Kathy recently gave a talk at the Nature Regina meeting about birding in Arizona. We have spent time in Arizona most winters over the past six years and have come to know and love the desert creatures, and the many good people we have met there.
The map below shows the State Parks where we have spent time:
Dead Horse Ranch in Cottonwood, south of Sedona;
Lost Dutchman in Apache Junction, east of Phoenix;
Catalina in Oro Valley, north of Tucson; and
Patagonia Lake between Patagonia and Nogales, near the Mexican border.
Dead Horse Ranch State Park is along the Verde River in Cottonwood and has three lagoons that are stocked with fish. The lagoons are filled with water from the Verde River via an irrigation channel called the Hickey Ditch.
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| Mingus Mountain viewed across the lagoon at Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Cottonwood, AZ |
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| Bluffs and lagoon at Dead Horse Ranch State Park |
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| Mountain Bluebird |
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| Pygmy Nuthatch on Mingus Mountain |
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Lost Dutchman State Park has no natural water source, so the birds found there get moisture from occasional rainfalls and plants.
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| Superstition Mountain at Lost Dutchman State Park, near Apache Junction, AZ |
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| Most of the campsites at Lost Dutchman have magnificent views of Superstition Mountain |
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| Phainopepla, Male |
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| Phainopepla, Female |
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| Cactus Wren | | | | |
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| Canyon Towhee |
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| Gambel's Quail |
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| Rock Wren |
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| Curve-billed Thrasher |
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| Northern Cardinal, Male |
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| Northern Cardinal, Female |
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| Black-throated Sparrow |
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| Abert's Towhee |
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| Verdin |
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| House Finch and Verdin competing for the orange |
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| Gilded Flicker, Male |
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| Gilded Flicker, Female |
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| Green-tailed Towhee |
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| Harris's Hawk |
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| Gila Woodpecker, Male |
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| Gila Woodpecker, Female |
Catalina State Park is situated along the Cañada Del Oro river, north of Tucson.
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| Catalina State Park overlooking the Cañada del Oro river and the community of Oro Valley |
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| Laurence's Goldfinch |
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| Greater Roadrunner |
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| Western Bluebird |
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| Yellow Eyed Junco, found on Mount Lemmon |
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| Rufous Backed Robin, a Mexican bird that sometimes wanders into southern Arizona |
Between Tucson and Yuma, in the Sonoran Desert, are the lands of the Tohono O'odham Nation. This area is home to the Crested Caracara, which can be found in Mexico, Central and South America, and small sections of Texas, Florida and Southern Arizona.
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| Crested Caracara |
Madera Canyon is one of the most famous birding areas in the United States. The Santa Rita Lodge, located in the canyon, has a variety of bird feeders which attract many different birds.
http://www.friendsofmaderacanyon.org/birding.html
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| Acorn Woodpecker |
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| Hepatic Tanager |
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| Dark-eyed Juncos: foreground - Gray headed, background - Pink sided |
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| Mexican Jays |
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| Wild Turkey |
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| Arizona Woodpecker, Male |
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| Arizona Woodpecker, Female |
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| Northern Pygmy Owl |
Patagonia Lake State Park is located in southern Arizona, between the town of Patagonia and the City of Nogales, AZ. Patagonia Lake has a hiking trail along the south-east side of the lake, and following Sonoita Creek for about a mile. This is a very popular birding area.
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| Patagonia Lake State Park, looking south toward Mexico |
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| Patagonia Lake looking north |
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| Anna's Hummingbird, Male |
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| Anna's Hummingbird, Female |
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| Inca Dove |
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| White-winged Dove |
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| Red-naped Sapsucker |
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| Lesser Goldfinch, Male |
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| Lesser Goldfinch, Female |
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| Great-tailed Grackle |
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| Broad-billed Hummingbird, Male |
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| Broad-billed Hummingbird, Female |
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| Rufous Hummingbird |
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| Pyrrhuloxia, Male |
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| Pyrrhuloxia, Male |
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| Pyrrhuloxia, Female |
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| Costa's Hummingbird, Male |
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| Black-chinned Hummingbird, Male |
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| Violet-crowned Hummingbird |
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| Rufous-winged Sparrow |
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| Rufous-winged Sparrow |
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| Commonn Galinule |
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| Mexican Mallard: left - Female, right - Male |
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| Eared Grebe in non-breeding plumage |
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| Great Egret |
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| Green Heron |
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| Virginia Rail |
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| Double-crested Cormorant |
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| Neo-tropic Cormorant |
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| Left - Double-crested Cormorant; Right - Neo-tropic Cormorant |
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| Great Horned Owl |
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| Green Kingfisher female |
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| Elegant Trogon |
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| Elegant Trogon |
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| Elegant Trogon with sulphur butterfly |
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| Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Male |
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| Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Female |
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| Gray Flycatcher |
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| Ash-throated Flycatcher |
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| Black Phoebe |
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| Vermilion Flycatcher, Male |
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| Vermilion Flycatcher, Female |
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| Vermilion Flycatchers |
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| Vermilion Flycatcher, Juvenile |
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| Tropical Kingbird |
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| Cassin's Kingbird |
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| Hutton's Vireo |
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| Plumbeous Vireo |
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| Cassin's Vireo |
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| Bridled Titmouse |
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| Bewick's Wren |
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| Winter Wren |
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| Canyon Wren |
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| Ruby-crowned Kinglet |
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| Ruby-crowned Kinglet defending his territory |
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| Black-tailed Gnatcatcher |
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| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher |
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| Black-capped Gnatcatcher |
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| Northern Mockingbird |
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| Crissal Thrasher |
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| Northern Parula |
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| Lucy's Warbler |
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| Lucy's Warbler |
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| Black-Throated Gray Warbler, male |
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| Wilson's Warbler, Male |
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| Lazuli Bunting, Male |
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| Lazuli Bunting, Male |
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| Lazuli Bunting, Female |
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| Swamp Sparrow |
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| Black Vulture |
All photos are copyrighted by Kathy Hamre.
