Welcome to birdWalker, a website of birding photos and trip reports by Bill Walker and Mary Wisnewski, California birders based in Santa Clara County. We've been collecting our trip reports since 1996, we have now recorded 726 trips and 570 species.

Some of our favorite places to go birding include Charleston Slough and the Duck Pond in Palo Alto, Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, and the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.

The 2010 BirdWalker wall calendar is an all-California affair and still available at my Cafepress store. I am assembling the 2011 calendar now, including some of my Alaska photos. Write in if you have a suggestion for next year's calendar.

So far in day 246 of 2010 we have seen 346 species. Last year at this time we had seen 208.

The Bird of the Week is the Acorn Woodpecker
Photographed Wednesday, August 29, 2007 at Guadalupe Oak Grove Park

Located near Portal in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. We have recorded 17 species during 4 trips. Our most recent visit was Friday, August 13, 2010.

Located near Portal in Cochise County, Arizona. We have recorded 7 species during 3 trips. Our most recent visit was Friday, August 13, 2010.

Located near Sierra Vista in Cochise County, Arizona. We have recorded 14 species during 3 trips. Our most recent visit was Sunday, August 15, 2010.

Located near Green Valley in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. We have recorded 18 species during 2 trips. Our most recent visit was Monday, August 09, 2010.

Located near Portal in Cochise County, Arizona. We have recorded 16 species during 2 trips. Our most recent visit was Thursday, August 12, 2010.

We observed 32 species on August 15 at 4 locations in Cochise County, Arizona

We observed 58 species on August 14 at 7 locations in Cochise County, Arizona

We observed 45 species on August 13 at 6 locations in Cochise County, Arizona

We observed 46 species on August 12 at 7 locations in Cochise County, Arizona

First full day in the Chiracahua Mts. Bill photo'ed the canyon walls at sunrise, followed by pre-breakfast birding at the Cave Creek Ranch feeders (Mexican Jay, and brief glimpses of Blue-throated hummingbird) and into the desert scrub (paired Curve-billed Thrashers, a Cactus Wren and Canyon Towhee). Most of this day was spent along the road between Cave Creek Ranch and the Southwest Research Station, checking out campgrounds, picnic areas and trails. The best flock of the day came along ...

Transit day from Green Valley to the Chiracahua Mountains, featuring stops in Sonoita for grassland birds, the "Environmental Operations Park"/sewage ponds in Sierra Vista, and the San Pedro House. Amazing scenery the entire day, with great birds at the Las Cienegas grasslands and the San Pedro House trails, despite the heat. 45 minute sojourn at the roundabout in Bisbee yielded zero birds.

Madera Canyon! After three days of all the locals asking "Have you been to Madera Canyon yet?", here we are. Our first stop of the day was Florida Wash and nearby scrubland. Recent storms meant water in the channel to watch orioles, grosbeaks, warblers and sparrows bathing. We met Jim Danzenbaker on the road and nearly the first thing he said was "There's a Zone-tailed Hawk" - and Bob caught the yellow feet, but Bill and I were too slow on the draw to get the bird in our bins. The Pro...

We observed 58 species on August 08 at 7 locations in Santa Cruz County, Arizona