Rare Birds to Southern Arizona: Hooded Merganser

This rare waterbird to Southern Arizona is a male Hooded Merganser photographed on a golf course pond in Benson. Although common to most of the Northern America at one time of the year or another -- it is uncommon to Arizona. Go figure that one out.

Hooded Merganser

Rare Birds to Southern Arizona:

Another migrant bird that winters along the Pacific Coast, Gulf of California, and Gulf of Mexico is the Greater White-fronted Goose. This too, was photographed at Lakeside Park in Tucson:

Greater White-fronted Goose

Rare Birds to Southern Arizona: Forster's Tern

Another rare waterbird to Southern Arizona is Forster's Tern. This one I photographed at Lakeside Park a small Municipal Park in East Tucson:

Forster's Tern

Rare Birds to Southern Arizona: Common Merganser

Southern Arizona is not exactly noted for its Rivers and Lakes. Yet being in the "flyway" it sometimes gets some rare water birds.

This Common Merganser was photographed at Santa Cruz Flats in an area of turf farms:

Common Merganser

Rare Birds to Southern Arizona: Clay-colored Thrush

This Clay-colored Thrush was a first to Arizona. They are more typically found along the east coast of Mexico occasionally extending up into the southernmost tip of Texas.

This one was at Arivaca Cienegas for about 10 days in May of this year.

Rare Birds to Southern Arizona: Chestnut-sided Warbler

The Chestnut-sided Warbler is a rare bird to Southern Arizona. It's normal range is east of the Missouri/Mississippi River. In Southern Arizona it is reported every couple of years somewhere along or near the Santa Cruz River. This photo was taken in December, 2019, at Christopher Columbus Lake which is less than 100 yards from the Santa Cruz.  

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Rare Birds to Southern Arizona: Brown Pelican

The Brown Pelican is usually found along the Atlantic Coast, Gulf Coast, and southern Pacific Coast. Also along the Gulf of California which is only about 150 miles from Tucson (by air).

Here then, the Brown Pelican:

Juvenile Brown Pelican

Adult non-breeding Brown Pelican

Rare Birds to Southern Arizona: Blackpoll Warbler

The Blackpoll Warbler summers in most of Canada, migration through the Eastern half of the United States where in winters in the northern half of South America. Occasionally, one decides to rest in Southern Arizona. This photo was taken at Sweetwater Wetlands.

Rare Birds to Southern Arizona: Black-bellied Whistling Duck

More common in Texas and parts of Florida, the Black-bellied Whistling Duck is occasionally seen in the most southern waterholes of Arizona -- not more than about 50 miles from the US/Mexico border. This photo was taken at Cottonwood Pond, a small waterhole in Las Cienegas near Sonoita.

Red-tailed Hawk

Just wanted to share some Red-tailed Hawk photos I took yesterday:

Rare Birds to Southern Arizona: Black and White Warbler

While still under "stay at home" orders, and having completed the series on Wildlife of The Azure Gate, I thought a new series on Rare Birds to Southern Arizona might be fun.

So here (in alphabetical order) are photos I've taken over the past 18 years of Rare Birds to Southern Arizona:

Black and White Warbler taken at Sweetwater Wetlands

Wildlife of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast - Part XVI

This will be the last of our series on Wildlife Photos taken since the start of the Coronavirus Pandemic:

Tarantula

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Zebra-tailed Lizard

Wildlife of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast - Part XV

Continuing our series on Wildlife of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast, the last of the Birds photographed since the beginning of the Pandemic.

Turkey Vulture

Verdin

Verper Sparrow

White-winged Dove

Wildlife of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast - Part XIV

Peruvian Cactus produce lovely blossoms. Like Prickly Pear Cactus they grow like weeds. They have a tall unbranched column which reaches about 3 or 4 feet and then falls over. Within a few weeks lots of new columns begin all along the column that fell. The blossoms are quite large -- 6 or 7 inches. They bloom at night and don't last more than a few hours of daylight.

Here are some photos from today:

Wildlife of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast - Part XIII

Continuing with recent photos taken at The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast. We typically see snakes during the spring and summer so now is the time.


The first two are the most frequently seen snakes here at The Azure Gate:

Desert Kingsnake

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Here are two we don't see quite as often:

Sonoran Gopher Snake

Sonoran Shovel-nose Snake

Wildlife of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast - Part XII

As many of you know, we have had to close temporarily for travelers due to the pandemic. We have had some members of our family here, including our two grandchildren for a few days. And while we are "staying at home" as per the guidelines, it doesn't mean we aren't seeing wildlife.

In the past 24 hours we've seen: a Bobcat, 5 Mule Deer, 4 Javelinas, a Coyote, a Desert Kingsnake, 2 Jackrabbits, a Tarantula, many lizards and birds, including a Roadrunner and our resident Cooper's Hawk that is sitting in one of our bird baths as I type this.

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Now on to Today's Post:

Our most frequent hawk is the Cooper's Hawk seen on a daily basis. Every few days a Sharp-shinned Hawk drops by for a drink and/or meal.

Here are a couple of Sharp-shinned photos taken since the pandemic began in March.

Juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk

Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk

Wildlife of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast - Part XI

Over the 18 years we have lived and operated The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast I have taken a great many photos here. Sometimes I get so focused on the "wildlife" that I forget to take a photo of its natural beauty.

Here are a couple of recent landscape photos:

Saguaro just at dusk with Moon and Star

Saguaro Sunset

Wildlife of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast: Part X

Continuing with Wildlife Photos taken at The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast since the Pandemic started:

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

Rufous-winged Sparrow

Rufous-winged Sparrow

Roadrunner

Wildlife of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast - Part IX

More recent photos from The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast:

Northern Cardinal

Northern Cardinal

Northern Cardinal

Pyrrhuloxia

Pyrrhuloxia

Phainopepla Female Singing

Phainopepla Female

Phainopepla Male

Wildlife of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast - Part VIII

The Mule deer have been coming around more the past couple of months. They make a long stop at our water bowls to get a drink.

A couple of weeks ago there were five that came around, usually it's just one.

Here are some photos:

Wildlife of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast - Part VII

Continuing with wildlife photos I've taken here at The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast since the Pandemic started and we began "staying at home":

Harris Hawk

Lark Sparrow

Female Lesser Goldfinch

Lesser Goldfinches feasting on Saguaro Blossoms

Male Lesser Goldfinch

Lucy's Warbler

Mallard Ducks enjoying our Swimming Pool