YARD BIRDS: 171 AND COUNTING
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This Plain-capped Starthroat was found by Karen. It's the 12th hummingbird for the yard and visited during the last two weeks of August 2011 (31 August)
 

This male Black-throated Blue Warbler stayed for a week during late October 2010. Within a few days, it was visiting our suet feeders (23 October 2010)

Quite a rarity in the U.S., this male Yellow Grosbeak showed up several times at the backyard pond (2 June 2007)

     A locally rare Aztec Thrush at our pond. This male was photographed from the kitchen window (9 July 2006) (Karen LeMay photo)

Always a nice bird to see north of the Mexican border, this male Ruddy Ground-Dove was photographed from the kitchen window (27 January 2005)

Montezuma Quail are regular late summer and occasional winter visitors. This pair was photographed from the house as they scratched in gravel just outside the back door (25 July 2006)

This male Rose-breasted Grosbeak was an unexpected winter visitor (13 January 2007)

A much flashier male Rose-breasted Grosbeak showed up at suet on 1 May 2010 and remained for three days.

Black-headed Grosbeak is a common spring migrant. During a good migration, upwards of 20 may be present in the yard at once. They happily eat black sunflower seeds, home-made suet cakes, and grape jelly (11 May 2007).

Blue Grosbeaks nest locally and we often have six or more around the yard. This male came to seed outside the kitchen window (18 May 2011)

This was the third Red-faced Warbler to visit the yard. I was especially pleased to see it as I had missed the first two by being out of town (8 May 2011)

An out of range Ovenbird forages in the butterfly garden (31 May 2006)

      Several years later, another Ovenbird visited and stayed for most of the day            (19 May 2009). (Karen LeMay Photo)

Hermit Warbler has only shown up on a couple of occasions. This one dropped in for a bath on 3 May 2010.

A fine male Townsend's Warbler (one of perhaps five that visited the yard that day) takes a drink at the pond (6 May 2011).

A male Wilson's Warbler catches insects in Penstemons outside the back door (9 April 2011).

This male Yellow Warbler dropped in for a bath during spring migration (5 May 2011).

Far from any marsh or riparian area, our yard is poor habitat for a Common Yellowthroat. Here, a migrating male investigates the gravel for bugs (6 May 2011).

    A splendid Yellow-breasted Chat photographed by Karen through the kitchen window (6 May 2007).

One of two Greater Pewees that showed up in the yard on an unseasonally cold afternoon (30 April 2010)

More likely to be seen in cottonwoods along the San Pedro River, Summer Tanager is an infrequent visitor to the yard (22 April 2010).

Western Tanager is a common spring migrant and we may see a dozen or more at a time-especially when there's fruit on the fig tree. This male, one of about eight present, took a drink and a bath at the pond (7 May 2011)

Lucifer Hummingbird is an exceedingly local U.S breeder. Happily, several pairs (apparently) nest in our neighborhood. Here, a male perches on a yucca leaf (23 April 2010).

Mexican Jays are a raucous element of the neighborhood avifauna. Expect them to eat more than their share of seed and suet cakes. (30 April 2010)

Although frequently present less than a mile from our house, it was more than six years before we saw a Western Scrub-Jay in the yard (31 March 2010)

This Townsend's Solitaire stayed for several months and was a faithful visitor to berries on our Pyracantha shrubs. Before departing, it spent many days singing its lispy, thrasher-like song (6 April 2010).

Swainson's Thrush is less than annual in the yard. Several appeared during the first week of May in 2011, one of which left an attacking Roadrunner with a mouthful of tail feathers ( 3 May 2011).

An icon of the Southwestern deserts, the Cactus Wren becomes less common as one ascends into the oaks. Here one waits its turn at a suet feeder (6 January 2008)

House Wren is an occasional visitor. This one, probably a migrant, was investigating a wood pile (20 April 2010)

Bewick's Wrens entertain us throughout the year, investingating every nook and cranny on the house and all of our trees. Here one sits on an agave perch outside the kitchen window (13 February 2007) 

A female Cassin's Finch briefly joins the feeder flock (14 January 2008)

So far, the winter of 2007-2008 has been our best for Pine Siskins (23 January 2008)

Lawrence's Goldfinches appear in the yard several times a year. This was one of two males that visited the pond then fed below the kitchen window (23 October 2009).

