This was a joint Sonoran Audubon Society and Birders' Anonymous field trip led by Chuck Kangas. The participants were Anne Durning, Phil Evanstock, Jeff Fustich, Richard Kaiser, Nancy Kroening, Tom Lazzelle, Vera Markham, Ann McDermott and George Wall. We car-pooled to Jackie Meck Lake where the premier birds were the Least Bittern, Blue Grosbeak and Blackheaded Grosbeak. After leaving the lake area, we went to the P.I.R. area where we again saw a Least Bittern. Then on the way back we stopped at both the El Mirage ponds and those to the east where we saw a variety of shore birds. It was a great trip where we saw a total of 47 different species that are listed below.

Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Neotropic Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Least Bittern, White-faced Ibis, Turkey Vulture, Mallard, American Kestrel, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Black-necked Stilt, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Rock Dove, Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Burrowing Owl, Northern Flicker, Black Phoebe, Western Kingbird, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Loggerhead Shrike, Phainopepla, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Abert's Towhee, Black-headed Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak, Common Yellowthroat (heard), House Finch, House Sparrow, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle and Brown-headed Cowbird.

We were fortunate to see a Neotropic Cormorant in breeding plumage in the water next to Double-crested Cormorants. The size difference was quite noticeable. Other Neotropic Cormorants seen not in breeding plumage looked like the photo.