Santa Cruz Flats

A couple of days afield with old friends from New Jersey, Marcia and Charles. It was all fun, but as usual this time of year, some of the best birding was down the Santa Cruz Valley between Tucson and Arizona City. The raptor show was unparalleled, with multiple Merlins, Prairie Falcons, and—my favorite—Ferruginous Hawks. We didn’t come across any Mountain Plovers, but Charles and Marcia have a couple more days, so might run up there again or head to the Sulphur Springs Valley, where they’ve also got a good chance.

Charles was especially eager to see Ruddy Ground-Dove and Bendire’s Thrasher, and we managed both: a single male ground-dove at the Red Rock feedlot (where the rest of the flock was hiding is still a mystery), and a nice total of four thrashers along Baumgartner Road. Still not a peep out of them, though—seems to me they should be in full song by now.

Alison was able to join us for only bits and pieces of the birding, but she was well regaled tonight with tales of triumph over dinner at El Charro!