Big January 2010 Photo Essay

Great-horned Owl, Corona de Tucson 1-25-10

Big January 2010 Started off with a big problem for me when my computer crashed. Between computer problems, family visits, illness, my son's ankle surgery and babysitting for my grandson I squeezed in as many days of birding as I could. These photos are the compilation of some of the birds I saw this month. I hoped for a big finish, but the last 2 days of the month were very busy. On Saturday Gus and I drove to Phoenix to see a performance of Riverdance, a Christmas gift from my oldest son and his wife. It was a matinee performance and after the show we drove a short distance to the Rio Salado Project on the banks of the Salt River.

We saw ducks and coots in the demonstration wetlands near the parking lot and wandered the trail down to the river. Evidence of the recent flooding was everywhere with debris piled up on the banks and in the treetops. Still, the birds sang and we saw orange-crowned and yellow-rumped warblers, ducks and cormorants, towhees, hummingbirds and a kestrel. We watched the sunset as Gus took pictures and I watched birds through my bins. Though we saw a lot of birds, I didn't see anything new to add to my 2010 Big January List.

It wasn't until last night that Gus off-loaded his photos. He cropped and enlarged and enhanced them all. He made a little slide show to show me. As the pictures faded from one to another a photo of a little bird camera on the screen. A bird I did not see, but he did. A bird so wonderful, it made me start an ebird account for him, since I cannot count this bird because I didn't see it for myself. I saw this species for the very first time last spring in West Virginia at the New River Birding Festival. What was it doing here in the wintertime on the banks of the Salt River in Phoenix? But the pictures don't lie and I am sooooooo jealous! Gus photographed...the bird that got away! Do you want to see it? It's at the bottom of this post. For now, scroll down and enjoy the show. And remember, all photos click to enlarge. The rest of the story and the final tally are at the end.

Song sparrow 1-4-10 Sweetwater Wetlands

Black Phoebe 1-4-10 Sweetwater Wetlands

Sora 1-4-10 Sweetwater Wetlands

Great Blue Heron 1-4-10 Sweetwater Wetlands




Juvenile Black-crowned Night heron 1-4-10
Sweetwater wetlands




Ruby-Crowned Kinglet 1-4-10
Sweetwater Wetlands

White Vermillion flycatcher 1-4-10

Sweetwater Wetlands

Painted Redstart 1-13-10 Madera Canyon

Hermit thrush 1-13-10

Madera Canyon

Mexican Jay 1-13-10

Madera Canyon

Bridled titmouse 1-13-10

Madera Canyon

White-breasted nuthatch 1-13-10

Madera Canyon

Dinosaur bird?

No. Wild turkey 1-13-10

Madera Canyon

Yellow-eyed junco and Oregon Junco 1-13-10

Madera Canyon

Acorn woodpecker 1-13-10

Madera Canyon

Loggerhead shrike 1-15-10

Whitewater Draw

Eastern Meadowlark 1-15-10

Whitewater Draw

Sandhill Cranes 1-15-10

Whitewater Draw

Snow Geese 1-15-10

Whitewater Draw

Cooper's hawk 1-23-10

Sycamore Canyon

Roadrunner and Lark Bunting in Sycamore Canyon 1-27-10

Northern Cardinal 1-28-10

Sycamore Canyon

Scaled Quail 1-29-10

Sycamore Canyon

Long-billed dowitchers 1-29-10 Rio Rico

Double-crested Cormorants 1-30-10

Rio Salado Project, Phoenix, AZ

(photo by Gusto!)

Black and White warbler 1-30-10

Rio Salado Project, Phoenix, AZ

Seen and Photographed by Gus only!

This is the one that got away!

I can't believe I missed this bird!

You know, I am always chiding Gus because he likes to photograph the big birds like herons, ducks and egrets. I am always telling him I need to see more of the little birds, that they are the ones I am interested in. Well, believe it or not, he tried to tell me about this one but I mistakenly thought he was looking at just another yellow-rumped warbler. I am the one who said, "we have already seen those, lets move on." I could have had this bird, but I didn't get to see it until I saw this photograph, so for me and my list, it doesn't count! However, Gus now has 17 species on his list.

So, on Sunday I was still stuck at 112 species and I had to watch my grandson again. No more bird watching for me. We drove to town, picked up Xavier, and stopped by the library to pick up my paintings from the art show. We drove towards home, stopping by the grocery store on the way. It was such a warm and sunny day and I so wanted to be outside, but we drove home with the car full of groceries and my sweet little boy in his carseat. On the way home I asked Gus to stop one last time at Sycamore Elementary School. I have stopped here numerous times over the course of the month looking for the Horned Larks I had seen and photographed here in December but everytime I stopped there were always people playing ball or children on the playground and no birds. The other times I stopped I saw sparrows, killdeer and cactus wrens, but no horned larks. This day the field was empty. I grabbed my bins and walked through the gate. I scanned the field to the sound of a cactus wren calling. At first I thought there was nothing, but then, in the far northeast corner a small flock of birds was feeding on the ground. I crept closer for a better look. For some reason they were all facing east with their backs to me. Turn and show me your faces! I thought to myself and then, one did, and I saw the yellow chest and the black feathered horns and I had them! I had species number 113-Horned larks!

That's it. That is my final species for the month. It was fun to play. Watching birds is fun anyday, and I really tried to remember that each bird is special. Each species is wonderful. For me, being outside is the best of all. Plus, I got to meet some new birders this time around. I would have to say that the White vermillion flycatcher and the scaled quail were the highlights of the month and for some reason, the quiet and gray day at Ried Park when I was pretty much alone with the ducks was a highlight, but then there was birding at Sweetwater, and whitewater draw, and that last day at Rio Salado with Gus, and...well, you get the idea, it was ALL good!

The Complete Big January 2010 Bird List

Snow Geese at Whitewater Draw 1-15-10