Atascosa Highlands Christmas Bird Count

Count Totals for Jan 2, 2012 and Next Year's Date

2012-01-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

Below is the species list and count from the January 2, 2012 Atascosa Highlands CBC.

133 species (4th highest total since 1960)
10017 individuals
54 participants

Thanks to everyone for their efforts.

The date for next year's count: Saturday, December 22, 2012. See you then!

Wood Duck	1
Gadwall	63
American Wigeon	5
Mallard	15
Blue-winged Teal	1
Cinnamon Teal	1
Northern Shoveler	29
Northern Pintail	6
Green-winged Teal	65
Ring-necked Duck	70
Lesser Scaup	2
Bufflehead	7
Hooded Merganser	2
Ruddy Duck	122
Gambel's Quail	19
Montezuma Quail	2
Least Grebe	14
Pied-billed Grebe	17
Eared Grebe	3
Western Grebe	1
Great Blue Heron	8
Great Egret	1
Green Heron	1
Black Vulture	10
Turkey Vulture	1
Northern Harrier	10
Sharp-shinned Hawk	4
Cooper's Hawk	7
Accipiter sp.	1
Red-tailed Hawk	39
Golden Eagle	8
American Kestrel	18
Merlin	2
Peregrine Falcon	3
Prairie Falcon	4
Sora	1
American Coot	521
Killdeer	4
Wilson's Snipe	3
White-winged Dove	10
Mourning Dove	606
Inca Dove	6
Common Ground-Dove	45
Greater Roadrunner	2
Northern Pygmy-Owl	1
Common Poorwill	4
Anna's Hummingbird	1
Elegant Trogon	3
Belted Kingfisher	2
Acorn Woodpecker	17
Gila Woodpecker	46
Red-naped Sapsucker	46
Ladder-backed Woodpecker	53
Arizona Woodpecker	11
Northern Flicker	65
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet	1
Hammond's Flycatcher	2
Gray Flycatcher	32
Dusky Flycatcher	1
Dusky/Hammond's Flycatcher	1
Black Phoebe	45
Say's Phoebe	26
Vermilion Flycatcher	3
Ash-throated Flycatcher	5
Loggerhead Shrike	12
Hutton's Vireo	13
Mexican Jay	155
Chihuahuan Raven	2
Common Raven	92
raven sp.	14
Bridled Titmouse	96
Verdin	50
Bushtit	97
White-breasted Nuthatch	6
Cactus Wren	6
Rock Wren	68
Canyon Wren	47
Bewick's Wren	125
House Wren	28
Marsh Wren	10
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	194
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	5
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher	19
Eastern Bluebird	49
Western Bluebird	231
Mountain Bluebird	20
bluebird sp.	7
Townsend's Solitaire	12
Hermit Thrush	23
American Robin	17
Northern Mockingbird	13
Sage Thrasher	1
Curve-billed Thrasher	2
Crissal Thrasher	2
American Pipit	1
Phainopepla	8
Olive Warbler	1
Orange-crowned Warbler	1
Yellow-rumped Warbler	35
Black-throated Gray Warbler	2
Black-and-white Warbler	1
Common Yellowthroat	4
Painted Redstart	5
Green-tailed Towhee	105
Spotted Towhee	88
Canyon Towhee	139
Abert's Towhee	1
Rufous-winged Sparrow	42
Cassin's Sparrow	3
Rufous-crowned Sparrow	167
Chipping Sparrow	1630
Brewer's Sparrow	662
Black-chinned Sparrow	23
Vesper Sparrow	589
Lark Sparrow	347
Black-throated Sparrow	136
Lark Bunting	138
Savannah Sparrow	56
Grasshopper Sparrow	19
Baird's Sparrow	1
Song Sparrow	19
Lincoln's Sparrow	95
White-crowned Sparrow	1480
Dark-eyed Junco	101
Yellow-eyed Junco	1
Northern Cardinal	99
Pyrrhuloxia	57
Black-headed Grosbeak	1
Blue Grosbeak	1
Eastern Meadowlark	30
Western Meadowlark	37
meadowlark sp.	24
Great-tailed Grackle	1
Hooded Oriole	1
House Finch	280
Pine Siskin	1
Lesser Goldfinch	36
Lawrence's Goldfinch	8

Area Assignments for 2 January 2012

2011-12-27T23:40:00.002-07:00

Updated 12/27/2011

1. Bear Grass Tank and Murphy Canyon
No coverage

2. Jalisco and Apache Canyons
Robert Weissler
Ron Beck

3. Arivaca Lake
Paul Sheppard and crew

4. Oro Blanco Wash
Tim Helentjaris
Barbara Johnson

5. Warsaw and Holden Canyons
Howard Buchanan
Steve Foldi
Mandia Gonzoles

6. Cedar and Bartolo Canyons
Brian Jones and crew

7. Ruby and Papago Tanks
Matt! Brooks
Richard England
Deryn England

8. California Gulch
Reid Freeman
Richard Wilt

9. Corral Nuevo
Matt Griffiths
Jennie Macfarland

10. Upper Sycamore and Yanks Canyons
Richard Fray
Jenise Porter
Nancy Rivera

11. Middle Sycamore and Peñasco Canyons
John Yerger
Morgan Jackson

12. Lower Sycamore and Tonto Canyons
John Reuland
Scott Olmstead

13. Pine Canyon to Hells Gate
No coverage

14. Atascosa Lookout and Upper Ramanote Canyon
Malcolm Chesworth
Stephen Dilks

15. Bear Valley Ranch
Larry Liese
Betsy Checcia
Roger Tess

16. Rock Corral and Tinaja Canyons
Chris McCreedy

17. Peck Canyon Complex
Joe Hammond
Laurens Halsey
Leslie Hall
Jay Miller and crew

18. Wise Mesa and Lower Ramanote Canyon
Matt Brown

19. Bellota Canyon
Erika Wilson
Tom Leskiw
Leah Latura

20. Peña Blanca Lake and Canyon
Ken Kertell
Fred Heath
Mary Klinkel

21. Ruby Road East
Molly Pollock
Mark Stevenson
Diana Davis

22. Alamo Canyon
Sally Johnsen
Linda White
Jim Hays
Clark Blake

Atascosa Highlands CBC Set for Monday, January 2, 2012

2011-11-03T09:10:00.004-07:00

Mark your calendars for January 2, and contact the compiler to sign up for the Most Awesome CBC in Arizona!

John Yerger has agreed to step in and organize the count this year since Jake Mohlmann and I (Rich Hoyer) won't be in the country during the entire CBC season.

Contact him at john at adventurebirding dot com to sign up.

--------------------------------

Why is this the Most Awesome CBC in the state? The circle was brilliantly designed in 1960 by Bill Harrison and has the following fabulous features:

• It encompasses the maximum amount of public property possible in this region, being sandwiched between areas of private property.

• The five largest landowners within the circle boundaries (not counting tiny mining claims scattered here and there) give us permission to count on their land, including the town of Ruby, Bear Valley Ranch, and three ranches on the western edge.

• It excludes as much of Mexico as possible while still hugging the border.

• In includes – just barely – both Arivaca and Peña Blanca Lakes.

• The entire U.S. breeding range of Five-striped Sparrow is in the circle (not including occasional outliers in some years). What is more amazing is that in 1960 the species had not been discovered yet in this country.

