We started birding in the desert habitat along the forest road leading to Box Bar.  From there we drove down to the flood plain and put the scope on the Bald Eagle nest on the other side of the Verde River. From there we birded through trees, then north along the river and finally south through trees and brush to the starting point. Along the way we saw a Greater Road Runner perched high in a tree. Before we left , we put the scope on the nest again and got a better view of the three eaglets.

Our next stop  was a grassy and treed area just south of Box Bar and had a look at a male Vermilion Flycatcher, among other birds.

We next drove through desert habitat north to Needle Rock. The flowers along the way were gorgeous. The birds were cooperative including a look at the elusive Bell’s Vireo.

36 species were either seen or heard. They were: Common Merganser, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Rock Dove, Eurasian Collared- Dove, White-winged Dove (h), Morning Dove, Greater Road Runner, Hummingbird (sp), Gila Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Black Phoebe, Say’s Phoebe, Vermilion Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Bell’s Vireo, Plumbeous Vireo, Common Raven, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Verdin, Cactus Wren, Bewick’s Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, European Starling, Phainopepla, Lucy’s Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Abert’s Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch.