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2 Sep NM Bird Report 9/2/10 [Matt Baumann ] 2 Sep Re: Beware of ticks (no sightings) ["Bennett Chris (DNREC)" ] 2 Sep Re: Beware of ticks (no sightings) [Wood/Williamson ] 2 Sep Re: Beware of ticks (no sightings) [John Puschock ] 1 Sep CEAZ: Miller House of Mesa, September Big Day- 28 species [Jay Miller ] 2 Sep AZ: Santa Cruz Flats [Doug Jenness ] 1 Sep Huachuca Mt area this week [Alan Schmierer ] 1 Sep Beware of ticks (no sightings) [Wood/Williamson ] 1 Sep SEAZ: Huachuca Canyon, Beatty's Hummingbird Fest 09/01/10 [Melody Kehl ] 1 Sep Nogales CBC [Mike Bissontz ] 1 Sep Tucson Audubon trip interest survey--No Sightings [Darlene Smyth ] 1 Sep AZ: Status of Birds in Huachuca Cyn. [Alan Miller ] 1 Sep Belated Sweetwater Wetlands report, Tucson ,Az 7/31/10 [Jerry Bock ] 1 Sep Western Tanager in Tempe 8-31-10 [Ernie Nickels ] 1 Sep AZ: Pena Blanca Lake [Mark Stevenson ] 31 Aug Colossal Cave Park 8/30/2010 [Pat ] 1 Sep SE AZ: I-19 Corridor - 31 Aug 2010 [Michael Marsden ] 31 Aug AZ: Madera Canyon area this morning [David Stejskal ] 31 Aug SE AZ: 08/31/10 - San Rafael Valley+ [Stuart Healy ] 31 Aug SE AZ: Mt Lemmon [Richard Fray ] 31 Aug AZ: Olive-sided Flycatcher movement [Alan Miller ] 31 Aug SEAZ: Tucson Audubon, Slaughter Ranch 08/31/10 [Melody Kehl ] 31 Aug Santa Cruz County -Fresnal Wash area- [Daniel Ginter ] 31 Aug NM: Tramway wetlands, Albuquerque 8/31; Avocet, Wilson's Phalarope [Matthew O'Donnell ] 31 Aug TUCSON: Sweetwater Peach-faced Lovebird 8/31/10 [mary klinkel ] 31 Aug SEAZ: Benson STP, Cochise County [Arlene Ripley ] 31 Aug Re: CEAZ: Tempe ravens [Diana Stuart - FCDX ] 31 Aug AZ SE Palominas Bird Walk [Gordon Lewis ] 31 Aug CEAZ: Tempe ravens ["Myron L. Scott" ] 30 Aug SE AZ: 08/30/10 - Scheelite and Garden Canyons [Stuart Healy ] 30 Aug Willcox/Bentsen [John hirth ] 30 Aug Re: AZ: Big Day highlights, 29 August 2010 [John Yerger ] 30 Aug SEAZ: Catalina Mountains, 08/30/10 [Melody Kehl ] 30 Aug AZ: Big Day highlights, 29 August 2010 [John Yerger ] 30 Aug AZ:08/29/10:Evening in Santa Ritas ["Clifford A. Cathers" ] 30 Aug Tucson: Roger Road STP [Mark Stevenson ] 30 Aug NM: Rio Grande Nature Center, Williamson's Sapsucker [Danny Paez ] 30 Aug Re: ABQ NM Peregrine again [Larry Gorbet ] 30 Aug ABQ NM Peregrine again [Lovekin Anne ] 30 Aug CEAZ: Miller House of Mesa - female Scarlet Tanager, 8-30. [Jay Miller ] 30 Aug Re: OT: Cotton Cutworm extravaganza [Jackie Lewis ] 30 Aug NM RBA 8/30/10 [Matt Baumann ] 29 Aug NM: Mostly Grant County birds [Christopher Rustay ] 29 Aug Re: OT: Cotton Cutworm extravaganza [Bob Evans ] 29 Aug OT: Cotton Cutworm extravaganza [Richard Ditch ] 29 Aug SEAZ: California Gulch, 08/29/10 [Melody Kehl ] 29 Aug Re: AZ: Goodyear Tricolored Heron continues 8/29/10 [Richard Filley ] 29 Aug SE AZ: Colossal Cave Park - Tucson Audubon trip [Matthew Brooks ] 29 Aug AZ: Sierra Vista EOP--29 Aug 2010 [Erika Wilson ] 29 Aug AZ:08/29/10:Vail Cassin's Sparrow ["Clifford A. Cathers" ] 29 Aug Sweetwater today [Peter Salomon ] 29 Aug AZFO Shorebird ID Workshop - w. Maricopa Co. [Troy Corman ] 29 Aug White Mtns., Black Canyon Lake, Holbrook [Eric Hough ] 29 Aug AZ: Goodyear Tricolored Heron continues 8/29/10 [Melanie Herring ] 28 Aug SE AZ: I-19 corridor, Happy Valley [Richard Fray ] 28 Aug SEAZ: Santa Catalina Mountain Warblers, 08/28/10 [Melody Kehl ] 28 Aug Cienega Arivaca lazuli, indigo buntings etc [Alaxandar mac Donnaidh ] 28 Aug White-tailed Kite [Sherry Hagen ] 28 Aug Cameron: 8/27/2010 [Carl Lundblad ] 28 Aug SE AZ: Ash Canyon Lucifers [Mary Jo Ballator ] 28 Aug Cave Creek Canyon Berylline HB still on nest [Cave Creek Ranch ] 28 Aug NM: Prothonotary Warbler, Melrose Trap [Matt Baumann ] 28 Aug Tucson: Rillito Weed Patch [Mark Stevenson ] 27 Aug Great Horned Owls in Prescott Lowe's [Peter ] 27 Aug NM: Bosque del Apache & Belen Marsh Today [Gale Owings ] 27 Aug Lake Havasu Area ["Charles J.Babbitt" ] 27 Aug McGillivray's - with thanks to Clifford [Nina Hansen ] 27 Aug NM: Long-tailed Jaeger, Brantley Lake [Matt Baumann ] 27 Aug Patagonia Lake State Park [Alan Schmierer ] 27 Aug RBA Tucson, AZ - 27 August 2010 [Andrew Core ] 27 Aug SE AZ: Northern Waterthrush in Patagonia [Michael Marsden ] 26 Aug SE AZ: Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson [Richard Fray ] 26 Aug SE AZ: 08/26/10 - Low Huachucas and Sierra Vista EOP [Stuart Healy ] 26 Aug Re: (no sightings) New Mexico raptors book [Jack Holloway ] 26 Aug (no sightings) New Mexico raptors book [Richard Webster ] 26 Aug AZ:08/26/10:Vail and Green Valley ["Clifford A. Cathers" ] Subject: NM Bird Report 9/2/10 From: Matt Baumann <mb687 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 07:25:26 -0700 New Mexico Bird Report September 2, 2010 Compiler: Matt J. Baumann Phone: 505-264-1052 e-mail address: mb687 AT yahoo.com This is the New Mexico Bird Report for September 2, 2010, sponsored by the New Mexico Ornithological Society. When phone numbers are given for private property, please call before going to ask for permission. In ranch country, do not stray off the roads. Places mentioned in the report, a checklist of N.M. birds, and more locations on uncommon and specialty species can be found in the N.M. Bird Finding Guide. You can purchase the NM Bird Finding Guide and check for earlier reports and database at http://www.nmbirds.org/. A more complete, updated version of the checklist can be found at http://www.nmbirds.org/wp- content/checklist-of-new-mexico-bird-species-1-april-2009final1.pdf. For prior records of species in New Mexico, search the online archive of the NMOS Field Notes at http://nhnm.unm.edu/partners/nmos/index.html or refer to prior RBA’s and reports on the AZ/NM listserv at http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdwg05.html. For photos of rarities and directions to some birding sites, check http://sites.google.com/site/oldenettelspage or the New Mexico Rarities Group on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/groups/nmrarities/. The following link provides a list of the review species in New Mexico http://www.nmbirds.org/wp-content/reviewlist20072.pdf. Details for any of these species or species not on the checklist should be sent to Dr. Sartor O. Williams, III, 1819 Meadowview NW, Albuquerque, NM, 87104 or to sunbittern AT earthlink.net. Details will be used for the Bird Records Committee, North American Birds and the NMOS Field Notes. Birds Mentioned and Counties: BROWN PELICAN (Sierra) YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (Curry) GRAY HAWK (Eddy, Hidalgo) Upland Sandpiper (Dona Ana) LONG-TAILED JAEGER (Eddy) COMMON-GROUND DOVE (Hidalgo) Anna’s Hummingbird (Grant) American Three-toed Woodpecker (Bernalillo) PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER (Hidalgo) Thick-billed Kingbird (Hidalgo) Eastern Kingbird (Santa Fe) BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER (Catron) Yellow-eyed Junco (Socorro) BERNALILLO County: KC had two THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS on the Kiwanis Meadow Trail about 40 yards from the lower crest parking area August 31. CATRON County: RD had a male BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER at their home 20 miles south of Datil August 30. CURRY County: JP and BWi had an immature YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON at the Clovis Sewage Ponds August 27. DONA ANA County: RC still has UPLAND SANDPIPERS in alfalfa fields near Dona Ana. Take the levee road (west side of river) from the Shalem Colony Bridge and go downstream .95 miles to the very first alfalfa field on the right. EDDY County: JO had an adult LONG-TAILED JAEGER at Brantley Lake north of Cheapskate Point August 27. SC had two GRAY HAWKS, one adult and an immature, at Rattlesnake Springs August 17. GRANT County: CR had an ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD near the Gila Wilderness Boundary close to the Gila Bird Area August 28. HIDALGO County: CW had a calling PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, three THICK-BILLED KINGBIRDS and two immature GRAY HAWKS in the New Mexico portion of Guadalupe Canyon August 28. CW had a COMMON-GROUND DOVE at Dunagan’s Crossing August 28. SANTA FE County: SF had an EASTERN KINGBIRD at the Randall Davey Audubon Center August 28. SOCORRO County: BWe had a YELLOW-EYED JUNCO near the top of Mt. Withington in the San Mateos August 26. OTERO County: One can walk past the gate to Stinky Lake at the Holloman Lakes, but not drive in and can still bird there. MT on June 3 reported Lagoon G still closed, with many of the salt cedars removed. SIERRA County: DC reports that one BROWN PELICAN continue near North Monticello Point, Elephant Butte Lake SP August 30. Initials of Observers: RC, Richard Castetter DC, Dave Cleary; KC, Ken Cole; SC, Steve Collins; RD, Renee Dodson; SF, Suzanne Fahey; AK, Andy Kraynik; JO, Jerry Oldenettle; JP, John Parmeter; CR, Christopher Rustay; MT, Michael Turner; BWe, Bill West; BWi, Bill Wittman; CW, Cole Wolf Field Trips: SEPTEMBER 2 Belen Marsh and Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area in Belen with Linda Heinze: 565-1441, manzanogal AT gmail.com Meet at 7:30 a.m. behind the Hawthorn Suites on Gibson and University or 8:00 at the marsh, which is one mile east from Exit 195 off I-25. Park at the Taco Bell. Lunch at Harla May’s Fat Boy Grill on Becker Avenue near Main Street in Belen The Rio Grande Nature Center has morning bird walks on Sunday and Saturday mornings at 8:30 a.m. from the pond at the parking lot. From May on there will be Tuesday morning bird walks in the Sandias by the Forest Service. Meet at the Ranger Station in Tijeras at 8AM. Subject: Re: Beware of ticks (no sightings) From: "Bennett Chris (DNREC)" <Chris.Bennett AT STATE.DE.US> Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 09:21:33 -0400 Tick borne illnesses are a very serious topic that all birders should be aware regardless of what part of the country you inhabit. But, I would recommend anyone interested in learning more about these diseases - Lyme, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Erlichiosis, Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness (STARI), Babesiosis - visit the Tick-borne disease page at the Center for Disease Control website rather than Wikipedia. Below are links to two CDC sites that provide a wealth of information about a number of Vector-borne diseases. http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/ or the even more eye-opening page for the National Center for Zoonotic, Vector Borne and Enteric Diseases http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dvbid/ Chris Bennett Milford, DE "The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?'" Aldo Leopold A Sand County Almanac -----Original Message----- From: NBHC AZ/NM Birds [mailto:BIRDWG05 AT LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of John Puschock Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2010 3:48 AM To: BIRDWG05 AT LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: Re: [BIRDWG05] Beware of ticks (no sightings) Howdy, Since Sheri Williamson mentioned that she visited two doctors, I figured I might as well mention my experience with a tick-borne disease. Ten years ago, I was apparently bit by a tick somewhere in the mid-Atlantic states, but the illness didn't manifest until I was driving to New Mexico. I had a high fever, generally felt terrible, and then saw a physician assistant (PA) when I stopped to visit my step-sister in Texas. One of the first things I mentioned to the PA was that I spent a lot of time outside and my illness could be something from a tick. I didn't name any specific illness. His response was "Lyme disease doesn't present this way". Well, three days later I was in the emergency room with a fever of 105.3. Long story short, I had Ehrlichiosis (it may go by a different name these days; "Ehrlichiosis" is now probably used more for a similar illness in dogs). This is an illness that has killed some people due to the high fever associated with it, including at least one birder from what I recall. My point in writing here is to point out that there are more tick-borne illness than just Lyme disease though some healthcare providers don't seem to be aware of that. I'm not sure if Ehrlichiosis can be contracted in the Southwest, but birders should be aware of the symptoms of other tick-borne illnesses just in case, because the provider you see may not be aware of everything. The following Wikipedia page is a starting point to familiarize yourself with what's possible: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick-borne_disease. Disclaimer: I'm not intending to besmirch PAs or other healthcare professionals in general, and this posting should not be taken as an attack on anyone. My case was probably a difficult diagnosis, and in my opinion, my PA made an odd choice for medication to control my fever that others probably wouldn't. John Puschock Seattle, WA g_g_allin AT hotmail.com http://www.zbirdtours.com Subject: Re: Beware of ticks (no sightings) From: Wood/Williamson <sabobird AT MINDSPRING.COM> Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 01:08:41 -0700 Thanks to John for his post. I certainly hope his experience wasn't typical. The doctor who saw me on Monday couldn't be specific about which tick-borne illness I might have but said I should be in a hospital if I didn't feel better by Wednesday. Feeling wretched again today after a bad night, I went to the Copper Queen Hospital, where a doctor in admitting prescribed another antibiotic to add to the first and sent me home, again with no diagnosis more specific than "tick bite plus respiratory infection" and directions to come back if I failed to improve. I'm usually not keen on throwing antibiotics at something without knowing what it is, but after reading John's experience I'm grateful for those antibiotics rather than a symptomatic treatment. Sheri Williamson Bisbee, Arizona sheri AT fieldguidetohummingbirds.com Web site: http://www.fieldguidetohummingbirds.com Blog: http://fieldguidetohummingbirds.wordpress.com "The swallow may fly south with the sun, or the house martin or the plover seek warmer climes in winter, yet these are not strangers to our land." -- King Arthur, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" John Puschock wrote: > Howdy, > > Since Sheri Williamson mentioned that she visited two doctors, I figured I might as well mention my experience with a tick-borne disease. Ten years ago, I was apparently bit by a tick somewhere in the mid-Atlantic states, but the illness didn't manifest until I was driving to New Mexico. I had a high fever, generally felt terrible, and then saw a physician assistant (PA) when I stopped to visit my step-sister in Texas. One of the first things I mentioned to the PA was that I spent a lot of time outside and my illness could be something from a tick. I didn't name any specific illness. His response was "Lyme disease doesn't present this way". Well, three days later I was in the emergency room with a fever of 105.3. Long story short, I had Ehrlichiosis (it may go by a different name these days; "Ehrlichiosis" is now probably used more for a similar illness in dogs). This is an illness that has killed some people due to the high fever associated with it, including at least one birder from what I recall. > > My