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

Scaled Quail in Sycamore Canyon!

Scaled Quail 1-29-10 Sycamore Canyon

I've been watching birds whenever I can and wherever I can, so yesterday I headed into town with bins and camera to squeeze in some bird watching between errands. Gray skies threatened above me as I drive north on Houghton Road. By the time I reach Lakeside Park, the rain came down forcing me to leave my camera in the car as I search the park for something different. It is quiet here in the rain with only the birds and a few crazy fishermen braving the elements. Though I hope for the osprey or maybe some northern rough-winged swallows I am only seeing the usual suspects-American wigeons, mallards, coots, all kinds of blackbirds and a few western bluebirds. However, I am able to pick out a lone pair of Mexican ducks from all the regular mallards. Mexican ducks look like female mallards, but they are darker and smaller with dark tail feathers. Species number (Mexican mallards are no longer considered a seperate species I just dicovered!) for my Big January Count.

Hooded Meganser male 1-28-10 Reid Park

After lunch with a friend I head over to Reid Park to see what I can see. I park between the zoo and the ball fields and head for the pond. At the first pond the American wigeons dominate with over 100 in the water along with canvasbacks, ring-necked ducks, ruddy ducks, coots, and pied-billed grebes. Pigeons swarm the pond edges hoping for a few crumbs from the bread that people brought to feed the ducks. In the nearby field a flock of western bluebirds gathers and in their midst a brilliant red flash appears-a male vermilion flycatcher! I work my way around to the southern pond located closest to 22nd Street. More wigeons and mallards and exotic domestic ducks and geese fill the pond, but then I see something different! A Hooded Merganser (109)!

Common Mergansers (female) 1-28-10 Reid Park

While watching the Hooded Mergansers I take up a location behind a palm tree and wait for the ducks to relax. A male Belted Kingfisher (110) gives its rattling call and flies to one of the overhanging trees. Then, 2 ducks circle the pond, dip and skim the water only to fly off again. Are they canvasbacks? the color is similar, but someting is differnt. I wait as they circle and skim again, once, twice, and then land. To my utter delight it is two female Common Mergansers (species 111)!

Great Egret 1-28-10 Reid Park, Tucson

All the while I am watching ducks this Great Egret calmly fishes nearby.

Hooded merganser pair 1-28-10

I am able to capture this photo of the Hooded Merganser pair. a lovely, artistic sculpture inthe water--beauty floating on rippled glass. I stand by the tree and just enjoy the sight. Though I love to count the birds and I like contributing the data to eBird, I never want to loose the pure joy of the birds. I stand and let the moment infuse my being. Gray skies, calm water, peaceful birds.

Scaled Quail in Sycamore Canyon 1-29-10

It is late at night when I arrive home. After all, I did have to do a bit of shopping. When I get there I find I have a message from the new people I met yesterday. about 45 minutes after I left the house Sheri called to tell me the scaled quail were back! But it is dark now and I am too late. I go to bed with visions of scaled quail on my brain. I want them so badly because when I enterd my bird count into eBird the other day I was surprised to learn that scaled quail are not an expected species here at this time of year. All night long I dream of scaled quail. I wake up in the night with the words pounding on my brain. I just have to see these birds! I won't be able to sleep. I want to add them to my Pima County list, my Sycamore Canyon list, and my Big January Count. I wake around 8 a.m. and busy myself with morning chores. Is it too early to call Sheri back? I fill the bird feeders, and feed the pets. I fill my time as the clock creeps towards 9 a.m. then, I give Keith and Sheri a call. The scaled quail are back! I jump in my car without eating breakfast and drive to their house with what feels like frogs jumping in my stomach.

Scaled Quail 1-29-10

When I get to their house I exit the car quietly. I grab my gear and gently tap on the door. I do not want to scare these birds off now. Sheri opens the door and leads me inside. I dump my stuff on a nearby hassock and put my bins to my eyes. Where are they? Where are they? All I see are Gambel's quail. Right there, Sheri says, but I don't see, because what I am seeing are the streaked sides and white lined wings from the back, but then..., oh then! I see! I see the scales. I see the birds. I am shaking I am so excited! I have my Scaled Quail! (species 112!)

