Peppersauce Campground and Canyon

Field Trip Report
By Bob and Prudy Bowers

What a delightful day yesterday (March 2) in Peppersauce Campground/Canyon. Absolutely perfect weather combined with an enthusiastic group of bird spotters, listeners and identifiers; the perfect combination to find some great birds and we did. 31 species in all including 9 Turkey Vultures, 3 woodpeckers (Gila, Acorn and Ladder-backed), Northern Flicker and Red-naped Sapsucker, Dusky Flycatcher (in the campground, initially mistaken for a Western Wood-Pewee), Mexican Jays, Bridled Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatches, singing Canyon Wrens, 3 Painted Redstarts, 10 Dark-eyed Juncos (2 Oregon subspecies, 8 Pink-sided subspecies), 2 Yellow-eyed Juncos. With so much water flowing downstream from the spring, we even found a Black Phoebe. Another surprise was a Spotted Towhee.

We missed (by two hours) the 53 Wild Turkeys the campground host counted earlier this morning. The host, Jerry, is putting seed out in the campground area, which accounted for the large number of Juncos, and maybe the growing population of turkeys, which had not been recorded in Peppersauce until we found them a couple of years ago.

Other great news about the campground is that they have undertaken a serious cleanup and painting of the pit toilets, a major and much appreciated improvement.

Complete bird checklist below the photos.

Thanks again to everyone who joined us. Stay tuned for additional trips this month!

Good birding!
Bob and Prudy

Back again, the saguaro-nesting Great Horned Owl south of SaddleBrooke Ranch on our way to Peppersauce. Note the rebar some vandal has wounded the saguaro with directly below the nest. Who would do that and why? 

Soft morning light and singing birds welcome our group to Peppersauce Campground

This White-breasted Nuthatch perched overhead and sang for 5 minutes

Mexican Jays were abundant and vocal along the Rice Hill trail

This colorful Red-naped Sapsucker paid no attention to us while breakfasting on juniper berries

Peppersauce Campground, Pinal, Arizona, US
Mar 2, 2016 8:20 AM - 12:05 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.25 mile(s)

Turkey Vulture 9
Cooper's Hawk 3
Harris's Hawk 1 Black hawk with reddish-brown shoulders, white tail band and tip, ;yellow bill. Flew across road above the campground in area where they are commonly seen.
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Acorn Woodpecker 7
Gila Woodpecker 4
Red-naped Sapsucker 2
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker 3
Dusky Flycatcher 1
Black Phoebe 1
Mexican Jay 9
Common Raven 3
Bridled Titmouse 3
Verdin 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Canyon Wren 4
Bewick's Wren 2
Cactus Wren 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 6
Hermit Thrush 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 7
Painted Redstart 3
Chipping Sparrow 24
Black-chinned Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco 10 2 Oregon subspecies, 8 Pink-sided subspecies
Yellow-eyed Junco 2
White-crowned Sparrow 4
Lincoln's Sparrow 1
Spotted Towhee 1
Lesser Goldfinch 2

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S27932170