• It has the highest concentrations of Montezuma Quail, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Canyon Towhee, and wintering Elegant Trogon of any CBC circle in the country.

• It usually places in the top 5 US circles in the number of species with the annual high count (snagging first place in 2009-2010).

• In 2010-2011 it had the most participants of any CBC in Arizona (66).

• It has a stunningly gorgeous landscape, with rolling hills, canyons, cliffs and endless opportunities for cross-country hiking.

• It's such a wild a remote region that at one point there were two wild Jaguars roaming this back country.

• There are no Starlings, Rock Pigeons, House Sparrows or Great-tailed Grackles.

I recommend reading all the archives of this blog (links on the right), as most are still quite pertinent. Two of the most useful show maps of the circle, so here are links directly to those posts:

General location of the circle

and

More detailed map of the circle

Have fun!

Photo at top: Painted Redstart. Scattered individuals and pairs winter in the more wooded canyons in the circle. Last year, with 9, Atascosa Highlands CBC had the highest number in the U.S.

Atascosa Highlands Records Twelve Annual Highs This Year

2011-03-18T07:05:00.000-07:00

Nearly all CBC's have finally posted their results to the National Audubon website, so I have been able to determine that our sixty-six hardy souls, birding all day in rugged lands on December 31, 2010, recorded the highest number of individuals for twelve species among all US Christmas Bird Counts this year.

Some are shoo-ins, such as Canyon and Rock Wrens, Rufous-crowned Sparrow; there is simply no other circle that has the quantity and quality of habitat as AZAH (as long as we have enough observers). But we almost missed a couple. Montezuma Quail is perhaps the most noteworthy, as the Davis Mountains CBC recorded 19 this year. And one surprise was Red-naped Sapsucker, usually seen in greatest numbers on the Mogollon Rim, with Prescott being number one – this year they had only 26.

Montezuma Quail - 20
Elegant Trogon - 8 (all-time US high)
Arizona Woodpecker - 23
Red-naped Sapsucker - 50
Hammond's Flycatcher - 21
Gray Flycatcher - 47
Rock Wren - 100
Canyon Wren - 67
Painted Redstart - 9
Canyon Towhee - 175
Rufous-crowned Sparrow - 171
Five-striped Sparrow - 1

2010 Final Numbers

2011-01-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

The data has been entered and finalized. Go to "Results: Current Year" at http://christmasbirdcount.org.

Atascosa Highlands Christmas Bird Count
December 31, 2010
Gadwall	30
American Wigeon	121
Mallard	74
Northern Shoveler	2
Northern Pintail	53
Green-winged Teal	107
Canvasback	1
Ring-necked Duck	125
Lesser Scaup	1
Bufflehead	6
Hooded Merganser	1
Ruddy Duck	116
Wild Turkey	1
Montezuma Quail	20
Least Grebe	7
Pied-billed Grebe	17
Eared Grebe	4
Great Blue Heron	7
Great Egret	1
Green Heron	4
Northern Harrier	7
Sharp-shinned Hawk	6
Cooper's Hawk	3
Red-tailed Hawk	36
Golden Eagle	9
American Kestrel	24
Peregrine Falcon	1
Prairie Falcon	2
Sora	3
American Coot	150
Killdeer	15
Spotted Sandpiper	1
Wilson's Snipe	7
California Gull	1
White-winged Dove	3
Mourning Dove	183
Western Screech-Owl	3
Whiskered Screech-Owl	2
Great Horned Owl	5
Northern Pygmy-Owl	1
hummingbird sp.	CW
Elegant Trogon	8
Belted Kingfisher	3
Acorn Woodpecker	42
Gila Woodpecker	66
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	2
Red-naped Sapsucker	50
Ladder-backed Woodpecker	78
Arizona Woodpecker	23
Northern Flicker	68
Gilded Flicker	1
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet	1
Hammond's Flycatcher	21
Gray Flycatcher	47
Dusky Flycatcher	6
Dusky/Hammond's Flycatcher	2
"Western" Flycatcher	1
Black Phoebe	83
Eastern Phoebe	4
Say's Phoebe	46
Vermilion Flycatcher	3
Ash-throated Flycatcher	5
Loggerhead Shrike	8
Plumbeous Vireo	1
Hutton's Vireo	21
Western Scrub-Jay	3
Mexican Jay	190
Chihuahuan Raven	1
Common Raven	90
raven sp.	13
Bridled Titmouse	165
Verdin	28
Bushtit	142
White-breasted Nuthatch	11
Brown Creeper	3
Cactus Wren	7
Rock Wren	100
Canyon Wren	67
Bewick's Wren	142
House Wren	12
Marsh Wren	7
Sedge Wren	1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	380
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	3
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher	4
Eastern Bluebird	4
Western Bluebird	22
Townsend's Solitaire	12
Hermit Thrush	85
Northern Mockingbird	46
Curve-billed Thrasher	1
Crissal Thrasher	1
American Pipit	3
Phainopepla	34
Orange-crowned Warbler	5
Yellow-rumped Warbler "Audubon's"	99
Black-throated Gray Warbler	4
Townsend's Warbler	3
Black-and-white Warbler	1
Common Yellowthroat	3
Painted Redstart	9
Hepatic Tanager	4
Western Tanager	1
Green-tailed Towhee	31
Spotted Towhee	21
Canyon Towhee	175
Abert's Towhee	5
Rufous-winged Sparrow	24
Cassin's Sparrow	2
Rufous-crowned Sparrow	171
Five-striped Sparrow	1
Chipping Sparrow	935
Brewer's Sparrow	55
Black-chinned Sparrow	9
Vesper Sparrow	76
Lark Sparrow	108
Black-throated Sparrow	28
Lark Bunting	4
Savannah Sparrow	6
Grasshopper Sparrow	2
Song Sparrow	10
Lincoln's Sparrow	46
White-throated Sparrow	CW
White-crowned Sparrow "Gambel's"	343
White-crowned Sparrow "Mountain"	10
Dark-eyed Junco (unknown)	34
Dark-eyed Junco "Gray-headed"	12
Dark-eyed Junco "Oregon"	21
Dark-eyed Junco "Pink-sided"	25
Northern Cardinal	52
Pyrrhuloxia	19
Red-winged Blackbird	24
Eastern Meadowlark	25
Western Meadowlark	25
meadowlark sp.	26
Cassin's Finch	6
House Finch	158
Pine Siskin	82
Lesser Goldfinch	297
TOTAL INDIVIDUALS	6324
TOTAL SPECIES	130

An Account From Lower Sycamore and Tonto Canyons

2011-01-06T07:50:00.000-07:00

I'm still crunching numbers from the Dec 31, 2010 CBC, but I'll have a summary soon. In the meantime, here's a great account from Philip Kline from his area.

"I spent a chilly day in stunning scenery yesterday with three intrepid birders and one game non-birder covering lower California Gulch and Sycamore Canyon down to the Mexican border for the Atascosa Mountains CBC. The day vacillated between cold, colder, and freezing, with occasional snow and sleet showers and a windy afternoon, but we persevered and ended up with 48 species, although numbers were quite low. Lower Sycamore Canyon usually has roving bands of Bridled Titmice, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, with the odd Hutton's Vireo, Bewick's Wren, and occasionally something else mixed in, but the afternoon produced mostly isolated individuals of these species.

