12 March 2014 Wednesday: For
our second day, Jay and I decided to head south. Jay’s list of birds to photograph included
hawks and with the Common Black-Hawk & Zone-tailed Hawk migration in full
swing what better place to start the day than Tubac. We arrived at Ron Morriss Park outside of
Tubac minutes before 8am and immediately saw several Turkey Vultures rising
above the Cottonwood trees to the south.
Guessing that the hawks wouldn’t start lifting off for at least another
hour we walked down the Anza Trail to the Sinaloa Wren spot. No wren, which wasn’t a big deal to Jay. Jay is not a lister. He wants good photographs of birds,
particularly the flashy ones. Two
“flashy” species caught Jay’s attention as we walked down the trail - Vermilion
Flycatcher & Broad-billed Hummingbird.
While the flycatcher gave Jay several opportunities for photography, the
hummingbird proved to be frustrating until later in the day. We returned to Ron Morriss Park and enjoyed a
good showing of both Common Black-Hawks & Zone-tailed Hawks. After Jay gets several hundred images of the
hawks we head off to Lake Patagonia. The
birds along the birding trail, particularly the “flashy” birds were
particularly uncooperative. That is
until I find the wintering female Elegant
Trogon. Though not nearly as flashy
as a male trogon, this bird was incredibly cooperative. We spend more than thirty minutes with her as
she perched, preened, stretched, yawned, and repositioned a few times. Jay reported later that he got many good
pictures of this bird (so did I). After
we finish at the lake, we head over to the Paton’s Birders Haven now owned and
managed by the Tucson Audubon. Here Jay
found himself in the wonderfully chaotic situation of what bird to take a
picture of first. Two Violet-crowned Hummingbird were coming
into the feeders irregularly and on a few occasions perched in the small tree
above the feeder. Broad-billed
Hummingbirds were everywhere but would rarely stay in one place long enough for
photos. Many White-crowned Sparrows, a
couple of Abert’s Towhees, a single Green-tailed Towhee, and a Cotton Rat were
feeding around the seed feeders. Several
Lazuli Buntings made an appearance. Three species of woodpeckers, Audubon’s
Warblers, White-breasted Nuthatches, and a Northern Mockingbird were visiting
the suet feeder. A female Broad-tailed
Hummingbird made a brief appearance. Two
individual, male & female, Black-chinned Hummingbirds made brief
appearances. Richard Fray previously had
seen a male Rufous Hummingbird. Oh and I shouldn’t forget Pyrrhuloxia and
Northern Cardinal in the same field of view.
After dropping off Jay, I receive word that there is/was a Rufous-backed
Robin at Kino Springs today. We passed
by Kino Springs twice today, only if I had known earlier. I finished the day with three new
year-birds: Ash-throated Flycatcher at Patagonia Lake, the Violet-crowned
Hummingbird & Lazuli Buntings at the Paton’s.
13 March 2014 Thursday: I
was out with a mother-daughter pair this morning in Madera Canyon. While the birding and company were enjoyable,
it was pretty quiet along the Proctor Trail.
And by the time we got to the feeders at the Santa Rita Lodge &
Madera Kubo much of the feeding activity had subsided. After dropping the ladies off in Green Valley
I head to Kino Springs. I was pleasantly
greeted at the pro-shop, asked if I was here to see the robin, and told were it
was seen yesterday. I searched for an hour
without success, purchased a Mountain Dew (my first in years), and headed home.
14 March 2014 Friday:
Today’s client cancelled so I took the opportunity to go watch hawks
again. My motivation was two more year
birds, the Gray Hawks and Cliff Swallows.
A pair Gray Hawks reportedly arrived along the river near Ron Morriss
Park on Wednesday after I left. The
Cliff Swallow was reported yesterday at the I-19 bridge at Tubac. As I passed under the bridge, a Cliff Swallow flew past. I wasn’t able to distinguish which subspecies
but it really doesn’t matter to a year list. Also, Cliff Swallow was not a
species I was too concerned with seeing however it has been somewhat
frustrating as they have been in the area (near Tucson) for nearly a
month. At the hawk watch, I continued my
peculiar behavior. I setup about fifty
yards from the crowd surrounding Peter and work my way in as the crowd begins
to diminish. This morning almost immediately
after getting the lens cap off the scope, I spot a raptor (hawk or vulture) to
the south and over the river. I see the
hawk watch crowd is looking at stuff to the west. After what seemed like an eternity (probably
only a minute) I finally identified the raptor as a Zone-tailed Hawk and announce it.
