The Good-Bye Chronicles Chapter 7: Sweetwater Wetlands

 Solitary Sandpiper and Least Sandpipers on eastern mudflats 7-22-10

It is two days after we have an answer when I meet Donna Simonettie at Sweetwater Wetlands. She has come to town for a concert and we agree to meet here to go birding. Sweetwater is a place I learned about when I first did my Important Bird Area Training almost 3 years ago now. It is one of my favorite places in the Tucson area to go birding and I always come away with a rather large list of birds. An oasis in the desert, Sweetwater attracts all kinds of birds from the typical desert favorites to the exotic tropical species. It is a manmade wetlands formed from treated wastewater. One never knows what they will find here.

 Cliff Swallows on reeds 7-22-10

I meet Donna in the parking lot and we grab our gear and head for the trail. The air hangs heavy and humid and soon a light shower is falling. I head back to the car to grab a plastic bag to cover my camera with.  I do not think the shower will last long, but any amount of water on my camera is not good. We head for the path once again and right off the bat we are seeing birds. Swallows fill the sky as we cross the bridge over the manmade creek. Purple matins are mixed in with the swallows and Donna informs me this is a life bird for her. 

 Desert Spiny Lizard on wall 7-22-10

I told Donna about our planned move when she first arrived, but now we are lost in the birds of this wetland. I keep telling her that there are not many birds here today.  It seems so quiet.  The birds are quiet, but they are here. With cameras at the ready and binoculars in hand, we scan the ponds, the trees and the reeds. We watch the sky for birds. Some sort of rodent scurries along the path and disappears into the reeds. Off to the east we scan the drainage ponds for birds.  Here we find killdeer, sandpipers and black-necked stilts.  There are more birds than we can positively identify for some small sandpipers are far across on the mudflats  and neither of us has a spotting scope, so we do the best we can with our bins and cameras and wait to enlarge blurry pictures at home.  Some birds we just have to let go, but we do get a good look at a solitary sandpiper that is close by as well as a spotted sandpiper and a couple of Leasts.

 Who’s hiding here?

We catch the flight of a Harris Hawk overhead circling on dark wings with chestnut shoulders. We see the characteristic white tail coverts as the bird flies overhead.  I know that a family of Harris Hawks nests nearby and this is a reliable place to see them. Then Donna spots a Kestrel and we add that species to our list. The brief rain shower stopped awhile ago and now the sun is out turning all the cool moisture to hot steam.  I feel its affects and cling to the edge of the trail where I can stay in the shade of willows and cottonwoods. I see a shape like a stump up in a willow and train my binoculars on it.  Is is a bird? I call Donna to have a look and we both wonder and hope that we are seeing a bittern, but it turns out to be a juvenile Green Heron trying to blend in with the branch. It keeps a wary eye on us as we pass by, then flies farther across the pond for refuge.

 Common Moorhen 7-22-10

In the winter there are so many ducks here in these ponds but for today we are only seeing mallards with a few ruddy ducks, a pied-billed grebe and a couple of teals.  There are usually more birds than this I say as we walk on.

 Greater Earless Lizard 7-22-10

There are no lack of lizards, however, and we have seen several kinds, including desert spiny lizards, zebra tails, a greater earless lizard, and a possible tiger whiptail.

 Ruddy Duck and Neotropic Cormorant 7-22-10

In the farthest ponds we find great egrets, more mallards, a few neotropic cormorants and some green-winged teals. We have been here for a couple of hours now and my list is getting longer. We have been seeing kingbirds and we are wondering, are any of these Tropical Kingbirds? We find a western kingbird at the far edge of the wetlands near the open desert and a large wash. Across the street we see the Rogers Road wastewater treatment plant and there on the fence is a Cassin’s Kingbird with its dark gray head and white throat. We follow the paths back into the interior of the ponds where we see 3 other kingbirds perched at various heights on a cottonwood tree.

