[wisb] AZ trip report
- From: "Seegert, Greg" <gseegert@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2012 20:51:57 -0400
Wisbirders
I returned yesterday from 4 plus days in AZ. Some places were inaccessible
because the Monsoon rains have washed out numerous roads. Other than that, I
did fairly well. I targeted the spp that I missed in April and got the
majority of those I was looking for. Here's my report.
Friday July 27.---I made a quick stop at Lakeside Park to see two brown
pelicans, which was a new AZ bird for me...#343. Spent the afternoon on Mt
Lemon. Warblers are starting to flock so the trick is finding flocks. In Bear
Canyon (CYN), the only sp of note was black-throated gray warbler. In Rose
CYN, I had pygmy nuthatches and hepatic tanager plus a few other common spp.
At the Marshall Gulch trailhead, I had a cordilleran flycatcher. On the way
back down, I stopped at Alder picnic area where I found 8 juvenile olive
warblers. Usually this sp is quite high but all these were down nearly at eye
level and very close so that was a treat.
Saturday---I started at Madera CYN where I had Cassin's sparrow in the
grasslands below the CYN. Also, several black-throated sparrows. At Proctor Rd
was a nice male varied bunting as well as blue grosbeak and Bell's vireo.
Further up was AZ woodpecker but nothing else of note. Next I went to Montosa
CYN to look for a plain-capped starthroat that was being seen there
irregularly. I dipped on both it and black-capped gnatcatcher. Next stop was
Tubac Bridge where I found one tropical kingbird along with numerous western
and a few Cassin's kingbirds. Also saw my FOY rufous-crowned sparrow. Heard
many YB chats but couldn't see a one. Got chased out by the rain. There was
another big rainstorm in Patagonia that prevented me from crossing the creek.
But I did find a bronzed cowbird in town.
Sun---I found a Botteri's sparrow near the beginning of the road that leads to
Patagonia Lake. On Blue Haven Road behind Patagonia, I saw thick-billed
kingbird, brown-crested flycatcher, and black vulture. Next I headed to Miller
CYN by Sierra Vista and wanted to beat the next rainstorm. On my way up, Tom
Beatty flagged me down and offered to show me a mountain lion that his son's
dogs had treed. Then Tom took myself and another birder to the place where the
spotted owls were regularly being seen. After we got there, it took about 10
min to find the female and the youngster. Back at his feeder setup, I saw 7
spp of hummers with white-eared, rufous, magnificent, and blue-throated being
the best. At that point I heard thunder and got out of Dodge. Just as I got
down the mountain, the rain came down in sheets. Mine was the only passenger
that had gotten up that morning so I was pretty lucky...or stupid. My last
stop was L Cochise by Wilcox where I had 10 spp of shorebirds...good for AZ.
There might have been 1 or 2 more but another storm chased me out. The streets
in Wilcox were like lakes. Birds that I saw on the lake included Baird's,
western, and least sandpipers, LB dowitcher, avocets (100+), 30 BN stilts,
about a thousand Wilson's phalaropes, lesser yellowlegs, and one black tern.
Also had one scaled quail.
Mon---Made the trip into the Chiricahua Mts. The area between Onion Saddle and
Barfoot Junction was pretty good. Here I saw Grace's and olive warblers,
plumbeous and Hutton's vireo, and greater peewee. Rustler park, which was hard
hit by last year's fire was very slow....a couple of Grace's warblers, some
pygmy nuthatches, one red-faced warbler, and 3 cordilleran flycatchers, but no
Mexican chickadees. Apparently they've been rather hard to find this year. In
S FK of Cave Cr I had a couple of sulfur-bellied flycatchers. At the George
Walker House in Paradise were bridled and juniper titmice, black-headed
grosbeaks, but few hummers.
Tues----Drove north of Tucson about 60 mi to Arivaipa Cr where I saw both
common black hawk and gray hawk, as well as a pretty good variety of other
birds including ash-throated flycatcher.
The spp I added in AZ bring my year total to 403 but I'll have to scramble to
get to 500.
Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
PS, this weekend I will be birding around Horicon Marsh so if you see a black
Grand Cherokee with IL tags, stop by and say hi.
Greg Seegert
Deerfield, IL
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