BIO295 - Bird Survey at Three Locations in Thatcher, AZ on August 25, 2022

I participated in a survey with Dr. Cline, Nate, and Teancum in the which we looked for birds. We planned to survey the same locations when the river is less flooded to look for differences in where the birds were. We surveyed three locations, the locations of which can be viewed in the observations associated with this journal post. We were at each place for about 45 minutes.

The first location was at a group of three ponds at the golf course. We split up and I went around the middle pond. It was quite warm. I observed some birds. I also used the sound recognition in the Merlin Bird ID app, which said it heard Northern Cardinal, Bell's Vireo, Verdin, Barn Swallow, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Curve-billed Thrasher, Gambel's Quail, Abert's Towhee, and European Starling. I saw a raven in the distance, a Quiscalus mexicanus in the distance, many Calipepla gambelii in an area of creosotes and mesquites east of the pond, some doves, including one with white-edged wings, a bunny (which I realize isn't a bird but I'm putting it here anyway because I really like bunnies), a duck (maybe a female mallard), and a dove whose wing was darker on the distal side of a white band.

The second location was at the river by a bridge. I walked west on the south side of the river. It was so hot. Pretty much the only birds I heard were in a cottonwood south of the river. I saw a dove. On the way back I saw two beautiful small yellow birds with gray on the ends of their wings fly really fast through the Tamarixes. Merlin ID heard Blue Grosbeak, Yellow warbler (which is probably the kind I saw), Bell's Vireo, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Abert's Towhee, Downy Woodpecker, and Song Sparrow.

The third location was at Discovery Park, by the EAC greenhouse and ranarium. I went south of the parking lot. It was very hot. The only bird I heard was a chicken in the distance that sounded like it had just laid an egg. I heard a cicada and went to it and it was singing on a branch with a lighter colored cicada higher up on the branch than it. I moved some branches to get a picture but it flew away. :'( I then attempted to pick up the other cicada, but it also flew away. A few minutes later I found high up in a mesquite tree what I assume to be the same cicada that I had heard singing before, because I never heard more than one cicada singing at a time. I really like cicadas, and I'm glad their season isn't over yet, here in Thatcher at least. At the end of the 45 minutes I saw a hummingbird that looked like Selasphorus platycerius. At this location Merlin said it heard Abert's Towhee, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, and Lesser Goldfinch.

Afterward by the pond there was a really friendly brown duck. I held my hand out to it, and it came and bit it. It didn't really hurt, but it was fun! Then there was a mysterious sound that sounded like something really big, and Dr. Cline said it was a bullfrog. There were a whole bunch of fish in the pond, about 1.5 inch or less, and I want to go back and identify them.

Posted on September 2, 2022 07:02 AM by apistoriver