 Tropical Kingbird 7-22-10

They are all silent in the heat of the day but they are not shy and we are both able to snap away. Our photos reveal the typical notched tail, brighter yellow breast and the faint mask of the tropical kingbird.  This is a life bird for Donna and we stand there enjoying the moment.  I am remembering that I saw my first one here last year and this is only my second sighting of this species. Last year they we flying about chattering away. This calm bird is so different from the behavior I observed last year, but I am beginning to think these kingbirds have more sense than me! The sun has risen higher and with it the temperature and the humidity!  I feel like I am melting! Donna and I make our way to the gazebo where we sit in the shade and talk and watch birds. I am starting to realize that I have filled several pages of my notebook.  I wonder how many species we have seen after all.  After telling Donna all morning long that there are not many birds here today we end up with a list of 48 species of birds! Not bad for 3 1/2 hours of birding!

We say good-bye at the parking lot, not knowing when or if we will see each other again.  I first met Donna just a couple of months ago when we went birding together in Portal.  Donna is like Dawn and Jeff Fine and I.  We can bird all day long without getting tired, but today the heat and humidity have gotten to me.  I am ready to get in my car and go home. I drive away from Sweetwater with so many sweet memories of birding here with friends and by myself. My heart if brimming with thankfulness for ever moving here and finding this magical place.

Who hatched from these eggs? We found them along one of the paths. They were soft and leathery, a sweet gift of nature that we both enjoyed seeing. If you have any idea, please tell me!

Location: Sweetwater Wetlands
Observation date: 7/22/10
Notes: Birding w/Donna Simonetti. Cloudy with a light sprinkle when we first arrived, then the sun came out and it got hot and humid. We walked the entire perimeter of the ponds.
Number of species: 49
Mallard 65
Green-winged Teal (American) 2 smaller than mallard; small,dark bill; mottled cinnamon brown; green wing bar
Ruddy Duck 8
Gambel's Quail 1
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Neotropic Cormorant 3
Great Egret 2
Green Heron 1 gray back, streaked neck
Turkey Vulture 1
Harris's Hawk 3
American Kestrel 1
Common Moorhen 6
American Coot 12
Killdeer 8
Black-necked Stilt 20
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Western Sandpiper 3
Least Sandpiper 3
Eurasian Collared-Dove 1
White-winged Dove 30
Mourning Dove 7
Black-chinned Hummingbird 2
hummingbird sp. 1
Gila Woodpecker 6
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1
Black Phoebe 3
Ash-throated Flycatcher 1
Brown-crested Flycatcher 1
Tropical Kingbird 3 notched tail
Cassin's Kingbird 1 dark gray head and back, white cheek/throat square tail with pale tip. No white side tail feathers
Western Kingbird 1 pale yellow belly,white side tail feathers at farthest end of ponds near open desert and wash
Bell's Vireo 1
Purple Martin (Desert) 2
Barn Swallow 6
Cliff Swallow 14
Cactus Wren 2
Curve-billed Thrasher (Western) 2
Yellow Warbler 2
Common Yellowthroat 6 heard all over and saw 1 singing from branch of tree over pond
Abert's Towhee 3
Song Sparrow 1
Western Tanager 2
Red-winged Blackbird 35
Great-tailed Grackle 30
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
House Finch 6
Lesser Goldfinch 1
House Sparrow 1

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Greater Roadrunner 1 (I saw this bird while I was waiting for Donna to arrive)

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

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

My World: A Sweet Day at Sweetwater Wetlands

Road Runner 09-09-09

I had to think of something special to do on o9-o9-o9. I had been in the house all weekend and I was getting squirrelly. I need to be outside! So, I load up my gear and leave the house early, arriving at Sweetwater by 7:30 a.m. The parking lot is already full of birders who arrived before me, but I find a spot un the corner and park my car. In the middle of the parking lot sits a big white truck and wandering the edges are some workers cleaning up debris and trimming trees. Warm golden sunlight pours down on me as I head down the path past the information boards. A lot has happened since the last time I was here when when the parking lot was closed and I had to park along the street and enter Sweetwater Wetlands from the side.

