Lots of complaints over the ‘bait and switch’ from the last squirrel/nut post. Making it up here with squirrel + green pine cone (Abert’s squirrel aka Tassel-eared squirrel) @ White Mtns. Following two shots also Abert’s squirrel:
Bonus Abert’s squirrel @ Mt. Lemmon:
More bonus squirrel – Round-tailed ground squirrel (Xerospermophilus tereticaudus) in Tucson:
So much squirrel! More squirrel!
Back with more beautiful hummingbird content from southern Arizona!
Broad-billed Hummingbird (m) @ tree tobacco plant (Nicotiana glauca):
Shots above on periphery of Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson.
Following are probably female Costa’s Hummingbird. In an orange tree at the Mason Center.
Broad-billed Hummingbird (m) preening, @ Catalina State Park:
Stay tuned this week for even more hummingbird!
Summer mid-day, everyone in Tucson appreciates a bit of green vegetation and shade. Making the ‘shaded playground’ at Arthur Pack Regional Park (north side of town), with its scant lawn and grove of mature mesquite trees, not a bad place for birding.
Couple shots immature Verdin:
And mature Verdin for comparison:
Next up, number one on the Arizona “uncommon birds you might actually see list,” the always popular and beautiful Vermillion Flycatcher. First up, female.
And the more aptly named male:
Adjacent Maeveen Behan Desert Sanctuary also highly recommended, just not for birding during the heat of the day. #heat_exhaustion
Another great greater Tucson location, Catalina State Park in Oro Valley. With bonus Vermillion Flycatcher!
Immature male Great-tailed Grackle at Christopher Columbus Park:
Finally, a few from perhaps the premier “in town” Tucson birding spot, Sweetwater Wetlands.
Following is a tough one. Perhaps female Hooded Oriole (!)
With its black cap, a little easier to ID the lovely male Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, another classic denizen of the desert SW:
Couple more from a different day:
Stay tuned: back soon with more excellent hummingbird content!
What’s the saying in bird photography? “Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while?” Maybe that’s a saying in squirrel photography. Anyway, no squirrels here (stayed tuned for later posts), instead some recent, rather amazing shots of male Costa’s Hummingbird under a mesquite tree, Tucson, Arizona.
Possibly a candidate here for next year’s “BirdingPI.com Audubon bird photography contest summary rejection” submission.
[Editor’s Note: if lacking in amazement, please substitute “nice” for “amazing” in the lead paragraph above.]
Dateline: August 2022
After several weeks surveying the Mt. Lemmon backwoods, time for hot showers and a report-out of recently-sighted interesting birds.
Towards the top of the Mt. Lemmon “birds to see list,” lovely Yellow-eyed Junco:
Two good examples of Brown Creeper @ camouflage/ponderosa pine:
A White-breasted Nuthatch getting into it:
Mediocre shots of a Painted Redstart. Still nice to see.
Blue wings, spotted black, and slight eye ring = juvenile Western Bluebird:
Beautiful/distinctive Spotted Towhee, perched in a burn area off the Box Camp Trail:
Bonus “ok” video with Spotted Towhee call/song:
Hummingbirds on Mt. Lemmon, too. Probably female Broad-Tailed Hummingbird:
Yellow-eyed Junco‘s found a cracker crumb:
After dropping from 2500+ meters (8200 ft.) to 1400+ meters (4600 ft.) in elevation at Molino Basin, great sighting of a Canyon Towhee. Note reddish/rusty under-tail and overall brown appearance.
Here’s a rather flamboyant juvenile Northern Cardinal. (Black/gray bill indicates juvenile, vs. red/pink bill on female.)
Beautiful male with an acorn:
Next time, a rather special hummingbird post. More hummingbird!
More warbler on Mt. Lemmon! First up, obligatory Yellow Warbler content:
Next up, thought at first this was Black-and-white Warbler = nonsensical considering the location. Turns out to be the lovely Black-throated Gray Warbler. See distinctive yellow spot between eye and beak:
Finally, the mystery bird of this post. Lots of mediocre shots to show whatever information’s available.
The habitat (Arizona pines) + dark wings with white wing bars + yellow face and throat suggest either Hermit Warbler or Townsend’s Warbler.
Dark/smudgy face suggests Townsend’s.
However, throat and breast seem fairly white, vs. yellow breast on Townsend’s. Also a slight eye ring.
Overall, calling this as a female or immature Hermit Warbler.
Also possible it’s a Hermit/Townsend’s hybrid.
Regardless, great to see more warbler!
Tomorrow, more Mt. Lemmon bird. Lots more bird.
After hours scouring the mountaintop pine forests of Mt. Lemmon, a lucky sighting of the beautiful Red-faced Warbler. Another in the “top 5 uncommon Arizona birds you might actually see” list – always a highlight of any field outing.
Tomorrow, more warbler!
Dateline: 14 August 2022
Taking a short break from the summer AZ content to check in with the Erie crew out at Presque Isle State Park. Conditions: generally warm and dry; all portions of the Gull Point Trail in good shape (except perpetually flooded ‘middle old trail’).
General bird activity about as expected – GBH, Canada Geese, various gulls, Belted Kingfisher, Osprey, juvenile Bald Eagle, crow, European Starling, Turkey Vulture, Gray Cowbird, Killdeer, etc. Shorebird activity reasonably good – Dunlin, Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper, & Least Sandpiper (large flock).
Big news Sunday early PM was a flock of seven Black-bellied Plover, first sighting (for BirdingPI.com) since spring. Initially spotted on the eastern beach, transitioning to the northern edge beach. Most shots at a long distance from the observation platform.
Bad plover video clips:
After startling, perhaps due to the two incoming Osprey (!):
Tomorrow, back to Arizona with warbler content! More warbler!
Dateline: 4 August 2022
Reporting from world-famous Mt. Lemmon outside Tucson, AZ. No better way to enjoy a mountain than with lovely Mountain Chickadee!
All shots along the Box Camp Trail.
Lots of great birds on Mt. Lemmon – stay tuned for plenty more great bird content.
All Broad-billed Hummingbird flying near feeders at Ramsey Canyon.
[Photo Editor’s note: final shot edited to remove extraneous content.]