Scaled and Gambel's Quail on seed block

I have only seen scaled quail twice before. The first time was on my very first trip to Whitewater Draw the first year I lived here. One sat on a branch in the early morning light before it or we moved on. Then, I saw one briefly moving trough the brush on a hillside in Rio Rico, but this, this is the first time I have seen them this close and this well. I only intended to stay for a few minutes, but by the time I left, I had been there 2 hours. I have found new friends in Kieth and Sheri. I look forward to further birding adventures with them. And for now...

Scaled Quail 1-29-10


...I have Scaled Quail!

Big January Big News

Announcing: the engagement of my daughter, Renee to her long-time boyfriend Randy on December 25, 2009. After all the gifts were opened, Randy got down on one knee and surprised her and all of us with an engagement ring! Welcome to the Family Randy! Congratulations to them both!

This was the first Christmas since 2003 for almost all of us to be together. Only the youngest child and his wife were missing and with good reason.

Announcing: the birth of Natalie Brown on December 26, 2009! Natalie weighed in at a hefty 9 pounds! She is healthy and well and I am aching to go and see her in Kentucky where her daddy is now stationed! If I have my way, we will be driving there and I will be bird watching all the way! Congratulations Alex and Diane! I will post pictures as soon as I can get some!

If you haven't heard from me in awhile its because a lot has been going on around here. I had one day off after my grandkids returned to Maine and I spent that at Sweetwater Wetlands. The very next day my oldest son had surgery on his ankle and I have been helping to watch my youngest grandson ever since. To make things even more complicated, Gus was sick for 4 days and by the time he was feeling better I got a stomach flu that kept me down for the first 2 days of this week. Today was the first day I felt better and I abandoned my house work and fled to Madera Canyon. With temps predicted to be in the low 70's and rain predicted for Thursday I did not want to waste this opportunity. It was well worth it. I added 13 more species to my Big January Count bringing my current total to 90 species for this year! I think I got some awesome photos which I hope to post within the next couple of days. We get our computer back tomorrow but on Friday Gus and I are planning a trip to Whitewater Draw to see Sandhill cranes. (Unless I change my mind which is always possible!)

On another note, I haven't even had time to mention that I was the featured blog on the Nature Blog Network for this month. You can see the post here or click on the link in the sidebar.

For now, I will update the Big January Master List with a full count of birds see and photos after I get my computer back. I am missing all of my fellow bloggers and I can't wait to get caught up with everyone and see how you are all doing!

White Vermillion Flycatcher at Sweetwater Wetlands

"White" Vermillion Flycatcher at Sweetwater Wetlands 1-4-10

White Vermillion flycatcher 1-4-10 by Kathiesbirds w/Nikon D80 set in sports mode and the 70-300mm lens. Seen along the stream right behind the parking lot and restrooms. 1:55 PM MST.

After 2 weeks of hustle and bustle and Christmas excitement I need a break and so, as my son and grandchildren are flying back to the frozen northland, and as Gus heads off to work, I head for Sweetwater wetlands to see what I can see. Monday is a sunny day, calm and warm and as I drive up Sweetwater Drive I notice the parking lot full. I think to myself, there must be some rare bird hanging around, as I pull into the last available spot. As soon as I opened the car door I can hear birds calling. Right at the edge of the parking lot I see my first birds of the day, a pair of Abert's towhees and my first sighting of them this year. The mesquite and palo verdes surrounding the parking lot are alive with yellow-rumped warblers and ruby crowned kinglets. Across the stream I see and hear a marsh wren. I can already tell this is going to be a very good day. However, I have no idea yet how wonderful.

