Inconspicuous Birds: Rail, Sora, and Snipe

I started actively birding late in the summer of 2009 after picking up a field guide at Barnes & Noble while on a date with my wife. It was sort of a spontaneous purchase because I saw the guide and remembered my interest in birds as a young boy growing up in Kentucky. My daughter saw my book and decided to buy me some cheap binoculars for my birthday in September. I googled "bird watching in Utah", found the Utah County Birdwatchers Club and the awesome site of utahbirds.org. I attended a club meeting and signed up for not one but two Audubon Christmas Bird Counts (CBC), one in Provo and one in Payson. I was doing a deep dive into a new hobby.

For my first CBC I had the great fortune of being hooked up with a seasoned birder who had moved to Utah after retiring from a long teaching career in Ohio. Fortunately, he had the skills I lacked when it came to identifying birds. To my credit I had boundless enthusiasm. I remember him counting birds from the warmth of his vehicle while I was bounding through fields of snow in freezing temperatures to find something to add to our list. At one point I was standing in the cold under some trees that stood next to a small wetland surrounded by cat tails which had collapsed as a result of previous snowfalls. The water was essentially frozen over except for one small spot where the water was being pumped, probably for farming purposes. As I focused on that one spot I caught a glimpse of something moving beneath the bent over reeds, just a couple feet from where I was standing. All I could see through the thick reeds was the back of what seemed to be a furry mammal. I could see its brown and black body bending and expanding, changing size and shape as it moved beneath the reeds.  I called to my CBC partner. He came over and I pointed and asked, "What is that? It looks like some sort of furry brown animal." A moment later the creature revealed more than just its undulating torso and my partner exclaimed, "That's a Virginia Rail! You'll go out 90 times before you see one of those!" I felt like I had just discovered the coolest thing in the world. I had done something miraculous for the Provo Christmas Bird Count by contributing such a rare beauty!

Since that unique discovery and experience I have attempted to recognize the appropriate habitat for inconspicuous birds such as Virginia Rails, Soras, and Wilson's Snipes. These are birds heard more often  than seen, except for Snipes if you know where to spot them. I've been fortunate and very pleased to have seen and photographed all three of these stealthy little bird species in the very location of my first Virginia Rail discovery on that cold December day outside the small town of Vineyard, Utah.

Below are some of my favorite images of all three species. I encourage you to become part of a Christmas Bird Count this winter.

Virginia Rail at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Davis County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Virginia Rail at Garr Ranch, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Virginia Rail in Vineyard, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Virginia Rail at Sunset in Vineyard, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Sora Dashing Across Frozen Water at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Davis County, UT
(Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Sora in Winter, Vineyard, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Sora in Winter, Vineyard, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Wilson's Snipe in Vineyard, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Flapping, Scratching, and Stretching on Sandy Pond

There is a small community pond located near my place of work. It is one of many community/urban fisheries managed by the Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) in Utah. This particular pond is called Sandy Urban Fishery, but many local birders refer to it as Sandy Pond. I sometimes visit the pond during my lunch hour to see what birds are on or around the water. Because water in this pond is circulated it generally remains open despite freezing temperatures during winter months. Consequently, it draws birds year round. The DWR stocks many of the community ponds with fish on a regular basis so it is not unusual to see Herons, Pelicans, Cormorants, Gulls, Ducks, Osprey, and more, depending on the season, on or around the ponds.

During a couple of visits in recent days I've noticed a great deal of flapping, scratching, and stretching on and around the pond. The Redhead below appears to be attempting to balance himself and walk on water.

Flapping Redhead on Sandy Pond Sandy, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

That didn't quite work so he decided to scratch his head over the failed attempt. Or could he be tapping on his head to adjust his equilibrium?

Scratching Redhead on Sandy Pond Sandy, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

A shrug of the shoulders seems to bring a little relief to the tension he must be feeling now that he realizes he's being photographed for a crazy birder's blog post.

Shrugging Redhead on Sandy Pond Sandy, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

We have a Great Blue Heron, sporting a funky hairdo, that can almost always be found at the pond. It will either be standing on the small island in the middle of the pond, perched on a fence, or down by the Jordan River across the street from the pond.

