Clark's Nutcracker

A few years ago I searched for Clark's Nutcracker in the White Mountains in eastern Arizona without success.  So four days ago when some were reported on Mt. Lemmon, I couldn't wait to go.  On my third stop I found three foraging in the pines along the Meadow Trail, a lifer!

These birds are casual wanderers in Southeast Arizona with most records coming from the Chiricuahua and Huachuca Mountains.  They are more common further north and east, but very rare in Pima County.

Rare Hawk

A rare hawk was found this morning at the Randolph Golf Course driving range 7 miles from my house.  When I arrived the guy who had found it and another birder were looking at it through the netting that surrounds the driving range.  The bird was originally reported as a possible Red-shouldered Hawk but apparently others thought the description fit well for Broad-winged Hawk. 

The birders and I witnessed some odd behavior a couple times when the hawk flew into the netting, grabbed on, and flapped its wings.  It also spent some time on the grass.  It was flying well, but clearly not feeling 100%.  Golf balls whizzed by the perched bird more than once.  Then out of nowhere a Red-tailed Hawk swooped down and tried to grab it!  We thought that was the end of it, but it somehow survived.  It wouldn't have been the first time a rare bird was killed right in front of a group of birders. 

After getting good looks at it, it was clearly an immature Red-shouldered Hawk.  This bird is casual in Southeast Arizona with around 20 records, but this is the first that I know of from October.  I've seen them in California, but this was my first for Arizona.  These photos show the brown head, very light red shoulder, barred secondaries, and the beginning of dark streaks at the top of the breast.

These flight shots by my friend Andrew Core show the rufous wing linings and white crescents near the tip of the wings, making it the subspecies from California.

Cooler Birding

Cooler birding has finally arrived here in the desert!  It was a gorgeous 58 degrees yesterday morning when I set out to check a few local parks.  I started at Lakeside Park hoping for a Blue-footed Booby or some other wayward treat.  I was disappointed when the only birds on the water were mallards and coots.  I heard and briefly saw a distant kingfisher, but never located it.  There were some active flycatchers out and about.

Vermilion Flycatcher

Phainopepla

 A few Killdeer were on the ballfields as well as my first of the season lone White-crowned Sparrow.

Next I was off to Reid Park to check out what ducks had arrived.  There were a couple Ring-necked Ducks and wigeon, but no Redheads or Lesser Scaup yet.

These two were at their usual hangout out near the pond.

Great Egret

Double-crested Cormorant

Not near the water was this Black Phoebe...

 

who was harassing this cute Vermilion Flycatcher.

A beautiful kestrel wasn't having any luck with breakfast...

 and the goldfinches and Verdin were taking turns at the drinking fountain.

Lesser Goldfinch

It was a great way to start off the weekend.  Did I mention I'm loving the cooler temps?

Birding with Bria

I took a quick birding trip yesterday morning with my 8-year old (and no longer the baby) Bria to look for a Barn Owl.  My first and only (wild) one I've ever seen was over 6 years ago, so I was pretty pumped about the possibility of seeing one.  We had no trouble finding the tell-tale owl pellets and poop.  The next thing I know Bria was wide-eyed and pointing up, "I see it."  She was very excited about seeing her first owl, what a beauty!

Barn Owl

A nice Western Tanager posed for us too.

The sun was beating down on us as we walked back to the truck, but it was a successful trip.  I can't wait for the forecasted 65 degree weather tomorrow morning.  Happy (official) fall birding to all!

Patagonia Booby

Patagonia Mountains

The drive from Tucson to Patagonia is gorgeous right now.  It's amazing how lush and green everything looks from the recent rain.  But rain isn't the only thing that's blown in recently.  A few weeks ago an immature Blue-footed Booby was discovered at Patagonia Lake, becoming the first documented species of booby for Southeast Arizona.  I finally got a chance to make the trip and it didn't disappoint.

After running into fellow Arizona blogger Laurence Butler, the booby did a fly-by.  For the next half hour I enjoyed watching it fly around the lake, dive for fish, and even scratch an itch in mid-air!  I wonder how long it will stick around, there's plenty of fish to eat.

     

Later I was joined by Will Russell of WINGS Birding Tours.  It was a pleasure talking with him.  He amazed me when he identified a Yellow-billed Cuckoo flying 100 feet away in the sun, a bird I wouldn't have even tried to ID.  We watched the booby make passes with a backdrop of cactus, pretty cool!

 

 

Will and I also enjoyed close views of an Osprey.

We watched one have a face-off with a Turkey Vulture, but not much happened.

My next stop was the Patagonia Roadside Rest Area to try to photograph a Thick-billed Kingbird.  They were very cooperative and even seemed to be wearing their brighter fall feathers.  Check out that massive bill!

A Blue Grosbeak shared a nearby perch.  

There were also a few beautiful Varied and Lazuli Bunting, but they weren't cooperative for photos.

No trip to Patagonia would be complete without a stop at the Paton's yard, the most reliable spot to find the Violet-crowned Hummingbird.

  

The Paton's property is now up for sale.  The American Bird Conservancy, Victor Emanuel Nature Tours, and the Tucson Audubon Society are trying to acquire it to preserve it as a sanctuary for birds and birders.  For more details and a way to contribute, visit here.  

Here are a few other birds that were in the yard.

a young Abert's Towhee

Inca Dove

Western Tanager

Western Tanager

White-breasted Nuthatch

On my way back to Tucson I visited the grasslands north of Sonoita in hopes of finding a Grasshopper Sparrow.  The first birds I heard were Botteri's Sparrow, but then the grasshoppers chimed in and a few even posed for me.

A few Eastern Meadowlark also made an appearance.

I tried to find a Grasshopper Sparrow a little further north for my Pima County list without any luck.  But I did enjoy the views of the mountains.

Patagonia Mountains

Whetstone Mountains

 All in all it was a much needed soul-satisfying day.