Birding in Phoenix AZ --- Mid February 2025

 

Say's Phoebe

Hey All, I attended a wedding in Phoenix AZ over the last three days - and thought I would share some birding highlights. I was in Phoenix with my family and even my dad for 3 days, 2 nights.  I think any birder in eastern north america needs to put a trip to Arizona on their birding bucket list. Its a completely different ecosystem from the Carolinian Life Zone that spoils us with our most common species. The gorgeous mountains along the horizon are stunning. Arizona is also the hummingbird capital of the US - with 14 species! 

I found one life bird --- a Costa's Hummingbird quite easily at my first birdwatching destination. A few other (potential lifers) that had been seen lately at the rio-salada center were golden-crowned sparrow and grey hawk - an accipiter of the SW'ern US. 

Costa's Hummingbird

Below I list out 3 locations I birded in the three days I was in Phoenix:

Desert Botany Garden (Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona | DBG)

Costa's Hummingbird

Curve billed Thrasher

Cactus Wren

Marine Blue Butterfly

Rio Salada - Audubon Center ( Rio Salado Audubon Center )

Anna's Hummingbird

Audubon's Yellow Rumped Warbler

Say's Phoebe

Black Phoebe

Gambel's Quail

Black tailed Gnatcatcher

Base and Meridian Wildlife Area - Base and Meridian Wildlife Area — Maricopa Audubon Society

Anna's Hummingbird

Road Runner

Cinnamon Teal

Harris's Hawk

Road Runner --- Running across the road.

This is my second time to the beautiful state of Arizona.  I had gone a few years back to SE Arizona a few years ago listed out in a 7-series blog posting. See this link for blog posting 5 of 7 Nerdy for Birdy: Part 5 of 7 - Birding Cave Creek Canyon - Portal AZ

Good Birding!

Dwayne

Lifer Summary (last 5 life birds):

Black crested Titmouse (TX) 466
Snowy Plover (TX) 467
Neotropical Cormorant (TX) 468
White tailed Kite (TX) 469
Least Grebe (TX) 470
Bachman's Sparrow (FL) 471
Costa's Hummingbird (AZ) 472

Southeast Arizona Birding Day 2 - Brown Canyon Ranch, Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve

Day two of my Southeast Arizona birding trip was great. I was able to go to Brown Canyon, which is only a few minutes away from Sierra Vista AZ. I also went to Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, and the "Paton Hummingbird House" which was pretty amazing. I also went to Box Canyon which will be the topic of my next posting.

3.5 Sierra Vista Highway
 Harris's Hawk 427

Wednesday July 31st 2019:
4. Brown Canyon Ranch, Sierra Vista, AZ 85650, USA
 Dusky Capped Flycatcher 427
 Acorn Woodpecker 428
 Ladder Backed Woodpecker 429
 Canyon Towhee 430
 Botteri's Sparrow 431
 Montezuma Quail 431 (Heard only)
 Anna's Hummingbird 432
 Pyrrhuloxia 433
 Mexican Jay 434

5. Ramsay Canyon, 27 E Ramsey Canyon Rd (Nature Conservancy), Hereford, AZ 85615, USA

Brown Canyon and Ramsey Canyon are basically adjacent to each other. Driving up to this area was pretty amazing! I was there at 6am, just after sunrise, but it was easy to see Ladder-backed and Gila Woodpeckers on the telephone posts along the road.  Pyrrhuloxia (which looks like a cardinal) was seen, along with "Mexican Azure Bluebirds" (a subspecies of eastern bluebirds), various flycatchers, kingbirds, sparrows, Acorn Woodpeckers... its was pretty amazing. At the Brown Canyon Ranch, I had heard Montazuma Quail (pointed out to me by another birder), Botteri's Sparrows (common), Says Phoebe, Vermillion Flycatcher, Anna's Hummingbirds, and Cayon Towhee.

Not Western Bluebirds ! These are "Mexican Azure Bluebirds" - A subspecies of Eastern Bluebirds!

6. Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve Visitor Center, 150 Blue Heaven Road, Patagonia, AZ 85624, USA (And Paton Hummingbird Center)

 Violet Capped Hummingbird 436

 Black Phoebe 437

 Inca Dove 438

 Gambels Quail 439

 Cassin's Sparrow 440 (grasslands between canyons)

 Phainopepla 441

Patagonia-Sonoita area, with the Paton Center for Hummingbirds,  was surprisingly awesome. Upon arrival, I had seen Gambels Quail (with chicks), Violet crowned Hummingbird, Black Phoebe, Inca Dove. On the way to this site, while driving though grassy habitat between mountains - I stopped along the side of the road for a quick break (I had lots of coffee that morning) and I noticed a singing sparrow. To my amazement, the sparrow would sing and take flight in a brief skylarking show. It was pretty cool to see this ... because this behavior is unique to Cassin's Sparrows!

I actually went to a place called "Box Canyon" after I went to Patagonia-Sonoita but I will push that into its own posting because ... it was that good. 

Good birding!

Dwayne