Encanto Encounters--Reigniting an Old Flame

This past weekend, in addition to fitting in some most satisfactory birding in Gilbert, I met up with an old flame via the internet. The first time I met this gorgeous friend it was such a new experience, exciting in so many ways. It also burned out pretty quickly--she proved to be too clingy and quickly grew distant, even skittish, and didn't like me taking photos. 

I'm referring, of course, to a lifer Lewis's Woodpecker from several years ago found at Encanto Park, an assuming urban park in central Phoenix. The park itself is mostly water features and palm trees next to a golf course, but there are three well-stocked and, importantly, uncontested oak trees near the park clubhouse, and this Lewis's wintered there quite comfortably, stashing acorns in the palms and enjoying the mild weather. The bird was rediscovered this year (assumedly it's the same bird--that works better for the narrative and bad jokes I'm making), back at its old tricks, and upon reading the listserv report I couldn't resist a reaquiantance. Even though it had been a surprising lifer those years before, I've been unsatisfied with my photos of the species and there isn't many a better opportunity to photograph these predominantly montane birds than a comparatively open city park. 

When I returned to Encanto, which also happens to be close to the best Thai restaurant in Phoenix...the Lewis's was readily apparent, being far larger and slower flying than its timid Gila counterparts. It was wasting little time in making hollows and stockpiling its winter store.

It's no birding gem, by any means, but Encanto Park also has some other feathery attractions. It's a very reliable spot--as is any park with a bit of water and some palms--for Rosy-faced Lovebirds, which are a recently countable bird in the ABA area. These birds are second only to the Le Conte's Thrasher as the subject of many emails I get from out-of-town birders looking to boost their life lists. Unlike those coy, skittish Thrashers, these birds are conspicuous, cute, and more gregarious than the neighborhood ice cream man on a summer day.

They don't just associate with their own kind either. They're obliging of Starlings, Grackles, Curve-billed Thashers, Doves, and, as it turns out, they don't even really mind Kestrel company. Can you spot the third bird in this tree?



The Eurasian Collared Dove...they may seem innocuous, and they're not even overly numerous in central Phoenix, but this species has spread out and conquered North America faster than just about any other introduced species of which I can think. They'd make the blitzkrieging panzer divisions, USMC, 101st Airborne, and the Ottoman Turks all green with envy and uhh...purple?...with respect. Their secret to vast, rapid conquest seems to be having lots of babies and being bigger than the other doves, that, and having a really raspy, surprisingly ugly dove call. Despite their lily-white facade, they're also very hardy. I see them in slummy parts of town next to pigeons, on cattle farms, in the desert, and up in below-freezing temperatures in the mountains, where even Pigeons and Starlings will not go.

I can't say I'm thrilled to see or read about their expansion, but I'll take them over Pigeons at least. Their cleaner, chalky complexions are easier on the eye, and sometimes they seem very empathetic:

"Would...would you mind if I conquered you? Would that be alright?"

After initially seeing the Lewis's and then doing a quick walk-about to see if anything else was out and eye-level, I returned to the woodpecker post, transforming into a Stalking Gawker. No doubt it's been said before, said well, said often, even said superfluously (the fourth one is my personal style at any rate), but this Woodpecker is absurdly colored. It looks like the result of a Crow and a tropical Tanager's wild night of passion, made all the more weird by it being a woodland/montane bird now witnessed bringing home the bacon, so to speak, on a palm tree. 

The Lewis's was much more cooperative than when we first met years before, even if its significance for the list and what not had lessened. I was able to scoot right up to the base of its palmy acorn reservoir and fire dead ahead, finally getting a little eye contact, recognition, and justice. What an outstandingly gorgeous bird. When we first met...I was young and reckless. Things will never be the same between us, but I and the Lewis's...we have an understanding now, from time shared together.

Front and Center!