"We started the day at Border Tank, which can be accessed by a decent (thanks to the Border Patrol) 4WD road continuing south from the lower end of California Gulch. Border Tank and Hidden Tank in this area can be dry, but often have waterfowl when full. Today we were lucky and Hidden Tank had good numbers of American Wigeon and Green-winged Teal, with a few Mallard, Gadwall, and a Pintail mixed in. From Border Tank it is possible to find decent trails that head generally southeast and over a saddle and into Sycamore Canyon. We only encountered a couple of flocks, one containing an Ash-throated Flycatcher. A couple of Rufous-winged Sparrows were down by Hidden Tank.

"Crossing over into Sycamore Canyon amid snow flurries, we decided to hop over another low saddle and check out lower Tonto Canyon. This Canyon runs along the Mexican border on the Arizona side then runs into Sycamore Canyon on the Mexican side. We didn't have long to spend in there, but it's a picturesque little canyon that I might have to go back and explore some more. Five-striped Sparrows also breed in this Canyon, as well as in lower Sycamore Canyon. We didn't see anything special, but it was quite birdy and we found another Ash-throated Flycatcher calling over on the Mexican side of the border.

"By the time we started to head up Sycamore Canyon proper, the wind really started to pick up and birds were few and far between. But what we lacked in quantity, we made up for in quality. After three years of trying, I finally managed to call in a Five-striped Sparrow about 3/4 mile upstream from the border. [See photo at top.] They're pretty tough to track down in winter. As we continued up Canyon, we had brief encounters with two different Elegant Trogons. Farther up still, there were two
very vocal Painted Redstarts. Empid challenges were plentiful in the Canyon too. Fortunately, all but one bird called and we ended up with one Gray, one Dusky, and two Hammond's. The usual winter denizens were also present in the Canyon in low numbers. We bushwhacked through dense thornscrub up and over another saddle to get back over into California Gulch, but were rewarded for our scratches with fabulous views of the Canyon as the evening sun finally peeped out from under the cloud deck lighting up the clifftops and a belated Golden Eagle soaring over the opposite ridgeline.

"If anyone is interested in covering this area with me next year, let me know. Tonto Canyon could certainly use further exploration. The area is rugged and remote, but well worth the time and effort."

Area Assignments 2010

2010-12-23T22:15:00.006-07:00

Updated 12/30/2010

1. Bear Grass Tank and Murphy Canyon

Brian McKnight

Jim Hays

Sally Johnsen

Peggy Wang

2. Jalisco and Apache Canyons

Dave Powell

Michael Hawk

3. Arivaca Lake

Paul Sheppard

Gavin Bieber

Steve Holmes

Diana Holmes

4. Oro Blanco Wash

Roger Tess

Tim Helentjaris

Doug Munson

5. Warsaw and Holden Canyons

Keith Graves

Mary Graves

6. Bartolo Canyon

Michael Hilchey

Raymond Vanbuskirk

Christopher Rustay

7. Ruby and Papago Tanks

Greg Greene
Cat Greene

Gary Settje

Barbara Johnson

8. California Gulch

Reid Freeman

Richard Wilt

9. Corral Nuevo

John Yerger

Morgan Jackson

Sarah Humphrey

10. Upper Sycamore and Yanks Canyons

Richard Fray

Jenise Porter

Carol Tepper

Joe Corcoran

11. Middle Sycamore and Peñasco Canyons

Brian Gibbons

Meaghan Conway

Mich Coker

12. Lower Sycamore and Tonto Canyons

Philip Kline

Steven Foldi
Amanda Propst

John Reuland
Max Li

13. Pine Canyon to Hells Gate

Rich Hoyer

Bill Talbot

14. Atascosa Lookout and Upper Ramanote Canyon

Art Schaub

Malcolm Chesworth

15. Bear Valley Ranch

Denny Hodsdon

Mark Sharon

Farrish Sharon

16. Rock Corral and Tinaja Canyons

Chris McCreedy

17. Peck Canyon Complex

Jake Mohlmann

Brooks Hart

Marc Dragiewicz
Laurens Halsey
Joe Hammond

18. Wise Mesa and Lower Ramanote Canyon

Dave Porter

Matt Brown

19. Bellota Canyon

Erika Wilson

Karen Nickey

Sharon Overstreet

20. Peña Blanca Lake and Canyon

Ken Kertell

Fred Heath

Alan Schmierer
Chris Benesh
Jeff Kingery
Becky Alsup-Kingery

21. Ruby Road East

Molly Pollock

Mark Stevenson

Diana Davis

22. Alamo Canyon

Randy Moore

John Saba

Downloading USGS Topographic Maps

2010-12-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

I have prepared topo maps for each area, but the resolution ends up being a little low to make the file sizes manageable for emailing and downloading. If you would like to have your own, unedited map, you can download the 7.5-minute maps for free on the USGS website. They range in size from 4.7 mb to 7.4 mb.

The simplest URL is http://store.usgs.gov. Then to actually download the map you want, follow these directions:

1. Click on the Map Locator link (center right)
2. Type "atascosa peak, az" in the search field and click on Go
3. If you click on the red pushpin on the map, a window will pop up with a link to download the 7.5X7.5 map for the Ruby quadrangle.
4. If you click anywhere else on the map, a new red pushpin with appear, which you click on to again download that 7.5X7.5-minute map. It will be a different map only if you click in a different quad (outlined in black and names are highlighted in yellow)

The AZAH Circle straddles eight different quads: Arivaca, Murphy Peak, Tubac, Bartlett Mountain, Ruby, Pena Blanca Lake, Alamo Spring, and Pajarito Peak. I created the maps by downloading all 8, making one giant map on Photoshop Elements, then drawing the circle using the drawing tools. I then cropped out each area and resized them.

2010 Countdown at Longhorn Grill

2010-12-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

Photo copyright Dave Rankin with permission under Creative Commons Licence

As in the previous two years we'll be having the countdown and no-host dinner at the Longhorn Grill in Amado. We'll start the species countdown around 6:30, so try your hardest to be there by then. You can also show up anytime before that to have your dinner or just drop off your list.

Longhorn Grill
28851 South Nogales Highway
Amado, AZ
520-398-3955

This is the restaurant with the façade shaped like a giant cow skull. The entrance to the restaurant is around to the left, on the north side of the building. Please let me know if you are having dinner here so I can warn them how many people to expect.

Please keep in mind that it takes a while to get out of the circle. Google Maps says that from the Sycamore Canyon trailhead to Amado is 1 hour 11 minutes.

Another Party-Miles Tutorial

2010-12-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

I know most people have this issue already figured out, but I also know that some find it confusing. In addition to what I wrote in a previous post, I thought I would give a simpler example.

So let's say there's a party of two birders covering an area. They bird for one hour and walk one mile together. Easy: That's one party-mile by foot, and one party-hour. Then they split up (out of earshot at least) for one hour. They each walk one mile during that hour and meet up again back at the car. Since they are separate, each birder is a "party." So during this time, for their CBC area, they racked up two party-miles by foot and two party-hours. Adding that to the previous total comes to 3 party-miles and 3 party-hours. Then they get in their car and drive to the compilation dinner. For 1/2 hour and 3 miles of driving they are still in their area of the circle and spot one bird flying over. Their total for the day is:

party-miles by foot: 3
party-hours by foot: 3
party-miles by car: 3
party-hours by car: 0.5

This being a simple example, these birders vastly uncovered their area. The area that Art Schaub and I covered last year, Pine Canyon, has no roads, and we didn't split up. So it was merely a matter of zeroing the trip odometer on my GPS receiver when we started hiking. By the end of the day we logged 9.65 party-miles and 8.2 party-hours, all by foot. But since we had camped there and got up at 4:30 to some owling, I also kept track of the 2.25 miles and 2.5 hours of owling.

