birdWalker

Bird of the Week (week 35)

2010-09-03

This week's Bird of the Week is the Acorn Woodpecker.

Photographed Wednesday, August 29, 2007 at Guadalupe Oak Grove Park

Trip Report: SCVAS to Arizona, Day Nine

2010-08-15

We observed 32 species at 4 different locations in Cochise County, AZ

Trip Report: SCVAS to Arizona Day Eight

2010-08-14

We observed 58 species at 7 different locations in Cochise County, AZ

Trip Report: SCVAS Arizona Day Seven

2010-08-13

We observed 45 species at 6 different locations in Cochise County, AZ

Trip Report: SCVAS Arizona Day Six

2010-08-12

We observed 46 species at 7 different locations in Cochise County, AZ

Trip Report: SCVAS Arizona Day Five

2010-08-11

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 the trail beyond South Fork picnic area - bridled titmice, painted redstarts, grace's warbler, black-throated grey warblers, and a brown creeper for spice. Special moments of the day: Bob locating the beryline hummingbird nest (per instructions) and finding a female beryline hummer re-constructing her lichen-covered nest with multiple trips to neaby nest material sources. Walking up past bug collection sheets at the Research Station to call in the Whiskered screech owl for an actual visual sighting of this little owl.

Trip Report: SCVAS Arizona Day Four

2010-08-10

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.

Trip Report: SCVAS Arizona Day Three

2010-08-09

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 Proctor Road parking area was full of bird song - Bell's vireo and botteri's sparrow loudest among them. And then the hike up Carrie Nation Trail, where we found four of our big target birds. First the confluence of plumbeous vireo, followed immediately by painted redstart, but wait, there's a sulfur-bellied flycatcher, and look over here: hepatic tanager. We probably didn't move more than 20 yards to get these four great birds. The next half-mile up the trail was in search of trogons. We first heard them calling shortly after the four bird shoutout, and traced them up, up, up until we found a male elegant trogon who perched, called, moved, and returned twice to give everyone a good long look. After the hike down, we visited two hummingbird feeder sites - Santa Rita Lodge and Madera Kubo. The first was large and sunny and featured broad-billed and black-chinned hummers, with one Anna's visiting a side feeder, far from the madding crowd. The second stop was deep in shade and more diverse on the afternoon we visited, with broad-billed, black-chinned, violet-crowned, magnificent and beryline hummingbirds on offer over the 45 minutes we spent looking. Drove home down the canyon, happy and full of visions of hummingbirds and trogon.

Trip Report: SCVAS Arizona Day Two

2010-08-08

We observed 58 species at 7 different locations in Santa Cruz County, AZ

Trip Report: SCVAS Arizona Day One

2010-08-07

We started the day at Mission San Xavier for a quick look around the mission and ended up seeing one great desert species, the Curve-billed Thrasher.

We stopped for lunch at the Brown Mountain picnic area of the Saguaro National Monument, where some kind of lizard dropped to the ground right behind Bill's feet and scampered frantically back up the pillar of the picnic shelter.

Trip Report: SCVAS to Farallon Islands

2010-07-17

A great day on the water with the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, David Wimpfheimer and Bob Power trip leaders. Hosted Peter White, author of "The Farallon Islands: Sentinels of the Golden Gate", for a trip leaving from Emeryville Marina out to the Farallons. Good weather prevailed, only occassional choppy water. Departure at 7:30am, returned around 4:30pm. Lots of information shared about the history of the Farallons, status of breeding birds there, and discussion of mammals.

Cetaceans seen included two Blue Whales, two Humpback Whales, one frisky Gray Whale, Northern Right Whale Dolphins, Harbor Porpoises, Dahl's Porpoises, three Risso's Dolphins, and Pacific White-sided Dolphins. Pinapeds included Harbor Seal, our first Stellar's Sea Lions and Northern Fur Seals, plus plenty of California Sea Lions. One Elephant Seal was seen by others on the trip, but we missed it.