Catching up

Over the last couple of days we have been around SE Arizona. Ann and I took a ride up Mt Lemmon and then the four of us took another ride to Tubac. I did manage to sneak in some birding while doing the  tourist thing.

Up Mt lemmon I found a pair of nesting House Wrens and some of the other higher elevation birds.

In Tubac I saw a pair of Cassins Kingbirds. A little here , a little there, and soon you have a list.

This morning I saw a Loggerhead Shrike on my morning walk and managed a poor picture of a Curve-billed Thrasher

You never Know

While heading toward  one of the two turnaround points on my walk today, I spotted two birds in a bush. One of them was very yellow. Getting close I determined it was an oriole, one I did not recognize, not that I am really up on Arizona Orioles. Getting back to the house I checked my book and lo and behold a lifer Hooded Oriole. You never know

Slightly cloudy this am and a little cool.

Tubac Hawkwatch

I nspent the morning with two friends from the LI hawk watch this morning. We did hawkwatching  at the Tubac Ron Morris Park hawkwatch. What a difference. The skies were clear blue making it difficult to see the birds in the distance. We did have some birds but most were distant, sometimes requiring a scope.  We did have a good mix of birds throughout the morning.

It did start to get hot later in the day, When we started in the morning it was cool. I wore my sweatshirt and it was still cold early on.

As things slowed down we were entertained by a pocket gopher as he was excavating his tunnel.

A quickie

I took a quick walk this morning, another nice day in Az. Just the usual suspects but some close looks ata a Vireo which I am calling Plumbeous. There were a pair of BT Gnatcatchers running around and the usual large flock of mixed sparrows.

Sunday at Sweetwater

I drove over to Sweetwater Wetlands this morning for my walk. It was fairly crowded, the weather was beautiful. The birds seemed missing. I added a few to my list for the year but nothing of any note. Maybe I am getting jaded? They did the annual burn of the reeds and the water was still low so maybe that's why there were not many birds around, although the numver od ducks was way down at the beginning of the month as well. Who Knows?

Getting Warmer

Another sunny day. The temps are about 58 to 60 degrees heading towards 80. The usual suspects on my morning walk. I did have some good looks at a Vermillion Flycatcher on the way down to the pits. It was right in the neighborhood about three doors down the street. Last night we met the neighbors to the left of us, a couple from Alaska. The other night we met Mike, who lives to the right of us. Kathryn and Roger have

three houses, one here, one in Anchorage and a summer cottage on an island across from homer.

Another beautiful sunny morning in Arizona

The su is shining, the temperatures are warming up and the sky is clear after two days of not so Arizona like weather. This morning;s walk was just the right temperatures, a little cool and a little warm. I saw my FOS Ash-throated Flycatcher this morning, right on time

More "rain" this morning

They call this morning's sprinkles rain, but in NY it would be a passing moment of dampness. here they are celebrating the little moisture that fell for half an hour. It does make the desert smell different, especially in the spring bloom from previous rains this month.

The Gambels's Quails are finally sitting up and calling. All the males looking for mates trying to look and sound better than the other guy.

Maybe some rain today

It is a cloudy morning, on my way for a haircut there were some sprinkles on the windshield. The fore cast is for a 30% chance of rain today. I did a quick morning walk before the haircut and saw and photographed a Black-throated Sparrow.

We are off to lunch with the IBM group at a place called North Italia.

Catching up

Yesterday I dragged Joe down to Madera Canyon with me.  After spotting a Loggerhead Shrike on the way in we headed up the road to Florida Canyon. On the walk up the trail to the dam and back we noticed a Golden eagle being harassed by Ravens. On the way back we noticed a group of birders looking intensively into the creek bed. It turned out they were looking at a Elegant Trogon.

We then made the usual stops up the Madera Canyon road. We stopped at Proctor walk, Madera Picnic, Santa Rita Lodge and Madera Kubo cabins. Overall it was pretty quiet but Joe got to see some new birds and experience armchair birding at the feeder sites

The year of the Roadrunner

I have seen more roadrunner. Every day I walk I see a couple and my walks are short duration and distance. I have seen them two at a time and singly. I have seen them in the community and in the adjoining open land. Not that I'm complaining, they are great to see.

I did see the pair of Vermillion Flycatchers that have been hanging around the community. Again this morning the Broadbilled Hummers showing,

A cloudy Arizona morning

Today's walk was notable for a cloudy sky and some hunidity. I worked up a sweat waling through the desert roads. I did see some first of the season birds, Broad-billed Hummingbirds and a Rufous-winged Sparrow. People on the listserve  have been saying spring is early but you couldnt tell by me as it seems to me to normal or a little late. the Gambel's Quail are just starting to sit high and call.I also recall seeing the Broad-billeds earlier.

Some wildlife in Az

On this morning walk with Linda before she left for home we discovered dueling Roadrunners, one perched in a tree for me to photograph.

Later in the day we took a ride through Saguaro and came across a Rattlesnake laying in the road trying to warm itself up.

Ken and Linda visit

We put Ken and Linda on the plane this morning. We spent the past few days up in Sedona with Joe and Maggie coming along as well. We stayed at the Orchards Inn, a motel type place with beautiful views from the rooms. the weather was very cooperative.

 We arrived at approximately 3:30 and checked in. We asked for recommendations for dinner and found a place called Picazzo's. what a find, one of the best gluten free and definitely best gluten free Italian restaurants we have ever eaten at. we couldnt tell that the pasta was GF.

On the way back to Tucson we stopped at Red Rock State Park. Great views of the mountains.

An interesting day

On my morning walk with Linda we spotted another Costa's Hummer and a pair of Vermillion Flycatchers in the community. Plus earler we had good looks at A say's Phoebe. Later in the day we took a ride through Saguaro and spotted a Gila Monster crossing the road. while sitting on the front porch later a Roadrunner came by and then went to a neighbors and found and ate a large moth.

Arizona in March begins

After a long day of flying yesterday I took my first morning walk today in the Civano fields behind the community. It started off fairly well with a pair of Towhees, a Canyon and an Abert's. After that it was kinda slow some sparrows and a Red-tail and a smattering of regular suspects.

Getting Warmer

The forecast is for 80's this coming this weekend, while they are getting snow at home. Maybe we got lucky this time. this mornings walk was again moderately fruitful.I saw my first Cactus Wren and got a good photo. On the first morning I saw the regular walker's car. I have seen him in previous years  but the last two days he has not been there. There were several dog walkers today

Day two in AZ

Day two walk after last nights rain was still quiet. No dust today. No birds but a nice morning. temperature was about 45. heading out to shop for pillows.