1/28 to 2/3

SPECIES SEEN
From 1/28/2008 to 2/3/2008 ~ 65 seen

In a normal week, I walk various segments of the Anza Trail for 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours on 3 mornings.

For me there are 4 segments to the trail. The northern most goes from Bridge Rd. in Tubac north across the golf resort to the ranch gate past the golf course. The second segment goes south from Bridge Rd. around the “borrow pit” south of the kiosk and back along the spur into Tubac at the Presidio. The third departs south from the trail entrance in the Santiago section of Barrio de Tubac housing development down to the Tumacacori Mission property boundary, and back. The final segment is off Rio Rico Rd. at Exit 17 on I-19. The trail begins just across the Santa Cruz River and heads north.

My walks are 1 to 1 ½ hours north and return at a birders pace. I am including the information here to provide bearings to report more accuratley unusual bird sightings. For example, though not seen this week, Crested Caracaras have been seen each week during January about an hour north of the Rio Rico entrance to the trail.

This weeks report has two suspect sightings.

The Pied-billed Grebe and the Great Egret are two species you would not normally see along the trail. I cheated a little. When I leave the Rio Rico segment I drive east about ¼ mile and scan 2 ponds on the south side of Rio Rico Rd. In the second, larger pond I found the grebe and egret.

More next week ~ Jim Karp

GREBES
Pied-billed Grebe

HERONS, EGRETS, BITTERNS
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret

DUCKS, GEESE, SWANS
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler

NEW WORLD VULTURES
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture

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

FALCONS, CARACARAS
American Kestrel

NEW WORLD QUAIL
Gambel’s Quail

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

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

KINGLETS
Ruby-crowned Kinglet

SILKY-FLYCATCHERS
Phainopepla

WRENS
Bewick’s Wren
House Wren

MOCKINGBIRDS, THRASHERS
Northern Mockingbird

THRUSHES

Western Bluebird

GNATCATCHERS
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

CHICKADEES, TITS

Bridled Titmouse

NUTHATCHES

White-breasted Nuthatch

PENDULINE TITS
Verdin

CROWS, JAYS

Common Raven

STARLINGS
European Starling

OLD WORLD SPARROWS
House Sparrow

VIREOS, ALLIES
Hutton’s Vireo

FINCHES, SISKINS, CROSSBILLS
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Lawrence’s Goldfinch

WOOD WARBLERS
Yellow-rumped Warbler

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

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