The middle of May in Tucson has turned out to be cooler than usual - partial compensation for some of the really hot days we had earlier in the year. On the Thursday May 18th Agua Caliente birding walk we caught up with the nursery. Over the past two months we have seen nests for Anna's Hummingbirds, Vermilion Flycatchers, the Great Horned Owl, Curved-bill Thrashers, the Beardless Tyrannulet, Ravens, and Cooper's Hawks. 

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. 

Below, a pause in the feeding.

I suspect we were catching all this toward the end of the meal. The mother finally picks up the whole kill, and dangles it above the young. Perhaps she is showing the chicks what they will need to deal with as adults ("You're not going to get this kind of service forever!") , or this could just be a "last call!" 

In any event, after a minute or so she flies off with the kill, perhaps to leave it with the male who generally sits watching the nest from an adjacent tree. She returns, and settles down on the brood, keeping them warm and protected. 

Ravens are also nesting, just north of the Cooper's Hawk nest. The nest itself is tough to see from the ground, but it is there, and likely has nestlings.  As we were walking west on the path to the western ponds, just as we cleared the cover of the mesquite bosque, we spotted a soaring Red-tailed Hawk to the south.  This is likely a immature male, with all the markings of a Red-tailed, but without a red tail. Image below: 

As the hawk flew closer to us, he was intercepted by first  one and then a second Raven, on high alert for any raptors that might raid their nest.  Below, the hawk spots one of his attackers. 

The Ravens rapidly went on the attack, doing aerobatics that looked at times incompatible with flight. Below are three images showing the Raven attacking the hawk feet first.

The second Raven got into the fight quickly, sometimes hanging back, sometimes getting closer. Below the Ravens are 2 on 1 against the hawk. 

The hawk moved north and west fairly quickly, getting out of our range, and away from the Raven's nest. They appeared to break off the flight. Score another point for Raven homeland defense! 

After all this feeding and fighting, we caught up with some of the more placid songbirds.  Below, three images of a Lark Sparrow

Hooded Orioles are common right now, and one male was out and about on a blooming Saguaro toward the west end of the park, images below. 

That's all for now - more coming soon!  Happy Trails! 

The Vermilion Flycatcher nest that I posted a week ago has progressed. A week ago there were three nestlings, now there are three fledglings. Above, a portrait of the three offspring in the morning light. I was able to find a spot between the leaves and branches, and the three of them finally struck the right pose. The one on the right has his back to us, and has turned his head back toward the camera. The nest is no longer big enough for the three of them, the one on the right was spending most of his time on the branch.  They are still waiting for "take out" from Mom, see below, but should be ready to catch bugs on their own soon. 

My posting of the 16th had images captured on the 13th of the Anna's Hummingbird mom feeding very new hatchlings. One week later on the 20th the nestlings are bigger, and it is clear that there are two of them in the nest, below. 

The mother really does gymnastics to feed her young, two images below.

Stay tuned. More soon.  

The past month has been an explosion of spring nesting activity, and for us, our number one stop has been Agua Caliente. Above, a female Vermilion Flycatcher sitting on her nest with three nestlings on April 15th. Our best guess is that these offspring will fledge in the next week. 

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 Thrasher's build their nests at a very convenient (for me) height of 4 to 6 feet above the ground, commonly in Cholla cactus, as we see here at Agua Caliente.  Both the parents provide food, and I have some shots of all four family members crowded in the nest. As an aside, the juveniles have eyes less yellow than their parents, and less of a curve to the bill, as we can see here. 

It is feeding time, although in the image below the parent looks more like a choir director than a waiter. 

These birds are ready to fledge, as we can see in the wing-flapping sequence below.  View left to right. 

I posted images of the female building this nest on March 18th. Her eggs have now hatched, and she is feeding two hatchlings as of April 13th. Below she is sitting on the nest, followed by images of her feeding. Note that she is solo on this, the male Anna's Hummingbird does not stick around for raising the young.

These hatchlings look really young. Note how far down the mother's bill goes! Ouch!

A female Great Horned Owl has been sitting on her nest at Agua Caliente for some time. This past week we were able to see a nestling for the first time, just barely peeking up into view as the mother moved herself around in the nest. The mother's head is to the left and tucked down, her tail to the right. 

Happy Easter, a Joyous Passover and have a wonderful spring! 

