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 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * |
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)
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A Bridled Titmouse investigates a suet cake (19 Dec 2006) | This White-breasted Nuthatch dines at suet (20 Dec 2006) |