Santa Cruz & Pima Counties - March 12-14, 2024

 The Hawk Watch in Tubac continued to be non-eventful for me.  It is primarily a social event for old folks with their binoculars and scopes, getting excited whenever a dark blip appears on the horizon.  I don't really mean to be critical of these people, as they love their pastime and are truly experts on birds.  It just happens that I need a more active pace.  To find it, I headed to Madera Canyon, going through Green Valley on the way.  Right now it should be called "yellow valley", since the wildflowers are rampant across so many fields.  Some places have the orange-gold Arizona Poppies, but mostly it's the small, bright yellow flowers.  I don't know their name, but they are quite beautiful.

Here are the birds I managed to photograph in Tubac. 

American Coot

Lesser Scaup (F)

Buffleheads (F)

House Sparrow

Common Black Hawk

Vermilion Flycatcher (M)

Vermilion Flycatcher (F)

American Kestrel



Madera Canyon is in the Santa Rita Mountains, a birder's paradise in the right season.  Since I can no longer walk the steep trails along the creek, I go to the Santa Rita Lodge where I can sit and photograph the birds that come to their feeders.  Like Sierra Vista's birding spots, the migrants haven't arrived yet, including the many hummingbirds normally here.  Still, there is always a lot of activity.  The Acorn Woodpecker and Arizona Woodpecker were particularly entertaining at the feeders.

Hepatic Tanager (M)

Bridled Titmouse

Acorn Woodpecker

Acorn Woodpecker

White-breasted Nuthatch

Arizona Woodpecker (F)

Arizona Woodpecker (F)

Dark-eyed Junco

Yellow-eyed Junco

House Finch (M)

Turkey (M)


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