Mixed Flock of Mount Lemmon Warblers

Finding a mixed flock of Warblers is always exciting. You truly must be in the right place and the right time, not 10 minutes early, not 10 seconds late. Then, within 15 minutes you might see 20 or more warblers, with at least 5 different species. My best day was 10 species (back in 2015).

I figure I've been up Mount Lemmon over 200 times in the past 17 years. And I have only been in "that" right place at the right time, 6 times. 

And while it is exciting, it can be equally frustrating. You are trying to photograph a Hermit Warbler (for example) when you eye shifts to movement of another warbler. They move quickly from branch to branch or tree to tree and stay pretty much hidden from full view. You end up spending several minutes trying to get that one warbler, passing up chances on all the others.

You come back home and look at the 657 photos you took and find only 20 that you like. And no decent photo of the Virginia's Warbler or Townsend Warbler or Black Throated Grey or Graces Warbler or Olive Warbler. Truth be told the Olive and Graces seldom "flock" and stay pretty high up in the Ponderosa Pines. So their presence was merely co-incidental. 

But, there were six species I photographed that I would put in the okay to good category:

Female Hermit Warbler

Nashville Warbler showing his Chestnut Crown Patch

Painted Redstart

Red Faced Warbler

Not a very good Townsend's Warbler

Marginal Wilson's Warbler

Mount Lemmon Birds

I took a quick trip up Mount Lemmon -- needing to get back before the rains came. Nothing unusual to report, but as usual, some nice photos:

Brown Creeper with Bug

Red Faced Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Western Bluebird

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Red Faced Warbler

Here is infomation about the Red Faced Warbler from my book:  Warblers of Arizona

Common Name:Red Faced Warbler

Scientific Name:Cardellina rubrifrons

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Conservation Status: Least Concern, population trends are unknown; Red Faced Warblers are sensitive to disturbance during breeding; global estimates are 700,000

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Size:5.5 inches

Description: red face, chin, throat, and upper belly; black cap that extends down sides of head; short thick dark bill; single white wing bar; pale white rump; whitish belly and undertail coverts; long gray tail 

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Male/Female:nearly identical; female may have a slightly paler face

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Range:Southeast Arizona/New Mexico to Honduras

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Migration:summers in Arizona and Mexico, winters in Central America

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Season for Arizona:April through September

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Habitat:higher elevation (6400 to 9000 feet) pine-oak forests; shaded canyons near water

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Community Behavior:solitary or with other Red Faced Warblers or Painted Redstarts

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Feeding Behavior:gleans insects primarily from tips of mid-tree (deciduous and confir) branches hopping quickly from branch to branch; will sally out to snatch flies

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Diet:forages mostly on terrestrial invertebrates including spiders, ants, and caterpillars;

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Nesting Behavior:nests in small hole in ground beneath logs or plants; open cup of bark, leaves, or pine needles lined with grass and hair; 3-4 pinkish-white eggs with fine brown speckles; incubation is 13-15 days; nestling is 11-13 days; both parents feed the young

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Where to Find in Southern Arizona: Mount Lemmon especially Upper Sabino Canyon Trail, Incinerator Ridge, Marshall Gulch, and Bear Wallow; also Huachuca Canyon, Madera Canyon, Miller Canyon; this is a priority find for out-of-state birders

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Comments:either sex solicits copulations; both male and female quiver their wings during courtship with the male showing off its white rump patch; may have multiple partners during the breeding season

Now some photos from Mount Lemmon I have taken in the past two weeks:

Favorite Wildlife Photos from 2018 - XXI

Next up, the beautiful Red Faced Warbler. This little warbler is essentially an Arizona only warbler, though there are occasional sightings in southwest New Mexico. It likes the higher elevations where there are pines, oaks, and maples. This past year the most reliable spot was along Upper Sabino Canyon Trail above 8,000 feet. (though also found along Marshall Gulch and Incinerator Ridge).

Red Faced Warbler

Birding Mount Lemmon - Part X

Birding is all about being in the right place at the right time. Not approximately, but exactly since you may only get a glance before it's gone.

The key then is to put yourself in the place with the most potential -- your best chance of finding what you are looking for.