Stretching Great Blue Heron Adult (white crown) at Sandy Pond Sandy, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Scratching Great Blue Heron at Sandy Pond in Sandy, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

A lone California Gull was flying circles around the pond and made a few passes around my position on the bank and the small floating dock from which I photographed the scratching Heron.

Flapping California Gull at Sandy Pond Sandy, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Below is a flapping female Redhead. It flew by quickly on a rather cloudy day so the lighting was a challenge in terms of capturing motion, but I thought it would make a good comparison to the female Lesser Scaup that did a fly-by today while the sun was doing a better job of lighting the subjects.

Female Redhead Flying Over Sandy Pond in Sandy, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Female Lesser Scaup at Sandy Pond Sandy, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)
Very similar to female Greater Scaup (uncommon in Utah) and female Redhead and Ring-necked Ducks. Female Scaups do not have the eye ring seen on female Redhead and Ring-necked Ducks. Flight feathers are more white than Redhead and Ring-necked Ducks, which appear more grayish.

Female Lesser Scaup at Sandy Pond Sandy, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)
Very similar to female Greater Scaup (uncommon in Utah) and female Redhead and Ring-necked Ducks. Female Scaups do not have the eye ring seen on female Redhead and Ring-necked Ducks. Flight feathers are more white than Redhead and Ring-necked Ducks, which appear more grayish.

I love the raptors so I have to include a scratching and stretching Merlin that was recently at the pond to do a little hunting.

Scratching Merlin at Sandy Pond Sandy, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Stretching Merlin at Sandy Pond Sandy, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Through the Eyes of a Novice: Birding With My Non-birding Brother

The Utah County Birders Club issues a  challenge every other year to its members. Various requirements are set forth to qualify for a beginner, intermediate, or advanced birder. We are in the midst of one of those challenges this year. One of the requirements I chose to meet in my effort to qualify for an advanced birder was to introduce someone to birding. One of my older brothers from Kentucky, where I grew up with seven brothers and four sisters, was visiting Utah in early spring this year. He was a great sport and accepted the invitation to spend a  morning birding with me. There is nothing like watching a non-birder get excited time and time again as he is introduced to birds and bird behavior in a new way, in a NeoVista or "new view" sort of way.

Wilson's Snipe in Vineyard, UT
(Photo by Jeff Cooper)

When my brothers and I were growing up and participating in boy scout camps we had a tradition of taking first-time campers out late at night for a "snipe" hunt. We'd tell the new camper to follow us far from camp and then give him a bag to hold while the rest of us would leave the him alone so we could go roust up some snipes and chase them in his direction. His job was simple. Just stay put and wait for the snipes to come his way so he could snatch them up in his bag. In reality we'd leave the new camper out in the dark while the rest of us went back to camp because we, the supposedly smart ones, all knew there was really no such thing as a snipe.  Well, I was able to show my older brother all these years later that there really is such a thing as a snipe, a Wilson's Snipe to be exact. We found several in a wet field in Vineyard, UT. I was able to show him an Osprey on a nest stand in that same general area before we moved on to our next location.

Western Meadowlark in Palmyra, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

One of the things that really impressed my brother over and over as he lifted his borrowed binoculars to his eyes was the diversity of color displayed by many common birds that had never really caught his attention before our morning together. At one point he exclaimed, "Look at how yellow that bird's throat, belly, and eyebrows are!" when he observed a Western Meadowlark on a post. Can you imagine his amazement when he saw his first of many male American Kestrels, North America's most colorful raptor. And the male Ring-necked Pheasant really surprised him.

American Kestrel on Provo Airport Dike in Provo, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Male Ring-necked Pheasant in Palmyra, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Bar-headed Goose (likely an escapee) at East Bay Golf Course
Provo, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

A bird that was clearly not where it belonged was an Asian Bar-headed Goose (likely an escapee) that has shown up for two springs in a row now at the East Bay Golf Course in Provo, UT. We had gone to that area to see some Black-crowned Night Herons that are regulars.