Photo at top: Habitat at Peña Blanca Lake, which has hosted several rarities in the past, including the state's first record of Sedge Wren this winter.

Photo at bottom: Gopher Snake crossing the road at Peña Blanca lake on December 11. If it's warm enough, this species can be found even in mid-winter.

Safety in the Atascosa Highlands

2010-12-15T20:10:00.001-07:00

There has been a lot of publicity surrounding safety in the border region. Most of it is hype, in my opinion. There are certain neighborhoods in Tucson that are more dangerous. Here are some of my recommendations for saftey:

1. Act like you're birding. That shouldn't be too hard.

2. Don't chase anyone with a backpack or a gun.

3. Don't carry a gun or wear a mask.

4. Don't act like a vigilante and go after any groups or try to make a cell phone call just because you see something suspicious.

5. Stay within voice contact of another teammate or at least make for a rendezvous point within a reasonable amount of time. A twisted ankle or an unfortunate encounter with an agave is enough reason to not be all alone out there, though I have hiked alone there several times and not had any trouble.

Here's snippet from a recent article in the Tucson Weekly, quoting a birder, CBC participant, and former district ranger for the USFS:

But Keith Graves says he's worked the area, often alone, for 12 years with no problem, and that the Coronado has had no complaints from people who've been accosted. "As long as you're not stupid, it's safe to go in there," says Graves. "But take precautions. It's like camping out in Montana without managing for grizzly bears."

He says if you see backpacks or packages wrapped in burlap, leave them alone. If you see a group that doesn't fit the surroundings and doesn't look like a hiking club, go the other way.

Graves' biggest fear is vigilantes announcing they're going into an area to stop drug-smugglers, putting hunters in danger. "A bandit won't know if I'm a deer hunter or if I'm out to find him," says Graves.

Otherwise the article glossed over his testimony and opinion, being rather sensationalistic and sounding more like a propaganda tool of the current state governor's office. It did list nine recent reports of violence from the region and all have involved border patrol agents, undocumented immigrants, and drug smugglers. There don't seem to be any reports involving hunters, hikers, and birders, despite their being all over this area year-round.

Don't forget to read through the old archives of this blog, using the links on the right. All the info is still current and useful.

Online Registration Now Available

2010-11-22T14:55:00.001-07:00

You can now register online for Christmas Bird Counts at http://www.christmasbirdcount.org/. Once there, click on the link "Get Involved" on the right. If you sign up for 4 CBC's this way and pay online, each additional CBC is free. The catch is that the compiler has to have registered his or her CBC for online sign-ups, and not all of them know how to do this. Let your compiler know that you want to register online if that count isn't available.

Links for Other CBCs

2010-11-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the volunteer time of several people who compile CBC schedules (such as Walter Thurber for Arizona and the amazing map created by Kurt Radamaker), we now have no reason for not planning our time carefully from Dec 14 to January 5 to do at least 8 counts each. Of course AZAH should be your priority.

Arizona: http://www.azfo.org/CBC/cbc2010_2011.html

New Mexico: http://nm.audubon.org/CBC/cbc_schedule.htm

California: http://www.natureali.org/cbcs.htm

Utah: http://www.utahbirds.org/cbc/index.htm

Oregon: http://oregonbirds.org/calendar2.html

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Nevada has anyone compiling such information.

Where is the Atascosa Highlands CBC Circle?

2010-10-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

This is a very common question. I'll post a map of the circle below to make it easy.

Bill Harrison created this circle with apparent much thought and planning in 1960 – a circle in this region could not have been placed in a better position. And unlike almost all nearby circles it hasn't been moved by any of the subsequent compilers.

It's best features are:
• maximum coverage of public lands, minimal private lands
• nearly bisected by a single good road with access roads off of it
• minimal overlap into Mexico
• just barely including three important bodies of water – Arivaca Lake in the NW, Bear Grass Tank in the N, and Peña Blanca Lake in the SE.
• completely encompassing all of the Sycamore Canyon-California Gulch southward-flowing drainages
• and, completely unbeknownst to Bill, incorporating the entire US range of Five-striped Sparrow (the species wasn't discovered here until a few years later)

And Bill did this all without Google Earth. (He may have even used a slide rule...)

The coordinates of the center are N31.47006°, W111.17278°

Click on the image for a larger version.

Date Set for Friday December 31, 2010

2010-10-27T16:34:00.001-07:00

I've already started recruiting for AZAH, the Atasoscosa Highlands Christmas Bird Count, set for Friday, December 31, 2010. I assign area leaders and their teams well in advance, so please contact me as soon as you know you can commit.

Here's a view from near the unassuming center of the circle – with almost countless canyons and rocky ridges for 7 1/2 miles in all directions. Click on the image to open a window with a larger size.

Leading the Nation in National Highs for 110th CBC!

2010-10-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

I just received my issue of American Birds summarizing the 110th Christmas Bird Count and was surprised to find that Atascosa Highlands led the nation with highest tallies for 17 species on our January 3, 2010 count. In my last blog post I listed the 15 that I found, but Brent Ortego in his article found a couple more – Elegant Trogon (we had one, tying with three other AZ counts) and Rufous-crowned Sparrow, a silly oversight on my part – AZAH always has the high count for that one. The next closest count was Weslaco, TX, which had 15 highs.

Brent also compiled the all-time highs for all 110 years of the BC, and AZAH ranks 13th nationally with 10. Our neighbor, the Nogales CBC (which actually illegally overlaps the older AZAH circle, something that should be addressed at some point) ranks 9th, and AZAH stands a good chance of eventually topping most of those, with the exception of the exotic Elegant Quail and the 1997 Nutting's Flycatcher counted in their total.

At top: The Atascosa Highlands CBC tallied 4 Elegant Trogons in 2008, setting a new all-time high for this species. A 5th was found a few weeks late in remote Ramanote Canyon, which hadn't been covered on the CBC.

High Species Counts for 2009-2010

2010-05-03T22:41:00.000-07:00

One of the things that makes the Atascosa Highlands CBC special is the number of species for which it gets the national high each year. This year we had fifteen national highs. Last year we had 14, and only three CBCs (out of 1673 counts) had 15 or more. So we'll probably be in the top 5 again this year.
Even though three Arizona CBCs still haven't entered their data yet (Sedona, Sierra Pinta-Cabeza Prieta NWR, and Timber Mesa), I went ahead and compared our totals across the state. We had an additional highs for 11 species and one form. Great job, everyone!

Mark your calendars for Friday, December 31, 2010 for the next event.

