November 25, 2021
Tucson has an excellent collection of parks. Best, perhaps, is Reid Park. It has a stylish residence for wayward victims of avian miscegenation. There are two ponds which feature lazy black-crowned night-herons, resident cormorants, and hundreds of freeloaders. This varied thrush showed up yesterday, found by mark Stevenson, with a bunch of American robins. It spent most of its time forging in a fruiting pistache tree along the rock-lined ditch which connects the ponds.
Earlier, yesterday, I was out looking for the Louisiana Waterthrush that is wintering in Madera Canyon near the Santa Rita Lodge. I’ve seen it once, and heard it several times but it has eluded my attempts to get a photo. Small consolation is the elegant trogon which was found well north (downstream) from its most recent sightings.
Columbus Park is another great bird spot in Tucson. There are two ponds connected by willow-lined canal which is the best spot for warblers. Recently, there were chestnut-sided, northern parula, Tennessee, Yellow, Wilson’s, Orange-crowned and Audubon’s warblers pretty much all at once. The two ponds host a large number of lazy Donalds, and a retired snow goose among the freeloaders. Not too many migrant ducks, however. Just one or two pintails and a single bufflehead. Hundreds of yellow-headed and red-winged blackbirds are seen each morning. The park is also popular with dogs. There was shooting there a week ago. At least there are no athletic fields or courts. The smaller lake is off-limits to fishing, while the larger one is open to anglers and has a nice selection of five and seven-eyed carp.
