Lower
Camp Creek, Hassayampa, Phoenix Area
Mar
29-31, 2002
-
68-85
degrees
-
Henry D. Detwiler
In the Tonto National Forest and at the Hassayampa Nature Conservancy
Preserve, we saw lots of our fine feathered friends.
107
species (list follows at end
of page)
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized shots.
Suzanne and I left Yuma on Friday morning (29 Mar 2002), with our first stop being the rookery off Painted Rock Road. Some of the egrets and cormorants are on nests, Wilson's Warblers were everywhere, and for the first time at this spot we had a Vermilion Flycatcher.
Tom & Suzanne at Camp
Creek |
Early Saturday morning we met Tom Harbin and drove
to Rackensack Gulch and Lower Camp Creek. The place was alive--some of our finds were singing Lucy's Warblers, a cooperative
Virginia's Warbler, an uncooperative Painted Redstart, Hermit Thrushes, many Townsend's Solitaires, singing wrens (Bewick's, Cactus, Rock & Canyon), singing Black-chinned Sparrows, Green-tailed & Spotted Towhees, and wonderful eye-level looks at a Hooded Oriole.
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A local couple showed us an occupied Zone-tailed Hawk nest, which was a real treat.
Unfortunately Bushnell Tanks was besieged by
ATVers. Aside from a beautiful Scott's Oriole, we saw very little around Mt. Ord; as Steve and Mike have pointed out, it's very dry...
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Zone-tailed Hawk tail -- all
I could capture before it flew off
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Least Sandpiper along the
Verde River |
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Black Phoebe
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Palm Trail at Hassayampa
On Sunday we returned to Yuma via Wickenburg and the Hassayampa Preserve. Ash-throated Flycatchers were in abundance, Yellow & Lucy's Warblers were singing, and we eventually got looks at a Red-shouldered Hawk in a dead snag.
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| A Bell's Vireo was bursting with song on the Lion Trail, and Lincoln's Sparrows were feeding in the "river".
In front of the interpretive center were numerous feeders which
played host to Anna's and Black-chinned Hummingbirds. The
flower garden attracted both hummingbirds and bees.
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Carpenter Bee on Penstemon
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After lunch we drove up to and hiked in Palm Canyon, so Suzanne could see the California Fan Palms. At that time of day we were happy to find White-throated Swifts, Canyon Wren, both Costa's & Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, and a few desert regulars.
Palm Canyon
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Palm grove high up in Palm Canyon
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