I meet a nice couple from New Jersey who are here watching birds for a couple of hours before they have to catch a plane back to the east coast. Mike and Nora accompany me for the rest of their time here, and I am able to spot a sora in the reeds for them. They have never seen a sora before and soon another joined it at the edge of the grass. Everywhere we turn there are birds. Father down the pathway we see literally thousands of ducks in the settling ponds to the east. Most of these are too far away and backlit to positively identify, so I did not even try to count them but we were able to make out a double-crested cormorant in their midst. Mike saw a swallow but I did not so I could not count that either. No matter. There are still plenty of birds I can count. We meet another birder who tells us there is a rare white vermilion flycatcher flying around somewhere here at Sweetwater. Supposedly it has even been in the newspaper and on TV but apparently I had missed that report. Now we kept our eyes open for it as we travel on.

In the main ponds we see almost every species of duck one can see in Arizona except for canvasbacks and redheads. We see every species of teal and plenty of pied-billed grebes. Someone else told us of snowy egrets being spotted in the farthest ponds, but Nora and Mike have to leave, so I continue on by myself as the sun continues to warm the day. I find the snowy egrets. I find herons and warblers. I see a Harris Hawk briefly across the street in its usual nesting area. A few red-winged blackbirds fly across my path and disappear into the reeds and rushes. My list grows and grows and so does my thirst and hunger. I walk back to the car to retrieve a fresh drink and a snack. By now it was well after noon and I have been here since 10 a.m. I walk back to the gazebo to relax and watch birds. I still have not seen the ghost vermillion.

With the day wearing on I decide to leave, so I pack up bird guides and food, bins and camera and make my way back towards the car. I come to an intersection which allows me to go in either direction back to the parking lot. I can see the cars through the trees and across the manmade creek, but I must choose which way to get there. I don't know what made me decide to go right, which is actually the longer way around, but I do. As I near the bridge I see a pyrrhuloxia on the ground near the bushes. I stop to add it to my list, then look up to see the white vermillion flycatcher flitting from bush to bush across the creek! I drop everything except my camera and bins and start snapping!

The cute little bird is like a ghost in the sunshine. It shows no fear but rather seems curious about me. I stand holding my breathe and snapping away. It flies in closer and cocks its head to look at me from every angle. I am overwhelmed with this sweet beauty, this rare gem. I cannot get enough of it. However, the other birds are unimpressed and yellow-rumped warblers, a black phoebe and a song sparrow continue with their business as if this were just an ordinary day. And I suppose it is. This is an ordinary day at Sweetwater Wetlands where birds fill trees, bushes and ponds, where on any given day you may spot a rarity as well as numerous "regular" birds. I counted 55 species here in the 3 1/2 hours I walked the loop and watched birds. Who knows how many other species I missed. I know someone saw a spotted towhee, but that species escaped me. I have no complaints, however. None whatsoever! For the rest of the day I walk around thinking and saying to myself, "I saw a white vermillion flycatcher. I saw a white vermillion flycatcher," as if repeating it to myself could drive the reality into my brain.

Species seen at Sweetwater Wetlands:

1. Mallard
2. Ruddy duck*
3. Northern shoveler*
4. American widgeon
5. Ring-necked duck*
6. Northern Pintail*
7. Bufflehead*
8. Gadwall*
9. Blue-winged teal*
10. cinnamon teal*
11. Green-winged teal*
12. Double-crested cormorant*
13. Great Blue heron*
14. Green heron*
15. Black-crowned night heron*
16. Snowy Egret*
17. American coot
18. Common Moorhen*
19. Spotted sandpiper
20. Killdeer*
21. Harris hawk*
22. Red-tailed hawk
23. Cooper's hawk
24. Pigeon
25. Mourning Dove
26. Anna's Hummingbird
27. Gila woodpecker
28. Northern Flicker (red-shafted)*
29. Flicker sp.
30. Red-naped sapsucker*
31. Pied-billed grebe
32. Vermillion flycatcher (1 white!)
33. Say's phoebe
34. Black phoebe*
35. Verdin
36. Ruby-crowned kinglet*
37. Marsh wren*
38. Cactus wren
39. Sora*
40. curve-billed thrasher
41. Phainopepla*
42. European Starling
43. Yellow-rumped warbler
44. Orange-crowned warbler*
45. Black-throated gray warbler*
46. Yellow warbler*
47. Abert's towhee*
48. White-crowned sparrow
49. Brewer's sparrow*
50. Song sparrow*
51. Pyrrhuloxia
52. Red-winged blackbird*
53. Great-tailed grackle
54. House finch
55. House sparrow