March 16th morning walk with Jeff Babson at Agua Caliente, we spotted a hummingbird nest, with a female Anna's Hummingbird sitting on the nest off and on, as well as tending to it. This nest matches the excellent description on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology site,  "The female builds the nest out of plant down and spider webs, sitting in the nest and building the cup rim up around her. Nests take around a week to build and are 1 inch tall by 1.5 inches in diameter. They may be built of cattail, willow, leaves, thistle, or small feathers and bound together by spider webs or insect cocoons. They may decorate the outside with lichens, mosses, or even paint chips." 

Above we can see her tending to nest construction. Her choice of building materials allows the nest to expand as she lays her eggs and the chicks grow. This nest is no bigger than a golf ball, situated at a Y-shaped branch - tough to spot and equally difficult to find again once binoculars or camera is lowered! 

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 is one of the smaller warblers, wintering along western coastal Mexico and Central America, migrating north to Southern Arizona for breeding. They were spotted about a week ago in Tucson, having returned from their winter grounds. Below are three images from Agua Caliente last Thursday that shows the characteristic rufous crown and rump patch, and one image from March 10th at Catalina State Park that shows the bird in flight. The last is not the best, but it does show the characteristic markings of the male. 

Lucy's warbler is one of the few warblers that nest in holes. Their favorite sites are in mature (old) mesquite trees, but as these are cleared for development, their habitat is becoming more limited. Tucson Audubon is studying the use of nest boxes as a substitute for tree holes. For more information on nest boxes for desert birds see this link.

The Belted Kingfisher is a winter resident at Agua Caliente, but difficult to spot, rarely sits still, and (for me) difficult to photograph. This image was captured last week, just north of the pond near the ranch house. For great images of this distinctive bird, and a discussion of differences by sex and age, see Tom Grey's website.

Cedar Waxwings are visually spectacular songbirds that travel in flocks, seeking out fruit as well as insects. They live throughout North America in the winter, migrating to the northern U.S. and Canada for breeding in spring and summer. I last spotted them in Bend Oregon in December, see this post.  My only other glimpse of them in Southern Arizona was last spring in Portal. So imagine my surprise when I walked out my front door in the Old Fort Lowell area earlier this month to find a flock of 50 to 100 warming themselves in the morning sun on a nearby tree. 

The image above shows the characteristic black and while facial coloration, the yellow tips on the tail feathers, and the bright red waxy tips on the secondary wing feather.  Below is a good look at the tail feathers.

Below a bird is stretching and preening, showing off the red tips of the secondaries on birds right side, left side of the image.

Presumably the same flock was there the following day at dawn, not to return. I suspect they are moving north, looking for trees with fruit. 

Spring is the time for raptors to migrate north. 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 in our own backyard in Tubac, at the Ronald R. Morriss Park, just east of Tubac on the Santa Cruz River.  On any given day in March, 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 between 9 and 10 am, as the desert floor heats up producing thermals.  

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 Common Black Hawk is indigenous to the Southwest, living along rivers and streams. Wintering in Mexico, they migrate north in the spring, one of the "frequent flyers" for the Hawk Watch in Tubac on the Santa Cruz River. There are an estimated 250 breeding pairs in the U.S.  They have short tails, long legs, and broad/deep wings with prominent secondaries, producing the wing shape seen above. ​

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.

Below is a Black Vulture, abundant in the Southeast, and less common in the Southwest, but hanging out with the rest of the gang here in Tubac on the flight north. This bird is very distinctive from below with white portions of the head, white distal wings, and white tail. 

Below and image of a Black Vulture and a Black Hawk in a kettle rising on thermals. It is great to see these two massive birds together. 

Below is an American Kestrel. Not the sharpest image but shows characteristic markings and wing pattern in flight. 

That's it for now. Spring is here!  More postings soon . . . . .

Thursday February 23rd, it was Wake Up With the Birds led by Jeff Babson! A great time for birding in SE Arizona. At the ranch house just as we were starting out there was a pair of Broad-billed Hummingbirds, male and female. I was unable to capture the male in focus (gosh they move quickly!) but I had better success with this female. The female has a white line over the eye with dark ear patch, and a  grey breast.  I have posted all three good images here since they show slightly different features of the bird, and convey a sense of how they move their wings in flight.  For more on the male, not shown here, check out the Cornell Lab website.

The four images below were captured on the morning of the 16th, and demonstrate how well they can fluff up their feathers to create insulation. 

The Black-throated Gray Warbler is one of 54 species of Wood-warbler. This bird winters in southern Mexico and Central America, summers and breeds in the western U.S. all the way up to western Canada. Tucson is on the edge of the summer territory, but definitely in the migration path.  These are small songbirds with gray backs, white underparts and face, with a black mask and crown and a very distinctive yellow square in front of the eye. The bird above moved fast among the branches and was tough to capture, but this one shot shows the distinctive markings. 

