Post by Whiskey Jack on Mar 26, 2009 11:08:16 GMT -5
Samiam, Geoff and I went on a long Common Blackhawk site scouting trip on March 19th, and did a whole bunch of birding along the way.
Unfortunetly I have lost my field notebook (for the hundredth time
) and have to try my damndest to remember what all we saw and where (help smaiam!!).
The highlight at Cave Springs was defenitly a Painted Redstart flittering about the pines. There were also Northern Flickers, White-throated Swifts, Steller's Jays, Mountain Chickadees, and many of the other usual suspects (DEJU, BLPH, AMRO).
At Halfway Picnic Area it was wren time. Canyon wrens and House wrens were abundent.
Over at Slide Rock State Park, we had a Cooper's Hawk calling from the trees. Acorn woodpeckers, and a Black-chinned Hummingbird(!).
As we kept rolling down the road, we passed by Uptown Sedona where Samiam mentioned a Great-blue Heron rookery near by, and there in the still leafing Cottonwoods, and leafless AZ Sycamores were an insane ammount of nests and many Great Blues up in the trees and flying about. We also saw a "Zone-tailed Hawk" as I roared off the road trying to park our monster truck on a busy street....after all that, it turned out to be a Red-tailed Hawk. Can never be too sure though till you glass it!
At a little known area of Oak Creek (that I call Hell), near John McCain's "ranch", we had a Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vultures and Black-throated Sparrow in the desert scrub.
On to Page Springs! The Bubbling Pool area gave us some ducks (Mallard and Widgeon) and the small strip of trees had many Starlings, Northern Cardinals and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Near the hatchery we had a Common Blackhawk, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Gila Woodpecker, some butterbutts and Yellow Warblers...and....and.....man, there was a lot of birds there that I know I forgot.
And finally as the day ended at Mormon Crossing, we had a Sage Thrasher and an Osprey.
An amazing day birding!!!
Unfortunetly I have lost my field notebook (for the hundredth time
) and have to try my damndest to remember what all we saw and where (help smaiam!!). The highlight at Cave Springs was defenitly a Painted Redstart flittering about the pines. There were also Northern Flickers, White-throated Swifts, Steller's Jays, Mountain Chickadees, and many of the other usual suspects (DEJU, BLPH, AMRO).
At Halfway Picnic Area it was wren time. Canyon wrens and House wrens were abundent.
Over at Slide Rock State Park, we had a Cooper's Hawk calling from the trees. Acorn woodpeckers, and a Black-chinned Hummingbird(!).
As we kept rolling down the road, we passed by Uptown Sedona where Samiam mentioned a Great-blue Heron rookery near by, and there in the still leafing Cottonwoods, and leafless AZ Sycamores were an insane ammount of nests and many Great Blues up in the trees and flying about. We also saw a "Zone-tailed Hawk" as I roared off the road trying to park our monster truck on a busy street....after all that, it turned out to be a Red-tailed Hawk. Can never be too sure though till you glass it!
At a little known area of Oak Creek (that I call Hell), near John McCain's "ranch", we had a Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vultures and Black-throated Sparrow in the desert scrub.
On to Page Springs! The Bubbling Pool area gave us some ducks (Mallard and Widgeon) and the small strip of trees had many Starlings, Northern Cardinals and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Near the hatchery we had a Common Blackhawk, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Gila Woodpecker, some butterbutts and Yellow Warblers...and....and.....man, there was a lot of birds there that I know I forgot.
And finally as the day ended at Mormon Crossing, we had a Sage Thrasher and an Osprey.
An amazing day birding!!!