point in writing here is to point out that there are more tick-borne illness than just Lyme disease though some healthcare providers don't seem to be aware of that. I'm not sure if Ehrlichiosis can be contracted in the Southwest, but birders should be aware of the symptoms of other tick-borne illnesses just in case, because the provider you see may not be aware of everything. The following Wikipedia page is a starting point to familiarize yourself with what's possible: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick-borne_disease. > > Disclaimer: I'm not intending to besmirch PAs or other healthcare professionals in general, and this posting should not be taken as an attack on anyone. My case was probably a difficult diagnosis, and in my opinion, my PA made an odd choice for medication to control my fever that others probably wouldn't. > John Puschock > Seattle, WA > g_g_allin AT hotmail.com > http://www.zbirdtours.com Subject: Re: Beware of ticks (no sightings) From: John Puschock <g_g_allin AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 07:48:26 +0000 Howdy, Since Sheri Williamson mentioned that she visited two doctors, I figured I might as well mention my experience with a tick-borne disease. Ten years ago, I was apparently bit by a tick somewhere in the mid-Atlantic states, but the illness didn't manifest until I was driving to New Mexico. I had a high fever, generally felt terrible, and then saw a physician assistant (PA) when I stopped to visit my step-sister in Texas. One of the first things I mentioned to the PA was that I spent a lot of time outside and my illness could be something from a tick. I didn't name any specific illness. His response was "Lyme disease doesn't present this way". Well, three days later I was in the emergency room with a fever of 105.3. Long story short, I had Ehrlichiosis (it may go by a different name these days; "Ehrlichiosis" is now probably used more for a similar illness in dogs). This is an illness that has killed some people due to the high fever associated with it, including at least one birder from what I recall. My point in writing here is to point out that there are more tick-borne illness than just Lyme disease though some healthcare providers don't seem to be aware of that. I'm not sure if Ehrlichiosis can be contracted in the Southwest, but birders should be aware of the symptoms of other tick-borne illnesses just in case, because the provider you see may not be aware of everything. The following Wikipedia page is a starting point to familiarize yourself with what's possible: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick-borne_disease. Disclaimer: I'm not intending to besmirch PAs or other healthcare professionals in general, and this posting should not be taken as an attack on anyone. My case was probably a difficult diagnosis, and in my opinion, my PA made an odd choice for medication to control my fever that others probably wouldn't. John Puschock Seattle, WA g_g_allin AT hotmail.com http://www.zbirdtours.com Subject: CEAZ: Miller House of Mesa, September Big Day- 28 species From: Jay Miller <arizonajay23 AT COX.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 21:13:20 -0700 The first of every month I usually spend as much time as possible to accumulate a good start for my monthly list. Here are today's highlights and complete list. 9-1. Sunny High;102 degrees Windy early Sunrise; 6:02 Sunset; 6:55 In the early morning light I could see the Peregrine Falcon on the roost. At 5:18 it moved out into the open and flexed its wings. It was windy and the falcon lifted off twice, once moving out five feet or so. Then at 5:24 it dove and flew off to the south and was not seen again. The first hummer at the office feeder was a Anna's at 5:41, twenty one minutes before sunrise. Heard and then saw a juv. male Blue Grosbeak in the Johnson's grass by the grapes at 5:45. Saw another Peregrine flying from nw. to se. at about 300' at 6:04, it didn't slow down. Saw a Black-chinned and Rufous Hummingbird fighting over the Baja Fairy Duster at 6:14. Saw a flock of about seventeen dark birds far w. and high, in formation but changing up periodically, at 6:47. Probably cormorants but too far to tell. Heard and saw many Bullock's Orioles; 6:10, 6:40, 6:44, and 7:29. At 7:46 I saw a Bullock's Oriole coming from the w. at about 200' with a hummer chasing it, it landed near by and started calling. Heard and then saw a Juv. male Lazuli Bunting in the Johnson's grass near the pecan tree at 18:53. Saw the Peregrine near the roost at 18:55, closer to roost at 19:00, and in roost spot at 19:17. Last hummer showed at office feeder was a Anna's at 19:08. Today's list in order seen. PEFA Peregrine Falcon 5:12 Has been roosting near by for about 3 weeks. Continental type. MODO Mourning Dove ANHU Anna's Hummingbird GTGR Great-tailed Grackle BLGR Blue Grosbeak 5:45 Not an every day occurance, but had one just like it yeserday. ABTO Abert's Towhee GIWO Gila Woodpecker ECDO Eurasian Collared-Dove NOMO Northern Mockingbird HOSP House Sparrow CBTH Curve-billed Thrasher EUST European Starling HOFI House Finch Sunrise RWBL Red-Winged Blackbird 6:02 RODO Rock Dove LEGO Lesser Goldfinch BUOR Bullock's Oriole Lots today INDO Inca Dove BCHU Black-chinned Hummingbird RUHU Rufous Hummingbird Very few Rufous so far this fall, this was the best looker. WWDO White-winged Dove 6:16 Have really thinned out. VERD Verdin moved indoors for awhile BHCO Brown-headed Cowbird PFLO Peach-faced Lovebird BRCO Bronzed Cowbird 7:33 back outside AMKE American Kestrel 8:21 TUVU Turkey Vulture 9:06 LABU Lazuli Bunting 18:53 Have had good numbers this fall. Last year on this day I reached twenty five species with three types of warblers. Birds MIA; Killdeer and Gamble's Quail. Reached 49 last month and didn't get a Common Raven. Had a new record twenty eight Peach-faced Lovebirds at once in the backyard last month. Had a pure white tailless Budgie in the backyard twice this last week and have had a conure type bird fly by four times last month screaming very early in the morning. Best exotic bird I ever had here was that Gray Go-away Bird, for seven months, I still miss him. That turkey is still here. Very interesting bird. Thanks for reading! Jay Miller Mesa, AZ Subject: AZ: Santa Cruz Flats From: Doug Jenness <d_jenness AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 03:50:03 +0000 9/1/10 This afternoon I checked out some sites in the Santa Cruz Flats area of Pinal Co., mainly looking for shorebirds. The most prodcutive site was the Evergreen Turf farm that had 6 LONG-BILLED CURLEWS, 3 LEAST SANDPIPERS, two WESTERN SANDPIPERS, and one WILSPON'S SNIPE. At Harmon and Sunshine there was an OSPREY and along Harmon a BURROWING OWL Nothing of note at Arizona City Lake. Doug Jeness Catalina Subject: Huachuca Mt area this week From: Alan Schmierer <aaschmierer AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 18:40:58 -0700 On Monday (8/30), in Scheelite Cyn after Stewart had to turn around, I went up to the fork in the canyon and about 0.3 miles past. It was very quiet. The only activity was at the fork where there were 2 PLUMBEOUS VIREOS, 1 TOWNSEND'S and 2 HERMIT WARBLERS. From there I went up to Sawmill Canyon. En-route there was a three-some of begging fledgling SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS near the road (photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sloalan/4949986598/in/photostream/ At Sawmill in the first 200 feet past the gate there were 1 or 2 adult and at least 3 fledgling BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHERS (photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sloalan/4949980920/in/photostream/ Up the canyon from the gate was generally pretty quiet. From about 3:30 to 4:30 at the Ash Cyn B&B both male and female LUCIFER'S showed up very regularly. http://www.flickr.com/photos/sloalan/4949998528/in/photostream/ On Tuesday (8/31) I hiked from Beatty's to about a half mile past the second stream crossing. I looked carefully and found only 1 SPOTTED OWL, about 100 feet before the split rock on the right. http://www.flickr.com/photos/sloalan/4950016320/in/photostream/ Other birds of note: There was 1 HERMIT THRUSH along the trail, but no warblers. There was a male BELTED KINGFISHER at the pond near the office. A couple of WHITE-EARED HUMMER pics at http://www.flickr.com/photos/sloalan/4950013054/in/photostream/ It was high noon when I got to the Sierra Vista EOP, so mostly all that I saw was shimmering heat waves. A single SORA called, there were 5 WILSON'S PHALAROPES and 1 CASSIN'S KINGBIRD among the dozens of WESTERN KINGBIRDS Alan Schmierer PO Box 626 Patagonia, AZ 85624 805-801-3701 (cell) PHOTOS AT: www.flickr.com/photos/sloalan/sets Subject: Beware of ticks (no sightings) From: Wood/Williamson <sabobird AT MINDSPRING.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 18:17:38 -0700 Greetings, neighbors, It's been an unusually buggy summer in SE AZ, but I was still shocked to find two ticks on me within 24 hours of a walk on the San Pedro River (two ticks is about my 10-year average here). One was just crawling on my clothes, but the other managed to embed itself in my hairline overnight. It was a big cattle-type tick, not a small deer-type tick, so I didn't think much of it. The bite didn't heal and remained itchy and red. A few small, itchy red bumps broke out above the hat line on my forehead, but I thought they were heat rash and ignored them. A little over a week after the bite, a lymph node in my right cheek swelled up, accompanied by a scratchy throat, cough, congestion, and fever. I though it was all just a late summer cold until I looked in the mirror Saturday afternoon to find my forehead covered in red bumps and my left cheek as swollen as my right. After visits to two doctors I'm on two stout antibiotics to deal with whatever the tick gave me. Still dehydrated and shaky from the fever, chills, and sweats, but hopefully on the mend. If you're birding on the San Pedro or anywhere else frequented by cattle (legal or not), be sure to check yourself for ticks periodically, and if you do get bitten see a doctor to make sure you're protected from tick-borne illnesses. Good birding, Sheri Williamson Bisbee, Arizona sheri AT fieldguidetohummingbirds.com Web site: http://www.fieldguidetohummingbirds.com Blog: http://fieldguidetohummingbirds.wordpress.com "The swallow may fly south with the sun, or the house martin or the plover seek warmer climes in winter, yet these are not strangers to our land." -- King Arthur, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" Subject: SEAZ: Huachuca Canyon, Beatty's Hummingbird Fest 09/01/10 From: Melody Kehl <outdoor1 AT COX.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 17:08:41 -0700 Huachuca Canyon was very kind to us this morning. We found a male and female trogon, multiple Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers and one nice flock of warblers with Orange-crowned, Nashville, Virginia, Black-throated Gray, Townsend's, Painted Redstart and one Black and White Warbler. Of course, Beatty's was the highlight of our morning. One male and one female White-eared showed well among the regulars. No sign of the Berylline. Once again, a special thank you for the warmth and hospitality of the Beatty's. Melody Kehl So Many Birds, So Little Time http://www.melodysbirding.com Subject: Nogales CBC From: Mike Bissontz <seetrogon AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 23:07:22 +0000 The Nogales Christmas Bird Count will be on Saturday December 18,2010.  Michael Bissontz seetrogon AT comcast.net   Subject: Tucson Audubon trip interest survey--No Sightings From: Darlene Smyth <dsmyth3 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 12:45:58 -0700 Hello Birders, Tucson Audubon Society is conducting a brief survey to gauge interest in 10 multi-day field trips that may be offered by some of our leaders. For more information, and to participate in the survey, please go to: http://tucsonaudubon.org/what-we-do/recreation/265.html Thanks, and Happy Birding! Darlene Smyth (TAS Field Trip Coordinator) Comfy Birding www.comfortablebirdingforall.com Take a course in good water and air, and in the eternal youth of Nature you may renew your own. Go quietly, alone; no harm will befall you. John Muir Subject: AZ: Status of Birds in Huachuca Cyn. From: Alan Miller <tyrannulet AT MSN.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 11:11:19 -0700 August 2010 compared to August 2009 – Huachuca Canyon We have visited Huachuca Canyon 6 times in August. While the numbers reported for 8/31/10 (yesterday) reflect a single day, we have selected species where trend lines have been observable throughout the month. For instance, Black-throated Gray Warblers were all but gone by the beginning of August, while last year they were fairly common into September. There have also been unusually small numbers of Elegant Trogon throughout August. On the other hand, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher has had an extremely good year and is still easy to find, while they were already moving out by August 8th of last year. Other species, such as Painted Redstart, have had a steady presence through 2009 and 2010. And pass through migrants have been an absolute disaster this year, at least at last count (with the notable exception of Olive Warbler found abundant high in the canyon just below the Crest Trail). It should be noted that most birds are difficult to count at this time of year, and numbers are merely educated guesses that mostly prove themselves out through repeated visits. Elegant Trogon (1) – counted 5 on 8/30/09: male & female with 3 fledglings Greater Pewee (0) - counted 3 on 8/30/09: adult feeding fledgling Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher (+4) – in 2009 birds gone soon after 8/15 Plumbeous Vireo (0) – counted +7 on 8/30/09 Warbling Vireo (0) – counted +7 on 8/30/09 Nashville Warbler (1) – in 2009 had +15 on 8/30 Black-throated Gray Warbler (0) – in 2009 had +15 on 8/30 Hermit Warbler (0) – in 2009 had 8 on 8/30 Wilson’s Warbler (3) – in 2009 had +15 on 8/30 Painted Redstart (abt 20) – in 2009 had about 20 or more for most of August The most obvious (and useful) conclusion is that one should probably think about birding elsewhere. On a more substantive level, these findings reflect trends noticed during our spring census – summer residents arriving late and in decreased numbers (some now leaving early), pass through migrants almost nonexistent, and some local breeders stable or even having a banner year.i.e.,Western Wood-Pewee. We wonder about brood success – birds that might warrant concern include Trogons and the Vireos. We are leaving these numbers and observed trends to speak for themselves. If anyone wants to discuss some aspect of this data, please contact us off- line. Ann & Alan Miller Sierra Vista Subject: Belated Sweetwater Wetlands report, Tucson ,Az 7/31/10 From: Jerry Bock <wditch AT DAKOTACOM.