Tucson Christmas Count 2006

Cactus Wrens were among the 39 species we tallied today on our urban and suburban CBC route; there’s very little that could be considered “wild” in our sector, but we made the best of it all the same. No rarities, but a couple of nice surprises, chief among them a Hutton’s Vireo at Quail Valley golf course and a Plumbeous Vireo in Pima Wash. Black-throated Sparrows also persist in the wash, in spite of the construction on its north side.

Our most abundant species was no surprise. Mourning Doves came in in the low triple digits, but they were easily outnumbered by the 418 House Finches we encountered, most of them in a couple of flocks in the dry Rillito.   

Maybe the best bird was a humble Great Blue Heron that flapped over while I was sneaking in an hour of feederwatching early this morning: a first for our yard list, and a great way to start the day.