Also see the Summaries and Photo Gallery
of other recent California (mbwbirds.com/winter-ca.html)
and Arizona (mbwbirds.com/winter-az.html) MBWeeks
following this 2023 California - Arizona summary
__________
WINTER CALIFORNIA and ARIZONA MBWeeks
SUMMARY and PHOTO GALLERY
January 14 - 21 and January 22 - 29, 2023
It was too rainy on the San Diego portion of the CA MBWeek (which slowed both us and the birds down), then too much snow on the ground in the San Jacinto Mts (only McCall Park was very active), before we settled in with decent weather on the last three days. And then it was on to Arizona for three of us who joined four others and faced other challenges – colder-than-normal temperatures most days with below-freezing readings each morning...a slow and inefficient (incompetent?) staff at the car rental place at PHX...two unpleasant experiences with motel desk clerks in Casa Grande...and the unfortunate withdrawal by Scott and Dory from the MBW due to health issues.
On the plus side, though, we did manage to escape some seriously icy, snowy, and cold conditions back in MN, and the birding overall turned out surprisingly decent. On the CA portion we came up with nearly 200 species (196, to be exact – which is about average for this MBW). Then in AZ, where fewer water birds are present, our total reached 171, which is a bit better than average (this MBW’s list ranges widely between about 150 and 180). Combining the two MBWeeks, there was a total of 251 species in all, which is as well as we’ve ever done when doing these back-to-back trips, and nearly 120 of these were “non-Minnesota” birds – see those boldfaced in the list below.
While everyone has their own favorite birding memories from these MBWeeks, I’ll be presumptuous and assume these few of my favorites match at least some of yours. In California, our first full day included countless thousands of Black-vented Shearwaters streaming by La Jolla, a successful search for California Gnatcatchers along the San Dieguito River, and a surprisingly cooperative Lewis’s Woodpecker at Santee Lakes. The next day was highlighted by three rarities (Yellow-billed Loon, Long-tailed Duck, Eurasian Wigeon) in various parts of Mission Bay, lots of Surfbirds and a lone tattler (plus a rogue wave!) at the south jetty by the dog park, and finally some pesky munias at Lake Murray at day’s end.
We tracked down a Hammond’s Flycatcher in Balboa Park before leaving rainy San Diego behind for the San Jacintos, Borrego Springs, and the Salton Sea, and this MBW ended with some birding in AZ with a relatively easy Crissal Thrasher in Yuma, plus a confiding Bendire’s waiting for us to park at the thrasher flats west of Phoenix, which also featured several Brewer’s Sparrows.
The AZ MBWeek then began with a Pacific Loon at Tempe Town Lake, and our second day was probably our most successful one in AZ. We finished with all five thrashers (LeConte’s, Bendire’s, and Sage at the thrasher flats, less-cooperative Crissals in nearby Buckeye, and Curve-billed back in Phoenix); the day also included a field along Baseline Rd with an estimated 580 White-faced Ibis, our first Rosy-faced Lovebirds (aw!) at Encanto Park, and a Eurasian Wigeon at another park not far away.
Before we left town, there was time to track down a male Williamson’s Sapsucker at Chapparel Park, and the next morning in the Santa Cruz Flats we found 45 Mountain Plovers, a pair of Burrowing Owls, and a Lewis’s Woodpecker, while in the afternoon near Tucson we relocated a Rufous-backed Robin at La Posta Quemada Ranch.
We had our coldest mornings in and around Sierra Vista before we moved on to Patagonia and Nogales. The penultimate day of this MBW featured Hepatic Tanagers and a heard-only Black-capped Gnatcatcher at Montosa Canyon, Lawrence’s Goldfinches at Canoa Ranch, and some quintessential Arizona species at the Santa Rita Lodge feeders. And before heading for the Tucson airport, there was time to finally see the Rose-throated Becard in Tubac, Chihuahuan Meadowlarks along Elephant Head Rd, plus a Cassin’s Kingbird and Greater Pewee on the same fence line by Reid Park.
–KRE
Itineraries
California
January 14 – Early afternoon arrival in rainy San Diego; mostly washed-out attempts
to bird Famosa Slough and parts of Mission Bay; first of 3 nights in suburban Miramar.
January 15 – La Jolla, San Dieguito River, Santee Lakes, Lindo Lake, and Tecolote Nature Center.
January 16 – SucceBssful return to Mission Bay / Kendall-Frost NWR, Tecolote, Robb Field / Dog Park / South Jetty, South Cliffs Blvd, and Lake Murray Regional Park (for munias!).
