Southeast Arizona Bird Guide, Birding Tours SE AZ: Welcome to Fun Birding Tours in AZ with Richard Fray » sulphur springs valley

March Fun Birding Workshop: Sulphur Springs Valley

Richard — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 06:16:01 +0000

The entire crane flock took to the air, honking like crazy, giving us a great aerial display. After a few minutes they settled down again, some of them a lot closer than previously. We headed back out to the viewing platform and got better [...]

Late again

Richard — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:48:54 +0000

Not for the first time I missed a major Arizona rarity by not getting in gear quickly enough. The bird in question was a Pacific Golden Plover, which had been recorded in the state only once before. It had been present at Willcox Lake for two days – but was nowhere to be seen on the [...]

6th time lucky?

Richard — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:17:01 +0000

America’s first ever Sinaloa Wren was found at the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve last August, and since that time it has eluded me on no fewer than five occasions. To be fair, the only time I made a really concerted effort to see it was back in September 2008, and subsequently I’ve only given it half [...]

Richard's Photothon: the story

Richard — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:16:25 +0000

[click here for the full list and all the photos]

Having fed the birds in my new courtyard for a few months I decided to start “Richard’s Photothon 2009″ in my backyard at first light to try to get off to a good start.

It was slow going, though, and by the time I [...]

Wildlife spectacles

Richard — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 06:06:56 +0000

No, I don’t mean binoculars, or even Ed’s intriguing eye glasses with 2.8 x magnification, I mean the sort of wildlife spectacle that makes you gasp, such as close views of impressive raptors or great flocks of cranes.

My new friend Ed asked if I’d take him out birding somewhere, and his sister Jackie and friend [...]

Contrast

Richard — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:06:31 +0000

From Vegas to the Sulphur Springs Valley and Dragoon Mountains in Southeast Arizona… from the ridiculous to the sublime? Or the other way round? I don’t know.

Anyway, I headed out on my own, leaving Melanie and Val to meet me later. I started at Sweetwater Wetlands again and amazingly connected with my target bird immediately – [...]

Dangerous!

Richard — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 06:02:53 +0000

I’d managed to wangle a day off and my original plan was to go to Patagonia again and try to see the wren, but in an attempt to inject a bit of success into my birding trips I changed my mind at the last minute and opted for a day of checking watery sites. I’m better [...]