See the Big January Master List Here

I should be getting my computer back soon. If I had it now I would have included more photos. On Thursday I did my first IBA survey of Sabino Canyon for the year. We saw bridled titmice and Western bluebirds in the canyon, the first time in over 2 years these species have occurred on our transect count. I will add any new species from that count to the Big January Master List.

Sabino Canyon Bird Count:

1. Anna's Hummingbird
2. Broad-billed hummingbird*
3. Ladderbacked woodpecker*
4. Gila woodpecker
5. Black phoebe
6. Western bluebird
7. Ruby-crowned kinglet
8. Bridled titmouse*
9. Common Raven*
10. N. Mockingbird
11. European Starling
12. Phainopepla
13. Bewick's wren
14. Black-throated sparrow
15. Rufous-crowned sparrow
16. Canyon towhee
17. Lesser goldfinch
18. House sparrow

*first sighting in 2010

Big January 2010 Bird Count

1. Lesser Goldfinch 1-1-10 home
2. Housefinch
3. House sparrow
4. Gila Woodpecker
5. Gilded flicker
6. Verdin
7. Gambel's Quail
8. Costa's Hummingbird
9. Cactus Wren
10. Rock Wren
11. Bewick's Wren
12. Curve-billed thrasher
13. Black-throated sparrow
14. Chipping sparrow
15. Pyrrhuloxia
16. Northern Cardinal
17. Mourning Dove
18. Pigeon
19. Red-tailed hawk 1-1-10 Jct I-10 and Kolb
20. American kestrel 1-1-10 Jct I-10 and Kolb
21. Common goldeneye 1-1-10 Lakeside Park
22. Mallard
23. American Widgeon
24. Coot
25. Western grebe
26. Pied-billed grebe
27. Spotted sandpiper
28. Say's phoebe
29. Western Bluebird
30. Vermilion Flycatcher
31. Northern Mockingbird
32. Yellow-rumped warbler
33. Brewer's blackbird
34. Common grackle
35. Brown-headed cowbird
36. Rufous-crowned sparrow 1-2-10 Home
37. White-crowned sparrow 1-2-10 Roadrunner Market, Corona de Tucson
38. Anna's Hummingbird 1-3-10 Jct. Kold & 22nd St. Tucson
39. Cooper's Hawk 1-3-10 Jct. Kolb & 22nd St. Tucson
40. Starling 1-3-10 Jct. Kolb & Golf Links Tucson
41. Black-crowned night heron 1-4-10 Sweetwater Wetlands
42. bufflehead
43. blue-gray gnatcatcher
44. blue-winged teal
45. Cinnamon teal
46. Common Moorhen
47. Abert's towhee
48. double-crested cormorant
49. Brewer's sparrow
50. black-throated gray warbler
51. Black phoebe
52. gadwall
53. green-winged teal
54. great blue heron
55. green heron
56. Harris hawk
57. Killdeer
58. Marsh wren
59. Northern flicker (red-shafted)
60. Northern Pintail
61. Northern shoveler
62. Orange-crowned warbler
63. Phainopepla
64. Red-naped Sapsucker
65. Red-winged blackbird
66. Ring-necked duck
67. Ruby crowned kinglet
68. Yellow warbler
69. Ruddy duck
70. Song sparrow
71. Snowy egret
72. Sora
73. Canyon towhee 1-5-10 Home
74. Greater Roadrunner 1-5-10 Sycamore Canyon Park
75. Ladderback woodpecker 1-7-10 Sabino canyon
76. Common raven
77. Broad-billed hummingbird
78. Bridled titmouse
79. Chihuahuan Raven 1-13-10 Green Valley Pecan Company, Sahuarita
80. Loggerhead shrike 1-13-10 Whitehouse Canyon Rd, Green Valley
81. Hermit Thrush 1-13-10 Madera Canyon
82. Acorn Woodpecker
83. Painted Redstart
84. White-throated Swift
85. White-breasted Nuthatch
86. Mexican jay
87. Pine siskin
88. Yellow-eyed Junco
89. Dark-eyed Junco
90. Wild Turkey
91. White-winged Dove 1-13-10 Abrego Drive Green Valley
92. Great-horned owl 1-14-10 Home
93. Golden Eagle 1-15-10 Whitewater draw
94. Northern harrier
95. Great Egret
96. Least sandpiper
97. Common Yellow throat
98. Snow goose
99. Canvasback
100. Lesser Scaup
101. Sandhill Crane
102. Vesper sparrow 1-15-09 San Pedro house
103. Eastern meadowlark
104. Turkey Vulture 1-16-10 Rio Rico
105. Long-billed dowitcher
106. Rufous-winged sparrow 1-17-10 Sycamore Elementary school
107. Lark sparrow
108. Lark bunting 1-27-10 Sycamore Canyon
109. Belted Kingfisher 1-28-10 Reid Park
110. Common merganser
111. Hooded Merganser
112. Scaled Quail 1-29-10 Sycamore Canyon
113. Horned Lark 1-31-10 Sycamore Elemetary School

