Date: 10/4/25 3:47 pm From: henry detwiler (via aznmbirds Mailing List) <aznmbirds...> Subject: [AZNMbirds] Yuma to Portal
Greetings Birders,
This report covers last week, starting with a wonderful cool morning at Mittry Lake on Monday, 29 Sep 2025. At Betty's Kitchen one of my first birds was a BROWN PELICAN, a bird I'd been searching for all year. A CLARK'S GREBE with a baby nestled on its back was neat. A RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was an unexpected find. A late BELL'S VIREO called, as well as both SORA and VIRGINIA'S RAIL. Farther north, a BLACK RAIL called as I was exiting my vehicle. In the Dome Valley I found 12 species of shorebirds, including RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, and BAIRD'S & PECTORAL SANDPIPERS. By morning's end I'd seen or heard 83 species.
On Tuesday I started at Spot Road Farm. There I was pleased to find 2 PRAIRIE FALCONS, CASSIN'S VIREO, BENDIRE'S THRASHER, 4 LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCHES, and a PYRRHULOXIA. At Paloma Ranch I had a good count of 23 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS and my first TOWNSEND'S WARBLER of the season. I ended my day at Willcox, where I had a flock of 16 SCALED QUAIL, a handsome SANDHILL CRANE, SWAINSON'S HAWK, and the usual complement of shorebirds.
Wednesday morning I drove through Pinery Canyon on my way to Portal. My primary target for this trip was American Goshawk. Most of the drive was without sighings or song, but a few areas with excellent bird parties made for some excitement. It was my best morning ever for MEXICAN CHICKADEES, and I counted 10 of them. Some of the other good birds were a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL, a DUSKY FLYCATCHER, and a HEPATIC TANAGER. At the Southwestern Research Station I had a fine showing of hummingbirds, including a handsome male BLUE-THROATED MOUNTAIN-GEM. At Cave Creek Ranch it was fun watching a pair of RED-NAPED SAPSUCKERS. At Jasper's place there was still a visiting SCOTT'S ORIOLE. The desert around Willow Tank was abloom with beautiful yellow plains zinnias and the tank itself was well-watered. I watched a SORA for a while, but unfortunately there were only a handful of active birds there.
Early Thursday morning I added a few new trip birds around Portal, including BAND-TAILED PIGEON, CEDAR WAXWING, and ARIZONA WOODPECKER. Afterwards, I headed west to Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary. I heard a GRAY HAWK, and then a few minutes later witnessed a COOPER'S HAWK in hot pursuit of an ACORN WOODPECKER. The woodpecker was squealing and making hairpin turns, going up, down, and around the trees. It looked like the hawk caught the tip of a tail feather, and then they were out of sight. At Ramsey Canyon I watched a few RIVOLI'S HUMMINGBIRDS coming in to drink sugar water at the feeders. A pair of CASSIN'S VIREOS gobbled up insects in a large maple. I was able to watch and photograph one of them thrash a caterpillar to death. My final stop for the afternoon was the San Pedro House, where the butterflies far outnumbered the birds. It was fun listening to a COMMON RAVEN making odd vocalizations.
On my last day, Friday, 3 Oct, I started at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds. Most of the hummers were ANNA'S and BLACK-CHINNED, but I did spot the local star, the VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD. A SUMMER TANAGER was nice. Box Canyon was really quiet, with just a few birds noted. As always, Santa Rita Lodge had a number of species, the best of which was a CEDAR WAXWING and a HERMIT THRUSH eating the pyracantha berries. Stops at the Gila Bend Sewage Ponds and Spot Road Farm didn't yield anything special.
I had missed the American Goshawk, but it was still a fine adventure, and I spotted 162 species over the four days. And the Brown Pelican on Monday morning brings my AZ Big Year total up to 385. eBird reports with some photos among them:https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/l-6yCM7nRPIz76lgxhwfku8Ma5v?<domain...> - Betty's Kitchenhttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/zc7DCN7oVgIjzMRAVS4hguyOqH1?<domain...> - Mittry Lakehttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/3Zh0COJpWjfvM2GJ5skiyuGWb8P?<domain...> - Spot Road Farmhttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/pyAECP6q0kC3P5lOvFjsvuxomDC?<domain...> - Lake Cochisehttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/KNl6CQArYlfoYNx8BsrtyuGUzZA?<domain...> - Pinery Canyonhttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/TUFoCR8vZmt5xgVJnFouYu1muCz?<domain...> - SW Research Stationhttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/HKrhCVJz4qfgYPv70sWCKuEY9j_?<domain...> - Willow Tankshttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/Qt0aCWWA5rTDVyk2zTLFruoh2pT?<domain...> - Ramsey Canyon
Good Birding!Henry D. <Detwilerhenry_detwiler...>, AZ
Finding Birds in Southwest Arizonahttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/wZV9CXYBgvfOWMJ1BsrH0uWdlJK?<domain...> Birds at the Salton Sea and in Imperial County, https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/rsskCYVDjwfAw68QkTwIouxgnW4?<domain...>
