Date: 11/7/25 4:28 pm From: henry detwiler (via aznmbirds Mailing List) <aznmbirds...> Subject: [AZNMbirds] Western Arizona
Greetings Birders,
I returned yesterday from a great trip north along the Colorado River and then east to Prescott. I was on the road four days and saw lots of beautiful birds, five of which were new for the year.
At the Bill Williams Delta of Lake Havasu early on 3 Nov, I was happy to see an early BARROW'S GOLDENEYE among a flock of GREATER SCAUP. It turned out to be the only goldeneye I would find. COMMON LOONS were indeed common, and over the course of the day I spotted five of them. A flock of 24 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS was nice, but the best find was an adult AMERICAN HERRING GULL bobbing out in the big lake, my first year-bird of the trip. At the Lake Havasu City Rotary Park were lots of AMERICAN ROBINS, and a continuing AMERICAN REDSTART. At the south dike of the Havasu NWR (close to Topock), were scads of waterfowl and shorebirds, and a pretty BONAPARTE'S GULL.
The morning of 4 Nov found me at Willow Creek Reservoir (Willow Lake), where after 45 mins of scanning I spotted the previously reported ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK--bird #396. Up into the mountains at Aspen Spring, I searched in vain for Purple Finch. Fortunately, there were many other wonderful species, like BUSHTIT, MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, and HAIRY WOODPECKER. Then it was north to the Granite Basin Recreation Area, where I was searching for Downy Woodpecker. Again, no luck with that bird, but I was fortunate to find a handsome VARIED THRUSH, and more common species like RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, SPOTTED TOWHEE, and PYGMY NUTHATCH.
On 5 Nov I headed back up to the Aspen Springs area a bit too early--it was 37 degrees and the birds were still sleeping. Fortunately, once it warmed up, I encountered a large bird party that included BUSHTITS, nuthatches, kinglets, PINE SISKINS, juncos, and the stars of the show--PURPLE FINCHES! #397. Then, back at Granite Basin for a second try, I was rewarded with another bird party--this one included a JUNIPER TITMOUSE, nuthatches, a STELLER'S JAY, and a DOWNY WOODPECKER! I've been searching for that little woodpecker here in Arizona since last winter, mostly in Flagstaff--so it was a thrill to find it. #398
Yesterday, 6 Nov, I reversed my course, and made my first stop Havasu NWR. Topock Bay was teeming with 11 kinds of ducks, including all three teal. Shorebirds included 16 AMERICAN AVOCETS and a BLACK-NECKED STILT. From there I headed south to Lake Havasu, where a lengthy scan turned up 3 female BLACK SCOTERS--#399! A couple of stops at Rotary Park and along the Bill Williams Delta turned up most of the birds I'd seen on the way north. So I drove on to the Aha Khav Tribal Preserve, one of my favorite birding locations in southwest Arizona. Over the next few hours I located 50 species, including hundreds of AMERICAN WIGEONS, a RIDGWAY'S RAIL, a RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, a CRISSAL THRASHER, and a pair of lowland WESTERN BLUEBIRDS.
So now I'm at 399 for my AZ Big Year, just one bird shy of reaching my goal. eBird reports with photos:https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/nB5UCXYBgvfOLnAP4i6f5CWrfPt?<domain...> - AhaKhav Tribal Preservehttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/iyz_CYVDjwfAy3YWDSGh6CxC6a7?<domain...> - Granite Basin Recreation Areahttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/tco0CZZEkxiQWMvq7HKilCBnERy?<domain...> - Aspen Springshttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/M_4aC1VkgOfqQpgA6iXsACVVqyN?<domain...> - Granite Basin Lakehttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/qZosC2GljPc8Dkr2Vh9tVC5KG_9?<domain...> - Granite Basin Lakehttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/jbOlC3Ymkgf2rm3gXuvu8CQctJg?<domain...> - Willow Lake
Good Birding!Henry D. <Detwilerhenry_detwiler...>, AZ
Finding Birds in Southwest Arizonahttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/vpWEC4WnljTlwJP2zijCrC4hp_Z?<domain...> Birds at the Salton Sea and in Imperial County, https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/TWkFC5Aomkf6r08PMclFlCkBMCl?<domain...>
