The March 15, field trip to the OX Ranch, located off the Congress-Hillside road, had nine participants. We departed Phoenix about 7 a.m. The nine participants were Ann McDermott, Jeanne Kirsch, Marilyn Lauterbach and daughter Maryann, Vera Markam, Charles Kangas, Suzanne Cash, Don Steutter and Tom Lazzelle. We stopped at the rest stop near Monarch Wash 5 miles south of Wickenburg. There we spotted Plumbeous Vireos, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Ladder-backed Woodpeckers and Northern Cardinals.

The day began with clouds. At the ranch the temperature was 10 degrees cooler than Sun City, there was wind and rain began as we were departing about 2:30 p.m. We were met by the Murphy's and assembled in their house for a presentation of "before and after" photographs of conditions at the OX Ranch restoration. The Murphy's bought the ranch about 12 years ago in an over-grazed and run-down state and have worked assiduously and successfully to return healthy vegetation to the land and Date Creek. Members of the group were encouraged by the Murphy's pro habitat attitude. Mostly, they were pleased by seeing appearance of Date Creek one week after the cows had been removed from it as their winter pasture.

Birds seen by the group included the Lesser Goldfinch, Say’s Phoebe, Red-tailed Hawk, Canyon Towhee, Common Raven, Phainopepla, Vermillion Flycatcher, American Robin, Black-throated Sparrows, Black Phoebe, Ruddy Duck, Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Shoveler, Common Moorhen, Violet-green Swallow, Cliff swallow, and Pied-billed Grebe. There were others but mostly common residents as the spring migration had not yet occurred at the OX Ranch.