We interrupt our normally scheduled programming for a special report of Southwestern Red Squirrel a.k.a. Fremont’s Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus fremonti), spotted outside Pinetop/Lakeside in Arizona:
[Editor’s note: Colonel Frรฉmont, an American explorer of the Rocky Mountains, etc., provided numerous specimens to Audubon and collaborator John Bachman, with Tamiasciurus fremonti first described in The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America (1853), published after Audubon’s death in 1851. This is the original plate, painted by Audubon’s son John Woodhouse Audubon (Fig. 1 is Fremont’s Squirrel):
No post yesterday due to delays in the photo editing department, but kicking it into high gear today with the first of several posts @ Pintail Lake (& Allen Severson Memorial Wildlife Area) outside Show Low, Arizona, back in August:
Juniper TitmouseJuniper Titmouse w/ nutCooper’s HawkJuniper Titmouse IIICooper’s Hawk IIBrewer’s SparrowFemale Blue GrosbeakBrewer’s Sparrow II
Mostly, this area is a flat, high elevation volcanic plane with many, many juniper trees:
Brewer’s Sparrow III
It’s also the site of a shallow lake complex, Pintail Lake, partially fed with treated wastewater from Show Low. Making for great habitat for amazing birds like this White-faced Ibis:
At outer Gull Point Sunday afternoon, initially thought these were immature Palm Warblers, due to the streaked chests and characteristic bobbing movement. Upon further consideration, however, the ‘correct answer’ is American Pipit, at least five or six of them – a fairly uncommon sighting at Presque Isle – which exhibit that same tail bobbing movement.
YellowlegsYellowlegs II
From All About Birds: “American Pipits have a long hind toe (called a hallux) and toenail, similar to longspurs. This adaptation probably helps them when walking and foraging on unstable ground, such as snowfields and mudflats.”
Back in Erie County, Pennsylvania, the big news over the weekend was the first-ever reported sighting of Black-necked Stilt at Gull Point on Saturday. Sunday access was complicated by the Erie marathon, but the park re-opened after noon, making for good late-day lighting:
Black-necked StiltBlack-necked Stilt w/ Yellowlegs in background
Handily, a rare pair of American Avocet were also on site:
American Avocet (left) w/ Stilt SandpiperMixed shorebirds
In today’s post, back to the White Mountains in east-central Arizona, at Woodland Lake Park in Pinetop/Lakeside, featuring mostly great southwestern U.S. species like Hepatic Tanager:
Hepatic Tanager (m)
“Hepatic” of course means ‘liver,’ and refers to the gray coloration on the male’s cheek and wings. (Females are yellow-ish with gray overtone patches.)
Dark-eyed Junco, red-backed variantRufous HummingbirdPlumbeous VireoDomestic and wild MallardsBlack-throated Gray WarblerCooper’s HawkCooper’s Hawk in flight
Today on BirdingPI.com, we leave nature behind for more birds in the beautiful desert grasslands just west of Interstate 19 and north of Rock Corral Canyon, outside Coronado National Forest and the town of Tumacacori, Arizona:
Cassin’s SparrowTumacacori Mountains
Western Kingbird @ flycatching behavior:
Another shot of building clouds over Santa Rita Mountains
Western Kingbird @ flyeating behavior – first you catch, then you eat:
Desert grassland looking towards Coronado National Forest boundary
An excellent sighting of male (black) and female (brown) Lark Bunting:
View uphill along side ravineSwainson’s HawkThe origin of “Cassin’s Sparrow”Cassin’s Sparrow IISwainson’s Hawk IIWestern KingbirdSwainson’s Hawk IIICassin’s Sparrow IIISwainson’s Hawk IVRufous-winged SparrowSwainson’s Hawk VCassin’s Sparrow IVView towards Rock Corral Canyon
Continuing on with Arizona in August content, in the ‘completely unexpected’ category was a mid-day stop at a random section of brushy desert grassland near Rock Corral Canyon south of Tumacacori. Just outside Coronado National Forest, this was a great area for sparrows, larks, beautiful birds like Western Kingbird, and random nature.
Brushy desert grassland w/ Tumacacori Mountains in backgroundWestern KingbirdCloudless Sulphur butterfly (Phoebis sennae) on Desert Wild Petunia (Ruellia nudiflora)Lark Sparrow
Really nice view to the northeast – Interstate 19 is out of view just past the foreground, the line of dark trees mid-shot is the Santa Cruz River riparian corridor, and the Santa Rita Mountains are in the background, including a nice perspective of Elephant Head left horizon:
This is a view more or less south, with the rock walls of lower Rock Corral Canyon just about mid-shot:
Looking towards Rock Corral CanyonBrewer’s SparrowArizona Poppy (Kallstroemia grandiflora)Brewer’s Sparrow on Gray Thorn (Ziziphus obtusifolia)Lark Sparrow IVButterfly on petunia IIBuilding clouds over Santa Rita MountainsBrewer’s Sparrow IIArizona Poppy IILark Sparrow (?) VAnother view south (Interstate 19 is on left @ below horizon)Lark Sparrow VIBarrel Cactus (Ferocactus species)Rufous-winged SparrowFishhook Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus wislizeni)Another view of Tumacacori MountainsRufous-winged Sparrow IIBarrel Cactus IIIHouse Finch (f)Outline of Common Raven in flightCane Cholla (Cylindropuntia spinosior) or similar species
Southerly view from higher up, with the forest service road lower right and Interstate 19 right middle below the horizon:
Another southerly viewRaven in flight IIBlack-throated SparrowCane Cholla (or similar species) II House Finch IIBarrel Cactus IVWestern Kingbird II
Directions – south of Green Valley, AZ, follow Interstate 19 south to Exit 29. At the end of the off ramp, take a right up the dodgy dirt road. 30 meters up the road, there’s a good place for parking where the road turns uphill/left/westerly (“P”). Traveling further up the dirt road will take you into Rock Corral Canyon proper (truck or SUV recommended).
Today, higher elevation Arizona pine forest birds from a quick stop at Timber Camp Recreation Site between Globe and the Salt River Canyon:
Mexican JayCommon RavenMexican Jay w/ acornBlack-throated Gray WarblerWarbler IIMexican Jay IIIWarbler IIIMexican Jay IVWarbler IVMexican Jay VJuniper TitmouseWarbler VMexican Jay VIWarbler VIJuniper Titmouse IIMexican Jay VIIMexican Jay VIIIAcorn WoodpeckerMexican Jay IXMexican Jay X
Today on BirdingPI.com, back to Arizona in August, focusing on a great southwest North American species, Black-throated Sparrow, in the scrub desert along the Santa Cruz River outside Tucson:
At the same location, a beautiful Abert’s Towhee, a species that has somewhat displaced Canyon Towhee in the Tucson- and Phoenix-area ‘lowlands:’
