RUBY KING

Portal and Cave Creek Canyon

After Satellite Road I made a quick stop at Quailway Cottage, where there were feeders up and I got my first looks at Ladder-backed Woopeckers* and Pyrrhuloxias*.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker


Pyrrhuloxia


Singing Curve-billed Thrasher


Next I made my way to the tiny town of Portal, where I birded the main quarter mile strip, and made my way up and down Cave Creek Canyon.  Around the canyon I found lots of Mexican Jays*, a few Juniper Titmice*, my only Red-naped Sapsucker*, and my first of many Bridled Titmice*.

Banded Mexican Jay
 

Feeders were obviously the most productive spots to find hoards of birds, so Cave Creek Ranch's extensive feeder setup did not disappoint.

Curve-billed Thrasher


Everyone loved the Peanut Butter

Ladder-backed Woodpecker


Arizona Woodpecker*


Acorn Woodpecker


Ruby-crowned Kinglet




My only Blue-throated Hummingbird* of the trip


My second and final Cactus Wren sighting of the trip

Ruby Crowned KInglet

Huvi

Hutton's Vireo, common here, but we don't catch a ton.


They look a lot like ruby crowned kinglets, but a more hooked bill, fatter heads and huge eyes.

HUVI:


COMPARED TO

RCKI:

Fog at the gulch today

Banded at Pine Gulch today with Lisa. Alright day, but felt kind of rusty having not banded since sunday. We got 17 birds, 8 species.

This lil guy was very tangled in the net, so I had to cut him out eventually. He eventually flew off, but kind of pitifully. Sorry lil guy.


That is a tick. I tried removing it, but couldn't I sliced it, so that it would at least not impede vision as much.


Here's a golden crowned sparrow. Their crown patterns can vary quite a bit, and can only be used for ageing if they are at the more extreme ends of having very little brown striping, or a lot of black. This one was in between, but had about three black feathers on its head, which make you wonder.

As I go

Might just do this as I go today.

Varied thrush (unknown age female).


Ruby crowned kinglet (unknown age female).




Brown creeper (unknown unknown).

Muddy Hollow

I went to another offsite today with Michael. It was probably the most beautiful day I've had here so far. Nothing too special on the bird front, but we brought in about 15 and I got to see a lot of hermit thrush. Tomorrow I get to check out or third offsite and will then be expecting about a week of rain.



Banana slugz


Ruby crowned kinglet


Hermit thrush