My 15th and final visit of the month to the Atascosa Highlands and Pajarito Wilderness area, and a good one too, with 84 species.
Ruby Rd:
The usual roadside denizens included GRAY HAWK, GREATER ROADRUNNER, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, ‘AZURE’ EASTERN BLUEBIRD, LARK SPARROW, and a bonus SONORAN WHIPSNAKE. On the downside, we also found a dead COMMON POORWILL, obviously the victim of a vehicle collision.
Peña Blanca Lake:
Again, I couldn’t locate a Green Kingfisher, but we did see BELTED KINGFISHER, HOUSE WREN, ORANGE-CROWNED and the continuing, getting latish, LUCY’S WARBLER, RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW, an early LINCOLN’S SPARROW, LAZULI BUNTING, and HOODED ORIOLE.
Peña Blanca Canyon:
As the morning warmed, bird activity began to drop, but we managed to find GRAY HAWK, a male ELEGANT TROGON, ARIZONA WOODPECKER, DUSKY, PACIFIC-SLOPE, and DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHERS, HUTTON’S and WARBLING VIREOS, TOWNSEND’S WARBLER, PAINTED REDSTART, CHIPPING SPARROW, and a gorgeous, showy male VARIED BUNTING.
Confluence of California Gulch and Warsaw Canyon:
It took a while as we slogged through the heat of the afternoon, but we did eventually dig out a FIVE-STRIPED SPARROW.
The BLACK-CAPPED GNATCATCHERS continue to flit around, buzzing away, with their comedy molting tails.
Also in the gulch, BELL’S VIREO, BLACK-TAILED GNATCATCHER, RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW, SUMMER TANAGER, and VARIED BUNTING,.
Oro Blanco Wash:
A couple of CASSIN’S SPARROWS showed fairly well.
Arivaca Lake:
A migrant WILLOW FLYCATCHER was a treat.
Also at the lake, great close views of a ZONE-TAILED HAWK, calling TROPICAL KINGBIRD, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, MacGILLIVRAY’S and YELLOW WARBLERS, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, SUMMER TANAGER, and LAZULI BUNTING. BOTTERI’S and BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS were easily seen at the roadside as we left.
Amado Pond:
Quite an increase in activity from my last visit, with ‘MEXICAN’ MALLARD, BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK, several NEOTROPIC and one juvenile DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, GREAT BLUE and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, and migrating TREE and CLIFF SWALLOWS all present.
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