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 10:15:53 -0700 Howdy Avianfans, Andrew Core & I wandered about Sweetwater yesterday morn for a couple of hours. It was relatively slow day with a few interesting bits including 3 Double Crested Cormorants that flew overhead to more a southerly destination. Duck numbers are on the increase with a trickle of the wintering species arriving. Green Winged Teal numbers were 15 to 20ish. Cinnamon Teal were common and at least a couple of Blue Winged Teal complimented them. A few Northern Shovelers and a single Northern Pintail were also observed. Shorebird numbers were fair and a walk along the river dike helped us find and ID a few things we might have missed from Sweetwater proper. Least Sandpipers were most numerous but a few Western Sandpipers were also present. A 30ish armada of Wilson's Phalaropes and a few Lesser Yellowlegs was crashing the large (40ish) Black Necked Stilt party that a lone American Avocet was also attending. We also had a remarkable visit with that Rosy Faced Lovebird. It nearly landed on our noggins on several occasions. It was our first encounter with this pet / species at Sweetwater and it was very fond of mesquite pods. Hope the patroling Cooper's Hawk and Perigrine Falcon don't notice it. Speaking of snacks, we noted that great hunter, the Greater Roadrunner with a small lizard in it's bill. Fall migrants were few but a silent "Western" Flycatcher was most most most likely a Pacific Slope Flycatcher. The Tropical Kingbirds are still obvious and they were joined by a few Cassin's and Westerns. Although it was hard to extimate their numbers, Purple Martins were available all morning overhead in small groups. Among the six species of warblers we noted a few Orange Crowneds, Nashvilles, Lucy's and Wilson's. We also noted the relative lack of White Winged Doves as thier usual mass exodus from the area continues. I totaled 72 species. Wallowing with autumn hints beginning Jerry Bock Colognia Bolognia Tucson, Az Subject: Western Tanager in Tempe 8-31-10 From: Ernie Nickels <nickelseldesigns AT QWESTOFFICE.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 08:18:59 -0700 Yesterday morning 8-31-10 there was a beautiful Western Tanager in a Chinaberry tree in the George Ditch in Tempe, closer to McAllister than to College, between 14th & 15th Streets. And I saw one (same one?) near the same location a few days earlier but thought it too implausible to post. This time I got a much better look at this gorgeous bird. Jeanette Nickels Tempe AZ Subject: AZ: Pena Blanca Lake From: Mark Stevenson <drbrdr AT ATT.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 08:17:48 -0700 Hi Birders, Yesterday 31 Aug 2010 at Pena Blanca Lake there was a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH where the wash that runs thru Lower Thumb Rock picnic area meet open water of the lake. There were no waterbirds of any size, shape or species visible on the lake. Lots of bird and insect activity around the edges though. Good birding, Mark Stevenson Tucson, AZ Subject: Colossal Cave Park 8/30/2010 From: Pat <pgoltz AT SEGHEA.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:10:46 -0700 Folks, after Matt Brooks' report on Colossal Cave Park, I decided to pay a visit. My sleep is still not back to normal (I'm sleeping in several pieces), so I went in the morning, arriving about 8:30, and I stayed for about two hours. It was already hot. I walked along the streambed. Shade was hard to come by. This turned out to be a butterfly day, but I did see several interesting birds: Zone-tailed Hawk possible Turkey Vultures Blue Grosbeak (he had something green in his beak, dinner, I presume, and he was SINGING) Phainopepla (female) a small bird with dark (brown) wings and head (with rufous-tinged cap), and cream colored body. I got only one shot of that one, and it wasn't that good; can't tell what kind of markings wing feathers might have. Chubby, eye ring or partial eye ring, possible horizontal dark stripe, pink or orange bill. For what it's worth, I saw butterflies (and will be nailing identifications as I have time): Pipevine Swallowtail laying eggs in the sand Queens American Snout some kind of Blue some kind of Skipper some kind of Metalmark an unidentified orange butterfly with spots (large and small ones) (no Julias this time) I saw some dragonflies, but couldn't identify them, and I saw a whiptail lizard (a tiny one). It will be worthwhile to go back. On the way home, I saw two desert tortoises crossing the road. The first one was alone, and the second one had a photographer attached. Good birding, Pat Goltz Subject: SE AZ: I-19 Corridor - 31 Aug 2010 From: Michael Marsden <birdanza AT Q.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 03:30:19 +0000 A couple of roadside stops on the way to Green Valley this afternoon produced some welcome shorebirds: Killdeer - 5 at Tumacacori fields; Spotted Sandpiper - 2 at Amado Pond, singleton on Tumacacori fields Solitary Sandpiper - on Tumacacori fields Lesser Yellowlegs - 2 on Tumacacori fields Western Sandpiper - 6 on Tumacacori fields Least Sandpiper - 20+ on Tumacacori fields Baird's Sandpiper - 2 on Tumacacori fields & Wilson's Phalarope - 42 at Amado Pond. Michael Marsden 520-394-2340 Patagonia, AZ Subject: AZ: Madera Canyon area this morning From: David Stejskal <dstejskal AT COX.NET> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:28:43 -0400 Hi birders, I spent the morning in the Madera Canyon area s. of Tucson, starting in the grasslands just above Florida Wash, then on to the Proctor Rd. paved loop in the lower portion of the canyon, and finishing up along the Carrie Nation trail/Vault Mine trail above the end of the road. The weather was super this morning, making my hiking today really pleasant. My main goal for the morning was to check on the choke cherry crop in the canyon, since I hadn't seen any mention of it this summer on the listserve (though I could have missed an earlier post while I was out of town). Aztec Thrushes are fond of choke cherry fruit at this season, but the cupboards were pretty bare on my hike. I found one tree above the Old Baldy trail junction along the Carrie Nation trail that had a little bit of ripe fruit, but that was it. All of the other choke cherry trees that I could find were completely devoid of fruit. I don’t know what the choke cherry situation is in the Huachucas or in the Chiricahuas this year, but I'd be interested to hear. On the bright side, all of the madrone trees are loaded with fruit, but I suspect that it won't be ripe for another couple of months (maybe a good time to check for late Aztecs or maybe an Eared Quetzal or two would be in late Oct.?). Overall, most habitats were awfully quiet today and there were very few migrants noted. I guess when a migrant has lots of lush habitat to choose from, which is the case this year, things tend to spread out and become a lot less noticeable. Among the migrants I did record today were a few WILSON'S WARBLERS, a couple of heard-only MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS, a few WARBLING VIREOS, good numbers of WESTERN TANAGERS, a single female HERMIT WARBLER, and a handful of presumed PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS. Among the s.e AZ specialties, things had thinned out, too. Down in the grasslands, CASSIN'S, BOTTERI'S, and RUFOUS-WINGED sparrows were very common, at least by voice. Along the Proctor Rd. trail, a few male VARIED BUNTINGS were still singing away. The Carrie Nation/Vault Mine trail held at least one vocal ELEGANT TROGON, a couple of RED-FACED and a single GRACE'S warbler, both BLUE-THROATED and MAGNIFICENT hummingbirds, at least one vocal SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, lots of PAINTED REDSTARTS (adults and dull immatures with gray belies), a vocal imm. ZONE-TAILED HAWK, only 2-3 heard-only HEPATIC TANAGERS, a couple of vocal NORTHERN (MOUNTAIN) PYGMY-OWLS along the Vault Mine tr., and the usual few ARIZONA WOODPECKERS. The highlight for me this morning wasn't even a bird – I saw my lifer juv. GREAT PLAINS SKINK where Proctor Rd. crosses the trail. All-black, shiny, with a bright blue tail and white spots in the face. Pretty cool! Good birding (and herping), Dave Stejskal Field Guides Inc. www.fieldguides.com http://fieldguides.com/guides/dave-stejskal 800-728-4953 Subject: SE AZ: 08/31/10 - San Rafael Valley+ From: Stuart Healy <stuarthealy AT COX.NET> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:16:08 -0700 Tuesday, August 31, 2010 This morning I visited San Rafael Valley with the sole aim of finding an early Baird's Sparrow. It's a dirty job but somebody has to do it. Those with good memories might recall that I found a bird in early September a couple of years ago (September 4, 2008, to be exact). At the time I vowed to try on August 31. Last year I was busy on that date but today I made the effort. Unfortunately, the sparrows were not on the same page. Hell, they didn't even get the memo. I entered the valley at dawn. Conditions were clear and a little chilly (that didn't last). Views were spectacular. Well worth the price of admission. The valley is lush from end to end and GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS are absolutely abundant. It's no exaggeration to say that I saw over 100 and I heard many more. I saw them along FR 799 and FR 58, both on the road itself and perched on the fences. Many were carrying food. The grass is very high and it was a challenge searching for Baird's Sparrow. I gave it 90 minutes in two locations and came up empty. No other sparrows noted apart from Grasshopper. A female BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD perched in "lone tree" was a novelty and a valley first for me. I saw the usual suspects including AMERICAN KESTREL, CASSIN'S KINGBIRD, HORNED LARK and EASTERN MEADOWLARK. No Harriers or Kites. The drive through Harshaw Canyon to Patagonia was pleasant and interesting. CHIPPING SPARROWS were present in numbers including many streaked juveniles. Plenty of RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS were singing. On Harshaw Creek Road I stopped to check out the call of a MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER and saw a male in the same willow as two VIRGINIA'S WARBLERS. I also saw WESTERN TANAGER and SCOTT'S ORIOLE. On the way home I stopped at the south entrance of Las Cienegas (I hadn't seen enough Grasshopper Sparrows). GRASSHOPPER, BOTTERI'S and CASSIN'S SPARROWS were all going at it very close to Hwy 82. Stuart Stuart Healy, Western U.S. Bird Guide, Specializing in SE Arizona and the White Mountains. Personal Guiding and Custom Tours; 220 Stardust St., Sierra Vista, AZ 85635. (520) 458-7603 stuarthealy AT cox.net http://www.aztrogon.com Birding journal: http://www.aztrogon.com/journal/Main.htm I'd rather be birding (and I usually am) Subject: SE AZ: Mt Lemmon From: Richard Fray <rpfray AT DAKOTACOM.NET> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:34:27 -0700 Casual dog walking in the Santa Catalina Mountains proved to be productive for birds today. The Mt Bigelow loop had continual loose flocks of warblers, mostly HERMIT and TOWNSEND'S with RED-FACED, OLIVE and a YELLOW-RUMPED mixed in, as well as PAINTED REDSTART, PYGMY and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, HAIRY WOODPECKER, BROWN CREEPER, HOUSE WREN, MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE and loads of YELLOW-EYED JUNCOS. It was a similar story at Marshall Gulch. Richard Fray Tucson AZ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Richard Fray Birding Guide Tour Leader Fun Birding Tours | | | | www.funbirdingtours.com Office: (520) 323-4234 Cell: (520) 490-9287 richard AT funbirdingtours.com Subject: AZ: Olive-sided Flycatcher movement From: Alan Miller <tyrannulet AT MSN.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:15:24 -0700 August 31, 2010 – Huachuca Canyon We had 2 OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS near the 1.7 mile picnic area in Huachuca Canyon. These migrants are apparently right on schedule – last year, we had 3 in upper Garden Canyon on 8/27/09, 1 at the 1.7 mile picnic area in Huachuca Canyon on 9/05/09, and 1 at Kingfisher Pond (south of San Pedro House) on 9/09/09. We have been in Huachuca Canyon frequently in the last few weeks – as we tried to point out earlier this year, a comparison of diversity and abundance between 2010 and 2009 is startling. For those interested, look for our analysis tomorrow. Ann & Alan Miller Sierra Vista Subject: SEAZ: Tucson Audubon, Slaughter Ranch 08/31/10 From: Melody Kehl <outdoor1 AT COX.NET> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:04:49 -0700 A delightful day despite the fact that it was terribly warm in places. I was surprised to count 62 species for our day. Highlights were a wonderful Zone-tailed Hawk that flew directly overhead and the amazingly vocal Tropical Kingbirds. Thanks to all for a tremendous day. Melody Kehl So Many Birds, So Little Time http://www.melodysbirding.com Subject: Santa Cruz County -Fresnal Wash area- From: Daniel Ginter <dginternmsu AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:20:22 -0600 I have been working near the border on a forest service (?) road between Arivaca and Sasabee (in the middle the road runs through Fresnal wash which has intermittent surface flows in some areas). It was fairly birdy down in that area with some migrants starting to move through. Nothing too unusual expect the out-of-place Osprey. 1 Osprey (a very confused looking bird that flew towards the east when I got out of the car to take a photo and get a closer look) Rufous-winged sparrows 1 Loggerhead Shrike Northern mockingbird Black-throated sparrows Canyon towhee Blue-grosbeak Red-tailed hawk Turkey vulture Lesser nighthawk Northern Cardinal American Kestrel 2-Gray Hawks Multiple flocks of Lark Sparrows 4-Chipping sparrows Lesser Goldfinch Common ground dove Cassin's sparrow Mo. Dove Lazuli bunting Cassin's kingbirds Western kingbirds Yellow-breasted chats Varied buntings Bell's vireo Ladder-backed woodpecker Anna's Hummingbird Hooded Oriole TUrkey Vultures Black Phoebe Eurasian-collared dove (near Jarrillis Ranch) Vermilion flycatcher 2-Yellow warbler 1-Western tanager Daniel Ginter 520-405-6414 Subject: NM: Tramway wetlands, Albuquerque 8/31; Avocet, Wilson's Phalarope From: Matthew O'Donnell <mjodon AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:21:39 -0600 Hello, Today at the Tramway Wetlands in Albuquerque, I found an American Avocet, a Semipalmated Plover, and a juvenile Wilson's Phalarope in addition to the other shorebirds that have been seen in the past few weeks. (The plover and phalarope were present late yesterday as well.) Migrant warblers in the sunflowers and weeds were Yellow, MacGillavray's, Wilson's and Virginia's. Good birding! Matt O'Donnell Albuquerque, NM Subject: TUCSON: Sweetwater Peach-faced Lovebird 8/31/10 From: mary klinkel <munchita AT MSN.