January 17 – Balboa Park, Cabrillo National Monument / Rosecrans Cemetery, and drive to Hemet via parrot-less El Cajon for first of 2 nights.
January 18 – Idyllwild & vicinity (especially McCall Park) in the snowy San Jacinto Mts.
January 19 – Borrego Springs & vicinity in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Vendel Rd / Unit 1 df Sonny Bono NWR, and first of 2 nights in Brawley.
January 20 – Most of day at the receding Salton Sea & vicinity, including Vendel Rd, the "seawall", NWR headquarters, Calipatria's world-famous flagpole and world- famous date shakes in Westmoreland; Riverview Cemetery, hummingbird-less feeders on Willard St, and Cattle Call Park in Brawley.
January 21 – Travel to Phoenix for end of MBWeek, mostly via birding in Arizona: i.e., West Wetlands Park in Yuma, desert flats and sod farm along I-8, and the Bendire's / Brewer's thrasher flats at Baseline & Salome.
Arizona
January 22 – Arrival in Phoenix, with afternoon at Tempe Town Lake and Gilbert Riparian Preserve / Water Ranch; first of 2 nights in Tempe.
January 23 – Baseline & Salome thrasher flats (with LeConte's + 2 others), an ibis-
infested irrigated field along Baseline Rd, Robbins Butte, Sunrise Dr in Buckeye (for "sage" sparrows and another thrasher), Encanto Park (lovebirds!), and Biltmore on the Lakes (a wigeon and thrasher #5).
January 24 – Kiwanis and Chaparel parks in Phoenix, Boyce-Thompson Arboretum, and night in Casa Grande.
January 25 – Santa Cruz Flats (especially Evergreen Sod Farm) and La Posta Quemada Ranch; first of 2 nights in Sierra Vista.
January 26 – SV''s EOP (sewage ponds!), San Pedro House, Whitewater Draw and vicinity, Ash Canyon, and after-dinner owling (without owls) at and Miller Canyon.
January 27 – Tony Battiste's B & B feeders, Paton's feeders in Patagonia, Patagonia Lake State Park, Kino Springs, and first of 2 nights in Nogales.
January 28 – Amado sewage ponds, Montosa Canyon, Canoa Ranch, Madera Canyon, and a search for the De Anza Trail in Tubac.
January 29 – Successful return to Tubac, Elephant Head Rd, cowbird-less Kennedy Park, Reid Park & vicinity, and Tucson airport for flights home.
Bird List
• boldfaced species = “non-MN” birds (i.e., Casual, Accidental, or not recorded in MN)
• CA = California MBW (incl. those seen in AZ on Jan. 21)
• AZ = Arizona MBW
• species not annotated CA or AZ were found on both MBWeeks
Snow Goose
Ross's Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose CA
Brant CA
Cackling Goose CA
Canada Goose
Wood Duck CA
Blue-winged Teal CA
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
Mallard
Mexican Duck AZ
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback AZ
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter CA
Long-tailed Duck CA
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser CA
Common Merganser AZ
Red-breasted Merganser CA
Ruddy Duck
California Quail CA
Gambel's Quail
Wild Turkey AZ
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe CA
Eared Grebe CA
Western Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon CA
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Inca Dove AZ
Common Ground Dove CA
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Lesser Nighthawk CA
Rivoli’s Hummingbird AZ
Anna's Hummingbird
Costa's Hummingbird CA
Allen's Hummingbird CA
Broad-billed Hummingbird AZ
Violet-crowned Hummingbird AZ
Ridgway's Rail CA
Virginia Rail CA
Sora
Common Gallinule CA
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Black Oystercatcher CA
Black-bellied Plover CA
Killdeer
Semipalmated Plover CA
Mountain Plover AZ
Whimbrel CA
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit CA
Black Turnstone CA
Surfbird CA
Stilt Sandpiper CA
Sanderling CA
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper CA
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe AZ
Spotted Sandpiper
Wandering Tattler CA
Willet CA
Greater Yellowlegs
Bonaparte's Gull CA
Heermann's Gull CA
Ring-billed Gull CA
Western Gull CA
California Gull CA
Herring Gull CA
Royal Tern CA
Black Skimmer CA
Pacific Loon AZ
Common Loon
Yellow-billed Loon CA
Black-vented Shearwater CA
Brandt's Cormorant CA
Pelagic Cormorant CA
Double-crested Cormorant
Neotropic Cormorant AZ