In our yard, American Goldfinches appear less frequently than Lawrence's Goldfinches. Here, one feeds at a thistle sock (29 January, 2008).

These Yellow-rumped Warblers are clustered at a suet cage while 20 more wait their turn (28 December 2006).

Morning rush hour (24 July 2006).

Afternoon rush hour (13 September 2004).

Evening rush hour (17 Aug 2006).

A male Arizona Woodpecker at suet outside a kitchen window (5 April 2004).

A Northern Flicker comes in for a bath (17 October 2009) (Karen LeMay photo).

Spotted Towhee-one of our three winter towhees (13 February 2007).

Green-tailed Towhee is one of our favorite yard birds. We saw none during the winter of 2009-2010 but in late April three showed up for a couple weeks (30 April 2010).

Rufous-crowned Sparrows are a professional rocky slope birds and the gentle slope on Forest Service land behind the house serves them well. This one was visiting an irrigation drip head just outside the back door for a sip of water (5 June 2011)

Although they nest not too far from the house, Black-throated Sparrow is a rare visitor to the yard. This adult appeared several times during May of 2011 (3 May 2011).

"Gray-headed Junco" is the least common of the western races of Dark-eyed Junco that visit the yard (20 April 2010).

A Golden-crowned Sparrow found in the yard by Linda Feltner was a nice addition to the 2009 Ramsey Canyon Christmas Bird Count (19 December 2009).

A male Lazuli Bunting, one of about 15 in the yard then, visits a feeder (9 April 2011).

One male Varied Bunting is a rarity in the yard; two were quite unexpected (both photos from 5 June 2011)

Hutton's Vireo is a species often associated with oaks. Here, one feeds at our homemade suet cakes (21 January 2007).

-- MORE PHOTOS BELOW -- 

Yard List: Forever a Work in Progress

NOVEMBER 2003

Canyon Towhee

Mourning Dove

Mexican Jay

Spotted Towhee

Bewick's Wren

Chipping Sparrow

House Finch

Lesser Goldfinch

Bridled Titmouse

Acorn Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Gila Woodpecker

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Red-tailed Hawk

White-breasted Nuthatch

Cooper's Hawk

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

Pyrrhuloxia

Anna's Hummingbird

Cactus Wren

Red-naped Sapsucker

House Sparrow

Lark Sparrow

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Cedar Waxwing

Chihuahuan Raven

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Say's Phoebe

Greater Roadrunner

White-winged Dove

Arizona Woodpecker

Verdin

White-crowned Sparrow

Williamson's Sapsucker

Cassin's Kingbird

Bushtit

Hutton's Vireo

Hermit Thrush

Curve-billed Thrasher

DECEMBER 2003

Vesper Sparrow

Steller's Jay

Savannah Sparrow

Magnificent Hummingbird

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Phainopepla

Sharp-shinned Hawk

JANUARY 2004

Gambel's Quail

FEBRUARY 2004

Northern Mockingbird

Black Phoebe

#50 Vermilion Flycatcher

MARCH 2004

Violet-green Swallow

Rufous Hummingbird

Lewis's Woodpecker

White-throated Swift

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Broad-billed Hummingbird

Lucy's Warbler

Turkey Vulture

Hepatic Tanager

Common Poorwill

Scott's Oriole

Bullock's Oriole

Elf Owl

Virginia's Warbler

Hooded Oriole

APRIL 2004

Dusky Flycatcher

Lazuli Bunting

Costa's Hummingbird

American Robin

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Orange-crowned Warbler

Calliope Hummingbird

Cassin's Vireo

Lucifer Hummingbird

Dusky-capped Flycatcher

Wilson's Warbler

Barn Swallow

Western Kingbird

Rock Pigeon

Bronzed Cowbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Black-headed Grosbeak

