Arizona Photography

 I knew something special was up when I arrived and found only one vacant parking space.  Inside, at the big blind, it was standing room only and there was an air of excitement.  Someone explained that a Ruby-throated Hummingbird was reported yesterday, so the crowd here today was waiting and hoping it would return.  Sure enough, the young male appeared and thrilled the observers.  This was only the tenth Ruby-throat ever reported in our area. Ruby-throats mostly winter in Central America, then migrate to North America for breeding, as far north as Canada.  Many of them migrate by flying directly across the Gulf of America/Mexico, a journey of 500-600 miles and 20-24 hours non-stop, with no place to rest or get food/water.  They will often "bulk up" to prepare for that arduous trip.  Others fly a longer, but easier, route around the Gulf.  At the end of summer, they repeat the migration, except heading south  My theory is that our visito...

 San Pedro House was a loser that day, the highlight being a load of Queen butterflies, so I'll share a couple of those.   The day at Ash Canyon was much more productive, although mostly the usual suspects. Anna's (M) Anna's (M) Chipping Sparrow House Finch (M) Black-throated Gray Warbler (M) White-breasted Nuthatch (M) Curve-billed Thrasher Bridled Titmouse Acorn Woodpecker (F) White-winged Dove Mexican Jay Canyon Towhee Gulf Fritillary Carpenter Bee Lesser Goldfinch (F)  

 Big excitement today with the appearance of a Steller's Jay, a beautiful bird not usually seen this far south, as it prefers the pine forests found farther north.  This bird was named for Georg Steller, a German physician turned naturalist who accompanied Vitus Bering during his exploration of the Northern Pacific.  Steller discovered and documented six "new" species, including this jay, all of which were named for him.  Two of these species are now extinct, while others are in various stages of "endangered".  The Steller's Jay is the only one of the six that is non-endangered to some degree.  Otherwise, we enjoyed the usual assortment.  One oddity of note is the elongated bill of the Curve-billed Thrasher.  This condition is called Avian Keratin Disorder, but its causes are not known for certain.  Researchers think a virus is the most likely culprit.  The condition can lead to death of the bird due to difficulty eating.  The birds...