Southern California - Arizona Trip ~ October 22, 2013

After constantly reading about the second largest invasion of Blue-footed Boobies in California, the only booby that I hadn't seen, I decided that I had to make the trip, especially given the great chance of finding one of the many birds that were reported. As expected, I got the usual looks and shook my head at the jokes when I told my co-workers that I was going to California to look for boobies. Other remote possibilities included a Plain-capped Starthroat and the possibility of getting much better looks at a Sinaloa Wren, both in Arizona.

I did the very early morning drive to the Philadelphia Airport, boarded a non-stop flight to Phoenix, and was on the road in the rental car by 10:30 AM. I started the 260-mile drive towards California's Salton Sea, taking I-10 west to Blythe, California and then heading southwest on Route 78. Greater White-fronted Goose, Northern Harrier, American Kestrel, Inca Dove, and Loggerhead Shrike were some of the birds seen along the highway. About 25 miles before reaching Brawley, I stopped to marvel at the Algodones Dunes, a huge area of sand about 10 miles wide, 30 miles long, and hundreds of feet high!

The Algodones Dunes east of Brawley, California. Route 78, the thin black strip in the left half of the photo, winds its way up and over the dunes.

The Algodones Dunes east of Brawley, California. For scale, note the white tractor-trailer coming down the road, just below the left center of the photo.

I arrived at the Salton Sea's Obsidian Butte at 3:30, scoped the rock where the birds liked to roost and found it empty. I was beginning to worry a little about being 'skunked' when I noticed the head of a booby appear just above the top of the rock. I grabbed my gear and walked the back edge of the shoreline until I had a clear view of the other side of the rock. There, I had an unobstructed view of eight Blue-footed Boobies! I spent the next three hours watching them and listening to their odd calls. The only downside was that the sun was in an unfavorable position for photos. Still, I managed to get a few 'keepers'.

Eight Blue-footed Boobies on a rock just offshore from Obsidian Butte at the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge near Calipatria​, California.

At one point, a Double-crested Cormorant flew in to claim 'King of the rock' and displaced one of the boobies. The bird made a wide circle and returned to the rock.

A Blue-footed Booby comes in for a landing on the rock to join the others.

As sunset neared, a ninth booby joined the others. Other birds noted there included Snow Goose, Eared Grebe, Brown Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Snowy Egret, American Coot, Black-bellied Plover, American Avocet, Willet, Least Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Heermann's and California Gull, and Caspian Tern.

Nine Blue-footed Boobies showing their dull blue-gray feet.

The Blue-footed Boobies on the rock at sunset. Amazingly, the Salton Sea is about 230 feet BELOW sea level.

A nice sunset put an exclamation point on a great day. At dusk, I headed south to El Centro, hopped on I-8 and headed east to a Motel 6 in Yuma, Arizona.

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Southern California - Arizona Trip ~ October 23, 2013

At sunrise, while taking my gear from the room to the car, I did a double-take as a Peregrine Falcon zoomed over the motel. I grabbed my camera and got a few shots of it as it was chasing the Rock Pigeons over the town. It then landed atop the motel sign where I was able to get a few more photos.

A Peregrine Falcon winging its way over Yuma, Arizona.

A Peregrine Falcon uses the motel sign as a lookout in Yuma, Arizona.

My plan was to drive the 300 miles to the Patons' yard in Patagonia and hope that the Plain-capped Starthroat might show up. It would be a long shot since the bird hadn't been seen in over a week, but it was my only other chance for a life bird within driving distance. I headed east on I-8, which crosses many miles of open desert with scattered stands of the tall Saguaro cactus.

A long, straight stretch of I-8 near Mohawk, Arizona.

At Casa Grande, I picked up I-10, worked my way through Tucson, and headed south on Highway 83.

A view of the Whetstone Mountains from Highway 83, north of Sonoita, Arizona.

I was surprised to see a Black Vulture circling over Patagonia. I arrived at the Patons' in the early afternoon to mainly watch the hummingbird feeders. Unfortunately, Anna's Hummingbird was the only species seen, but I really couldn't complain considering the looks I got at one of the males.

Anna's Hummingbird at the Patons' in Patagonia, Arizona.

Other birds found in and around the yard included Gambel's Quail, White-winged and Inca Dove, Ladder-backed and Gila Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, "Audubon's" Warbler, Lazuli Bunting, White-crowned Sparrow, and Lesser Goldfinch.

Inca Dove at the Patons' in Patagonia, Arizona.

Gila Woodpecker at the Patons' in Patagonia, Arizona.

Next, I headed to the Ash Canyon Bed and Breakfast, south of Sierra Vista. There, in addition to most of the birds seen at the Patons', I saw Magnificent Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Mexican Jay, Pyrrhuloxia, and 'Gray-headed' Junco.

Pyrrhuloxia at the Ash Canyon Bed and Breakfast near Sierra Vista, Arizona.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker at the Ash Canyon Bed and Breakfast near Sierra Vista, Arizona.

