The Whole Bloomin' Garden!

The Desert Botanical Gardens have long been a birding staple of Butlers Birds and Things. It's nearby, has a good variety of species, and brings the birds in close. But into the winter months, they often prune heavily and remove lots of the flowering vegetation. As such, the number of species and sightings drops off dramatically and birders are forced to look elsewhere. Well, the spring planting is now well established, the Gardens are in full bloom, and the birds are coming back. It was a great pleasure to return to these familiar grounds and have another great birding experience, as I had so often last year.

Not all of the winter birds have left yet, and the first to greet me was this confident White-Crowned Sparrow--a bird with a kingly bravery to match its kingly name.

And of course, there were Verdins. There are always Verdins, lots and lots of Verdins. I've never not seen a Verdin at the DBG. I've never gotten tired of seeing Verdins at the DBG : )

The Verdins and White-Crowned Sparrows had no problem being out in the open, nor did the multitude of Anna's and Broad-Tailed Hummingbirds that have descended on the flowering Gardens en masse. There were also some skulkers, some shy birds keeping to the shadows hoping the spastic camera man would pass them by. Wishful thinking birdies!

This Orange-Crowned Warbler was one such wallflower, the first of many I will see this spring.

This male Gambel's Quail was also being a bit mopey. Maybe he was just feeling a little bit trapped. Oh sigh, Mr. Quail, the grass is always greener on the other side...

Speaking of green, this frog was in a very bullish mood, and he filled the small swampy circle at the DBG with his boisterous boasting. This would be all well and good if I were not trying to 'pish' a Common Yellowthroat out of the reeds. Alas, the bullfrog won that singing contest.

This young male Anna's Hummingbird made for some particularly fun observations. He did not seem to like feeding while in flight, and would instead try to perch near or on his desired flower. When he found a nice perch on a fairy duster plant, he blended in very nicely.

When he turned his head and revealed his developing gorget, it was very complementary, his green back and spot of red fitting the color palette perfectly. Soon he'll have his full, manly gorget, and he'll terrorize the flower gardens and try to chase all the other birds away. Of course, this will attract all the more attention from us birders.

The 2011 Butler Bird of the Year

Well it took about a month and a half to decide, but the jury has finally reached a verdict on the best Butler Bird of the Year (also know as the B-BOY award, only slightly less famous than the Oscars). With close competition from Phainopeplas, a Townsends Warbler, and an inner city Lewis's Woodpecker, the award goes to...the Elf Owl!

This was certainly the most surprising sighting of the year, both because of the relatively uncommon and inconspicuous nature of the bird. I'm never really expecting to see Owls, which maybe explains why this and the Great Horned are the only two I've ever seen in the wild.

These tiny birds were hanging out at the Desert Botanical Gardens in September, and provided one of the best all-round birding experiences of my 2011 birding year. I'm definitely hoping to get some more owls this year, but I don't know if any of them will match this super fun sighting. Here's hoping!

See the full Elf Owl adventure recorded here

A Good Day for Pictures

I made my first evening trip to the Desert Botanical Gardens today, and I almost didn't see a single new bird! As I was leaving I did notice a Rufous-Capped sparrow, so the List still grows on.
What was really special though was the setting. The sunlight was picking up and reflecting off of the granite and sandstone hills that surround the DBG and a soft orange light filled the area. The birds were occupied in their evening foraging and were especially photogenic. Even though I did not see many new birds (and yes, I realize the day will come when I will not see any new birds at all), I did get a lot of great pictures of familiar birds, and virtually all of them provided better and updated photos for their respective entries. It was one of the best all-round photographical experiences I've had thus far.
I have not reproduced all of the photos here, but have filed them into each species' entry, which will be linked below.
All images can be enlarged by clicking on them.

 This fluffy Mourning Dove was the first to greet me at the DBG.

 An Anna's Hummingbird delicately sips her drink. It was after 5 pm after all. This is a female Anna's, courtesy of the connected eye-stripe to the forehead. I especially like all of the pollen that's stuck to her beak.

 Of all the places to find a Cactus Wren...

 This Curve-Billed Thrasher was either eating prickly pear fruits for his dinner, or is a cannibal--pretty stark contrast.

 Great Horned Owl: Lord of this Land. Mighty in Wisdom, Great in Sleepiness. 

 The House Sparrows even seemed to be especially pretty. I mean, they usually are kind of interesting because of their intricate coloring, but the right lighting and cool weather (finally!) just makes everything seem more photo-worthy. 

