Other photos from Sweetwater Wetlands

In addition to the raccoons, I got some bird photos:

Common Gallinule

Common Yellowthroat Male

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Red Winged Blackbird

Tropical Kingbird

Verdin at Nest

Yellow Warbler

Favorite Wildlife Photos of 2018 - IX

Up next in my favorite photos from last year, the Common Yellowthroat. While more abundant, these little warblers are also very secretive, moving around in weed beds. Best viewing time is during the early spring when they are searching for mates.

Common Yellowthroat

Dawn at Sweetwater Wetlands - Part IV

More from Sweetwater Wetlands this week:

Red Winged Blackbird

Red Winged Blackbird

Green Heron

Green Heron

Verdin

Common Yellowthroat

Birds of Sweetwater Wetlands - Part I

I've had a chance to get over to Sweetwater Wetlands a couple of times in the past week. While I didn't see anything rare I thought I'd at least share what can be typically found there (in alphabetical order):

American Coot

Anna's Hummingbird

Common Yellowthroat

Cooper's Hawk

Gambel's Quail

House Finch

This Week's Warblers

Just now catching up from a very busy season and then getting out for a few days photographing. I'll start with nine warblers I have been able to find and photograph this past week.

The first is a Hermit Warbler that -- acting out its name -- did not want to be photographed. I did the best I could. The others are quite a bit better.

Hermit Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Olive Warbler Female

Painted Redstart

Red Faced Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

Yellow Breasted Chat

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Yellow Warbler

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

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

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