Tucson Audubon Field Trip Report by Tim Helentjaris
This
morning (Sept. 8, 2015) I led a Tucson Audubon field trip to both Pena Blanca Canyon and the
nearby Lake, ostensibly to look for the recent sightings of Rufous-capped
Warblers and Green Kingfisher. Not surprisingly, we dipped on both of
these, they haven’t been reported for several days, but we did find some other
nice birds.
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Male Elegant Trogon with juvenile by Pete Baum |
In Pena Blanca Canyon, we walked a little over a mile in and just past the RcWa stake-out spot. Got many of the expected birds for the oak-grassland habitat in this somewhat open drainage, DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER, HUTTONS VIREO, BRIDLED TITMOUSE, etc. On our way back out, we watched a pair of ELEGANT TROGONS (a male and a juvenile) actively feeding in a sycamore tree for some time. Seemed to be a pulse of WILSONS WARBLERS moving through as the most common warbler with several feeding in some different sycamores. Also picked up BLACK-THROATED GRAY and ORANGE0-CROWNED WARBLERS as well as a PAINTED REDSTART. Watched a presumed PEREGRINE FALCON soaring with some TURKEY VULTURES high over head. Also GRAY HAWKS and a young RED-TAILED HAWK complaining loudly from a cliff.
At the lake, walking around the southern end, we observed two YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS a couple of times, actively feeding along the lake. The first time, I spotted them in literally the same tree I saw them feeding young in on Sept 19 of last year! Again saw both WILSONS and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS there as well, but a late season LUCYS WARBLER was a nice find near the picnic ground as we ate some lunch. No Green Kingfisher but did refind a BELTED KINGFISHER flying around the south end.
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Barn Owl by Dan Weisz |
On the way back, shorts stops around Rio Rico produced a BARN OWL and several BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS at the nearby pond, now becoming seriously dry.
Here are some of the great sightings from the day.
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By Pete Baum |
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Green Heron by Pete Baum |
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Black-tailed rattlesnake by Dan Weisz |
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Lucy's Warbler by Pete Baum |
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Morning glory by Dan Weisz |
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Black-tailed rattlesnake by Dan Weisz |
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Black-tailed rattlesnake by Deanna Mac Phail |
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Canyon tree frog by Dan Weisz |
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Widow skipper by Dan Weisz |
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