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

Ducks: Part III

Part III of Ducks.

There are a great many species of Ducks, Geese, and Swans throughout the world. 51 species common to the United States. (39 Ducks, 8 Geese and 3 Swans).

There are many types of Ducks, and different organizations and/or people have their own "types." Simply though, Ducks are either "Dabbling" or "Diving".  There are 16 species of Dabbling Ducks. They are most often found in shallow water. They eat from just below the surface or by dunking their head under water to glean plants and insects. They may also come on land eating grasses and insects.

In the United States there are 23 species of Diving Ducks. Diving Ducks are agile swimmers and more often found in deeper water. While their food choices include insects and plants, they also catch fish.

You could also classify ducks as "sea ducks" or "fresh water ducks" which is useful information to know.

Green Winged Teal

Harlequin Duck

Lesser  Scaup

Leucistic Mallard Duck

Long Tailed Duck

Mallard Duck

More from Sweetwater Wetlands

As I began working on Today's blog post I noticed what countries were visiting today: United States, Canada, Aruba, Brazil, Colombia, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Jordan, Russia, Ukraine, India, and Australia - people across five continents. People interested in wildlife regardless of nationality, race, religion, or politics.  Thank you all for visiting The Azure Gate Blog.

Yesterday, I had a little time so headed over to Sweetwater Wetlands -- a good weekend birding site.

Most of the attention is usually paid to the waterbirds in the wetlands themselves. However, the mesquite trees, willows, cottonwoods, and brush provide wonderful warbler habitat. Yesterday was no different as migration is starting to show in big numbers.

Here then some photos from yesterday:

yellow warbler

mallard ducklings

cinnamon teal

common yellowthroat

wilson's warbler

unable to identify warbler, possibly a young yellow

Sweetwater Wetlands Revisited

Sweetwater Wetlands is know for its wetlands and it certainly gets a nice mixture of waterbirds year round. But surrounding the water are cottonwoods, willows, and mesquite trees with provide a haven for other birds. 

Today a few of the waterbird photos I particularly like and next post will be the others:

These waterbirds aren't rare to Arizona or to Sweetwater. However, I liked the composition and colors in these particular photos:

Cinnamon Teal

Green Heron

Mallard Duck

Sw

Birding Coachline Gravel Pit - Lake Marana

Christine and I pulled into "the old" parking area at the Coachline Gravel Pit -- or as some are trying to rename, Lake Marana. We climbed the berm only to find no water in the lake. Nonetheless, we decided to hike around the lake going counterclockwise.

Much to our surprise, after getting 3/4 of the way around the dry lake we came to water. The bird of the day was Great Egret -- lots of them -- at least 8, maybe 10. There were also several Double Crested Cormorants, Killdeer, Vermillion Flycatchers, Coots, Mallards, and an assortment of other ducks.

Here are some of the better photos:

Anna's Hummingbird

Double Crested Cormorant

Great Egret

Great Egrets

Mallard Duck

Phainopepla

Fort Lowell Park: Always a Photo

I headed over to Fort Lowell Park a couple of days ago in search of a "Storm Wigeon" that was reported. There is some debate about the "Storm Wigeon." Is it a separate species of American Wigeon? Or just an American Wigeon with plain white cheeks (no freckles). Unfortunately, I have nothing to show you because all I found were American Wigeons.

However, there were some photographs to take.

First several Double Crested Cormorants were constantly feeding. Here's one:

Double Crested Cormorant

As with most municipal parks, hybrid ducks and geese seem to be present. Here a Mallard Duck is trying to add to the hybrid population:

Mallard Duck with Hybrids

Here is one of those hybrid ducks -- actually quite beautiful:

Hybrid Duck

More Mallards

Back to the "5" Star Photos and Mallards. This photo has not faired that well since I took it back in the late 1980's. I was still mostly a "fly fisherman" and certainly not a great photographer. This photo was taken at East Lake in Central Oregon with a pretty inexpensive (and not very good) camera. The two ducks were asleep on the end of a tree trunk that had fallen in the lake. 