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:12:26 +0100 A short stroll at Sweetwater Wetlands this morning gave me & friend Karen Nickey our first PEACH-FACED LOVEBIRD at this location. It appeared to be a recent escapee or drop-off, as it was quite comfortable with humans & voices & the sound of a kashi bar wrapper. A couple of other two-leggeds brought our attention to this bird, perched on a metal rail on the south side of the main wetland area, just north of the recharge basins. It dropped to the ground under a sign and began to eat a mesquite pod and responded to my "chipping" noises with it's own chirps, so I decided to try to get it on my hand. Within a few minutes I was feeding it another mesquite pod and shortly had it on my hand. It flew up above us, and Karen suggested I try some people food, as she has a pet cockatiel and it likes sweet stuff, so I tried the kashi bar. The lovebird flew to several perches & considered landing on my hat a couple of times, then dropped onto the rail when I put my hand there with kashi & a mesquite pod. It completely ignored the kashi crumbs, but ate the mesquite contentedly while sitting on my hand. I offered to take it home with me, where I have lots of mesquite pods, but the bird decided to stay at Sweetwater. I have never harbored a bird in my house so I had no idea how to safely capture it, but if one of you wants to get it you probably could. Mary Klinkel Subject: SEAZ: Benson STP, Cochise County From: Arlene Ripley <arleneripley AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:58:26 -0700 This morning I got to spend about 20 minutes at the STP while my husband picked up some sacks of concrete mix urgently needed at the house so I'm sure this is not a complete list of the birds present. A GREAT EGRET flew off as I walked over to the south pond. There were only a few AMERICAN AVOCETS and BLACK-NECKED STILTS around. Here's a summary of the rest of what I saw: Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper 1 Western Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper Wilson's Phalarope (number way down from last week) Red-necked Phalarope (at least one) Lesser Yellowlegs 2 Greater Yellowlegs 1 White-faced Ibis 1 Lots of Mallards Northern Pintail 2 juvenile or female Northern Shoveler 1 Ring-necked Duck 2 Cinnamon Teal 4 Yellow-headed Blackbird -- large flock Eurasian Collared-Dove Barn Swallows and probably others but didn't have time to look at them. Arlene Ripley -- Dragoon Mountains foothills, west Cochise County, AZ The Nest Box Curious Naturalist Blog Subject: Re: CEAZ: Tempe ravens From: Diana Stuart - FCDX <dms AT MAIL.MARICOPA.GOV> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:51:10 -0700 Yep. Probably the kids and grandkids of the original CORAs that nested in ASU. Once the "caw" gets out, they figure out pretty quick that there are amble resources in the neighborhood and hang around. I think many do not bother to migrate upslope anymore, I can usually see them all year if I look, especially around the Salt near Tempe Marketplace. Diana Stuart -----Original Message----- From: NBHC AZ/NM Birds [mailto:BIRDWG05 AT LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Myron L. Scott Sent: Monday, August 30, 2010 8:40 PM To: BIRDWG05 AT LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [BIRDWG05] CEAZ: Tempe ravens Apparently the ravens have returned to their old haunts around Mill and Southern in Tempe. Saw two this (Aug. 30) afternoon on the north side of Southern between Mill and College. Myron Scott Tempe Subject: AZ SE Palominas Bird Walk From: Gordon Lewis <ranchogulag AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:19:00 -0700 The Monday morning bird walk turned up 46 species. Notable was the large number of TURKEY VULTURES slowly cruising southward. YELLOW HEADED BLACKBIRDS showed up and CASSIN'S SPARROW were singing. Pretty green and wet down here now so the group was not able to access the river bank. Next walk is at 7am Monday free to all. Entry at 10663 Hwy 92 in Palominas. Subject: CEAZ: Tempe ravens From: "Myron L. Scott" <gaia_3 AT NETZERO.NET> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:40:23 GMT Apparently the ravens have returned to their old haunts around Mill and Southern in Tempe. Saw two this (Aug. 30) afternoon on the north side of Southern between Mill and College. Myron Scott Tempe Subject: SE AZ: 08/30/10 - Scheelite and Garden Canyons From: Stuart Healy <stuarthealy AT COX.NET> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:26:19 -0700 Monday, August 30, 2010 I made a rather disappointing Spotted Owl-less visit to Scheelite Canyon this morning. When I saw and heard the amount of water flowing in Garden Canyon creek I already feared the worst. Water was also flowing in Scheelite Canyon, although nowhere near as strongly. I suspected that owls wouldn't be present in the lower roosting area due to the water noise and that turned out to be the case. My roosting data over the years shows that the owls spend more time in the middle and upper roosting areas in late August and September -- perhaps because of the above reason Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to continue searching further up canyon and reluctantly had to leave to slave over a hot keyboard. I'd bumped into recent transplant from California, Alan Schmierer, at the trailhead and he continued on, perhaps with success? The walk up canyon produced one mixed flock consisting only of BRIDLED TITMICE and BLACK-THROATED GRAY & TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS. Among the heard-only species were SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, CANYON WREN, a singing BROWN CREEPER, several singing RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS on the canyon slopes and HEPATIC TANAGER. My walk out yielded CASSIN'S VIREO, WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, PAINTED REDSTART and BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK. A single HERMIT THRUSH about 1/2m into the canyon represented a fairly early date for this location, 10 days earlier than any previous sighting. Earlier, I stopped at Garden Canyon fishing ponds and enjoyed considerably more success. White scanning the many VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS for an early Vaux's Swift, a ZONE-TAILED HAWK appeared in my field of view as it slowly drifted south. Other migrants at the ponds among 25 species noted were OLIVE-SIDED and GRAY FLYCATCHERS (both f-o-s for me), WILSON'S WARBLER, SUMMER TANAGER and LAZULI BUNTING. Numerous BOTTERI'S SPARROWS continue extremely vocal in the grassland. I failed to detect Cassin's Sparrow. Stuart Stuart Healy, Western U.S. Bird Guide, Specializing in SE Arizona and the White Mountains. Personal Guiding and Custom Tours; 220 Stardust St., Sierra Vista, AZ 85635. (520) 458-7603 stuarthealy AT cox.net http://www.aztrogon.com Birding journal: http://www.aztrogon.com/journal/Main.htm I'd rather be birding (and I usually am) Subject: Willcox/Bentsen From: John hirth <jphmdh1 AT COX.NET> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:11:36 -0700 Hi All: Among the crowd at Willcox were 52 Long-billed Curlews, 3 Semipalmated Plovers and 2 Black-crowned Night-Herons. The usual ducks were there (GRSC + Monst). Along the road W of Willcox paralleling the railroad were a Peregrine Falcon and a Semipalmated Sandpiper (in a seasonal pond). At Bentsen Sewer ponds were 2 Pectoral Sandpipers, 2 Ringneck Ducks and 1 female N. Pintail. Best John & Marty Hirth Hereford Subject: Re: AZ: Big Day highlights, 29 August 2010 From: John Yerger <john AT ADVENTUREBIRDING.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:36:59 -0700 And, naturally I realized AFTER the fact that if we had postponed our Big Day efforts by a mere 3 days and enjoyed the same results, we would have set a new September record for AZ. Darn! John Yerger Tucson, AZ john AT adventurebirding.com ---------- Adventure Birding Company Specializing in flexible, personalized guiding in SE Arizona www.adventurebirding.com 520-495-0229 Subject: SEAZ: Catalina Mountains, 08/30/10 From: Melody Kehl <outdoor1 AT COX.NET> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:07:40 -0700 Lots of warblers still pushing through. We had three major flocks and managed to pull one of each out of the many, many Hermit Warblers. Incinerator Ridge and Marshall Gulch were the best. Melody Kehl So Many Birds, So Little Time http://www.melodysbirding.com Subject: AZ: Big Day highlights, 29 August 2010 From: John Yerger <john AT ADVENTUREBIRDING.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:51:22 -0700 Keith Kamper, Scott Olmstead and I joined forces for a Big Day yesterday, thinking that we had a good chance at the August record of 199 species. Unfortunately, we didn't even come close - though we did end with a somewhat respectable total of 177 species. (By comparison, Jake Mohlmann, Rich Hoyer and I ran a Big Day on 12 August 2006 and detected 184 species.) We ran a modified version of the 2006 route, taking us from the Chiricahuas through Willcox, Benson and Patagonia, making various stops along the I-19 corridor and ending at Sweetwater Wetlands. Still, we had a lot of fun! Birding in general was quieter than anticipated everywhere we went. It would appear that even though a huge number of species' bar graphs overlap during August in "Finding Birds in Southeast Arizona", Big Day detection probabilities do not necessarily line up! Many breeding species that are still present were difficult to find without a great deal of time and effort, and the lack of some key migrants (including, surprisingly, shorebird species) conspired against us. High precipitation may have also increased food supplies across a broader area for a number of species - great for the birds, but not so great for our chances of finding them! A virtually complete lack of scouting probably didn't help us, either... Highlights by region: CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS Montezuma Quail - skillfully spotted by Keith, off the side of the road while we were driving up to East Turkey Creek in the Chiricahuas Northern Goshawk - one adult accidentally flushed while walking down the closed road just west of John Hands Campground in Cave Creek Canyon Hummingbirds - numbers of hummingbirds along the Portal-Paradise Rd were stunning, though we found nothing unusual Elegant Trogon - one worn adult male still present at the bridge in South Fork, giving it's "kuk-kuk-kuk" alarm call Juniper Titmouse - seen with some effort along the Portal-Paradise Rd Crissal Thrasher - heard along the Portal-Paradise Rd WILLCOX TWIN LAKES Greater Scaup - continuing scruffy bird Sora - unexpectedly heard calling midday, small pond by the golf course SNOWY PLOVER - stumbled across during a scan of the lake by yours truly BLACK TERN - at least one present, though we were later told by other birders that several had been present before we arrived BENSON SEWAGE POND EARED GREBE - considered "casual" in August or "rare" in early September PATAGONIA region Black-bellied Whistling-Duck - a single bird flying over Patagonia Lake Neotropic Cormorant - 2 individuals at Patagonia Lake Zone-tailed Hawk - heard along Blue Haven/Heaven Rd in Patagonia RIO RICO Stilt Sandpiper - picked out by Scott hiding in the tiny patch of "mudflat" at the only full pond east of the Santa Cruz River SWEETWATER WETLANDS NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH - seen only by Scott, probably the same bird Mark found the next morning at Roger Road WRF Of course the biggest story on a Big Day isn't the species you saw, its the ones you missed - oh, and it's almost always an embarrassing list! Ours included: Greater Roadrunner, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Myiarchus species flycatchers, Common Raven (not w/100% certainty, anyway), gnatcathers, and Red-faced Warbler. At least some of our unexpected highlights offset the disappointment from the "misses"! Good birding, John Yerger Tucson, AZ john AT adventurebirding.com ---------- Adventure Birding Company Specializing in flexible, personalized guiding in SE Arizona www.adventurebirding.com 520-495-0229 Subject: AZ:08/29/10:Evening in Santa Ritas From: "Clifford A. Cathers" <azcliffy AT Q.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:50:36 -0700 I was out last evening (Sunday) with clients Kathy Lepak of Depere, WI and Laura Norton of San Clemente, CA looking for night birds and anything prior. It was a gorgeous evening with a beautiful sunset, distant lightning and cooler temperatures. BOTTERI'S SPARROWs were very cooperative in the Proctor Road area of Madera Canyon with several close and perching and a few fluttery fly bys. We also heard CASSIN'S, RUFOUS-WINGED, RUFOUS-CROWNED and BLACK-THROATED SPARROWs. It took a while in the canyon breezes, but we finally got good looks at WHISKERED SCREECH-OWLs, much more cooperative than of late. On our way over to Florida Canyon, we saw a COMMON BARN-OWL perched atop a mesquite near the wash crossing nearest to the turnoff to the work center from the main road. Otherwise, the canyon was strangely silent, with no poorwills, elf owls, lesser nighthawks, great-horned owls or whips to listen to. This morning, 08/30/2010, a ZONE-TAILED HAWK floated by outside my window here in Vail for a new yard bird. CASSIN'S SPARROWs continue to sing on the nearby hillside. Clifford A. Cathers Economy Birding Services, Inc. "Quality Birding With Your Budget in Mind" http://www.economybirding.com Budget Bird Guiding for the Desert Southwest AZCliffy AT Q.com - 520.762.3201 Subject: Tucson: Roger Road STP From: Mark Stevenson <drbrdr AT ATT.NET> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:53:28 -0700 Hi Birders, This morning at Roger Road, a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH was present. When I saw it, it was up on the dead pine limbs that sag into the water from the island. Likely it had flushed up there from feeding at the water's edge. An immature Harris's Hawk was the only other bird of note. Shorebirds were present at the Sweetwater Wetlands recharge basins and the Silverbell recharge basins south of Columbus Park. Directions in the SE AZ bird finding guides. Good birding, Mark Stevenson Tucson, AZ Subject: NM: Rio Grande Nature Center, Williamson's Sapsucker From: Danny Paez <saldanpaez AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:53:19 -0400 This morning, August 30, 2010, I saw a juvenile female WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER near the Rio Grande Nature Center in Albuquerque. The bird was seen on the Aldo Leopold Forest Trail about half way between the Rio Grande Nature Center and Montano Rd. The same trees also held Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers. good birding, Danny Paez ABQ, NM Subject: Re: ABQ NM Peregrine again From: Larry Gorbet <lgorbet AT UNM.EDU> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:50:16 -0600 On Aug 30, 2010, at 10:32 AM, Lovekin Anne wrote: > Once again we have a peregrine falcon haunting the power line poles on San Antonio NE between I-25 and Louisiana NE. Saturday it was seen twice, once at about 1 p.m., just west of the corner of San Pedro and San Antonio on the westbound side of the highway, and secondly at about 5:30 p.m. just east of Louisiana on the east-bound side of San Antonio. It was eating its evening meal when we saw it in the late afternoon. > > This morning (8/30) just at 10 a.m. it was perched opposite the east entrance to the Post Office, on San Antonio, and a few minutes later was flying and swooping to a post just west of San Pedro. > > Fun to have some action from peregrines after several months hiatus. Also had it this morning about 7:45 a.m. and Sunday around 1:00 p.m. Great to have it back! - Larry Subject: ABQ NM Peregrine again From: Lovekin Anne <alovekin AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:32:04 -0600 Once again we have a peregrine falcon haunting the power line poles on San Antonio NE between I-25 and Louisiana NE. Saturday it was seen