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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Non-avian photos from last July/August in Arizona, starting off outside Tucson with this rather unintended shot of what’s probably an Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus) and its prey/victim/lunch, a species of Cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus genus):

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These shots all in Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Pinetop/Lakeside, AZ, starting with juvenile and adult Abert’s Squirrel (Sciurus aberti) a.k.a. Tassel-eared Squirrel:

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Finally, many happy returns to this expecting female Chipmunk, possibly Colorado Chipmunk (Neotamias quadrivittatus):

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Kicking off “Arizona week” today the right way, with a 2nd/bonus post of backlit Gray Hawk in flight outside Patagonia:

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It’s the BirdingPI.com “late-winter break,” with staff escaping the cold/snowy conditions of Erie County, Pennsylvania this week for “somewhere else.” Maybe somewhere with even worse weather, like Buffalo or Rochester. Anyway, hopefully someplace with interesting nature/bird activity.

The website’s also taking a break from the snow and cold, instead featuring summer 2024 content from Arizona, starting here with an early morning visit to great Canoa Ranch outside Green Valley.

Canoa Ranch a.k.a. Historic Canoa Ranch is a public park w/ historic ranch buildings, interpretive signs, etc. As a birding destination and Pima County ‘hot spot,’ it features a pond, adjacent wetlands, nice trails and benches, all tucked into an area of otherwise unremarkable scrub brush desert, e.g., Mesquite trees, dry grass, that sort of thing. Also a perimeter of barbed wire fence = great for perching birds like swallows and kingbirds.

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