On the other hand, the Black-and-white Warbler winters in Florida, Mexico and South America, and summers in the Northeast and Canada, with Tucson on the edge of their migration path. These birds are boldly striped in black and white. The images above and below were captured during the weekly Audubon walk at Sweetwater Wetlands on Wednesday the 22nd. Thanks to Luke Safford for leading these Wednesday walks.  Disclaimer: these images are not the best, but serve to show this visitor's markings. Canon 7D with Sigma 150-600 C, f/8.0, at 1/800 sec, ISO 1600, 267 mm. A black and white bird in deep shadows at high ISO! Post-production processing in Adobe Lightroom 6.0. 

The Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet is a Tyrant Flycatcher that lives in portions of Mexico extending as far north as SE Arizona, and southern Texas. They will catch insects on the fly, but more often climb and hop on trees to get slower moving insects off of the trees. The last frame shows some of this foraging behavior. Apparently Tucson is the spot for avid birders to add this species to their life list without pulling out a passport. 

The Verdin is a small songbird common is the Southwest U.S. and Mexico. See prior posting from Sabino Canyon.  You can see the rufous wing patch on the image above. This bird is all fluffed up, likely warming up in the sun,  showing how feathers are great insulators. Think of a down jacket doubling as wings!  

The Cactus Wren is a noisy year-round resident of Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico, and is the Arizona state bird. The bird is well adapted to desert living, able to survive without drinking free-standing water.  This wren was sitting on cholla cactus not far from the new ponds being built on the west side of the park, and was vocal as usual, as can be seen in the last frame.

That's all for now!  The next Wake Up With the Birds will be on Thursday March 2nd, at 8 am, new time on the spring schedule. For more events sponsored by Pima County, see this link.

I have been birding on a regular basis this fall, getting the images downloaded and edited, but not getting them to this page. So here is a "catch-up" post of some of my "keepers" as well as some average images of some above average birds. I will walk us  east to west, from Agua Caliente Park to Sweetwater Wetlands, to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

There is a large population of Phainopepla, a Silky-flycatcher (Family Ptilogonatidae, Order Passeriformes) living at Agua Caliente right now, feeding on insects and mistletoe berries in the mesquite trees. One day I was able to stand right in front of a mesquite near a path on the western side of the park, while a sizable population of females fed in the tree and posed in the early morning sun.  

Males are present as one would expect, black and silky with the characteristic crest. 

For images of a partial albino male, see my posting from Sabino Canyon earlier this fall. For more on Phainopepla, see The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior by David Allen Sibley, 2001, pp 488-89.

I always photograph Vermilion Flycatchers whenever I see them - who can resist! In this case a male was perched high on a palm tree, in the south east end of the park, facing the morning sun. The branch is grey and white, looking much like the birds wings. The background is shaded and distant, turning to black in the photo.

On another morning walk, not far from where I captured the flycatcher above, we spotted a Great Horned Owl, who seems to be a regular resident. You will see better images of this species captured at the Desert Museum raptor free flight, but in this case, we have a wild resident, running on his own schedule, and appearing when he wants.  They are nocturnal, hunting at night.  Looks a bit sleepy: 

Below, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, with an insect in its beak (bug-McMuffin?). 

Below, a White-crowned Sparrow. The white crown is out of view at the top of the head. 

Below, a Northern Mockingbird, at rest and in song:

Below, an American Kestrel, described by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as North America's littlest falcon. This Kestrel hangs out at Agua Caliente, and any birding visit to the park warrants searching the high perches for this falcon. In this case, he was high on a tree branch, holding tight in a high wind. For some spectacular photos of male and female Kestrel's, perched and hovering, see Tom Gray's website.  For great photos and text on raptors, see Birds of Prey in the American West, photographs  by Tom Vezo, text by Richard L. Glinski.  Available online or in our local Audubon Nature shops.

The freshwater wetlands in Tucson are home to rallids,  consisting of Rails, Gallinules, and Coots. The Common Gallinule is a resident at Agua Caliente, see prior posting for images.  Coots are common at Sweetwater Wetlands, and the Sora, the most common rail in North America, lives a secretive life in the reeds at Agua Caliente.  Every birding session seems to begin with the refrain, "Can we see the Sora today?"  He lives in a patch of reeds on the far side of the pond across from the ranch house, and rarely shows himself. When seen, it is usually only his head for a few seconds. When out in the water or foraging in the mud, by the time binoculars or cameras are ready, he has scooted back into the reeds. 

