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