November 20th, 2011   Tags: , , , , ,

Sweetwater Wetlands, Anza Trail at Carmen

Gray-Hawk-Amado-11-1117-01For the fifth year in a row, a GRAY HAWK has chosen the Arivaca Road exit on I-19 at Amado as it’s wintering area. It’s probably the only one in the U.S.A. at the moment, but it certainly didn’t make itself difficult to find today. It’s a shame more birds don’t take this approach when it comes to revealing their whereabouts… [...]

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November 20th, 2011   Tags: , , , , , ,

I-19 Corridor Birding

Least-Grebe-Pena-Blanca-Lake-11-1116-09Highlights at Pena Blanca Lake were an ARIZONA WOODPECKER, a gorgeous male LAWRENCE’S GOLDFINCH and a minimum of 12 LEAST GREBES. I was particularly pleased with some of the photos. We eventually saw the SCARLET TANAGER along Peck Canyon Rd in Rio Rico. It was silent and motionless in a large mesquite for about ten seconds, then dropped out of sight. [...]

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November 18th, 2011   Tags: , , ,

San Rafael Valley, Harshaw Canyon

Northern-Harrier-San-Rafael-Valley-11-1118-02Arriving at the San Rafael Valley around lunchtime, activity was predictably slow but we managed to find quite a few sparrows including a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, as well as a couple of flocks of CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR and a PRAIRIE FALCON. A juvenile NORTHERN HARRIER gave us a close fly past and an opportunity for a decent photo. [...]

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November 3rd, 2011   Tags: , , , , , , ,

Pena Blanca Lake, Paton’s, Amado Pond

Least-Grebe-Pena-Blanca-Lake-11-1103-04We watched this area of brush piles and shoreline for a long time, with different birds coming in throughout. It was a veritable sparrow fest! As well as the GOLDEN-CROWNED we had brief views of a smart BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW, as well as LARK, LINCOLN’S, SAVANNAH, VESPER, BREWER’S, RUFOUS-CROWNED, WHITE-CROWNED and CHIPPING SPARROWS, making it ten species in one spot. [...]

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October 29th, 2011   Tags: , , ,

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned-Sparrow-Pena-Blanca-Lake-11-1029-03Whilst birding at Pena Blanca Lake with Jean and Sterling Weaver and Sue and Dave Schwardt of New York, I was pleased to pick out a GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW among White-crowned Sparrows and other birds coming in to drink and bathe. I managed to get some distant record shots of this rare visitor from the West Coast. [...]

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