Atascosa CBC Highlights

National High for 2009-2010
Montezuma Quail – 73
Arizona Woodpecker – 37
Hammond's Flycatcher - 18
Gray Flycatcher – 45
Dusky Flycatcher – 11
Bridled Titmouse – 219
Rock Wren – 119 (next closest was Salt-Verde River with 62)
Canyon Wren – 133 (next closest was Salt-Verde River with 56)
Black-throated Gray Warbler – 9
Hepatic Tanager – 3 (back to normal, after last year's mind-blowing 27, which wasn't believed by the national editor at first)
Green-tailed Towhee – 19 (must be one of the lowest national highs ever)
Canyon Towhee – 229
Rufous-winged Sparrow – 90 (previous high was 12 last year)
Chipping Sparrow – 3931 (next closest count was Boerne, TX with 1673)
Black-chinned Sparrow – 54 (next closest was Nogales, with 12)

State High for 2009-2010
Golden Eagle – 15
Northern Pygmy-Owl – 4
Spotted Owl – 1 (only one in Arizona)
Common Poorwill – 2
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet – 1 (only one in Arizona)
Hutton's Vireo - 33
Bewick's Wren – 210
House Wren – 22
Hermit Thrush – 61
Vesper Sparrow – 230
Grasshopper Sparrow – 18
"Pink-sided" Junco – 193

Party-Miles and Party-Hours

2009-12-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

I know it's a pain, but keeping track of party-miles and party-hours is one way we can at least partially control for one of the factors that makes CBC data so unreliable – observer effort. If you have a watch, a GPS, and an odometer on your car, you can come up with pretty exact numbers. If all you have is a watch, you can at least estimate the miles.

For miles and hours driven by car, set your odometer to zero when you enter your area (not when you leave home). Anywhere you drive within your area counts, as you are theoretically able to spot birds and count them as you drive between birding spots. Keep a note of the time you enter your area of the CBC circle. Then write down the time every time you hop into your car and the moment you hop out of your car. At the end of the day, you can add up these times to get your party-hours by car. The odometer reading when you leave your area is the party-miles by car. Let's say you entered your area of the circle at 7:30 a.m. and departed for the countdown at 5:00. That's a total of 9.5 hours. If you add up the times you spent in the car and it comes to 1.5 hours total, then you have 1.5 hours by car.

Hours and miles on foot are a bit more difficult, because this is when groups split up into multiple parties. If you never split up, then using the example above, you logged 8 party-hours on foot. But if you split up into different groups (parties), then you have more. If you were apart for just an hour of the day, you'd have 9 party-hours. It's that simple. And a party is one to several people birding together within earshot.

As another example, say your group is 4 people. You split up, with one person hiking up one canyon, another person hiking up another, and two people hiking down yet a third. You all meet back up 2 hours later. Using the example above, the base is 8 party-hours, You have to add two more hours for each of the extra parties, so that makes a total of 12 party-hours by foot for the day.

All clear?

Keeping an Eye on the Weather

2009-12-30T12:46:00.002-07:00

It's looking good for Sunday, January 3. The morning low will be right around freezing and the high from the upper 60's to the low 70's.

My favorite source of weather info is the NOAA Western Regional Headquarters site. This link HERE will take you to the exact center of the AZAH Circle forecast.

Tips On Finding Montezuma Quail

2009-12-28T19:24:00.002-07:00

Last year we made no special efforts to get Montezuma Quail, but we still set an all-time national high with 268. It must have been a year of spectacular breeding success.

I think Sara and I were the only team to not actually see a live Montezuma Quail, though we did hear a covey early in the morning in Peck Canyon. But in Pine Canyon a Cooper's Hawk dropped this at our feet as it flew right by us, startled at the first humans it must have seen in weeks.

There have been reports from birders in recent weeks to indicate that the population is still pretty high, but I'd be surprised if we saw as many as last year. The monsoon was not very good in most of Southeastern Arizona and plants (and the animals that eat them) have suffered.

So I thought a couple tips on finding them might be in order. Their preferred microhabitat seems to be open oak woodland with a grassy understory, especially on the slopes within 50-100 yards of the canyon bottoms. So walking along the slope parallel with a wash, but a 25-50 yards upslope will increase your chances of flushing a group.

Better yet, when you are near such likely looking habitat, whistle for them. The whistle to use is a series of 4-8 pure, downslurred whistles, which is the female's call. Interestingly, the males will respond to this with their single downslurred, buzzy whistle better than to their own song. A recording of this female call can be heard on the Keller SE Arizona CD. It's the first sound on the cut, the first time simultaneously with a male's song, the second time on its own. I usually hear the individual notes more spaced out, rather than in a stuttered pattern as on the CD.

We may do a quick count of numbers at the countdown of this and other target species to see if we've come close to previous highs.

Finding those Cassin's Sparrows

2009-12-26T11:55:00.003-07:00

We missed Cassin's Sparrow last year. That was something of a surprise, given that we had a large number of prepared participants thoroughly birding areas known to have Cassin's Sparrows in the winter. Even with so many years of suboptimal coverage and weather, the species was seen on just over half of all Atascosa Highlands CBC's. This circle even had 108 one year, which was the all-time national high until Ramsey Canyon got 193 in 1982.

Well, one reason we missed it was that it was just a bad year for many sparrows. We also missed Grasshopper Sparrow and had only 7 Brewer's Sparrows, after all. But there was one thing we didn't do.

In the wake of last year's CBC, I had some interesting e-mail conversations with Scott Mills, who was the compiler of this count through the late 70's, 80's, and early 90's.

Says Scott, "They respond really well to playbacks of taped songs in winter - they apparently hold territories and chip like crazy (and often come to the tape) when a song is played. The first year I tried it I got something like 45 birds with tape in an area where I had flushed only two simply by walking through the grass."

He mentions Wise Mesa and the steep upper edge of Atascosa Canyon (in area 10. Bear Valley Ranch) as being especially good areas. One winter I flushed a few in the open, scrubby mesquite slopes on the east side of Arivaca Lake. I suspect there are some in every area of the circle in the right habitats. The grassiest areas with very scattered mesquite are the best. And although I'd like to have a calm, warm, sunny day, he reminded me that in snow, many of the skulking sparrows (including Grasshopper and Baird's) are seen perched in shrubs.

So, now in addition to your GPS and digital camera, don't forget your iPod and external speaker.

Document Those Rarities

2009-12-23T09:30:00.002-07:00

On last year's CBC, Andrew Core was able to get these simple and more-than-adequate shots of a Greater Scaup that he and Jeff Gilligan flushed from Papago Tanks, a pair of obscure ponds north of Ruby.

So, along with your binoculars, food and water, don't forget your point-and-shoot digital camera.

January 3, 2010 Area Assignments

2009-12-22T23:29:00.013-07:00

These are not set in stone and will be updated as needed. This information is intended to be helpful in case neighboring area leaders would like to work out logistics in transportation. If you need contact information for anyone, please let me know.

