From a small town to a big city...
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A Birding Blog
By Jared Conaway
From a small town to a big city...
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Hello all! 2 days ago (blogging on the 18th) I had my first ever CBC, and I certainly look forward to the next! As soon as I stepped out of the car, it was freaking cold! the ext. temp was 42 degrees. The coldest I've ever felt in Arizona, it certainly put the Christmas in Christmas Bird Count! In a few minutes we were back inside, in the warmth of the visitor center. Me and Mom watched as Anna's Hummingbirds bombarded each other. As my Dad was paying for the preserve registration, I said I was here for the CBC. Then a lady came out and got me worried, saying that registration is required to participate. WHAT? I told her I had notified the compiler, Vanessa Montgomery via email, that I would be here. She told me I wasn't on the list. WHAT? She really got me worried now, after all, we didn't drive all that way to be told we couldn't even count birds! She gave a spark of hope however, saying she would contact Eric Hough, leader of one of the teams, and let him know they had another participator. I waited in anticipation, and luckily after a few minutes, she had heard back from him. She pointed me to a map, showing me their location was the Lion Trail, almost on to Lyke's Lookout Trail. PERFECT! I raced ahead of the parental units to catch up, occasionally stopping for a bird that was close to the trail. My first bird was a HERMIT THRUSH that was fluttering about in an small clearing with spaced underbrush. Interestingly, the Hermit Thrush has long since left Alaska this season to winter here in the south. Then, I spotted 5 flyover BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS. I tried not to stray to far from my parents until I located the group. But very soon before I did, I saw a small flash of brown flit across an area with dense underbrush. This had to be a wren, I just needed its identity. Quickly I relocated it. He briefly perched on a low tree branch, obscured partially by a tree in front. I fast collected field marks; short, upright tail, straight bill, dark brown above, gray breast and pale throat, darker flanks. I raced back to my parents, who weren't too far behind, telling them I had found the continuing WINTER WREN! SCORE! And I hadn't even reached the group yet. Of course, I would immediately let them know once I had. Soonthereafter, Mom and Dad pointed me to a group of people with cryptic plumage; upright posture, large size, no tail, mostly black plumage. I identified them as birders, my favorite species to see! I walked up to them, greeted Eric, and with that I was officially involved in the CBC as my parents left me with them. Just as I would, told them about my Winter Wren sighting. Apparently it had been found previously in a different area, the picnic table area. Within moments, binoculars were raised, ears sharped, eyes keen, and I was ready for an adventure! I asked Eric what they had seen before our meet-up. He told me about many Western Bluebirds feeding on Mistletoe, and a Black-throated Gray Warbler in a mixed flock. Great! Within minutes I already found WESTERN BLUEBIRDS eating Mistletoe in a large cottonwood, I guess they were really into the Christmas Spirit! Only a few more minutes- probably less than 10- had passed when Eric and I first heard, then spotted, a DUSKY FLYCATCHER! Only about 15 minutes had run by, and I already had 3 lifers in my pocket, impressive! Audubon's Warblers, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, HOUSE WRENS, BRIDELED TITMICE, PLUMBEOUS VIREOS, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Verdins, PHAINOPEPLAS, LESSER GOLDFINCHES, Gila Woodpeckers, LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKERS, NORTHERN FLICKERS, and Orange-crowned Warblers had been counted before Lyke's Lookout. Interestingly, we also found a HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER in the mixed flock as well. I got binos on him, and Eric got an audio recording of him. The Hammond's Flycatcher was actually a lifer last time I was here, while I had missed the Dusky that day! Atop Lyke's Lookout, we heard a ROCK WREN singing, saw a Say's Phoebe, and also heard a BLACK-THROATED SPARROW. Then for the rest of the count, we walked the Hassayampa Riverbed. There we found Common Ravens, more Brideled Titmice, BROWN CREEPERS, HUTTON'S VIREOS, tons of Kinglets, more Western Bluebirds, bathing in the puddles, Oregon, PINK-SIDED, GRAY-HEADED, and a SLATE-COLORED JUNCO. The Slate-colored was a neat find, as although it's one of the most abundant birds in Alaska, it's also very rare here in Maricopa County. We also had SONG SPARROWS, BEWICK'S WRENS, a CANYON WREN, many more Hermit Thrushes, and Abert's Towhees. We also heard the Dusky Flycatcher's "Wip" call a couple more times. Me and Eric had interesting conversations, everyone laughed when I told them I had pet a Nuthatch and the Costa's Hummingbird. I asked about some of the birding here in Arizona, and also about the countless plants all around at HRP. We pressed on through the middle of the riverbed, with a determined goal to find a RUFOUS-BACKED ROBIN Eric told me about. We never found him, but an epic sight appeared, a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK flew swiftly across on the other side of the cottonwoods, where it was open! Eric told me that this was actually the first place in Arizona that a population showed up! WOW! I told him I had heard one in Oregon earlier this year, but this was the first time I had seen the hawk! One of the last birds we saw before making our way back was a BELTED KINGFISHER that flew through the dense cottonwoods. The plan was to spend the morning on the Lion and Lyke's Lookout trails, and the riverbed in the morning, and then do the Palm Lake and Mesquite Meander trails in the afternoon after lunch. Because I had a youth group Christmas party in the evening, I couldn't do the afternoon count. Yes, I'm 15 years old, and a sophomore in highschool (luckily I'm homeschooled, so I can flex my schedule to go birding). Right at the back of the visitor center, Mom and Dad were standing there. They told me they got excellent views of a NORTHERN CARDINAL at the picnic tables. I told them about the Western Bluebirds. I should've taken pics of the cottonwoods going through the riverbed. It's really cool the way they ben toward each other to form an archway going through the riverbed! The birds have none because they were impossible to photograph because they were too high up (Western Bluebirds and Dusky Flycatchers), too distant, too small and jumpy (wrens, creepers, and kinglets), or too obscured. Sorry, but I really will try hard with the Tropical Kingbirds, Thick-billed Kingbird, Gray Hawk, and Broad-billed Hummingbirds on a trip this spring! What an amazing first CBC, I look forward to the next! Thanks Eric for the lifers! The best thing about this trip was that, for once, I saw lifers before the rest of the birds, opposite of what happened at Gilbert Water Ranch last weekend. Lastly, I will add photos of Lyke's Lookout soon, a spectacular overlook! I'm Jared Conaway, and stay tuned for my next post! Fremont Cottonwoods towering at 80 ft tall! (photo from previous trip on Oct. 22nd) Spectacular Lyke's Lookout! Magnificent fall colors!
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8/1/2022 08:39:24 pm
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December 2019
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