On the way home from the Arlington/Palo Verde agricultural fields last weekend I swung by Encanto Park. With several large duck ponds and an adjacent golf green, Encanto isn't bad for an urban park for urban birding. It was a regular weekend patch for me when I lived closer to it, and I even picked up a few lifers there. Nonetheless, it's one of those places with pretty limited bird diversity, and as can happen with the smaller venues, I eventually outgrew it.

Someday, this pretty Gadwall will outgrow it too.

But a recent listerv report caught my attention and drew me back to the paddle boat ponds and its rafts of waterfowl. Someone reported a Greater white-fronted Goose at Encanto, a somewhat common vagrant but one I had not yet seen. I had always figured that eventually I'd stumble across a White-fronted goose at one point or another, and never made much of a point of chasing this species. This particular bird wasn't my discovery, but now there finally was such a goose in the area!

I was happy to swing by my old stomping grounds and survey the ponds once more, especially since I hadn't picked up my target birds in Arlington, but in honesty I also wasn't overly optimistic about the Goose. I didn't recognize the name of the person (sorry!) who posted to the list, and I knew there were also lots of somewhat similarly colored Chinese Geese at the park. The Chinese Geese normally have a bulbous forehead like Mute Swans, but some specimens, like the fellow below, lack the bulge, and can also have varying white bordering their mandibles. 

When I arrived at the ponds the first birds I saw (after that Gadwall) were some Mallards and then the Chinese Geese, but I only had to wait for a few moments before a conspicuous, smaller goose rounded the pond corner and headed my way. The Greater-white Fronted Goose is much more petite than the Chinese Geese, and of course it lacks the bulging forehead and has much more prominent white on its face, in addition to the softer pink bill. Next to the obnoxious Chinese Geese, the White-fronted was a real charmer. 

Geese certainly aren't known for their shyness, especially around urban parks, and this Goose's close approach made me think that it's probably caught onto the handout system for the park, and has likely been there through the winter, living on welfare.

This bird seemed much smaller than the described twenty-eight inch length in Sibley's. The western and southwestern Alaska subspecies of this goose do tend to be smaller though, and while they usually winter in the Mexican highlands, they do pass over Arizona in their routes, and this fellow might've just decided he'd gone far enough by time he hit Phoenix. He swam back and forth between sun and shade, seemingly very content with his little park and the abundance of easy food and little competition that it brings.

It never exited the pond, unfortunately, and I couldn't see any leg bands through the water. Nonetheless this handsome Goose made for a very pleasant return to Encanto and provided me with an unexpected lifer in the middle of Phoenix and in February. Greater-white Fronted Goose, I salute you!

Plan B Birding

I was all set to visit the Desert Botanical Gardens for some evening birding and photography on Wednesday. The plan was to leave work and head over while I still had a couple hours of daylight. But, just as I arrived at work in the morning, I realized I had made the most heinous, egregious, frustrating and teeth-gnashing error of all...I had forgotten my birding gear at home!!!

So, with much self-deprecation, I headed back to the west side of town after work. I got the equipment and resigned myself to some local park birding. I wish I could say there was some special sighting, some serendipitous occurrence whereby I was left thinking, "Wow! What great luck that I forgot my stuff earlier and was forced to come here, otherwise I never would have seen this interesting and beautiful rare bird (yes, that IS how I talk to myself)."

Encanto has been a great local patch, and does produce its share of surprises from time to time, including a Lewis's Woodpecker and Townsend's Warblers. But today was just a normal day, and there were just normal birds (life can be so so hard for birders). Now, I know I promised last week that I'd be one and done with duckling photos, but promises mean nothing to the birds! Encanto was overflowing with ducklings. I counted over 8 distinct Mallard families, each with 6 or more ducklings.

The Ducks weren't the only ones with young out and about. The Lovebird population at Encanto has always been pretty loud and large. Their numbers and noises were swelled by the numerous adolescents. The young Lovebirds have much less red on their face, have much darker coloration on their beaks, and they're noticeably smaller.

