The end of June

Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 30, 2025

Yellow Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Jun 30, 2025

American Redstart, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Jun 30, 2025

Gray Catbird, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Jun 30, 2025

American Redstart with unusual plumage, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 29, 2025

Pileated Woodpecker, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 29, 2025

Eastern Kingbird, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Jun 28, 2025

Muskrat, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Jun 28, 2025

Common Yellowthroat, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Jun 27, 2025

Red winged Blackbirds, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Jun 27, 2025

Green Heron, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Jun 27, 2025

Black Bear, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Jun 27, 2025

Bank Swallow juveniles, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Jun 26, 2025

Yellow Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 25, 2025

Yet another month has come to an end (they go faster and faster...at least when it is warm out!).  It was a great month for birding when I could get out as the weather was mainly cooperative (although record setting hot at times) with just the annoying insects making it less pleasant.  Lots of breeding activity throughout the month and I conducted all of my breeding bird work from Eastern Whip Poor Will surveys to my Breeding Bird Survey and field surveys on the Prescott Peninsula.  Bird song continued through the end of the month although it has started to trail off with some species going quiet.  July is always a fairly quiet time for birding here although some post breeding dispersals can add some excitement.  For me this July marks my last month of work in my fire and EMS career as I will be retiring after 33 years in the field.  I'm certainly ready for it! 

Prescott Peninsula field surveys today

Bobcat, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 21, 2025

Bobcat, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 21, 2025

Bobcat, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 21, 2025

Chestnut sided Warbler, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 21, 2025

Common Yellowthroat, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 21, 2025

Cedar Waxwing, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 21, 2025

Ovenbird, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 21, 2025

Great Blue Heron, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 21, 2025

Field Sparrows, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 21, 2025

Site of old observatory, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 21, 2025

I finally made it up to the Prescott Peninsula to conduct a breeding bird survey within the various remaining fields on the peninsula.  I also wanted to follow up on a possible Cerulean Warbler on the lower end of the peninsula as well as see if I could track down any Red Crossbills.  I arrived a bit before six and started my surveys.  I spent quite a bit of time at the largest field complex and was rewarded with a number of breeding species found at no other location on the peninsula as well as my first flyover Red Crossbills (I would have multiple groups during my morning there but none cooperated enough to get recordings to figure out the Type).  One of the best sightings of the day took place while I was there when I had a Bobcat show quite well.  I initially saw it for a brief second as I was walking back toward my car and I thought it was a Bobcat.  When I walked the few hundred feet up to where I saw it the Bobcat was perhaps a hundred feet away on a grassy side road.  It seemed totally unfazed by my presence.  It eventually slipped away into the grasses of the fields and out of view.  I also ran into Dale and Ki who were out checking on the various game cameras set up on the peninsula.  A large tree down forced me to reroute a bit before I was able to make it down to the southern part of the peninsula top follow up on a possible Cerulean Warbler.  I had no luck finding a Cerulean Warbler at the location but did have two Black throated Blue Warblers singing a Cerulean Warbler like song so that is likely what was heard.  Oddly enough the location is very close to where I had Cerulean Warblers confirmed breeding several years ago during the state Breeding Bird Atlas.  I then worked my way back north and surveyed a few other fields before heading back home as the day heated up.  Always fun to get out to one of the least travelled places in the state.

Brief trip to southeast Arizona

Broad billed Hummingbird, Agua Caliente Park, Tucson, AZ

Bewick's Wren, Agua Caliente Park, Tucson, AZ

 

Hooded Oriole, Agua Caliente Park, Tucson, AZ

I took a brief trip out to Arizona now that things have mainly settled back to the typical routine back home and I can actually get away...I had the trip planned for quite awhile but had to shorten it up a bit due to some unforeseen circumstances.  The focus of the trip would be on warblers with the goals of getting photos and recordings of a few I have seen but not photographed or recorded plus getting a Red faced Warbler for my US list. It would be my last little getaway before returning to work until I retire in late July. June is one of the hottest times to be out there but I have never been there that time of year and I hoped to catch the end of migration and still have resident birds singing (mainly warblers of course). I got in a little birding when I arrived but it was damn hot.

Sunrise, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 10, 2025

Red faced Warbler, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 10, 2025

Black throated Gray Warbler, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 10, 2025

Grace's Warbler, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 10, 2025

Virginia's Warbler, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 10, 2025

Northern House Wren carrying nest material, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 10, 2025

Olive Warbler, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 10, 2025

Hepatic Tanager, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 10, 2025

Townsend's Warbler, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 10, 2025

Yellow eyed Junco, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 10, 2025

Black throated Sparrow, Agua Caliente Park, Tucson, AZ, Jun 10, 2025

Lucy's Warbler, Agua Caliente Park, Tucson, AZ, Jun 10, 2025

Vermillion Flycatcher, Agua Caliente Park, Tucson, AZ, Jun 10, 2025

Looking south toward Santa Rita Mountains, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 10, 2025