Mallard Ducks

The Ubiquitous Mallard

The Mallard. Okay, a very familiar dabbling duck. Found anywhere --- everywhere. They can be found in City Parks and on Tundra Ponds.  Just about anywhere there is water there is a Mallard. US estimates for the Mallard is 10.6 million birds -- compared to the Northern Shoveler which is second most at 4.4 million birds. I always find animal/bird populations fascinating -- especially when I am in search of something with a huge population. For example, I've been searching for Mountain Lions for 20 years now. I don't have a photo or even a "confirmed" sighting. Yet, there are 30,000 Mountain Lions in the Western United States. 

But, back to the Mallard. I like this photo because it was several young Mallards sleeping. Of course, as I approached they awoke with one "quacking."  I just thought it made a nice photo. So, here it is:

Mallards

Agua Caliente - Part V

Agua Caliente also has a full array of the usual ducks and coots. Nothing really unique. Lake Cochise is probably the best place to see sandpipers, curlews, godwits, avocets, stilts, etc. Coming from the Northwest where waterbirds are as plentiful as house sparrows, I sometimes overlook them here in Arizona. But, where there is water there is usually wildlife. Here are some of the ducks from Agua Caliente:

American Wigeon

Mallard Chicks

Ring Necked Duck

Northern Shoveler

Cinnamon Teal

Fishing Central Oregon

Central Oregon has several wonderful lakes including, Harriett, Davis, and East. I remember camping at East Lake (maybe it was Davis -- can't remember that detail) but the campsite had showers. It was October so it was pretty chilly at night. I thought I'd warm up by taking a hot shower. I put 50 cents in the meter and jumped in. After about 2 minutes there was no hot water, just ice cold water, and there I was with soap all over me. I don't think I've taken a shower at a campground since  -- at least not in October.  The fishing though, was always good, at least for me. And, I got a few photos too. As I mentioned in an earlier post over the years I have either lost or deleted some of those old photos. But, I have managed to save a few that I like:

Mallards at East Lake

Common Mergansers at Davis Lake

Great Blue Heron at Dusk, Harriett Lake

Agua Caliente

Up at dawn this morning and it occurred to me I didn't have to make breakfast for anyone. So I hopped in the Jeep and headed over to Agua Caliente -- Hot Water. Or, the name of a regional park about four miles from us. There is a pond of, at most, 10 acres but it attracts water  birds. I have seen Great Egrets, Green Herons, Black Crowned Night Herons, Great Blue Herons, an Osprey, Belted Kingfishers, Peregrine Falcons, Great Horned Owls, Cooper's Hawks, Sharp Shinned Hawks, Red Tailed Hawks, and an assortment of small birds like Vermillion Flycatchers, Western Tanagers, Orioles, and Cedar Waxwings among others. But, today one Great Blue Heron and some of the winter ducks:

Great Blue Heron

Mallard Duck

Ring-necked Duck

American Wigeon

Sweetwater Wetlands

Summer is our off season, so I get more time off. In addition to the obligatory family outings (which I love) I get a chance to get into the wilderness and hike and photograph wildlife. Sometimes the trips are for several days (the Chiricahua trip last week) and sometimes just a day trip. A couple of days ago I headed out on a day trip to Sweetwater Wetlands, Columbus Lake, Rio Rico Ponds, and finally Madera Canyon. Today, I'll show some photos from Sweetwater Wetlands.

Female ducks can be hard to identify if males aren't around. In the first photo you she that the hen has red eyes. Red eyes are either Cinnamon Teals, Canvasbacks, Wood Ducks, or Red Breasted Mergansers. Since those plumages are very distinctive it is easy to differentiate the Cinnamon Teal. The female Mallard (in the third photo) is showing her very colorful and distinctive blue and white bars on her wing.

Cinnamon Teal, the hen in front and juvenile in back.

Mallards and a Coot

Mallard Hen

Great Egret

Desert Pocket Mouse