When the Ponds Recharge in Glendale

 I have been very fortunate as to make a couple of short birding trips to the Glendale Recharge Ponds in the last few days. During Spring and Fall migration these ponds hold an overwhelming amount of shorebirds, gulls and even terns. So with the possibility of finding something good, I didn't hesitate to answer the question on where to go birding. The main bird-talk that was going around in my home county (Maricopa) was a pair of Black-bellied Plovers that had been staying here at the ponds, and it wasn't very hard to locate not two but three of these beautiful plovers.

Black-bellied Plover 

There was also a one-day-wonder Red-breasted Merganser that I identified. He was hanging with his ruddy's not his peeps. RBME don't hang with peeps!

Red-breasted Merganser-1st winter male, note the dark green forehead

The impressive Snowy Egrets seemed to be showing off their awesomeness but the Great Horned Owls seemed unimpressed (like always).

Snowy Egret

Great Horned Owl- Adult on left fledgling on right

Throughout the short time that I observed the owls there was a European Starling that tried hard to make the owls brake.

European Starling

I felt somewhat bad for the starling as it got rejected by the owls, however the Neotropic Cormorants didn't help, as they ooh'd and heckled at the pore thing.

Neotropic Cormorant

Yes I know, by now you're thinking that the GRPs are a harsh place, well in some way they are (like nearly getting your car broken into) but take this family of Mallards for instance, they're making it through.

Mallard-11 babies!!!

The Glendale Recharge Ponds are an awesome place to bird especially during Spring and Fall migration. With the peak of shorebird-migration coming up in a week or two the birding listserve should be getting some pretty exciting reports. I must thank Mr. John Kafel, Mr. Joe Ford and Mr. Paul Doucett for making these two trips and this post possible! 

A Well Needed Trip to SE AZ (Part 2)

Florida Canyon! The first two things that come to mind when an experienced birder hears that name is Black-capped Gnatcatchers and Rufous-capped Warblers. Both the BCGN and the RCWA are Mexican vagrants that have been known to breed in Florida Canyon in very small numbers. As I said in the last post, the Black-capped Gnatcatcher was my target bird for the trip, so you might ask "Why not the Rufous-capped Warbler?" Well at the time I didn't know where the RCWA was and I hadn't been to Florida Canyon before. But once Mr. John and I pulled into the parking area I was very exited to explore yet another new birdy area. I quickly jumped out of the car and started calling out birds "Gray Hawk, Broad-billed hummingbird, Plumbeous Vireo, Black-headed Grosbeak" before long I was up to thirty species, and I was still around the parking area! But there was one set back, Mr. John was tired by our previous day of hiking around the Museum. So we agreed that he would stay back at the parking lot and bird around the small but active area while I hiked up the canyon a ways. However, I came prepared and brought my walkie-talkies that I use back at home when I go birding by bike. As I literally ran up the canyon I came across a fellow bird-guide Mr. Richard Fray, who kindly gave me directions to where he had seen a few birds like Rufous-capped Wabler, Elegant Trogon, Montezuma Quail, and a possible Golden-crowned Sparrow. So becoming even more pumped (almost to the point where my brain could've exploded!) I started running even faster only in a "Bird Hard" fashion. Before long I started slowing down as the trails started splitting more and more. As I was hiking at a fast pace I had a couple of birds explode into flight from what felt like the tip of my nose, Montezuma Quail (Lifer #3 for the trip)!!! The two birds took flight in two different directions and trying to keep track of either one of them proved very hard. I then spotted a pair of Golden Eagles in the distance as they used the ridge line for transportation, but the birds were way to far for a photo. Soon after, I found myself about a mile up the trail where the habitat along the creek started disappearing so I started working my way back when I spotted a plain gray-faced Zonotrichia fly into the creeks thick brush. All it took was that very brief glimpse to identify the sparrow as a Golden-crowned (Lifer #4 for the trip and 350 for my life)! I then patiently waited and after a bit of pishing the bird came out!

Golden-crowned Sparrow 

Honestly, this has got to be the drabbest bird I've seen in my life!

The sparrow then flew down into the brush again, and as I was waiting for the bird to make another move when I got a call from Mr. John that he was staring at the Black-capped Gnatcatcher with Mr. Richard, and it was sitting on its nest!!! I then told him that I was on my way, but as I started running I spotted a Golden Eagle soaring overhead and a Gray Hawk was attacking it!

Golden Eagle

Golden Eagle--And babam, Gray Hawk!

Once the Gray Hawk retreated I then continued running down the canyon for a half mile before I reached the parking area. I then found Mr. John and after scanning the tree branches we found our suspect (Lifer #5 for the trip)!

