While in the Sedona and Page Springs area (which is close to Sedona), I did a little Arizona birding. I also participated in the Sedona Christmas Bird Count on December 14th. I was lucky to be paired up with three excellent birders. Ron has only been birding for about four years. His skills are amazing. Nanette has the ears of Aaron Lang (a very good Alaska birder). While my hearing is pretty good, she heard things I didn’t hear at all. Matt was a first time CBC counter, although he has been birding for awhile. His enthusiasm was enjoyable. He was always ready with his bird app to help in any bird ID crisis – like was that a Pacific Wren or a Winter Wren.
Our count area was around Red Rocks State Park. I didn’t have much time to photograph birds, since I was supposed to be counting them instead; but I did get a few photos. Our four-person group saw (or heard) 55 different species. Not too bad of a day of birding.
Anna’s Hummingbird seen at the feeder at Red Rocks State Park
Anna’s Hummingbird
The highlight bird for our group was the White-throated Sparrow. This is not a common bird for Arizona.
Oak Creek – which helped us increase the total number of different species observed
Oak Creek
Western Bluebird found at the Sedona High School
Christmas Bird Count – Birds Seen or Heard
- Anna’s Hummingbird
- White-throated Sparrow
- White-crowned Sparrow
- Chipping Sparrow
- Song Sparrow
- Lincoln’s Sparrow
- Hermit’s Thrush
- Western Meadowlark
- Lesser Goldfinch
- American Goldfinch
- Bridled Titmouse
- Bewick’s Wren
- Winter Wren
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- Townsend’s Solitaire
- European Starling
- Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay
- Common Raven
- Cedar Waxwing
- Ring-necked Duck
- Mallard
- Gadwall
- American Coot
- Canada Goose
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Dark-eyed Junco (four different subspecies)
- Western Bluebird
- White-winged Dove
- Eurasian Collared Dove
- Mourning Dove
- Northern Cardinal
- Spotted Towhee
- American Robin
- Canyon Towhee
- Abert’s Towhee
- Gambell’s Quail
- Say’s Phoebe
- Black Phoebe
- Great Blue Heron
- Peregrine Falcon
- Cooper’s Hawk
- American Kestrel
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Red-naped Sapsucker
- Ladderback Woodpecker
- Northern Flicker
- House Finch
- House Sparrow
- Verdin
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Brown Creeper
- Juniper Titmouse
- Brewer’s Blackbird
- Red-winged Blackbird
Page Springs Fish Hatchery and Bubbling Ponds
I went here twice this December, about a week apart. Walked the Black Hawk Trail birding to my heart’s content This is my favorite place to bird in the Verde Valley. Page Springs is located 20-30 minutes from Sedona.
The weather both days was warm (low 60s), and partly cloudy, which made for a pleasant walk along the Black Hawk Trail.
In the ponds were the requisite ducks. While there were more ducks here in December, than when in early October, there still wasn’t as many ducks as I’ve seen in these ponds in previous years during this time of year. Only three Canvasback were spotted – one male, two females were spotted on my first December visit, but a few more spotted during my second December visit.
Trail Map
One of the hatchery ponds, favored by the ducks
The “do not feed” bucket refers to feeding of the hatchery fish in the ponds, but ducks can’t read…
This pond was drained last December (2015) and work on it continues – but the birds still use it
Not sure what this is/ was in the pond
The Killdeer like this pond
This pond is adjacent to the drained pond
One of the Canvasback males using the pond
Male Canvasback
Ring-necked Duck
Pair of male Ring-necked Duck
American Wigeon
Black Hawk Trail – traverses a nice stand of Mesquite favored by songbirds
On the first visit this tree held 9 roosting Great Blue Heron
Can you see the little bit of orange on the head of this Orange-crowned Warbler? (click on photo to expand it)
Orange-crowned Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Abert’s Towhee
Cedar Waxwing – I found a small water hole where the waxwings and American Robin were drinking and bathing. Fun to watch all the activity.
This robin didn’t have the typical robin coloring
Cedar Waxwing
Lots of tall Fremont Cottonwood Trees – I love them
Birds Species Seen or Heard at Page Springs and Bubbling Ponds
- American Wigeon
- Ring-necked Duck
- Mallard
- Black Phoebe
- Great Blue Heron
- Killdeer
- Green-winged Teal
- Canvasback
- Belted Kingfisher
- Cedar Waxwing
- American Robin
- Spotted Towhee
- Abert’s Towhee
- Northern Cardinal
- White-crowned Sparrow
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Common Raven
- Gila Woodpecker
- Verdin
- Gadwall
- American Coot
- Lesser Scaup
- Bewick’s Wren
- Orange-crowned Warbler
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Great Egret
- Northern Pintail
- Song Sparrow
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Canyon Towhee
- Anna’s Hummingbird
- Hermit Thrush
- Great-tailed Grackle
- Western Bluebird
- Eurasian Collared Dove
We are headed to southern Arizona on January 3, 2017, health permitting (Jack is just getting over a cold and mine is just starting. His knocked him out for three days so who knows what is in store for me). Until then …
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