Since I still only own a 'dumb'phone, I made a call back home to a friend who was nice enough to check the latest internet rare bird reports for me. She told me that the Nutting's Flycatcher in western Arizona had been seen a few days before. That was good and bad news. The good news was that it provided another chance for a life bird. The bad news was that it was all the way at the other end of the state within an hour of where I had been the day before. I had planned to spend the next morning looking for the Sinaloa Wren that was being seen in lower Huachuca Canyon. I decided to stick with that plan and then drive the additional 350 miles over to Lake Havasu. I spent the night at the Motel 6 in Sierra Vista.

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Southern California - Arizona Trip ~ October 24, 2013

I drove into Fort Huachuca, checked in at the M.P. office, and headed up to the site where the Sinaloa Wren was hanging out. Unfortunately, I was only able to get a very brief glimpse of this skulker. Other birds found there included 'Red-shafted' Flicker, Black Phoebe, Cassin's Kingbird, Bridled Titmouse, Bewick's and Pacific Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Plumbeous Vireo, "Audubon's" and Townsend's Warbler, Painted Redstart, Hepatic Tanager, Lincoln's Sparrow, 'Gray-headed' Junco, and Lesser Goldfinch.

I left the canyon and started the 350-mile drive west to Lake Havasu. The stretch of I-10 west of Phoenix is another huge area of open desert.

The Big Horn Mountains along I-10 west of Tonopah, Arizona.

I took Route 72 and Highway 95 up to the Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge. I used the last hour of daylight to check out the Nutting's Flycatcher spot and found myself engulfed by mosquitoes. It wasn't as bad as the Everglades, but it was a close second. I left there and drove up to Lake Havasu City where I spent the night.

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Southern California - Arizona Trip ~ October 25-26, 2013

I headed up Planet Ranch Road and set up shop at the Nutting's Flycatcher spot. I spent several hours there, hoping that the bird would call, but it never did; and a Sharp-shinned Hawk circling over the area surely didn't help my chances. Although the flycatcher was a no-show, I did manage to see Gila Woodpecker, Gilded Flicker, Mexican Jay, Rock Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Crissal Thrasher, Phainopepla, Loggerhead Shrike, and Orange-crowned Warbler.

Planet Ranch Road in the Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge.

Phainopepla along Planet Ranch Road in the Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge.

After several hours of trying, I returned to Highway 95 and checked out the lake area of the refuge.

Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge at the southern end of Lake Havasu, Arizona.

Scoping the water revealed Double-crested Cormorant, Great Egret, Mallard, Canvasback, Redhead, Ruddy Duck, American Coot, and about 30 Clark's Grebes, the most I've ever seen in one place. Other birds spotted in the area included Anna's Hummingbird, Say's Phoebe, and Canyon Towhee.

Clark's Grebes in the Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge.

Along the way back to Phoenix, American Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, and Brewer's Blackbird were seen. I spent the night in Phoenix and flew back home early the next morning. The four days of birding and 1346 miles of driving yielded 86 species.

More photos can be found in my California Photo Album and my Arizona Photo Album.

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Southern California - Arizona Trip List

1) Greater White-fronted Goose
2) Snow Goose
3) Canada Goose
4) Mallard
5) Canvasback
6) Redhead
7) Ruddy Duck
8) Gambel's Quail
9) Eared Grebe
10) Clark's Grebe
11) Blue-footed Booby
12) Brown Pelican
13) Double-crested Cormorant
14) Snowy Egret
15) Great Egret
16) Great Blue Heron
17) Turkey Vulture
18) Black Vulture
19) Northern Harrier
20) Golden Eagle
21) Sharp-shinned Hawk
22) Red-tailed Hawk
23) American Kestrel
24) Peregrine Falcon
25) American Coot
26) Black-bellied Plover
27) American Avocet
28) Willet
29) Long-billed Curlew
30) Least Sandpiper
31) Long-billed Dowitcher
32) Heermann's Gull
33) Ring-billed Gull
34) California Gull
35) Herring Gull
36) Caspian Tern
37) Rock Pigeon
38) Mourning Dove
39) White-winged Dove
40) Inca Dove
41) Magnificent Hummingbird
42) Anna's Hummingbird
43) Acorn Woodpecker
44) Gila Woodpecker
45) Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker
46) Gilded Flicker
47) Ladder-backed Woodpecker
48) Black Phoebe
49) Say's Phoebe
50) Cassin's Kingbird
51) Loggerhead Shrike
52) Plumbeous Vireo
53) Mexican Jay
54) American Crow
55) Common Raven
56) Bridled Titmouse
57) White-breasted Nuthatch
58) Pacific Wren
59) Bewick's Wren
60) Rock Wren
61) Sinaloa Wren
62) Ruby-crowned Kinglet
63) Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
64) Eastern Bluebird
65) Crissal Thrasher
66) European Starling
67) Phainopepla
68) Orange-crowned Warbler
69) Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warbler
70) Townsend's Warbler
71) Painted Redstart
72) Hepatic Tanager
73) Canyon Towhee
74) Chipping Sparrow
75) Savannah Sparrow
76) Lincoln's Sparrow
77) Song Sparrow
78) White-crowned Sparrow
79) Dark-eyed (Gray-headed) Junco
80) Pyrrhuloxia
81) Lazuli Bunting
82) Great-tailed Grackle
83) Brewer's Blackbird
84) House Finch
85) Lesser Goldfinch
86) House Sparrow

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