However, last Thursday morning he hung out longer than usual, pulling food out of the mud adjacent to the reeds. The images below are among the best I got, albeit not optimal. I could not get closer without swimming (not an option) so these images are enlargements of frames shot at 600mm with a cropped sensor. 

These show his yellow bill, long legs and large feet, as well as the short tail. There is some striping effect on the body in some images that I think represent reflections off of the water.

For more on rallids, see The Sibley Guide to Life and Behavior, illustrated by David Allen Sibley, 2001, pp 246-250.

I cannot leave Agua Caliente and the Tanque Verde Valley without at least one shot of a bird on a saguaro, in this case a female Gila Woodpecker with what looks like fruit or a nut from a palm tree: 

Wednesday, November 16th, I joined the weekly Audubon bird walk at Sweetwater Wetlands, led by Luke Safford. High on a branch, close to the parking lot we spotted this Snowy Egret, a white bird against an overcast sky, with the sun trying to break through. These medium sized herons have long sharp bills to spear fish and small aquatic animals. Here we can see their characteristic long black legs, and yellow feet.  

On the Wednesday bird walk on December 7th, we spotted this Baltimore Oriole.  These are migrants, summering and breeding in the midwest and northeast, wintering toward the southeast, but generally not as far west as Arizona. This bird has been seen at the wetlands recently, and we were fortunate to spot it on the 7th. This was shot at some distance, the sun to the right of the frame. I did post-production processing in Lightroom to bring up the shadows enough to see the beak, eye and breast. 

Below, an "Audubon's" Yellow-rumped Warbler, often known by his nick-name, "Butter Butt," for the yellow patch on the rump that looks like a pat of butter. Rump not shown in this photo. Said to be the most abundant wintering warbler in Southern Arizona [Ref: Richard Cachor Taylor, Birds of Southeastern Arizona, p 329]

A male Lesser Goldfinch.  For excellent pictures of both sexes and juveniles, see Tom Greys site.

Finally, an Orange-crowned Warbler, sitting on a Cattail going to seed. For more on plants at Sweetwater Wetlands, see this link. Check out this link for Tom Grey's site.

I recently discovered the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) thanks to birding friends Tom and Steve.   NANPA has a local meetup group,  which sponsors meetings and outings, check out the website if you are interested.  November 13th we met at the ASDM, in large part to check out the raptor free-flight they offer October to April, 10 am and 2 pm.  Go to their website for details, www.desertmuseum.org.  It was a great trip. I had such a good time that I came back on my own Monday morning!  For more on the ASDM see my post from November 2015

November 13th and 14th I caught the 10 am free flight. They flew a Great Horned Owl,  a Prairie Falcon, and a Ferruginous Hawk.

The museum runs the free flight on an expanse of desert to the south and a bit east on park grounds. They have created a viewing area with railings, with snags adjaceent to the area. They have one docent explaining the flights using an excellent sound system, and several trainers, and assistants. Bits of raw meat are set up on the snags, and the trainer has the birds fly from snag to snag, often right over the heads of the visitors.

​First bird out was the Great Horned Owl. Below are four images of the bird in flight. For more images, see my posting from the ASDM a year ago

Great Horned Owls are nightime hunters, going after large mammals and birds, as well as smaller rodents and frogs. It is unusual to see them fly during the day, but in this case they have been trained to go after food in the morning for the exhibit.

Next was the Prairie Falcon described by the Cornell Lab as, "A raptor of the West’s wide-open spaces, (they) glide above shrubby deserts and grasslands searching for ground squirrels and other small mammals and birds. In flight, look for the dark triangle of 'armpit' feathers that distinguish it from other light-colored falcons."
I think you can see the dark "armpit" on the second image, below. 

Last on the flight line was the Ferruginous Hawk, the largest of the North American hawks, living on the prairies, deserts and open ranges of the west. This hawk has rusty (ferruginous) shoulders and legs with white underparts, and enjoys small mammals. In fact, on the 14th the flight was cut short when the hawk spotted prey to the east of the flight area and disappeared!  Word came back by radio from the trainer (along with a shrug!) that our hawk had spotted something better than their bait for breakfast, and would not be back for a while. 

That is it for fall 2016! Got this one in just under (or on) the wire, with Wednesday December 21st being the first day of winter. Best wishes for the holidays!