Now as I cross the little bridge I can see all the work that has been done. A large amount of brush has been cut back revealing the little creek that flows beneath my feet into a pool on the left. Now I see a small "waterfall" tumbling over a ledge and flowing past rocks bathed in sunlight and shadow. It is a peaceful way to start my walk around the perimeter of these manmade ponds. Like Gilbert Water Ranch, Sweetwater Wetlands is made from reclaimed sewage water. The trees and plants growth thick and lush in this nutrient rich water and soil. To migrating birds, this is an oasis in the desert and Sweetwater Wetlands is well known for the variety of species it attracts. As usual I saw my first birds in the parking lot with Great-tailed grackles and cactus wrens flitting about. Already I hear the call of the killdeer and now an Abert's towhee appears in the brush alongside the path along with two song sparrows. I hear a raucous call above and look up to see three yellow-headed blackbirds flying east and then in the trees alongside the path I spot a different bird. At first I think it is a Western Wood peewee, but then I see the lower orange mandible, some dull wingbars and an bit of an eye ring. It has a faint yellow wash on it's belly and from what I can determine from consulting 3 different bird guides I believe I have seen a juvenile Greater Pewee! The lower orange mandible is so striking. However, when I raise my camera to get a photo of course it flies away. This is a *Life Bird for me and a good omen for the day.

Tropical Kingbird 09-09-09

Farther down the trail I hear a metallic chattering coming from over the ponds. I wend my way through the downed limbs of a willow tree and emerge into a more open space where I can see across the water to a dead tree. Scattered throughout its branches a family of kingbirds is chattering away and hunting insects in the early morning coolness. I watch excitedly hoping against hope that I am seeing what I hope I am. Here in Arizona it is possible to see all seven varieties of the Tyrannus family of flycatchers. I have seen Eastern Flycatchers in New England and Scissor-tailed flycatchers in Oklahoma. Here in Arizona I have seen Western and Cassin's Kingbirds, but I have yet to see a Tropical Kingbird. Now I watch and listen. I have been studying their voices and field marks and I look carefully now. I see the notched tail and the large beak. I do not see any white outer tail feathers. I listen to that metallic chattering and I snap photo after photo. At first the birds are quite far away and small in the frame but then one finally flies closer and I get the look I need. Tropical Kingbirds confirmed! *Life Bird number 2 of the day!

Cinnamon Teal, female blue-winged teal and ? 9-9-09

Of course, Sweetwater is well known for the ducks it attracts and today is no exception. I find Northern shovelers, mallards, ruddy ducks and cinnamon teals. I came here initially because a wood duck was spotted here, but I have not found it yet. The descending whinny of a sora fills the morning air and I walk on. I find a family of kestrels hunting along the bank of one of the recharge ponds to the east when I encounter another birder. His name is Dan and he tells me that he saw some Nashville warblers here today. I tell him I wouldn't know a Nashville warbler if it came up and landed on my finger! I have never seen one and I have not studied their field marks. We end up talking for quite awhile then follow yet another birder to a spot where he saw a semipalmated sandpiper. That would be yet another Life Bird for me, so we follow him to the location. While we find a solitary, western and least sandpiper, the semipalmated has moved on. Yet as we stand there I look of to the side and notice a large goose floating among the flooded grasses.

Greater white-fronted goose 9-9-09

"What is that goose I ask?" It turns out to be a greater white-fronted goose, yet another *Life Bird for me! I have never seen one before and so I stare and stare through my bins and camera lens. I cannot get enough of this new bird. It paddles around slowly grazing on the seed heads of the grass. It is in no hurry and shows no fear of us. I am already feeling like this has been a bonus day for me when Dan and I look up to see a flock of white-faced Ibises winging overhead.

White-faced ibises 9-9-09

We estimate the flock at around 40 birds and watch as they circle and soar over the mudflats. Will they land? Will they land? I feel the rush of their wings in my breast. I feel their trepidation. Is is safe? Is it safe? They circle and drop then lift skywards again. They fly off to the east and I fear they are gone, but they circle around yet again and land in the muddy field.




It is the same field where the sandpipers are and it is the same field where a Great Egret hunts in a corner pool for breakfast.