Big January Participants

Larry Brownstone Birding Blog 2010 Total: 101!

Robert Mortensen Amivor Birding Blog 2010 Total: 66

Ruth Body, Soul, and Spirit 2010 Total: 56

Katnell 2010 Total: 15

Bird Couple 2010 Total: 116!

Kim The Curious Birder

The Early Birder 2010 Total: 99

2009 Big January Results

Big January Big trouble

Well, as you can see, there are no photos with this post today. Shortly after writing and posting on January 1st I off-loaded a bunch of photos to my computer. I had been asking my husband to back up our files so we could compress or delete some since I feared our hard drive was getting too full. Husband did not believe me. but, with the grand kids here for Christmas for 2 weeks and my son and myself taking tons of photos the hard drive DID fill up and my computer would not finish off-loading my pictures due to lack of memory! By now I am crying. So then husband tries to fix the problem for me. Nothing. So, I spent New Years day in despair and the only thing that relieves my distress is when he takes me bird watching at Lakeside Park. That evening as I babysit grand kids at my son's house poor sweet husband tries to fix the problem and in the process downloads a Trojan virus! Now we were totally locked out of our computer with pop-ups flying everywhere. Time for the yellow pages and a computer store. Gus and my son drive the hard drive into town where it remains at the computer store to be de-bugged. Hopefully more memory can be added so I can store more photos.

I did not think I would be able to get onto the Internet and blog for a few days until we reclaimed our hard drive, but then I remembered that we got a new (used) laptop computer. Now, I know many of you are used to using these things but they intimidate me and the laptop has been sitting on the counter for a few months. Well, I dug it out tonight and Gus hooked it up to the Internet for me and voila! I'm blogging again!

In the meantime, I have also been counting birds wherever I go. With my grand kids here from Maine they have been my first priority, so other than Lakeside Park, I haven't gone anywhere spectacular yet, but the kids leave tomorrow morning and I will be out the door as soon as possible. It'll take a good week or two to get my house back to normal, but I don't care. The visit has been wonderful and I have lots of photos to post once I get my regular hardrive back! Meanwhile, I am up to 40 species of birds seen so far this year! I plan on publishing a master list in a different post.

Big January 2010

Mesquite Tree full of birds

Big January is upon us. It's that time of year when all mad birders start counting birds at the stroke of midnight. For the next month we will have a friendly competition to see who can see the most species of birds in their own state in the month of January. Larry of the Brownstone Birding Blog is the one who got me started with this 3 years ago. He beat me the first year but I beat him in 2009. Who will be this year's champion? We shall see. I awoke around 7:45 this morning, crept quietly to my patio door and peeked around the corner to see which species would be my First Bird of 2010...

