A special report from BirdingPI.com staff stationed last week near the Interstate 10 Chevron station on the west side of Wilcox, Arizona. “Only BirdingPI.com brings you coverage of the Wilcox, Arizona Chevron station!”

Wilcox, AZ: located in southeastern Arizona in a high desert plain, w/ the Dragoon Mountains to the southwest and the Chiricahua Mountains to the southeast, approx. 80 km (50 miles) from the border w/ New Mexico. Convenient to famous seasonal migration (e.g., Sandhill Crane) ‘hotspots’ Wilcox Playa and Whitewater Draw (for example). Also great for regional species like the amazing Chihuahuan Raven:

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Also great for beautiful Brewer’s Blackbirds:

Males, as above, are glossy black w/ green and blue metallic highlights in the sun; bright eye. Females, as below, drab brown/gray w/ dark eye. Best identified, perhaps, as being in proximity to males (+ call).

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Great to see a beautiful male Pyrrhuloxia at this location:

Relative to similar looking female Northern Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia have a yellow bill + the upper and lower beak mandibles meet at an angle (“jagged line”), vs. straight in Cardinal.

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More male Brewer’s Blackbird:

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Lots of shots of lots of Chihuahuan Ravens. Relative to Common Raven, similar looking but smaller, best identified based on location and call. (These were positively identified by call using Merlin.)

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More Brewer’s Blackbirds:

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Finally, even more Chihuahuan Raven:

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On an unrelated nature topic, just a reminder that the total lunar eclipse is tonight. Noticeable visual effects start around 1AM EDT Friday. Forecast for Erie, Pennsylvania calls for clear skies!

Dateline: 6 March 2025

Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip. A trip to Buddy Todd Park last week in Oceanside, California. Top reason to visit California for birding (& fun fact!): more species include ‘California’ in the name than any other US state, @ seven including California Quail, California Condor, California Gull, etc. (Fun fact: #2 is Hawaii at five.)

Anyway, kicking off content from BirdingPI.com’s recent “late winter get out of Erie County week” the best way possible, with a beautiful male Allen’s Hummingbird:

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Buddy Todd Park – a hilltop oasis in suburban northern San Diego County. Lots of trees, lots of grass, & a perimeter that includes natural coastal chaparral hillside. Plenty of Dark-eyed Junco, goldfinch, & Western Bluebird activity, not to mention Yellow-rumped Warbler:

Species note: this is the “Audubon’s” sub-species of Yellow-rumped Warbler, w/ distinctive yellow throat. Yellow-rumped Warblers at Presque Isle State Park, on the other hand, are typically “Myrtle” sub-species w/ white throat.

Species note: this is the “Oregon” sub-species of Dark-eyed Junco (note the contrasting dark hood), found mostly in western US.

View north-ish from the park, w/ nearby neighborhood, San Luis Rey River, and USMC Camp Pendleton in the distance:

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[Editor’s note: thought we were getting rid of honorific bird names. (Regardless of who “Allen” is/was, “Allen’s Hummingbird” is an awful name.) Please use “Western Sunflame” going forward.]

More Tundra Swan from this past Sunday at Presque Isle State Park, including noisy video clips. (Wind noise curtesy crappy Nikon Corp. on-board microphones.) Assuming the BirdingPI.com video function works for a change.

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With the staff back from BirdingPI.com’s “late winter go someplace other than Erie County” week, it was time to hit Presque Isle State Park again Sunday, where the “big bird event” seemed to be cavorting Tundra Swans, and lots of them. These shots on Presque Isle Bay by the ‘playfield’ near the ranger station.

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Conditions at Presque Isle: Although outer Lake Erie remains frozen, overall more “early spring” than “late winter,” with sunny skies, temps above freezing, and little remaining ground snow. Large portions of the back bay unfrozen. Trail conditions generally damp and locally muddy.

Still in the east-central Arizona pine forest along the Mogollon Rim!

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Finally finished photo editing of shots from last summer at Scott’s Reservoir outside Pinetop/Lakeside, Arizona. (See also Bluebird vs. Bluebird for more great Mountain Bluebird content from this same/date location.)

Lots of great Mountain Bluebird activity, these mostly females and juveniles:

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Beautiful Black-throated Gray Warbler:

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Several more shots of White-breasted Nuthatch:

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Finally, a trio of Mountain Chickadee:

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More misc. bird from last summer in Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest @ Pinetop/Lakeside, Arizona:

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Unless otherwise noted, all shots beautiful Broad-billed Hummingbird (female) feeding at Arizona Thistle (Cirsium arizonicum):

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Heading towards the top of Mt. Lemmon outside Tucson, Arizona, past Thimble Peak Vista and 7 Falls lookout, the road finally enters a forested canyon – the first tall pines, junipers, etc. Stop at Cypress Picnic Area or Middle Bear Pullout for a great place to see, e.g., Acorn Woodpecker and Kinglet lookalike Hutton’s Vireo:

Medley of alternating Acorn Woodpecker x female Northern Cardinal:

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Finally, lots of Hutton’s Vireo:

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Part 2 of morning at Canoa Ranch outside Green Valley, Arizona, from summer 2024:

Finally, more beautiful Western Kingbird:

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