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Tucson Audubon Society
Tucson Audubon Afield: October 2006
Recent Field Trips and Sightings in
Southeast Arizona
by Keith
Kamper See also Tucson Audubon Afield home page
(This article first appeared in the December 2006/January 2007 Vermilion Flycatcher, the newsletter of the Tucson Audubon Society. To receive the Vermilion Flycatcher in the mail, become a Friend of Tucson Audubon.)
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Cool morning temperatures and great birds made October an excellent month to be afield in southeast Arizona. Delicately patterned sparrows abounded; waterfowl and raptor numbers increased steadily. The sound of bugling Sandhill Cranes was heard once again in the Sulphur Springs Valley. Water—ponds, lakes and rivers drew many migrants and returning winter visitants, including a few surprises. Several primarily Eastern warblers added excitement for diligent (lucky?) observers.
From saguaros at the base to mixed coniferous forest at the summit, the steady ascent up to Mount Lemmon fails to disappoint. Spectacular scenery and varied birding was enjoyed by participants on Jim Hayes’ Tucson Audubon fieldtrip on October 10. Highlights included great views of a male Olive Warbler and a lone Cedar Waxwing, both high on Mount Bigelow; Sharp-shinned Hawks on Mount Bigelow and at Inspiration Rock; a Roadrunner at Windy Point; and all three nuthatches in the same tree.
John Higgins’ Ducks for Dummies afforded seven birders with great weather, a relaxed pace, and expert advice on duck identification. In addition to ducks, the group also tallied a Western Grebe and Black-crowned Night-Herons at Kennedy Park; two Cooper’s Hawks harassing Common Ravens along Snyder Hill Road; with a Merlin and a juvenile Ring-billed Gull at Avra Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Late fall is a fine time to visit Sulphur Springs Valley, the site of John Yerger’s October 28 trip. On the way to Whitewater Draw, the participants were treated to prolonged scope-views of a cooperative Bendire’s Thrasher while swarms of Lark Buntings and several flavors of sparrows competed for attention. Sandhill Cranes passed overhead, as did three Snow Geese and two Ross’s Geese, eventually landing and affording an excellent opportunity to study the differences between our two white geese. Two Black-bellied Plovers eventually came in quite close to the group, allowing scope-views for all. En route to Lake Cochise a Ferruginous Hawk passed closely overhead. Lake Cochise held many ducks, a Western Grebe and Chestnut-collared Longspurs, including a group of 32 flying directly over the group.
Frequent checks of various lakes, ponds and rivers rewarded birders with a number of unusual finds. Common Loons were observed at Benson Sewage Ponds, Lake Cochise and Roper Lake. Horned Grebes were noted at the AEPCO Ponds and at Casa Grande. Surf Scoters were present at Arizona City and near Sam Lena Park. Sabine’s Gulls were present at Benson Sewage Ponds and away from water over Highway 191.A Tricolored Heron was observed over the Santa Cruz River at Cortaro Road bridge; another, or perhaps the same individual, was detected at a pond in Marana. A lone American White Pelican spent a few days at Lake Cochise.
October is typically the best month to search for eastern vagrant warblers. The Kentucky Warbler at the Southwest Research Station in the Chiricahuas was a good find. An Ovenbird and Northern Parula were present at Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson. A Louisiana Waterthrush was detected near Kingfisher Pond. A Prothonotary Warbler and Ruddy Ground-Dove at the same spot in Tumacacori provided the observers with a species combination not expected in Arizona.
Crisp mornings and the full cast of wintering species can mean only one thing — Christmas Bird Counts are coming up! This will be the 107th consecutive year that CBCs have been run. From beginner to expert, young to young-at-heart, thousands of birders will be participating in one or more of these great events. Over 57,000 individuals participated last year. It’s a great time to see old friends and to make new ones. You also get to see some pretty neat birds and make a contribution to our understanding of bird distribution. If you haven’t participated, perhaps this year you might want to give it a try. Information can be found in this edition of the Vermilion Flycatcher and on the Tucson Audubon website. Perhaps I’ll see you on one of the upcoming counts!
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This page was updated on 12/04/06