Birding Lake Pleasant

Hi everyone,

Yesterday on April 17th, 2013, I birded at the north end of Lake Pleasant (which is in Yavapai County) for over five hours starting very early in the morning.  I haven't explored this side of the lake much, and I thought it would be fun to explore more of it.

I started thirty minutes before light to attempt owling.  My result was 3-4 GREAT HORNED OWLS, as well as plenty of COMMON POORWILLS.  No Elf Owls or Western Screech-Owls in the rather short distance I covered.  I'm sure if I went further north into Castle Hot Springs Road they would'nt have been a problem to hear eventually
Once the morning light came, it turned out to be a surprisingly birdy morning.  Once driving north of the north Lake Pleasant Park area on Castle Hot Springs Road, once will soon come up on a bridge that crosses over a quiet section of the lake that is usually dry.  It was full this time and this spot was very birdy, more so than the main lake area itself.

Scanning the lake in different parts, waterfowl I came up with was highlighted by 5 female-type RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS.  CINNAMON and GREEN-WINGED TEAL were present, as well as 4 REDHEADS, and a few NORTHERN SHOVELERS.  A flock of WESTERN GREBES floated by the earlier mentioned bridge.  1 NEOTROPIC CORMORANT was present and there were at least 15 DOULBE-CRESTED CORMORANTS.  A SNOWY EGRET was present by the bridge, as well as a few GREAT EGRETS.  A BLACK-NECKED STILT, LEAST SANDPIPER, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, and GREATER YELLOWLEGS were the shorebirds around the lake.  A FORSTER'S TERN flew over the waters, and there were also a few CALIFORNIA GULLS besides the common RING-BILLED GULLS.  A BELTED KINGFISHER was also present.  Flycatcher highlights included many calling ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERS, two pairs of WESTERN KINGBIRDS, and a migrant GRAY FLYCATCHER.  A few BELL'S VIREOS sang in the area.  High numbers of swallows were present throughout the lake.  Four species, VIOLET-GREEN, TREE, NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED, and CLIFF SWALLOWS were the four species present.  I was treated to being up super close to a perched Tree Swallow, and before it left I got to within 5 feet of it.  A few AMERICAN PIPITS flew over calling.  I had 5 warbler species, with resident LUCY'S WARBLERS singing in spots as well as migrant ORANGE-CROWNED and MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS, several YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and two COMMON YELLOWTHROATS.  Sparrow wise, I had a few flocks of LARK SPARROWS, several BREWER'S SPARROWS, one LINCOLN'S, a few WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, and numerous BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS.  A male NORTHERN CARDINAL pearched and sang nicely on top of a cactus.  A few LAZULI BUNTINGS "buzzed" in the weedy areas around the lake, and two male BULLOCK'S ORIOLES were also present.

It was a pleasant morning of birding at Lake Pleasant, and I had 66 species for the result without covering the south section of the lake.  I didn't think I'd have more than 30 species here, so I was surprised.
I stopped at Glendale Recharge Ponds on the way home.  The highlight for me was three FRANKLIN'S GULLS.  Things change quick there

Tree Swallow

Forester's Tern

Turkey Vulture

Lark Sparrow

Lake Pleasant

Prescott Birding-Once Again!

Hi everyone,

This weekend I spent a fun two days of birding and staying in the Prescott Area.  The trip was based around my friend getting married, but I got a lot of birding time in as well!  Bird highlights were very numerous on this trip, as I spent my birding time at Watson and Willow Lakes, and in the high elevation mountain forests.  From a rare duck to a few flashy mountain warblers, this trip was filled with excitement.

