Canon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 500mm, 1/1000 sec., f/8.0, ISO 1000,+1.67 EV. This is my second post on Agua Caliente, the first was on April 5, 2025, on two birds in the air over Pond 1, the Violet-green Swallow and the Neotropic Cormorant. In this post, I will cover some of the songbirds at the park - some seasonal regulars, others migrants. Let's start with a winter favorite of the desert southwest, the Phainopepla. PhainopeplaCanon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 500mm, 1/800 sec., f/8.0, ISO 640,+1.33 EV.
The male is silky black with a flash of white on the wing, which can only be seen in flight, as shown below. The female is grey to brown with the same brilliant red eye. Canon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 254mm, 1/3200 sec., f/5.0, ISO 320,+0.67 EV. Below, likely an immature male in flight, with a black head, gray/black back and a hint of white in the flight feathers. Canon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 238 mm, 1/3200 sec., f/5.0, ISO 500,+0.67 EV. Below an immature male captured at Sabino Canyon in December of 2022. Note that immatures have a hint of yellow on the bill, in addition to the incomplete body coloring. Canon R6, RF100-500mm at 500mm, 1/500 sec., f/7.1, ISO 400,+0.67 EV. It is rare in Tucson to see any two Phainopepla together, aside from breeding in the spring, when I have seen breeding pairs together. However, this month has brought a veritable Phainopepla convention to a water feature in our backyard in midtown Tucson. The image below is one of hundreds I have captured recently of groups of as many as three males and 5 females all flocking around the water. This cluster of four are all in the same focal plane and sitting reasonably still! The difference in coloration of the males vs. the females is evident in the photograph. For the photo geeks: These birds move very fast, and although the top of the waterfall is not that deep front to back, it is difficult to get a group in the same focal plane. I got lucky on this shot, they were close enough that at f/7.1 there was enough depth of field. For the bird nerds: When it gets really hot, birds are drawn to running water in preference to feeders. Granted, both are a good idea for your backyard, but when it gets to 100 degrees, this fountain is a bird magnet! Canon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 324mm, 1/2000 sec., f/7.1, ISO 2500, -0.67 EV. Phainopepla are year round residents of SE Arizona. They have two nesting cycles, the first in the sonoran desert between February and April, and the second beginning in May in oak and sycamore canyons where it is cooler and there is adequate fruit supply. It is uncertain if one pair breeds twice in two separate locations, or if some members nest early and some late, in different habitats. (Ref: Birds of the World). For an example of early breeding, in March of 2019 a breeding pair nested in the far eastern end of Agua Caliente Park, right next to the utility yards. I was able to find one clear viewing lane that put me well away from the nest and out of sight, yet offered a clear path to mom and her nestlings. Below, mom sitting on ther nest. Canon 7D Mk II, EF100-400mm with 1.4x Mk III Ext. at 560mm, 1/100 sec., f/8.0, ISO 250, +0.67 EV. on a tripod. Below, mom looks down at a hungry chick. I was only able to identify one nestling, although there could have been a second off to the side. I was set up well away from the action on a tripod. Mom started this feeding run with a clump of insects. Protein first for a growing chick! Above, mom pauses, then below hacks up a berry she has stored in her crop. Almost certainly a mistletoe berry that is abundant on trees in the park. Above and below, mom feeds her nestling. Above, she pauses and below brings up a second berry. Yahoo! Two scoops for dessert! The images above are from my archive, and were posted in April of 2019, 6 years ago, with the title, Fast Food for a Phainopepla Hatchling: Entree and Dessert (with "two scoops") in 10 seconds. Let's finish up this section with images of an unusual male Phainopepla who by local reports wintered repeatedly in Sabino Canyon around the time of the photographs below, 2016. This male is partially leucistic, a genetic mutation where the bird lacks melanin in certain areas, in this case the top the head and crest, creating a striking appearance. Note that the bird has the usual white wing patches, seen in the second photo, below and right. Partial leucism is in contrast to albinism, where there is a complete lack of melanin. (Ref: Bird Leucism, Avian Report). Yellow-rumped WarblerCanon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 500mm, 1/2000 sec., f/8.0, ISO 1000,+0 EV.
