This past week I guided two birds walks on back-to-back days. The first “walk” was an all-day trip over to the Verde Valley. We birded at Page Springs Fish Hatchery, Bubbling Ponds, and Sedona Wetlands. Our timing couldn’t have been better—I felt like we hit the peak of songbird migration.
The fish hatchery is a lovely place to spend the morning. Oak Creek flows directly behind the fish runs, and the lush riparian habitat provides abundant shade for birds and birding. We saw so many beautiful, colorful bird species, including vermilion flycatcher, hooded oriole, summer tanager, western tanager, northern cardinal and fleeting glimpses of yellow-breasted chats.
One of our target birds for this location was the common black hawk, and we got great looks at several of them! We also saw a variety of species that are easy to hear but are often very challenging to see, such as brown-crested flycatcher, Bell’s vireo, and verdin.
Bubbling Ponds is less than a half mile from the fish hatchery. We had a good mix of pretty birds there too, such as wood ducks and Bullock’s oriole. However, we were also witnesses to a disappointing event. As we arrived, we noticed a pair of ospreys flying round and round. When we exited the vehicle, we could hear them vocalizing and they were acting agitated.
It didn’t take long to discover the source of their agitation. The osprey had a large nest directly on top of a wooden telephone pole. A crew from APS was present, with a large bucket truck, and they were working on removing the nest. One minute the nest was there, and the next minute it was totally gone. I understand the “why,” as I am sure the nest presented a fire danger, but it was still difficult to witness.
Sedona Wetlands is the wastewater treatment plant for the City of Sedona. We didn’t arrive until after noon, but we still saw a good variety of water bird species. Our main objective was to check out the back pond where there is a covered viewing platform. Within minutes of our arrival, we added a number of new species for our day list.
The following day I led a bird walk to the top of Mingus Mountain, where we birded along forest service road 104. We also spent time hiking the draw where Butterfly Springs is located. This is a birding hot spot! We didn’t have the quantity of birds I was hoping for, but we certainly had quality birds. We were fortunate to get great looks at both red-faced warblers and painted redstarts—two striking warbler species.
My yard has been particularly birdy this past week. I now have not one, but two cardinals—a male and female. This is a new development. For several consecutive years, I’ve had a lone male cardinal in my yard, singing up a storm, attempting to attract a mate. Looks like this year he’s succeeded! I am hopeful they will nest and produce offspring.
In addition to my cardinals, I’ve also had blue grosbeak, black-headed grosbeak, lazuli bunting and Lucy’s warbler in my yard. And this year, more than any other year, we have a lot of quail! We have yet to see any babies, but I am confident that it is just a matter of time before we start seeing babies.
This is a very critical time of year for quail, as the babies are hatching out. Baby quail are highly susceptible to predation, especially by house cats. This time of year, more than ever, it is really important to keep cats indoors.
Until next week, 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.
