Huachuca Canyon Birding: Part IV

As usual, lots of Painted Redstarts. Here is my favorite photo of the day's Painted Redstart:

Painted Redstart

Huachuca Canyon Birding: Part III

As we were leaving, a pair of Sulphur Bellied Flycatchers caught my eye:

Sulphur Bellied Flycatcher

Sulphur Bellied Flycatchers

Huachuca Canyon Birding: Part II

And lots of Flycatchers in the Canyon as well:

Dusky Capped Flycatcher

Western Wood Pewee

Huachuca Canyon Birding

Christine and I went to Huachuca Canyon for a picnic/hike/birding "adventure" after breakfast on Tuesday. We arrived around 11:00, so not the best time of day to bird. But we had the canyon all to ourselves.

There was a Robin in her nest, though she flew onto a limb above when she saw us:

American Robin

 And, lot's of Vireos singing away:

Cassin's Vireo

Hutton's Vireo

Mount Lemmon

Yesterday, Christine and I went up to Chihuahua picnic site just for a picnic. This was not a birding trip, just a fun picnic.

Of course I did take my camera -- just in case.

Shortly after we started eating a male Hepatic Tanager flew into the tree just above us. My camera was next to me so I picked it up and got one quick photo before he "got away." As luck would have it, the photo turned out nice. 

We were also treated to a Black Throated Gray Warbler who was feeding low in the brush around us. I took several photos -- only one of which was clear.

And, of course, lots of Acorn Woodpeckers. I'll show one of those too.

Hepatic Tanager Male

Black Throated Gray Warbler

Acorn Woodpecker

Hummingbird Nesting: Anna's Hummingbird

We have our third hummingbird nest of the season.  I suspect there are others, but these are very close to the main house so easily found.

This one is an Anna's Hummingbird. While we have several Broad Bill Hummers around we've not seen them nesting this year.

Anna's Hummingbird in Nest

Tumacacori Mission

Christine and I went with some friends (former guests of The Azure Gate who have now moved here) to the Tumacacori Mission.

It wasn't a birding trip, just visiting the Mission. I took my camera (just in case) anyway.

On the Mission grounds I took a few bird photos:

Young Barn Swallow waiting to be fed

Bewicks Wren

Cardinal

Grey Hawk

Lucy's Warbler

Vermillion Flycatcher

Mount Lemmon Birding

As Spring Migration continues and it gets down below, Mount Lemmon attracts birds (and people) of all sorts. Here are a few photos from yesterday:

Blue Gray Gnatcatcher

Olive Warbler Female

Olive Warbler Male

Red Faced Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Virginia's Warbler

Western Bluebird

Yellow Eyed Junco

Patagonia Lake: more photos

In addition to the Green Heron, here are some other photos from the day at Patagonia Lake:

Ash Throated Flycatcher

Cardinal

1srt year Vermillion Flycatcher

Western Tanager

Wilson's Warbler

Patagonia Lake: Great Birding

Christine and I went to Patagonia Lake yesterday, arriving at 11:30 am. Not the ideal birding time. Result, we had the birding trail to ourselves. Well, except for all of the birds. We were there for a little over two hours and never made it to the creek. In fact, we never made it past the mesquite bosque at the bottom of the hill. 

It start with Yellow, Yellow Rumped, and Wilson's Warblers near the stairs going down to the lake. Then as we reached bottom and the small marshy pond along the weed bed a Green Heron gave us as many photos from as many different settings as we wanted.

Here are some of those Green Heron photos:

In the next photo, he caught something, don't think it was a fish; maybe a crayfish:

Day before yesterday I had a chance to go to Huachuca Canyon early and was rewarded. Three warblers: Black Throated Gray, Painted Redstart, and Hermit; Wild Turkeys; Cordilleran and/or Pacific Slope Flycatchers; male and female Hepatic Tanagers; White Tailed Deer at every (well not quite every) turn; 

Oh, and Elegant Trogons. The Trogons seem to serenade me all morning. At one point an Elegant Trogon flew from one branch to another, no more than 10 feet off the ground, and no more than 25 feet away from me. Once at each branch he started singing again. Loved it. Here are photos of this serenading Trogon (all on different branches):

Northern Cardinal at The Azure Gate B&B

Cardinals are so beautiful even though we see them daily I never tire of it. Yesterday I got a nice photo I wanted to share:

Northern Cardinal

Blackpoll Warbler at Sweetwater Wetlands

Success! Didn't take long (2 minutes) to find the Blackpoll Warbler. And he was fairly cooperative. So got some nice photos. 

The Blackpoll winters in South America and spends its summers across much of Northern Canada. Like most warblers their diet is mostly insects. But unlike most warblers they tend to perch in dense foliage near the tops of trees to forage. However, during migration they adapt to whatever the environment offers. Since Sweetwater provides excellent foraging opportunities in brush and small trees he is a little easier to find and photograph.

Here are a few of those photos:

Sweetwater Wetlands

Reports of a Blackpoll Warbler have sent me over to Sweetwater Wetlands. Didn't find it yesterday, but will head back after breakfast today.

I did come home with three nice photos though. A female Common Yellowthroat, a Wilson's Warbler, and a Green Heron:

Common Yellowthroat Female

Wilson's Warbler

Green Heron