Birding the Lower Salt River Recreation Area

I spent a nice morning birding the beautiful Lower Salt River Recreation Area.  This area is awesome, and it is located just northeast of Mesa.  It is one of my favorite birding areas in Maricopa County, and I haven't birded it since March.  With the reasonable temperature and the fact I haven't visited this area in a long time, I decided to bird it today.  I had several first-of-fall birds in the pleasant morning.

There are 10 recreation sites at the Salt River in a 13 mile stretch, and all of them are good for birding.  I had time for 3 of them this morning.  My first stop was at the Granite Reef Recreation Area.  In two hours of birding at Granite Reef, I recorded nearly 50 species.

Granite Reef

Migrant diversity wasn't as high as I expected it would be here today, but there were still some highlights.  I had my first-of-fall "AUDUBON'S" YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS (5-6), 2 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, and a GRAY FLYCATCHER.  Most of these birds were in the picnic area.  I particularly enjoyed seeing the Gray Flycatcher pump it's tail like a Phoebe over and over while I observed it.

Gray Flycatcher

2 different CRISSAL THRASHERS called during the morning, one along the thick trail through Granite Reef, and the other on the adjacent north side of the Salt River.  The only duck of note was a female CINNAMON TEAL.  A BALD EAGLE was on the north side of the River.  An INCA DOVE called in the habitat, one I don't observe often at the Salt River.  Several VERMILION FLYCATCHERS were in the picnic area, one of which was a first year male.  Other migrants included WARBLING VIREO, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, YELLOW WARBLERS, WILSON'S WARBLERS, a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, and 3 GREEN-TAILED TOWHEES.

Wilson's Warbler

Vermilion Flycatcher (first year male)

Bewick's Wren

Black Phoebe

Granite Reef Picnic Area

The Salt River:  Where the Great Blue and other Great wade

My next stop was at the area between the old Sheep's Crossing and Foxtail Recreation Sites.  This area is accessed by parking at the Great Western Trailhead and hiking into the good habitat.  This area is one of my favorites at the Salt River, and there is a wash along the south side of the River that is lined with tall willows, tamarisk, and a few cottonwoods.  I call the wash, "Willow Wash", and it serves as a migrant trap.  There are always migrants here in season, and today there were quite a few, although none of them were rare.

"Willow Wash"

In the wash I encountered a WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, another GRAY FLYCATCHER, WARBLING VIREO, 2 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, 15+ ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, singles of NASHVILLE and MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS, several YELLOW and WILSON'S WARBLERS, 2 GREEN-TAILED TOWHEES, 2 LARK SPARROWS, LINCOLN'S SPARROW, and 2 LAZULI BUNTINGS.

Nashville Warbler

Salt River Wild Horses

The wash has water flowing through it seasonally as a water run-off during the tubing season.  There isn't any water running through it now, although there were spots with a few small pools.  The upside to this is that it's easier to walk through the wash, but the downside is there are usually a lot more birds with the water running through.  I had my best looks ever at a Northern Waterthrush at this location, which was a bird I was hoping for when I came today.

Blast from the past-a Northern Waterthrush at Willow Wash in 2011

My final stop was at the Butcher Jones Recreation Area and Saguaro Lake.  I scanned the Lake in hopes of finding unusual waterbirds, but I came up with a distant flock of Western/Clark's Grebes, Pied-billed Grebes, and a handful of coots.

Saguaro Lake

Once at Butcher Jones, I heard and found my only BELL'S VIREO of the day, which it is getting late for that species.  In the mesquite bosque at Granite Reef, I had my third GRAY FLYCATCHER of the day, a WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, and a young female VERMILION FLYCATCHER.  Activity wasn't high at Butcher Jones as it was almost noon-time.  It was a good day to be out birding, and the weather will be very nice soon!

Gray Flycatcher

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (what looks uncomfortable to us is this bird's routine life-upside down!)

Butcher Jones mesquite bosque (winter Gray Flycatcher habitat)

Butcher Jones Beach

Till next time....Good Birding!