1. Bear Grass Tank and Murphy Canyon
Brian McKnight
Jim Hays
Sally Johnsen

2. Jalisco and Apache Canyons
Dennis Wall
Marley Wall
Brooks Hart

3. Arivaca Lake
Paul Sheppard
Will Russell
Mark Sharon
Farrish Sharon

4. Oro Blanco Wash
Roger Tess
Eng Li Green
Paul Green

5. Warsaw and Holden Canyons
Ethan Beasley
Malcolm Chesworth
Robert Payne

6. Bartolo Canyon
Tim Helentjaris
Leah Latura

7. Ruby and Papago Tanks
Greg Greene
Andrew Core
Mary Klinkel
Fred Heath

8. California Gulch
Dick Palmer
Reid Freeman
Richard Wilt

9. Corral Nuevo
Rob Klotz
Bob Beatson
Suzy Ehret

10. Upper Sycamore and Yanks Canyons
Richard Fray
Alan Mueller
Karen Holliday
Jenise Porter

11. Middle Sycamore and Peñasco Canyons
Dave Stejskal
Parth Nagarkar
Grant Loomis
Tyler Loomis

12. Lower Sycamore and Tonto Canyons
Jherime Kellermann
Philip Kline
Nigel Crook

13. Pine Canyon to Hells Gate
Rich Hoyer
Art Schaub

14. Atascosa Lookout and Upper Ramanote Canyon
Laurens Halsey
Janine McCabe

15. Bear Valley Ranch
Denny Hodsdon
Paul Kaestle
Larry Liese

16. Rock Corral and Tinaja Canyons
John Yerger
Greg Corman
Richard Peterson

17. Peck Canyon Complex
Jake Mohlmann
Lucy Snyder
Steven Foldi
Tom Hildebrandt
Kristan Hildebrandt

18. Wise Mesa and Lower Ramanote Canyon
Matt Brown
Josh Stewart

19. Bellota Canyon
Matt Brooks
Erika Wilson

20. Peña Blanca Lake and Canyon
Ken Kertell
Pamela Elia

21. Ruby Road East
Mark Stevenson
Molly Pollock 
Kathe Anderson
Lois Lorenz

22. Alamo Canyon
Rick Romea
Joe Woodley
Bob Behrstock

Where to Stay Near the Atascosa Highlands Circle

2009-12-21T08:23:00.003-07:00

If you are coming from out of town, you may want to find lodging near the circle. If your area is in the eastern half of the circle, staying near Tubac, Rio Rico, or in Nogales would be the best bet. If your area is in the western half of the circle, staying in Amado or even Green Valley would be closer – you'd then access the circle via Arivaca Road.

Of course, there is camping possible all over in the circle. Any flat spot on USFS property is fair game unless it's marked otherwise.

Here are some suggestions for lodging in the area. Feel free to add to this in the comments section.

Rex Ranch
P.O. Box 636, Amado, Arizona 85645
http://www.rexranch.com/escape.html
(520) 398-2914
$150

Amado Territory Inn
P.O. Box 81, 3001 E. Frontage Road, Amado, AZ 85645
http://www.amado-territory-inn.com
Toll Free: (888) 398-8684
Local: (520) 398-8684
Fax: (520) 398-8186
$130

Rio Rico Esplendor Resort
1069 Camino Caralampi, Rio Rico, AZ 85648
http://www.esplendor-resort.com
reservationsaz@hhandr.com
Toll Free: 1-800-288-4746
Local: 520-281-1901
Fax: 520-377-7400
$115.00

Best Western Sonora Inn and Suites
750 West Shell Road, Nogales, AZ 85621
$93.74

Holiday Inn Express
850 West Shell Road, Nogales, AZ 85621
$85

Candlewood Suites Nogales
875 North Frank Reed Road, Nogales, AZ 85621
$81

Best Western Siesta Motel
673 North Grand Avenue, Nogales, AZ 85621
$75.00

Super 8
547 West Mariposa Road, Nogales, AZ US 85621
$69.00

Highlights To Remember From 2008

2009-12-21T08:13:00.004-07:00

Montezuma Quail photographed by Laurens Halsey in Upper Ramanote Canyon.

On December 15, 2008, 56 participants in 21 teams found an all-time high of 139 species. It was a great day that will be hard to beat.

Of special note were the addition of eight new species to the all-time list. They were:

Greater Scaup

Hooded Merganser

Brown Pelican

Whiskered Screech-Owl (long overdue)

Short-eared Owl

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Olive Warbler

Western Tanager

Also, we broke all-time national record high counts for five species, more than any other CBC in 2008. They were Montezuma Quail, Elegant Trogon, Painted Redstart, Hepatic Tanager, and Scott's Oriole. For the numbers, see the list below. Of special note was Hepatic Tanager – the count had recorded four in three different years, and that was previous all-time national high. So our 27 was simply amazing. The Green Valley CBC was the next closest count, breaking three all-time national highs, including Painted Redstart, edging us out with 17 of them.

We hold the all-time national highs for six additional species. They are:

Mexican Jay – 1110

Bridled Titmouse – 574

Rock Wren – 300

Canyon Wren – 213

Rufous-crowned Sparrow – 460

Five-striped Sparrow – 6

In 2008 we had the annual national high count for Arizona Woodpecker, Hammond's Flycatcher, Gray Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, and Five-striped Sparrow.

In comparing counts made on this CBC since 1960, we broke or set new high counts for 45 species, listed below.

New high species counts set in 2008

Northern Shoveler – 28

Canvasback – 10

Greater Scaup – 1

Hooded Merganser – 3

Montezuma Quail – 268

Brown Pelican – 1

Black Vulture – 24

Northern Harrier – 37

Sharp-shinned Hawk – 11

Red-tailed Hawk – 98

American Kestrel – 29

Barn Owl – 1

Western Screech-Owl – 25

Whiskered Screech-Owl – 6

Short-eared Owl – 1

Common Poorwill – 1

Elegant Trogon – 4

Red-breasted Sapsucker – 1

Arizona Woodpecker – 37

Hammond's Flycatcher – 26

Gray Flycatcher – 59

Dusky Flycatcher – 8

Black Phoebe – 97

Eastern Phoebe – 1

Ash-throated Flycatcher – 16

Cassin's Kingbird – 19

Plumbeous Vireo – 2

Hutton's Vireo – 81

Western Scrub-Jay – 7

Common Raven – 103

Bewick's Wren – 263

House Wren – 46

Black-capped Gnatcatcher – 3

Olive Warbler – 1

Orange-crowned Warbler – 4

Black-throated Gray Warbler – 31

Townsend's Warbler – 16

Common Yellowthroat – 4

Painted Redstart – 14

Hepatic Tanager – 27

Western Tanager – 1

Abert's Towhee – 5

Rufous-winged Sparrow – 12

Scott's Oriole – 29

Lesser Goldfinch – 216

Strategies for Christmas Count Birding

2009-12-17T20:53:00.003-07:00

Read this great article by David Fix on the BirdFellow blog HERE.

One bit of info I would tweak to fit the Atascosa Highlands CBC is which species of owls to imitate (or play tape/iPod of, if you don't whistle). Our Northern "Mountain" Pygmy-Owl toots 100 times per minute, not the 20-25 of the Pacific Northwest birds; often the notes are paired into double-toots, but not always, and still average out to 100/minute. Furthermore, screech-owl imitations are just as effective, if not more so in much of our area. Both Western and Whiskered Screech-Owls are common in the circle, and in addition to stirring up mixed flocks of Bridle Titmice, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and the occasional Hepatic Tanger pair, you may also get a daytime response from a real owl. Keep in mind that Whiskered Screech-Owls tend to be in larger, denser stands of oaks, and Western Screech-Owls are usually in more scattered, open woodland with lots of open area between the trees.

The Countdown Compilation

2009-12-17T20:17:00.002-07:00

The Countdown Compilation is considered by many to be half the fun of a Christmas Bird Count. All participants are highly encouraged to attend, as we will all be excited to hear what great birds other teams found and to share our own finds. I have again made reservations for a large group at the Longhorn Grill in Amado, and people can start showing up any time after 5:00. Just order your dinner on your own, and we'll commence the countdown as soon as we have all groups reporting in. This should be no later than 6:30.

