YARD BIRDS: 166 AND COUNTING

Quite a rarity in the U.S., this male Yellow Grosbeak showed up several times at the backyard pond (2 June 2007)

     A locally rare Aztec Thrush at our pond. This male was photographed from the kitchen window (9 July 2006) (Karen LeMay photo)

Ruddy Ground-Dove, a locally rare species, from a kitchen window (27 January 2005)

Montezuma Quail are regular late summer and occasional winter visitors. This pair was photographed from the house as they scratched in gravel just outside the back door (25 July 2006)

This male Rose-breasted Grosbeak was an unexpected winter visitor (13 January 2007)

A much flashier male showed up at suet on 1 May 2010 and remained for three days.

An out of range Ovenbird forages in the butterfly garden (31 May 2006)

      Several years later, another Ovenbird visited and stayed for most of the day            (19 May 2009). (Karen LeMay Photo)

Hermit Warbler has only shown up on a couple of occasions. This one dropped in for a bath on 3 May 2010.

One of two Greater Pewees that showed up in the yard on an unseasonally cold afternoon (30 April 2010)

More likely to be seen in cottonwoods along the San Pedro River, Summer Tanager is an infrequent visitor to the yard (22 April 2010)

Male Lucifer Hummingbird, an exceedingly local U.S breeder (23 April 2010)

Although frequently present less than a mile from our house, it was more than six years before we saw a Western Scrub-Jay in the yard (31 March 2010)

Another bird that nests nearby is Townsend's Solitaire and, again, it was six years before we recorded one in the yard. This individual stayed for several months and was a faithful visitor to berries on our Pyracantha shrubs (6 April 2010)

An icon of the Southwestern deserts, the Cactus Wren becomes less common as one ascends into the oaks. Here one waits its turn at a suet feeder (6 January 2008)

House Wren is an occasional visitor. This one, probably a migrant, was investigating a wood pile (20 April 2010)

This Bewick's Wren posed for us outside the kitchen window (13 February 2007) 

A female Cassin's Finch briefly joins the feeder flock (14 January 2008)

So far, the winter of 2007-2008 has been our best for Pine Siskins (23 January 2008)

Lawrence's Goldfinches appear in the yard several times a year. This was one of two males that visited the pond then fed below the kitchen window on 23 October 2009.

In our yard, American Goldfinch appears less frequently than Lawrence's Goldfinch (29 January, 2008)

    A Yellow-breasted Chat photographed by Karen through the kitchen window (6 May 2007)

Yellow-rumped Warblers clustered at the suet cage (28 December 2006)

Morning rush hour (24 July 2006)

Afternoon rush hour (13 September 2004)

Evening rush hour (17 Aug 2006)

Male Arizona Woodpecker at suet outside kitchen window (5 April 2004)

A Northern Flicker comes in for a bath (17 October 2009) (Karen LeMay photo)

Spotted Towhee-one of our three winter towhees (13 February 2007)

Green-tailed Towhee is one of our favorite yard birds. We saw none during the winter of 2009-2010 but in late April three showed up for a couple weeks (30 April 2010).

"Gray-headed Junco" is the least common of the western races of Dark-eyed Junco that visit the yard (20 April 2010)

A Golden-crowned Sparrow found in the yard by Linda Feltner was a nice addition to the 2009 Ramsey Canyon Christmas Bird Count (19 December 2009)

Hutton's Vireo is a species often associated with oaks. Here, one feeds at our homemade suet cakes (21 January 2007)

