August 17th, 2011   Tags: , , , , , , ,

Sky Islands Birding Cup

Team photoIt was a great day, with some nice sets including: two vultures, seven hawks, two falcons, four owls, three Myiarchus flycatchers, four kingbirds, three nuthatches, five wrens and twelve warblers. RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROWS were singing at about five sites, CASSIN’S and BOTTERI’S at two or three. Much of SE Arizona is looking green, lush and beautiful. [...]

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June 19th, 2011   Tags: , ,

Sweetwater Wetlands

Common-Kingsnake-California-Sweetwater-11-0619-02The main highlights were reptilian. We found a snake, a six foot COMMON KINGSNAKE of the California Kingsnake variety. Unfortunately it didn’t hang around for many photos but it was nice to see. Amazingly, this was the first live snake I’d seen this year. Hopefully it won’t be the last. [...]

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May 25th, 2011   Tags: , , , , ,

Mt Lemmon, Sweetwater Wetlands

Yellow-eyed-Junco-Bear-Canyon-11-0525-05Rose 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. [...]

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May 19th, 2011   Tags: , , ,

Blackpoll Warbler at Sweetwater

Blackpoll-Warbler-Sweetwater-11-0518-19After 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. [...]

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May 14th, 2011   Tags: , ,

Sweetwater Wetlands

Bobcat-Sweetwater-11-0514-01The highlights were mostly flycatchers: at least two continuing OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS as well as two WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES and at least four TROPICAL KINGBIRDS. There were still double figures of WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, three calling SORAS, WESTERN TANAGER, BULLOCK’S ORIOLE, SWAINSON’S THRUSH, LAZULI BUNTINGS. A smart Bobcat was lurking near the middle of the complex. [...]

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