twice, once at about 1 p.m., just west of the corner of San Pedro and San Antonio on the westbound side of the highway, and secondly at about 5:30 p.m. just east of Louisiana on the east-bound side of San Antonio. It was eating its evening meal when we saw it in the late afternoon. This morning (8/30) just at 10 a.m. it was perched opposite the east entrance to the Post Office, on San Antonio, and a few minutes later was flying and swooping to a post just west of San Pedro. Fun to have some action from peregrines after several months hiatus. Subject: CEAZ: Miller House of Mesa - female Scarlet Tanager, 8-30. From: Jay Miller <arizonajay23 AT COX.NET> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:07:22 -0700 This morning at 7:19 I had a female Scarlet Tanager visit my water feature. What hit me was, "Wow look dark wings and no wing bars." It was a dirty yellow-green and the bill fairly light. If I had two more seconds I would have gotten a photo. Perhaps it will be back but I don't know what would keep it. I also have had a four Warbler week: Wilson's, Yellow, MacGillivray's, and Black-throated Gray. Many other migrants as well. Jay Miller Mesa, AZ Subject: Re: OT: Cotton Cutworm extravaganza From: Jackie Lewis <winjac12 AT VTC.NET> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:08:01 -0700 AKA: tomato worm Jackie There was an explosion here two years ago. Thankfully, I didn't have tomatoes at the time :) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Evans" To: Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2010 5:55 PM Subject: Re: [BIRDWG05] OT: Cotton Cutworm extravaganza > > Rich and all, > > I live in Cascabel near the San Pedro River and about 30 miles north of > Benson. A few days ago I noticed what I described to my neighbors as an > infestation of yellow caterpillars. I googled Arizona+caterpillar and got > the > website at the link below. The fifth image below the top looks like the > caterpillars that I saw at my place. It is said to be the caterpillar > for > the white-lined sphinx moth. As if to confirm that, I have been seeing > these > sphinx moths at my flower beds during the last couple of weeks. I have > pictures of both the caterpillar and moth. Please contact me and I will > send > them via e-mail. > > Bob Evans > Cascabel > Benson, AZ > > _Common Caterpillars of Southeastern Arizona_ > (http://nitro.biosci.arizona.edu/zeeb/butterflies/caterpillar.html) > > > > Subject: NM RBA 8/30/10 From: Matt Baumann <mb687 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 05:47:25 -0700 New Mexico Rare Bird Report August 30, 2010 Compiler: Matt J. Baumann Phone: 505-264-1052 e-mail address: mb687 AT yahoo.com This is the New Mexico Rare Bird Report for August 30, 2010, sponsored by the New Mexico Ornithological Society. When phone numbers are given for private property, please call before going to ask for permission. In ranch country, do not stray off the roads. Places mentioned in the report, a checklist of N.M. birds, and more locations on uncommon and specialty species can be found in the N.M. Bird Finding Guide. You can purchase the NM Bird Finding Guide and check for earlier reports and database at http://www.nmbirds.org/. A more complete, updated version of the checklist can be found at http://www.nmbirds.org/wp- content/checklist-of-new-mexico-bird-species-1-april-2009final1.pdf. For prior records of species in New Mexico, search the online archive of the NMOS Field Notes at http://nhnm.unm.edu/partners/nmos/index.html or refer to prior RBA’s and reports on the AZ/NM listserv at http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdwg05.html. For photos of rarities and directions to some birding sites, check http://sites.google.com/site/oldenettelspage or the New Mexico Rarities Group on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/groups/nmrarities/. The following link provides a list of the review species in New Mexico http://www.nmbirds.org/wp-content/reviewlist20072.pdf. Details for any of these species or species not on the checklist should be sent to Dr. Sartor O. Williams, III, 1819 Meadowview NW, Albuquerque, NM, 87104 or to sunbittern AT earthlink.net. Details will be used for the Bird Records Committee, North American Birds and the NMOS Field Notes. Birds Mentioned and Counties: BROWN PELICAN (Sierra) YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (Curry) GRAY HAWK (Eddy, Hidalgo) Upland Sandpiper (Dona Ana) LONG-TAILED JAEGER (Eddy) COMMON-GROUND DOVE (Hidalgo) Anna’s Hummingbird (Grant) PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER (Hidalgo) Thick-billed Kingbird (Hidalgo) BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER (Roosevelt) PROTHONOTARY WARBLER (Roosevelt) Yellow-eyed Junco (Socorro) CURRY County: JP and BWi had an immature YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON at the Clovis Sewage Ponds August 27. DONA ANA County: RC still has UPLAND SANDPIPERS in alfalfa fields near Dona Ana. Take the levee road (west side of river) from the Shalem Colony Bridge and go downstream .95 miles to the very first alfalfa field on the right. EDDY County: JO had an adult LONG-TAILED JAEGER at Brantley Lake north of Cheapskate Point August 27. SC had two GRAY HAWKS, one adult and an immature, at Rattlesnake Springs August 17. GRANT County: CR had an ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD near the Gila Wilderness Boundary close to the Gila Bird Area August 28. HIDALGO County: CW had a calling PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, three THICK-BILLED KINGBIRDS and two immature GRAY HAWKS in the New Mexico portion of Guadalupe Canyon August 28. CW had a COMMON-GROUND DOVE at Dunagan’s Crossing August 28. SOCORRO County: BWe had a YELLOW-EYED JUNCO near the top of Mt. Withington in the San Mateos August 26. OTERO County: One can walk past the gate to Stinky Lake at the Holloman Lakes, but not drive in and can still bird there. MT on June 3 reported Lagoon G still closed, with many of the salt cedars removed. ROOSEVELT County: JP, BWi, and JO had a PROTHONOTARY WARBLER at the Melrose Trap August 28. AK had an immature BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER at the Melrose Trap August 26. SIERRA County: DC reports the two BROWN PELICANS continue near North Monticello Point, Elephant Butte Lake SP August 27. Initials of Observers: DC, Dave Cleary; SC, Steve Collins; RC, Richard Castetter; Steve Collins; AK, Andy Kraynik; JO, Jerry Oldenettle; JP, John Parmeter; CR, Christopher Rustay; MT, Michael Turner; BWe, Bill West; BWi, Bill Wittman; CW, Cole Wolf Field Trips: SEPTEMBER 2 Belen Marsh and Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area in Belen with Linda Heinze: 565-1441, manzanogal AT gmail.com Meet at 7:30 a.m. behind the Hawthorn Suites on Gibson and University or 8:00 at the marsh, which is one mile east from Exit 195 off I-25. Park at the Taco Bell. Lunch at Harla May’s Fat Boy Grill on Becker Avenue near Main Street in Belen The Rio Grande Nature Center has morning bird walks on Sunday and Saturday mornings at 8:00 a.m. from the pond at the parking lot. From May on there will be Tuesday morning bird walks in the Sandias by the Forest Service. Meet at the Ranger Station in Tijeras at 8AM. Subject: NM: Mostly Grant County birds From: Christopher Rustay <chrustay AT AOL.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:32:42 -0400 Hi all, I spent a nice weekend birding Grant County with Cathie Sandell. Traveling down on Saturday morning I stopped at the I-25 rest stop south of Exit 115 and, at first light, found a Clay-colored Sparrow. Later on, Saturday morning, Cathie and I headed over to Bill Evans Lake and the Gila Bird Habitat Area. There were many migrants moving through including loads of Lazuli Buntings. Best bird of the trip, in my opinion, was the Anna's Hummingbird calling within one hundred yards of turning up the first canyon one enters after crossing over the Gila Forest boundary. There were several Olive-sided Flycatchers here and in the Burro Mountains. The Burros otherwise were (not unexpectedly) fairly quiet in the mid-afternoon. The Tyrone sewage ponds held over 30 Wilson's Phalaropes and at least 40 Mallard-type ducks. Several appeared to be pure Mexicans, however, most appeared to have other genes in them - perhaps Mexican x Mallard hybrids? The easternmost pond here, which at times, has had low water and been excellent for shorebirds, was completely full of water and therefore a bit disappointing. This morning, Sunday, we traveled up into the Pinos Altos mountains. These were also, uncharacteristically, quiet with only a few Audubon's, Townsend's, Wilson's, Red-faced Warblers and Painted Redstarts. Two Golden-crowned Kinglets on the way up to Signal Peak were a bit of a surprise. A Cassin's Vireo, that we found here was one of the brightest, most contrasting, that I've ever seen, which I might have looked at briefly and called a Blue-headed had I been anywhere east of the Mississippi. As it was, it gave us several minutes pause, before feeling comfortable with an identification. The most common bird we found this morning was either Pygmy Nuthatch or Brown Creeper! A quick stop for me at Belen's Taco Bell Pond this evening found a total of eleven species of shorebirds, including a Semipalmated Plover and a Wilson's Snipe. At dusk there were over 330 Cattle Egrets and about 175 White-faced Ibis tucking in for the night. Christopher Rustay Subject: Re: OT: Cotton Cutworm extravaganza From: Bob Evans <REvans9173 AT AOL.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:55:41 EDT Rich and all, I live in Cascabel near the San Pedro River and about 30 miles north of Benson. A few days ago I noticed what I described to my neighbors as an infestation of yellow caterpillars. I googled Arizona+caterpillar and got the website at the link below. The fifth image below the top looks like the caterpillars that I saw at my place. It is said to be the caterpillar for the white-lined sphinx moth. As if to confirm that, I have been seeing these sphinx moths at my flower beds during the last couple of weeks. I have pictures of both the caterpillar and moth. Please contact me and I will send them via e-mail. Bob Evans Cascabel Benson, AZ _Common Caterpillars of Southeastern Arizona_ (http://nitro.biosci.arizona.edu/zeeb/butterflies/caterpillar.html) Subject: OT: Cotton Cutworm extravaganza From: Richard Ditch <richditch AT EARTHLINK.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:13:53 -0700 We're just back to the house after a quick trip onto the Gila River tribal lands near Firebird Raceway near the I-10 and the Santan 202. As we drove out to Pecos and 40th street IJ realized that the greenish- yellow "catkins" blowing across the pavement were in fact an army of crawling cutworms. They were all heading west for some reason. I don't have a lot of reference material on this subject and the closest illustration I could find is "yellow-striped army-worm" in an old Golden Guide on Butterflies and Moths. I'll try to get a couple photos up on my blog later tonight, but I wanted to get a post out in case anybody else is interested in seeing this today. Rich Ditch Phoenix, AZ web site: www.richditch.com photo blog: richditch.wordpress.com Subject: SEAZ: California Gulch, 08/29/10 From: Melody Kehl <outdoor1 AT COX.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:56:18 -0700 Made the trek this morning. Had great luck with the Five-striped Sparrow and Varied Buntings by the dozen. Nashville Warblers were moving through in numbers, also. We had two Thick-billed Kingbirds just east of Walker Canyon on the way to I-19. A stop at Pena Blanca Lake did not yield the little Least Grebes, but we really didn't try very hard. Melody Kehl So Many Birds, So Little Time http://www.melodysbirding.com Subject: Re: AZ: Goodyear Tricolored Heron continues 8/29/10 From: Richard Filley <rdfilley AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:44:57 -0700 I must have just missed Melanie and Ed while spotting the Tricolored Heron along with Lisa Mefford at 8:45 am today. We saw it wading close to the northern bank of the western end of the first major pond visible to the east (about a quarter mile) of the Bullard Avenue Bridge across the Gila River. We parked at the corner where Vineyard turns south and becomes S. 143rd Avenue and walked almost due north to the pond and got good looks without a scope. In addition to most of the species mentioned by Melanie, we also saw a Black-crowned Night Heron, Osprey (that snatched a fish from the pond as we watched), about 30 Gambel's Quail, and a pair of Wilson's Phalaropes flew in and landed nearby as we were leaving. Also, as a side note, I had a FOS Rufous Hummngbird at a feeder in my suburban Mesa yard (near the 101 and Guadalupe Road). Good birding, Richard Filley Subject: SE AZ: Colossal Cave Park - Tucson Audubon trip From: Matthew Brooks <glacierbirder AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:13:47 -0700 Hi all-- This morning 12 adventurous souls braved the unknown and joined me on a birding trip to a relatively underbirded Tucson birding destination. The park contains much more than just the cave, including a great stretch of riparian habitat complete with large cottonwoods and a pond.  Birding was quite fantastic this morning -- we racked up 53 species by the time things quieted down around 11am. We were greeted by a calling Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet right when we got out of the cars, and he serenaded us for the next half hour as we walked down the dry wash area downhill from the parking lot. There are currently large numbers of buntings in the grassy areas along the wash, and we got good looks at a nice male Varied Bunting as well as passable looks at a good number of Lazuli. No Indigo Buntings, though I did have one the day before while scouting. There was an overnight push of birds into the area -- on Saturday I had one Bullock's Oriole and one Nashville Warbler, while today they were the stars of the show! We tallied 35 Bullock's Orioles (17 in one tree) -- plus two Hooded -- and over 30 Nashville's.  The scrubby areas of the wash/riparian area were where all of the action was. We spent 20 minutes in one spot and added almost 20 species to the list. Among them were Black-headed Grosbeak, Summer Tanager female, Western Tanager, Purple Martin, Ash-throated and Dusky-capped Flycatchers, Abert's and Canyon Towhees, etc.  Three very vocal Zone-tailed Hawks soared overhead for virtually the entire time -- they actually outnumbered the vultures this morning. We saw a quick flyby of an adult Gray Hawk early on, but were eventually rewarded with prolonged scope views of a winey juvenile. A highlight for everyone were the Vermilion Flycatchers -- three different males gave great looks. Rufous-winged Sparrows and Blue Grosbeaks sang from various locations. A Warbling Vireo was our last score of the day.  For anyone who hasn't birded Colossal Cave park yet, I encourage you to do so. It's a location that's easily accessible and close to town, but is very underbirded. Increased birder presence here is bound to turn up something great. If you go, it's best to park at the cowboy statue (ask at the entrance) and bird down the wash (through the Arizona Trail gate), then come back up to the parking lot and go up along the road and the Equestrian Trail, which parallels the riparian zone above the small pond. The trail below the pond continues along good habitat, as well.  