Buntings and Grosbeaks and Becards, Oh My!
July 11, 2017
Over 230 species of birds have been recorded in Madera Canyon. I recently enjoyed seeing and/or hearing 43 of those, several considered uncommon for the area and 16 new to me. The identification of this many birds was due to the fact that I was with two experienced birders, Susan Brooks Fishburn and Steve Hosmer, among the top ten birders in Maricopa County.
Madera Canyon is nestled in the northern slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains, one of southeast Arizona’s forested "Sky Islands." The Sky Islands are named for how they pop out of the Sonoran Desert like stepping stones, and they are separated by miles of dry, hot desert. They rise high enough to produce cooler temperatures that allow plants, birds and animals to thrive that could not survive in the desert below. With an excessive heat warning already in effect for the day, we got an early start, but even at the higher elevation, it was already 83 degrees when we made our first official birding stop along the narrow, paved road to the Canyon.
The Colors of the Canyon. There is no doubt that color was the highlight of our day. As we drove south, heat rippled and blurred the browns of the desert floor, the golden color of the grassy fields were dotted with gray-green cacti and the impossible blue of the sky, all running together like a watercolor. We ascended into the canyon amid fluttering green Arizona sycamore, cottonwood, hackberry and ash trees, all of which like to keep their feet cool in the area's active springs and seasonal creek. Several lodges along the road through the canyon cater to the birding community by offering viewing areas staged with feeders and water features that attract a variety of birds and wildlife. The birds were as colorful as they were plentiful, from the scarlet cap adorning the black and white Acorn Woodpecker to the buttery yellow of the Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher; from the shimmering, iridescent hues of the hummingbirds, to the rich, royal blues of the Blue Grosbeak and Varied Bunting. Soft grays and buffs of bedrock and boulders rounded out the painterly palette of our day.
After birding the area for several hours, we headed further south to search for a Rose-throated Becard pair reported to be nesting on the banks of the Santa Cruz River further in Tumacacori. It was not hard to find the site as it was well marked by birders before us, and we were able to get some distant shots of the female as she dashed in and out of the nest and the male, who was perched on a nearby branch. Fortunately, Steve got pictures good enough for documentation purposes since this species is considered a rare visitor to the area. Satisfied with our fruitful day, we headed home, as hot and dusty as the desert itself, our water bottles empty. However, one more unexpected stop at the Armado Wastewater Treatment Plant yielded a look at a couple of unusual Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and an uncommon-for-this-time-of-year Eared Grebe.
All the Bells and Whistles (and Squeaks). Many experienced birders depend on a bird’s sound as its call or song may be the only evidence of their presence in the area. I'm still learning to interpret these delightful squeaks and whistles, chirps and chatters, so my experienced birding partners were a big help. Turn your volume up and click here to listen to hear a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, who sounds like a dog's squeaky toy, the melodious trilling of the Black-throated Sparrow and the heckling call of the Mexican Jay. You'll see pictures below of these birds and more from our Madera Canyon "twitching" tour (as Susan called it). My thanks to Susan and Steve for a great experience.
Click on one of the images to see them all as a slide show and thanks again for joining me on this adventure.
