The Big Sit at Gilbert Water Ranch

Northern Shoveler unimpressed by Avocets in their breeding plumage.

Sunday morning was The Big Sit fundraiser for the Riparian Institute at GWR.  Led by Kathe Anderson,  our goal was to see as many species as possible while staying in one spot.  Kathe doesn't mess around when it comes to the rules of "Sitting", she actually marked out the area we were confined to, and we only included sightings from within that boundary.

Kathe Anderson marks out the boundaries of our Big Sit.

We had a great group of birders and an even greater group of birds!  A male Anna's perched nearby the whole time keeping an eye on the odd group of humans huddled together in the cold.  Lots of Northern rough-winged Swallows swooped overhead.  Most, but not all, American Avocets were showing off their breeding plumage.  Aerial highlights included an Osprey, a Cooper's Hawk, and an obviously molting Peregrine Falcon (sporting matching bare patches on the trailing edge of both wings).  Ann Givey, a great birder and DBG docent / volunteer, spotted the bird of the day - a beautiful Blue-gray Gnatcatcher!  My photo really doesn't do this bird justice.  His blue tones, black tail, and white eye-ring stood out dramatically on this cold gray morning.  I need to learn how to use a camera! 




Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila carulea) look at that white eye-ring!

 All of us birders benefit greatly from just the mere existence of the Gilbert Riparian Preserve (a.k.a. Gilbert Water Ranch) so we really should do whatever we can to help support it.  The Institute is always in need of funds and volunteers, to make a donation or to check out volunteer opportunities go to  http://www.riparianinstitute.org/member.cfm - or - come on out to the Feathered Friends Festival this Saturday, March 26th from 9 am - 2 pm.

The Feathered Friends Festival - Over 40 booths will host wildlife exhibitors and educational activities including games and crafts about insects, plants, water, reptiles, birds, and more. There will be food, music, birding experiences, and tours of the preserve as well. All ages are welcome. Donations are requested - $2 per person or $8 for families of 4 or more. See pics of the 2010 Festival HERE.

ASU Research Park

A great group of gals showed up for this Desert Rivers Audubon field trip with Kathe Anderson.  We met at the south end of ASU Research Park (Warner Rd. and S. River Parkway, just west of the 101 freeway). It was a c-c-c-cold morning and my b-b-b-batteries were near dead, but I managed to get a shot of the Cooper's Hawk we encountered at the start of our walk, still holding her recent kill.  Later we had beautiful views of an Osprey flying low right over us.  We didn't see much in the way of ducks - a few Mallards/domestic, Ring-necked Ducks, and Lesser Scaup.  One Pied-billed Grebe was mixed in with alot of Coots.  A lone Green Heron crouched by the chilly shoreline.  My favorite were the Belted Kingfishers swooping down and around and then diving into the water.  We followed the sidewalks that surround all three ponds at ASU Research Park.  Some parts are steep, so anyone using a manual wheelchair will need a good set of muscles and an even better set of brakes!

Desert Rivers Audubon Society Bird Walk at Tempe Marketplace

Even better than a cup of Joe in the morning is a Bird Walk, especially when its led by expert birder Kathe Anderson from Desert Rivers Audubon. It was a cool foggy morning along the path at Tempe Marketplace overlooking the Tempe Marsh - a lush riparian zone of the Salt River (Rio Salado). Water levels are still high, but not at flood stage, so the usual cast of characters has returned; Killdeer, Least Sandpipers, various Sparrows, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Blue Herons, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Cormorants, Coots, Mallards, Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Pied-billed Grebe, Wilsons Snipe, Grackles, Hummingbirds, and Warblers. Kudos to Desert Rivers Audubon for organizing the walk, and to Kathe Anderson for leading the walk (and for being endlessly patient with those of us who can't tell one sparrow from another.)