We got a fair share of raptors for my brother as we drove through some agricultural areas in Utah County. We encountered lots of Red-tailed Hawks, including a very uncommon Harlan's Hawk (soon to be heading back to Alaska), a fly-by Peregrine Falcon, a Prairie Falcon, and some Northern Harriers.

Some bird behaviors that my brother found fascinating included a Marsh Wren doing a spread eagle--or should we say a spread wren--while it called and perched on two separate phragmite stalks, a pair of Clark's Grebes doing courtship dances, and a Golden Eagle perched on a power pole in the middle of a large field because it was keeping watch over the carcass of a cow that was providing a great food source.

Marsh Wren Perched in a Spread Eagle, Sorry-Spread Wren, on the Provo Airport Dike in Provo, UT
(Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Bowing to your partner.

Admiring your  Partner

Blushing at your partner's glow

Golden Eagle Standing Guard Over Cow Carcass in Springville, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Another unexpected bird for the time and location was a beautiful Lincoln's Sparrow that appeared just before we saw the Clark's Grebes dancing along the Provo Airport Dike.

Lincoln Sparrow on Provo Airport Dike in Provo, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Dark-eyed Junco Along SR 77 in Springville, UT
(Photo by Jeff Cooper)

The closest encounter of the day came as my brother and I were standing on the side of the road looking across a fence that separated us from the Golden Eagle. I noticed some movement in the grass below us, looked down, and then pointed my brother's attention to a Dark-eyed Junco.

The greatest encounter of the day came right at the end of our morning as we were driving on a dirt road known as River Lane, near the small towns of Palmyra and Lakeshore. We had driven to the end of the road where it leads to a small sandy beach on the south end of Utah Lake. We had looked for ducks and gulls out on the lake and were driving away, surrounded by lots of trees. It was early spring so many of the trees were still leafless. In jest I said, "Now we just need to get you a nice owl to round out your day." No more than a moment later, as I scanned the thickly wooded area to my left I caught a glimpse of something that made me let out a "hee, hee!" like a kid in a candy store. We backed up a little and I looked over to my brother with a smile and he said, "What?!"  I pointed to what looked like a clump of branches and asked, "Do you see it?" "See what?", He asked. I pointed to and described the location of my discovery for several minutes without him being able to get a visual. Finally we got out of the truck and walked closer. When he finally saw it he asked in complete amazement, "How the heck did you see that?" I had seen the silhouetted tips of the ear tufts of a Great Horned Owl, barely visible above a thick bunch of limbs. We walked to the other side of the tree and saw the owl pictured below. The opposite side of the clump provided a much better view into the eye of a mystical creature.

Great Horned Owl on River Lane Near Palmyra and Lakeshore, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

That was a day I will never forget. I was with my brother and re-lived the excitement of seeing both new and common birds in a whole new way--through the eyes of a novice birder. See what you can do to introduce someone new to the joy of finding and observing some of nature's most interesting creatures.

Utah's Winter Raptors Revisited

The following is a re-post of my first-ever blog post. It was born out of an invitation from Robert Mortensen to be a contributor to his birding blog, BirdingIsFun.com. It was first published October 16, 2012 on BirdingIsFun.com. I'm re-posting here so it is included among my other NeoVista Birding posts. I hope you enjoy it! Jeff

I was out of state or otherwise preoccupied this year during the peak of fall passerine migration in Utah, but I'm not letting that dampen my birding enthusiasm because another of my favorite birding seasons is quickly approaching. I know that when the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains takes on its fall colors and our Swainson's Hawks and Ospreys leave the state around the end of September/early October it is time to get excited for winter raptors.

Someday (on my buck list) I'm going to make it to one of the popular hawk migration sites, but until then I'll continue to enjoy local hawk migration sites such as Squaw Peak Lookout above Provo, Utah.  I joined a small group of Utah County birders September 29th for a hawk watch and thrilled at the sights of all three accipiter species (Northern Goshawk, Cooper's Hawk, and Sharp-shinned Hawk), Red-tailed Hawks, and Golden Eagles making their way southward along the ridges. We enjoyed watching one Cooper's Hawk rise from the trees in the hillside below us, catch a thermal, and soar right before our eyes. The hawk rose slowly and circled in front of and above us as if it wanted to make a lasting impression, which it did. I could see that its crop was full and it was fueled for the next segment of its migration. It rose higher and higher and then ended the gentle looping with a direct flight southward along the ridge.