-- MORE PHOTOS BELOW -- 

Yard List: Forever a Work in Progress

NOVEMBER 2003

Canyon Towhee

Mourning Dove

Mexican Jay

Spotted Towhee

Bewick's Wren

Chipping Sparrow

House Finch

Lesser Goldfinch

Bridled Titmouse

Acorn Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Gila Woodpecker

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Red-tailed Hawk

White-breasted Nuthatch

Cooper's Hawk

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

Pyrrhuloxia

Anna's Hummingbird

Cactus Wren

Red-naped Sapsucker

House Sparrow

Lark Sparrow

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Cedar Waxwing

Chihuahuan Raven

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Say's Phoebe

Greater Roadrunner

White-winged Dove

Arizona Woodpecker

Verdin

White-crowned Sparrow

Williamson's Sapsucker

Cassin's Kingbird

Bushtit

Hutton's Vireo

Hermit Thrush

Curve-billed Thrasher

DECEMBER 2003

Vesper Sparrow

Steller's Jay

Savannah Sparrow

Magnificent Hummingbird

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Phainopepla

Sharp-shinned Hawk

JANUARY 2004

Gambel's Quail

FEBRUARY 2004

Northern Mockingbird

Black Phoebe

#50 Vermilion Flycatcher

MARCH 2004

Violet-green Swallow

Rufous Hummingbird

Lewis's Woodpecker

White-throated Swift

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Broad-billed Hummingbird

Lucy's Warbler

Turkey Vulture

Hepatic Tanager

Common Poorwill

Scott's Oriole

Bullock's Oriole

Elf Owl

Virginia's Warbler

Hooded Oriole

APRIL 2004

Dusky Flycatcher

Lazuli Bunting

Costa's Hummingbird

American Robin

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Orange-crowned Warbler

Calliope Hummingbird

Cassin's Vireo

Lucifer Hummingbird

Dusky-capped Flycatcher

Wilson's Warbler

Barn Swallow

Western Kingbird

Rock Pigeon

Bronzed Cowbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Black-headed Grosbeak

Common Raven

Peregrine Falcon

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Eurasian Collared-Dove

MAY 2004

Wild Turkey

Brown-crested Flycatcher

Western Tanager

Warbling Vireo

Great Horned Owl

Red-winged Blackbird

Blue Grosbeak

JUNE 2004

Montezuma Quail

Zone-tailed Hawk

Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher

Band-tailed Pigeon

#100 Common Nighthawk

Continued above on right

JULY 2004

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Western Screech Owl

Common Ground-Dove

Violet-crowned Hummingbird

AUGUST 2004

Painted Bunting

Nashville Warbler

Western Wood-Pewee

Botteri's Sparrow

Yellow Warbler

#110 Canyon Wren

MacGillivray's Warbler 

"Western" Flycatcher

Summer Tanager

SEPTEMBER 2004

Plumbeous Vireo

Lincoln's Sparrow

American Redstart (!)

Inca Dove

Varied Bunting

OCTOBER 2004

Lawrence's Goldfinch

#120 Northern Cardinal

Yellow-breasted Chat

Pine Siskin

Dark-eyed Junco

DECEMBER 2004

Western Bluebird

JANUARY 2005

Ruddy Ground-Dove (!)

American Goldfinch

MARCH 2005

Cassin's Finch

APRIL 2005

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (!)

Green-tailed Towhee

#130 Hermit Warbler

Townsend's Warbler

Gray Flycatcher

Red-faced Warbler

MAY 2005

Indigo Bunting

JULY 2005

Bell's Vireo

Swainson's Hawk

SEPTEMBER 2005

Vaux's Swift

Brewer's Sparrow

House Wren

OCTOBER 2005

#140 Blue-throated Hummingbird

Rock Wren

NOVEMBER 2005

Northern Harrier

Winter Wren

Brown Thrasher (!)

DECEMBER 2005

Meadowlark sp.

American Kestrel (2005 month?)

MARCH 2006

Painted Redstart

MAY 2006

Eastern Bluebird

Ovenbird (!)

JULY 2006

#150 Aztec Thrush (!)

AUGUST 2006

Cassin's Sparrow

SEPTEMBER 2006

Buff-breasted Flycatcher

JUNE 2007

Yellow Grosbeak (!)

SEPTEMBER 2007

Golden Eagle

Black-throated Sparrow

August 2008

Orchard Oriole

Osprey

May 2009

Swainson's Thrush

September 2009

Common Yellowthroat

October 2009

#160 Lesser Nighthawk

December 2009

Golden-crowned Sparrow

January 2010

Townsend's Solitaire

FEBRUARY 2010

Yellow-eyed Junco

MARCH 2010

Western Scrub-Jay

APRIL 2010

Hammond's Flycatcher

Greater Pewee

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Rufous Hummingbird in snow (19 March 2006)

One of a pair of Elf Owls that nested in our driveway utility pole (27 Mar 2004)

Lark Sparrows are with us pretty much year 'round. Here, one pauses for an afternoon sip at the pond (7 May 2007)

A Band-tailed Pigeon visited the garden (6 September 2006)

Montezuma Quail foraging in monsoon green Bermuda grass (subsequently replanted)outside the kitchen window (15 July 2004)

  

A Bridled Titmouse investigates a suet cake (19 Dec 2006)

This White-breasted Nuthatch dines at suet (20 Dec 2006) 

 

© Robert A. Behrstock 2010
Images may not be reproduced without the Photographer's permission.