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Least Bittern CA
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron CA
Reddish Egret CA
Cattle Egret CA
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron CA
White-faced Ibis
Black Vulture AZ
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
White-tailed Kite
Golden Eagle CA
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Gray Hawk AZ
Red-shouldered Hawk CA
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk AZ
Ferruginous Hawk
Western Screech-Owl AZ
Great Horned Owl
Burrowing Owl
Belted Kingfisher CA
Lewis's Woodpecker
Acorn Woodpecker
Gila Woodpecker
Williamson's Sapsucker AZ
Red-naped Sapsucker AZ
Red-breasted Sapsucker CA
Nuttall's Woodpecker CA
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker CA
Arizona Woodpecker AZ
Northern Flicker
Gilded Flicker AZ
Crested Caracara AZ
American Kestrel
Merlin CA
Peregrine Falcon CA
Prairie Falcon
Red-masked Parakeet CA
Rosy-faced Lovebird AZ
Rose-throated Becard AZ
Cassin's Kingbird
Greater Pewee AZ
Hammond’s Flycatcher CA
Gray Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher
Hutton's Vireo AZ
Cassin’s Vireo AZ
Plumbeous Vireo AZ
Loggerhead Shrike
Steller's Jay CA
California Scrub-Jay CA
Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay AZ
Mexican Jay AZ
American Crow CA
Chihuahuan Raven AZ
Common Raven
Verdin
Mountain Chickadee CA
Bridled Titmouse AZ
Oak Titmouse CA
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow AZ
Barn Swallow CA
Bushtit CA
Wrentit CA
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Cedar Waxwing
Phainopepla
Red-breasted Nuthatch CA
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch CA
Brown Creeper
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
California Gnatcatcher CA
Black-capped Gnatcatcher AZ
Rock Wren
Canyon Wren AZ
Cactus Wren
Bewick's Wren
Marsh Wren
Curve-billed Thrasher AZ
Bendire’s Thrasher
California Thrasher CA
LeConte's Thrasher AZ
Crissal Thrasher
Sage Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Western Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird CA
Townsend’s Solitaire AZ
Hermit Thrush
Rufous-backed Robin AZ
American Robin
Scaly-breasted Munia CA
House Sparrow
American Pipit
House Finch
Cassin’s Finch
Red Crossbill AZ
Pine Siskin AZ
Lesser Goldfinch
Lawrence's Goldfinch AZ
American Goldfinch CA
Rufous-winged Sparrow AZ
Black-throated Sparrow CA
Lark Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Brewer’s Sparrow CA
Dark-eyed Junco
Yellow-eyed Junco AZ
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow AZ
Golden-crowned Sparrow CA
Sagebrush Sparrow
Bell's Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow AZ
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Canyon Towhee AZ
Abert's Towhee
California Towhee CA
Rufous-crowned Sparrow AZ
Green-tailed Towhee AZ
Spotted Towhee
Chihuahuan Meadowlark AZ
Western Meadowlark
Red-winged Blackbird
Tricolored Blackbird CA
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler AZ
Townsend's Warbler CA
Painted Redstart AZ
Hepatic Tanager AZ
Northern Cardinal AZ
Pyrrhuloxia AZ
Lazuli Bunting AZ
2023 CALIFORNIA PHOTO GALLERY
Black Oystercatcher ~ Rose Shea photo
Black-necked Stilt ~ Rose Shea photo
Yellow-billed Loon ~ Rose Shea photo
Sage Thrasher ~ Jeff Stephenson photo
Lewis's Woodpecker ~ Rose Shea photo
Red-faced Parakeet ~ Jeff Stephenson photo
Hammond's Flycatcher ~ Rose Shea photo
Bighorn Sheep ~ Jeff Stephenson photo
San Jacinto Mountains ~ Rose Shea photo
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park ~ Rose Shea photo
Salton Sea ~ Rose Shea photo
2023 ARIZONA PHOTO GALLERY
Eurasian Wigeon ~ Jeff Stephenson photo
Mountain Plover ~ Raymond Tervo photo
Pacific Loon ~ Jeff Stephenson photo
Burrowing Owl ~ Jeff Stephenson photo
Arizona Woodpecker ~ Jeff Stephenson photo
Rosy-faced Lovebird ~ Jeff Stephenson photo
Greater Pewee ~ Raymond Tervo photo
Vermilion Flycatcher ~ Jeff Stephenson photo
Verdin ~ Jeff Stephenson photo
Bridled Titmouse ~ Jeff Stephenson photo
Bendire's Thrasher ~ Jeff Stephenson photo
Yellow-eyed Junco ~ Jeff Stephenson photo
Lawrence's Goldfinch ~ Jeff Stephenson photo
Chihuahuan Meadowlark ~ Raymond Tervo photo