Date: 3/19/25 6:07 pm From: Steven Tracey <straceyflash...> Subject: [AZNMbirds] SEAZ: San Pedro House Birding Walk plus upcoming events
Hi Birders,
Well, if you believe the weather forecast, this morning was likely the last
really cold Wednesday morning for the season. And, it was definitely cold,
26 degrees as folks began to arrive. Fortunately, no wind and plenty of
sun, so it eventually got comfortable. Undeterred by the cold start, we
had a big group of 18 birders so we split into two groups to cover the
trails around San Pedro House. Together we found 45 total species.
Probably the most unusual species we found was a pair of Western
Bluebirds. Certainly not regionally unusual, but this is the first time
we've had them on the walk this year. Another typically unusual bird for
the area, Great Egret, was seen simultaneously by both groups as they
converged on to Kingfisher Pond. The most encouraging sightings however
were related to hints of spring. There were Great Blue Herons on the nests
along the river and we began to see some first of year migrants for the
walk, like Yellow Warbler and Wilson's Warbler. There were also good
numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers and Lazuli Buntings moving through as
well.
Things are about to get really busy along the San Pedro, bird walk-wise.
We will continue to have walks every Wednesday morning at 7:00am at San
Pedro House through April. In addition there will be a bonus walk on
Saturday March 29 at 7:00am starting at the Hereford Bridge Trailhead.
This should be a great walk with migrants starting to show up and a good
chance that the Green Kingfisher that's been around all winter might still
be there. And speaking of great walks, remember to mark down Saturday
April 12 as the date for the "Big Morning Birding Challenge" where you can
choose your favorite SPRNCA location to join a docent led team and see how
many species you can find. This, plus many more fun activities, is part of
the "Celebrate the San Pedro River" festival. Keep an eye on the Friends
of the San Pedro River's Facebook page for details.
The Friends of the San Pedro River leads birding walks from the San Pedro
House located south of Highway 90 just west of the San Pedro River. The
walks last about three hours. Bring your own binoculars, a hat and water.