I returned to Agua Caliente Park this fall for Wake Up with the Birds on Thursday mornings. For details, see prior postings from May of this year. The bird walks are led by Jeff Babson, Environmental Education Program Specialist for Pima County Natural Resources Parks and Recreation.  Jeff is a fantastic teacher, and each walk with him is full of information and insights into the birds we spot, including their evolution, diet,  habits, and migratory behavior, all done with a sense of humor. For Jeff's bio, see this link. Note that beginning in November these Thursday morning walks begin at 8:30 am, Agua Caliente Park, 12325 East Roger Road, east of Soldier Trail. 

Although we spot many birds on the walks, I am a photographer, so what I bring home are images, and the best (or at least the acceptable!) get posted here. 

October 20th: We spotted the Common Gallinule, formerly knows as the Common Moorhen. It inhabits marshes and ponds, displaying a bright red shield over the bill and using its long toes to walk along marsh grasses. For more information see the Cornell Ornithology site, and for some really great photos, see Tom Grey's website.  The images below show the out-of-the-water-on-the-reeds behavior, and show off the birds features. 

October 27th: We spotted a female Gadwall, a dabbling duck that tips forward to feed on submerged vegetation without diving. They often stay in pairs, although on this day we only saw a female. Two images below.  

November 3rd:  A very windy day in Tucson, including Agua Caliente. I almost stayed home, but was glad I joined Jeff and the group at the new start time for November, 8:30 am.  Birds were out, often in trees, and the wind seems to fluff them up, creating more texture. 

There is a large leafy tree almost in front of the Audubon Store, which I am embarrassed to admit, I cannot identify. Will put on my "to do" list.  In the tree was a male Vermilion Flycatcher, who stayed put (maybe because of the wind) and posed for us. 

I have photographed Vermilion Flycatchers whenever I see them, and often the male is high on a branch (far away) in bright sunlight. The brilliant red of the head and breast seems to blow out the chip at the high end, with the shadows, well, in the shadows. I seem to lose detail at both ends, and the reds look like they are bleeding. However, in this case the bird was in filtered light, not too different from studio lighting. The sun was behind me, and fortunately there was enough morning light coming directly on the bird to create the much-sought-after eye reflection. Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Sigma 150-600mm C series at 484 mm, f 8.0, 1/320 sec, ISO 400, handheld with help of a Stedi-Stock. 

More images below.

Later in the morning we spotted a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in bushes close to one of the washes. 

And not too far away, a Yellow-rumped warbler. 

That's it for now!  Stay tuned - more to come from Southern Arizona as fall gives way to winter. 

Agua Caliente Park is in the north-east corner of the Tanque Verde Valley, on Roger Road, east of Soldier Trail.  The 101-acre park began as a ranch and resort in 1873 promoting the health benefits of hot springs that ran at that time.  In 1984 the ranch was acquired by Pima County with the help of a donation from Roy P. Drachman, and is named in his honor. It opened to the public in 1985. 

The park is a wonderful place for birding. Pima County offers a "Wake Up with the Birds" walk every Thursday morning for a nominal $5 fee. Check their website for times. I visited the park twice this week, Tuesday the 17th, and again on the 18th, for the bird walk. The picture above captured on the 17th started as three images merged into one panoramic using Adobe Lightroom.  Canon 6D,  24 mm.

A male Vermilion Flycatcher resting on the lawn in between flying his routes. The frame below him, a female:

A Hooded Oriole photographed adjacent to the pond.

Red-winged blackbird, male, doing a split on the reeds at the pond:

Two Gila Woodpeckers, perched atop a saguaro in bloom, adjacent to the parking lot.

A Chiricahua Leopard Frog (my best guess) sitting at the edge of the pond. Many thanks to a 3-year old boy and his mom for finding a frog amid the mud! 

Shortly before 8 am a Cooper's Hawk came down to the pond to drink. Hung out long enough for a photo session, then took off.  Did not leave his agent's name, so here is the photo sans model release.

A Vermilion Flycatcher, likely immature, still working on getting the red plumage in. 

Cassin's Kingbird.  Southern Arizona is in their summer breeding territory.

MacGillivray's Warbler.  Described by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as a "furtive bird of forest edges and thickets," I can attest to the fact that this bird was hard to spot, and moved back and forth in the grasses. Below is one of the better shots.  Many thanks to our guide, and everyone who took the tour for their spotting acumen and knowledge of the birds.  According to the Cornell website, this bird winters in Mexico and central america, summers in the Pacific Northwest and Canada, and stops by to visit us in migration. We wish him safe travel!  

That's all for now!  Have a great weekend.