Southwest AZ: Jan-Jun 2007
by
Henry Detwiler
Here are a collection of both unusual and common birds that we've seen
this year, all within a few hours of home. At the end of the page is
my year list for Yuma County for 2007--I'm aiming for 225 this year.
199
species--bird list is at the bottom of the page
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized photos. 
| The year started off to a great start when Paul Lehman
called me with the news that he'd found a Couch's Kingbird in Tacna.
I chanced waiting until Saturday morning before driving out to see it
-taking our Audubon Society field trip there. Despite freezing
temps, we eventually all got nice looks at it feeding on bees at a
near-by hive. |
Couch's Kingbird, Tacna |
|
Couch's Kingbird, Tacna
|
The kingbird remained in the neighborhood for a couple of
months--maybe it will return next season, just as our
Thick-billed
Kingbird has returned to the
Yuma Main Drain for five years running.
|
|
Red-naped Sapsucker, Yuma
Two of our regular winter
visitors are the Red-naped Sapsucker and Ferruginous Hawk. The
sapsuckers like the woods around the
West Wetlands and
Mittry Lake.
The hawks like the alfalfa and hay fields
south of town.
|
Ferruginous Hawk, Yuma
|
|
Rufous-backed Robin, Jake's Corner
In March I drove up to my Reserves duty
in Phoenix a day early and made a side trip to Jake's Corner. My
quest was to try for some photos of the Rufous-backed Robin--and the
bird cooperated!
|
Rufous-backed Robin, Jake's Corner |
Green-winged Teal, Yuma |
There are a couple of backwaters off of the Colorado
River just west of Yuma. One of these is good for wintering
ducks. Often you can find all three teal in this location. |
|
In addition to teal, this winter I was fortunate to see a Black and
White Warbler at this location--a bird I'd always missed in Yuma
County up that point. |
Blue-winged Teal, Yuma
|
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American Kestrel, Aztec |
One nice thing about taking monthly
trips to Phoenix is that I can bird on the way there and back.
The trailer park at Dateland is good for wintering sparrows
(Golden-crowned this year), doves, and the birds that prey upon
them.
Cooper's Hawk, Dateland
|
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As spring rolled around, we started seeing different birds in our yard,
like the early Rufous Hummingbirds and Western Kingbirds. Later in
the spring Black-headed Grosbeaks and Lazuli Buntings showed up to eat
the sunflower seeds and millet.
Black-headed Grosbeak, Yuma
|
Rufous Hummingbird, Yuma |
| Regular visitors to our bird-feeding station since
early May have been a few Bronzed Cowbirds. But they are far
outnumbered by doves and grackles. Other regular visitors this
summer season are Abert's Towhees, Hooded Orioles, Verdins, House
Finches, and hummingbirds. |
Bronzed Cowbird, Yuma
|
|
Another first for Yuma County (for my records), this Baltimore
Oriole was at the
West Wetlands in Yuma, in a cottonwood along the
Colorado River in mid-May. The photo is blurry since I used
my digital automatic held up to my binoculars--digibinning?
Not optimum, but it did work to record the sighting. |
Baltimore Oriole, Yuma |
|
Great Blue Heron, Gilbert |
This Great Blue Heron was shaking itself
dry at the Gilbert Water Ranch--another quick trip from Luke on one of
my Reserves weekends. |
| A small flock of five juvenile Wood Storks at the
Mittry Lake overlook on 16 June was a really big surprise. In
distant years they were apparently quite common, but these were the
first I'd seen in Yuma County since arriving here in 1991. |
Juvenile Wood Stork, Mittry Lake |
|
