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.)

You Just Never Know Who is Coming to Dinner

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Wow, what a treat it was to have this surprise guest show up at dinner-time last night! I was busy focusing on the Gila Woodpecker feeding on a bark buttered bird house when I saw a flash of bright red whiz by and land in the Palo Verde tree. The Northern Cardinal repeatedly came back to feed on a suet cake. That's a first for me. I'm already very blessed to have a great variety of birds visit my yard regularly. The usual dinner-guests include Curve-billed Thrashers, Northern Mockingbirds, Abert's Towhees, Gila Woodpeckers, Gilded Flickers, White-crowned Sparrows, Lesser Goldfinches, Annas Hummingbirds, Verdin, Great-tailed Grackles (they like the in-shell peanuts), Mourning Doves, and Gambel's Quail.

FYI - I regularly put out suet cakes, thistle, bark-butter, nectar, oranges, black oil sunflower seeds, seed blocks, in -shell peanuts, and premium blend bird food. Putting out quality feed really makes a difference, I get everything at Wild Birds Ulimited (Join their Daily Savings Club and get 15% off on all bird food!)

The Elusive Verdin

Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps)
 
I gave up trying to photograph these shy little hippity hoppity bundles of energy - the ever elusive Verdin. But after putting out oranges for them to feed on, my interest in these yellow headed cuties is renewed. They just LOVE the oranges, and I LOOVE that the Verdin now sit still long enough for me to photograph them! Check out their cute little red shoulder patches...

Birding at the Mall?!!

There's a hidden treasure at Tempe Marketplace (Rio Salado Parkway & McClintock) - a wheelchair accessible riparian preserve! Park in the northwestern-most parking lot, and head toward the wide, hard packed gravel ramp leading up to a long fenced path. The path offers great views of the Tempe Marsh Riparian area east of Tempe Town Lake. Be sure to bring your binocs to get a good look at the egrets, blue heron, cormorants, shore birds, ducks, coots and occasional osprey or hawk. Don't forget to look up at the billboards along the path - you may see a hawk looking back at you.

***UPDATE*** See NEW Photos taken after record rainfall, and Salt River Project releases along the upper Salt River, flooded the Tempe Marsh area. Last 3 images in slide show are photos taken on Jan 23, 2010.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Winter's Here and So Are the White Crowned Sparrows

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)

Its December 21st, Winter Solstice, and my yard is full of cute little White-crowned Sparrows, a beautiful sign that winter is here! They pop out of every nook and cranny of the lantana, cape honeysuckle, palo verde, italian cypress, and oleander, happily munching at every feeder.

What's With the Fancy Colors Dude?

Bullock's Oriole (Icterus bullockii)

 This House Finch isn't quite sure what to think of the flashy colored visitor with pink beak tips (from frequent drinks at the hummingbird feeder). Its a first for me to have an Oriole appear in my backyard. I think its a young male Bullock's Oriole. He showed up September 10th, likes to hang out in the Palo Verde tree, and continually drinks from the hummingbird feeder throughout the day. He seems to be alone, or I just haven't recognized a female Oriole's subtle coloring. With those pink beak-tips he might have trouble attracting a female mate!'