It was a perfect birding day for the 15 participants who explored the fields and ponds of the Arlington and Buckeye areas. Sunny and cool to start, it warmed up to about 72º as the group, led by Joan and Dean Luehrs, traveled as far west as Gillespie Dam. There they were thrilled to see a flock of about 20 American White Pelicans. Meantime they had seen one Brown Pelican that swooped and posed at a pond near the west end of Lower River Road.

There were 77 Sandhill Cranes feeding in a field near the corner of Desert Rose and Arlington School Roads close enough to get a really good look through spotting scopes.

One car stopped at El Mirage Pond enroute home and saw one Snow Goose amidst the many Black-necked Stilts.

The bird list was extensive, although not everyone saw everything. In addition to the highlights above the following were seen and heard: Pied-billed Grebe, Eared Grebe, Western Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Snowy Egret, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, White-faced Ibis, American Avocet, Mallard, Turkey Vulture, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, American Coot, Greater Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitcher, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, Mourning Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Say's Phoebe, Black Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, European Starling, Rock Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Horned Lark, House Sparrow, American Pipit, Lesser Goldfinch, Yellowrumped Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Savannah Sparrow, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Great-tailed Grackle, Whitecrowned Sparrow, Northern Mockingbird, Gila Woodpecker, Gambel's Quail, Canada Goose, Bufflehead, American Wigeon, Rock Dove, and a Peregrine Falcon which was on a communications tower on Oakmont Ave. in Sun City.

Birders were: Eleanor Campbell, Loretta and Chuck Richards, A.D. and Sue Stromme, Don Samuels, Ian Jeffrey, George Wall, Donna Smith, Chuck Kangas, Dan Bohlmann, Tom Lazzelle, and Jeff Fustich.