On April 13th, 2013, I arrived in Prescott at 6:30 A.M. and birded the area of Watson Lake for over three hours.  I met up with Laurence Butler and we birded the Watson Woods Riparian Preserve where Granite Creek runs through the Preserve, and along the eastern section of Watson Lake.  The eastern section of the lake can be covered easily from a trail called the Prescott Ravine Trail.  Parking here is two dollars.  Laurence and I then had many highlights throughout the preserve and by searching the lake.  The lake had an impressive 15 species of geese and ducks.  Out of the 15 species, this included our main target, which was a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER who has spent the winter on the lake.  After walking probably just over a mile on the Prescott Ravine Trail, Laurence and I spied the Scoter on the water in a still cove.   We managed to get fairly close to it, and it provided us with good and satisfying views.  We had both only seen this species one time prior to this one.  From what I heard, this Scoter spends most of its time on the northern section of the lake near the dam.  But luckily, it was further south when we found it, just over a mile from the start of the trail where the rock formations start to surround the lake.  With the Scoter was also a nice pair of REDHEADS.  With the two species swimming by each other, it was a sight.  Another great duck sighting we had was a drake WOOD DUCK perched on a log when the riparian woods meet the lake, and we were able to view him with great scope looks for a few minutes.  Other waterfowl on the lake included GADWALL, an AMERICAN WIGEON, CINNAMON and GREEN-WINGED TEAL, high numbers of NORTHERN SHOVELERS, CANVASBACKS, RING-NECKED DUCKS, LESSER SCAUP, BUFFLEHEADS, and plenty of RUDDY DUCKS.  A few CANADA GEESE were also present.  EARED GREBES were also present on the lake, and some were in nice breeding plumage.  Raptors present were singles of SHARP-SHINNED and COOPER'S HAWKS, and two RED-TAILED HAWKS (one of which was a juvenile flying in the Preserve during the morning and perching at close distances).  A single FRANKLIN'S GULL flew south down the lake.  Woodpecker wise, a HAIRY WOODPECKER was present in the Preserve.  Flycatcher highlights were a few WESTERN and CASSIN'S KINGBIRDS, as well as an ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER.  A nice highlight for me was finding a NASHVILLE WARBLER in the Preserve when I arrived on site.  This bird was singing a lot, and it confused me at first because I haven't heard the species sing much.  A few LAZULI BUNTINGS buzzed in the area.  Also present was a BULLOCK'S ORIOLE and singing WESTERN MEADOWLARKS in the grassy areas surrounding the lake.  A few AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES that were close to being in breeding plumage were also present in the Preserve.  At the end of the stop, Laurence and I tallied about 70 species.

White-winged Scoter

Redheads

Where a White-winged Scoter meets two Redheads

Red-tailed Hawk

This Western Kingbird is quite happy with all the insects to catch!

Watson Lake

Watson Woods Riparian Preserve meeting Watson Lake

Up next we went a short distance to bird Willow Lake.  The wind had picked up and it was very windy while we birded here.  We ran into Prescott birders Steve Burk and Keith Archibald, and they shared some of their awesome sightings with us.  Willow Lake had abundant numbers of waterfowl also, and was highlighted by a drake BLUE-WINGED TEAL to bring our waterfowl count between the two neighbor lakes to 16 species.  A NEOTROPIC CORMORANT, rare in this area, was present among the common DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS.  A ZONE-TAILED HAWK circled around the lake and made a few passes over us at close distance, and we also found a COOPER'S HAWK perched up on a rock.  Shorebirds around the lake were a LESSER YELLOWLEGS and two BLACK-NECKED STILTS.  A nice flock of at least 15 FRANKLIN'S GULLS were present as we scanned the waters, and they were joined by two CALIFORNIA GULLS.  Other highlights at Willow Lake during our time were BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD, LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER, WESTERN KINGBIRD, WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, BUSHTITS, MARSH WREN, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, and AMERICAN PIPITS.  Between the two stops, over 80 species were tallied before I had to head to the wedding in Skull Valley and Laurence had to head home.

