Gladly gone to Arizona for the winter
- Bruce Glick: Gone Birding
- January 19, 2022
- 812
After our failed attempt to head south last winter due to COVID-19 and some health issues, we successfully made the three-day journey to Green Valley, Arizona early in January. We are renting a place at the Green Valley RV Park, a new experience for us here in Southern Arizona. So far it has worked out well, with friendly neighbors and a nice view of Mt. Wrightson and Madera Canyon in the distance.
The common birds in the park include lesser goldfinch, Gila woodpecker, house sparrow, verdin, cactus wren, mourning dove, Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds, and common raven. We also have seen white-winged and Eurasian-collared doves and several northern mockingbirds.
After several days of getting settled in and visiting the local grocery store, we drove to Madera Canyon, our favorite destination, where a trail along a mountain stream draws a lot of people and birds. We heard one male elegant trogon is wintering along the stream, although we didn’t see it on our first visit. The warbler family was well represented including black-throated gray, yellow-rumped, Townsend’s and painted redstart.
We saw lots of Mexican jays, bridled titmice and acorn woodpeckers, along with one Arizona woodpecker and a red-naped sapsucker. The only hummingbird that showed up at the Madera Cabins feeders was a beautiful Rivoli’s, formerly called magnificent hummingbird. One of our favorite birds, a hepatic tanager, showed up at the feeders while we were there. The resident flock of wild turkeys also was present, cleaning up under the feeders.
Several days later we walked along the Anza Trail in Green Valley. There we heard and saw an ash-throated flycatcher and a male broad-billed hummingbird. Nearby at Canoa Ranch Park, the small lake hosted a nice variety of ducks including American wigeon, northern pintail, bufflehead, ring-necked duck, redhead, canvasback and American coots. One lone eared grebe also was present.
Sparrows and other birds were in the brushy habitat around the lake, with white-crowned being the most common, along with vesper, Brewer’s and Lincoln’s sparrows, plus one Bewick’s wren. An American kestrel patrolled the area while both black phoebe and Say’s phoebes were present near the lake. One brilliant vermilion flycatcher was showing off from easily visible perches. A killdeer called, and we flushed a meadowlark, which probably was an eastern but there are some westerns around as well.
My favorite bird so far has been Lawrence’s goldfinch. These striking goldfinches are unusual and quite erratic in their wintering range. The last two winters we were in Arizona, they couldn’t be found, but this year we have already seen three flocks on our walks in Green Valley. So far we have seen only one turkey vulture and one northern cardinal.
Checking on bird sightings in Ohio and Indiana, there haven’t been a lot of rare birds reported. A Cape May warbler and an orange-crowned warbler headed the list, along with a Baltimore oriole at Kent Miller’s feeders in Stark County. All three are unusual during the winter. Ross’s goose, greater white-fronted goose, catbird and hermit thrush also have been reported. Further away, a Barrow’s goldeneye has been drawing birders to Michigan.
Good birding.
Email Bruce Glick at bglick2@gmail.com.