Christine and I like to take hikes every chance we get. When the temperature gets hot we usually head to the mountain ranges. It was 98 degrees on Saturday, so we took a long time friend (who was staying with us) to the Ramsey Canyon Preserve (run by The Nature Conservancy). TNC has really done a wonderful job over the past 5 years expanding the trails and establishing new hummingbird feeding areas. So, it has become one of those "best birding spots" in Arizona. One of the birds I photographed was the Cordilleran Flycatcher -- I think. There are a great number of these small flycatchers (northern breardless-tyrannulet, western wood peewee, cordilleran flycatcher, willow flycatcher, hammond's flycatcher, dusky flycatcher, and gray flycatcher) all found in Southern Arizona -- and all of whom look very, very similar. Many accounts say that the only way to tell them apart is by their song. Well, since I am nearly deaf that doesn't help me much. It also means that you must hear those songs frequently, can distinguish between them -- and can remember which song belongs to which bird. I have a hard time identifying the voices of my daughters sometimes and I talk to them all the time. And, the grandkids, as they say in Jersey --- "forget about it!"
Anyway, here are a couple photos of -- I think -- the Cordilleran Flycatcher from Saturday at Ramsey Canyon:
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