 I have still not been able to get the right shot of a Gambel's Quail. I don't know what it is. There are more Quail at the DBG than any other bird, but I just can't make it work.

 The debate rages on at the DBG as to whether this is the Pacific-Slope or the Cordilleran Flycather. I've thrown my lot in with the Cordillerans, but I don't know if it will ever be settled. There appears to be a stick poking into this handsome Cordilleran here. I wonder if he felt it?

 Verdins are great. They're colorful, energetic, and not overly shy, but they also don't give it all away up front. This lovely specimen was in the mood for lantana berries.

Not the most flattering angle, though I guess it was rude to watch her eat in the first place.

 Success! One of the last ripe berries.

 You know, looking at that beak and that berry, I'm not sure it'll all fit.

 This female Northern Flicker was digging for ants, which as I found out is a fairly common practice among Flickers. I guess it's easier than pecking wood. I really like her polka-dots.

 I really appreciate that this Cactus Wren posed among the purple for me. I'll vote for him to be my state bird any day!

 The Green-Tailed Towhees seem to be at the DBG in force now with Autumn setting in. 

 This Rufous-Crowned Sparrow was the sole new bird on this trip, and it figures that I couldn't get a decent picture. There's always next time Mr. Sparrow...I know where you live.

Even the Abert's Towhee, drabbest of birds, was looking good this evening. This specimen seemed to feel it as well. Standing tall and out in the open? Hardly the normal behavior for the humble Abert's.

More Dessert in the Desert

It was another beautiful morning at the Desert Botanical Gardens. Feeling empowered by my official membership, Pops and I showed up at 6 am to get in some early birding and maybe see some of the desert's more crepuscular denizens, but we were thwarted by an aged security guard informing us that early entries were only permitted on Sundays and Wednesdays.
After biding (not birding) our time, we entered and made a bee line for the wildflower garden, where a Yellow-Breasted Chat, mightiest of Warblers, was supposedly prospecting. This Chat may have been the fevered product of idle chatter, but we did see the usual suspects of Lesser Goldfinches and Rosy-Faced Lovebirds that converge on the sunflower seeds with about as much voracity as one may ever see in a herbivore.
The first interesting sighting was the uncommon Sage Thrasher, one of those fairly obscure desert birds whose rarity is belayed by their unassuming appearance. He was perched on top of some creosote bushes basking in the morning sun, although he quickly departed when he realized MAN had violated his solitude.

After completing a circuit in the wildflower garden, we proceeded to another shaded area that hosted the warblers and flycatchers seen on earlier trips. Except for the occasional Curve-Billed Thrasher, it was largely deserted--very odd. While exploring the other expositions of desert flora, we ran into the Gardens' contracted photographer, who made us privy to some Elf Owls sighted nearby! I had never seen an Elf Owl, and with it being tiny, uncommon, and predominantly nocturnal, I had never planned on it either. Pops had been hoping to see one for years, and neither of us were disappointed.
Although they were pretty far back from the trail, three Elf Owls--two adults and one chick--were indeed perched and visible out in the daylight.

 
I was blown away by how small they are. These birds were a bit puffed up as well, but they were less than six inches tall and totally motionless. We observed for a while and I tried to get some pictures, but the distance and adverse lighting denied me that satisfaction. It was still a great sighting though, and we continued around the Gardens already considering the day a great success.
We came across a molting Anna's Hummingbird and some bickering Broad-Tailed Hummers, who were drawn to the flowering foliage in numbers seeming to rival the bees.

The red throat is filling in as is the red crown, which is particular to the Anna's.

Even if not new, the hummingbirds are always fun to watch: the brain of a bird in the body of a bee flying around like a deflating balloon.
Soon after I was also able to get some excellent shots of the locally common Gila Woodpecker, which is seen and heard often enough but usually too skittish or high in the trees for me to get a good picture.

Before heading out for some biscuits and gravy, we decided to try the wildflower garden once more in hopes of seeing the Yellow-Breasted Chat. While we finished the day chat-less, we discovered another pair of Elf Owls in the "Hummingbird Garden". They were much closer to the trail, in decent light, and pretty comfortable with our gawking. They seemed even smaller than the earlier sightings, despite being closer to us. We shared binoculars with other passersby, and some other birding folk were very happy to get to see these remarkable little owls.

