My first ever Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet

Way out of place, this Tyrannulet!  Found by Steve Ganley at the Butcher Jones Recreation Site on the Lower Salt River Recreation Area.  I got to see it on January 13th, 2010!

The Salt River is also home to many ducks, raptors, and songbirds.  The Canvasbacks are always neat to see!

My first Northern Parula

Hey everyone,

The NORTHERN PARULA in Scottsdale was still present today around 4 PM by the lake right behind Buster's Restaurant, in the place where Troy saw it yesterday, in the last cottonwood at the southeast end of the lake.  I really enjoyed watching this bird, it was a lifer for me and it's been on my wishlist for a long while!  The BROWN CREEPER was still present too, in the same tree.  That's an unusual sight to have both those to birds practically side by side in Scottsdale, I'll probably never be able to see that sequence again!  Also, the Northern Parula was my 250th bird for Maricopa County, an awesome bird for the 250 mark.  In the year of 2009, I had 246 birds for Maricopa.  Hopefully this year I'll be able to find many more.

Hopefully all of your new years are off to a great start!

Good birding,

Tommy DeBardeleben (Glendale, Arizona)

Northern Parula

Blackpoll Warbler at Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson

Blackpoll Warbler.  Found by Justin Jones on November 14th, 2009.  At Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson.

A Vagrant Shorebird!

August 7th, 2009:  Gilbert Water Ranch and Glendale Recharge Ponds-a Red Knot

Hey everyone,

Tonight at about 7:30 I refound the Red Knot earlier seen by Charles Babbit.  The bird was in the middle south pond at the southern edge. This basin is full of water. It flew back and fourth to the other side of the
pond several times when I was watching it, it seemed pretty skittish. I got to a point where I was able to film it good. When I got really close to the bird, unfortunetely my battery died, but I'm thankful with what I
got!  The juvenille Least Tern was still present, and I had at least 5 Semipalmated Plovers.

This morning, I birded at Gilbert Water Ranch.  Highlights among 51 species included a Black Tern who perched on a mud flat on Pond 5 and then flew around Pond 7 in pursuit of prey, a Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, Wilson's Phalaropes, and Peach-faced Lovebirds.

Red Knot

Black Tern

Least Terns and more at Glendale Recharge Ponds

Hello Everybody,

I've birded at the Glendale Recharge Ponds the last three days and its been amazing.  Today I birded with Melanie Herring and Gary Nunn (fun birding with you guys; thanks again for giving me looks through the scopes!).  Please remember to keep in mind full consideration that SRP owns these ponds as Melanie and Troy noted earlier.  They have been extremely nice and cooperative to us birders, so lets give that back to
them in return by not interfering when they are really busy, and by listening and cooperating with anything they ask us to do.  This place is incredible and it would be awesome if we could have this place to bird at
now and in the future!

Today I found a Snowy Plover which was a lifer for me, which made up for not seeing the recent Red Egret or Black-bellied Plover. But the main highlight is always the Least Terns out here, especially seeing the young juvenille and getting to experience the first ever nesting record of Least Terns in Arizona.  This year in AZ has had MANY great finds and sightings, and this is one of the best for sure in my opinion.  The juvenille Tern is amazing to see and watch.  Other than the Terns the last three days, other birds of note that I have enjoyed includes Snowy Plover, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Bank Swallow, Peregrine Falcon, Willet, Marbled Godwit, Barn Owl, Wilson's Phalaropes, and literally tons of Stilts.

Least Terns

Snowy Plover

Bank Swallow

Western Tanager

On Mount Ord on June 27th, 2009.

There are many Great Blues in Arizona, but not many Little Blues

May 16th, 2009: Gilbert Water Ranch Little Blue Heron

Hey everyone,

I went to Gilbert Water Ranch yesterday afternoon and I was able to find
the Little Blue Heron still present in pond 1, who walked in a pattern
back and forth while feeding continuously.  He was feeding with other
Herons and Egrets.  I watched him and filmed from 3 to 4, in which the
heat was terrible, but I sat under a big tree along the water line where
the heron was closeby, and the tree offered good shade.  The heron at one
time walked literally 15 feet away from me.  He even walked about 200 feet
out in the middle of pond 1 to join a White faced Ibis who was feeding as
well.  By sitting still, most of the other herons and egrets didn't see,
to mind my presence either and came very close, and it was fun to watch
them. 

Little Blue Heron

Here is the link to my video of the Little Blue Heron on youtube, and it 
has a high quality button at the bottom right corner of the video screen 
if you wish to view in high quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QAvMz1Yc4M

Good birding,

Tommy DeBardeleben (Glendale, Arizona)