Arizona 2007

The Gang at our McMansion

The Gang at Montezuma’s Castle

Marion Paton and I in her back yard

Juvenile California Condor South Rim Grand Canyon

Eurasian Tree Sparrow St. Louis Missouri

Montezuma Quail Garden Canyon

In June and July of 2007 a group of us from Sullivan County traveled to Arizona for a great birding experience. Having been to Arizona many times, I designed the trip so that everyone could have a great tourist/scenic trip as well as great birds. Mark Spina, June, Jackie and Katie Fisher and I drove west, taking the historic Route 66 highway. On the way we passed through St. Louis Missouri where we stopped so I could find my life Eurasian Tree Sparrow. We had great directions and found them easily. Eventually we reached Arizona where we toured the Petrified Forest. A very interesting place both for the fossils and the birds. From there we headed to Flagstaff. We spent the night in Flagstaff, birding early the next morning. At mid-morning we were to meet Renee Davis and Marge Gorton who were flying in from home. We met them and all headed north to the Grand Canyon. It was the first time for all but Mark and I and the views and history combined with the birds made it a great day for all. The highlight for me was at least a half dozen CALIFORNIA CONDORS soaring along the South Rim! A sight to behold. We spent the night back in Flagstaff. The next morning we headed south. We took rt 17 part of the way but broke off so we could take the scenic route. We hit them all. Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, Verde Valley and Jerome over Mingus Moutain. What a day! Many great birds along the way as well. We stopped at Montezuma’s Castle, one of the historic Indian cliff dwellings. We finally made Sahuarita the next night. We had rented a large house in a gated community. It was a palace! The next morning we were off to the airport to pick up Ed DeBellvue. A former Sullivan birder who had moved two years earlier to San Fransico. Our group of eight was now complete and the real birding was to begin. We birded all the great spots. Madera Canyon, Mt.Lemon, The Huachucas (all canyons), Saguaro NP, Patagonia (Paton’s too)and California Gulch as well as just about everywhere in between. Even though I had been to Arizona over a dozen times, this was only my third trip as a birder. I was able to add 23 life/ABA birds and what a great time. I had a trip total of 165 species. Here is the list:

Great Blue Heron
Little Blue Heron
Green Heron
Green-winged Teal
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Northern Goshawk
COMMON BLACK HAWK
Harris’s Hawk
Gray Hawk
Swainson’s Hawk
Zone-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
CALIFORNIA CONDOR
Wild Turkey
Northern Bobwhite
MONTEZUMA’S QUAIL
Scaled Quail
Gambel’s Quail
Killdeer
Rock Dove
Band-tailed Pigeon
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Inca Dove
Common Ground Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Greater Road Runner
Western Screech-owl
Great Horned Owl
Northern Pygmy Owl
ELF OWL
Burrowing Owl
Lesser Nighthawk
Common Nighthawk
Common Poorwill
Mexican Whip-poor-will
BUFF-COLLARED NIGHTJAR
White-throated Swift
Broad-billed Hummingbird
WHITE-EARED HUMMINGBIRD

BERYLLINE HUMMINGBIRD
VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD
Blue-throated Hummingbird
Magnificent Hummingbird
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird
Costa’s Hummingbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Acorn Woodpecker
Gila Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Arizona Woodpecker
Red-shafted Northern Flicker
GILDED FLICKER
Northern Beardless Tyrannulet
GREATER PEWEE
Western Wood Pewee
GRAY FLYCATCHER
Cordilleran Flycatcher
BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER
Black Phoebe
Say’s Phoebe
Vermillion Flycatcher
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher
Cassin’s Kingbird
THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD
Western Kingbird
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Violet-green Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Steller’s Jay
Western Scrub Jay
Mexican Jay
Pinyon Jay
Clark’s Nutcracker
American Crow
Chihuahuan Raven
Common Raven
Mountain Chickadee
Bridled Titmouse
Plain Titmouse
Verdin
Bushtit
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Cactus Wren
Rock Wren
Canyon Wren
Bewick’s Wren
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Western Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Curve-billed Thrasher
Phainopepla
Loggerhead Shrike
European Starling
Bell’s Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
Hutton’s Vireo
Warbling Vireo
VIRINIA’S WARBLER
Lucy’s Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
GRACE’S WARBLER
RED-FACED WARBLER
Painted Redstart
Yellow-breasted Chat
HEPATIC TANAGER
Summer Tanager
Western Tanager
FLAME-COLORED TANAGER
Northern Cardinal
Pyrrhuloxia
Black-headed Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
VARIED BUNTING
Spotted Towhee
Canyon Towhee
Abert’s Towhee
BOTTERI’S SPARROW
RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW
Lark Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow
FIVE-STRIPED SPARROW
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Yellow-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer’s Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Bronzed Cowbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Hooded Oriole
Bullock’s Oriole
Scott’s Oriole
Cassin’s Finch
House Finch
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
House Sparrow