California Gull

Cooper's Hawk

Zone-tailed Hawk

On April 14th, 2013, I started my day birding in the amazing forest and southern stretch of Walker Road.  My family kindly invited me to stay in a cabin with them in this area overnight, and when I drove through the area it really impressed me after I got done with the lakes.  I made my birding plans to bird this area on the morning of the 14th once I saw how nice the habitat was.  The habitat here that I covered was 6400-7100' in elevation, and was a very beautiful forest with a mix of ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, white fir, birch, and oak.  Several active streams and creeks were in the area, often along Walker Road.  The birds were very active and their weren't many dull moments.  My favorite highlight along this road in the 3.5 hours I birded it was my first RED-FACED WARBLER of the year.  I heard it singing and it eventually came out in the open and gave me amazingly stunning views.  This warbler was very cooperative for my binoculars and camera and it was probably the best sighting I've had of this southwestern warbler.  Another great warbler highlight came from another one of my favorites, the PAINTED REDSTARTS.  These birds were numerous along this road, and often showed off in front of me roadside, perching anywhere from 30 feet up in the trees to in the middle of Walker Road on the ground.  I also came upon a stretch of the road where OLIVE WARBLERS were numerous, as I probably had 6-7 individuals.  Several nice males put in good showings and were very vocal.  Both GRACE'S and VIRGINIA'S WARBLERS sang in the area also, especially close to the cabin where I was staying at.  I also had a migrant MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER along the road to join the warbler mix.  Warblers were the main highlight along Walker Road, but plenty of other forest birds were also present.  A male BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD trilled overhead.  ACORN and HAIRY WOODPECKERS were present in good numbers, as well as a few NORTHERN FLICKERS.  VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS flew overhead and into their nest cavities.  MOUNTAIN CHICKADEES were present in high numbers, and were easily viewed during the hike.  All three NUTHATCHES were present: PYGMY, RED-BREASTED, and WHITE-BREASTED.  Three BROWN CREEPERS were found in a nice shady stand of Douglas fir.  HOUSE WRENS were singing throughout the road also in high numbers, with some males perching high to sing.  PINE SISKINS were also abundant and often came down to drink in the creeks.  I found 32 species in this forest setting on Walker Road.  To reach this area, head south on Walker Road (same road where Lynx Lake Recreation Area is) for over seven miles until the pavement ends.  For four miles (miles 7 to 11), follow Walker Road south through through these forested habitats.  This is a dirt road, but it is in very good condition and is easy to drive on.  The only downside is that there is a lot of private property throughout the road on both sides.  If birding this stretch of the road, stay on the main Walker Road, which is what I did.  Birding is pleasant and great right alongside the road.  I found the Red-faced Warbler right after the pavement ends. I also think this road would probably be productive at night for Spotted, Saw-whet,and Flammulated Owls.  I'm still on a high from the birding on this awesome road!

The many views of the Red-faced Warbler

Red-faced's lunch

Painted Redstart

Olive Warbler

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Mountain Chickadee

Scenes from Walker Road

After birding Walker Road, I headed back to Willow and Watson Lakes to conclude my trip.  I stopped at Willow Lake first, where I spent about an hour scanning the south shore of the lake.  I quickly had a good highlight, as I spied two FORSTER'S TERNS sitting with a flock of FRANKLIN'S GULLS on a floating log in the water.  A ZONE-TAILED HAWK (probably the same one from yesterday) flew over the lake.  A WILSON'S SNIPE sprung out from the dense grass I was walking through to scan the lake, and scared the daylights out of me.  A VESPER SPARROW also flew out from the grass, and a few SAVANNAH SPARROWS were also present.  

Forster's Terns and Franklin's Gulls

My final stop of was finally once again at Watson Lake, where I began the trip.  This time, I was hoping to find a Common Black-Hawk at the Watson Lake Woods that birders have been seeing.  I saw a raptor soaring up high that I thought for sure was the Black-Hawk, but as I scanned the bird I saw that it was a young HARRIS'S HAWK.  Steve Burk informed me that Harris's Hawks are very rare in the Prescott area, so I am quite happy with the sighting!  Then a few minutes later, I did find the COMMON BLACK-HAWK that I was hoping for perched up in a cottonwood.  Waterfowl was numerous as usual as I walking along Watson Lake during this visit, but I didn't find the White-winged Scoter on this go-around.  Perhaps it went back up to the northern part of the lake.  New for the trip on this visit I added a calling SUMMER TANAGER in the Preserve.  