Common Raven

Peregrine Falcon

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Eurasian Collared-Dove

MAY 2004

Wild Turkey

Brown-crested Flycatcher

Western Tanager

Warbling Vireo

Great Horned Owl

Red-winged Blackbird

Blue Grosbeak

JUNE 2004

Montezuma Quail

Zone-tailed Hawk

Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher

Band-tailed Pigeon

#100 Common Nighthawk

Continued above on right

JULY 2004

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Western Screech Owl

Common Ground-Dove

Violet-crowned Hummingbird

AUGUST 2004

Painted Bunting

Nashville Warbler

Western Wood-Pewee

Botteri's Sparrow

Yellow Warbler

#110 Canyon Wren

MacGillivray's Warbler 

"Western" Flycatcher

Summer Tanager

SEPTEMBER 2004

Plumbeous Vireo

Lincoln's Sparrow

American Redstart (!)

Inca Dove

Varied Bunting

OCTOBER 2004

Lawrence's Goldfinch

#120 Northern Cardinal

Yellow-breasted Chat

Pine Siskin

Dark-eyed Junco

DECEMBER 2004

Western Bluebird

JANUARY 2005

Ruddy Ground-Dove (!)

American Goldfinch

MARCH 2005

Cassin's Finch

APRIL 2005

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Green-tailed Towhee

#130 Hermit Warbler

Townsend's Warbler

Gray Flycatcher

Red-faced Warbler

MAY 2005

Indigo Bunting

JULY 2005

Bell's Vireo

Swainson's Hawk

SEPTEMBER 2005

Vaux's Swift

Brewer's Sparrow

House Wren

OCTOBER 2005

#140 Blue-throated Hummingbird

Rock Wren

NOVEMBER 2005

Northern Harrier

Winter Wren

Brown Thrasher (!)

DECEMBER 2005

Meadowlark sp.

American Kestrel 

MARCH 2006

Painted Redstart

MAY 2006

Eastern Bluebird

Ovenbird (!)

JULY 2006

#150 Aztec Thrush (!)

AUGUST 2006

Cassin's Sparrow

SEPTEMBER 2006

Buff-breasted Flycatcher

JUNE 2007

Yellow Grosbeak (!)

SEPTEMBER 2007

Golden Eagle

Black-throated Sparrow

August 2008

Orchard Oriole

Osprey

May 2009

Swainson's Thrush

September 2009

Common Yellowthroat

October 2009

#160 Lesser Nighthawk

December 2009

Golden-crowned Sparrow

January 2010

Townsend's Solitaire

FEBRUARY 2010

Yellow-eyed Junco

MARCH 2010

Western Scrub-Jay

APRIL 2010

Hammond's Flycatcher

Greater Pewee

OCTOBER 2010

Black-throated Blue Warbler (!)

APRIL 2011

Black-chinned Sparrow

MAY 2011

Olive-sided Flycatcher

AUGUST 2011

# 170 Plain-capped Starthroat (!)

FEBRUARY 2012

Western Meadowlark

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Rufous Hummingbird in snow (19 March 2006)

One of a pair of Elf Owls that nested in our driveway utility pole (27 Mar 2004)

Lark Sparrows are with us pretty much year 'round. Here, one pauses for an afternoon sip at the pond (7 May 2007)

A Band-tailed Pigeon visits the garden (6 September 2006). Numbers of them visit the yard to feed on acorns.

Montezuma Quail foraging in monsoon green Bermuda grass (subsequently replanted)outside the kitchen window (15 July 2004)

  

A Bridled Titmouse, one of our favorite birds, investigates a suet cake (19 Dec 2006)

This White-breasted Nuthatch dines at suet (20 Dec 2006) 

A Bushtit grabs a mouthful of suet cake (9 April 2011). 

 

Robert A. Behrstock 2012
Images may not be reproduced without the Photographer's permission.