More from Mount Lemmon

Another quick trip up Mount Lemmon proved somewhat successful. I have been trying to locate the Lewis Woodpecker that has been reported, but to no avail. Yet, as usual, I did find some nice birds:

Blue Gray Gnatcatcher

I saw but didn't get good photographs of Olive, Graces, and Hermit Warblers. But I did get several nice photos of Painted Redstarts, Red Faced Warblers, and Townsend's Warblers:

Painted Redstart

Red Faced Warbler

Townsend's Warbler

Birding The Azure Gate

After breakfast this morning I though I would walk around our property with my camera just to see what was going on.

First, I wanted to see if there were any signs of baby Cooper's Hawk's in the nest. Mom was there moving around a bit but since the nest is 60 feet off the ground it's hard to tell:

Cooper's Hawk

Next a quick check of the Anna's Hummingbird nest:

Anna's Hummingbird

Then a nice Broad Billed Hummer -- both male and female:

Broad Billed Hummingbird Male

Broad Billed Hummingbird Female

A Lucy's Warbler on one of our Creosote Bushes:

Lucy's Warbler

And, finally a Rufous Winged Sparrow seemed to want his photo taken:

Rufous Winged Sparrow

Of course there were all sorts of other birds to be seen (though I didn't photograph them):

White Winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Gambel's Quail
Lesser Goldfinch
Verdin
House Finch
House Sparrow
Cactus Wren
Curved Billed Thrasher
Gila Woodpecker
Male and Female Cardinal
Male and Female Pyrrhuloxia
Male Phainopepla

Mount Lemmon

Migration is beginning to hit the Catalina Mountains.  It wasn't the great day that I had hoped for, but  just walking/hiking in the Catalinas is rewarding spiritually.

I did find five warblers: Townsend's, Hermit, Red Faced, Olive, and  Yellow-rumped. I couldn't get good photos of the Hermit or Olive, but did get marginal photos of the others -- and a few other birds too (though nothing rare):

townsend's warbler

red faced warbler

yellow-rumped warbler

spotted towhee

house wren

red tailed hawk

The Elusive Sora

The Sora is one of those birds much more often heard than seen. Sometimes frustratingly so. 

Yet, occasionally, one seems not to care if people are around. At the Kingfisher Pond (San Pedro River) last week, one was visible for a few minutes, sometimes on the edge of the weed bed, and sometimes a bit out in the open:

Sora

Sora

Sora

Black Tailed Gnatcatcher at The Azure Gate B&B

Each day our birding guests bird our property here at The Azure Gate. I, on the other hand, when given a chance head out to a favorite birding spot, i.e. Mount Lemmon, Huachuca Canyon ....

I am starting to realize though, that I have taken for granted that we have some pretty good birding opportunities right here where we live.

Yesterday, I had a few minutes so went out back and almost immediately found a very cooperative Black Tailed Gnatcatcher:

Black Tailed Gnatcatcher

Black Tailed Gnatcatcher

Black Tailed Gnatcatcher

Anna''s Hummingbird Chicks at The Azure Gate B&B

We have had at least two Anna's Hummingbirds nesting here (that we know of). The chicks in the first nest are now gone. (See April 9th post).

However, the second nest is still occupied. Here are two little chicks waiting for mom:

Anna's Hummingbird

Franklin's Gull at Lake Willcox

A quick trip looking for the reported American Golden Plover at Lake Willcox turned up empty, or did it? I made the mistake of looking for a breeding American Golden Plover which is mostly black and easy to spot. Unfortunately, the reports didn't indicate that the bird was not in its breeding plumage which is mostly whitish. So it might have been there -- and I might have even seen it -- but not recognized it. Oh well.

But I did find several Franklin's Gulls so here:

Franklin's Gull

Franklin's Gull