Wordless Wednesday

 

Photos by Peggy Thomas

BigBird Backyard Bird Sit

Wilson's Warbler in mesquite tree, May 13 2014, Mesa AZ.
Photo by Saija Lehtonen.

Last week photographer Jeff Stemshorn (a.k.a. BigBird) and his girlfriend, Wynn Ronstadt, were coming through town so we decided to have a BigBird Bird Sit at my place in Mesa. Saija Lehtonen and Annie Hummel Pancrazio also joined in on the backyard shenanigans. I've been having some good luck with migrants coming through my yard (warblers, flycatchers, vireos, grosbeaks) so we were hoping for a good turnout. Sure enough we had a hard-to-photograph Wilson's Warbler stop by.   Thankfully Saija was able to get an ID shot of the flittering flash of yellow feathers (which is what MY photos of the Wilson's looked like).

Brown-headed Cowbird, May 13 2014, Mesa AZ. Photo by Jeff Stemshorn.

Also in the mix of course, were White-Winged Doves, a pair of Eurasian Collared Doves, Mourning Doves,  Inca Doves, Gambel's Quail, Curve-billed Thrashers, Abert's Towhees, Northern Mockingbirds, Great-tailed Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds, House Finches, House Sparrows, Lesser Goldfinch, Anna's Hummingbirds and Black-chinned Hummingbirds.

Ash-throated Flycatcher in mesquite tree, May 13 2014, Mesa AZ. 
Photo by Peggy Thomas

Later the Ash-throated Flycatcher came by, performing aerobatics as he caught flies high in the mesquite tree.

Verdin at orange, May 13 2014, Mesa AZ. Photo by Saija Lehtonen.

Western Tanager in Palo Verde tree, May 13 2014, Mesa AZ.
Photo by Peggy Thomas.

 The Western Tanager stayed out of camera range during the bird sit, but reappeared later just long enough for an ID shot.

White-winged Dove, May 13 2014, Mesa AZ.  Photo by Jeff Stemshorn.

As the temperatures soar over the summer, we'll be having more Bird Sits, from the cool comfort of my kitchen, photographing through the bay windows.  Care to join us?

Another Yard First - a Black-headed Grosbeak!

This is a backyard first for me!  The only other places I've seen Black-headed Grosbeaks is at Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Pinal Mountain, and Mount Ord.

 

The Ash-throated Flycatcher continues to frequent my yard, also favoring the mesquite tree and the birdbath.

Photos by Peggy Thomas

A Two Whatzit and One Warbler Day!

First Whatzit? of the day!

On the one day when I thought no bird within earshot would come anywhere near my yard, two whatzits and a warbler show up!  With my backyard blaring classic country music, I sat basking in the aroma of my recently bloomed star jasmine. Eyes half closed and no camera at hand, I kicked back and relaxed, no need to scan for birds.  What bird in his right mind would show his beak amid such an assault on the ears?  

Star Jasmine in full fragrant bloom!

Then out of the corner of my eye a flash of bright yellow whizzed by.  The birder within me awoke and I looked through my Palo Verde tree, with its fading yellow blossoms, and there he was in all his glory, a Wilson's Warbler with his sporty black cap!

My first ever backyard Wilson's Warbler!

This little Verdin popped out to see what all the fuss was about.  Unimpressed by the warbler's arrival, he continued on with his usual flitting from branch to branch, bug to bug, and blossom to blossom.

As if that wasn't exciting enough, another unfamiliar bird caught my eye, this time in the Velvet Mesquite tree!  Gotta love those native trees! At first-glance I thought it was a Lucy's Warbler, then I downloaded my photos and thought Bell's Vireo.  Then I thought I had better check with other birders to ID this surprise guest, who is not as obvious as the distinctively marked Wilson's Warbler.  Jeff Stemshorn (who claims not to be a birder, hah) immediately narrowed it down to being a Flycatcher, not a Warbler or Vireo, and thinks it may be a Pacific-slope Flycatcher.  Kathe Anderson, birder and guide extraordinaire, feels that I've "got a Cordilleran or Pacific slope (or dusky!) flycatcher (pretty good teardrop eye ring, largish bill, olive-sort of coloration)."

 

Second Whatzit? of the day.

On top of all that, another whatzit lurked behind the branches just long enough for this blurry masterpiece to be taken. Anyone want to take a stab at ID-ing this bird?  My guess is Ash-throated Flycatcher.

Thank you Kathe Anderson and Jeff Semshorn for help with ID!

Photos by Peggy Thomas, April 24, 2014.

Do These Branches Make My Beak Look Big?

Is it just me, or is this Curve-billed Thrasher's curved bill a little too curvy?  It almost looks as if the upper and lower bills cross over each other.

Somehow I got a mid-air shot of him flipping a sunflower seed into his mouth!

Notice the extended lower bill.  The reason I obsess over the bill size (no, size isn't everything) is that I'm always hoping to see a Crissal Thrasher.  It would be a life-bird for me, and in this case, a back yard first!

Distinctive features of a Crissal Thrasher

While the bird in question does have a long de-curved bill and uniform gray back, he lacks the dark cheek marks and rusty underside that are indicative of a Crissal Thrasher.

Now he's giving me the ol' stink-eye, likely for questioning his heritage.

Brown Thrasher at Gilbert Water Ranch, April 2011.

 As far as other thrashers go, I have seen Brown Thrashers at Gilbert Water Ranch and Desert Botanical Garden, and a Bendire's Thrasher at Red Mountain Park.  The Brown Thrasher stood out with his brown-streaked white breast, shorter bill, and brown body rather than gray.

Bendire's Thrasher at Red Mountain Park,
February, 2012.

The Bendire's at Red Mountain Park sang a beautiful melodious song that differed from the Curve-billed's song we are so accustomed to hearing here in the valley.  The only other distinguishing feature is a shorter, less-curved bill.

I suppose if I really have a hankering to see a Crissal Thrasher, I'm going to have to head out to the "Thrasher Spot" out near Buckeye, at the intersection of Salome Highway and Baseline Road.  According to some highly reliable birding sources (Laurence Butler, Tommy DeBardeleben, and Gordon Karre) you can see Crissal, LeConte, Sage and Bendire's Thrashers all in this one spot, hence the name. 

Photos by Peggy Thomas

For an extreme case of bill deformity in a Curve-billed Thrasher, see the Spring 1991 Journal of Field Ornithology, pg.s 157-161 "Abnormally Long Bill in a Young Curve-billed Thrasher".  The featured bird was found in Tempe, AZ, and sadly likely starved to death soon after leaving its parents.

Have a Little OJ With Your Fruit Flies

He looked innocent enough, just chillin' among the oranges, having deep woodpecker thoughts...

In fact I first saw him sitting atop the bird feeder that I had hung on the orange tree's lower branches.

Hmmm... he sure is interested in those oranges.  Are they over-ripe and being eaten by ants and fruit flies?  Is my wonderous woodpecker helping control pests in my yard by dining on these pesky little creatures?  What a guy!

I don't think ants or fruit flies can bore perfect little holes like this...

When we picked the punctured citrus, loads of little fruit flies came out through the bore hole.

 

No wonder he looked so blissful!  He was having one heck of a buggy breakfast topped off with fresh OJ!

So, will I try to deter the woodpeckers from eating the oranges?  Probably not.  I'll follow the sage advice of Lee Singh at Singh Farms - "just plant more, some for us humans, and some for the birds".

Photos by Peggy Thomas

Backyard Family Fun

 

Photos by Peggy Thomas (currently in hibernation, shooting through windows)