The rushing Hassayampa River is the focal point at the unique natural area the Nature Conservancy preserves for wildlife out Wickenburg way. This year, because of the inordinate amount of rainfall, grass is everywhere and flowering foliage, usually knee high, reaches the shoulders.

Gigantic cottonwoods and willows are greening and the entire habitat is a junglelike paradise. Long time visitors to the preserve who were on this birding field trip said they had never seen it so lush.

The eighteen participants were able to walk the Mesquite Meander and the Palm Lake Trail since the River Ramble had been obliterated by the flood. Weather was clear but windy and the bird population was low in a place that is usually alive with flits and flights. Several pairs of Lucy’s Warblers, early migrants, were seen. Vermilion Flycatchers, male and female, in all stages and hues of red and orange, were obvious highlights. A Brown Creeper was a good sighting. A Yellow Warbler was lively and singing near the lake and a Yellow-rumped Warbler was seen.

The group split in two so not everyone saw everything, but the entire bird list, in addition to those mentioned, included: Turkey Vulture, Mallard, Zone-tailed Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, American Coot, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Anna’s Hummingbird, Gila Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Northern (Redshafted) Flicker, Black Phoebe, Common Raven, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Verdin, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Northern Mockingbird, Phainopepla, Common Yellowthroat (heard), Abert’s Towhee, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, and House Sparrow.

Birders were: Eleanor Campbell and Donna Smith, leaders; Chuck Kangas, Chuck Richard, Dan Bohlmann, Pearl and Frank Sheufelt, Alice and Paul Gravatt, Sam Stearman, Debbie Brewer, Andrea Nesbitt, Ken Clark, Dick Fogle, Barb and Ivan Feilberg, Diane and John Brandt.