Yuma Area - Dec 2005
by
Henry Detwiler
Winter time along the Colorado River and in the desert often
brings some nice birds. This page describes some of the rare and unusual
birds present in December 2005.
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized photos. 
| One of the best birds to show up this winter was this
Broad-billed Hummingbird; Bobbie first noticed it at her hummingbird
feeder at the beginning of December. When we visited her patio,
the bird came in to feed on the sugar water every few minutes.
It was loud and aggressive, chasing away the male Anna's Hummingbird on
several occasions. |
Broad-billed Hummingbird -
Yuma
Canon D10 digital SLR
|
|
Thick-billed Kingbird, Canon D10
Look for this bird on
the wire above the canals and in the large cottonwoods in the area.
|
The Thick-billed Kingbird is present for its fourth season along the
Yuma Main Drain, just east of Somerton Ave at 32nd Street (County
8th). This year we found the bird in late November; usually we
don't see it until January!
Thick-billed Kingbird, Canon
D10
|
|
Red-shouldered Hawk, Bard
Sony DSC W7
|
Northwest of Yuma, across the California border, is the small
community of Bard. Dominated by agriculture, it is the site of the
Sunland Date Groves. Here you can find a pair of Red-shouldered
Hawks feeding in the grove and the adjacent fields.
Earlier this month I got an early
Christmas present--a Sony DSC W7
compact digital camera--and have begun digiscoping again. This
hawk and the Peregrine Falcon are both shot using the Sony hand-held
up to my Swarovski 65mm spotting scope.
|
|
Ferruginous Hawk, south of Yuma
Canon D10 |
Ferruginous Hawk Ferruginous Hawks are common every year in the large
fields south of Co. 19th Street, where they are fond of eating the plentiful gophers.
A conservative estimate would be 16 separate individuals hunting
south of town. And look for Red-tailed Hawks in the same area by the dozens! |
|
Ruddy Ground-Dove, Dateland RV
Park
Canon D10 |
Ruddy Ground-Doves have been having a banner year
in southwest Arizona. There have been good numbers sighted
around Wellton, Tacna, and Dateland. This individual (one of
5) was in the Dateland RV Park, which is just south and west of
the Dateland Cafe, off I-8.
|
|
|
Mountain Plovers south of
Yuma - Canon D10
|
|
Mountain Plover along Ave B.
- Canon D10 Joining the plovers in the ag.
fields are Prairie Falcons, Long-billed Curlews, Horned Larks,
American Pipits, sparrows, and the odd Great Blue Heron.
|
Mountain Plovers are uncommon to rare winter residents of the large
round agricultural fields south of Yuma, mostly south of County 19th
Street, and west of Ave B. Look for them in fields that have been grazed by sheep.
Earlier this month we found a flock of at least 300--the most I've
ever seen in Arizona.
Mountain Plover |
|
Chestnut-sided Warbler in a
cottonwood at
Imperial NWR, Canon D10
In the same grove we also found an Eastern Phoebe and a
Golden-crowned Kinglet. Another eastern visitor was a Northern
Parula found at Betty's Kitchen by Paul Lehman in November. |
During the Christmas Bird Count in
mid December we found two eastern warblers in the large cottonwood
grove of Imperial NWR. Both were feeding as part of a
bird party in the same tree.
American Redstart - Imperial
NWR - Canon D10
|
| Peregrine Falcons are annual visitors to the area
south and west of Yuma. There are at least three individuals
this year--one perch they favor is a large Eucalyptus Tree on Co.
8th, just east of the Thick-billed Kingbird spot. Also look
for them raiding the ag fields south of town. Merlins are also
here this year, so keep an eye out for them, too. |
Peregrine Falcon, Yuma
Sony DSC W7 |
|
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Quigley WMA, 25 Dec 2005
Canon D10
|
Suzanne and I saw both
this Dusky-capped Flycatcher and three Tundra Swans on Christmas
day at Quigley Ponds, which is about 2.5 miles north of Tacna, and
just west of Ave 40E. The photo doesn't do the yellowish
belly justice; look for a brightly colored belly and listen for
the distinctive, plaintive pee-urr call notes, which it was
repeating about every ten minutes. |
|
One adult and two immature Tundra Swans were present in the
northern-most farm field, which was slightly flooded. They
were keeping company with pintails and mallards, and visible from
the bluff south of the fields. Also patrolling the area are
two White-tailed Kites. |
Tundra Swan, Quigley WMA
(Adult with 2 immatures, 25 Dec 2005)
Sony DSC digiscope
|
|