Harris's Hawk

Common Black-Hawk

Northern Shoveler

I once again enjoyed birding in the wonderful area of Prescott, which is now a birding patch I think I can do often with it being a very decent drive from home.  My trip list resulted in 107 species seen in the two days of birding.  Certainly a fun a memorable trip, and a highly recommended visit for those who haven't birded it!

Birding the 4 Great Lakes of Prescott....

Hi everyone,

Sorry for the late report, but on Tuesday, April 9th, 2013, I spent the day birding in the Prescott Area.  This area holds spectacular birding, and I spent my time birding at four different lakes right around Prescott that are all a very short distance away from each other.  These four lakes:  Lynx Lake, Willow Lake, Watson Lake, and Goldwater Lake, all made up for an incredible day of great birding opportunities combined together.  It was my first "real" time of birding this area, and I was very impressed.  Weather wise, the day was pretty cold, with overcast most of the day with light snow showers in the afternoon.

My first stop of the day was at Lynx Lake, where I spent over two hours.  This lake is nestled in the Lynx Lake Recreation Area, which is mainly ponderosa pine and oak forest throughout the recreation area.  The lake itself is a medium-sized reservoir, and it has a convenient 2.5 mile hiking trail with easy difficulty that circles the lake.  There is also a nice riparian area close to the parking area which is also very attractive.  I spent most of my time here along the trail that circles the lake.  Waterfowl at this lake was minimal, with MALLARDS being the only duck.  A raft of four EARED GREBES (with some in breeding plumage) was the one notable waterbird.  DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS were very numerous.  Raptors present at the lake were two OSPREYS and an adult BALD EAGLE.  The Bald Eagle was extremely cooperative and practically tame.  This bird sat on a perch right along the trail, and I was able to get right beside the bird without spooking it.  It was the best look I've ever had of a Bald Eagle in the field!  BLACK-CHINNED and ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS were both present, and a single BELTED KINGFISHER flew around to different parts of the lake during the time.  Three woodpecker species were represented by ACORN and HAIRY WOODPECKERS, and a few NORTHERN FLICKERS.  BRIDLED TITMICE and BUSHTITS were both very common around the lake.  WHITE-BREASTED and PYGMY NUTHATCHES were both common also around the lake, and I heard a single RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH calling in the woods.  A single TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE called on a brushy slope in the area.  Warbler wise, at least five PAINTED REDSTARTS were in the area, especially in the riparian area around the lake.  LUCY'S WARBLERS were also common around the north side of the lake, a few BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS were heard singing, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS were common, and a few GRACE'S WARBLERS were singing along the road south of the lake near Hilltop Campground.  A few Abert's Squirrels were also around, a squirrel I do like.  I recorded 41 species around the lake in my time spent there.  It costs 5 dollars to park and bird at Lynx Lake.

Bald Eagle

Osprey

Hairy Woodpecker

Bewick's Wren

Bridled Titmouse

Great Blue Heron

Abert's Squirrel

Lynx Lake

After Lynx Lake, I headed up to Willow Lake.  This lake is an Important Bird Area, and the birding was beyond amazing.  Willow Lake features a large body of open water, scenic rocks, and amazing riparian areas.  In the time I spent here, I recorded 61 species in 2.5 hours.  I'm sure if I spent more time and started here much earlier, I would've seen a lot more.  By looking at eBird reports, there have been plenty of birds I missed when I birded here, including rarities such as Brown Pelican and Red-breasted Merganser.  This lake held amazing numbers of waterfowl, including CANADA GOOSE, GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON, CINNAMON TEAL, NORTHERN SHOVELER, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, CANVASBACK, BUFFLEHEAD, and RUDDY DUCK.  EARED GREBES were also present in fairly good numbers.  Raptor wise, I had 2 OSPREYS, a BALD EAGLE, 2 COOPER'S HAWKS, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, and a RED-TAILED HAWK.  Gull wise, I saw five or so RING-BILLED GULLS and probably close to 15 FRANKLIN'S GULLS floating on the waters.  5 WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS flew over the rocky areas.  Flycatchers included a HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER who I located by hearing it's call, and a WESTERN KINGBIRD.  A few WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS could be found in the area.  Swallows flew over the lake in very high numbers, being represented by BARN, CLIFF, NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED, and TREE SWALLOWS.  BRIDLED TITMOUSE and a single JUNIPER TITMOUSE were found by hiking a few of the trails.  A calling CRISSAL THRASHER was also present and nice to have around.  A few groups of AMERICAN PIPITS also flew overhead.  Out of the numerous YELLOW-RUMPED "AUDUBON'S WARBLERS, I found a nice MYRTLE WARBLER.  WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were another nice highlight for me singing around the lake.  A two dollar fee is charged to park at Willow Lake Park.  A highly recommended birding location!

