Greetings Birders,
On 21 Mar I again left Yuma in the dark, and arrived in the Altar Valley to do some morning owling. From there I worked my way east to Ron Morriss Park, where I joined Peter and the hawk watchers for a bit, spotting my first COMMON BLACK HAWKS and GREY HAWKS of the season. Along Santa Gertrudis Lane and the Santa Cruz River I heard a NORTHERN BEARDLESS TYRANNULET, dozens of LESSER GOLDFINCHES, singing YELLOW WARBLERS, and a host of other riparian-loving birds. As I was watching a tight group of CEDAR WAXWINGS a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK attacked; fortunately for the waxwings he crashed into some protective branches instead of the birds! I could just imagine the hawk muttering and cursing to himself as he ruffled his feathers and flew off.
Early the next morning I tried some owling at Pena Blanca Canyon. It was cold, and a bit too early in the season. As the dawn broke a COMMON POORWILL whistled from the cliffs and a COOPER'S HAWK called loudly from an oak. A few CINNAMON TEAL and some NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS were on Pena Blanca Lake. Back along the Santa Cruz River I did a morning stroll, picking up CASSIN'S VIREO. I also revisited the hawk watch, and this time added ZONE-TAILED HAWK. An early afternoon hike up Florida Canyon was productive, and I finally got good lucks at the wintering GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW. While up there, I heard the beautiful descending song of the CANYON WREN for the first time this year. By the time I returned to my vehicle, the wind was gusting hard, but I decided to make a pass through Box Canyon anyway. There was almost no water at the old dam, and the winds drowned out all but a PHAINOPEPLA and a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. Stopping to look at some cottonwoods on the way out, I caught a movement along the opposite canyon wall--a GOLDEN EAGLE!
On the 23rd I drove over to Hereford, and hiked north and south along the San Pedro River in search of Green Kingfisher. No luck with that bird, but it was a beautiful walk with many singing YELLOW WARBLERS, a handsome PAINTED REDSTART, and a pair of WOOD DUCKS. At Ash Canyon I caught up with my first SCOTT'S ORIOLE and BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRDS. In Huachuca Canyon I hiked above the upper picnic area, calling in lots of BRIDLED TITMICE and HUTTON'S VIREOS. I decided to try out Garden Canyon, too, a spot that I used to visit frequently. It was quiet--in fact, on my 2-mile drive up-canyon with frequent stops, I did not see or hear a single bird!
Yesterday I stopped numerous times on the way back to Yuma. Sweetwater Wetlands was beautiful as always; it's always nice to see CINNAMON, GREEN-WINGED, and BLUE-WINGED TEAL together. The Evergreen Sod Farm has a few shorebirds. At Spot Road Farm, in 95-degree heat, I found 47 species, including a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, 13 SAGE THRASHERS, and my first BELL'S VIREO of the season. The Solar Ponds had 4 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS and 45 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS. At the Ave 20E bridge over the Gila River I couldn't re-locate the Little Blue Heron, but 3 RIDGWAY'S RAILS were clattering.
As usual, my four-day trip to southeast Arizona was great fun, with 11 new year birds, and 155 species overall. My 2025 AZ total now stands at 280.
Some eBird reports with photos:https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/hjh1C93vqouzBBjR4UofOUqnrR0?<domain...> - Ron Morriss Parkhttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/BLpcC0Aj5Nfk33zJNtDhgU9pM10?<domain...> - Florida Canyonhttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/5rD0Cg7WAOIq22JPEU2iWU4jwpd?<domain...> - San Pedrohttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/BjncCjAWEjfYqq0loi7svUmZarn?<domain...> - Ash Canyonhttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/k0Z8Ck6WGkCkQQvY2tJtvUGvHb7?<domain...> - Sweetwater Wetlandshttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/HFfVCl8WJlt1ZZlORCYu5UzC0VZ?<domain...> - Spot Road Farmhttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/y-ZzCm7WKmIpnnq1yUNC1UR0vkT?<domain...> - Solar Pond
Good Birding!Henry D. <Detwilerhenry_detwiler...>, AZ
Finding Birds in Southwest Arizonahttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/I3VQCnGWL0cXooVl9C0FrUJN-Gg?<domain...> Birds at the Salton Sea and in Imperial County, https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/XlSmCoAWMofDzzml2h2HxUpczUc?<domain...>
