Chickadee, Bushtit, Titmouse, Verdin

Continuing with Chapters from my new book, Birds of the Western United States, we come to Chickadee, Bushtit, Titmouse, and Verdin:

Bridled Titmouse

Bushtit

Mountain Chickadee

Verdin

Verdin

Verdin

Huachuca Canyon

Christine and I got away to hike Huachuca Canyon on For Huachuca. Here are a few photos from our visit:

Bridled Titmouse

Plumbeous Vireo

Spotted Towhee

Sulphur Bellied Flycatcher

Summer Tanager

White Tailed Deer

Birding Saint Gertrudis Lane, Tumacacori, Arizona

One of my favorite birding spots is the Juan Bautiste de Anza Trail just north and south of Saint Gertrudis Lane in Tumacacori.

Susie and Steve (guests of ours) and I headed down after breakfast a couple of days ago in hopes of relocating the reported Sinaloa Wren and Rufous Backed Robins. No luck with either but we did find it very "birdie," and came away with some nice photos:

Bewick's Wren

Bridled Titmouse

Northern Cardinal

Common Yellowthroat

Grey Hawk

Swainson's Hawk

Wilson's Warbler

Birding Madera Canyon

Christine and I birded the area between Proctor and Whitehouse in Madera Canyon hoping to find those little Black Capped Gnatcatcher -- and maybe the Elegant Trogon that had been reported.

No luck on either, but did find some birds to photograph.

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

Birding Pena Blanca Lake

As I mentioned in the last post, I didn't get my target bird: the Rufous Crowned Warbler at Pena Blanca Lake. I stood/sat along the cattails on the south side of the cove 1/3 mile above the boat lunch for two hours but the little guy never showed. However, I didn't come home without a photo. In fact, I got quite a few nice ones:

American Kestrel

Vermillion Flycatcher

Ruddy Duck

Black Phoebe

Ruby Crowned Kinglet

American Coot

Mallards

Vesper Sparrow

White Tailed Deer

Bridled Titmouse

Rufous Winged Sparrow

Great Blue Heron

Pyrrhuloxia

Red Tailed Hawk

Marsh Wren

Verdin