Date: 4/24/24 4:11 pm From: Olga Harbour <oharbour...> Subject: [AZNMbirds] [EXT]SE AZ Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve Empid and others
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Hi folks,
I spent about three hours at the preserve this morning, arriving about 7:15 to get ahead of the wind in the forecast. Lots of birdly activity all over the place!
I saw an empid at the northern end of the Railroad Trail where the bench is. Another birder had alerted me. Anyway, I want to call it a Dusky Flycatcher. I'm not an empid expert, so I welcome confirmation or denial if anyone else saw this bird today.
Probably the most enjoyable sighting of the day was a mixed flock of Summer and Western Tanagers in a cottonwood near where the Creek Trail heads away from the meadow back toward the creek. There were at least 8 birds in the group in gorgeous plumage. I also saw several Lazuli Buntings.
Three Gray Hawks were visible, two adults perched in the same tree and a juvenile flying overhead. Lots of Wild Turkey strutting their stuff in the meadow, joined by some (Coues?) White-tailed deer.
All morning long I heard Common Yellowthroat, but none were ever visible. Other warblers: Lucy's, Wilson's, Yellow, and Yellow-rumped.
Just as I was pulling out of my parking space, a Zone-tailed Hawk cruised by overhead.