By now Dan has to leave after we have had a lively discussion about the environment. Once again I am alone until a road runner pops up like toast from below the embankment. I smile at its comical face and stance. Ever since I have seen the movie Jurassic Park it is so easy to equate these birds with dinosaurs. I love the way they move with head and tail raised as they look around, then they drop both and slink along the ground hunting low and swift. It seems every muscle in their body is tense and ready to pounce on whatever crosses their path.

I have been here quite awhile now and the sun is starting to bake me. So, I start my trek back to the parking lot. On the far side of the ponds I find the Harris Hawk on its usual perch. It watches me pass unconcerned as it surveys its Kingdom. I wander back to the parking lot thinking of all the birds I have seen today. My pocket notebook is full of page after page of species and notes. I have consumed the bottle of water I took with me. Now I head to the car for a cool drink. I guzzle a bottle of juice, then grab a new bottle of water and some chips and head over to a small boulder in the shade at the edge of the parking lot. I saw an unusual bird over here and I want to check it out. There are actually a couple of them flitting about on the twigs and branches. I know it is a warbler of some sorts, but it seems a bit different from the orange-crowned warblers I am use to seeing here.

Nashville Warbler 09-09-09

Look at that eye-ring and that big dark eye! Look at that gray head and yellow breast! Now I have the luxury of pulling out my bird guides which I took out of the car along with my snacks. I set my camera down and thumb through the books. Oh my goodness, this is a Nashville Warbler! this is the bird I told Dan I wouldn't know if it came up and landed on my finger! Well guess what? I figured this one out all by myself! And while it didn't land on my finger, it did land in my heart!

Nashville warbler 09-09-09

I am so proud of myself for figuring this out. While the other birders tried to find the semipalmated sandpiper for me and told me the name of the Greater-white fronted goose, this one I did all by myself and there is a certain satisfaction to that.

Nashville Warbler 09-09-09

Like a proud parent I snap photo after photo. I cannot get enough of this bird either even though sweat is running off my forehead and into my eyes. It is so cute! Gus always likes to photograph the big birds. They are really so impressive. But I kind of like these small treasures that hide in the woods.

I pile back into my car with head and heart and bird list full. I picked up 4 *Life Birds right here in Tucson on 09-09-09. When I get home and compile my list, I find that I have seen 52 species of birds on this special day. And that's...

MY WORLD Tuesday!

*Life Bird: The first time a birder sees a species of bird.

Bird Count:

Location: Sweetwater Wetlands
Observation date: 9/9/09
Notes: Met Dan, Jerry, and Nina while birding. Tried to find the wood duck but to no avail. Sunny, warm, beautiful day!
Number of species: 52

Greater White-fronted Goose 1
Mallard 35
Blue-winged Teal 1
Cinnamon Teal 10
Northern Shoveler 30
Ruddy Duck 3
Gambel's Quail 5
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Neotropic Cormorant 1
Great Egret 1
White-faced Ibis 40 flew in and landed in the eastern recharge basin.
Turkey Vulture 2
Cooper's Hawk 2
Harris's Hawk 2
American Kestrel 3
Sora 2 heard
Common Moorhen 1
American Coot 11
Killdeer 6
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Western Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 2
Mourning Dove 10
Greater Roadrunner 2
Black-chinned Hummingbird 1
Anna's Hummingbird 1
Gila Woodpecker 7
Greater Pewee 1
Black Phoebe 3
Vermilion Flycatcher 1
Tropical Kingbird 3
Warbling Vireo (Western) 1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 8
Verdin 12
Cactus Wren 8
Curve-billed Thrasher (Western) 2
European Starling 2
Orange-crowned Warbler 5
Nashville Warbler 3
Common Yellowthroat 2
Canyon Towhee 1
Abert's Towhee 2
Vesper Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 2
Black-headed Grosbeak 2
Red-winged Blackbird 15
Yellow-headed Blackbird 3
Great-tailed Grackle 6
House Finch 1
Lesser Goldfinch 2

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/)

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