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SPECIES SEEN
From 4/21/2008 to 4/27/2008 ~ 73 seen Though there has been a change in the particular species seen, the total number is remaining steady. This week the number was 73. The highlight for the week was the return of the Yellow-breasted Chat.  A few individuals singing this week along the trail will turn into a chorus over the next several weeks. To label the sounds that the Chat makes as a song is taking liberties with the concept. It emits an atonal series of squeaks, scolds, and harsh, raspy notes. It is very secretive, so hearing the Chat is the easy part. If you can ferret it out, however, this beauty is worth the hunt. The easy visual birding of the winter has clearly ended. It is so much harder to spot birds even when they are singing or seen moving nearby. A single cottonwood leaf or a little cluster of willow leaves can conceal a bird from the most persistent birder. It is this frustration that leads many birders to begin to learn bird songs. The trail this coming week will be alive with the songs of the Summer Tanager, Bell's Vireo, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, and on and on, and yet as my neighbor says, "it is just a bunch of chatter to me". Learning the songs of many of the birds either through listening to tapes or through many hours in the field or if you are very clever, by making sense out of the vocal descriptions given in the various field guides, it can add immeasurably to the fun of birding.  All three "myiarchus flycatchers" (Dusky-capped, Ash-throated, and Brown-Crested) can now be seen and heard in the trees along the trail. One can tell them apart if you get a good look,  but it is so much easier to differentiate them by song. The Common Yellowthroat warbler is singing its "witchity, witchity" song at many river-side locations. Good luck listening! ~ Jim Karp | DUCKS, GEESE, SWANS
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Mallard
NEW WORLD VULTURES
Black Vulture Turkey Vulture HAWKS, EAGLES, KITES
Cooper’s Hawk Gray Hawk Swainson'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 Common Ground Dove CUCKOOS
Greater Roadrunner
HUMMINGBIRDS
Broad-billed Hummingbird Black-chinned Hummingbird Anna's Hummingbird WOODPECKERS
Gila Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
Northern Beardless--Tyrannulet Gray Flycatcher Pacific-slope Flycatcher Say’s Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher Dusky-capped Flycatcher Ash-throated Flycatcher Brown-crested Flycatcher Cassin's Kingird Western Kingbird SWALLOWS
Norther Rough-winged Swallow Barn Swallow SILKY-FLYCATCHERS
Phainopepla | MOKINGBIRDS, THRASHERS Northern Mockingbird Curve-billed Thrasher 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
Bell's Vireo Warbling Vireo FINCHES, SISKINS, CROSSBILLS
House Finch Lesser Goldfinch
WOOD WARBLERS
Orange-crowned Warbler Lycy's Warbler Yellow Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Common Yellowthroat Wilson's Warbler Yellow-breasted Chat TANNAGERS, ALLIES Summer Tanager SPARROWS, TOWHEES, JUNCOS
Green-tailed Towhee Abert’s Towhee Rufous-winged Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow Lark Sparrow Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow SALTATORS, CARDINALS, ALLIES
Northern Cardinal Pyrrhuloxia Black-headed Grosbeak Lazuli Bunting BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, GRACKLES, ETC.
Red-winged Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Great-tailed Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Bullock's Oriole Scott's Oriole |
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