There were also some young Neotropic Cormorants hanging around. They were more petite than their older counterparts, and a little less shy. I'm assuming they're Neotropics from all of the brown, though to me the beaks actually look more Double-Crested. Any ideas?

This young un' looked to have a soggy diaper...

Birding at Encanto wasn't the original plan, but it was a nice evening. Their were lots of young birds and the weather dropped into the 70s for the first time this week. It's always good to have a Plan B.

Hello Mellow Yellow Fellow

Dear Reader,

Be forewarned. For reasons beyond my control this is going to be a very yellow post. If you find the color yellow or its off-shooting hues to be offensive or irritating, turn back now.  If thou art brave and not yellow, proceed.

It was a pretty mellow morning of birding. By funny coincidence, all of the birds I photographed on Saturday happened to be yellow. The usual bevy of Hummingbirds, Gnatcatchers, and Sparrows were no where to be found, but the yellow birds seemed more than willing to take up the slack.  

To supplement the muted birding, Maria and I decided to stop by Encanto Park, where I had seen some goslings a couple weeks ago. It took a little walking, but eventually we rediscovered the brood. There were eight chicks in all, and they seemed to have a Chinese Goose mother, though there were also five Embden Geese (don't know the gender) keeping a protective watch around them.

This is the first batch of new birds I've seen this early spring, and what's not to love? These fuzzy butterballs were floating around without a care in the world (granted, that's also the way their parents float around). Even the most rabid ravenous angry crazy wolverine would think twice about eating one of these puffballs, such is their cuteness.

It'll be fun to check up on these goslings over the next few months. This sort of things cushions against the loss of the wintering ducks, and it really has me looking forward to other spring perks, like Quail chicks. It was a brief but enjoyable bit of birding, even if it was a little bit monochrome.

Play It Through--Birds on the Golf Course

Why is it that when something is "sub par" it's bad. If you hit under par in golf, aren't you doing really well? Anyway, I made a quick trip out to the Encanto golf course on Friday afternoon for some par birding. The usual Lovebirds and Grackles were out and about, along with the now well-established Lewis's Woodpecker. These two Eurasian Collared Doves were a new edition to the scene. My first sighting of these chalky doves was at the Gilbert Ranch in September, but they seem to have gone on an offensive since then and have spread over much of the Phoenix area now.

There's a tall, mostly leafless eucalyptus tree along the fairway of Hole 8 at the Encanto course. It's a pretty good spot for raptors, and I've seen Kestrels, Red-Tails, and Coopers all perched there at one time or another. On Friday it was this sharp-looking Harris's Hawk.

Just as I got into position with sun behind me, she leapt from her perch with a burst of energy. The speed and force of her departure took my autofocus and me by surprise.

As she spread her wings the rufous shoulders and legs, as well as the white on the tail all became very clear. With her talons out, I wondered at what she was lounging with such quick determination.

Yep, all that build-up and she just hopped over to the other branch about two feet away. Oh well, I get fidgety too sometimes. It was interesting to note how extra puffy and disheveled the white feathers were on the underside of the tail. I wonder if this means she's been sitting on eggs/raising a brood nearby. That's my best guess. Cool bird, one of my favorite hawks.

I actually saw this Vermillion Flycatcher Saturday morning. He was too far away for a nice picture, but in a way the distance is more telling. There are few birds that one can identify so quickly and surely from far away as the full-plumage male Vermillion. I'm hoping to see and photograph lots more as they return from Mexico.

Survey Saturday

I'm beginning to suspect there is some sort of nebulous conspiracy here in Phoenix. All through the week there's not a cloud in the sky, and for the last 4 weekends we've had medium to heavy overcast  weather. It's downright stultifying!

Anyhow, today was the Maricopa Waterfowl Survey, which is conducted every year by the Game and Fish Department. They get bird nerds and volunteers to walk, drive, or gallop all over Maricopa County taking inventory on the water birds. I've been doing my part here in central Phoenix, and I wasn't expecting too much in way of photography anyway.