Several minutes later a pair of smaller looking hawks soar above the
cottonwoods and by behavior alone they could be identified as Gray Hawks. So now I can relax and enjoy the rest of the
hawks and vultures passing by. Until I
start talking to Peter and learn that a Short-tailed Hawk was seen &
photographed late yesterday afternoon.
The bird was reportedly coming in to roost. Wow, this is news! A Short-tailed Hawk in
Arizona seen migrating. There was also a few Swainson’s Hawks reported
yesterday and earlier this morning - so much for relaxing. I gave up around noon, leaving Peter and a
few persistent observers to count the afternoon flight. The addition of two species today puts the
year list at 275.
15 March 2014 Saturday: Carrie Nation Trail with Louise
16 March 2014 Sunday: Madera Canyon bird walk. Cassin’s Finch at
Santa Rita Lodge.
17 March 2014 Monday: Harlan’s Hawk at Continental Road Bridge
18 March 2014 Tuesday: I
didn’t do what I planned to do. I guided
Connie & Karen for a half-day.
Connie had a recent foot injury and previously told me that she was not
able to walk very far or over rough & unstable surfaces. I had planned to take Connie & Karen up
to Madera Canyon and walk part of the Proctor Trail & then hang out at the
feeders. While driving to pick them up I
had a thought and shared it with them upon meeting up. We went to Tubac. I parked at Ron Morriss Park and ran over to
congratulate Peter Collins on his first Short-tailed Hawk for the Hawk
Watch. I also got to say hello to Molly
& Mark whom arrived just after I did.
Connie, Karen, & I took a
slow walk down the Anza Trail towards the Sinaloa Wren spot. Karen & Connie
were from the Houston area so there were plenty of birds to please. Upon arriving at the wren spot, I queried a
couple about the wren. They had heard
the wren in the vicinity of the nest but had not seen it. Almost immediately I hear the Sinaloa Wren
ratchet calling from the ground across the power line cut that is to the
north. I find the Sinaloa Wren foraging on the ground and call Karen & Connie
over. They both get good looks, I get a few pictures, and the couple there
previously gets to see the bird. Unusual
for this wren was that it ratchet called nearly the entire 4-6 minutes we
watched it. I last saw it heading to the
south towards his nest.
Connie, Karen, & I begin
walking back north towards the hawk watch spot.
I am keeping my eyes moving from bushes, trees, and open sky. I know that one of the hawks could pop up at
anytime and it’s likely to be close.
About half-way back to the park I hear a large bird flopping through the
canopy and then see two Zone-tailed
Hawks circling at tree top level right over our heads. Both Connie & Karen get good albeit
multiple brief looks as the birds appear between leafed out branches. Once we make it to the hawk watch crowd I
learn that there were three Zonies, I could only see two at a time and didn’t speculate
about a third bird. Cool!
We arrive back at Ron Morriss
Park and find many birders stationed around Peter (hawk watch master). In short order another Zone-tailed flies over
and provides prolonged views for all.
Then the first of several Common
Black-Hawks cruise by. I’m able to
get my scope one a few of these and share the scope with Connie & Karen. We
had to wait through many Turkey Vultures, few Black Vultures, several
Red-taileds, a Peregrine Falcon
until the local Gray Hawks showed
themselves. These too I was able to
share scope views with Karen & Connie.
Molly spotted a bird in the distance to the south that turned out to be
a Swainson’s Hawk, not that unusual
but a first for me this year.
With the little time I had left
with Connie & Karen, we drove back to Green Valley and found a few more
species of interest including an adult Harris’s
Hawk next to last years nest. Perhaps they will be at it again.
At the end of this week I’m at 272 species for the year.
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