Tres Rios September 2005

This was the Verde Valley trip that wasn't and the Tres Rios trip that was. Rather than use petrol (which is in hurricane distress right now), the five who came birding this day elected to go to Tres Rios. Loretta and Chuck Richards, Betty Roberts, Donna Smith, and Carolyn Modeen (Leader) report this account:

The bees were as spectacular as the birds, having created large honeycombs on one of the large bird houses and massed in a large group on the other bird house. Two of the cottonwoods have become a bird rookery, which is not in use at this time. The stars of the birds were the Yellow-headed Blackbirds--they grouped and regrouped in large numbers--they were a visual and an auditory delight.

Other birds that were seen or heard were Mallards, Belted Kingfisher, Pied-billed Grebes, several Green Herons, Great White Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, rail (Virginia? Sora?), Osprey, American Coot, Black Phoebe, (h) Marsh Wren, (h) Song Sparrow, Gila Woodpecker, Red-Shafted Northern Flicker, Empidonax flycatcher, Turkey Vulture, Great-tailed Grackle, Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Black-chinned hummingbird, Anna's Hummingbird, Verdin, Spotted Towhee, Abert’s Towhee, White-Crowned Sparrow, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Rock Pigeon, Double-crested Cormorants, European Starling, Gambel's Quail, Orange-crowned Warbler, and Yellow-rumped Warblers.