It was a great morning for a birding trip and the seven of us took advantage of it. Our first stop was at Butcher Jones Recreational Area that is on an inlet of the Saguaro Lake where we saw several birds including the Lucy’s Warbler. From there, we went to another point on the lake and saw a few birds including a White-winged Dove (they are arriving). We then to Phon D. Sutton Recreational Area where I knew there was usually a Bald Eagle. He was there and we got a good look.

Our next stop was Coon’s Bluff where at this time of year there are usually Vermilion Flycatchers. We weren’t disappointed as they were flying everywhere.

Our last stop was Granite Reef Recreational Area and this was where we had our lunch. A few of us were surprised to see a beautiful Summer Tanager.

The 50 species of birds seen or heard were Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Cooper’s Hawk, Gambel’s Quail, American Coot, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Gila Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Northern Flicker (h), Black Phoebe, Vermilion Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Violet-green Swallow, Northern Roughwinged Swallow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Phainopepla, Cactus Wren (h), Canyon Wren (h), Bewick’s Wren (h), Marsh Wren, Verdin, Common Raven, European Starling, House Sparrow, Bell’s Vireo, Plumbeous Vireo, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, Lucy’s Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Summer Tanager, Abert’s Towhee, Song Sparrow, Whitecrowned Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle and Brown-headed Cowbird.