Sweetwater Warblers

Sweetwater Wetlands can be one of the very best birding sites in Southern Arizona. It would certainly be a mistake to go there just looking for waterbirds. At any time of the year you can find a few warblers and other songbirds. The past couple of weeks has produced the following warblers: Black and White, Black Throated Gray, Black Throated Blue, Common Yellowthroat, Chestnut Sided, Orange Crowned, Tennessee, Townsend's, Yellow, and Yellow Rumped Warblers. Yep, 10 in all.

I missed out on the Chestnut Sided and Black Throated Blue -- much to my disappointment. But that's often the case when looking for rare birds. It reminds me of a Daryl Zero quote:

"Now, a few words on looking for things. When you go looking for something specific, your chances of finding it are very bad. Because of all the things in the world, you're only looking for one of them. When you go looking for anything at all, your chances of finding it are very good. Because of all the things in the world, you're sure to find some of them."

I did see the Townsend's but was unable to get a photo. I saw the Black and White twice but photos were not good. And I saw the Yellow very briefly though did manage a so-so photo.

Not very good Black and White Warbler photo

Black Throated Gray Warbler

Common Yellowthroat Female

Common Yellowthroat Male

Orange Crowned Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

Yellow Rumped Warbler Juvenile

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Black Throated Gray Warbler

Continuing to share my warbler photos along with information about each species, from my latest book: "Warblers of Arizona, A Guide to Finding and Photographing Warblers in Southern Arizona." 

If you are interested in purchasing it, please email me at exclusivelywildlifephotos.com or info@azuregate.com.

Black Throated Gray Warbler

Common Name: Black Throated Gray Warbler

Scientific Name: Setophaga nigrescens

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Conservation Status: Least Concern with an estimated population of about 2.4 million down by nearly 50% since 1966

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Size: 5.1 inches

Description: crown is black; supercilium is white; no eyering; yellow spot above lores; dark black cheek; short straight bill; black throat in male; two white wing bars; breast and belly are white; flanks have black stripes; nape and back gray; tail is long with white undertail

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Male/Female: males and females appear somewhat similar though males have a black throat and are generally darker with higher contrast

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Range: Southeast British Columbia to Southern Mexico; rare east of New Mexico/Colorado

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Migration: yes, though considered short distance; breeding mainly in Western United States

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Season for Arizona: year round resident though higher numbers from March until November

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Habitat: pinyon and juniper forests, pine-oak woodland mountains; winter residents remain in lower elevations

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Community Behavior: solitary or in mixed warbler flock

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Feeding Behavior: forages by gleaning in low growing foliage and searching among leaves on the ground; will also sally out to snatch flying insects

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Diet: Insects, oakworms and caterpillars, beetles, ants, flies, bugs, and spiders

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Nesting Behavior: open cup nest on large branch near tree trunk often fir or oak; usually 4 creamy white eggs with brown marks; incubation and nestling periods unknown

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Where to Find in Southern Arizona: most mountain ranges from low to high elevation even 8000 feet; also rivers like San Pedro and Santa Cruz

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Comments: Is often found among small warbler/titmouse flocks; known to pretend to have a broken wing to distract intruders from its nest

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

Birding Madera Canyon

Wednesday and Friday of this past week I got a chance to bird Madera Canyon. Wasn't the best time of day 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Both days I started at the Whitehouse Picnic area and hiked up the trail to the Amphitheatre (about a mile each way).