With my body still on east coast time and having been getting up early for weeks now I was awake before 3AM on Tuesday and headed out to get some nocturnal species as I made my way up to Summerhaven on Mount Lemmon. Before the sun came up I had gotten a few nocturnal species including Common Poorwill, Mexican Whip Poor Will and Great Horned Owl. It was a bit cool as I topped out over 8000 feet in elevation with temps in the mid 50’s to start the day. I then spent several hours covering multiple locations on Mount Lemmon (Incinerator Ridge and Bear Wallow plus other brief stops) before descending back down to the heat of Tucson. The focus was on tracking down warblers and I had fantastic luck with great looks at all my targets as well as a few species I didn’t expect to get. I finally added Red faced Warblers to my United States list. Beyond the warblers I had a nice selection of high elevation species with many deep into the breeding season with young around or carrying food to nests. After my time on Mount Lemmon I came back down to the blast furnace that is the valley of Tucson. Despite the temps over 100 I still stopped at a few places before I headed back to my Airbnb. I added a few species for the day without finding anything unusual.

Broad billed Hummingbird, Santa Rita Lodge, Madera Canyon, AZ, Jun 12, 2025

Broad billed Hummingbird, Santa Rita Lodge, Madera Canyon, AZ, Jun 12, 2025

Bronzed Cowbird, Santa Rita Lodge, Madera Canyon, AZ, Jun 12, 2025

Hooded Oriole, Madera Canyon, AZ, Jun 12, 2025

Violet crowned Hummingbird, Santa Rita Lodge, Madera Canyon, AZ, Jun 12, 2025

Bushtit, Madera Canyon, AZ, Jun 12, 2025

Black bellied Whistling Duck, Amado WTP, Amado, AZ, Jun 12, 2025

Black tailed Gnatcatcher, Montosa Canyon, Tubac, AZ, Jun 12, 2025

Western Screech Owl, Montosa Canyon, Tubac, AZ, Jun 12, 2025

 

Montosa Canyon, Tubac, AZ, Jun 12, 2025

On Wednesday I decided to head south with several targets on my way to Madera Canyon for the morning. I was out the door before 2:30 to make the hour plus drive down to the location of my first target of the day…a Buff collared Nightjar that has been in Box Canyon in the Santa Rita mountains. I arrived there around 3:30 and immediately heard at least one individual singing. I got some recordings and there may have been two birds present. The nightjar became species #2175 for me. As I was there a number of other species called in the predawn light by a near full moon including a few Elf Owls and yet another new species for me with a Montezuma Quail. Once I was done in Box Canyon I made a brief visit to Florida Canyon in a long shot on a Rufous capped Warbler that I missed on when out in the area over the winter. It has not been seen in quite a while and I didn’t find one. I then started the drive over to Madera Canyon but not before making a stop near Florida Wash where I added my third life bird for the day with a Botteri’s Sparrow (#2177). I finally made it to Madera Canyon itself a little after 6:30 and stayed around three hours. The most notable sightings for me were two Hermit Warblers, a species which should have already moved off to the north and a continued Beryline Hummingbird. Beyond that it was mainly breeding species with a decent selection both at the feeders at the handful of lodges plus others scattered along the trails. As the day continued to heat up I had to decide where to go next as I made the drive back to my lodging. Although it was now getting late in the morning and the heat was rapidly building I decided to head to Sweetwater Wetlands where a few rare birds have been seen lately. It is usually a good spot for waterfowl but the heat of the day looked to have forced almost all of them into the shade or reeds and I saw very few species of waterfowl. The most unusual species I had there was a brief look at a continued Chestnut sided Warbler. I saw it briefly and then it was gone. I spent some time looking for it again without any luck. By the time I finished up my time there it was noon and the temps were around 100 so I headed back to my lodging to have a late lunch.                                

Black throated Gray Warbler, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 13, 2025

Red faced Warbler, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 13, 2025

Broad tailed Hummingbird, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 13, 2025

Turkey Vultures, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 13, 2025

View to north from Incinerator Ridge, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 13, 2025

Common Poorwill, Tucson, AZ, Jun 13, 2025

I had a few hours available in the morning before my flight back home in the early afternoon and I headed back up Mount Lemmon heading up to almost to Summerhaven with stops along the way listening for nocturnal species again…the advantage of being up around 2AM again! Once it was light enough to see I started walking at Bear Wallow where I intended to spend most of my available time. I was perhaps 3/4 of a mile in on my walk and got a message from American Airlines that my flight was delayed and I would then not be able to make my connection in Dallas. I was lucky to get the message as cell service is very spotty up in the mountains. I cut the walk short, got down to a spot with better reception and started looking up other options to get to Dallas earlier and saw a flight leaving Tucson at 11:30. After a talk with the airline I got rebooked on the earlier flight. The change cut off a couple hours of available birding time but worth the change to make my flight to Dallas. Without as much time I decided on walking again at nearby Incinerator Ridge instead of heading back to Bear Wallow. I had some good views of a few birds and tried to make the most of my more limited time. My new flight got out on time but then my flight home from Dallas got delayed and I never got home until almost 2AM.

During the trip I had a total of 121 species including four lifers. I also added 14 species to my Arizona state list with that total now at 235 species.