Date: 11/1/25 9:54 pm From: henry detwiler (via aznmbirds Mailing List) <aznmbirds...> Subject: [AZNMbirds] SWAZ: 27 Oct - 1 Nov
Greetings Birders,
It's been a fun week, and after a few unproductive bird chases across Arizona, I finally got several new big year species over the past three days.
The Solar Ponds have continued to host good birds all fall; on 27 Oct I had two continuing DULIN, two continuing WESTERN SANDPIPERS, and over 100 LEAST SANDPIPERS. Last week there was also a WOODHOUSE'S SCRUB-JAY there, one of many "irruptive" mountain birds that have descended to lower elevation sites this fall. On 28 Oct Suzanne and I watched a beautiful green female PAINTED BUNTING at our seed feeder in our back yard--a wonderful surprise, and yard bird #163 for us.
On 30 Oct I thought I'd do a Big Day. It started off well with our AMERICAN BARN OWL calling in the front yard. And then at Spot Road Farm I got some of our less common birds, including MERLIN, LECONTE'S THRASHER, SWAMP SPARROW, and a flock of over 8 CHIHUAHUAN MEADOWLARKS. But the best bird was a fly-over SPAGUE'S PIPIT, making it's high squeaky call. At Dateland, Growler Pond, Tacna, the Solar Pond, and other spots in the Dome Valley I continued to add species like SAGEBRUSH SPARROW, DUNLIN, and EARED GREBE, but in the end I'd only tallied 84 species for the day.
Today, the first day of November, I drove out to Hassayampa to look for a previously-reported VARIED THRUSH. After much searching, and listening to others describe their good looks at the bird, I finally saw it myself! But the real surprise was Ronnie and Mike's PACIFIC WREN, which was calling close to one of the streams. It was quite fearless, and many of us got wonderful photos. Following that I hightailed it to Lake Pleasant, but the possible Surf Scoter I spotted was simply too far away to ID, even with my scope. Three COMMON LOONS and a confiding ROCK WREN were my consolation.
The Sprague's Pipit, Pacific Wren, and Varied Thrush bring my AZ Big Year total to 394 species. eBird reports with some photos among them:https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/s9bwC5Aomkf6GxzvlHzflCkYMYb?<domain...> Solar Pondhttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/jLdLC6YpnlfyK1gDWU6hWC5id4m?<domain...> Yuma Backyardhttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/IjDNC7DqomiZkQ0qRuBi6CovjNf?<domain...> Spot Road Farmhttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/PdTlC8XrpnfYRzArkCMsrCyZvXY?<domain...> Hassayampa River Preserve
Good Birding!Henry D. <Detwilerhenry_detwiler...>, AZ
Finding Birds in Southwest Arizonahttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/-pbMC93vqou2BM61OIPt0Cqa1cE?<domain...> Birds at the Salton Sea and in Imperial County, https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/Z7hqC0Aj5Nfm3M98yH3uNC9dIOg?<domain...>
