Las Cienegas National Conservation Area - Part III

Empire Gulch which runs behind the "Visitor's Center" has a spring that creates a wonderful riparian area of about 100 yards (before it goes underground). As such it provides a respite from the hot/dry Southwest Summers.

Here the seldom seen Yellow Breasted Chat:

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

My Favorite Wildlife Photos of 2017 - 20

Continuing with my favorite wildlife photos of 2017 (in alphabetical order):

Yellow Breasted Chat

A Yellow Breasted Chat rounds out my top 20 photos of 2017. This warbler is more often heard than seen.  Early morning is the best time when they come out from underneath brush.  I'm always thrilled when I see one. I love the deep yellow color offset by the clean white belly.

Yellow Breasted Chat

Continuing to share my warbler photos along with information about each species, from my latest book: "Warblers of Arizona, A Guide to Finding and Photographing Warblers in Southern Arizona." 

If you are interested in purchasing it, please email me at exclusivelywildlifephotos.com or info@azuregate.com.

Yellow Breasted Chat

Common Name: Yellow Breasted Chat

Scientific Name: Icteria virens

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Conservation Status: Least Concern, though 37% decline over the past 50 years, population estimate at 13 million, is listed as “threatened” in Western Canadian Provinces

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Size: 7.5 inches

Description: largest of all the warblers; olive green head and back; gray face with white eyering and lores; white mustache; heavy black bill; bright yellow chin, throat, and breast; whitish belly with grayish flanks; long gray tail with white undertail coverts

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Male/Female: identical

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Range: from the extreme southern areas of Western Canada throughout the United States to Panama

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Migration: summers in the United States, winters in Central America

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Season for Arizona: April through September

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Habitat: lives and breeds in areas of dense shrubbery near water

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Community Behavior: solitary; during breeding season will fight to preserve their nesting boundaries

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Feeding Behavior: skulk in low, thick brush gleaning insects among foliage

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Diet: insects and spiders, fruits and berries

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Nesting Behavior: female builds nest of grasses, leaves, bark, and weeds; nest is 5-6 inches across and 2.5 inches deep; nest is 1-8 feet above ground in dense vegetation including raspberry, blackberry, dogwood, hawthorn, cedar, honeysuckle, and sumac. 3-6 white eggs with red or brown spots; incubation period is 10-12 days; nestling period is 7-10 days

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Where to Find in Southern Arizona: San Pedro River; Santa Cruz River, Empire Gulch, Patagonia Creek, Sabino Creek

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Comments: very secretive; seldom seen or heard other than Springtime; even during Spring more often heard than seen; males will occasionally sing from tree tops early in the morning (as in the lower left photo on the opposite page which took place around 6:00 am)

Saint Gertrudis Lane, Tumacacori Part IV

What excited me the most was finding two (!) Yellow Breasted Chats.


Usually very secretive and seldom seen, yet at 6:00 am there was a gorgeous male singing away atop a tree near the river:

Then about 30 minutes later I found a second Yellow Breasted Chat  down low in the brush -- again along the Santa Cruz River:

Great Day Birding Sabino Canyon

An early breakfast allowed me to get to Sabino Canyon by 9:30 am. I hiked up to the Dam (just a tad over a mile) and birded the 200 yards between the dam and the Sabino Creek crossing. Lots of bird song and activity. The surprise was a Yellow Breasted Chat, normally very secretive and more often heard than seen. I was off the trail in the middle of a mesquite bosque standing perfectly still when he came by. At first he was obscured by foliage, but remaining still I waited for a couple of minutes until he found an opening. Then "snap!"

Other nice finds: Male and Female Summer Tanager, and lovely cooperative Yellow Warbler. A Lucy's Warbler that just couldn't stop singing. Oh, and a young male Bullock's Oriole. Here are some photos:

Brown Crested Flycatcher

Brown Crested Flycatcher

Bullock's Oriole Juvenile

Cardinal Male

Lucy's Warbler Singing

Summer Tanager Female

Summer Tanager Male

Yellow Breasted Chat

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler Singing

Warblers of Southern Arizona: Yellow Breasted Chat

Continuing my series on Warblers of Southern Arizona, in alphabetical order, next up:

Yellow Breasted Chat

Note: There is debate on whether the Yellow Breasted Chat should be classified as a "Warbler"

Distinctive Identification Marks: Large heavy bill; high contrast yellow throat and breast; heavy white eyerings; black lores; largest warbler; long gray tail; 

Frequency: Uncommon 

Season: April through September

Range: Throughout the United States

Habitat:

Lower Tree and Brush

Brush

Ground

Nests:

Bulky cup of grasses, leaves, bark, weed stems, lined with finer grasses; placed in dense shrubs.

Feeding Behavior:

Gleaning: perched bird takes prey from branch

Hawking: perched bird takes prey from air

Pouncing: perched bird takes prey from ground or stream

Eats small invertebrates and fruit

General Behavior:

Creeping

Walking

Very active; constant movement

Where to Find: San Pedro River; Patagonia Sonoita Creek; Empire Gulch

Chance of Finding: Very secretive; more often heard than seen; 10% in season and preferred habitat

Empire Gulch, Las Cienegas, Southern Arizona: A Birding Heaven

Up early yesterday and on my way to Las Cienegas National Conservation Area in Southeastern Arizona. This is one of my favorite birding spots. There are essentially two types of birding. Empire Gulch provides a riparian like setting, while the rest of the 25,000 acres is desert grasslands.

There is a spring in Empire Gulch that provides surface water for about 100 yards. And, 100 yards of water among 25,000 acres of desert grasslands is a birding oasis. 

It is here that I have found Yellow, MacGillivray's, Wilson's, Black-Throated Gray, Black and White, Lucy's, Orange Crowned, and Yellow Rumped Warblers. In the winter Ruby Crowned Kinglets galore. Warbling Vireos, all the tanagers, and the list goes on.

Yesterday, I walked away with two warblers that are more often heard than seen: The Yellow Breasted Chat and the Common Yellowthroat. Both provided me some nice photos:

Yellow Breasted Chat

Common Yellowthroat

Tomorrow I'll include some photos from the Desert Grasslands.

31 Days of My Best of 2014

December 29, 2014

Yellow Breasted Chat

Yellow Breasted Chat at Empire Gulch

Continuing with my series on my "5" Star Photos we come to the Yellow Breasted Chat. I was sitting next to a tree -- trying to blend in -- overlooking the spring at Empire Gulch, Las Cienegas National Conservation Area in Southern Arizona. I could see that a bird flew down to the water and bathed. However, I couldn't get a good look. But, taking my own advice, I sat still hoping that he would present himself to me. And that he did! He flew up on a dead tree branch to dry out. Lots of photos. Here is the one I selected as a "5":

Yellow Breasted Chat

Las Cienegas National Conservation Area - Part V

As I mentioned there are several different habitats within the 25,000 acres of Las Cienegas. One such is Empire Gulch. Most of the Gulch is dry except for heavy rains. However, there is a spring that flows year round that creates a riparian area for about 100 yards. This past week I birded the spring had photographed the following:

Blue Grosbeak

Wilson's Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Black Phoebe

Female Summer Tanager

Yellow Breasted Chat