Yet another trip to Hassayampa and Lake Pleasant

On November 13th, Mr. Paul Doucett and I birded the Hassayampa River Preserve and Lake Pleasant. We had many goals that we set, the target birds that I looked for were Williamson's Sapsucker and Winter Wren at the preserve and Common Loon and Red-breasted Merganser at the lake. Mr. Paul wanted at least five year birds to bring his year list to 190. His goal for the end of the year is 200 (which I believe he will crush). As we arrived at the preserve a little after 8:00am  I decided that we should try something new. I usually bird the Palm Lake Loop and the Mesquite Meander trails first but I decided to bird the River Ramble and Lyke's Lookout trails first. The first 15 minutes of birding these trails were not nearly as good as I imagined but we didn't give up! As we walked a little ways down the Lyke's Lookout Trail we saw a bird fly north down the western most stream in the river bed. Once I put my binocs up I noticed it was a Rufous-backed Robin, an ABA code 3!!!

The robin was very skittsh though, and it was hard to get any good photos but here are a couple more.

While I was off trying to photograph the robin and not lose it another bird flew up and into the canopy.

Right when I got my binocs on the bird I knew it was a Varied Thrush! When I looked back to signal Mr. Paul he told me that he saw the bird. The Varied Thrush was a bird both Mr. Paul and I have dreamed of seeing ever since we first saw the cover on the Sibley's Guide to the birds of Western North America.

I only saw the bird once before it disappeared into the riparian forest. Mr. Paul and I walked a little further to see if there was anything else new but we came up empty. So we walked back to where we saw the birds and they were both along the so called river, and at one point they were within twenty feet of each other!

                                                                    Varied Thrush

 

Rufous-backed Robin

 

Both Mr. Paul and I were stoked to have two rare birds, one that is rare for North America and another that is rare for AZ, but it got even better when we found a continuing rare for Maricopa Williamson's Sapsucker!

 

On our way back to the Picnic Area along the River Ramble I was able to get my third lifer of the day, a calling Winter Wren! Along the Palm Lake Loop we had another couple of highlights to add to our morning, a Gray Flycatcher and possible flyover from a calling Red Crossbill.
                                            
                                                                      Gray Flycatcher

While I was sitting at the Picnic area waiting for Mr. Paul to come I found a Fox Sparrow, and after friend and fellow birder Mr. Tommy D saw the photos he said it was a rare for AZ Red Fox Sparrow! Thanks Mr. Tommy!

                                                                        Fox Sparrow

We were able to see and hear 41 species at the preserve and we birded at this birders paradise for about four hours! After birding the preserve we drove for half an hour until reaching Lake Pleasant. The Maricopa side of the lake held a Pied-billed Grebe a few Ring-billed Gulls, some Buffleheads, and a dozen Snow Geese. But on the Yavapai side we spied two continuing Brown Pelicans.

                                                                       Brown Pelican

We also had a Ring-billed Gull that flew right by us.

                                                                     Ring-billed Gull

By the end of the day we had many highlights and Mr. Paul got himself 8 year birds (only seven away from 200!) and I got 6 bringing my year list to 279 (29 species above my list last year). Thanks for the awesome day of birding Mr. Paul!!!

Birding Hassayampa and Lake Pleasant

On September 24th I took a trip to the US 80 Roadside Rest Stop (near Hassayampa), Hassayampa River Preserve, and Lake Pleasant with birding friend Mr. Tommy Debardeleben ( or Tommy D). We started the morning off  stopping at the US 80 Roadside rest area where we birded for an hour or so before the preseve (which is only about a couple miles away) opened. When we parked and got out of the car we could hear many Orange-crowned Warblers calling from the willows and cottonwoods.

 Other than this Orange-crowned Warbler above, the birds were not very photogenic at all, but we still enjoyed watching them through our binocs. After we were done birding one half of the area we hiked to the other side where we heard a Gray Hawk calling from deep within the riparian forest, we searched hard to find it but the trees were just too thick. While we waited for the hawk to hopefully fly over us we heard another one only in the opposite direction. We then searched for that one when a third bird flew across the river!!! The third bird that flew over the river was an adult with its small size, gray plumage, and black and white striped tail. I was very excited to see this hawk, it was only the second time I have seen one! Here is a photo of the river.

Before we knew it, it was already 7:55am and the preserve opens at 8:00am, we drove over to the preserve, coated our selves with bug spray and started hiking the Hassayampa River Preserve. The only bummer was that due to some recent hurricanes that had come through only two of the five trails were open, the Palm Lake trail and Mesquite Meander. But we made the most of those two trails and birded them HARD!!! One of the first birds we saw after we paid our fee was this adult male Summer Tanger.

We then started out on the Palm Lake trail which held a few migrants including Yellow-rumped, Wilson's Orange-crowned, Lucy's, and Nashville Warblers. Here is a photo of Palm Lake.

 Next we started hiking the Mesquite Meander where we stopped and waited for the birds to come to us. While we sat down and ate some tabasco flavored trail mix Mr. Tommy spied this Lesser Goldfinch on her nest.

                                           Man, there's nothing better than food and birds!
Walking a little farther we ran into a mixed flock that consited of Cassin's and Plumbeous Vireos, Wilson's Yellow-rumped, Nashville, and Orange-crowned Warblers, and a few other migrants. Here's a Nashville Warbler.

After many stops we finished all of the trails at Hassayampa. We then drove over to Lake Pleasant to look for some rarities. Our first stop at Lake Pleasant was on the Yavapai side where we spied an interesting gull.

Somehow, Mr. Tommy with his robo eyes saw some red on the gulls bill through the scope (probably from that tabasco flavored stuff, I heard it gives you powers!) we walked a bit closer to where I could clearly see the red on the bill, and we called it a California Gull (my lifer)!!! I told Mr. Tommy how I had the Sabine's before I got the California and he said that was just plain wrong! After we confirmed the bird we walked closer so I could get  photos of my new lifer.

When the bird flew another gull came which ended up being a Ring-billed Gull.

 The rest of the day was spent scoping birds from about a half mile away on the Maricopa side of Lake Pleasant, the highlights on the Maricopa side would be Sabine's Gull, Horned Grebe, and my first ever winter plumaged Forster's Tern. That will conclude my birding in the Wickenburg, and Lake Pleasant area. Thanks for the AWESOME trip Mr. Tommy !!!