Migrating Cooper's Hawk Provo, Utah
(Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Last November I happened to photograph my first Harlan's Hawk (subspecies of Red-tailed Hawk), without even knowing it at the time, in a location we refer to locally as Point of the Mountain. It was Jerry Liguori, raptor expert and author, who confirmed the Harlan's ID when I shared some images with him. Once Jerry confirmed the ID and I shared the sighting with the local birding community raptor watchers descended upon the location and multiple Harlan's Hawks were observed throughout the winter.  Point of the Mountain is a plateau at about 5100' and sits between the borders of Salt Lake and Utah Counties. It is also the location for the Utah State Flight Recreation Area which is used by hang gliders, para gliders, and hunting raptors because of the thermals rising from the hillsides and open fields below.

Juvenile Harlan's Hawk at Point of the Mountain Lehi, Utah (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Once I became a little more discerning with my observations of the ubiquitous Red-tailed Hawks I was able to locate my first light adult Harlan's Hawk which had claimed a small field in American Fork for its hunting grounds. Jerry Liguori shared with me that recent data indicates that light Harlan's Hawks make up about  12% of the total Harlan's Hawk population. The images below show the bright white underside lacking buff and rufous tones, blobby belly marks, streaked head, white around the eyes, dark terminal bands in the wings, and the absence of other banding in the wing and tail feathers--all typical traits for light adults. The upper side image shows the whitish scapulars and pale tail feathers which are also common with these hawks.

Light Adult Harlan's' Hawk American Fork, Utah (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Light Adult Harlan's Hawk American Fork, Utah (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

One day while visiting the fields south of the Point of the Mountain and behind our local Cabela's store (a place we call Traverse Ridge) I came across two hunting Prairie Falcons. One would perch on a power pole, leave the pole with a dive and then make a swift, low flight across a field only to do a u-turn and return to its previous perch. After seeing this occur several times I decided to use my truck as a blind and park below the pole to capture some action images. I saw this same behavior with another Prairie Falcon the other day at Point of the Mountain and employed my previous truck-as-a-blind strategy to capture action shots of that bird as well.

Prairie Falcon Below Traverse Ridge in Lehi, Utah (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Adult Prairie Falcon at Utah State Flight Recreation Area Above Point of the Mountain Utah County, Utah
(Photo by Jeff Cooper)

During the winter months I often hope and check for Bald Eagles in a small stand of cottonwood trees near one of our local boat harbors in Lindon, Utah.

Bald Eagle (under overcast sky) at Lindon Marina in Lindon, Utah (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

It was a pleasant surprise to see groups of Bald Eagles perched on snags along rivers and highways during  a drive through southern Utah on my way to Phoenix last December. I especially enjoyed the one below after driving to the outskirts of the tiny town of Panguitch, Utah.

Bald Eagle near Panguitch, Utah (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

The Rough-legged Hawk below was flying next to our van as one of my great birding friends and I drove along the Antelope Island State Park causeway last winter.

Rough-legged Hawk on Antelope Island State Park Causeway Davis County, Utah (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

I'm excited about the prospects of seeing Merlins and Ferruginous Hawks this winter as I cruise the valleys and open fields.

This Merlin made Pleasant Grove, Utah its winter home in 2011 (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Ferruginous Hawk near Beryl Junction, Utah (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

And there is always the surprise visit of a Cooper's or Sharp-shinned Hawk at our winter yard feeders. I received a call from a friend last winter to let me know a Sharp-shinned Hawk had just taken some prey in his backyard. I quickly drove over and witnessed the scene below.

Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk Having it Meal Pleasant Grove, Utah (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Are you ready for winter raptors? I can hardly wait for the next one that comes into view!

Black Friday Specials: Raptor Style

Like many Black Friday shoppers, I left the house this morning before the sun was up. However, I was not heading to the local Walmart. I was looking for my own version of Black Friday specials in places far from any department store. I was hunting for raptors in the agricultural areas surrounding the small farming towns in the south end of Utah County, about one hour south of Salt Lake City.

