Horseshoe Bend

We always look forward to a trip to Arizona because it offers great birds and scenery. This trip was especially nice because it included a visit with our friends Kathy and Tom. They winter in Sun City West outside Phoenix and have great birds in their yard and around the neighborhood. Best yards birds included Costa’s Hummingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher and a family of Gambel’s Quail. We were up early every day due to the time change and located Inca Dove, numerous Gila Woodpecker, Verdin, Hooded Orioles and many more during our neighborhood walks.

While Mike and Tom played golf on Saturday morning, Kathy and I went Hassayampa River Preserve for a little birding. I’m so lucky to have a non-birder friend go bird watching and actually enjoy it. There are busy hummingbird feeders when you arrive and several trails in different habitats. Some of the best birds were Green-winged Teal, Summer Tanager, Say’s Phoebe, Vermilion Flycatcher, Bell’s Vireo and Phainopepla. We met several other birders and found a total of 26 species with a Yellow-breasted Chat as the highlight.

Sunday it was time to head north because Mike had work in Page, Arizona. We made a couple birding stops along the way and the first was Buffalo Park in the Coconino National Forest where our expectations were low due to high winds. We were pleasantly surprised to see Mountain Chickadee, White-breasted and Pygmy Nuthatch, Western Bluebird and several Chipping Sparrows.

Next, it was off to search for our main target bird, the California Condor. This bird was one of our biggest misses during our 2015 ‘big year’. We stopped at the Glen Canyon NRA Navajo Bridge where the Condors were nesting. The ranger at the visitor center told us the parents traded places three hours earlier. We could see a bird in the nesting hole but not a good enough look for a life bird. We made the 30 mile drive to the Vermilion Cliffs Condor viewing area and saw an astounding 10 California Condors in flight and resting. This is a must stop if you are ever in the area.

The next day was all work for Mike so I did some solo birding. Lone Rock Beach on Lake Powell in Utah had quite a few campers on the beach but I’m sure it’s much busier during the summer months. The view is stunning and we need to come back to camp when we retire. Not much bird variety but the 40+ Franklin’s Gulls in breeding plumage made it all worthwhile. The Franklin’s Gull is rare in Florida where we have a chance to see one or two a year. Next stop was Horseshoe Bend with spectacular views but few birds. After lunch, I took the Hanging Garden trail where the Black-throated Sparrows were signing up a storm. Last stop was the Page Water Treatment Plant that held a couple Lesser Scaup and an Eared Grebe in the pool.

We headed to Sedona which is known as a shopping and dining destination but also offers a great mix of birds and scenery. We made a whirlwind birding trip to the following hotspots: South Gateway Visitor Center (Ash-throated Flycatcher, Lucy’s Warbler, Bullock’s Oriole), Slide Rock State Park (Cassin’s Kingbird, Plumbeous Vireo, Say’s Phoebe), Cave Spring Campground (Acorn Woodpecker, Painted Redstart), Sedona Wetlands (Cinnamon Teal, Ruddy Duck, Ladderback Woodpecker), and Page Springs Fish Hatchery (American Avocet).  We went to the Dead Horse Ranch State Park and since the Verde Valley Birding Festival was starting in a couple day,  we knew the feeders would be up. The wind kept the birds away for the most part but we saw Lesser Goldfinch, Vermilion Flycatcher and Violet-green Swallows.

We had time for a couple more stops on the way to the Phoenix Airport and decided to combine culture and birding. The Montezuma Castle National Monument offers a look at 800 year old Pueblo cliff dwellings and some pretty good birds.  We saw Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Anna’s Hummingbird, Summer Tanager and heard a Great-horned Owl.

The Desert Botanical Garden is close to the airport and well worth the time and money. The beautiful cactus and flowers present an excellent food source for the birds, butterflies, mammals and lizards.  There are five trail loops that offer different types of desert landscape but my favorite was the Desert Wildflower Loop. We missed the Roadrunner but did see 16 species with Black-chinned Hummingbird and Bushtit new for the trip.

All and all a great trip visiting friends, birding and seeing the sights of Arizona.

Trip Birds: 89   Life Birds: 1 California Condor

Next up: Michigan and possibly a Kirtland’s Warbler