June 24, 2008
by Marshall Esty (leader)

Vera Markham, Gerry Horton and Marshall Esty set out for the scheduled trip to "Dos Lagos" at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday the 24th of June. Stops included the Golf Course near Sunland Cemetery, the lake at Sunland Cemetery, "Dos Lagos + 1", Thunderbird Park Lagoons, the ponds in Arrowhead Lakes area, Thunderbird Park and ponds on the way back to Sun City. It was in the 70s when we went out and about 90 when we returned.

Black-crowned Night Herons "ruled". We got fairly close and excellent looks at young
and immature as well as adults.

We spent some time at a shelter in T-Bird Park and let the Black-throated Sparrows, and others, come to be fed seeds. We also watched a pair of very active Blue-gray Gnatcatchers as they foraged and fed, and drove away any House-finches that came too close for comfort.

Here are the 26 (not counting Hybrids & Swans) that we saw.

Canada Goose, Mallard, Ring-necked Duck, [Hungry Hybrid ducks], [Several Swans a Swimming], Gamble's Quail, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night Herons, American Coot, Killdeer, Rock Pigeon, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Inca Dove, A Hummer (female, unspecified), Gila Woodpecker (H), Northern Roughwinged Swallow, Verdin (H), Cactus Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Black-throated Sparrow, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch, House Sparrow.