Wildlife of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast - Part IX

More recent photos from The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast:

Northern Cardinal

Northern Cardinal

Northern Cardinal

Pyrrhuloxia

Pyrrhuloxia

Phainopepla Female Singing

Phainopepla Female

Phainopepla Male

Arivaca Cienegas, Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge - Part V

Arivaca Cienegas can be very birdie first thing in the morning. However, it can get hot by 10:00 am this time of year so birds are less vocal and not as often seen. 

Either that or they are practicing "Social Distancing" as you will see in the following photos:

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Bewick's Wren

Lucy's Warbler

Phainopepla

Summer Tanager

Vermillion Flycatcher

Yellow-breasted Chat

Birding Coachline Gravel Pit aka El Rio Open Space

Also called the El Rio Preserve is a 100 acre wetland formed by a break in the Santa Cruz River a few years ago. Funding has been provided to improve trails, parking, and the wetland itself. Since the original flooding, over 200 species have been reported there. 

At present the size of the lake has been significantly reduced. Therefore the fish have been limited to a much smaller area which has attracted many Egrets. I was there yesterday and found 19 Great Egrets all within sight at the same time. 

Here are some of yesterday's photos:

green winged teal

great egret

blue canterbury

mexican poppy

phainopepla

greater roadrunner

yellow rumped warbler

house finch

red tailed hawk

northern rough winged swallow

Birding Coachline Gravel Pit - Lake Marana

Christine and I pulled into "the old" parking area at the Coachline Gravel Pit -- or as some are trying to rename, Lake Marana. We climbed the berm only to find no water in the lake. Nonetheless, we decided to hike around the lake going counterclockwise.

Much to our surprise, after getting 3/4 of the way around the dry lake we came to water. The bird of the day was Great Egret -- lots of them -- at least 8, maybe 10. There were also several Double Crested Cormorants, Killdeer, Vermillion Flycatchers, Coots, Mallards, and an assortment of other ducks.

Here are some of the better photos:

Anna's Hummingbird

Double Crested Cormorant

Great Egret

Great Egrets

Mallard Duck

Phainopepla

Catching Up: Phainopepla

The Phainopepla (silky flycatcher) is one of those striking birds of the Southwest. They sit atop a tree, often a mesquite, and sally out 10 to 15 feet, catch a fly, and then return to the same branch. Quite fun to watch. Here are a male and female seen in Sabino Canyon a couple of weeks back. The female is more charcoal grey, while the male is jet black. Both have red eyes and a top-knot.

Female Phainopepla

Male Phainopepla

Agua Caliente: Lucy's and MacGillivray's Warblers and More

Quick trip on Monday to Agua Caliente Regional Park. While the main attraction is the spring fed pond, don't overlook the mesquite bosque between ponds one and two. It can be very birdie with the mesquite trees and grasses.

Here are a few of the photos from Monday:

Ash Throated Flycatcher

Double Crested Cormorant

Green Tailed Towhee

Lucy's Warbler

MacGillivray's Warbler

Phainopepla Female

Red Winged Blackbird

Vermillion Flycatcher Male

More from San Rafael Valley

On this same trip as the Harrier Hawks, I walked away with several other nice photos:

American Kestrel

Montezuma Quail

Montezuma Quail

Phainopepla

Pronghorn

Savannah Sparrow

Eastern Meadowlark

White Tailed Kite

While on the Subject of Saguaro National Park

Saguaro National Park has it's typical array of Sonoran Desert Birds. Here are a few:

Black Throated Sparrow (not as common)

Northern Cardinal (common but not abundant)

Verdin (again common but not abundant)

Bendire's Thrasher (common)

Raven (common, but again not abundant)

Juvenile White Crowned Sparrow (seasonal)

Phainopepla (common, not abundant)

House Finch (common and abundant)

White Winged Dove (abundant in season -- April through September)

Swainson's Hawk Chick in Nest