2/11 to 2/17

SPECIES SEEN
From 2/11/2008 to 2/17/2008 ~ 66 seen

The highlight for the week was seeing the Red Crossbill (or was it two) on Tuesday. It was seen in the top of a pine tree along Calle Iglesia in Tubac as the Tuesday birding group made its way from the Deli to the trail. For some of the group it was a life bird.

The number of species for the week at 66 is also above normal for the winter for the second time in the last 3 weeks. Another hint of spring.

If you are along the trail from here on through the spring, keep an eye to the sky. A very early Common Black-hawk was seen by a Tucson Audubon group on Tuesday near Bridge Rd.

Based on my experience last year, there is a modest sized raptor migration coming north along the Santa Cruz River. Between March 6, 2007 and early May, I saw 20 Common Black-hawks, and many Red-tailed Hawks, Coopers Hawks, Black Vultures, and Turkey Vultures migrating north along the trail. Also, during the week beginning March 18th, I saw 7 Zone-tailed Hawks. Of course the Gray Hawks will be arriving about the same time to take up residence along our sections of the trail.

~ Jim Karp

HERONS, EGRETS, BITTERNS
Great Egret

DUCKS, GEESE, SWANS
Green-winged Teal

Mallard
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler

NEW WORLD VULTURES
Turkey Vulture

HAWKS, EAGLES, KITES
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk

FALCONS, CARACARAS
Crested Caracara

American Kestrel

NEW WORLD QUAIL
Gambel’s Quail

RAILS, GALLINULES, COOTS
American Coot

PLOVERS, LAPWINGS
Killdeer

PIGEONS, DOVES
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
White-winged Dove

CUCKOOS
Greater Roadrunner

HUMMINGBIRDS
Broad-billed Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird

KINGFISHERS
Belted Kingfisher

WOODPECKERS
Gila Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker

Gilded Flicker

TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
Gray Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Say’s Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher

WAGTAILS, PIPITS

American Pipit

KINGLETS
Ruby-crowned Kinglet

SILKY-FLYCATCHERS
Phainopepla

WRENS
Bewick’s Wren
House Wren

MOCKINGBIRDS, THRASHERS
Northern Mockingbird

Curve-billed Thrasher

THRUSHES

Western Bluebird

American Robin

CHICKADEES, TITS

Bridled Titmouse

NUTHATCHES

White-breasted Nuthatch

PENDULINE TITS
Verdin

CROWS, JAYS

Common Raven

STARLINGS
European Starling

OLD WORLD SPARROWS
House Sparrow

FINCHES, SISKINS, CROSSBILLS
House Finch
Red Crossbill

Pine Siskin

Lesser Goldfinch
Lawrence’s Goldfinch

WOOD WARBLERS
Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Black-throated Gray Warbler

SPARROWS, TOWHEES, JUNCOS
Green-tailed Towhee
Abert’s Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Brewer’s Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow

SALTATORS, CARDINALS, ALLIES
Northern Cardinal
Pyrrhuloxia

BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, GRACKLES, ETC.
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer’s Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle

Anza Trail Coalition of Arizona

Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail