A Well Balanced Diet of Birding

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Shoot Me Monday

Lots of birds are on the move south.  By now the Botteri's Sparrows that spend the summers in Southeast Arizona are in Mexico.  Back in August I searched for them in the grasslands below Madera Canyon.  This is a good spot to find them and I had seen them here before.  But I never had the opportunity to photograph one.  After listening to a few distant birds singing, I heard one nearby.  It's definitely a song you want to know since they're hard to get a good look at.  Luckily it was just off the side of the road.

   

Botteri's Sparrow

Búho Manchado

I'm over at Birding is Fun today.  Enjoy! 

Sabine's Gull in Tucson!

Monday evening a Sabine's Gull was found at some recharge basins in Tucson, AZ.  So yesterday after work I zipped over there to see it.  Sabine's Gulls are rare and irregular fall transients to Southeast Arizona.  Luckily it was still around.  The gull would occasionally fly into view and finally landed on the water where I could get a better look.  Another lifer!  It looks like a first summer bird, but correct me if I'm wrong.  As for the pronunciation, I once read somewhere that it's "suh-bean," but just found a source that says it's "say-bin."  Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller?  I guess we should ask Sir Edward Sabine, for whom the bird is named.

   

Shoot Me Monday

Today marks one year of bird blogging for me.  Thanks to all three of my loyal readers.  No, but seriously thank you!  It's been a blast and I look forward to another great year.

Here is a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher I saw a few weeks ago in Madera Canyon.  I first located it after it made its distinctive squeaky-toy call.

 

 

 Have a great Labor Day!

Interview

Check out my interview at www.allbestbinoculars.com.