January 3, 2017

Jack and I traveled to Apache Junction, Arizona (near Phoenix) to visit our friends Carla and Wayne Stanley. They have a great location – views of the Superstition Mountains and a bird haven. Carla puts out a lot of bird feed for the birds and it definitely draws them in. Fun to watch. I don’t know how much they spend on bird feed in the four months they are here, but I assume it is a lot. Lucky birds. Thanks Carla and Wayne for supporting local birds and a great time.

House Finch

Curve-billed Thrasher with a very (deformed) curved bill

Inca Dove

Female Gila Woodpecker – no red on its head

Male Gila Woodpecker – red on head

A nice afternoon and evening spent with friends and birds.

Bird Species Seen or Heard from Carla and Wayne Stanley’s Backyard

Anna’s Hummingbird
Abert’s Towhee
Eurasian Collared Dove
House Finch
Northern Mockingbird
Gambell’s Quail
Mourning Dove
Inca Dove
Cactus Wren
Gila Woodpecker
House Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Curve-billed Thrasher
Bendire’s Thrasher
Verdin
Rock Pigeon
Northern Flicker
Northern Cardinal
Common Raven
Black-throated Sparrow
American Kestrel
Cooper Hawk – boy did this bird clear the area of other birds when it popped in

January 4, 2017

Ah, a favorite place – Boyce Thompson Arboretum. If you love cactus (from all over the world) and birds, then this is the place for you. The property is owned and operated by the State of Arizona and is located east of Phoenix – an easy drive. We got there around 9:30 am and birded the park for three-plus hours. They have a great trail system, and for those with dogs – dogs are welcomed so long as they are on a leash. Doggy bags provided.

I saw or heard 20 different bird species. This actually was lower than during previous visits this time of year. Most of the birds I’ve seen here before. One new species was the Plumbeous Vireo. Although I have seen this species before, I’ve not seen it at Boyce. There was a pair flitting about in the trees. As for the various cactus plants we saw, I apologize for not getting the names of all those photographed. You will just have to come to the arboretum to see them for yourself.

Barrel Cactus

Male Anna’s Hummingbird

Prickly Pear Cactus

We walked up this wash for a short distance in search of birds

An agave plant

Male Phainopepla

No waterfowl or coots on the pond, although I have seen waterfowl and coots here in the past.

Cactus flower getting ready to blossom – this bee likes it

Do these tuffs provide protection for the cactus spines? I wonder what the purpose is for the tuffs?

Love the spindly needles – sharp too

One of the trails. They provide park benches along the way to stop and rest and enjoy the beauty of the area.

Queen Creek – there has always been water in the stream bed when we’ve been here. Maybe not during the hot summer months though.

Male Northern Cardinal – saw lots of cardinals today

Red-naped Sapsucker

Plumbeous Vireo

Monarch Butterfly

Oh, I do remember the name of this cactus – Octopus Agave

Saguaro Cactus

Loved the way the light lit up this leaf

After Boyce, we returned to Carla and Wayne’s house and hung out in the back yard checking out the birds coming to the feeder and just relaxing. Ah, what a life.

Verdin

Carla puts out oranges for the birds. The Verdin love oranges.

Inca Dove – a pair usually comes into the feeder late in the afternoon

Cactus Wren – the Wren family is my favorite family of birds

These guys really love the suet feeder Carla puts out for the birds

Yes, even desert hares

Abert’s Towhee – does he blend into the Cholla or what?

Black-throated Sparrow …

… this guy is the lone Black-throated Sparrow coming to the feeder …

… well he actually eats the seeds on the ground, rather than at an actual feeder

White-crowned Sparrow

Mourning Dove

This Mourning Dove looks a little different – maybe it is getting ready to molt? That one feather.

I think this may be a Bendire’s Thrasher. Note the short bill and the yellow eye.

Curve-billed Thrasher

In addition to the one with the deformed bill, there are at least three other Curve-billed Thrashers that come to the feeders …

… and they do like the suet as well

The House Sparrow surpass all the other species in shear numbers, including the House Finch

Birds Species Seen or Heard at Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Verdin
Anna’s Hummingbird
House Finch
Gila Woodpecker
Cactus Wren
Northern Mockingbird
Curve-billed Thrasher
Phainopepla
Northern Cardinal
Black Phoebe
Belted Kingfisher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Abert’s Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Red-naped Sapsucker
Yellow-rumped Warbler
White-crowned Sparrow
Plumbeous Vireo
Canyon Wren

January 5, 2017

Today we visited the Gilbert Water Ranch in Gilbert, Arizona. This is a great place to bird, but beware the area is also heavily used by walkers and runners, and there is a playground for children. The area is always quite busy. Surprisingly the birds have become somewhat used to all the activity and when flushed, don’t travel far. Today I observed 48 different species. This is actually a low number as I generally have around 60+ birds. I’m sure a lot depends upon how much reclaimed water is available for the birds – this is a waste water treatment area – constructed wetlands.

In this riparian area, there are seven ponds and Water Ranch Lake. There area is small in that the trails cover only a couple of miles. We spent around three hours at the lake. I was happy – another great day of birding.