Boy, was I surprised to wake up to a light dusting of snow this past Saturday. In all of the years I’ve lived here (over 30), I don’t ever remember getting snow in October.
I was at Watson Lake on Friday, the day before the snow, and then again on Saturday, after the snow, and I was surprised by how many swallows were flying over the lake catching insects.
I couldn’t help but think the swallows were probably wishing they had migrated earlier! Once we start getting freezing temperatures on a regular basis, the number of flying insects drops off dramatically, making it hard for aerial gleaners—such as swallows—to find enough food each day to sustain their metabolism.
In the past week, I have seen a number of migratory birds on my walks in Watson Woods Riparian Preserve and along the Peavine Trail, such as green-tailed towhee, American goldfinch, pine siskin and belted kingfisher. Migration activity continues!
On Friday of last week, here at the store, when it was alternating between rain and hail, a small flock of violet-green swallows flew low and fast directly over the store property. Even with the early morning freezing temperatures we’ve had recently, I still have Anna’s hummingbirds both at home and at the store.
Our local lakes (which are really reservoirs) are filling up with migratory waterfowl. In the last week, I’ve seen greater yellowlegs, Wilson’s snipe, gulls, geese, grebes, coots and a variety of duck species. I’ve also seen flocks of both red-winged and yellow-headed blackbirds numbering in the hundreds. It is an amazing sight to see them flying in tight formations twisting and turning like a school of fish swimming in a synchronous fashion.
As a reminder, we are offering two special bird walks as part of our 21st anniversary celebration. Clay Taylor, the Naturalist Manager for Swarovski North America will be in Prescott, and will be guiding both field trips. For more information, and to sign up for either (or both) bird walks, please call the store at 928-433-5900.
The first bird walk will be on Friday, October 25th, from 3-5 p.m., at the south shore of Willow Lake. Clay will be demonstrating the world’s first smart binocular, the AX Visio. This unique binocular was introduced earlier this year at the consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, and has the ability to identify birds. It also doubles as a camera!
Then, on Saturday the 26th, from 8-10 a.m., we will be hosting a second free field trip with Clay, at Watson Lake. The emphasis of this bird walk is to learn about digiscoping—digital photography using a spotting scope as your lens.
As part of our anniversary celebration this Saturday, I have put together a PowerPoint presentation with pictures of the birds I saw on my recent trip to Mexico to witness the River of Raptors. I invite you to come see what I saw!
The culmination of our anniversary celebration will be a free lunch from 11-2 on Saturday, October 26th, and we will be announcing the winners of this year’s wild bird photography contest at noon.
If you are looking for a spectacular travel experience, there are three spots left for a natural history exploration of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands in January 2025. “Bright Islands, Deep Forests” explores one of the most diverse countries on Earth, from the Galápagos Islands to the high Andes to the Amazon basin. There are hundreds of incredible bird species to observe along with other wildlife. If you are interested, let me know.
I look forward to seeing you this weekend during our anniversary celebration. event. Until then, Happy Birding!
Eric Moore is the owner of The Lookout, in Prescott, where you will find a Hallmark Gold Crown Store, wild bird products, and Swarovski and Vortex optics. Eric has been an avid birder for over 55 years. Eric can be contacted at eric@thelookoutaz.com.