While there weren't nearly as many specials as you'd find in a Walmart, I did find a few. I found my first-of-season BALD EAGLE--a beautiful adult--between the small towns of Goshen and Lakeshore. A gorgeous dark ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was found along Goshen Bay Road in a tree near an abandoned Golden Eagle nest.  Warm Springs WMA, between Santaquin and Goshen, presented a sleek male HARRIER catching then eating prey on a fence post along Hwy 6. RED-TAILED HAWKs were spread throughout Santaquin, Goshen, Elberta, and the south end of Utah Lake near the towns of Palmyra and Lakeshore. It was unusual for the area, but I did not see one accipiter this morning. Maybe I needed another set of eyes in the truck.

My favorite spot of the day was about two blocks south of the town or Elberta. I spotted one then two PRAIRIE MERLINs. One of the Merlins allowed me to capture a few decent images as it perched in a tree along the road. I watched it turn its head from left to right and then some more, nearly 360 degrees.

Prairie Merlin Near Elberta, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Prairie Merlin Near Elberta, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Prairie Merlin Near Elberta, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Spring Birding in The Sonoran Desert

This past April my wife and I made the ten hour drive from our home in Utah to Mesa, Arizona to spend some time with our daughter and her family. The weather and time away from work were really nice and I was able to spend some morning hours and a couple of evening hours searching for and photographing birds at some of the local birding hot spots.  I had been to the Mesa area a time or two so I visited a couple of my regular spots such as The Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch and Usery Mountain Regional Park. I used my Birdseye App on my iTouch and "Find Birds with eBird" from my Audubon Birds app (Android version) to locate and visit three new locations as well--Veteran's Oasis Park and the Coon Bluff and Blue Point Recreation Areas.

I had been looking forward to our first spring visit to Mesa because I had wanted to see an Elf Owl for quite some time. It would be one more addition in my ongoing quest to see and photograph all 19 species of owls in North America. I knew that they migrated from Mexico to southern Arizona in the spring to breed so I was determined to locate one. Birdseye (via eBird) indicated that several had been heard and/or seen in recent days at Coon Bluff Recreation Area so my daughter and I made the 20 minute drive from her home to Coon Bluff one night after sunset. We were successful at hearing several Elf Owls call before we had to get back to the house, but I wanted to actually see one. Consequently, I went out by myself the next night to try again. I could hear a Great Horned Owl and a Long-eared Owl. It didn't take long for the breeding Elf Owls to start calling and I quickly honed in on one that was close. Within a few minutes I was face to face with the Elf Owl below. It was one of those experiences that will remain in my mind's eye forever. I couldn't believe I was suddenly so close to one of the world's smallest owls.

Elf Owl: The World's Smallest Owl Species at Coon Bluff Recreation Area in Maricopa County, AZ
(Photo by Jeff Cooper)

The Elf Owl is primarily nocturnal and stands about 5.75 inches from head to tail. It has bright yellow eyes, no ear tufts, and prefers desert and riparian woodlands, especially near Saguaros, where it can feast on insects, centipedes, and scorpions. They will occasionally eat small lizards, snakes, and other desert animals.

Another owl opportunity presented itself in a very unexpected location. We were on our way to visit the site of the new LDS Temple in Gilbert when we took an exit that passed a small desert patch surrounded by commercial areas. I noticed the silhouette of a Burrowing Owl standing in the sand above a burrow like a tiny sentinel. I told my passengers we needed to make a u-turn because I just saw a Burrowing Owl. "A What?" was their reply. We made the turn and pulled over to discover two owls keeping watch over a burrow. I didn't have my camera at the time so I had to return the next day to capture the following images. I was glad to see a sign that made the property private and kept people from disturbing the owl burrow.

Burrowing Owl on Private Property Sign Near Owl Burrow in Gilbert, AZ  (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

I don't know why, but this Burrowing Owl spent some time nibbling on a styrofoam cup? Was it bored, hungry, or what? Regardless, I was amused as I watched it manipulate the cup with one foot while standing on the other.

