Birding Sedona AZ & the Grand Canyon

Lucy's Warbler - My first if 16 lifers on this trip!

I think this southwestern usa trip resulted in about 16 life birds - and one of my first new birds -a surprise- was a Lucy's Warbler! I was at a train area and a scrubby area nearby was alive with birdsong. Merlin revealed this warbler to me and I attempted to find it quickly. 

Sedona AZ was a town we passed through which was quite beautiful. The red soil and mind blowing geography really makes this place quite special. My family hike a nature trail called "devils bridge"... we didnt make it as we were weary after 1 mile into the path.

Anicia Checkerspot

My target bird from Sedona was a single bird species - a Juniper Titmouse!  Along the this great bird... I had seen a Juniper Hairstreak as well as a Brown Elfin flitting around the juniper and desert scrub habitat. 

Juniper Titmouse - in a Juniper

We moved on from Sedona AZ up to Flagstaff AZ, then William's AZ (famouse for being part of "Route 66"--- the purpose being to visit the Grand Canyon. 

It was quite beautiful. This was a "Bucket list" item I had long wanted to acheive. I didnt make too much effort on birding but I did carry a camera on my shoulder to document any birdlife. Western Bluebirds, Mountain Chickadee, Stellars Jay and Woodhouse Scrub Jay were noteworthy birds that I noted. I would have loved to have seen a California Vulture but I dipped on this carion loving giant. 

Grand Canyon

Mountain Chickadee

Woodhouse Scrub Jay

Stellar's Jay

Checkered white (or Spring White)

I had some good luck with birds on this trip, but my butterfly watching efforts were relatively poor. Many butterflies simply flew off without landing which was quite upsetting. I occasionally wondered if I should just give up on lepidoptera observing... . But in the grand scheme... I can't complain. I am blessed that I can travel and show my family the vast beauty of North America. If I can do some modest birdwatching while doing that... then its a bonus on top of a blessing.

Good birding,

Dwayne

Lifer summary:

Juniper Titmouse 487

Woodhouse scrub Jay 488

Lucy's warbler 489

Birding Silverwood Lake in San Bernadino California

 

Silverwood Lake State Park - San Bernadino California

Part 1 - Trestles Beach - San Clement CA

Part 2 - (this post) Silverwood lake - Cajun Pass CA

Part 3 - Grand Canyon Birding -Williams AZ 

Hey Y'all,

I had a few birding and butterfly sightings on my most recent trip out to the southwestern corner of the USA.

During the last week my family visited a few spots in the southwest such as Phoenix AZ, Flagstaff AZ, Williams AZ then we moved towards California. Arizona is breathtakingly beautiful... as is California.

At Silverwood Lake ... some targets were:

Oak Titmouse

Mountain Quail

California Scrub Jay

Wrentit

The Oak titmouse was a big priority for me as one of the first sparkbirds for me was the lovable "tufted titmouse" back in Windsor.

California Thrasher

Acorn Woodpecker

Lewis's Woodpecker

Lewis's Woodpecker

Mountain Quail

California Scrub Jay

Western Bluebird

Oak Titmouse

Wrentit

Seeing a Lewis's Woodpecker (4!) Was a brilliant surprise! A lewis's woodpecker has dramic perch - flycatch - return flight... remenisent of an olive sided flycatcher.

This was a beautiful spot, and my son Micheal joined me here while my wife and my older boy spent the morning rail fannning.

Some butterlies seen here were: 

Sara Orangetip

Western Brown Elfin

Propertius Duskywing

Funereal Duskywing

Painted Ladies 

Others...

Propertius Duskywing

One the way to this park, I stopped along a valley bottom with scrub - desert- meadow habitat and the bird life was impressive.

Merlin picked up golden crowned sparrow, bells sparrowand a few other cool birds but I was unable to see them. 

I had also birded a park which was supposed to have Sonora Blue Butterflies but I was unable to find them. I did however pick out a Swainson's Hawk overhead. 

Silvery Blue (western)

Sara Orangetip

Swainson's Hawk

Bushtit

Another random beach that we visited on route to San Clemnte feature the following birds:

Rock wren

Loon Sp.

Spotted Sandpiper

Hudsonian Whimbrel

Good Birding!

Lifer summary: 

Oak titmouse 481

Mountain Quail 482

Wrentit 483

California Scub Jay 484

California Thrasher 485

California Towhee 486

Birding Trestles Beach in San Clemente Ca

 

Heermann's Gull - a beautiful & threatened gull

I woke up early from my hotel in San Clemente California and headed out just 3/4 of a mile to a birding hotspot - Trestles Beach. Its named this because there is a train tressle allowing a train to go over the low lying wetlands and waterways at this beach. Using ebird's "bar charts' I was able to predict a few bird species that might be present in mid march. I must confess that I still struggle with gull identification... but the the Heermann's Gull is stunningly unique with its grey colouration. Even your humble author can distinguish them without much difficulty.

Target birds: 

Allens Hummingbird

Nuttals Woodpecker

Huttons Vireo

Heermann's Gull

My time in SoCal was coming to an end and I still had a handful of birds I was hoping to see.

Amazingly, I found all these birds with relative ease. 

I also found some neat birds that were pleasent surprises. Such as 8 western snowy plovers. 

Nuttals Woodpecker

(Western) Snowy Plovers - struggling to survive on their native beach habitat

Hudsonian Whimbrel

Black Turnstones

Allen's Hummingbird

Huttons Vireo

Scaly-breasted munia

Western Gull

Behr's Metalmark

Western Pygmy Blue

Not lifers, but I had also seen Annas & Costas Hummingbirds as well.

Later when I got back to my Hotel, I realized that the copper and rust coloured hummingbird was perched on the trees and telephone wires as I walked down to the beach!

Good Birding!

Lifer Checklist:

Allen's Hummingbird 473

Black Turnstones 474

Heermann's Gull 475

Hutton's Vireo 476

Nuttals Woodpecker 477

Scaly-breasted munia 478

Western Gull 479

Swinhoes white eye 480