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

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

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 Tanque Verde Wash

On the report of a Broad Winged Hawk I headed over there with some guests to see if we could relocate it.

The short of the story is "Yes." Though not a great photo. It was several hundred feet up into the bright sunny sky:

Broad Winged Hawk

 Here a few other photos from the Wash:

Cooper's Hawk

Lucy's Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Pacific Slope (or Cordilleran) Flycatcher

Sweetwater Wetlands Revisited - II

And now the other birds from a morning at Sweetwater:

Abert's Towhee

Black Phoebe

Orange Crowned Warbler

Red Winged Blackbird

Wilson's Warbler

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Birding Patagonia

There are lots of good birding spots in the Patagonia - Sonoita area.

In Patagonia there is The Paton House for Hummingbirds, the Patagonia Sonoita Creek Preserve, the Roadside Rest four miles south of town, and Patagonia Lake seven miles south of town.

In Sonoita there is the 25,000 acre Las Cienegas National Conservation area. 

Here are some photos, starting with Patons (Yes, I know it is the Paton Center for Hummingbirds and I took no Hummingbird photos. I was just "focusing" on other things). 

Brown Crested Flycatcher

Loved the Catepillar

Coneflower

Dull Firetip

Yes, a Javelina came up out of the wash while I was there

Wilson's Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler

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 Warbler

Common Name: Yellow Warbler

Scientific Name: Setophaga petechia

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Conservation Status: Least Concern, though population has declined by 25% over the past 50 years; estimates of 90 million

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Size: 5 inches

Description: yellow face with olive tint; small black eye with light eyering; thick black bill; bright yellow chin, throat, and breast; red streaking on breast and flanks; olive wings without wing bars; relatively short yellow tail with yellow undertail and black edges

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Male/Female: females are not quite as bright and may lack the red streaking

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Range: all of North America south to Columbia, Venezuela, and Guyana

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Migration: long distance migrant; summers as far north as Alaska, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories, winters in Central America and as far south as Columbia, Venezuela, and Guyana; some migrate directly over the Caribbean others take an overland route over Mexico

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Season for Arizona: March to October with occasional sightings in the winter

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Habitat: thickets or regrowing habitats along streams and wetlands; also in dwarf birch stands in the tundra, among aspens in the Rockies, and along edges of fields in the East; up to 9,000 feet in elevation; winters in mangrove forests, dry scrub, marshes, and lowlands

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Community Behavior: solitary or in flocks of yellow or mixed warblers; will defend territory by flying in a semicircular patern toward an intruder with exaggerated wingbeats

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Feeding Behavior: hops along on slender branches of shrubs and small (young) trees picking insects as they go; sometimes hovering to glean insects off leaves

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Diet: nsects, including midges, caterpillars, beetles, leafhoppers, and other bugs and wasps

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Nesting Behavior: female builds nest in four days out of a cup of grasses, bark, and plants lined with feathers and hair; 1 to 7 grayish or greenish white egges with darks spots; incubation period is 10-13 days; nestling period is 9-12 days

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Where to Find in Southern Arizona: San Pedro River, Santa Cruz River, Empire Gulch, Arivaca Cienegas, Mesquite Trees in municipal parks that have ponds or lakes

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Comments: first described by Carolus Linnaeus in 1766; one of the most common and abundant of the warblers; Southwest is brighter yellow overall versus Northwest which is yellow-green backed; Mangrove has variable rufous head

Best Wildlife Photos of 2016: Yellow Warbler

And last but not least a Yellow Warbler. Maybe it symbolizes a "bright" future in the coming year.

Photo taken on Mount Lemmon.

Yellow Warbler

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