Fun Birding Tours in SE Arizona with Birding Guide Richard Fray » scenery

Sulphur Springs Valley

Richard — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 05:59:13 +0000

We planned to stop at the pond by Faria Dairy for a few minutes but it turned into a much longer visit. This pond is attractive to wildfowl including diving ducks and grebes and often has interesting birds. That was certainly the case today. Straight away I noticed a loon and a quick look through the scope confirmed it as a PACIFIC LOON, a rare bird in SE Arizona. [...]

California Gulch, Madera Canyon

Richard — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 06:34:15 +0000

We completed a clean sweep of Arizona’s Aimophila sparrows with a few RUFOUS-CROWNED along Ruby Road. It was the first time I'd been since the Murphy Complex Fire earlier in the year. I was so pleased to see how everything looked, much better than I imagined. It's undoubtedly my favorite place in Arizona, for both the birding and the scenery. It's absolutely gorgeous! [...]

Fun Birding Workshop Shorebird Special

Richard — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 06:33:59 +0000

Lake Cochise had no gulls, no terns, relatively few shorebirds and very few ducks. With some effort we recorded ten shorebird species: KILLDEER, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, BLACK-NECKED STILT, AMERICAN AVOCET, SOLITARY SANDPIPER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, LEAST SANDPIPER, BAIRD’S SANDPIPER, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER and WILSON’S PHALAROPES. [...]

Mt Lemmon

Richard — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 06:20:57 +0000

We added lots more higher elevation birds such as HAIRY WOODPECKER, BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD, CORDILLERAN FLYCATCHER, PLUMBEOUS VIREO, STELLER'S JAY, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, BUSHTIT, three species of NUTHATCH, BROWN CREEPER, WESTERN BLUEBIRD, HERMIT THRUSH and YELLOW-EYED JUNCO. [...]

Agua Caliente Park, Mt Lemmon

Richard — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 06:31:22 +0000

Summerhaven was very birdy, with BAND-TAILED PIGEON, lots of YELLOW-EYED JUNCOS, WESTERN TANAGER, MAGNIFICENT HUMMINGBIRD, several family parties of CORDILLERAN FLYCATCHER, a few VIRGINIA’S WARBLERS, ROCK and HOUSE WRENS feeding young, HERMIT THRUSH, AMERICAN ROBIN and SPOTTED TOWHEE. [...]

Birding with Richard Crossley

Richard — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 04:30:03 +0000

Several COMMON GROUND-DOVES were around the dam, as was another NORTHERN BEARDLESS TYRANNULET, a nest of GRAY HAWKS, BRONZED COWBIRD, ASH-THROATED and DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHERS and lots more. Richard's screech-owl calls brought in a large and vociferous crowd of birds which were all duly photographed. Another stop further along gave us outstanding views of SUMMER TANAGER, CANYON TOWHEE and BEWICK'S WREN. [...]

July Fun Birding Workshop: Hummingbirds

Richard — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 06:24:41 +0000

We visited Mary Jo at Ash Canyon B&B and, as per usual, were straight into some really great birding. We concentrated on hummingbirds and were rewarded with BROAD-BILLED, BLACK-CHINNED, ANNA'S, RUFOUS and a female LUCIFER HUMMINGBIRD, plus the continuing LUCIFER x COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD hybrid. [...]

White Mountains: Scenery

Richard — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 04:44:51 +0000

With all the forest closures we decided to stay in and around Pinetop-Lakeside. Woodland Lake Park was still open and offered access to the beautiful and productive Walnut Creek. I went back to Walnut Creek, and to the adjacent Big Springs Environmental Area, on several occasions. [...]

Empire Gulch Mourning Warbler

Richard — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 02:43:31 +0000

A ZONE-TAILED HAWK was soaring over the riparian area as I arrived. I found the MOURNING WARBLER immediately but didn’t manage much of a photo. Also in the area, both CASSIN’S and BOTTERI’S SPARROWS, BLUE GROSBEAK, SWAINSON’S and HERMIT THRUSHES, WESTERN and SUMMER TANAGERS and late WILSON'S and Audubon's YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS. [...]

