May 13, 2023
Varied Bunting Box Canyon 5-12-2023
Varied Buntings have begun to show up in the region. The Spring migration was a bit slow and poor, but a few buntings, Lazuli, Indigo and this psychedelic Varied have appeared.
Fan-tailed Warbler Box Canyon 5-13-23
On May 12, a Fan-tailed Warbler was heard and recorded in Box Canyon. It was seen by one visiting birder. The Arizona pros listened to the recording and gave it “thumbs up.” I was there at the time, and listened to the recording, but since I was unfamiliar with the song, and the finder of the bird was likewise it was not until later in the morning that it was ID’d correctly. Several birders searched and listened without success from the road well above the canyon where the noise had originated. So this morning I got out there early with Heidi Dohman and along with several others including Nolan Walker we failed to hear or see it. A bit later Mary Backus, Heidi and I were at the dam at the east end of the canyon when the warbler flew over our shoulders and disappeared into the vegetation along the small stream which flowed from the base of the silted-in dam. A moment later Heidi found the bird. It flew back and forth and allowed for a few OK photos. I posted the bird on two of our local list serves and a mob of perhaps twenty people showed up – they all, so far as I know, saw the bird.
This is the third one of this species seen since last fall. One at Granite Reef, and one in a miserable spot in north Tucson.
Fan Tailed Warbler Box Canyon 5-13-23
Flame-colored Tanager 5-11-23
Flame-colored Tanager Miller Canyon 5-11-23
Flame-colored Tanager Miller Canyon 5-9-23
Two Flame-colored Tanagers were found on May 8, 2023 about 0.4 miles up from Beatty’s gate in Miller Canyon. I visited the spot the next day and was able to get a few decent photos. I returned on the 11th arrived at the spot at ~6 a.m. Within 10 seconds a pair of Hepatic Tanagers appeared followed by the two Flame-coloreds landed in a large sycamore close by. Amazing. We heard from Nolan Walker, who was leading a group to the site, that the White-eared Hummingbird which was daily last year, had just arrived the day before at Beatty’s Hummingbird Pavilion. We left the tanager spot and went down the trail to Beatty’s gate and made our way to the shaded pavilion where the male White-eared appeared after a few minutes.
White-eared Hummingbird Beatty’s 5-11-23
White-eared Hummingbird Beatty’s 5-11-23
Berylline Hummingbird Santa Rita Lodge 5-10-23
This Berylline Hummingbird, apparently returning for its third year, appeared at the Santa Rita Lodge. Like the last two years it hides in a large pyracantha bush and ventures out to raid the feeders. It could be the progeny of last year’s bird.
Five-striped Sparrow Box Canyon 5-12-23
Gilded Flicker Pena Blanca Lake 5-2-23
This female Gilded Flicker paired up with a Northern red-shafted. This would be illegal in Mississippi.
Thick-billed Kingbird Santa Gertrudis 4-22-23
Santa Gertrudis is a well-known spot along the mighty Santa Cruz River for returning kingbirds.
American Kestrel and Mickey Mouse Pena Blanca Lake 5-2-23