Sierra Vista

What a trip!! Sixteen of us (Dan Bohlmann, Eleanor Campbell, Pat Dumbacher, Marshall Esty, Shirley Fackleman, Darlene Gatto, Gerry Horton, Chuck Kangas, Carole Anne Kinney, Dawn Linn, Vera Markham, Jane McNeill, Chuck Richard, Donna Smith (Leader), and George & Maria Wall) headed out to Sierra Vista on a Friday morning. After checking into the Best Western Motel (very nice rooms), we had lunch and then started doing some birding.

Our first stop was at the Sierra Vista Sewage Treatment Plant area where a covered viewing area is located. However, there was vpery little water because of the drought and what water remained was covered with reeds and the few birds we did see were hard to spot. From there, we went to the San Pedro House. Here we saw quite a few birds including a pair of Tropical Kingbirds. After birding, we got to watch some hummingbird banding and hear a lecture on hummingbirds.

The next morning at 5:30 a.m., Stuart Healy, our birding guide, led us up to Carr Canyon. I might point out that this was a very windy weekend and so Stuart’s birding ear was instrumental in finding as many birds as we did. The highlight of this area was locating a Buff-breasted Flycatcher and its nest. What a treat! Another good bird seen was the Red-faced Warbler. We then went on to Garden Canyon for a target bird – the Elegant Trogan. Stuart rewarded us with a great sighting of this beautiful bird. Stuart then left us for the day while we went on to lunch and then some afternoon birding at Ramsey Canyon. Here we were treated to several hummingbirds including the Magnificent Hummingbird.

On Sunday morning, we left at 6:30 a.m. for birding areas that Stuart Healy hadn’t taken us. The first stop was at Paton’s Feeders – a private home that welcomes birders to her backyard. We saw quite a few birds here including a very close-up view of a Yellow-breasted Chat. We then went to the Patagonia/Sonoita Creek Preserve where we saw the Gray Hawk. The Patagonia Roadside Rest area was our next stop where Thick-billed Kingbirds were known to be as well as a Rose-throated Becard was supposed to have a nest. We were lucky enough to see both birds here. Our next stop was a Kino Springs just this side of the Mexican border. This is a golf course area that has three large ponds. At the first pond we saw a Common Raven with young in her nest. We also had a close-up view of another Gray Hawk. At the second and third ponds, we saw some Ruddy Ducks and Green Herons. From there we went to the entrance to the Patagonia Lake State Park. We parked alongside the road and went looking for the Varied Bunting that was supposed to be in the area. Before we had a chance to find it (if it was there), we were chased out of the area by Park Rangers.

Sunday night, nine of the group went owling with Stuart Healy. They heard some night birds, but didn’t see any.

On Monday morning, we checked out of the motel at 7 a.m. and headed for Mary Jo Ballator’s home in Ash Canyon. Here we observed a lot of hummingbirds including the Lucifer Hummingbird. We saw several other birds such as the Arizona and Acorn Woodpecker eating at her many feeders. Our last stop before heading home was at Beatty's Guest Ranch and Orchard in Miller Canyon where they have hummingbird feeders all over the place. Here our target bird was the White-eared Hummingbird which we saw.

Here is the group list of the 123 birds we saw or heard: Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Green Heron, Blackcrowned Night Heron, Turkey Vulture, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Greenwinged Teal, Ruddy Duck, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s hawk, Gray Hawk, Harris’s Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Wild Turkey, Scaled Quail, Gambel’s Quail, American Coot, Rock Pigeon, Band-tailed Pigeon, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Common Ground Dove, Ruddy Ground Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Barn Owl, Whiskered Screech-Owl (H), Elf Owl (H), Lesser Nighthawk, Common Nighthawk (H), Whip-poor-will (H), Broad-billed Hummingbird, White-eared Hummingbird, Blue-throated Hummingbird, Magnificent Hummingbird, Lucifer Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Anna’s Hummingbird, Costa’s Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Elegant Trogan, Acorn Woodpecker, Gila Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Arizona Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Willow Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Greater Pewee, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Say’s Phoebe, Vermilion Flycatcher, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Cassin’s Kingbird, Thick-billed Kingbird, Western Kingbird, Bell’s Vireo (H), Plumbeous Vireo, Hutton’s Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Mexican Jay, Chihuahuan Raven, Common Raven, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Bridled Titmouse, Verdin, Bushtit, White-breasted Nuthatch, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren (H), Bewick’s Wren, Marsh Wren, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, European Starling, Phainopepla, Olive Warbler, Lucy’s Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, Grace’s Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Red-faced Warbler, Painted Redstart, Yellow-breasted Chat, Hepatic Tanager, Summer Tanager, Western Tanager, Green-tailed Towhee, Canyon Towhee, Abert’s Towhee, Brewer’s Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Yellow-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, Black-headed Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Bullock’s Oriole, Scott's Oriole, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch and House Sparrow.