Sometimes that's not always possible. For instance, yesterday I couldn't leave until after I served breakfast to our guests. I started with a quick look at the Alder Picnic site. As luck would have it, there was a nice male Olive Warbler waiting for me.

My next stop was a walk from the Cookie Cabin to Marshall Gulch Picnic site. Again, as luck would have it just across from the Cookie Cabin was a Red Faced Warbler sitting on a branch cleaning himself (for at least five minutes). A little further down, another Red Faced Warbler. There were a few other birds but I think as time passes, birding slows down as more people walk, run, or drive up and down the road.

My next stop was Incinerator Ridge. I started at the bottom but not much going on. However, at the top it was so birdie that it was difficult to keep up. I had to decide what to photograph. I started just taking photos not always sure what I was photographing. Case in point, there were lots of Pygmy and White Breasted Nuthatches -- it wasn't until I got home and downloaded photos that I saw a Red Breasted Nuthatch among the photos. Just one, but it was good enough.

In a matter of three minutes or so, photos of Townsend's, Hermit, and Red Faced Warblers. Then there was another bird that appeared to be a fledgling that I have yet to identify. I'll show that as well. And lots of Hermit Thrushes, Mountain Chickadees, a nice Warbling Vireo ...

My next stop was going to be Rose Canyon Lake, but I was having too much fun at Incinerator Ridge so I never got to RCL. "I ended up taking 604 photos."

Olive Warbler

Olive Warbler

Red Faced Warbler

Red Faced Warbler

Red Faced Warbler

Hermit Warbler

Townsend's Warbler

Warbling Vireo

Red Breasted Nuthatch Female

Fledgling Something (Yellow-Eyed Junco?)

Mountain Chickadee

Yellow-Eyed Junco Juvenile

Birding Mount Lemmon - Part IV

More recent photos from Mount Lemmon:

Singing House Wren

Northern Mockingbird

Red Faced Warbler

Verdin

Wild Turkey

Miscellaneous Birds of Southern Arizona - Part II

Part II of miscellaneous birds photographed last week:

Mexican Jay

Red Faced Warbler

Stellar Jay

Warblers in General, Red Faced in Particular

There are 56 species of Warblers in the United States. 50 of those have been reported in Southern Arizona, although 15 of the 50 have less then 12 confirmed historical reports. 

Since Mount Lemmon is right outside our door, I like to go up March to October when I don't have enough time to hit the southern mountain ranges. I suspect that in the 16 years we've lived in Tucson, I been up Mount Lemmon at least 100 times.

Yet, I still love going up looking for warblers. Three weeks ago, a Red Warbler was found and photographed in Rose Canyon at about 7000 feet. It is not one of the 56 species, and in fact it was the first ever Red Warbler seen and reported in the United States. I went up the next day (along with about 300 other people) looking for it, but without luck. (None of the 300+ so it that day or since).

Some days are great -- 10 warbler species. But there are days of not finding any -- or just one or two.

The Red Faced Warbler is a beautiful warbler that is primarily a Southern Arizona only warbler. (Occasionally, there are reports from Southwest New Mexico). 

Over the years I have taken many photographs of Red Faced Warblers. But I must say that this past week I was able to get three of my favorites.  Here they are:

More from Mount Lemmon

Twice this past week I birded the Upper Sabino Canyon Trail which is at the end of Turkey Run Road in Summerhaven. It's a bit different than Incinerator Ridge or Rose Canyon which are my favorite birding spots on Mount Lemmon. Upper Sabino Canyon Trail is almost another 1000 feet in elevation and there you find Aspens and Douglas Firs. The Douglas Firs are magnificent. You get the feeling of standing inside Mother Nature's Cathedral. They appear to reach the heavens they are so tall.

Both days the predominant bird was the Red Faced Warbler. They seemed to be everywhere.They are easier to find than many of the warblers since they prefer foraging in trees and brush less than 15 feet. And, they often don't seem to mind people around.

Here are a few photos from those two trips:

Brown Creeper

Cordilleran Flycatcher

House Wren

Pine Siskin

Raven

Red Faced Warbler

Red Faced Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Townsend's Warbler

Turkey Vulture

Yellow Rumped Warbler