Western Bluebird
Photo by Earle Robinson

A group of 9 folks braved the frigid temperatures to attend the Sonoran Audubon’s first Sparrow Workshop up on Perry Mesa on the Agua Fria National Monument. The weather turned the usually birdy mesa into a veritable bird ghost town. We encountered only one mixed flock of sparrows which contained White-crowned and Black-throated sparrows and Dark eyed Juncos. The weather soon drove us and a group of bird banders from Arizona State University off the mesa. We re-grouped at Rock Springs Café to warm up and have lunch while spending an hour or so going over the bird books and discussing the differences in the dozen most common sparrows in the Phoenix area.

Participants were: George Wall, Donna Smith, Anne Durning, Ann McDermott, Dick Fogle, Carolyn Modeen, Ed Jeter, Gene Burdick, and Bob McCormick

Highlights from the very short bird list of only 13 included; Western Bluebird, American Robin, and Canyon Towhee..