Lesser goldfinch 1st bird of 2010

In a tree full of birds I saw the lesser goldfinch first. Then I started counting. With blue skies streaked with high thin clouds, and a brisk breeze teasing the branches the air still feels relatively warm at 46 degrees. The forecast highs for today are in the high 60's. Not too bad for January 1st!

Rock Wren in my backyard 12-15-09


Hungry Gila woodpecker 12-14-09

Big January Bird list 2010

1. Lesser goldfinch
2. Housefinch
3. House sparrow
4. Mourning Dove
5. Costa's Hummingbirds
6. Pigeon
7. Gila woodpecker
8. Gilded flicker
9. Cactus Wren
10. Rock wren
11. Bewick's wren
12. Pyrrhuloxia

These birds were all spotted in and from my yard so far this morning. I will add to the list throughout the day. In all honesty, these photos were all taken in mid December but the same species are still in my yard in the same tree and hanging from the same feeders! (I'm in a hurry here!) Okay, I'm off to do more birding!

Happy Birdy New Year!

Let me know if you plan to participate. I'd like to compile a list of those who are!

Big January 2009

If you click on the label below for Big January it will pull up all posts regarding this subject if you are interested!

Big January: Two "Common" Birds

Pushme-Pullyou Coot at Patagonia Lake State park 1-31-09

As many of you know, I have been competing in a Big January Bird Count with other Bird bloggers this month. Big January is when you count as many species of birds as you can see in your own state for the month of January. I participated last year after Larry of the Brownstone Birding Blog challenged me and other birders to a contest. I joined the game a bit late last year, but this year I hit the ground running on January first. This year I also know my state better and I knew where to look to find various species.

At the beginning of the month adding new birds to your count is always easier as even the familiar backyard birds are your first time for this year, but as the days and weeks pass the same species start showing up on your bird counts and the challenge becomes finding species that you haven’t already counted. I went at breakneck speed towards the beginning, but I have to confess, I sort of petered out near the end.

The weekend of January 24th and 25th I only went to Saguaro National Park West on Sunday. Though I counted birds there, they were all species I had already counted someplace else. I didn’t count any new birds the rest of the last week until Saturday, January 31st when Gus and I headed out for One Last Hurrah. I read on the Southeast Arizona Rare Bird Alert that the Elegant Trogon has been hanging out at Patagonia Lake State Park. I have never seen the Trogon, and so it would be a triumph to add it to my Life List as well as my Big January Count. We packed up our gear and headed down there to try to find the bird. What a great way to end the game, I thought, if only I could find it. Well, we not only did not find the trogon, but I did not count any new species of birds on the Birding Trail at the east end of the lake. However, just before we left, I asked Gus to stop at the beach area. I wanted to see if there was anything new or different there.

As I stood on the grassy beach with the blue lake reflecting sunlight like fractured glass a flock of Common Mergansers flew past in a line. There were 12 of them heading towards the west end of the lake. Then, two more flew back to the east. They were quite far out for a photo, but I attempted one anyway. Then, a lone duck came flying low and slow. This time I was ready with my camera. I focused and panned as it flew by. When it landed in the water I peered through my bins at a black and white duck with that unmistakable white cheek patch of a Common Golden Eye.

So, the Common Merganser and the Common Golden Eye make 108 and 109, Right? Not so fast she says.

First of all, when I counted the Pyrrhuloxia as number 107 the other day I was wrong. I kept wondering why it was not recording on my eBird list at the end when I lined up the data according to the dates. So, yesterday I arranged the data alphabetically and found out I HAD recorded this species of bird at the beginning of the month in Arivaca. So, that makes the count 108.