There wasn't much out of the usual. There were lots and lots of Coots, Ring-Necked Ducks, and Canada Geese. Some Wigeon and Shovelers were seen along with Pied-Billed Grebes, wild Mallards, and a few Herons. There were also 3 Harris's Hawks at Encanto Park, which do not count towards the survey, but were a welcome sight nonetheless.

And there was this shy little guy:

The duck was all white, with a short stubby bill and overall length of about 12 inches--pigeon size. Given his diminutive stature and his stubby bill, along with my assumption that this is not a juvenile, he stood apart from the other typical white mallard-sized ducks one often sees around urban ponds. I'm not sure if he's a hybrid or just another species of domestic duck that I'd never seen before.



Here he is trying to eat an eucalyptus leaf.

Doh! Look at me; I'm confusing!

 He was a cute little thing.

Some Misc. Photos

I'll be out participating in the Greater Phoenix Area Waterbird Survey on Saturday, moving around through central Phoenix and taking inventory on the waterfowl in the area. While this should both be helpful to the AZ Game and Fish Department and be a lot of fun, I'm not expecting to come away with many pictures. To keep a little color on the site, here are a couple pleasant photos of some normal residents at Encanto Park.

Wishing good birding to everyone this weekend!

On the way home from work...

I stopped by Encanto Park, only a slight deviation from the I-10 highway. I only saw the resident Lewis's Woodpecker at a distance, but it was very nice to just sit and observe for 15 minutes. There are plenty of Ring-Neck Ducks in the ponds, and always a few Kinglets and Gila Woodpeckers bumbling about. This Pied-Billed Grebe, done up right nice in his breeding plumage, was a special treat:

Here's a non-bredding Grebe, meaning it is without the namesake stripe on the bill, for comparison:

You can hear and see the Yellow-Rumped Warblers just about everywhere in the autumn and winter months. I must admit, I usually ignore them. But when it's a slow evening and there's not a lot of activity, you're forced to focus on every bird, and it makes me appreciate them once again.

First Birds of 2012

It was a great Christmas Break in New Hampshire, and happy new year too. Alas, I did not see the Snowy Owls or Buntings I was faintly hoping for, but the trip had its share of good birding nonetheless.

It's nice to be back in Arizona, where the temperatures are hanging in the 50s and the birds haven't fled south. Technically, my first bird of the new year was a Great-Tailed Grackle outside of the Phoenix airport. This sighting was then followed up with Starlings, Pigeons, and Mourning Doves on the ride home (I know I know, pretty prodigious stuff). I decided to improve on this start and squeeze in some early birding this morning, before all of the unpacking and cleaning must take effect. It was a brief but dazzling little excursion, and I was delighted to get some more colorful birds and photos to start this new year off properly.

I missed these guys.

I made the short trip down to Encanto Park to see if the Lewis's Woodpecker was still hanging around. He was indeed, and there were also Kinglets, Lovebirds, Flycatchers, Hummingbirds, and some frisky ducks all enjoying the mild weather.
This curious Lewis's Woodpecker, who now seems to definitely be planning a winter-length stay in central Phoenix, is just as skittish as he was last month. However, he has a pretty regular pattern that he flies between a few palm trees and the Encanto oaks. If you can get in the right position, with the sun in your favor, you can get some decent looks before the jig's up and he takes off.

He was still busily gathering and stashing acorns in the palm trees, just barely keeping ahead of the Starlings and Thrashers that were always lurking and poaching nearby. He found enough time in his routine for a brief stretch and a scratch before continuing with his winter preparations.

Watching him scratch away made me start to feel itchy, and I have to admit I inadvertently began scratching my neck too, though I didn't use my foot. I wonder. If a bird yawns, would it make a person yawn as well?