Boredom, Hunger, Some Other Reason? Burrowing Owl Chewing Styrofoam in Gilbert, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Boredom, Hunger, Some Other Reason? Burrowing Owl Chewing Styrofoam in Gilbert, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Boredom, Hunger, Some Other Reason? Burrowing Owl Chewing Styrofoam in Gilbert, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

I was also pleasantly surprised to come upon a Killdeer that chose the rocks in an church parking lot for a nest spot. It was just feet away from parking stalls.

Killdeer on Nest in LDS Church Parking Lot in Mesa, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

The Riparian Preserve at Gilbert's Water Ranch included a life bird for me and what I think was a rare bird for the area, a Clay-colored Sparrow.

Clay-colored Sparrow at the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch in Gilbert, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Clay-colored Sparrow at the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch in Gilbert, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Another life bird for me, assuming I am correct on this ID, was Bendire's Thrasher. It stayed deep in the trees so it was a tough subject, but here is one of the better shots. Please comment on this at the bottom of the post if you feel you can confirm or correct the ID.

Bendire's Thrasher (?) at Usery Mountain Regional Park in Maricopa County, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)
Possibly a young Curve-billed Thrasher

Daytime at Coon Bluff Recreation Area offered nearly 50 species of desert birds. Below are a few of the images I captured.

Tail-less Black Phoebe at Coon Bluff Recreation Area in Maricopa County, AZ (photo by Jeff Cooper)

Bronzed Cowbird at Coon Bluff Recreation Area in Maricopa County, AZ (photo by Jeff Cooper)

Migrating Chipping Sparrow at Coon Bluff Recreation Area in Maricopa County, AZ (photo by Jeff Cooper)

Juvenile Common Raven (beard feathers not yet developed)  Near Coon Bluff Recreation Area in Maricopa County, AZ

Migrating Townsend's Warbler at Coon Bluff Recreation Area in Maricopa County, AZ (photo by Jeff Cooper)

Migrating Townsend's Warbler at Coon Bluff Recreation Area Maricopa County, AZ (photo by Jeff Cooper)

My first visit to Veteran's Oasis Park in Chandler, AZ included more Burrowing Owls and my first encounter with recently hatched Green Herons. Here some Heron and Egret images from the park along with a decent pose from a Great-tailed Grackle displaying it great tail.

Great Blue Heron at Veteran's Oasis Park in Chandler, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Great Egret at Veteran's Oasis Park in Chandler, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Great-tailed Grackle Displaying its Great Tail at Veteran's Oasis Park in Chandler, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Green Heron at Veteran's Oasis Park in Chandler, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Green Heron at Veteran's Oasis Park in Chandler, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Recently Hatched Green Herons at Veteran's Oasis Park in Chandler, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

To keep this post from getting too much longer I'll share a variety of images from The Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch, Usery Mountain Regional Park (northeast of Mesa), Blue Point Recreation Area, and Surprise, AZ where the Greater Roadrunner below was certainly a pleasant surprise!

Greater Roadrunner near Surprise, AZ

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher at Blue Point Recreation Area in Maricopa County, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Gilded Flicker on Saguaro at Usery Mountain Regional Park in Maricopa County, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Female Gambel's Quail on Saguaro at Usery Mountain Regional Park in Maricopa County, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Ash-throated Flycatcher at Usery Mountain Regional Park in Maricopa County, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Ash-throated Flycatcher at Usery Mountain Regional Park in Maricopa County, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Canyon Towhee at Usery Mountain Regional Park in Maricopa County, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Curve-billed Thrasher on Saguaro at Usery Mountain Regional Park in Maricopa County, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Curve-billed Thrasher at Usery Mountain Regional Park in Maricopa County, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Northern Cardinal at Blue Point Recreation Area in Maricopa County, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Phainopepla at Blue Point Recreation Area in Maricopa County, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Turkey Vulture at Blue Point Recreation Area in Maricopa County, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Verdin at The Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch in Gilbert, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Verdin at The Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch in Gilbert, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Canada Goose Goslin at The Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch in Gilbert, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Green Heron Fishing (nature doesn't always allow a perfect frame) at The Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch in Gilbert, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Cactus Wren at Usery Mountain Regional Park Maricopa County, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper)