Birders, led by Joan and Dean Luehrs, caravanned through the rural (for the moment) area around Arlington and Buckeye searching fields and ponds where "For Sale" signs seemed more prevalent than birds.

The group stopped first to view a tree with two exceptionally long, dark silhouettes on one side. They turned out to be roosting Peacocks with their tails hanging 20 feet off the ground.

A stop along a roadside where tamarisk and a huge native bush were shaking with birds netted 15 species---the highlight of the morning. Here, within a few yards, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Yellow-rumped and Orange-crowned Warbler, Vermilion Flycatcher, Ladderbacked Woodpecker, Verdin, White-crowned, Savannah, and Brewer's Sparrow, plus Bendire's Thrasher, among others, kept everyone excited.

At the old Arlington School site a Great Horned Owl called but was not seen and a Cooper's Hawk appeared. The Eurasian Collared-Dove seen throughout the area was a "Lifer" for some. All through the trip large flocks of grackles and blackbirds swooped over the fields. American Kestrels were everywhere.

Flooded green alfalfa fields brought dozens of Greater Yellowlegs and Long-billed Curlews close to the road for a very good look. One participant led part of the group to two Burrowing Owls that blinked farewell to end a great birding trip.

The 60 species encountered were: Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Turkey Vulture, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Pintail, Ring-necked Duck, Ruddy Duck, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Merlin, Gambel's Quail, American Coot, Greater Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper, Long-billed Curlew, Least Sandpiper, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Great Horned Owl, Burrowing Owl, Hummingbird sp., Belted Kingfisher, Gila Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Black Phoebe, Say's Phoebe, Vermilion Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrike, Verdin, Rock Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Northern Mockingbird, Bendire's Thrasher, Curve-billed Thrasher, American Pipit, Phainopepla, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Abert's Towhee, Brewer's Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch, House Sparrow, European Starling, and Peacock.

Participants were: Eleanor Campbell, Jed Fulkerson, Frank and Pearl Shewfelt, Ian Jeffrey, Carolyn Modeen, Donna Smith, Marilyn and Ken Lauterbach, Marilyn McMahon, and Marcia Johnson.