Black-capped Gnatcatcher--Female

Note the long bill and white undertail that separate this unique gnatcatcher from the others.

We then pointed out the gnatcatcher to some other birders and we continued snapping pictures.

Black-capped Gnatcatcher

After watching the gnatcatcher for a while we decided it was time to hit Madera Canyon, but on our way we stopped by a cow corral to see what we could find. I didn't find the male Black-capped Gnatcatcher that had been staying here but I did, however, hear and get a couple looks of my lifer (#6 for the trip!) Northern Beardless-Tyrranulet. I tried hard to get more looks and possibly a photo but that bird was just so darn small! We then continued towards Madera Canyon where we made our first stop by the Super Trail near the top of the canyon. I hiked about three quarters of a mile before I decided I probably wasn't going to crush any trogons on the trip. We then made our last stop of the day at the Santa Rita Lodge where we saw some cool birds.

Mexican Jay

Wild Turkey

I ended the two day trip with an awesome 6 lifers to talk about and 25 year birds bringing my year list to 250! I am looking forward to my next trip to SE AZ and who knows what lifers I might get on that trip. Thanks Mr. John, Mrs. Janet, Mrs. Jennifer, and last but not least Ren for an awesome trip!

A Well Needed Trip to SE AZ (Part 1)

On April 8th and 9th I took an fun trip down to Southeast Arizona with Mr. John, and Janet Kafel, as well as Mrs. Janet's daughter and grandson Mrs. Jennifer and Ren. I had only been to SE AZ once before, and that was also a two day trip and was very birdy. Mr. John arrived at my house at 6:00AM, we reached our first destination, the Sweetwater Wetlands, where we searched for a Baltimore Oriole that had spent the winter at this hotspot, but we had bad news when a local birder told us that the oriole had not been seen for a few days and had most likely moved on. We came up empty with the BAOR but we did see many Yellow Warblers and a couple of Soras chasing each other and even swimming out in the open!

Yellow Warbler

Sora

After doing a little birding at Sweetwater we drove over to the Gilbert Ray Campground near the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum where we were going to set up camp and stay overnight. While Mr. John was signing in at the desk I heard what sounded like a cardinal but it didn't sound right, and that was when I realized it was my lifer Pyrrhuloxia! I then got some okay views of the bird but it stayed back in the brush. We then found our camping site and I did a little birding in a nearby wash where I heard and then saw another lifer, a couple of Rufous-winged Sparrows!

Rufous-winged Sparrow (Bird #1)

(Bird #2)

If you look at the birds shoulder you will see a little rufous coloring on it. thus came the name "Rufous-winged Sparrow".

After I was done studying my lifer Mr. John and I started setting up camp when his family arrived. We then drove over to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum where I saw some amazing (non-wild) mammals, birds, reptiles, and more! 

Ocelot 

Bighorn Sheep

Mountain Lion

Mexican Gray Wolf

Yellow X Black-headed Grosbeak Hybrid

Pyrrhuloxia X Northern Cardinal Hybrid

After eating at a nice mexican restaurant in Tucson I had the privilege of leading Ren (who is 9 years old) on his first ever birding adventure. We hiked around in the nearby wash and I was able to show him some long named desert birds like Pyrrhuloxia and Phainopepla. While we were hiking through the wash keeping our eyes peeled for birds and other wildlife Ren spotted an awesome Long-nosed Snake slithering right by our feet!

Long-nosed Snake

Mr. John and I started the next morning early when we woke up at 12:30AM to the sound of Western Screech, and Great Horned Owls, as well as a Common Poorwill. We then went back to sleep and woke up to officially started the day at 5:30AM. However, I had to settle the score with one bird before leaving the campground and that was to get at least one decent photo of the Pyrrhuloxia! So after stripping down the tents, rolling up the sleeping bags, and saying farewell to Mrs. Janet, Mrs. Jennifer, and Ren I started my trek to crush the "Desert Cardinal". I started by searching in the very birdy wash. I could hear a Northern Cardinal calling but I couldn't hear any PYRRs, so I hiked further down to where I could hear one singing, and I walked up to the saguaro that it was singing on and had great views.

Pyrrhuloxia

The bird then flew down low into the brush chasing what I believe was his mate. So I followed the call and eventually got an eye level photo!

Pyrrhuloxia 

Once I was done photographing this amazingly beautiful bird I walked back to camp when Mr. John and I decided it was about time to head to Florida Canyon to search for my main target bird for the trip, the Black-capped Gnatcatcher. Stay tuned to find out how my gnatcatcher quest goes!