Catching Up: Lark Sparrow

The Lark Sparrow is fairly common throughout the Western United States. Although most sparrows get "classified" as LBBs (little brown birds), the Lark Sparrow actually is quite striking in its head pattern. It is common in open grassy areas with scattered trees usually foraging in the grasses.

Lark Sparrow

Catching Up: Loggerhead Shrike

The Loggerhead Shrike is a fascinating bird. It is often seen perched along dirt roads on posts, wires, and scrub brush.  It is so focused it is sometimes approachable. 

It forages from those perches swooping down to capture its prey on (or near) the ground. Prey includes large insects, lizards, birds, and rodents.

Once it captures its prey it often impales it on a barbed wire fence to eat (or store).

Loggerhead Shrike

Catching Up: Green Tailed Towhee

Although not as colorful as the Spotted Towhee, the Green Tailed Towhee has a more subtle coloration of greens yellow, gray, white, and rufous; in its own way, very beautiful. It is relatively common, though not abundant. It forages in dense shrubs looking mainly for seeds.

Green Tailed Towhee

Catching Up: Common Tern

Terns aren't exactly "common" in Southern Arizona. Yet occasionally one stops at one of Southern Arizona's watering holes on their way south for the winter. Usually, it is the Elegant, Forsters, and Common Terns that stop by.

Here -- again, not a great photo -- but evidence of the Common Tern's presence:

Common Tern

Catching Up: Common Ground Dove

We have more Mourning and White Winged Doves on our property than you can count. And, though we don't see the Eurasian Collard Dove here on our property, there are several places in Southern Arizona where they hang out. Inca Doves are not abundant, and unfortunately their numbers are declining.  We see them only occasionally. Rarer to the US are the Ruddy Ground Dove and the Common Ground Dove. Note: I'm often puzzled by the use of the word "Common" in a name for a bird that is decidedly "uncommon." But ....

Nonetheless, I did come across a Common Ground Dove a few weeks ago. Not a great photo, but an identifying one:

Common Ground Dove

Catching Up: Black Bellied Whistling Duck

Let me start by saying this is obviously not a great photo. I'm showing it for a couple of reasons. First, sometimes it is very difficult to photograph water birds because they may be too far out in the water for a nice detailed shot. Second, sometimes water birds show up in water treatment plants -- not the most beautiful setting, but worthy of note for rare birds.

Such is the case with the Black Bellied Whistling Duck which is an uncommon visitor to the United States (It is primarily found in southeast Texas and southeast Arizona). In Arizona it is rarely found more than 50 miles from the US/Mexico border.

Black Bellied Whistling Duck

Catching UP: Bewick's Wren

Once common throughout most of the United States, the Bewick's Wren has all but disappeared east of the Mississippi River, though still very common in the Southwest.

It's preferred habitat is underbrush in lower elevations of oak and pines, especially streamside.

It forages by climbing and hopping around tree trunks and branches probing into the bark for insects. It will also forage on the ground flipping over leaves and sticks again looking for insects, including beetles, ants, wasps, bugs, caterpillars, and grasshoppers. Will occasionally eat berries or seeds.

Bewick's Wren