2017-06-17~20 Cottonwood Springs (Part 2)

Loggerhead Shrike

On my previous post I shared images of the players in the Rat Theater, but I also had some nice avian encounters during this expedition. Mockingbirds, Mourning Doves and House Finches were numerous at the water hole in the front yard of the house we’d been provided by the park services. We had Say’s Phoebes, Scott’s and Hooded Orioles making regular rounds. At a survey site not far away from where we stayed, were Ladder-Backed Woodpeckers, Ash-Throated Flycatchers, Black-Tailed Gnatcatchers, Verdin, Black-Throated Sparrows, and more orioles. In the early evening Lesser Nighthawks dipped and darted through the deserts surrounding the house.

Much of the best early morning light was lost due to my activities in the Rat Theater, so the bird images suffered in some cases. The oppressive heat we endured lasted well into the evenings and I used it as an excuse to curtail some of the afternoon opportunities, though I got some satisfactory late afternoon images of the Loggerhead Shrike and the Ladder-Backed Woodpecker.

Lori sent me the list of birds seen by her and Phil during their survey: Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Gambel’s Quail, Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Barn Owl, Long-eared Owl, Lesser Nighthawk, Costa’s Hummingbird, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Willow Flycatcher, Western Flycatcher, Say’s Phoebe, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, Loggerhead Shrike, Common Raven, Phainopepla, LeConte’s Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, Cactus Wren, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, Bewick’s Wren, Verdin, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, House Finch, Black-throated Sparrow, Black-chinned Sparrow, Hooded Oriole, Scott’s Oriole, Brown-headed Cowbird.

Some of the birds I met are displayed below: