In the Thick of It

Hey Readers!

Having recently returned from an epic out-of-county birding trip, I was beginning to miss my favorite county, Maricopa.  A great chance to add a bunch of new birds to my MC list came up when a Thick-billed Kingbird was reported at the Hassayampa River Preserve!  The TBKI is pretty much one of Arizona's Southeastern Specialties, so having it this far north was pretty wild!  Saturday the 21st of May seemed to be my best opportunity for the bird.  Figuring that Tommy D (the King of Maricopa) would also want to chase this bird, I sent him a text asking if he would be interested in joining forces Saturday morning.  He said he was already planning to be there with Gordon Karre and that I was welcome to join them.

I hadn't birded any of Maricopa County's riparian areas up until this point, so you can imagine that I needed a lot of birds!  My Dad and I arrived at the US 60 Rest Area at 6:30 am to bird a while before the Hassayampa River Preserve opened.  I quickly spotted a male Summer Tanager - a county lifer for me!  Other birds I noticed here included a few Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, a couple Vermilion Flycatchers, two Ash-throated Flycatchers, a single Brown-crested Flycatcher, and a Lucy's Warbler.

This Ornate Tree Lizard was also a nice catch at the rest stop

After wandering around the rest stop's parking lot for 10 minutes or so, I noticed that Tommy had pulled up also.  Makes sense that he too would be checking out this area beforehand.  We drove into the preserve after talking for a little while at the rest stop.        

In the preserve's parking lot, Tommy, my Dad, and I met up with Gordon.  He had a nice custom license plate for his car that read "Elf Owl".  A Yellow-breasted Chat sang loudly from a mesquite right in the front of cars.  the chat was yet another new Maricopa bird for me.  Before paying our entrance fee, we met up with Dale Clark, Babs Buck, and a few of her friends who were also searching for the kingbird.  The preserve's building had some nice exhibits that I would have more thoroughly examined had I not been so preoccupied with finding the kingbird.  Not only was I hoping for the Thick-billed Kingbird, but I was also excited to find the Tropical Kingbirds and Gray Hawks which reach their northernmost range at Hassayampa.

Once we paid the entrance fee, Gordon, Tommy, Dale, my Dad, and I set off towards the Mesquite Meander Trail to search for the kingbird.  On the way, I noticed the call of a Pacific-slope Flycatcher which was another county lifer!  Migrants such as Western Wood Pewees, Hammond's Flycatchers, Yellow Warblers, Wilson's Warblers, and Lazuli Buntings were also detected.  After stopping mid way along the Mesquite Meander Trail, we quickly picked out some Tropical Kingbirds - a lifer for me!

Then, I noticed a large flycatcher in a nearby snag.  I paused for a moment, thought about what else it could be, and then called out "I think I've got it over here!"  Tommy and the other birders rushed over and gazed in wonder at their first Thick-billed Kingbird for Maricopa County!  Tommy got some insurance photos and then gave me a fist bump.  I could only hope to find as many birds as he has in this county!  We wanted to say a lot, but said nothing.  We just watched this massive flycatcher up on its perch as it called very loudly.

This Bullock's Oriole also made a brief appearance for us

After a few minutes, the kingbird flew northward towards some dense mesquites.  Tommy and I went off trail briefly to attempt to relocate the bird.  We found nothing apart from a Blue Grosbeak's metallic call.  That Blue Grosbeak was my first for the county.  Since this particular location was the kingbird's go-to spot, we decided to camp out for a while hoping it would come back.  The trail was mostly quiet.  A cardinal sang occasionally.  A pair of Western Tanagers flew overhead.  Some White-throated Swifts passed over us high in the sky.  I started walking around the area a little and got excited when a large flycatcher popped into a bush.  It was a Brown-crested Flycatcher though.  I walked around a little more and saw something pass me overhead.  It was the Thick-billed Kingbird!  It vanished into some cottonwoods.  While we were all searching the cottonwoods, Gordon pointed out the bird towards the top of one of the trees!

