DESCRIPTION
South of Yuma are a variety
of agricultural areas ranging from citrus orchards to alfalfa
fields. Especially good in the winter months, the area
plays host to Prairie Falcon, Ferruginous Hawk, Mountain Plover,
Abert's & Green-tailed Towhees, other sparrows, and Lesser
& Lawrence's Goldfinches. The desert south of these
fields is pretty sparse, but has yielded LeConte's
Thrasher. This area is known as the "Yuma
Mesa". If you drive southwest of Yuma, you'll drop
down into the Colorado River floodplain. Birds here are
similar, with the addition of Ring-necked Pheasant in the wheat
fields and a number
of riparian birds along the river. Check out some of these
additional spots at: Southwest
of Yuma.
|
DRIVING
DIRECTIONS
Site #2 on the Yuma
County Map
Getting south of town from the intersection of I-8 and 16th Street takes
less than 10 minutes:
- Drive west on 16th Street (Highway 95)
2 miles
miles to Ave B.
- Turn left on Ave B and drive south for about 3 miles until you're south
of the city and start getting into the citrus and agricultural fields.
|
BIRDING
SUGGESTIONS
(Numbered
spots correspond with the map on the right.)
1) These
fields are planted with a variety of crops as the seasons
progress. In the past, we have found Prairie Falcon, Ferruginous Hawk,
Mountain Plover, curlews, whimbrel, meadowlarks, and a variety
of sparrows. Just north of these fields on Ave A 1/2 is a
bit of remaining creosote desert--here you're more likely to
find Loggerhead Shrike, Verdin, and Brewer's Sparrow.
2) Pat
Callahan has turned her home into a plant and bird
sanctuary. If you see Pat, she'll welcome you to walk
through her yard; if she's not to be found, you can see much of
the area from the side of Ave A. In migration &
winter look for Cooper's Hawk, Gambel's Quail, Gila & Ladder-backed
Woodpeckers, Anna's & Costa's Hummingbirds, Verdin, Abert's
Towhee, and Lark & Lincoln's Sparrows. Sometimes
you'll spot unusual birds like Golden-crowned Sparrow and
Lawrences' Goldfinch.
3) Citrus
Orchards, such as the ones here, and especially those with weedy undergrowth, can be good
for a number of birds. Accipiters, hawks, woodpeckers,
finches, and sparrows are just some of the expected avian
delights.
4) Between
Ave 1E and Ave B, along County 19th Street are many large
circular alfalfa fields. In winter these play host to
Prairie Falcon, Ferruginous Hawk, Mountain Plover, Long-billed Curlews, Mountain
Bluebird, and Savannah Sparrow. The surrounding desert has
breeding Burrowing Owls, Black-throated Sparrow, and wintering
Brewer's Sparrows. South
of Co 19th Street you'll see the original desert with scattered
creosote, mesquite, and cacti. Birds tend to be more
concentrated in washes, but they are generally sparse
everywhere. Birds possible here are Loggerhead Shrike,
Verdin, LeConte's Thrasher, Phainopepla, and Brewer's Sparrow. |
South
of Yuma
Red numbers
correspond to
the birding suggestions on the left
Blue areas are water (canals, rivers, ponds, marshes, etc.)
|
Abert's Towhees are common
permanent residents here!
|