Nothing unusual, but some nice photos:

Bridled Titmouse

Dusky Capped Flycatchder

Hepatic Tanager

Plumbeous Vireo

Acorn Woodpecker

Arizona Woodpecker

Black Throated Gray Warbler

Mexican Jay

Western Wood Pewee

White Tailed Deer

Bug Eating Birds: Black Throated Gray Warbler

BlackThroated Gray Warbler

Warblers of Southern Arizona: Black Throated Gray Warbler

Continuing my series on Warblers of Southern Arizona, in alphabetical order, next up:

Black Throated Gray Warbler

Distinctive Identification Marks:

All black and white -- except yellow spot above lores; bold white supercilium; white underparts; black streaks on sides; distinctive black throat in male; variable black throat in female; white wing bars; gray unstreaked back;

Frequency: common

Season: April through October

Range: Western United States

Habitat:

Mid Tree

Lower Tree and Brush

Ground

Feeding Behavior:

Gleaning: perched bird takes prey from branch

Pouncing: perched bird takes prey from ground

General Behavior:

Very active; constant movement

Where to Find:

Mount Lemmon

Huachuca Mountains

Santa Cruz River

Chance of Finding: 75% in preferred season, habitat, and location  

In Mesquite Tree

In Deciduous Tree

With a flower pedal

In Pine Tree

On Ground

In Juniper Tree

Tanque Verde Wash Lawrence's Goldfinches

Growing up in Washington D.C. my idea of the desert was white sands and no vegetation as far as you could see. But the Sonoran Desert is not that at all. There is very little sand. It is mostly rock-hard dirt with a wide variety of cactus, mesquites, palo verdes, and creosote. Yet, tucked in the middle of the Sonoran Desert is Tanque Verde Wash. 

TVW is dry 80% or more of the year. But that 20% creates a year round riparian zone with large cottonwoods, cattails, bamboo ......  And many of the birds you can find there you would not find even 100 yards from the wash. And the rarities include Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Black and White Warbler, Lawrence's Goldfinch, Red Shouldered Hawk, Gray Hawk ....

Living just minutes from the wash, I have been out several times of late. The wash isn't filled with water but there is a steady stream flowing side to side which creates 20-30 stream crossing within the two miles I hike/bird. It is a sandy bottom so you must actually walk through the water as you go. And what isn't water is also sandy so it's a good workout even though flat.

Yesterday, after breakfast, Christine and I set out to see if we could find the Lawrence's Goldfinch and the Black and White Warbler that have been reported there of late. And, as luck would have it, both a male and female Lawrence's Goldfinch were cooperative. We didn't find the rare Black and White Warbler, though got momentarily excited about a Black Throated Gray until I realized that's what it was. (It's still a pretty bird and I love photographing it).

Here are those photos:

Lawrence's Goldfinch Male

Lawrence's Goldfinch Female

Black Throated Gray Warbler

Wintering Warblers

If you are a Warbler fan (like me) what do you do when all the warblers fly south for the winter? Truth be told, not all fly south, and some actually arrive for the winter. No not nearly the numbers that there are in the summer. Yet still some nice finds.

When at Sweetwater two weeks ago I managed to find four different Warblers in between photographing the Bobcats:

Black Throated Gray Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Orange Crowned Warbler

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Huachuca Canyon Yet Again

Trying to get one more trip to Huachuca Canyon before all the migrants head south, I was hoping to find my "better photo" of a MacGillivray's. Seems like I've been in the wrong place at the wrong time this year for that little guy. Or even the right place but the wrong time.

Yet again, I did come back with a few nice photos:

Black Throated Gray Warbler about to snag a meal.

Hermit Warbler

Orange Crowned Warbler just finishing a meal

Painted Redstart posing for a photo

Summer Tanager

Townsend's Warbler with meal

Townsend's Warbler up close

Wilson's Warbler

Birding Huachuca Canyon, continued

It's warbler time, and in addition to Mount Lemmon, Huachuca Canyon is an excellent spot. I went hoping to find and get a "great" photo of a MacGillivray's Warbler. I have seen and photographed them before in several places but really needed that "perfect" photo. And while I did not see a MacGillivray's -- thought I did once, but it turn out to be a Nashville -- I did find six different Warbler species:

Painted Redstart with "catch"

Nashville Warbler with "catch"

Townsend's Warbler

Hermit Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

Black Throated Gray Warbler