Thanks to all who participated in the walk this morning. What a great group! -Matt! BrooksTucson Audubon Society ps- This will also be posted at the Tucson Audubon blog (tucsonaudubon.blogspot.com) tomorrow along with a couple photos.  Subject: AZ: Sierra Vista EOP--29 Aug 2010 From: Erika Wilson <terika88 AT COX.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:10:27 -0700 Hi, birders, Ten of us enjoyed a glorious morning walking the Sierra Vista EOP dikes today. A light breeze made the entire morning a pleasant one after the oppressive humidity of recent weeks. Our total tally was 57 species, and we had some really great birds. The morning's raptors started off with a perched Osprey, a most uncommon bird for this area. A Peregrine Falcon was cruising around off and on, and suddenly it streaked in and got a Cinnamon Teal. The teal was so heavy the Peregrine could hardly carry it; it dropped down onto the nearest dike and started plucking its prey. An American Kestrel came in, hovered while it looked over the situation, then moved on. We spotted, briefly, at least two Sora, but the large count of 37 white-faced Ibis was most impressive. Shorebirds were diverse, too, with Killdeer (14), Spotted Sandpiper (2), Solitary Sandpiper (1), Western Sandpiper (2), Least Sandpiper (16), Baird's Sandpiper (5), Wilson's Snipe (1), and Wilson's Phalarope (26). The Solitary Sandpiper was right on time, as were the Baird's Sandpipers, but the Wilson's Snipe is early (although we had one here last year on 23 Aug 09). Another group that put on quite a show today were the swallows. We estimated about 200 Tree Swallows, mostly brownish young birds, that settled on the cattails, then rose in clouds to swoop about, then settle again, then up again. Other swallows included small numbers of N. Rough-winged, Bank, Cliff, and the usual Barn Swallows. We heard at least three Marsh Wrens calling, again, these were on the early side of their usual arrival at the EOP. The number of Lazuli Buntings has dropped right off, although there were still a few among the hordes of blackbirds. At the Moson Road ponds the Yellow-headed Blackbirds were carpeting the dikes and the seeded grasses by the hundreds, reminding me of the flocks I have seen in winter at cattle feedlots. Cheers, Erika Wilson (Sierra Vista, AZ) Subject: AZ:08/29/10:Vail Cassin's Sparrow From: "Clifford A. Cathers" <azcliffy AT Q.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:42:57 -0700 This early afternoon, I headed out around my house to take photos of the very green desert here in Vail. The thinking was, with an El Nino winter earlier in the year and an above normal monsoon to date (over 15 inches of rain locally YTD), that it may be a long while before it's this green again. While snapping various photos, I heard a CASSIN'S SPARROW sing and then skylark. The desert here in Vail is a mix of Sonoran/Chihuahuan vegetation with lots of prickly pear, hedgehogs, yuccas, palo verdes, mesquites and mixed wildflowers, weeds and grasses at about 3,000 feet in elevation. I don't think this is typical Cassin's Sparrow habitat, but like 2008, when Vail also had incredible summer rains, they may be moving into marginal habitats to breed. I didn't hear or see a one during last year's non-existent monsoon here. Other birds in the area included VERDIN, RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW, BLACK- THROATED SPARROW, LARK BUNTINGs, LUCY'S WARBLER, WILSON'S WARBLER and a BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. Landscape photos in journal at http://www.economybirding.com/Journal02.html Clifford A. Cathers Economy Birding Services, Inc. "Quality Birding With Your Budget in Mind" http://www.economybirding.com Budget Bird Guiding for the Desert Southwest AZCliffy AT Q.com - 520.762.3201 Subject: Sweetwater today From: Peter Salomon <petersalomon AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:26:28 -0700 Hi Birders, Sweetwater was pretty quiet today with a paucity of warblers, save for many Yellows, single Lucy's, 2 McGilv, 2 Wilson's. Most unusual bird was a Drake REDHEAD, pointed out to me by 2 other birders. I think it was in the pond just W of the Keyhole pond. GB. Peter Salomon Subject: AZFO Shorebird ID Workshop - w. Maricopa Co. From: Troy Corman <aplomado AT COX.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:00:31 -0700 Sixteen participants braved the high humidity and joined Kurt Radamaker and I yesterday (28 Aug.) for the AZ Field Ornithologists first shorebird identification workshop in w. and sw. Maricopa Co. We met at the Glendale Recharge Ponds early in the morning. Although we visited most of the ponds, including some with excellent shorebird habitat, the abundance and diversity were lower than two weeks ago. We still detected 11 of the more regular species giving us the opportunity to point out unique call notes, adult vs. juvenile plumages and molt timing. I estimated there were about 200 shorebirds in the following descending abundance: BLACK-NECKED STILT, KILLDEER, LEAST SANDPIPER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, AMERICAN AVOCET, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, WESTERN SANDPIPER and individual LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER and SOLITARY SANDPIPER. At least two PEREGRINE FALCONS were keeping the shorebirds on alert. Waterfowl diversity is increasing here as well with CANADA GOOSE, MALLARD, CINNAMON TEAL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN SHOVELER, NORTHERN PINTAIL and GADWALL noted. We then made a stop at the nearby Agua Fria River bottom off of Camelback Road which held plenty of egrets and herons. Unfortunately most of the shorebirds were discovered in a very distant and difficult to access section of the huge water-body. At that distance our many scopes were all but useless in assigning confident identification to any of them. We did see our only gull of the day, a RING-BILLED and some of us did add one of the two summering AMERICAN WIGEONS to the day. We consolidated vehicles one more time and headed to the Lower River Road ponds near Palo Verde which remain too full for attracting too many shorebirds. We then drove to near Gila Bend to some dairy sludge ponds where our shorebird luck quickly changed encountering a great diversity and good numbers in one of the ponds. Although it was quite warm and humid, we spent over an hour at this one pond studying and sorting through the periodically reshuffling shorebirds. We had excellent views and ample opportunity for studying the various species, ages and plumages. Highlights included a SNOWY PLOVER, 3 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, a PECTORAL SANDPIPER, a juv. SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, and among the many LEAST and WESTERN SANDPIPERS were good numbers of BAIRD'S and a single very cooperative juv. SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. At one point I could see individuals of all four peep species and the Snowy Plover in a single scope view. The dowitcher also graced us with a few quick bouts of calling during some of the reshuffling events. Hot, sticky, hungry and thirsty, the bedraggled but pleased group headed back to their air conditioned vehicles and coolers and pretty much called it a day with a very respectable 17 species of shorebirds. Several car loads did visit with the continuing TRICOLORED HERON on the Gila River bottom near Estrella Mountain Regional Park. I also heard from another group that after dropping off a few bird field guides to the owners of the sludge ponds, they headed on to Gila Bend and stopped at a few more small locations before heading home. They added RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, STILT SANDPIPER, juv. WHIMBREL and another SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER giving them a 20 shorebird species day! Kurt and I want to thank the hardy participants from Tucson, Green Valley and the greater Phoenix area for an excellent day in the field. It was a great group with many good eyes, ears and excellent questions. I heard there were a few state and life birds for some folks today as well and I hope many gained some knowledge to enhance their next encounter with this unique group of mud-loving birds. Participants included: Carol Beardmore, Steve Buck, Craig Fischer, Cathy Galloway, Melanie Herring, Brian Ison, Ed Jeter, John Jung, Richard Kaiser, Larry Langstaff, Tom Lewis, James McKay, Jon Mann, John Saba, Ginny Seabrook and Daniela Yellan. Hope to see you in the field.... Troy Corman Phoenix, AZ Subject: White Mtns., Black Canyon Lake, Holbrook From: Eric Hough <thebirdwhisperer22 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:46:39 -0700 Back on August 23, 2010, my family and I went over to Escudilla Mountain and Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area. The drive over there was beautiful with the wide expanses of sunflowers and bright green grass covering the volcanic fields west of Springerville. Birds were typical on Escudilla, with the only highlight being a drumming AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER. At Sipe, migrants included MACGILLIVRAY'S and WILSON'S WARBLERS. The sightings list in the parking lot showed that someone (I forgot to write down their name) had an AMERICAN REDSTART the day before with other warbler species. Hummingbirds were still numerous and a couple of BLUE GROSBEAK families also put on a good show. The drive back to Heber included one of the heaviest downpours we've ever experienced between Springerville and Show Low and saw large puddles along the road all the way up to Overgaard, but when we got to Heber we found it had only sprinkled in our yard. On August 25, we spent a couple of hours at Black Canyon Lake south of Heber. Highlights for us included a pair of BLUE-WINGED TEAL, one OSPREY, and several SPOTTED SANDPIPERS. While driving back to Flagstaff from Heber on August 26, I had a flyover PHAINOPEPLA while waiting at the railroad crossing in Holbrook. This was only my second Phainopepla in Navajo Co. and my third above the Rim (the other locations have been Concho Lake near St. Johns and at Walnut Canyon near Flagstaff). Here are the species lists for the locations described above: **Escudilla Mountain: Turkey Vulture Broad-tailed Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird American Three-toed Woodpecker (1) Northern Flicker Steller's Jay Common Raven Mountain Chickadee Pygmy Nuthatch Red-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Wilson's Warbler Green-tailed Towhee Dark-eyed Junco Red Crossbill Pine Siskin **Sipe White Mtn. Wildlife Area: American Kestrel Black-chinned Hummingbird Broad-tailed Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird Red-naped Sapsucker (1) Western Wood-Pewee Olive-sided Flycatcher (1) Say's Phoebe Pinyon Jay Common Raven Violet-green Swallow Barn Swallow White-breasted Nuthatch Hermit Thrush MacGillivray's Warbler (2) Wilson's Warbler (1) Western Tanager (2) Lark Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Blue Grosbeak Bullock's Oriole (1) Red Crossbill Pine Siskin Lesser Goldfinch **Black Canyon Lake: Mallard Blue-winged Teal (2) Great Blue Heron Osprey (1) Spotted Sandpiper (5+) Broad-tailed Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird Lewis's Woodpecker (1) Northern Flicker Steller's Jay Common Raven Mountain Chickadee Pygmy Nuthatch Hermit Thrush Western Bluebird Yellow-rumped Warbler Wilson's Warbler Dark-eyed Junco Lesser Goldfinch **Holbrook: PHAINOPEPLA (1) Good birding!!! Eric Hough thebirdwhisperer22 AT yahoo.com Subject: AZ: Goodyear Tricolored Heron continues 8/29/10 From: Melanie Herring <mherring5 AT COX.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:26:13 -0400 Sunday Aug 29, 2010 Hi All, Ed Dukart and I enjoyed watching the Tricolored Heron today from 0700 to 0800. It was back on its sandbar islands upstream from the Bullard Bridge. Best viewing, when in this area, is actually walking down to near the waters edge with a scope. It was on the little rock island on the south side and then it flew a bit north-east but stayed within the confines of the sandbar. We enjoyed watching it preen, squabble with snowy egrets, and hunt. We enjoyed views of it standing next to a Great Blue, Snowys, as well as, a Great Egret allowing great comparisons. It was still on the island when we left. Other birds and critter: 2 - Green Herons 1 - Greater Yellow legs Cormorants TV's A couple "waves" of around 50 White-faced Ibis heading west for the day 1 Raccoon (healthy) - originally on the island with the heron then it swam across to the north shore to explore. Have a great week! Melanie (Goodyear, AZ) Subject: SE AZ: I-19 corridor, Happy Valley From: Richard Fray <rpfray AT DAKOTACOM.NET> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:28:01 -0700 A couple of fun days in the field. Yesterday (Aug 27) I spent the morning birding with Jenise Porter, with the aim of finding her a Black-bellied Whistling Duck. We checked Amado pond first with no success, although a vocal pair of GRAY HAWKS just west of the Arivaca exit was a good start. Rio Rico was more productive. TROPICAL KINGBIRD, RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW and more vocal GRAY HAWKS were around the river and adjacent scrub, whilst the larger pool hosted an early BELTED KINGFISHER, juvenile and 1st year BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS and a fly-through LESSER YELLOWLEGS. But no ducks... Heading south along River Rd we found a dead badger at the side of the road with a mob of TURKEY VULTURES waiting to get their fill. Another pair of GRAY HAWKS was in this area. It was interesting to see so many kingbirds, many of which were in tail molt. There were Westerns lacking in white edges, Cassin's with almost not tail at all and various birds with seemingly pointy tails (short outer feathers growing in) or double tails (having dropped the inner one of two feathers). Only the Tropical seems to be full in the tail department at the moment. Kino Springs was very birdy. Warbler migration was in evidence with MacGILLIVRAY'S, LUCY'S, YELLOW and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS around the clubhouse pond (aka Stacey Lake). The weedy margins were buzzing with LAZULI BUNTINGS and BLUE GROSBEAKS amongst others. A BANK SWALLOW perched with the BARN and CLIFF SWALLOWS for a long look. A SORA flew (annual wing test?) along the edge of the pond and crashed back into the vegetation. A couple of HOODED ORIOLES put in an appearance, as did GILDED FLICKER, CASSIN'S SPARROW, ASH-THROATED and VERMILION FLYCATCHERS, COMMON GROUND-DOVE and many more. I heard a few suspicious gnatcatcher calls from the mesquites to the north of the pond but I couldn't get them to show. Just as I was about to declare BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK extinct, a pair with three chicks swam out of the vegetation on the near side of the pond and gave us prolonged scope views, much to Jenise's delight. We headed back north on I-19 and stopped at the irrigated fields south of Tumacacori, which held 50+ WHITE-FACED IBIS, double figures of TROPICAL KINGBIRDS, a small flock of CINNAMON TEAL, a GREEN HERON and shorebirds including SOLITARY and SPOTTED SANDPIPERS. Today (Aug 28) I took an afternoon sightseeing trip with Ed Tobin to Happy Valley on the east side of the Rincon Mountains. Ed said it was the best he'd seen it look in 35 years of regular visits. If you get the chance, go - it's simply stunning! The avian highlights were yet more GRAY HAWKS in three different drainages in the foothills, including a recently fledged youngster *screaming* for its mother, and another immature bird looking a little confused in high desert grassland on the way in. I've taken plenty of photos over the past few days, mostly of cooperative butterflies and dragonflies as well as what I hope are some nice scenic shots of the Rincons today. I'll post them to my blog in due course: http://www.funbirdingtours.com/blog/ Richard Fray Tucson AZ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Richard Fray Birding Guide Tour Leader Fun Birding Tours | | | | www.funbirdingtours.com Office: (520) 323-4234 Cell: (520) 490-9287 richard AT funbirdingtours.com Subject: SEAZ: Santa Catalina Mountain Warblers, 08/28/10 From: Melody Kehl <outdoor1 AT COX.NET> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:02:46 -0700 A great day for warblers. . . we found 3 large flocks with lots of Hermit, Townsend's, lesser numbers of Red-faced, Black-throated Gray, Wilson's, Orange-crowned, Virginia's, Painted Redstart, Olive and Yellow-rumped. Prison Camp handed us McGillivray's. The valley gave us Lucy and Yellow. A total of 13 species for today lacking Grace's. Ruby-crowned Kinglets were seen. Cordilleran Flycatchers are on the move. The desert around Tucson gave us my FOS Gray Flycatcher. Melody Kehl So Many Birds, So Little Time http://www.melodysbirding.com Subject: Cienega Arivaca lazuli, indigo buntings etc From: Alaxandar mac Donnaidh <brettwilm AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:06:58 -0700 Peggy and I drove south to Cienega Arivaca this morning and birded the loop from 8-12 am.  