Greetings Birders,
I spent the night of 24 June at a Best Western in Sierra Vista, and before the sun rose the next morning was heading south. Close to the corner of Monson and E. Hereford Roads I stopped and listened. Most of the birds were HOUSE and BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS, but before too long I had a BOTTERI'S SPARROW, and then my target, a CASSIN'S SPARROW. Still prior to the sunrise, I drove up the gravel road to the Beatty's, at the mouth of Miller Canyon. I chatted with Tom and his big pack of hound dogs, and when he unlocked the gate, took the shortcut to the main trail. Birds were calling all around, some of which were PLUMBEOUS VIREO, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, and HEPATIC TANAGER. After a half-mile uphill hike, I reached the ruins of the old sawmill along the creek. SULPHUR-BELLIED and DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHERS called, but nothing new for 10-15 minutes. Then I heard a sweet warble followed by a soft, slow chatter. I soon found the source of the call, a beautiful orange-red FLAME-COLORED TANAGER! A bit later I also got a quick glimpse of the greenish female. After snapping photos and getting a nice recording, I headed back down the mountain. For some reason, this was much easier than my uphill trek...
At Ash Canyon the number and variety of birds had fallen off, as the breeders were tending to their broods, and with spring migration in the rear-view mirror. So I was quite pleased to see a handsome male LUCIFER HUMMINGBIRD visit one of nectar feeders. Then I drove over to the Paton's, where at least two VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRDS were feeding. The biggest spectacle, however, was the sheer number of colorful BLUE GROSBEAKS visiting the brush piles and gobbling up spilled seed. I counted 19 birds; one of the volunteers had counted 25 the day before. Box Canyon was almost silent during the toasty mid-day hours. But as usual, the Santa Rita Lodge was hopping. BROAD-BILLED, BLACK-CHINNED, and RIVOLI'S HUMMINGBIRDS were busy feeding, as were a pair of BRONZED COWBIRDS, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS, and an ARIZONA WOODPECKER.
The next morning (28 June) I had a WILLET and two WILSON'S PHALAROPES at the Ajo Wastewater Treatment Ponds, and at the community golf course I was tickled to spot and photograph a handsome VARIED BUNTING. At Spot Road Farm were more early shorebirds: a GREATER YELLOWLEGS, two WILLETS, and a WILSON'S PHALAROPE. And at the Aztec Feedlot was my first LEAST SANDPIPER of the season.
With the addition of the singing CASSIN'S SPARROW and the cooperative FLAME-COLORED TANAGERS, I'm now at 370 Arizona species for the year.
eBird reports with some photos:https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/XqqtCzqg1DimxX3JGi4fQh93tee?<domain...>
Good Birding!Henry D. <Detwilerhenry_detwiler...>, AZ
Finding Birds in Southwest Arizonahttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/LYprCA8EBzt1nxg7Zt8h2hGn6k3?<domain...> Birds at the Salton Sea and in Imperial County, https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/Z0IbCB1GDATlMx1EDSNiXh2aibj?<domain...>