Yellow-rumped Warblers molt twice a year, once after breeding in the summer and a second time beginning in January on their wintering grounds in preparation for breeding. The western Audubon variant sports a yellow throat, yellow streak on the head, yellow patches on the flanks, and a yellow rump. The yellow-rump accounts for the common nickname, "butter butt." Males and females are similar, although females may be more muted. This time of year the males are strikingly brilliant. Below at a suet feeder in our mid-town backyard this past week, we see three warblers, two Yellow-rumped Warblers on the left, with a Yellow Warbler sitting on the right. My guess is that the Yellow-rumps are probably both males. Canon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 118mm, 1/4000 sec., f/7.14, ISO 1250,+0 EV. The suet/nuts mixture is popular.* In the images above and below, the upper male Yellow-rumped dives down for his share of the food showing off his breeding plumage including the bright yellow rump. The male below shows off his yellow throat and flanks. * The mixture consists of ground peanuts, rendered suet, soy meal, dried mealworms, raisins, cherries and calcium. It is made by The Wild Bird Store at 3160 E. Ft. Lowell, in the shopping center on the SE corner of E. Ft. Lowell and Country Club, in the Winterhaven area. The male on the feeder stands his ground, and his competitor eventually gives up his approach. The male at the feeder appears to get quite vocal! Note that the Yellow Warbler on the far side is oblivious to the ruckus. Birds are born to do four things: Eat (find food), don't get eaten (avoid predators), make more birds (breed), and molt! In addition to avoiding predators, birds will spend much time and energy fending off competitors, who compete for food, lodging (nesting sites), and mates. The minor kerfuffle seen here appears to be over food, but likely also over dominance during breeding season. For the photo geeks: This series was shot on April 10th at 5:30pm in my backyard with the sun low in the sky. The house was casting a rapidly advancing shadow. The intruder dove into the shadow, while the intrepid suet defender stayed in the sun. There was not much I could do about the lighting! Wilson's WarblerCanon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 500mm, 1/1250 sec., f/8.0, ISO 10000,+0.33 EV.
Wilson's Warblers migrate through all of the lower 48 states, including Arizona, where we see them in the fall on Mt Lemmon, and in the spring in the valley, wherever there is food! Above and below this male frantically hops from branch to branch for food, grabbing something in his mouth in the process. This sequence of 8 images were shot over a span of 6 seconds. For a review of warblers, worldwide and local, see my post from November 2020, Mt Lemmon October Wrap-up: Warblers, Woodpeckers, Vireos, and a Brown Creeper comes out of hiding. For the photo geeks: This series was shot early in the morning in deep shadows, accounting for the high ISO. Lucy's WarblerCanon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 500mm, 1/2000 sec., f/8.0, ISO 2500,+0 EV.
Below, three images of a male Lucy's in my backyard in midtown Tucson in June of 2021. We can see the cinnamon crown patch and rump in this series, shot in the late afternoon against a distant shaded background that fades to black with one stop of underexposure. Canon R6 Mk II, EF100-400mm at 500mm, 1/500 sec., f/8.0, ISO 800, -1 EV. And, just in case you were wondering who the other cavity nesting warbler is . . . . The only other warbler that nests in cavities is . . . . |
In contrast to the Lucy's, the Prothonotary Warbler has a large, heavy body with a big head and bill. The legs and tail are considered shorter than most warblers. They live in wet areas, such as flooded bottomland forests, wooded swamps and forests near lakes and streams, eating a variety of insects, as well as snails and mollusks. They breed in the eastern U.S., wintering to the south in wet coastal areas down into South America. The image above was captured in Panama in the Bocas del Toro region in March of 2024. I have also spotted them on migration in Magee Marsh Wildlife Area in NW Ohio in May of 2022. |
Hooded Oriole
Let's finish up with the Hooded Oriole, another denizen of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. The Hooded Oriole winters in coastal Mexico and breeds in southern Texas, Baja California, Arizona and California. Sometime referred to as "palm-leaf orioles," they "sew" their hanging nests to the undersides of palm fronds. (Ref: All About Birds). Their range has extended north as commercial developments plant more palm trees. They eat spiders and insects as well as fruit, nectar from flowering plants and hummingbird feeders. The males are bright yellow with a black throat that extends around the eye. The females are olive-yellow overall with grayer backs. |
Stay tuned - I have a trip to the Chiricahuas scheduled for next week!
Happy trails!
Let's start our winter birding at Tucson Mountain Park, just west of Tucson and very close to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Next we will travel east through Tucson to the foot of the Rincon Mountains at Agua Caliente Park.
Tucson Mountain Park: January 6, 2022
Note that both maps come from Lightroom Classic CC. I have geolocation tags on all the photographs taken on the 6th. The map below shows the number of shots by location in the colored call-out squares.
This whole region is spectacular. It was a beautiful morning, with the winter sun rising to the southeast.
Curve-billed Thrasher
Canyon Towhee
For the photo geeks: Balancing exposure on the backlit cholla was tricky. In the new version of Adobe Lightroom Classic CC I have the option of asking LR to choose the subject, which it did pretty well. I then increased the exposure of the bird without blowing out the nice highlights on the cholla needles.
Cactus Wren
Agua Caliente Park
Hooded Merganzer
They have striking crests and markings seen in these images above and below.
The photograph below is a female Hooded Merganser at Agua Caliente a year ago, January 26, 2021. The female has a gray/brown body with a cinnamon crest.