Struck out on the Painted Bunting but had several LAZULI BUNTINGS and INDIGO BUNTINGS.  LAZB's (2) in the trees behind the pond just down from parking.  INDB's (2-4) in the fields on either sides of the entrance pond, visible from the path. Some other nice birds: BLUE GROSBEAKS LARK SPARROWS YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS WILSON'S, MACGILLAVRAY'S WARBLERS COMMON YELLOW THROAT INCA DOVES YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS EASTERN MEADOWLARKS Vermillion Flycatchers Song Sparrow mother raising Cowbird at first bridge over stream Northern Cardinal Ladder-backed Woodpeckers Tropical, Western Kingbirds Black Phoebes Phainopeplas Broad-billed and Black-chinned Hummingbirds WW, M, and EC doves I saw three flavors of flycatchers but unable to nail-down any (need to work on this).  - Ash-throated OR Brown-crested - Empid (many) - Medium-sized, olive-colored one. Commercial Endorsement: Checkout Gasden's Coffee on the way back...great coffee, sandwiches, BERRY PIE, music, and overall vibe! Best, Brett Wilmore Tucson Subject: White-tailed Kite From: Sherry Hagen <littlebirder AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:01:13 -0700 There was a WHITE-TAILED KITE along State Line Rd near Rodeo on the Arizona side this morning at 8 AM. Sherry Hagen Vancouver, WA On Aug 26, 2010 10:18 PM, "Richard Fray" wrote: > I thought I'd wallow awhile at Sweetwater this afternoon in search of Jerry's Worm-eating Warbler. I was sidetracked by the incredible amount of dragonflies to be found and photographed on a relatively cool afternoon but I still found some notable birds and it felt as though fall passerine migration was really getting underway. > > Hidden Pond was quiet but I did stumble upon an impressive flock along the southern edge of Sweetwater, between the main ponds and the recharge basins, especially in the vicinity of the porta-potty south of the Overlook Pond. The mesquites and palo verdes were teeming with birds, which included an interesting low-elevation HERMIT WARBLER, BLACK-THROATED GRAY, MacGILLIVRAY'S, ORANGE-CROWNED, several WILSON'S and scads of YELLOW WARBLERS, a family party of COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, an immature male BULLOCK'S ORIOLE and both WARBLING and CASSIN'S VIREOS. Wow! It wasn't easy to see everything so I spent a while crouched underneath the bushes, watching what passed by. At one point a bird roughly the color of a Worm-eating Warbler popped up for half a second but I didn't see it again. It wouldn't surprise me if that was the boy. > > On the recharge basins the shorebird activity was quite high, although I only had binoculars so I may have missed a few. Three SOLITARY SANDPIPERS were on basin 6, along with SPOTTED SANDPIPER and a presumed WHITE-FACED IBIS. Around basins 7 & 8 there were lots of BLACK-NECKED STILTS, quite a few WILSON'S PHALAROPES, LEAST and WESTERN SANDPIPERS, two LESSER YELLOWLEGS and single GREATER YELLOWLEGS, AMERICAN AVOCET and NEOTROPIC CORMORANT. > > Ducks included REDHEAD, GADWALL and a significant increase in CINNAMON TEAL. TROPICAL KINGBIRDS were in evidence, with a family party around the ponds and more on Roger Road. One feature of the afternoon was the number of BLACK PHOEBES present, the most I've seen there (or anywhere) in ages. A conservative estimate would be more than 20 individuals. > > Map of ponds and basins at: http://www.tucsonaudubon.org/images/stories/places/Sweetwater_Site_Map.pdf > > Richard Fray > Tucson AZ > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Richard Fray > Birding Guide > Tour Leader > Fun Birding Tours | > | > | > | www.funbirdingtours.com > Office: (520) 323-4234 > Cell: (520) 490-9287 > richard AT funbirdingtours.com Subject: Cameron: 8/27/2010 From: Carl Lundblad <carl.lundblad AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 14:50:55 -0600 I made a late morning stop at Cameron Seep on 8/27 where highlights included a continuing NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, a Nashville Warbler, and a Solitary Sandpiper. Other migrants included a Willow Flycatcher, Western Wood-pewee,Yellow, Wilson's, and MacGillivray's Warblers, Black-headed and Blue Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, and, on the river, a Spotted Sandpiper. Carl Lundblad Amargosa Valley, NV Subject: SE AZ: Ash Canyon Lucifers From: Mary Jo Ballator <2mjb AT MINDSPRING.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 13:36:57 -0700 Sat, Aug 28: For now, the Lucifer Hummingbirds are coming to the feeders throughout the day. Today there was one Lucifer male mating display. I'll post again when they resume the next breeding cycle. Mary Jo Subject: Cave Creek Canyon Berylline HB still on nest From: Cave Creek Ranch <cavecreek AT VTC.NET> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 10:59:30 -0700 This morning Saturday 8/28 at 10:30 am the Berylline HB in the sycamore across FR 42 from Stewart Campground entrance was still on the nest. The tree is about 40' from the road, the nest about 30' up, about 7 feet out on the second limb up on the right side. Reed Peters Cave Creek Ranch Portal Subject: NM: Prothonotary Warbler, Melrose Trap From: Matt Baumann <mb687 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:52:19 -0700 John Parmeter called in a PROTHONOTARY WARBLER this morning at the Melrose Trap, Roosevelt County. Good Birding, Matt Baumann Subject: Tucson: Rillito Weed Patch From: Mark Stevenson <drbrdr AT ATT.NET> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 08:56:35 -0700 Hi Birders, I checked the Rillito Weed Patch again this morning starting just as the sun topped Redington Pass and it was a-hoppin' with birds. By 7 the activity had died down quite a bit. The careless weed and Johnson grass have really grown in the past two weeks and the birds knew it. Most numerous species was Lesser Goldfinch. Warblers were represented by 4 MacGillivray's, 3 Wilson's and a heard only Common Yellowthroat. Two Bell's Vireos. Multiple Costa's and Anna's Hummers and a single Black-chinned. There was a handful of Lazuli Buntings and one seen-only DICKCISSEL. To bird this location drive to the N end of Columbus Blvd (on the south side of the Rillito "River") and park. Walk west on either of the recreation paths. (The revegetation area to the east is still off-limits, but you can walk around its perimeter.) The nearest major intersection is Grant/Swan. Good birding, Mark Stevenson Tucson, AZ Subject: Great Horned Owls in Prescott Lowe's From: Peter <rpy05 AT CABLEONE.NET> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:18:35 -0700 Since relocating from Tucson to Prescott, we are very enthused with this area's fine climate & low numbers of humanity, but expected birds are rather hard to come by here. In particular, sparrows and warblers seem to be largely absent, although there are good numbers of forest birds (we now live in the S side in the pines). We have also not found owls until tonite, when we went to the Lowe's just before dark, and there were 2 splendid Great Horneds hooting in the garden area! A clerk said that they are always around, and have fledged several young. So if you are in the area, this is where the owls are. We will be making a concerted search for others. Peter Yingling Linda Britt Prescott Subject: NM: Bosque del Apache & Belen Marsh Today From: Gale Owings <gaowings AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:52:27 -0700 Sondra Williamson and I went to Bosque del Apache today (Aug. 27, 2010) hoping to see some shorebirds and warblers but found only one Spotted Sandpiper (on logs at Boardwalk Pond) and a Common Yellowthroat (southwest end of Marsh Loop) plus two Wilson's Warblers (midway along Luis Lopez Rd.) on the way down. The usual pond just north of the Boardwalk Pond appeared completely dry save for a small area on the east side with no birds present. Our only somewhat unusual sightings at the refuge were a flyby Least Bittern (south end of Boardwalk Pond), an immature Common Moorhen (east side of that pond) and an adult Common Moorhen (first water visible in channel west of Seasonal Rd.). En route home we stopped briefly at Belen Marsh where we encountered Dave Hawksworth already scoping the nice variety of birds present, many of which were mentioned by a visiting Massachusetts birder in his posting yesterday. Notable additions pointed out to us by Dave were a Semipalmated Plover and some (I saw at least four) juvenile Stilt Sandpipers, plus there was one Wilson's Phalarope. We checked out the dozen or so ibises present looking for a Glossy, but they all appeared to by White-faced. Lastly, on the way back to I-25 Sondra spotted a Burrowing Owl. Gale Owings Albuquerque Subject: Lake Havasu Area From: "Charles J.Babbitt" <cjbabbitt AT COX.NET> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:28:02 -0400 I spent Thurday afternoon (8-26-10) and Friday morning (8-27-10) birding the Lake Havasu area. Some of the birds seen and places visited were as follows: At the Bill Williams arm there were two Forster’s Terns, a calling Clapper Rail, a flock of Pintails and a flock of Redheads. At Rotary Park in Lake Havasu there was a Caspian Tern (photo) (8-27-10) along with a Semipalmated Plover, (photo) a flock of Western Sandpipers, several Ring-billed Gulls and an immature California Gull. On 8-27-10 there was an Osprey and a small flock of Lazuli Buntings. I am always amazed at the number and variety of birds that visit the small sandbar along the beach. At site six on 8-26-10 there was a Snowy Plover (photo) At Mesquite Bay on 8-27-10 there were 5 Black Terns. I also had a Crissal Thrasher as well as Brewer’s Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, and some other migrants including Wilson’s, Orange-crowned and Yellow Warblers. There was also a Yellow-breasted Chat and lots of Tree Swallows. Up in the refuge there were more calling Clapper Rails, a Least Bittern and a fairly early Northern Harrier. Near Parker I had a Solitary Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs and a Lark Sparrow. Charles Babbitt Phoenix Subject: McGillivray's - with thanks to Clifford From: Nina Hansen <ninahansen2008 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:12:35 -0700 McGillivray's and Virginia's Warblers are two I haven't had on my life list, despite some serious efforts to acquire them. Thanks to Clifford's post about seeing both in the same tree on Blue Haven Road in Patagonia, I was able to add the McGillivray's this afternoon. If anyone happens to have a tame Virginia's lurking about, I'd love to run by and check her off the list,too. (Sorry - that was my feeble attempt at humor.) Happy Birding! Nina Subject: NM: Long-tailed Jaeger, Brantley Lake From: Matt Baumann <mb687 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:30:22 -0700 Hi All, Jerry Oldenettle just called to say he has an adult LONG-TAILED JAEGER at Brantley Lake, Eddy County. The bird is across from Cheapskate at the northern end of the lake. Good Birding, Matt Baumann Subject: Patagonia Lake State Park From: Alan Schmierer <aaschmierer AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:06:47 -0700 It was rather quiet at the east end of Patagonia Lake this morning. There was 1 GREAT EGRET, 2 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS and 2 adult BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS (and 2 adults and 9 young elsewhere in the park). There were 3 WARBLING VIREOS, 3 WILSON'S, 2 NASHVILLE and lots of YELLOW WARBLERS. At my house on Circulo Montana outside the park, BOTTERI'S, CASSIN'S and RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS are common; RUFOUS-WINGED less common. VARIED BUNTINGS still come to water at the house, but seem to be getting less common ... maybe lots of water available in all the puddles. Several waves of 4-6 BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS have been passing thru the yard in the past 2 days. Alan Schmierer PO Box 626 Patagonia, AZ 85624 805-801-3701 (cell) PHOTOS AT: www.flickr.com/photos/sloalan/sets Subject: RBA Tucson, AZ - 27 August 2010 From: Andrew Core <tucsonrba AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:01:53 -0700 Hello Birders, This update of Tucson Audubon Society's Rare Bird Alert for Southeast Arizona was made on August 27, 2010. The next update will be made on September 3. Phone your reports to 520-629-0510 X 3, or email your reports to rarebirdalert AT tucsonaudubon.org. SEVERAL IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS follow the sightings, including information on temporary closures and rules for access to other important birding areas. Abbreviation "m.ob." = multiple observers. An asterisk (*) preceding a species name in the list indicates that it merits careful, full documentation. A pound sign (#) indicates that brief corroborating details are warranted. Documentation and photos of review species may be submitted at http://www.azfo.org/gallery/1main/whatIsABC.html. Where directions are not given, they can be found in the most recent edition of Tucson Audubon's "Finding Birds in Southeast Arizona". More infomation including updates may be found here: http://tucsonaudubon.org/what-we-do/publications/fbi.html. For additional sightings in the region, please see the The Arizona-New Mexico Birding ListServ (http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdwg05.html) SPECIES