Summer Birding at Santa Cruz Flats

If someone were to ask me I'd say Santa Cruz Flats is a winter birding site. And certainly when you think of Raptors (including all five Falcons) and the multitude of shorebirds or threatened Mountain Plovers it is one of the very best winter birding spots.

But, I had to go to Phoenix so I though I'd drive through Santa Cruz Flats and see if there was anything interesting.

I could count the Raptors on one hand. And no Shorebirds or Plovers. But that's not to say it wasn't interesting. The big surprise of the day were a dozen or more Tropical Kingbirds:

Tropical Kingbird

But there were other finds as well:

Roadrunner

Great Tailed Grackle

Ladderbacked Woodpecker

Western Kingbird

I got two other photos but at the time didn't realize that I somehow accidentally hit the wrong "focus" button and ended up with what would have been great photos. Here there are anyway:

Black Crowned Night Heron

Burrowing Owl

Great Tailed Grackle

Great Tailed Grackle photo taken at Kennedy Lake Park in West Tucson:

Great Tailed Grackle Female

Wildlife at Fort Lowell Park, Tucson

Fort Lowell Park in Tucson is one of those Municipal Parks that attracts birds both common and uncommon. While I prefer wilderness areas, these Muni's deserve a look every now and then. Last year a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker hang out there for several months. And, while my quick trip the other day didn't uncover anything rare or unusual, it did provide some photos:

Double Crested Cormorant

European Starling

Great Tailed Grackle

American Wigeon - male

American Wigeon - female

Red Eared Slider

Birders: Don't Neglect the Municipal Parks -- Part II

Seldom will you see bear, moose, etc. in Municipal Parks -- well, outside of Alaska that is. However, birds are a different story. Often these parks have a small pond or lake. That makes for an attractive site for birds and birding. I try to go a daybreak during the week when there are less people, children, dogs, etc. It is still not exactly wilderness because if the lake is stocked, there will be people fishing as was the case at Columbus Lake (Wednesday's Post).

This morning I made the rounds starting at Fort Lowell Park, then Lincoln Park, and then Lakeside Park; all are within 15 minutes of us. I had heard that a Wood Duck had been seen at Fort Lowell Park so I thought that would be the place to start. Well, in short he was. And, he seemed perfectly willing to let me photograph him. Here are the photos from Fort Lowell Park:

A Vermillion Flycatcher greeted me on my arrival

Then the Wood Duck

Here the Wood Duck on land

Great Tailed Grackle Male

Great Tailed Grackle Female

Municipal Parks

Sometimes Municipal Parks provide photographers with some nice opportunities. Not so much rare birds -- and not usually a lot of large mammals, but close ups of the more common birds. Take Sweetwater Wetlands which belongs to the City of Tucson. Since it is not a recreational park, it does get some rarer birds on occasion. Not today, but I was able to get one of my better Red Winged Blackbird photos:

Red Winged Blackbird

From Sweetwater I went to Columbus Lake which is a combination fishing spot, picnic grounds, dog run, and motorized (hobby) aircraft. Because Southern Arizona does not have an abundance of water, this lake has year round residents like herons and egrets. (Also hybrid ducks, geese, swans etc).  But because it also has so many people, these large birds seem unconcerned and unafraid and will let you get very close if carefully approached.  Here are a few of today's photos from Columbus Lake:

Black Crowned Night Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Double Crested Cormorant

Great Tailed Grackle

Agua Caliente, Arizona - Part VII

And, now for some of the birds photographed at Agua Caliente:

Vermillion Flycatrcher

Western Tanager

Male Gila Woodpecker

Female Gilded Flicker

Great Tailed Grackle