Phainopepla
The males are quite striking in the morning sun. They catch insects on the wing, favoring high perches, a real plus for birders and photographers alike.
Gila Woodpecker
Gila Woodpeckers are cavity nesters, and regulars in the Saguaros of the southwest. For more on this species in SE Arizona, see this page: Gila Woodpecker.
Vermilion Flycatcher
The male spends much of his time perched, looking for insects and running a route that often includes one or more perches. The male's bright color and hunting habits make him easy to photograph - although so much red in bright sun is a challenge in post-production processing.
This male looks a bit fluffed up against the morning chill. Anyone with a down quilt knows that feathers are great for insulation.
For more photographs of Vermilion Flycatchers, see this link Vermilion Flycatchers Mt Lemmon AZ Images.
Gray Flycatcher
Gray Flycatchers are described on the Cornell site as "grayish above, whitish below, with a thin, pale eye-ring. Darker wings and tail with two grayish wingbars. The bill is mostly pinkish or yellowish below, usually with a blackish tip." The Gray Flycatcher can be distinguished by the downward flicking of the tail, in contrast to the upward flicking of their fellow empids.
Gray Flycatchers eat mostly insects in the understory, hunting from a perch, taking insects from the air as well as from the ground. They may also eat small fruits during the winter months.
As always, my thanks to Jeff Babson for his help in identification.
Black Phoebe
Photo tip: Quietly observe a Black Phoebe for a while, and you will likely see it move from perch to perch repeatedly. Set up in a location with a good view of one or more perches, and routes, maximizing the light and background. Set your shutter speed on the high side, above 1/1000 sec, and wait to catch this fun bird on his rounds. You will likely be close to a stream and may need bug repellant.
The two images below were captured at White Water Draw in December of 2019. In the second image the bird is taking off, likely spotting an insect and hanging on tight until his wings get a bite of the air to then spring forward toward the prey.
Happy Trails!
Fast Food for a Phainopepla Hatchling: Entree and Dessert (with "two scoops") in 10 seconds
4/7/2019
On Thursday April 4th I returned. I waited patiently, with a good view of one hatchling, below. The stage was set, all I needed was for the action to begin.
Below, mom sizes up her offspring to be sure that everything went down OK.
Below, here comes dessert.
("Yeah, I know you are still hungry, I'll bring more!")
That's all for now, more soon.
Happy trails!
Sweetwater Mudflats . . . . . *
Let's start with a Sora.
The Sora is widespread and common across North America, wintering in SE Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, and south into Mexico and South America. Distribution maps put their breeding north of Tucson from northern Arizona into Canada.
This bird stays out of sight among the reeds in marshes, often calling with characteristic whistles and whinnies, but rarely seen. However, the draining of the wetlands in preparation for the controlled burn exposed the mud floor of the basins, and brought this Sora out in the open to feed.
Above a Sora with its characteristic yellow bill and short cocked tail looking for food. Below we get a good look at the raised short tail and can see the generous size of their feet in the mud tracks.
Hawk Watch in Tubac
Every spring raptors migrate north from their winter homes in Mexico and parts south. This migration is followed very closely by the Hawk Migration Association of North America. There are 200 HawkCount sites in North America, one of them is in our own backyard here in Tubac, at the Ronald R. Morriss Park on the Santa Cruz River. On any given day during the month, there are dozens of hawk watchers at the park from dawn to dusk participating in the count. Hawks come north from Mexico into the U.S. resting overnight near the river, waking up in the morning, and generally moving into the air between 9 and 10 am, as the desert floor heats up producing thermals.
We made our yearly pilgrimage on March 19th, and I captured two images of note. Above is a Black Vulture. These are large raptors with bare heads and white feathers at the wing tips that looks like "mittens." Black Vultures have white mittens. Their range is throughout Mexico, Central and South America and the SE United States, just coming north over the border into Arizona, but not into Utah or Nevada.
Below is a Common Black Hawk, soaring high and difficult to photograph! Common Black Hawks live well to the south of us, with only an estimated 250 mating pairs in the United States breeding in Arizona, Texas and New Mexico. They live and hunt near wooded streams, eating fish, frogs and lizards.
In the image below we see that the bird has broad wings and is all black except for a white band on a short tail and white spots at the base of the primaries in flight.
Patagonia Lake
Above and below is a female Pyrrhuloxia, perhaps a juvenile, given the large head in relation to the body. Just a guess.
The Pyrrhuloxia is a close relative of the Northern Cardinal, with a range limited to the desert southwest, sticking to the southern border of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, and south into Mexico.
Here we can see a distinguishing feature, a curved bill or culmen, which makes the bill a great nutcracker.
