No, I didn't go nuts with instant tanning cream, it's DIRT!
It seems I had a little too much fun recently at Granite Reef Rec. Site on the Salt River. Meandering down the trail towards the dam I kept getting stuck in the sand and the more I tried to spin myself on to more solid ground, the farther away from the trail I got. Before I knew it I was on some sort of critter trail, best suited for animals under 2 feet tall (hey, I'm at least 3 1/2 or 4 feet tall sitting down). Then I got hopelessly mired down in spidery ant-filled plant debris. Eventually my friend Tammy realized that the odd chirping sound she kept hearing wasn't some rare bird, but me setting off my car alert signaling for help.
When we finally emerged from all the bushwhacking we ran into Marcus Watson from Desert Rivers Audubon and UrbanBirder.com , who, unlike me, had seen quite a few birds that morning. Notable birds seen included a possible Caspian Tern!, three Greater Roadrunners, Bullock's Orioles, the continuously calling Common Yellowthroat, Gray Flycatcher, Western Kingbirds, Gilded Flicker, Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Gila Woodpeckers, and Lucy's Warblers. Later in the week Marcus saw a Summer Tanager and a possible female Blue Grosbeak!
Gray Flycatcher way up high in mesquite tree.
First year male Bullock's Oriole high in mesquite tree.
Caspian Tern at Granite Reef Rec. site, photo by Marcus Watson, June 14th, 2011
Greater Roadrunner, Granite Reef Rec. site, June 14th, photo by Marcus Watson
The latest member of the Thomas family, Paco. He's hot-on-the-trail
in search of the smelliest stuff he can possibly find to roll in! Go Paco!
An easel awaits its artist with a view of Red Mountain.
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica dominica)
No, I haven't taken up painting. On my last visit to the Granite Reef Rec. Site two artists were there each capturing their own perspective of the tilted strata of Red Mountain. What a great place to sit and paint, under shady mesquite trees with a cool breeze coming off of the Salt River. Well its also a great place to bird especialy now that the weather is heating up. You can see and hear a lot by just sitting in one spot. Eventually birds start zipping by, or darting down out of all the trees, or swooping out and back over the river.
After sitting awhile I saw that a shady trail winds along the shore so I headed downstream through the mesquite bosque to check it out. The trail is not the most accessible, but it wasn't meant to be. If you are in a powered wheelchair or a manual you will need help to get over a few spots, but its not bone-jarring, the majority is smooth. I managed to catch a nice view of a Yellow-rumped Warbler, for once capturing an image revealing its head, chest, belly, tail, and wingbars, instead of the usual blurry image of a yellow-feathered butt flying away!
Tiny toad found on the trail.
Birds seen (April 2nd, 2011) - Bullock's Oriole, Phainopepla, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Ring-necked Ducks, Redheads, Coots, Blue Heron, Great Egret, Turkey Vultures, Northern Cardinal. Heard or seen by other more experienced birders - Lucy's Warbler, Bewick's Wren, Gray Flycatcher, Orange-crowned Warblers. No Vermilion Flycatcher here, but reported at Phon D Sutton.
Its best to come early in the morning, on weekdays, as more people are here on weekends fishing or kayaking and soon kids will start tubing down the Salt River.
Unseasonably cool weather has sent me out birding in June!! While at Granite Reef Rec. Area along the Salt River, June 11th, I heard the Common Yellowthroat calling and calling and calling. This time it was not down in the reeds, it was perched up in a mesquite! Other birds seen included 2 pairs of Bullock's Orioles (one in photo on right), one Roadrunner, a few Ladderback Woodpeckers (photo on left), and lots of Lucy's Warblers who - in true warbler fashion - refused to sit still and pose for my camera :-(.
The mornings are still somewhat cool so I headed out to Granite Reef this AM to dwell in the shade of the mesquite trees and try to catch a glimpse of a Vermilion Flycatcher. Didn't see nary a one of them, but I was fortunate enough to run into a few very nice fellow birders, Barb and Johanna (both are docents at Desert Botanical Gardens!) who pointed out a Common Yellowthroat lurkng in the reeds. Thank you Johanna for pointing out the Yellowthroat and its call! I certainly wouldn't have seen or heard that on my own. None of the birds were being very cooperative, only the Gila Woodpecker stayed still long enough to be photographed. A pair of Bullock's Orioles taunted us most of the morning zipping in and out of the mesquite trees, as we tried to get a good look at the Yellowthroat. I never knew where to look first! To add to our head-twisting adventure, a pair of Northern Cardinals in their bright red breeding plumage whizzed by our heads a few times. It was certainly a colorful morning!
Belly view of a Bullock's Oriole
There were Phainopepla everywhere, chasing Grackles away from their nests. Other birds seen were Brewer's Blackbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Turkey Vultures, and possibly a Yellow-rumped Warbler. Most of the views we had of the birds this morning were of their backsides as they flitted away!
Warning to Wheelchair Users - The ground here has become quite soft and sandy, you can easily get stuck in it. And there are critter holes everywhere! So if you venture off of the cement paths, be careful, and have someone with you that can help pull you out if you get mired down into the sand.
If you live in the East Valley, head North on Power Road for a great quick escape from town. Power Road becomes Bush Highway and follows the Salt River. There are two riparian areas with wheelchair access - Granite Reef, and Coon Bluff. Both are good areas for seeing warblers, migrating waterfowl, and shore birds. The mesquite bosque is loaded with mistletoe - so its a great spot to see Phainopepla. On my recent visit (Feb. 18, 2010) I saw my first Vermilion Flycatcher! It was great fun watching him repeatedly swoop down to catch a bug, then return to his perch. Other birds seen included Pied-billed Grebes, a Common Moorhen, Verdin, Gila Woodpeckers, Northern Cardinal, and Cormorants (seen flying by. It was mid-day when I was at both sights. I'm sure if I had been there at more optimal birding times - early morning or late afternoon - the list of birds seen would be longer. WARNING - Unless you have completely taken leave of your senses, you do NOT want to bird here during summer months - the area is extremely busy with tons of people tubing the Salt River. Of course, you may see a bird of a completely different sort - the DrunkAndNakedAsAJay Bird (Homo sapiens).
You will need to buy a Tonto Day Pass, check for a vendor here...
Double-Click photo below to see ENLARGED version of slide show.