MENTIONED IN THIS REPORT INCLUDE: Greater White-fronted Goose #GREATER SCAUP *LEAST GREBE *SHORT-TAILED HAWK *UPLAND SANDPIPER #SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER #WHITE-EARED HUMMINGBIRD #BERYLLINE HUMMINGBIRD Violet-crowned Hummingbird #LUCIFER HUMMINGBIRD #GREEN KINGFISHER *SINALOA WREN #BLACK-CAPPED GNATCATCHER American Redstart *WORM-EATING WARBLER Northern Waterthrush Clay-colored Sparrow #PAINTED BUNTING #DICKCISSEL *ORCHARD ORIOLE PATAGONIA After a long absence a silent *SINALOA WREN was seen from Blue Haven Rd in Patagonia on 8/15 (Will Russell), the only report since late fall 2009. The best areas to attempt for this bird, which can be exceedingly difficult to find, would be: 1) from Blue Haven Road about 0.3 to 0.4 miles west of Paton's Hummingbird Haven; or 2) 0.2 miles southwest of the last picnic tables in the town of Patagonia, accessed by parking at the tables and walking to the paths worn into the grass from the shoulder of Hwy 82 to the fence of the Preserve property. DO NOT cross the fence, and watch for chiggers and other wildlife. On 8/27 a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH was seen along Blue Haven Rd (David Dunford, Peter Salomon). A female #PAINTED BUNTING was seen along Harshaw Road just before reaching the grasslands on 8/25 (Cliff Cathers). DOUGLAS area On 8/21 an *UPLAND SANDPIPER was seen and heard on its way south at San Bernardino NWR, and a one-year-old male *ORCHARD ORIOLE was at Oasis Pond. Other interesting birds seen were a Dickcissel a juvenile #PAINTED BUNTING and a Clay-colored Sparrow, but all were in remote areas (Richard Webster). Last report of any #GREEN KINGFISHER was at San Bernardino NWR on 8/14 at the Twin Ponds (Jay Keller). TUCSON area At Sweetwater Wetlands a *WORM-EATING WARBLER was seen early on 8/26 (Jerry Bock), but was not refound. Many other warbler species were seen in the area, though, including a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH on 8/27 (Mark Stevenson) at Roger Road WRF. The very early GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE continued at Lakeside Park in SE Tucson this week (m.ob.). NOGALES & PENA BLANCA LAKE area The last report of the *LEAST GREBES at Pena Blanca Lake was on 8/13 (Jay Keller). Check in the northwest corner of the lake – look carefully under all the overhanging willows. A male PAINTED BUNTING was reported from Arivaca Cienega on 8/22 (Chris McCreedy). PORTAL & the CHIRICAHUAS At least one *SHORT-TAILED HAWK continued through 8/20 in the Barfoot area (Melody Kehl). Reports in recent weeks have come from Barfoot Lookout and Barfoot Park. One suggested method is to scan from Barfoot Lookout, particularly the ridge to the northwest; be aware that thunderstorms can develop quickly, however, and allow enough time to get down. A female #BERYLLINE HUMMINGBIRD continued to be seen southwest of the bridge near the Stewart Campground in Cave Creek Canyon through 8/21 (Richard Webster). WILLCOX At Lake Cochise, the female #GREATER SCAUP continued through 8/23; also present was a juvenile #SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. Other species present include Red-necked Phalarope, Semipalmated Plover, Lesser Yellowlegs, Baird’s and Pectoral Sandpiper and Willet (Richard Webster). Daily turnover is high. SIERRA VISTA & the HUACHUCAS In Miller Canyon #BERYLLINE HUMMINGBIRDS and #WHITE-EARED HUMMINGBIRDS continued this week at Beatty’s Guest Ranch (Tom Beatty, Sr) though the Berylline is irregular and long waits are possible. In Ash Canyon #LUCIFER HUMMINGBIRDS are being seen at Ash Canyon Bed & Breakfast (Mary Jo Ballator); evening appears to be the best time. SANTA RITA MOUNTAINS In Madera Canyon the #BERYLLINE HUMMINGBIRD and the VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD continued at the Madera Kubo feeders this week, though long waits are possible. There is no public parking at Madera Kubo; park below at the Amphitheater parking area and walk 0.1 mile uphill. In Montosa Canyon at least two #BLACK-CAPPED GNATCATCHERS continued on 8/22 near the concrete-lined wash (Stuart Healy). BENSON and ST. DAVID area A male #LUCIFER HUMMINGBIRD visited a feeder in the foothills of Dragoon Mountains east of Benson on 8/24 (Arlene Ripley). In French Joe Canyon a male AMERICAN REDSTART was found near the upper spring on 8/21 (John Yerger, et. al.) ANNOUNCEMENTS BENSON - the Benson Birding Trail is no longer accessible as the property is under new ownership. PATAGONIA - The Paton's yard remains open to birders. MADERA CANYON - Road work is ongoing at multiple areas in Madera Canyon and some spots may be inaccessible. FORT HUACHUCA - will suspend your driving privileges on Post for 30 days, on your first offense for talking or using a cell phone/Blackberry while driving. You MUST use a hands free device. SANTA CRUZ FLATS: Managers at the Evergreen Turf Farm (vicinity of Tweedy and Pretzer Rds) have requested that anyone birding there on the weekends please leave by 5:00 PM. This is due to security issues experienced by the Sod Farm. Birders are still welcome here at other times. BAIRD'S SPARROW HILL AND THE VACA RANCH CORRAL in the San Rafael Valley is off limits to birders due to the thoughtless actions of a few birders. DO NOT ENTER THE PROPERTY. A sign has been posted previously stating that "stopping within 0.25 mile of the corral is prohibited." The Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department is currently revising security procedures and these rules are subject to change any time. Please see this link for important information regarding access: http://www.pima.gov/wwm/about/pdf/birdwatching.pdf. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. SWEETWATER WETLANDS - Mosquito control operations are scheduled from 6:30-8:30am on Mondays. The gate will open when operations are finished. GREEN VALLEY WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT: Closed for construction, probably until August 2010. AVRA VALLEY WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT: Gates open at 6AM and close PROMPTLY at 2PM (do not linger, you will be locked inside). CORONA DE TUCSON WASTEWATER RECLAMATION FACILITY: Access to the ponds here, about 1.5 miles west of Houghton Rd on Sahuarita Rd, is available from 6:00 A.M to 2:00 P.M daily. List of attendees and group affiliation must be sent in advance by fax (762-0591) or phone (762-0593). Bring identification with you. NOGALES SEWAGE PONDS: Remain closed to birders. Updates to the 7th edition (2007) of Finding Birds in Arizona can be found here: http://tucsonaudubon.org/what-we-do/publications/133.html Good birding! Andrew Core SEAZ RBA Compiler - Tucson, AZ Subject: SE AZ: Northern Waterthrush in Patagonia From: Michael Marsden <birdanza AT Q.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:58:11 +0000 David Dunford and Peter Salomon asked me to report their sighting of a Northern Waterthrush by Sonoita Creek in Patagonia late this morning. It was where the creek runs close to Blue Haven Road about 200 yards south of the Patons' - well known as one of the (formerly?) favorite areas of the Sinaloa Wren. Michael Marsden 520-394-2340 Patagonia, AZ Subject: SE AZ: Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson From: Richard Fray <rpfray AT DAKOTACOM.NET> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 22:17:28 -0700 I thought I'd wallow awhile at Sweetwater this afternoon in search of Jerry's Worm-eating Warbler. I was sidetracked by the incredible amount of dragonflies to be found and photographed on a relatively cool afternoon but I still found some notable birds and it felt as though fall passerine migration was really getting underway. Hidden Pond was quiet but I did stumble upon an impressive flock along the southern edge of Sweetwater, between the main ponds and the recharge basins, especially in the vicinity of the porta-potty south of the Overlook Pond. The mesquites and palo verdes were teeming with birds, which included an interesting low-elevation HERMIT WARBLER, BLACK-THROATED GRAY, MacGILLIVRAY'S, ORANGE-CROWNED, several WILSON'S and scads of YELLOW WARBLERS, a family party of COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, an immature male BULLOCK'S ORIOLE and both WARBLING and CASSIN'S VIREOS. Wow! It wasn't easy to see everything so I spent a while crouched underneath the bushes, watching what passed by. At one point a bird roughly the color of a Worm-eating Warbler popped up for half a second but I didn't see it again. It wouldn't surprise me if that was the boy. On the recharge basins the shorebird activity was quite high, although I only had binoculars so I may have missed a few. Three SOLITARY SANDPIPERS were on basin 6, along with SPOTTED SANDPIPER and a presumed WHITE-FACED IBIS. Around basins 7 & 8 there were lots of BLACK-NECKED STILTS, quite a few WILSON'S PHALAROPES, LEAST and WESTERN SANDPIPERS, two LESSER YELLOWLEGS and single GREATER YELLOWLEGS, AMERICAN AVOCET and NEOTROPIC CORMORANT. Ducks included REDHEAD, GADWALL and a significant increase in CINNAMON TEAL. TROPICAL KINGBIRDS were in evidence, with a family party around the ponds and more on Roger Road. One feature of the afternoon was the number of BLACK PHOEBES present, the most I've seen there (or anywhere) in ages. A conservative estimate would be more than 20 individuals. Map of ponds and basins at: http://www.tucsonaudubon.org/images/stories/places/Sweetwater_Site_Map.pdf Richard Fray Tucson AZ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Richard Fray Birding Guide Tour Leader Fun Birding Tours | | | | www.funbirdingtours.com Office: (520) 323-4234 Cell: (520) 490-9287 richard AT funbirdingtours.com Subject: SE AZ: 08/26/10 - Low Huachucas and Sierra Vista EOP From: Stuart Healy <stuarthealy AT COX.NET> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:00:31 -0700 Thursday, August 26, 2010 There was quite a contrast in weather conditions over a few miles and short period of time this morning. It was very cool, windy and wet at the southern end of the Huachuca Mountains; sunny and 85 degrees at the EOP. I checked lower Carr Canyon where the most interesting bird was a GRAY HAWK at the third stream crossing. Habitat here is predominantly dense oak and juniper, although it's not too far from riparian habitat. I have very few records for Gray Hawk in Carr. Otherwise, it was typical fare. Among the species at the picnic area above the second stream crossing were ACORN, LADDER-BACKED and ARIZONA WOODPECKERS, PHAINOPEPA, BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, HEPATIC TANAGER and BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK. I continued south to Coronado National Memorial. The lush grassland in the first half mile from Highway 92 had singing GRASSHOPPER, CASSIN'S and BOTTERI'S SPARROWS in that order of abundance. In the vicinity of the picnic area near the visitor center, I counted over 10 singing RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS. Just like Gene Kelly, sparrows like to sing in the rain. The unpaved section of the road up to Montezuma Pass is in very good condition. Unfortunately, the clouds, rain and wind conspired against me -- no birds and the normally spectacular view from the top of the pass was completely obscured. Otherwise, perfect! I beat a hasty retreat from the mountain and headed down to Sierra Vista EOP where conditions were much better. I noted a big push of TURKEY VULTURES heading south along the San Pedro Valley. Many SWAINSON'S HAWKS were gathered on an irrigation rig. Given the lack of water to look at, I was happy to see WHITE-FACED IBIS, a couple of LEAST SANDPIPERS and over 40 WILSON'S PHALAROPES. Stuart Stuart Healy, Western U.S. Bird Guide, Specializing in SE Arizona and the White Mountains. Personal Guiding and Custom Tours; 220 Stardust St., Sierra Vista, AZ 85635. (520) 458-7603 stuarthealy AT cox.net http://www.aztrogon.com Birding journal: http://www.aztrogon.com/journal/Main.htm I'd rather be birding (and I usually am) Subject: Re: (no sightings) New Mexico raptors book From: Jack Holloway <birderjack3 AT COX.NET> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:52:05 -0700 The book, Raptors of New Mexico, noted by Richard in an earlier e-mail is an impressive book. I've been going over it recently, too, and have found it very informative and relevant for Arizona raptor enthusiasts. For anyone curious, I posted a few sample pags of the book along with a summary review of it at this link: https://sites.google.com/site/avianreview/Home/review-content/USStatesSW#newmexico Jack Jack Holloway BirderJack3 AT cox.net Mesa, AZ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Webster" To: Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 5:25 PM Subject: [BIRDWG05] (no sightings) New Mexico raptors book > Hi Folks: > > I don't think I have seen this mentioned: > > Cartron, Jean-Luc, ed. 2010. Raptors of New Mexico. University of New > Mexico Press. > > I only bird regularly in about 5% of New Mexico and I have only read about > 5% of this book, so this is not a comprehensive review. However, from the > introductory chapter on migration in New Mexico to the species accounts, > authored by many knowledgeable raptor folks, I suspect that many on this > listserv, from both states, will find this volume of interest. The focus > is > on general biology, as opposed to ID, but there is much on ID to be > learned > from the photographs. At $50 list price, it is not inexpensive, but at > 710 > pp. with hundreds of color photographs, you get a great deal of book for > the > money. > > Richard > > Richard Webster > webster.re AT gmail.com > > > > *http://fieldguides.com/guides/richard-webster* Subject: (no sightings) New Mexico raptors book From: Richard Webster <webster.re AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:25:27 -0700 Hi Folks: I don't think I have seen this mentioned: Cartron, Jean-Luc, ed. 2010. Raptors of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press. I only bird regularly in about 5% of New Mexico and I have only read about 5% of this book, so this is not a comprehensive review. However, from the introductory chapter on migration in New Mexico to the species accounts, authored by many knowledgeable raptor folks, I suspect that many on this listserv, from both states, will find this volume of interest. The focus is on general biology, as opposed to ID, but there is much on ID to be learned from the photographs. At $50 list price, it is not inexpensive, but at 710 pp. with hundreds of color photographs, you get a great deal of book for the money. Richard Richard Webster webster.re AT gmail.com *http://fieldguides.com/guides/richard-webster* Subject: AZ:08/26/10:Vail and Green Valley From: "Clifford A. Cathers" <azcliffy AT Q.COM> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:44:54 -0700 A large flock of LARK BUNTINGs, perhaps numbering near 100 individuals, flew over my house in Vail this morning, at approximately 7:30 AM. Later, a ZONE-TAILED HAWK floated lazily over Abrego Drive in Green Valley, very near Esperanza Blvd, at about 12:00 noon. Strange weather day... Clifford A. Cathers Economy Birding Services, Inc. "Quality Birding With Your Budget in Mind" http://www.economybirding.com Budget Bird Guiding for the Desert Southwest AZCliffy AT Q.com - 520.762.3201