It was excellent. It seemed like all the pictures were coming out clearly today. The company was great and the birding exceptional. With two new birds on the list, some great Elf Owl pictures, and the birding only to get better with Autumn migrants, it was a very satisfactory outing. Elf Owls and Sage Thrashers are the sorts of birds you don't ever really expect too see; they're uncommon and tend to be well hidden, but today was a day for birders.

More Fun at the Gardens

I'm now a card-carrying member of the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix. Between the Gardens, Encanto Park, and the Gilbert Water Ranch, I think I've found a good local triumvirate of birding spots to sustain me through the year. I had a great time at the Gardens on Labor Day, and while I did not get a lot of good photographs this time around, I did see a MacGillivray's Warbler, a Black-Throated Gray Warbler, and a Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher, which were all news ones for the List.

   I did get some more decent shots of Verdins, Cactus Wrens, Cordilleran Flycatchers, and Lovebirds, but Warbler Photography is still a skill I have yet to even approach. It's always nice to be birding though, and Larry Butler 

Senior, Birder in Chief, came out this weekend as well. Company is always great, company with a commanding knowledge of Warblers is even better, and company with one's pops is greater still.

There was also a Great Horned Owl in the Cottonwood Grove, although he was not in the mood for pictures, and the Lesser Goldfinches, Roadrunners, Doves, Hummingbirds, Thrashers, and Quail were again well-represented. As it cools off in Phoenix, I'm hoping for more diversity and photography at both the Gardens and the Gilbert Water Ranch. These adventures always seem to have their one big opportunity too. Last week it was the Greater Roadrunner with a lizard. This week was the Black-Throated Gray Warbler, but I just couldn't focus in time...

And there was also this guy. 

The Desert for Dessert

I treated myself this Labor Day with a trip to the Desert Botanical Gardens in southeast Phoenix, and it was a most satisfying trip to conclude a busy couple weeks of work and birding. Although I did not get to add a lot of new species to my list, I managed to get a lot of photography practice and add to existing blog entries with much better pictures. Be sure to see the full updates for Roadrunners, Lesser Goldfinches, Curve-Billed Thrashers, Verdins and Cactus Wrens (click on pictures for larger images).

The Gardens host a weekly bird walk on Monday morning at 7 a.m., and since I won't be having many free Mondays for a while, I really wanted to make the most of this adventure. Things started off promisingly, as I spotted Cactus Wrens, Gambel's Quail, Curve-Billed Thrashers, and the normal medley of doves before even entering the actual Gardens. However, I was getting pretty frustrated by 7:30 or so, at which point I had not seen anything that wasn't visible on the other side of the gate and that didn't require a $10 admission fee. It was a fleeting fickleness though, and once I found the right spots in the maze of prickly botany, the more exciting birds began to appear.

Steve and Gina (let me know if I misremembered your names!), 

two migrants who flew in from Chicago. Nice folks.

The photography started in earnest with the Cactus Wrens and Verdins, who were not at all shy about showing their capable maneuvering through mesquite tangles. There is a very small riparian area wherein I saw a few frogs, turtles, and two Green Herons (not photographed this time) before pursuing a Curve-Billed Thrasher into the undergrowth on the other side of the path. I was rewarded with some decent shots of him thrashing, and I also interrupted the breakfast of a rather chubby ground squirrel, but I was soon distracted by the yellow flash in a nearby palo verde tree. Of course, it had to be my great nemesis, the Wilson's Warbler.                                                                             

While I fruitlessly circled round the tree trunk trying to gain favorable lighting and visibility over my quarry, I also saw a Western Tanager land in the canopy. He too, proved to be too obscured for a decent picture (yes, even I have standards), but it was at this time that I turned to see a magnificent Greater Roadrunner casually sauntering by, only to emerge minutes later with a tasty lizard clasped firmly in his beak. I then spent a good period of time trying to capture the motion of a Gila Woodpecker as it busied itself with carpentry, but with poor lighting and somewhat hidden subject, I met with little success. Spirits still very high, I abandoned the warbler and explored the wildflower garden, and found a healthy population of Lesser Goldfinches, Cactus Wrens, Black-Throated Sparrows, Aberts Towhees, and even a juvenile Yellow  Warbler. I also joined with a couple who flew  down from Chicago (we're talking people  now) and we explored the garden together, enjoying the goldfinch antics and the shade as  the sun rose higher in the sky. The Rosy Faced Lovebirds were also well-represented, and before I turned in for lunch I had a decent glimpse of a Ladder-Backed Woodpecker and even a Cordilleran Flycatcher, which added a new bird to my list with the last photo of the day.