Arizona Photography

 I saw a report on the internet describing lots of waterfowl currently at Whitewater Draw, so I decided to make the fifty mile drive.  As it turned out, most of the wetland was still dry, so I never saw any ducks or geese.  The trip wasn't a total loss, however, as I did get a few shots of birds I had not seen lately.  The Game Commission was pumping water into the ponds, getting ready for the arrival of sandhill cranes in the next couple months. Vermilion Flycatcher (F) Painted Lady Lazuli Bunting (F) Lark Sparrow Black Phoebe Vesper Sparrow Lark Bunting Lark Sparrow Lark Buntings Cassin's Kingbird Western Kingbird Red-tailed Hawk And back home, the Say's Phoebe that visits every day.

 With a strong desire for a change in scenery, I decided on a loop drive through Tombstone, St. David and Benson, three towns to the northeast of home.  Having no knowledge of birding opportunities in Tombstone, I drove directly to St. David before leaving the highway in favor of back roads.  As usual, I did see a number of hawks perched on power poles along the way, but didn't bother stopping for them.  After exploring some dirt roads near St. David, where I was successful, I then stopped at the Holy Trinity Monastery.  While the monastery was dissolved in 2017, the facilities there are available for folks seeking a tranquil place for meditation and renewal.  Numerous groups take advantage of the opportunity to spend time there.  While they also maintain a bird sanctuary, I did not find any activity on this occasion, but I'm not sure why.  Even the peacocks who live on the grounds were mostly absent.  I only saw one, and it refused to displa...

 This small village has several birding hotspots, but my favorite is the Paton Center for Hummingbirds.  Like some other sanctuaries, this one started as a family residence whose owners loved birds and set up lots of feeders for their enjoyment and that of others.  When the owners passed away, the property went to the Tucson Audubon Society, which now operates it on a donation only basis.  In addition to hummingbirds, the lovely garden attracts other birds and butterflies. Sunflower & Friend Violet-crowned Hummingbird Broad-billed Hummingbird (M) Yellow-breasted Chat Yellow-breasted Chat (J) Lazuli Bunting (F) Violet-crowned Hummingbird Broad-billed Hummingbird (M) Anna's Hummingbird (F) Anna's Hummingbird (F) Black-chinned Hummingbird (M) Broad-billed Hummingbird (M) Broad-billed Hummingbird (M) Anna's Hummingbird (F) White-breasted Nuthatch Yellow-breasted Chat Barn Swallow

 The hummingbirds are still quite active, so most of my time is concentrated on them.  However, I've also been seeing lots of lazuli buntings and road runners. This was the day of the "super blue moon", so I took a position that allowed me to see the sunset over mountains to the west, but also watch for the full moon to rise over mountains to the east.  It worked out as planned and I thought I had good photos of the moon, which was a beautiful golden color due to the clouds.  Unfortunately, the moon shots were actually slightly out of focus.  I had made the mistake of using auto-focus, which focused on the clouds rather than the moon.  From previous experience, I should have remembered to focus manually in such situations.  Will I remember this for the next "super blue moon" in 2037? Rufous Hummingbird (J) House Finch (F) Anna's Hummingbird (M) Black-chinned Hummingbird (M) Chipping Sparrow Lazuli Bunting (M) Lazuli Bunting (F) Mexican Jay Lark Sparrow...