Birders and Bloggers

We set out at 6 A.M. Saturday morning headed for The Gathering Ground in Patagonia Arizona to meet up with folks that we had met through Twitter. All were birders and some were bloggers and most were Twitterers. While I was only able to participate on Saturday most had come for either two or three days of bird watching.
It was a beautiful sunny day in the 70's with a light breeze at times which for me are perfect conditions to be outside. We headed to Patagonia Lake hoping to see the Elegant Trogon and the Hepatic Tanager but we unhappily did not see either bird although we heard what could have been the Trogon.

It was clear from the start that I was out gunned in the camera department as there were some very impressive equipment along for the trip and I can't wait to see the results from the other photographers.
Plenty of American Coot along the waters edge working hard at finding a meal.
This little guy is a Bewick's Wren which doesn't stay in one place very long so I'm hoping someone else got a better shot than I did.


I'm used to doing almost all of my field work by myself or with one other person so my normal way of getting the shot which is a slow few steps at a time really wasn't going to work in a group this size. Every time I would make a move I had to think about whether or not I was getting in someone elses shot or worse scaring off the bird they were viewing. All in all I did enjoy the experience and learned quite a bit from the others who were very knowledgeable and the friendliest people you could ever hope to meet.
I want this lens!

We saw quite a few Vermilion Flycatchers and there were allot of oohs and ahs throughout the day

Jeff was a great source of information and a great help with identification and now I want a scope too!

This Blue Winged Teal flew over me and provided these great shots of his colors.
It's great to see the butterflies back including this Pipevine Swallowtail.
Sonoita Creek was flowing strongly and reminded me of a New England stream. It's always a treat to see significant water flow here in Southern Arizona. The winter rains have been regular and the desert is very green. I'm betting that the spring wild flowers are going to be the best in years.
A restful moment along the way. The hike along the lake was an easy one. The number and varieties of birds was a little disappointing but it was such a great day with nice people that no one was too upset. Bill from New Mexico had accumulated 10 life birds on the trip and was very happy.
We were fortunate to see this Orange Crowned Warbler which was a life lister for me.

I'm not sure about this one. Help me out.

Frogs in the desert are always great to see.
I have no idea on this one either.

Red Tailed Hawk that flew over us at the golf course just as we arrived. Our second stop was the irrigation ponds at a local golf course near Nogales.

Black Tailed Gnatcatcher. We spotted two of these and everyone was trying to get a decent picture so I'll be quite interested to see how well the others did as they don't sit sit still very long. This was also a life lister for me.
Thanks to Dawn, Jeff, Bill, Linda, Earl, Donna, Cynthia, and Nancy for a great day.
Great Blue Heron.
Vermilion Flycatcher.
Our last stop of the day was at a local was home near the Sonoita Preserve that the resident had set up for viewing by birders. We saw a few different hummingbirds including a Violet Crowned, Anna's and Broad Billed. The shot of the day was by Bill who got a great shot of the Violet Crowned that I can't wait to see.

White Breasted Nuthatch.

We decided to head home around 6 P.M. even though it meant skipping supper with the group but I was really tired and the 90 minute drive would have meant not getting back until at least 10 P.M.
The sunset views were really pretty and we thought the day was over but it was not over yet.
We had one more surprise in store for us!
Nancy spotted a herd of 12 Pronghorn Antelope!


I have spent many days at Buenos Aries National Wildlife Refuge looking for Pronghorns to no avail so Iwas extremely happy to get my first look.

Say's Phoebe

Thought you might enjoy this shot which I took from my yard.

A Busy Month At Sonoran Connection

This weekend we took a trip to the Arivaca Cieniga to do a little birdwatching and get some much needed exercise. Even though we have been in Arizona for a number of years it is just this past year that we have started to pay attention to the ebb and flow of birds that either live here year round or visit on their way to some where else or winter here . This Area has an extraodinarily diverse bird population especially during migration periods.

Our visit to Arivaca was a good one with plenty to see including Northern Harrier up close as well as my first look at a male Vermilion Flycatcher. Find out why this area is significant here at: iba.audubon.org/iba/viewSiteProfile.do?siteId=898&navSite=state

Next week on Saturday the 13th of March we are headed to Patagonia for a meet up with birdwatching folks that we have met through Twitter. They all seem very nice and hopefully I can learn a few things birding with this group. Most of my time in the field is spent with Nancy or alone so this should be an interesting change for me. I will blog about this get together and let you know what birds we encounter during the day. Our hope is that we will see the Elegant Trogan and get some pictures to share here at SC.

On Saturday March 20th we will be hiking into Brown Canyon with Richard Conway who is the president of Friends of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. Richard will be leading a geology walk and has kindly invited us to go along to take pictures and blog about our experience. I am really looking forward to this adventure in the canyon and having an opportunity to promote this area of environmental importance to my readers.

Thanks for your support

Ray

Birding the Arivaca Cieniga

We were very fortunate to encounter several Vermilion Flycatchers up close as they were on the hunt for flying insects and didn't really mind my presence.
The female is not quite as stunning as the male but still a very beautiful bird in her own right.

Not a great picture but I thought it gives a view of the bird that really shows its color patterns.
The one that got away! I just like this shot.
Red Red Red!
This Northern Harrier was passing over the Cieniga just a few feet above the ground. Truly a magnificent raptor.
The trees are starting to green up and there are signs of spring everywhere. It was actually hot in the sun which there was plenty of.
We saw both Red Tailed and Red Shouldered Hawks but I only got this shot of the Red Tail.

Song Sparrow

Sparrows are always difficult to identify in the west as there are 30 different variations in the Song Sparrow alone. There were a few of these guys working very hard at finding food along the stream bed. Learn about Song Sparrows here: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/song_sparrow/id

In our three hours at Sweetwater Wetlands we identified approximately 33 different species including: Spotted Sandpiper, Tree Swallow, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Gadwall, Double Crested Cormorant, Sora, Black-Crowned Night Heron, Bufflehead, Northern Shoveler, Pied-billed Grebe, Widgeon, Green Winged Teal, Ruddy Duck, Mallard, American Coot, Common Moorhen, Gambel's Quail, Great Egret, Harris's Hawk, Canyon Towhee, Song Sparrow, White Crowned Sparrow, Verdin, Anna's Hummingbird, Costa's Hummingbird, Curved Billed Thrasher, Mockingbird, Ruby Crowned Kinglet, Great-tailed Grackle. Tri-colored Blackbird, Pyrrhuloxia, and Black Phoebe.