Birds of Sweetwater Wetlands - Part III

Continuing with typical birds of Sweetwater Wetlands:

Vermillion Flycatcher

Western Kingbird

Western Tanager

White Crowned Sparrow

Wilson's Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Birding the San Pedro River

The San Pedro River offers wonderful year round birding. Springtime brings migrants - the orioles and tanagers are always photographable. Yet it offers a wide variety of other birds as well:

black chinned sparrow singing away at 6:00 am

black headed grosbeak

common ground dove

green tailed towhee

lark sparrow

the seemingly always present western screech owl

white crowned sparrow

and the occasional white tailed deer

Birding Sweetwater Wetlands - Part VI

Raptors are often present at Sweetwater Wetlands, including Peregrine Falcon, Harris Hawk, Red Tailed Hawk, and the Occasional Swainson's Hawk. The most prevalent though are the Cooper's Hawks that nest there. Here we have a juvenile Cooper's Hawk, followed by an Adult Sharp Shinned Hawk in the same cottonwood tree.

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk near nest

Sharp Shinned Hawk that seemed to be harassing the Cooper's Hawk

 Often present, and sometimes seen are Green Herons (though neither are great photos). Here are a couple of them:

Green Heron

Green Heron

 Still hanging around for the winter are the White Crowned Sparrows. First a juvenile (1st winter) and then an adult:

1st Winter White Crowned Sparrow

Adult White Crowned Sparrow

Florida Canyon, Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona

On the way back from Pena Blanca Lake a quick stop at Florida Canyon to look for the Black Capped Gnatcatcher. Yes:

black capped gnatcatcher

verdin

hammond's flycatcher

white crowned sparrow

sonoran coachwhip

San Pedro River National Conservation Area: Good Birding

I made a quick stop at the San Pedro River National Conservation Area, to look specifically for the Louisiana Waterthrush and Grey Hawks that had been reported there.

I was totally focused. Not really spending anytime other than the two places those two birds and been seen. 

In short, once again skunked. Yet, on along the trail I got a couple of nice photos:

Song Sparrow where the Waterthrush was reported.

Male Vermillion Flycatcher

White Crowned Sparrow at the Visitor's Center.

Whitewater Draw

Whitewater Draw, 25 miles southeast of Tombstone is one of the premier winter birding sites in the US. It never fails to provide photos. Last week Christine and I picnicked and walked the dikes. Here are a few of the photos:

Ruddy Duck

Cinnamon Teal

Pied Billed Grebe

Eared Grebe

White Crowned Sparrow

Northern Pintail

Northern Shoveler

Common Gallinule

Las Cienegas National Conservation Area - Part VI

The "visitor's center" where the old ranch house was is also located along Empire Gulch, but a quarter mile up from the spring. Lots of very old, very big cottonwood trees as well as mesquites create a haven for song birds. Here are a few photos from last week:

Willow Flycatcher

Black Throated Sparrow

Hutton's Vireo

White Crowned Sparrow

Common Yellowthroat

Pacific Slope Flycatcher

Incinerator Ridge, Mount Lemmon

Yesterday, a had a couple of free hours so drove up to Incinerator Ridge on Mount Lemmon. Walking among the tall Ponderosa and Lodgepole Pines is a very quieting and renewing way to spend a few hours. And, while I was hoping to find some warblers -- olive and red faced, in particular, it was not meant to be. However, I did get some nice photos:

House Finch

Ornate Tree Lizard

Raven

Yellow Eyed Junco

White Crowned Sparrow

Tanque Verde Wash -- Again

Tanque Verde Wash which is about 5 miles from us here in Tucson, is usually a productive birding spot. Of course, that doesn't necessarily it usually is a productive photo spot. Birding photography requires the willingness of the birds to be photographed. Nonetheless, as a photographer you put yourself in the place with the most potential and hope you get a bit lucky. 

As Christine and I walked through Tanque Verde Wash the other day, we saw -- and heard lots of birds. But I really only came home with two photos. We came across a pair of Sharp Shinned Hawks that were parenting two young ones just out of their nest. The first photo is one of the adults.

The second photo has wonderful art-like color -- like a sketch -- although the White Crowned Sparrow is a tad out of focus.

Sharp Shinned Hawk

White Crown Sparrow

The Spring Migration

With Spring in Southern Arizona come birds of all kinds. Some just passing through on their way North; some arrive and hang out for the summer. The Tucson Audubon Society is doing their annual bird count for the next month. They count birds in over 800 locations in Southern Arizona. Although too early to tell, I suspect the count will be a little shy of what it typically is. I think the 1 million acres that burned last year destroyed a number of birds. Plus typically high birding spots burned, and although are recovering nicely may impact this years count. Nonetheless, there are still lots of birds to be found. 

A very quick trip to the San Pedro River yielded good results. I suspect had I been able to spend more time, would have provided excellent results. Here are just of few photos from Tuesdays trip:

White Crowned Sparrow

Yellow Warbler

Black Phoebe

A Vole of some kind