Birds Photographed by Eva January 2-11 2018 in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, and Gilbert, AZ

Bird Photos Taken in Maricopa County, AZ Jan 2-11, 2018
in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Gilbert, and Mesa, AZ by Eva Casey.

I photographed 63 avian species birding every morning and, on Jan 10, after my friend (who isn't a birder) flew home, all day. I was guided by Birds of Phoenix and Maricopa County Arizona by Janet Witzman and Troy Corman, and by http://www.birderfrommaricopa.com/new-page-2.htm (I never got beyond Areas 4 and 5), plus I went on the Monday morning birdwalk at the Desert Botanical Gardens January 8. That group cumulatively got 37 species, which included birds only heard and flybys. I photographed 21 species there, of which 7 were ones I did not photograph elsewhere during my trip. The Gilbert Water Ranch is another place I picked up a lot of species not seen anywhere else. I was hoping to spot a Roadrunner but didn't. Local nonbirders who hike in the McDowall Preserve say they see them regularly, so I went there twice. I tried for the Burrowing Owls at the Scottsdale Community College but only saw their abandoned mounds. At Veterans Oasis Park, I saw signs about Burrowing Owl Cams, but was told at the visitor center that the owls had left during the recent drought. Also I missed Loggerhead Shrike.

Verdin Rufous Hummingbird Costa's Hummingbird Anna's Hummingbird

Gambel's Quail Cactus Wren Gila Woodpecker female Great-tailed Grackle

Gilded Flicker Black Phoebe Green-tailed Towhee Curve-billed Thrasher

Say's Phoebe Northern Flicker House Finch Yellow-rumped Warbler

Pied-billed Grebe Black-crowned Night-Heron Long-billed Dowitcher Common Gallinule

Black-necked Stilt Green Heron American Kestrel Neotropic Cormorant

Red-tailed Hawk European Starling Osprey Harris's Hawk

Muscovy Duck Greylag x Swan Goose hybrid Rosy-faced Lovebird White-crowned Sparrow

Other Perspectives on Species Already Showcased Above (in the order of the pictures):

Verdin on a cactus; Verdin, back view
Male Costa's Hummingbird; female; from the video linked below, a freeze_frame
Anna's Hummingbird; Open-mouthed Anna's; This individual is fanning his tail; I call this a hummingbird's hassidic boy impression; Anna's tail protudes beyond the wings; hovering; From the back he looks like an irridescent jewel; Look, Ma, one foot.
Cactus Wrens are photogenic and conspicuous; Here's one on a cactus; Here's a Cactus Wren from the back; Here's one from the side
Gila Woodpecker; Here's one atop a cactus.
Great-tailed Grackle male; Great-tailed Grackle pair. The female is 15", the male is 18".
Gilded Flicker pair
Black Phoebe at the Rio Salada Habitat Restoration Area; teed up at the Hayden Nature Park in Scottsdale; Black Phoebe taking off.
Green-tailed Towhee
Curve-billed Thrasher has round spots; Curve-billed Thrashers atop Taliesin West; atop a cactus; This Curve-Billed Thrasher was at Red Mountain Park where I looked for Bendire's Thrasher but probably would not be able to identify one if I saw it and heard it. I'm not that good a birder.
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's); The yellow rump
Green Heron at Indian School Park.
American Kestrel at the Gilbert Water Reserve; kestrel at Papago Park; kestrel from the back.
Osprey at the Gilbert Water Ranch hunting.
Harris's Hawk. I had seen my first Harris's Hawk my first morning in Phoenix.
Greylag x Swan Goose hybrid
Rosy-faced Lovebird; These Rosy-faced Lovebirds were way up high on a girder but they could be heard; Lovebird
White-crowned Sparrows are common in winter; Top view of the crown.

A sampling of other avian species photographed around Phoenix, in taxonomic order:

All white feral domestic geese that I did not count in my trip list. Here are some on land at McCormack Ranch, near a golf course and a restaurant.
Gadwall pair
Pintail pair
American Wigeon airborne; A Wigeon and a Starling doing the hokey pokey.
Northern Shoveler; female Shoveler; Underside of a Shoveler's bill.
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
male Lesser Scaup; a reared-up female Lesser Scaup.
Ruddy Duck
Great Egret
Coots and an American Wigeon pair.
Killdeer
American Avocet in non-breeding plumage.
Least Sandpiper
Rock Pigeons on a Palm Tree.
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Great Horned Owl
Ash-throated Flycatcher
I'm calling this a House Wren even though they are rare, according to the DBG bird list. This bird was on the boundary of Papago Park and the Zoo parking lot, not far from the Desert Botanical Garden.
Northern Mockingbird
Abert's towhee was common.
Bronzed Cowbird, at Red Mountain Park. I'm calling this bronzed because of the red iris. Neither cowbird is supposed to be present in winter, and the bronzed is uncommon even in summer. This bird was in a flock of what I am calling female Brown-headed Cowbirds. But I am only counting cowbird (sp) toward my trip count of 63 species.
Lesser Goldfinch

Videos:
Costa's Hummingbird in Phoenix's Desert Botanical Garden
Great-tailed Grackles vocalizing
Green-tailed Towhee in the Desert Botanical Garden
Curve-billed Thrasher singing atop a cactus in the Desert Botanical Garden.
Curve-billed Thrasher singing in Red Mountain Park, Mesa AZ.
Cactus Wren vocalizing in Papago Park.

Eva and Elizabeth playing ping pong at the Marriott Canyon Villas in Phoenix.

Return to:

Birds I photographed in August 2017 in San Diego and in the desert South and east of San Diego
Like my January 2018 trip to Phoenix, that was not a birding trip per se.

Massachusetts 2018
Massachusetts 2015-2017
Massachusetts 2014
Massachusetts 2013
Massachusetts 2012
Massachusetts 2011
Massachusetts 2010
Birding Nantucket for awhile there,annually at New Year's

Birding Ireland 2016
Birding Montana, Wyoming and northern Utah 2015
Birding Hawaii 2012
Birding Arizona 2010
Birding Utah 2009
Birding Guatemala 2008
Birding Kansas 2008
Birding Mexico 2007
Birding Florida 2006
Birding Texas 2005
Birding Panama 2005
Birding Belize 2002
Birding Colorado 2001
Birding Ecuador 1999
Birding Trinidad 1998
Birding Peru June 1995

2006-2015 homemade Christmas Card featuring birds I saw each of those years.
2016-the present Christmas Card featuring birds I saw those years

Sketches of birds and other animals made at the Harvard Museum of Natural History from stuffed models.

Herman's Birding Page

Herman's Home Page
Eva's Home Page

Feedback may be sent to eva@theworld.com

This page has been accessed access odometer display

times since February 9, 2018

Last revised: December 23, 2018 11pm