Nesting at Agua Caliente
For this species the female does all the work. The male provides his genetic material, then disappears. The female builds the nest out of bits and pieces of leaves and twigs with a big component of spider webs, which can be seen on close inspection in the images above and below. The clutch size is always two eggs, and as the young grow the nest expands to accommodate their increasing size. Like having a house built of spandex. I hope for more images of hatchlings later this month.
This is the first nest I have seen. It is located about 4 feet above the ground, deep in a mesquite tree. Below, the female is sitting on the nest earlier in March, incubating her clutch.
The morning sun transilluminates the chick. "I am hungry! Where's breakfast!"
Happy Trails!
The 18th was clear but very windy! We were surprised by a flock of Cedar Waxwings hanging on to tree branches as they swayed back and forth in the wind. I had the shutter set at 1/2000 second to freeze the birds and branches as they swung back and forth. It is easy to see ruffled feathers in these shots.
Below, portions of the flock at Agua Caliente near the pond, close to the ranch house.
(Note correction thanks to Jeff Babson. Originally I assumed this mottling was due to the wind, rather this is a juvenile. 10/27/2018)
Rufous Winged Sparrow
They are small with a short conical bill and long tail. They have rusty stripes on the head and a rusty stripe behind the eye. The breast is grey and unstripped. There is a rusty (rufous) patch on the shoulder, which is not always evident, and not seen in these images.
The Rufous Winged Sparrow is distinguished from its cousins (Rufous-crowned Sparrow and Chipping Sparrow) by a yellow bill, brown streaks down the back, and two black mustache stripes, which we can see in images below. Among these features, the pair of mustache stripes is the most distinctive.
Below, two images captured in our backyard in August of this year. Major credit to my wife DJ who recognized the bird, AND got me out there with my gear to get these images. We can see the rufous patch on the shoulder.
Happy Trails!
The Cooper's Hawk's nest is high in a Cottonwood tree close to the guest house and the path that leads to the western ponds. From the path, looking waaaay up and toward the south, you can see the nest. There are at least two nestlings, here being fed a fresh kill by the mother, images above and below. In the image below it is not clear if the chick is full, or offering food back to mom. The kill is off to the mother's left side, right side of the frame, and as we watched she ducked her head out of frame to get pieces she then fed to the young.
Ravens defend their nest against a cruising Red-Tail Hawk
Lark Sparrow
Hooded Oriole
Anna's Hummingbird Nest
Vermilion Flycatchers
We have been following this nest for the past three weeks. The male will feed the female when she is sitting on her clutch of eggs - which we see in the images below captured two weeks ago on March 30th. The male here looks like Superman rushing in with provisions for his hungry mate.
Curve-billed Thrashers
It is feeding time, although in the image below the parent looks more like a choir director than a waiter.
Anna's Hummingbirds

Great Horned Owls
For photo geeks: The image directly below was captured on the 16th, handheld without flash. The image above was captured on the 21st, when I returned with tripod, gimbal mount, remote shutter release, and flash with a Better Beamer. Image above Canon 7D Mark II, Sigma 150-600 C series at 600 mm, ISO 200 1/125th at f/10, Canon Speedlite 580EX II with Better Beamer, output lowered 2 stops, on tripod.
All images below handheld from the 16th.
Lucy's Warbler
Belted Kingfisher
Cedar Waxwings in Tucson!
Hawk Watch: A Southern Arizona Rite of Spring*
(*apologies to Igor Stravingski)
We joined Jeff Babson as he led a contingent on the morning of March 14th. During the course of the morning we saw Black Hawks, Black Vultures, one American Kestrel, Ravens, Zone-tailed Hawks, and an occasional Red-Tailed Hawk. These birds are at considerable distance whether they are on the horizon or overhead, making photography a challenge. Here are some of the better images.
The Zone-tailed Hawk has a similar appearance, but the wings are not as deep. My best guess is that the image below is a Zone-tailed Hawk.

Black-throated Gray Warbler
In contrast, a Black-and-white Warbler from SW Wetlands the day before . . . . .
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
Verdin
Cactus Wren
Author
Henry Johnson, photographer and author of this site. For more detail, see About
Categories
All
Agua Caliente Park
Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
AZ
Back Yard Birding
Bosque Del Apache
Canoa Ranch
Cape May
Catalina State Park
Fort Lowell Park
Ft. Huachuca
Hereford
Madera Canyon
Mt Lemmon
Oracle-state-park
Oregon
Panama
Patagonia
Portal AZ
Ramsey Canyon
Reid Park
Sabino Canyon
San Pedro River
Santa Cruz Flats
Sierra Vista
Sweetwater Wetlands
Texas Coast
Tubac
Tucson Audubon Festival
Tucson Mountain Park
White Water Draw
Archives
May 2025
April 2025
February 2025
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
July 2024
June 2024
April 2024
March 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
September 2023
July 2023
June 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
September 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
March 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
August 2020
June 2020
March 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
February 2019
December 2018
October 2018
August 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015