I’m still picking up a few new birds for the year list. In the last week, there has been a flurry of activity here, with some birds that are rarely seen in the Sonoran Desert and some that are new to my year list, now at 379 species. When I first got here, sapsuckers were nearly absent, but that has certainly changed in the last few days. It has been a long stretch of cloudy skies too, so astrophotography has come to a complete standstill.
A very nice looking Red-breasted Sapsucker that showed up at the golf course 3 days ago. Yesterday, some birders from Tucson were here to see it. It was still there this morning. A new bird for my year list. Yesterday, Vikki and Lyn Jackson called me over to see this bird, my first of the year Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers retain most of their juvenile plumage over the winter while the other sapsucker species molt into adult plumage in the fall. This makes juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers easy to ID in the late fall and winter. While birding in Bud Walker Park last Sunday, I found this Lapland Longspur, a lost bird. I saw thousands of them while driving through eastern Colorado on my way to Ajo, but in the Sonoran Desert they are very rare.I got a report of an Acorn Woodpecker in Ajo. I’ve never seen one here, this species normally stays in areas with lots of oak trees. The owner of the residence invited me over to see it and maybe get some photos. Another lost bird. Not lost, but there is a significant irruption of Western Bluebirds this fall. The numbers are higher than usual. Last winter there were hardly any around. I got this shot at Bud Walker Park this morning. This morning at the golf course, I saw this Red-tailed Hawk catch a Mourning Dove. The dove’s tail is sticking out below the hawk’s talons. Red-tailed Hawks are very versatile predators. I tried another method of processing and a crop and a rotation of the Flaming Star Nebula. I think this image gives a better impression of flames!A Prairie Falcon that was terrorizing the golf course this morning. There are lots of Gambel’s Quail and it was general panic every time this falcon streaked through the area. I never saw it catch anything.
5 replies on “The Birds Keep Coming”
I feel sorry for that acorn woodpecker tho. Seems like they are colonial birds and a solitary bird wouldn’t do well. Also, no acorns. Do they live up in the ajo mountains?
Acorn Woodpeckers are great wanderers, especially during post-breeding dispersal. There are many records scattered around the country where Acorn Woodpeckers don’t typically occur. I saw one in Minnesota once! It will likely move on looking for a better place. There are no records of Acorn Woodpeckers in the Ajo Mountains.
You’re seeing some good birds!
I can see why the Flaming Star Nebula was given its name. It’s beautiful.
Will you be dong a CBC there? Ours is on the 14th. I hope more birds show up before then.
Thanks, I like the “new” Flaming Star a lot better. I will probably do the Ajo CBC.
5 replies on “The Birds Keep Coming”
I feel sorry for that acorn woodpecker tho. Seems like they are colonial birds and a solitary bird wouldn’t do well. Also, no acorns. Do they live up in the ajo mountains?
Acorn Woodpeckers are great wanderers, especially during post-breeding dispersal. There are many records scattered around the country where Acorn Woodpeckers don’t typically occur. I saw one in Minnesota once! It will likely move on looking for a better place. There are no records of Acorn Woodpeckers in the Ajo Mountains.
You’re seeing some good birds!
I can see why the Flaming Star Nebula was given its name. It’s beautiful.
Will you be dong a CBC there? Ours is on the 14th. I hope more birds show up before then.
Thanks, I like the “new” Flaming Star a lot better. I will probably do the Ajo CBC.
Great shots!