February 27, 2024
Northern Harrier, (M) AKA Gray Ghost, Buckeye 2-25-24
I made another voyage to Buckeye hoping to find the White Ibis that has been seen sort-of regularly in flooded fields around Buckeye. Had I found and photographed the ibis, the title of this post would be different. I left Green Vally at 4 am and arrived at Buckeye at about 6:45 am – just before sunrise. After cruising around much of the large agricultural area from Buckeye to Arlington I finally found, at about noon, a field being flooded with about 150 White-faced Ibis in attendance. It was at near the spot that the great white-one had been seen the previous day. Alas – no whitey. Damn. I was done. Had I stayed another hour or so and watched the herd of White-faced the mystical white-one might have appeared. This was my third try. Round trip is about 420 miles. I will try again.
Buckeye is growing fast. The burbs are close by. It would not be a bad place to spend a year-or-so birding every day. There is almost always a flooded field somewhere in the vicinity. Peeps.
Northern Harrier, (M) AKA Gray Ghost, Buckeye 2-25-24
The male Harrier is a handsome bird. The female, not so much.
Northern Harrier, AKA Gray Ghost, Buckeye 2-25-24
Sunrise over Buckeye AZ 2-25-24
Cape May Warbler, Patagonia, 2-24-24
The outrageous adult male Cape May Warbler continues in the same tree it has foraged since the middle of December. Why is this bird in breeding plumage?