The countdown is simply a reading of the list of expected species to find out what birds were seen during the day. Everyone present simply calls out "yes" if they have seen the bird mentioned. After a preliminary species total, each group will then have a chance to mention their highlights and add any species not called out. Then after that, we'll have a total species count for the day.

Longhorn Grill
28851 South Nogales Highway
Amado, AZ
520-398-3955

This is the restaurant with the façade shaped like a giant cow skull. The entrance to the restaurant is around to the left, on the north side of the building. Please let me know if you are having dinner here so I can warn them how many people to expect.

Please keep in mind that it takes a while to get out of the circle. Google Maps says that from the Sycamore Canyon trailhead to Amado is 1 hour 11 minutes.

Area Boundaries Fine-tuned

2009-12-16T08:32:00.011-07:00

I've been fine tuning the area boundaries and maps on both Google Earth and the USGS 7.5-minute maps the past few days, and now I'm ready to start putting together the information packets which everyone will be able to download off the web.

Below is an image saved from Google Earth showing the circle and areas. Clicking on the map will open a browser window with a larger image.
If you have Google Earth on your computer, I've also saved a KMZ file on my Google sites webpage, which you can download by clicking HERE. Google Earth is a program you have to install on your computer, and it's an amazing resource. You download the program to your computer from the Internet – and it's free and safe. To read more about it and see if your computer is compatible, go to earth.google.com. Once you have it and download the KML file, you can zoom into your area, tilt the angle, and move over the landscape with three-dimensional effects that make it appear that you're flying over the land. It's a fantastic way to study the topography of your area.

A Google Maps version (for which you just need a web browser, like Firefox) can be found by clicking on the map below.

This is an example of one of the maps I created using the 7.5-minute USGS quadrangles.

Next CBC: Sunday, January 3

2009-09-18T07:13:00.004-07:00

Everyone, please mark your calendars and plan to participate on:
Sunday, January 3, 2010.

Contact Rich at birdernaturalistATme.com or Jake Mohlmann at mohlmann2ATyahoo.com to sign up

Staying In Touch and Not Getting Lost

2008-12-12T21:42:00.002-07:00

Don't forget to bring a FRS Radio if you have one. I suggest channel 7, subchannel 11. Spare batteries are a good idea.

Also your cell phone. There is coverage, at least from hilltops, in much of the circle. My cell number is (520) 325-5310.

And a GPS is a handy tool, especially if your area includes the circle boundary.

Owling

2008-12-12T16:55:00.002-07:00

Some of us will be out in the predawn darkness (and hopefully without too much wind) to listen and call for owls. Mysteriously, Whiskered Screech-Owl has never been recorded on this count even though it is very common in the more densely wooded areas (such as upper Sycamore and Yanks Canyons, the uppermost part of California Gulch near Ruby Road, and at Peña Blanca Lake). It's not uncommon to get a vocal response from a roosting owl during broad daylight if you use the imitation to attract mobbing flocks of passerines.

Other likely species are Great Horned and Western Screech, though Barn Owl is probably not rare, and if one were to be at Wise Mesa, even Short-eared would be possible. Maybe someone will flush a Long-eared Owl during the day, and there are Spotted Owls in the depths of Sycamore Canyon. Northern Pygmy-Owl is also in Sycamore Canyon, and in the lower drainages, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl is a distinct possibility.

If you will be camping before or after the CBC day to look for owls, let Jake or me know so we can suggest a place to go.

Avoid Double Counting Large Birds

2008-12-12T16:50:00.004-07:00

To avoid two groups counting the same bird, it's a good idea to note the time of day if you see a flyover:

Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Golden Eagle
Peregrine Falcon
Prairie Falcon
Merlin

Thanks to Laurens Halsey for the suggestion.

CBC Fees Policy

2008-12-12T14:49:00.001-07:00

Participant Fees Policy (taken from the NAS CBC website)
• There is a $5.00 fee per U.S. resident field participant per count.
• Feeder watchers and all observers 18 and under may count for free.
• One individual may choose to participate in 4 or more count circles and pay only a flat fee of $20. This discount is available only for participants registering at least 48 hours in advance online.
• If someone registers for 5 counts, pays $20 then one of the counts is cancelled we refund nothing except in the case that if they register for 4 counts and one is cancelled, we have to refund $5.
• Refunds of CBC fees will be issued ONLY if a count is cancelled. In this case, the compilers must notify Audubon of the cancellation of the count for refunds to be issued to pre-registered participants. If a participant does not show up on the day of the count the fee is considered a donation – in this case no refunds are issued. Also the compiler must indicate this no-show status on the site so that the participant’s name is suppressed from reports. Effort information and calculations are NOT affected by data entered/edited in the participant lists by the compiler.
• Persons who pre-register but do not show up on the day of the count must consider their pre-paid fee as a donation to Audubon. No refunds are issued in this case.
• All paying U.S. and Canadian participants, U.S. CBC participants 18 and under, and compilers will receive a copy of American Birds: Summary of the CBC.
• U.S. participants have the opportunity to opt-out of receiving this publication if they indicate this online or if they do not submit their address.

Tricky ID #4 - Eastern and Western Meadowlarks

2008-12-12T08:45:00.001-07:00

The Eastern Meadowlark in Southeastern Arizona is a non-migratory, local species of the native grasslands. The form here is also known as "Lilian's Meadowlark," and may be split from Eastern soon. Western Meadowlark breeds as far south as the agricultural fields of Marana, northwest of Tucson, and flocks winter here in all weedy and grassy habitats.

Places that have breeding pairs of Eastern Meadowlarks have pairs in the same place in winter. This indicates a sedentary population and that it is unlikely to encounter large flocks any distance away from breeding areas. The only areas in this CBC circle likely to have Eastern Meadowlark are at the far western edge, on the flat, grassy ridges between Negro and Peck Canyons and Ramanote and Toruno Canyons. But there could be some wanderers, and everyone should carefully scrutinize them.

Eastern Meadowlark has the yellow of the center throat sharply delineated from the white of the malar region, with the feather tract line between the two matching the separation of colors. In Western, the yellow bleeds across the feather tract line into the malar region. This can be hard to see in winter and immature birds when the yellow is more creamy and the white of the face a buffy off-white, obscuring the differences in these colors.

Eastern has blacker head stripes and paler background color to the face, but this is comparative and takes eperience.

More of the outer tail feathers in Eastern are purely white, so when seen well in flight, it appears that only the central two tail feathers are dark. On Western, you might be able to see the brown edges on the outer feathers, but they also usually appear totally white; the central brown area of the tail is larger and appears more as a triangle, rather than just the narrow two central feathers. Keep in mind that this is very hard to see well in the field, best viewed when a bird flying away from you and then lands at close range.

Call notes are a great clue. Western actually calls out its own four-letter banding code, "weme," often in flight. It also can give a "chuck" while perched. Eastern is usually silent in flight and gives a rough, rising, fart-like "brzzzit" when perched.