Now, for another adjustment: In recording the Black-throated Green Warbler I saw at Madera Canyon I have been corresponding with Rich Hoyer from eBird. Because this is my first sighting and because I don’t have any photos and I did not see the markings on its back and because a Hermit Warbler was also seen in the area around the same time, my Black-throated Green sighting is noted but not validated. Therefore I am removing it from my Big January list and putting it as unconfirmed on my life list. This is okay. I do not want to count a species of bird that I have not positively identified. I am sure I will get my chance again one day. As for eBird, they have to do this to maintain their quality of information. It is not a slight towards me or any other birder. In fact, it can make you feel more confident in the data they release.

So, with these two adjustments and the two new species my Big January count stands at 107 species!

Bridled Titmouse at Patogonia Lake State park 1-31-09 by Kathiesbirds

Now, I have two weeks to rest up before the Great Backyard Bird Count starts on Presidents Day weekend, February 13 through the 16th.

Big January Bloggers Final count:

Larry, Brownstone Birding Blog: 100*

Ruth, Body, Soul and Spirit: 61*

Mike, 10,000 Birds: 55*

Mary, Mary's View: 30ish* (she thinks) :)

The Strobels, Bird Couple: 87*

KAllen305, Kitchen Window Birder: 37*

Anyone Else? Let me know and I will add you to the list!

*Congratulations Everyone!

Big January: Pyrrhuloxia No. 107

Male Pyrrhuloxia in Sycamore Canyon 1-29-09 by Kathie Brown

Pyrrhuloxia has to be one of the funniest words I have ever heard and one of the hardest to remember how to spell, but the bird it signifies is outstanding and one of the easiest to mistake for a female cardinal if you are not familiar with it. Pyrrhuloxias are found in brushy and arid habitats in the desert southwest. They sound and behave similar to Northern Cardinals and are often found together.

While most people can identify a male Northern Cardinal with his bright red plumage, black mask, and red crest, the female of the species can be more difficult to identify, especially when in Pyrruloixa territory. So, how do you tell them apart? Well, as seen above, the male Pyrrhuloxia is not red all over. The red is confined to certain areas of the body. The Phyrruloxia, whether male or female, does not have a black mask. Pyrrhuloxias have a short, stubby yellow beak. Cardinals have a red conical shaped beak, though the female cardinal's can appear reddish-orange.

If you look at the photos above, you can see the difference between a male Pyrrhuloxia and a female cardinal. Though it isn't very dark the female cardinal still has a hint of the black mask around her beak. Notice how her beak is also longer, reddish, and more cone shaped. You can clearly see the yellow stubby beak of the male Pyrrhuloxia here. As an interesting point, the Cardinal Symbol used by the Superbowl challengers Arizona Cardinals have it all wrong. If you look at the Symbol they use, their Cardinal is depicted with a Yellow beak. Another case of Art trumps reality!

I had not seen a phyrrhuloxia yet this year but I knew they were resident here in Sycamore Canyon. On Thursday I went hiking in the wash with some new birders I met. (Come back for My World Tuesday to read about this hike) We did see one out in the wash, but it flew down behind some brush before I could capture a photo of it. I was sorely disappointed but we enjoyed ourselves anyway. Later, when I was back at home uploading my bird count into eBird I looked up to see a Pyrrhuloxia right outside my window in the bird feeder. I quickly grabbed the camera off the desk and starting snapping, but the bird was in the shadow and inside the bird feeder. Those shots aren't worth publishing here, but then, to my surprise and delight, this gorgeous male hopped out onto the fence in the sunlight and I was able to snap off several shots before he flew away.

Big January Update: 107: Pyrrhuloxia

Female Northern Cardinal 2-9-08 by Gusto! at Tucson Botanical Gardens

Update 1-31-09: I must have been on drugs when I posted the original title. It's number 107, not 207! Also, the pronunciation is "pie-rul-ox-ee-a."

Wikipedia's Pyrruloxia entry says: Its name comes from Greek terms describing its coloration (πυρρος = pyrrhos = reddish or orange) and the shape of its bill (λοξος = loxos = oblique, hence crossbill).