  

The group taking in some awesome views of the TBKI

After 10 minutes or so of watching, we decided to leave the kingbird alone and move on in search of other birds.  We stopped to check out a Warbling Vireo when Gordon and I heard a Gray Hawk's peacock-like cry!  The GRHA was a lifer for me, although a heard-only.  Eventually, we reached the small Palm Lake where many cool birds such as Swainson's Thrushes and Wood Ducks had been reported recently.  We had Red-winged Blackbirds and a Common Yellowthroat there.  We stopped by a dense tangle of willows to look and listen for Willow Flycatchers.  fitz-bew.  fitz-bew.  The endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher called again faintly, but distinctly.  What a neat call - and a neat lifer!

By this time, I was pushing it to be on time for an Audubon volunteer orientation, so I decided to take off early.  Right as I was shaking hands with the birders to say goodbye, my Maricopa lifer Canyon Wren sang in the distance!  What a wonderful song.  On the way out, I stopped to check the hummingbird feeders for the Broad-billed Hummingbirds that had been reported earlier.  After 5 minutes of grueling anticipation, a male showed up and chased all the other hummers away!  Yet another score for Maricopa County!

In summary, I had the following lifers at Hassayampa:  1. Tropical Kingbird  2. Thick-billed Kingbird  3. Gray Hawk  4. Willow Flycatcher

My Maricopa lifers were: 1. Summer Tanager  2. Yellow-breasted Chat  3. Pacific-slope Flycatcher  4. Tropical Kingbird  5. Thick-billed Kingbird  6. Blue Grosbeak  7. Gray Hawk  8. Willow Flycatcher  9. Canyon Wren  10. Broad-billed Hummingbird


Godspeed and good birding,

- Joshua

My Old Patch

Most birders have patches even if they don't know what a patch is.  A patch is simply a certain area that you spend a lot of time at looking for birds.  This could be your backyard or even a major birding hotspot.  My first patch was located behind my church in Claremont, CA.  More specifically, the empty land on either side of Webb Canyon Road.  It was a great place to explore; there were grassy fields, chaparral, and oak woodlands.  It was there that I started birding seriously.

One of the many giant live oaks that comprised the small woodland

The chaparral habitat

I have loved animals; especially birds since a very young age.  My parents knew it and encouraged me to learn more by giving me books to read and wildlife documentaries to watch.  I was practically raised on Zaboomafoo and Steve Irwin!  In 2012, I saw a movie called The Big Year.  It was comedy about 3 birders who were competing to see the greatest number of bird species in a calendar year.  I watched intently as they added species to their life lists - I had never heard of listing before.  Immediately after finishing the film, I started compiling a list of the bird species I had seen.  I eventually bought my first field guide - Peterson's Guide To The Birds Of North America.  I also bought a cheap pair of binoculars and a point-and-shoot camera.  Now armed with the tools of the trade, I proceeded to explore my favorite patch.  It seemed that every time I went out, I saw something new.  Eventually, it became more and more difficult to find life birds and I shifted my focus to insects, then plants, and finally herps.  Eventually, I returned to my love of birding.  I paid more attention to the birds in the area and wound up finding a few more life birds.  I studied their habits, songs, and arrivals/departures quite extensively.  Unfortunately, I did all of this before I knew about eBird.  If you don't know what eBird is, then I highly recommend that you look it up.  It's an excellent way to keep track of your sightings and those of others all around the world.  Every time you upload a checklist, the site generates life, year, month, country, state, and county lists saving you hours of organization!

Back to my old patch now...

I have observed over 80 species of birds there during my years of birding.  To finish this post, I want to share with you some of the memorable birds that I spent time with at my old patch.

Pacific-slope Flycatchers are common in Spring and Summer.

I often heard their "peerweet" call from the oaks.

Once, I found a Steller's Jay in a Toyon bush.  

It was quite unusual to see it at such a low elevation.

The Wrentit is a Pacific Coast specialty.  

At my old patch, I could hear their unique songs on occasion.

The California Thrasher was arguably my favorite bird to find there.

Phainopepla were common during Summer.

This colorful male Hooded Oriole and its mate would come through 

the area on occasion in the Summer.

I had the pleasure of finding a male Purple Finch eating some Toyon berries one foggy morning.

Godspeed and good birding,

- Joshua