Greetings Birders,
Yesterday (18 Dec) I drove up to Cibola NWR to see if I could re-locate some swans and see what else was in the vicintiy. As the sun started to rise, more and more Sandhill Cranes descended on the fields of the Goose Loop Auto Route, followed by a giant herd of Snow Geese and three Tundra Swans--two adults and a juvenile. They looked giant compared to the geese and the nearby egrets. I spotted a small flock of Greater White-fronted Geese along the loop, but nothing else exciting.
At the island unit the White Ibis was missing, as was the large flock of White-faced Ibis. By way of compensation, it was great to see lots of jewel-like Mountain Bluebirds.
This morning (19 Dec) I surveyed some of the large ag fields south of town (south & north of E. County 19th Steet). I came away with four falcons--something I've never done down there before. I also had a flock of 39 Mountain Plover, my first of the season. Raptor summary: 41 Ferruginous Hawks, 24 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Northern Harriers, 8 American Kestrels, 2 Prairie Falcons, 1 Peregrine Falcon, and 1 Merlin.
eBird reports with some photos among them:https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/_Lu0CLAmQOfw02XZqSBf6FypznO?<domain...>
Happy Holidays!Henry D. <Detwilerhenry_detwiler...>, AZ
Finding Birds in Southwest Arizonahttps://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/GnEiCM7nRPIkpY9APCkh7F8wcKO?<domain...> Birds at the Salton Sea and in Imperial County, https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/jIT3CN7oVgIPYp9GLCji4FyOPPV?<domain...>