Distant Franklin's Gulls

Myrtle Warbler

Willow Lake

After Willow Lake, I headed over to the lake's next door neighbor, Watson Lake.  This lake is also an Important Bird Area, and was almost as impressive to me as Willow Lake was.  My time was cut short here however because snow showers started up.  I didn't realize these showers were minimal until after I left.  But in the time I spent here, it was awesome.  Watson Lake features a nice riparian preserve at the south end of the lake, Watson Woods Riparian Preserve.  This preserve is filled with cottonwood and willow groves, and has a few ponds.  This Preserve has been good from what I've read for viewing Wood Ducks and Common Black-Hawks.  Trails from the preserve lead right out to Watson Lake.  Watson Lake Park is better however for seing more of the lake without walking too far.  At Watson Lake, a White-winged Scoter has been present all winter, which I wasn't able to look for long before leaving.  In the hour plus I spent in this area, highlights included BUFFLEHEAD, OSPREY, HAIRY WOODPECKER, MARSH WREN, BEWICK'S WREN, LUCY'S and YELLOW WARBLERS in common numbers, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, LINCOLN'S SPARROW, and WESTERN MEADOWLARK.  I also spied a gull soaring near an Osprey that was probably a California Gull.  I wish I had more time to cover this area. Across the street from the parking area to the Watson Woods Riparian Preserve, were a few treatment ponds that held LESSER SCAUP, RING-NECKED DUCK, and NORTHERN SHOVELERS.  Like Willow Lake Park, the Riparian Preserve at Watson Woods and Watson Lake Park are two dollars to park apiece.

Western Meadowlark

Osprey

Watson Lake

Watson Woods Riparian Preserve

From Watson, I headed west to the Senator Highway, to head to the small Goldwater Lake.  Goldwater Lake is a small and very peaceful reservoir, and is surrounded by towering ponderosa pines.  The forest in this area almost seems to be in a valley.  My time at Goldwater Lake was interspersed with light snow showers.  Goldwater Lake is always an awesome place to me, and was the very first location I ever birded at.  This lake is to thank for my birding obsession.  I was bored at the lake way back in the day on a family day trip, and I saw a bird book and decided to identify a few birds around the lake, which launched the interest.  This time at Goldwater Lake, my favorite highlight came with three female HOODED MERGANSERS.  I found one at first, and then there ended up being two others it joined at the opposite side of the lake.  Also present on Goldwater Lake were four COMMON GOLDENEYES, a drake and three females.  An OSPREY fished the lake during the whole duration.  Migrant flycatchers were represented by singles of GRAY and HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS.  I found 26 species at Goldwater Lake in almost 2 hours, most of which were common forest birds.  Goldwater Lake is also a two dollar fee.

Hooded Mergansers

Common Goldeneyes

Western Bluebird

Goldwater Lake

In the day of Prescott birding I tallied 88 species in the four stops.  I was very satisfied with my first "real" visit to bird this awesome area.  Amazingly, this area only takes about 1.5 hours to reach from home, which is the same time it takes me to drive to other areas I often explore.  I will be covering this area more hopefully, and I highly recommend it to anyone else who hasn't birded it.