Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Wordless Wednesday










Photos courtesy of Arizona Wildlife Photographer Becky Standridge.

See more of her incredible photography
at www.saltriverwildhorses.com



Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Thursday, September 6, 2012

A Bird of a Different Feather

 
Photo by Jeff Stemshorn, Sept. 4th, 2012


W
e all enjoy seeing our lovely Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, and Cattle Egrets, but now there is a new kid in town - the Reddish Egret (or as Jeff Stemshorn likes to call it - the Radish Egret).  He seems to have befriended a Great Egret, or maybe he's just asking for directions, since he obviously made a wrong turn somewhere to end up here in Arizona.  The Reddish Egret is normally found along the coastal regions of Mexico and the Texas Gulf, and prefers a tropical or marine environment.  Maybe he'll stick around if a few monsoon storms roll through.  But as I look out my window, all I see is dust.


This bird, first spotted by Lindsay Story of Mesa on Sept. 2nd, is banded and according to Troy Corman the band on the Reddish Egret was put on in Isla Alcatraz, Bahia Kino, Sonora, Mexico on 11 June 2012.  The egrets are being tracked by the Reddish Egret Working Group, under Dr. Eduardo Palacios Castro, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educacion Superior de Ensenada, B.C..

Directions to see this rare visitor from the south -

From the Power & Guadalupe intersection Gilbert/Mesa AZ, go north on Power to the first stoplight.  This is just the length of the pond on the left (west side of Power).  During non-business hours, turn left (west) at the light (Monterey Ave) and enter a complex with medical and banking offices.  The orthodontics building mentioned above is immediately on the left as you enter this site.  There is a concrete walkway at the west side of the small parking lot.  This gives a view of the pond below.  Walk to the south or down the grass slope for further views.  Again, please be conscious of the fact this lot is busy during normal business hours.  Property owners are birder-friendly, but we don't want to abuse their hospitality.

 Please keep at a distance so others may also have the opportunity to get a glimpse of him.

Peggy Coleman's photo shows where his red plumage is starting to come in along the upper part of the neck.




Thank you Peggy Coleman and Jeff Stemshorn for the photos
and Troy Corman for the details!


Do you have an event, bird walk, meeting, or nature walk that belongs on this calendar? Please send info to birdbloglady@gmail.com


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