson to pick up my son and were rewarded with our first views of AMERICAN AVOCETs* angling (well, 'snailing' really) in the Santa Cruz River, along with BLACK-NECKED STILTs, CINAMON TEALs, and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDs. Additionally, we spent a minute or so in awe of a PEREGRINE FALCON ripping apart a hapless woodpecker.
As we neared Lake Patagonia, we stopped at a roadside rest stop, and caught both the sights and sounds of the "Lillian's" EASTERN MEADOWLARK*. Several minutes later we arrived at the lake, and began our quest for our three target birds: Elegant Trogon, Rufous-baked Robin, and Black-capped Gnatcatcher - all reported there within the previous week or two. The first birds we encountered upon parking were NORTHERN CARDINALS and PYRRHULOXIAs (both taking plenty of opportunities to defeat their arch-foes, their own reflections in automobile rear-view mirrors), NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS, a BENDIRE's THRASHER, two CURVE-BILLED THRASHERs and one singing CANYON TOWHEE (in surprisingly colorful spring plumage!). We headed out towards the 'birding area' (for those familiar - the marshy part of the lake where Sonoita Creek washes in) and got some great looks at two VERMILION FLYCATCHERs, a LARK'S SPARROW, BRIDLED TITMICE, a RED-TAILED HAWK, COMMON RAVENs, a WESTERN GREBE, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTs (no Neotropics though), COMMON MERGANSERs, a COOPER'S HAWK, BLACK PHOEBEs, one SAY'S PHOEBE, BEWICK'S WRENs, a TURKEY VULTURE, DARK-EYED JUNCOs ("Oregon", "Gray-headed", and "Pink-sided") and finally, to our everlasting delight, an AMERICAN BITTERN* who apparently didn't realize he was in full view and pranced, fished, and "played cattail" for us for several entertaining minutes! Unfortunately, we dipped on all three target birds (a common theme for the weekend), but as we drove through Nogales on the way back to Tucson we spotted a half-dozen BLACK VULTUREs* descending on a tree for their afternoon roost. We also had a great look at either a Common Black-hawk or a Zone-tailed Hawk perched alongside the freeway, but unfortunately those birds pretty much need to be airborne to tell them apart (at least for me). Zone-taileds were more commonly reported in that area over the winter, but I'm uncomfortable casting a judgement either way.
The next morning, we arrived at Madera Canyon a few minutes before dawn, and were rewarded with some awesome birds. MEXICAN JAY*, ARIZONA WOODPECKER*, MAGNIFICENT HUMMINGBIRD*, ACORN WOODPECKER, LESSER GOLDFINCH, CHIPPING SPARROW, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, and RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER were all hanging about the feeders at the Lodge. We hardly had to do any hiking or bushwacking, as all the birds seemingly came to us! Couldn't complain about that arrangement now, could we? The highlight of the day though, was undoubtably the PAINTED REDSTART* who arrived just after dawn and obliged us by showing off it's brand new spring plumage. Just a striking, spectacular bird! Additionally, we saw a few PHAINOPEPLAs and NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDs, one HUTTON'S VIREO, and a few species we also saw on the previous day.
Other common birds seen during the trip: MOURNING DOVEs, EUROPEAN STARLINGs, HOUSE FINCHes, HOUSE SPARROWs, many RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETs, ROCK DOVEs, a few ABERT'S TOWHEEs, and a handful of AMERICAN COOTs.
All in all 8 lifers (denoted by *). No Rose-throated Becards, no Green Kingfishers, no Yellow-eyed Juncos, no Black-capped gnatcatchers, Rufous-backed Robins or Elegant Trogons, but all the more incentive for us on our next trip south!
We stopped briefly in Tucson to pick up my son and were rewarded with our first views of AMERICAN AVOCETs* angling (well, 'snailing' really) in the Santa Cruz River, along with BLACK-NECKED STILTs, CINAMON TEALs, and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDs. Additionally, we spent a minute or so in awe of a PEREGRINE FALCON ripping apart a hapless woodpecker.
As we neared Lake Patagonia, we stopped at a roadside rest stop, and caught both the sights and sounds of the "Lillian's" EASTERN MEADOWLARK*. Several minutes later we arrived at the lake, and began our quest for our three target birds: Elegant Trogon, Rufous-baked Robin, and Black-capped Gnatcatcher - all reported there within the previous week or two. The first birds we encountered upon parking were NORTHERN CARDINALS and PYRRHULOXIAs (both taking plenty of opportunities to defeat their arch-foes, their own reflections in automobile rear-view mirrors), NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS, a BENDIRE's THRASHER, two CURVE-BILLED THRASHERs and one singing CANYON TOWHEE (in surprisingly colorful spring plumage!). We headed out towards the 'birding area' (for those familiar - the marshy part of the lake where Sonoita Creek washes in) and got some great looks at two VERMILION FLYCATCHERs, a LARK'S SPARROW, BRIDLED TITMICE, a RED-TAILED HAWK, COMMON RAVENs, a WESTERN GREBE, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTs (no Neotropics though), COMMON MERGANSERs, a COOPER'S HAWK, BLACK PHOEBEs, one SAY'S PHOEBE, BEWICK'S WRENs, a TURKEY VULTURE, DARK-EYED JUNCOs ("Oregon", "Gray-headed", and "Pink-sided") and finally, to our everlasting delight, an AMERICAN BITTERN* who apparently didn't realize he was in full view and pranced, fished, and "played cattail" for us for several entertaining minutes! Unfortunately, we dipped on all three target birds (a common theme for the weekend), but as we drove through Nogales on the way back to Tucson we spotted a half-dozen BLACK VULTUREs* descending on a tree for their afternoon roost. We also had a great look at either a Common Black-hawk or a Zone-tailed Hawk perched alongside the freeway, but unfortunately those birds pretty much need to be airborne to tell them apart (at least for me). Zone-taileds were more commonly reported in that area over the winter, but I'm uncomfortable casting a judgement either way.
The next morning, we arrived at Madera Canyon a few minutes before dawn, and were rewarded with some awesome birds. MEXICAN JAY*, ARIZONA WOODPECKER*, MAGNIFICENT HUMMINGBIRD*, ACORN WOODPECKER, LESSER GOLDFINCH, CHIPPING SPARROW, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, and RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER were all hanging about the feeders at the Lodge. We hardly had to do any hiking or bushwacking, as all the birds seemingly came to us! Couldn't complain about that arrangement now, could we? The highlight of the day though, was undoubtably the PAINTED REDSTART* who arrived just after dawn and obliged us by showing off it's brand new spring plumage. Just a striking, spectacular bird! Additionally, we saw a few PHAINOPEPLAs and NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDs, one HUTTON'S VIREO, and a few species we also saw on the previous day.
Other common birds seen during the trip: MOURNING DOVEs, EUROPEAN STARLINGs, HOUSE FINCHes, HOUSE SPARROWs, many RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETs, ROCK DOVEs, a few ABERT'S TOWHEEs, and a handful of AMERICAN COOTs.
All in all 8 lifers (denoted by *). No Rose-throated Becards, no Green Kingfishers, no Yellow-eyed Juncos, no Black-capped gnatcatchers, Rufous-backed Robins or Elegant Trogons, but all the more incentive for us on our next trip south!
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