Continental, Madera Canyon

Richard — Sun, 29 May 2011 06:46:50 +0000

Our highlight was undoubtedly a COMMON BLACK HAWK soaring over the lower reaches of the Carrie Nation Trail. Could it be one of the birds seen at Patagonia Lake recently? Another raptor, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK, pushed the Black Hawk close for bird of the day. This was much higher up the Carrie Nation Trail. [...]

Mt Lemmon, Sweetwater Wetlands

Richard — Thu, 26 May 2011 06:19:23 +0000

Rose Canyon Lake was very birdy, especially around the amphitheater just below the parking lot nearest the lake. Several GREATER PEWEES were in song, a stunning pair of OLIVE WARBLERS were the biggest hit of the day, whilst others included GRACE’S WARBLER, YELLOW-EYED JUNCO, PINE SISKIN and CORDILLERAN FLYCATCHER. [...]

Fan-tailed Warbler at Madera Canyon

Richard — Tue, 24 May 2011 04:38:47 +0000

FAN-TAILED WARBLERS are famous for being one-day birds - even one-hour birds - so I was pleasantly surprised on my arrival to find a group of birders watching it at close range near the amphitheater. Easy! And... wow! What a fantastic bird. [...]

May Workshop, Patagonia Lake

Richard — Sun, 22 May 2011 06:46:38 +0000

At Rio Rico, 40 BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS were scattered around the fields. There were five heron species: GREAT BLUE & GREEN HERONS, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON and GREAT and CATTLE EGRETS. There were plenty of TROPICAL KINGBIRDS, SWAINSON’S THRUSH, BRONZED COWBIRD and a couple of GRAY HAWKS. [...]

Blackpoll Warbler at Sweetwater

Richard — Thu, 19 May 2011 08:55:59 +0000

After a while I found the BLACKPOLL WARBLER, in exactly the spot described. It was foraging silently, mostly in the lower branches of the largest tree overhanging the southern end of Willow Pond. It was loosely associating with four TOWNSEND’S WARBLERS, a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER and a WARBLING VIREO. [...]

Jacques Marsh

Richard — Mon, 09 May 2011 06:07:06 +0000

I was immediately struck by the number and variety of swallows. Having found several BANK SWALLOWS straight away, then VIOLET-GREEN, BARN and CLIFF, I resolutely checked them all until I could add NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED and eventually a single TREE SWALLOW to the list for a clean sweep of all six regular swallow species. Always nice to get the full set. [...]

Dusky Grouse at Green’s Peak

Richard — Sun, 08 May 2011 06:58:27 +0000

I heard another sound, turned sharply and promptly slipped over backwards, landing in a heap. Luckily, I landed in the perfect position to see a fine male DUSKY GROUSE fly up from the ground and land on a branch some 20 feet up, but at eye level to where I was sprawled. There was a small window through the trees and I had landed in the perfect spot. [...]

American Dipper at Greer

Richard — Sun, 08 May 2011 06:14:21 +0000

I followed the AMERICAN DIPPER for two hours, enjoying its fascinating antics. On initial viewing they're quite dull looking birds without obvious charm, but after a minute the bird's huge character became evident as it dived into the water, swam under the surface and repeatedly came up with small invertebrates. Fantastic! [...]

White Mountains

Richard — Sat, 07 May 2011 06:38:46 +0000

Facing an open pine woodland habitat, the yard list soon included LEWIS'S, ACORN and HAIRY WOODPECKERS, RED CROSSBILL, AMERICAN CROW, COMMON RAVEN, STELLER'S JAY, AMERICAN ROBIN, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, PINE SISKIN, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, the Red-backed form of DARK-EYED JUNCO and BROAD-TAILED HUMINGBIRD. [...]