Tricky ID #3 - Bendire's & Curve-billed Thrashers

2008-12-12T08:30:00.002-07:00

I was surprised that Bendire's Thrasher was even on the cumulative list for this Christmas Bird Count. In my experience, in Southeastern Arizona there are a few places where Bendire's Thrasher occurs. They are in those locations all year, and I have never bumped into the species in any other location that does not closely match the same habitat. This indicates to me that the species is resident and does not wander in this part of the state. Populations to the north of us are apparently migratory, but it's not clear where they go. Places where I've seen them include northern Avra Valley north into the Santa Cruz Flats, the Whitewater drainage of the Sulphur Springs Valley, and the San Simon Valley east of the Chiricahuas.

The species appears to prefer very flat topography with sandy or loose soils and patches or rows of mesquite with a grassy, weedy understory. An absence of cholla cactus seems to be a unifying characteristic too, and my guess is that this keeps out Curve-billed Thrasher (which usually builds its nest in cholla). Curve-billed is a large, aggressive species that would displace Bendire's.

The best field mark is the smaller bill on Bendire's. With a good profile view (close range or through a spotting scope), the lower edge of the bill appears straight, while both the upper and lower mandible in a Curve-billed are curved. Supporting field marks are the more clearly defined spots across the breast on Bendire's (somewhat arrow-shaped with very good view), a pale base to the bill, paler eyes, and a vaguely warmer color to the lower face. Earlier in the year, immature Curve-billed Thrashers have all of these exact same field marks and are very frequently misidentified as Bendire's in urban Tucson and Phoenix.

Bendire's is usually silent, sometimes giving a slight "chuck," while Curve-billed has the very familiar upslurred double whistle.

Tricky ID #2 - Chihuahuan & Common Ravens

2008-12-12T08:15:00.001-07:00

Everyone realizes these birds are very difficult to tell apart. The main difference is size, but individuals are variable, and size is the most difficult character to judge properly in the field. Said another way, size is the most frequently misjudged field character in birds. It's almost purely a comparative feature, and if you have nothing of known size to compare it to, you should not rely upon it.

Size can be inferred from speed of wing beats, with smaller birds flapping faster. But then speed of flight varies with conditions too – wind direction and the purpose of the bird's flight, for example.

HABITAT is a great clue. Chihuahuan Raven prefers wide open, flat country with scattered bushes and lots of grass or open ground. They are not normally found in hilly canyon country. So unless your area is in the far eastern or northern parts of the circle, you are unlikely to encounter the species.

BEHAVIOR is moderately useful. Chihuahuan Raven is more likely to be found in large winter flocks, roosting and feeding in groups that can number over 100. They are much like crows in this regard. But if it's a feeding concentration, such as at a dump (there is not one in our circle), both species can be found in the same large flock together. And sometimes groups of 20 or more Common Ravens will gather to feed in fields or frolic in the updrafts on a mountain peak.

FIELD MARKS for Chihuahuan Raven include a more rounded and less wedge-shaped tail and a shorter bill with the culmen curving down to the tip just beond the nasal bristles. Common Raven has a very wedge-shaped tail (you have to see it well from below, such as in soaring behavior) and a culmen that continues horizontally for some length beyond the end of the nasal bristles before dropping down to the tip. Common also has longer wings. If it's windy, the ruffled neck feathers of a Chihuahuan Raven will show bright white bases, but the pale gray bases of Common's neck feathers can be misjudged as being white.

VOICE is good. You can sing the call note of a Chihuanhuan Raven, as it is nasal and tonal. Common Raven's voice is extremely variable but is lower and more croak like, usually descending and not on a single tone.

CBC Circle on Google Maps

2008-12-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Andrew Core, I figured out how to make a link to a Google Map with all the areas:

Click Here to see the map in your web browser.

If you want to view the circle in Google Earth (download the program for free first),

Click Here to download the most updated file.

Check Those Tanks!

2008-12-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

A Tank in southern Arizona is a small pond, dammed to catch rainwater and provide for cattle. With the fantastic Monsoon this past summer, all are full this year and present a great opportunity for water birds. This is especially crucial this year since Peña Blanca Lake has been drained for a toxic cleanup this year.

Please make an effort to check them thoroughly. Walking around the edges might flush a Wilson's Snipe that at first isn't obvious. (Though it's unlikely that we'll miss that species; it has been missed only 3 times in 34 years.) They could also harbor a Spotted Sandpiper or a duck or two, maybe something rare like a waterthrush.

Tricky ID #1: Eastern and Western Bluebirds

2008-12-11T08:27:00.002-07:00

This is a big year for Western Bluebird in the Atascosa Highlands. It seems that every team has a good chance of seeing a bunch, and we could even surpass the record of 334 seen in 1980 (each team would have to see an average of only 17).

There will likely be a corresponding chance of getting a very large – but erroneous – number of Eastern Bluebird unless we are very careful of our IDs. Eastern Bluebird may be the most over-reported bird in southeastern Arizona by unwitting observers who simply look at the range maps and think the two species must be of equal status.

The reality is that Eastern Bluebird is one of the more local and sedentary southeastern Arizona specialties, our local subspecies being called "Azure Bluebird." They occur in only a very few areas in the southeastern corner of the state and with only some down-slope movement in some winters. Otherwise, they appear to remain in pairs or small family groups in the same small area all year. This is in strong contrast to Western Bluebirds which wander hundreds of miles in groups of sometimes dozens of birds. There are indeed records of flocks of Eastern Bluebirds in lower valleys every few years, but these appear to be irruptions from populations of the migratory eastern North American forms. It's a rare occurrence.

The only place in this CBC circle that I have seen Eastern Bluebird is at the Sycamore Canyon trailhead, and they are there almost every time I visit. There are surely more territories in the circle, and I would appreciate very much knowing where you find these. But please be sure you are identifying them correctly.

The voices are very different. Western Bluebird has a single, soft "whew" or doubled "weh-whew" whistle, also often mixed with a couple "chuck" notes or short rattle if perturbed. Eastern has a multisyllabic warble mixed with soft "chuck" notes.

Westerns will be in roving flocks, usually in mistletoe. Eastern will probably be only in a small groups or pairs.

Color is a clue in good light and views. The blue of our Easterns is really a bright azure blue. Western is a dark, luscious blue.

The pattern on the throat can be hard to discern in female and winter birds. If you don't see a blue throat, don't automatically assume that it's an Eastern. The throat color of Eastern will be either whitish in the female or bright orange in the male, but the key feature is that this orange color extends high on the sides of the neck and even curves up behind the ear covers. Western is uniformly blue or bluish gray on the sides of the head from the face down to the shoulder.

New Circle Center Coordinates

2008-12-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

I totally forgot about map datums! I had taken the latitude and longitude off the USGS topographical map, which is based on 1927 North American Datum. So, converted to the WGS 84 datum (which is what Google Earth uses), the current latitude and longitude are 31.470006° N, 111.172780°W.

The change in coordinates only affects the circle image I sent out as a .kmz file, moving it some 50 yards to the west. Not a huge difference. The circle as shown in blue on the topo map printouts is correct, as I used Photoshop Elements to draw the circle based on the topo map scale and the actual center ("Center of Section 36 of T 22 S, R 11 E").

Google Earth is a free program you can download to view the earth via satellite photos. It's like an animated version of Google Maps (which uses a simple web browser). If you click the bottom most option in the left column, change your angle with the up arrow on the dial in the upper left part of the screen, then zoom in, it's truly amazing. It's like being able to fly over the terrain.

Download it at Google Earth.