Although he is definitely the most unusual and probably the most colorful bird to be found at Encanto, the Lewis's Woodpecker was not the only highlight. This American Kestrel stopped by for some breakfast. He perched oddly close to a Mockingbird, who also didn't seem to mind. Usually the Mockers squawk and carry on and on until the raptors leave. Perhaps they made a new year's resolution to get along with each other.

Kestrel's are very pretty birds. I wish I had gotten these berries in good focus--aperture too low--it would've made for a nice picture. Unfortunately the bird bolted before I could re-adjust.

There is another solitary and recognizable resident along the oak-side Encanto pond. This Black Phoebe has been hanging out in the same spot since August. And really, why should he move?

One of my resolutions was to bring my Life List total to 300 this year. While I didn't see any new species today, it was a great way to begin a new year of beautiful birding.

Close Encantos of the Bird Kind

I managed to squeeze in some early morning birding at Encanto Park on Sunday. Since I had been thinking I wouldn't be able to go birding at all this weekend, everything I saw and photographed was already a bonus. The first bird of the morning was a handsome White-Crowned Sparrow. This was a peculiar sighting in that there were maybe a dozen White-Crowned sparrows in this little area, but only two of them had their full adult plumage. I have never seen such a high ratio of juveniles to adults.

They all kept pretty low to the ground, so when this adult flew up into the light for 5 minute's peace, I quickly snapped the picture and carried on my way. 

It's been bugging me a little bit that I did not yet have good Grackle pictures. You can find the birds just about anywhere, but it can be hard to find good specimens for photography. You don't want any of the mangy birds that are usually missing feathers or hanging out in dirty/unphotogenic places. You also want to get the light at the right angle so you can showcase the Grackle's impressive iridescence. This bold contender was occupying a little rock in one of the golf course ponds. Although the yellow of the eye is a bit blown by the excessive light, I'm keeping the photo as it marks an important milestone. This is my first action shot of a defecating bird!

A nearby female provided another photo-op. She was more composed, or at least more polite in front of the camera. However, a few theatrics wouldn't have hurt. The female Grackle is perhaps one of the most dull birds you'll see. To be fair, she has a bit of the iridescent green on her shoulders and back, but it's hard for me to get past the monochromatic brown. I imagine part of my hang-up is that I usually see Grackles in dirty places, which makes the darker colors seem all the more corrupted, and it's hard to shake that stigma. Of course, there's more to a bird than its color, and I was glad to finally have a pair of Great-Tailed Grackles added to my photographic collection.   

Seeing this male Anna's Hummingbird in all of his scintillating glory was definitely the highlight of the day. I spotted the flash of red atop a bottle tree and snapped. This first picture was taken probably 15 feet from the base of the trunk, with the treetop being another 20 feet high (my mathematical wife tells me that means it was around 25 feet away). I'm including this initial picture just to give an idea of how incredibly eye-catching his ruby helmet was in the morning light, even from a distance. 

This precocious Anna's started to fly rounds between a couple of the nearby trees and bushes, stopping briefly to sound his trilling call, take a breath, and then quickly move on to his next checkpoint. I was very fortunate to have him stop close by and give me a great look at his broadside. It's amazing to me, given the previous coloration, the total lack of visible red when he was perpendicular to the sun. Looking at this picture alone, I'd never otherwise assume this Hummer had anything but dark grayish/greenish feathers on his face.

I was unlucky that he did not turn fully into the sun (just as well, it probably would have been blinding). Even this slight turn of his head, maybe 20 degrees, filled his face with color. I love that even the little side patch behind the eye lights up. The scaly green back and fluffy leggings alone would make this a beautiful bird, but with that scarlet headgear it's almost an overload!

I was leaving the park feeling pretty great. From no birding at all to a pooping Grackle and a super cool Hummingbird, it was already a great Sunday. So it was icing on the cake when this Harris's Hawk landed on the divider for the adjacent golf course driving range. He let out his recognizable, hoarse "scrawwww" and declared this telephone pole to be solely his property. I see Harris's hawks a lot on the east side of town, but this was my first ever in west Phoenix.