Payson area

Richard — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 06:00:56 +0000

It was much more birdy than the previous visit. We encountered PYGMY, WHITE-BREASTED and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, PAINTED REDSTART, BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, CORDILLERAN FLYCATCHER, SPOTTED TOWHEE, HAIRY WOODPECKER, HOUSE WREN and more. [...]

Fossil Creek

Richard — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 06:37:22 +0000

I had the chance to find some butterflies you don't always see in SE Arizona. A couple were new ones for me. Likewise, the dragonflies and damselflies were species associated with larger rivers, so not readily available around Tucson. [...]

Tonto Natural Bridge, Pine Trailhead

Richard — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 06:57:58 +0000

Birding was excellent. It was fun to watch WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS scream by at close range, some zooming up the face of the cliffs and alighting in nesting crevices, dropping back out and continuing their life on the wing. VIOLET-GREEN and CLIFF SWALLOWS joined the party. The surrounding habitat was even better, with PAINTED REDSTART, SCOTT'S ORIOLE and many more interesting birds. [...]

Continental, Florida & Madera Canyon

Richard — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 03:45:36 +0000

It’s definitely eye candy time at Madera Kubo. We watched in delight as at least nine SCOTT’S, two male BULLOCK’S and a male HOODED ORIOLE took turns on the oranges. HEPATIC TANAGER, BROAD-BILLED, BROAD-TAILED and BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRDS and ARIZONA WOODPECKER livened up proceedings further. [...]

Arivaca Cienega, Pena Blanca Lake

Richard — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 06:35:43 +0000

The CRESCENT-CHESTED WARBLER put in a couple of brief appearances. The other nine warbler species on display were single VIRGINIA’S and NASHVILLE, three BLACK-THROATED GRAY, several COMMON YELLOWTHROATS and plenty of YELLOW, WILSON’S, LUCY’S, ORANGE-CROWNED and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS. [...]

Elfrida CBC

Richard — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 06:27:28 +0000

It’s an early start for the Elfrida CBC, the Christmas Bird Count in the center of the Sulphur Springs Valley. The count circle is divided into four and over the previous four years I have covered each segment of the count. This year I was honored to spend the day with Sheri Williamson and [...]

White Mountains & Salt River Canyon

Richard — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 06:22:45 +0000

The final day of my road trip with mum and dad. We’d had a great time.

Before we set out from Lakeside-Pinetop in the White Mountians, we spent a while at the Big Springs Environmental Area, a particularly pleasant wildlife reserve on the edge of town. From there we took what is for me a familiar route [...]

Monument Valley & Canyon de Chelly

Richard — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 05:06:01 +0000

Waking up to this view – out of the bedroom window, no less – was quite amazing. We lapped it up for a good while before breakfast.

Much as we wanted to stay in Monument Valley, our strict itinerary meant we had to leave right after breakfast.

We dragged ourselves away from the [...]

Grand Canyon by helicopter, Painted Desert & Monument Valley

Richard — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 06:25:37 +0000

You don’t get too many opportunities to watch the sun rise over the Grand Canyon, so those that come along should be taken. We were in position at Yavapai Point to witness the first rays hitting the canyon walls. It was beautiful.

With that one in the bag, the only way to really see the [...]

Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon & Grand Canyon

Richard — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 05:02:26 +0000

I've been to the Grand Canyon several times now. There's nothing to prepare you for it and not a great deal you can say about it that makes any sense. Taking photos seems almost pointless as they never show anything of the experience of standing on the edge of one of the world's largest and most impressive canyons. [...]

Montezuma Castle & Sedona

Richard — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 06:17:13 +0000

Our first stop was the impressive Montezuma Castle, a 1,000-year-old cliff dwelling near Camp Verde. Beautifully preserved and presented, this is a quick and easy place to visit and well worth the short diversion from our route. [...]

Happy Valley

Richard — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 06:26:35 +0000

The obvious highlight was watching a RED-TAILED HAWK which was plucking its recently caught prey in a roadside tree whilst being absolutely hammered by a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. The shrike was screaming at the hawk and dive-bombing it, actually hitting it on the head time and again. [...]