Field Trips 2011-12
2011-12 Christmas Bird Count Schedule
Car Pooling: Please make every effort to organize your own carpool; consolidate vehicles at meeting places and/or contact leaders for car pooling assistance. It is recommended that passengers reimburse drivers 10 cents per mile.Be courteous to the trip leader and help cover their gas costs.
Limit: Maximum number of participants per field trip. Please call early to make your reservations. Difficulty Levels 1 through 5: 1 equals very low level of exertion, short walking distance, considerable birding from vehicle and possible multiple birding stops. 5 equals very high level of difficulty with respect to exertion. Longer hiking distances are expected with possible steep trails. Trips are level 1 unless noted otherwise.
Reminders:
Be courteous to the trip leader and help cover their gas costs.
Wear neutral colored clothing and sturdy walking shoes.
Bring sunscreen, sunglasses, head protection and water.
Avoid wearing bright colors.
Always bring your binoculars. Bring a scope if recommended.
Be quiet so others can bird by ear.
Unless stated otherwise, reservations are required.
*Day Passes Required for National Forests. Many favorite spots in our National Forests now require Day Use Passes. You are responsible to acquire a day pass ($6) in advance of field trips with an asterisk (*). Passes are available by phone or mail, at FS district and ranger offices, Big 5, some Circle K’s, the Shell station at Tom Darlington and Cave Creek Road and elsewhere. Visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/tp/where.shtml for more information.
NEW!!
Michael Plagens, field trip coordinator, has initiated a Facebook Page. Members will be able to share information about upcoming field trips or to arrange their own trips and share them with other members.
Saturday, December 3
Chandler Veterans Oasis Park. NE corner of Chandler Heights and Lindsay Rds. Meet 8 AM at the Red Tailed Hawk Ramada just east of the Environmental Education Center. The main birds here are waders, ducks and other pond lovers. Bring water; a scope can be helpful. Difficulty level: 1-2 (slight slopes in a couple spots). No reservations required.
Leader: Myron Scott at (480) 968-2179 or gaia_3@netzero.net
Saturday, December 10
Northsight Park, Scottsdale. An OVENBIRD was found at this small park in late Sept., 2011. Could this be a migrant trap? We will begin a birding trip from this north Scottsdale location visiting other nearby areas as time permits. We’ll see many common urban and desert birds and might just find some rarities. The leader will carefully point out and describe the important identifying characteristics of the birds making this an excellent choice for novices. Begin 7:00 AM and finish before 11:00 AM. Limit 12. Reservations required. Difficulty 1
Leader: Brian Ison (info & reservations w/Mike, mjplagens@arizonensis.org /602-459-5224).
2012
Sun, Jan 8
Tres Rios area or the Glendale Recharge Ponds. We’ll start about 6:45 from the East Side, and head to either the Tres Rios area or the Glendale Recharge Ponds, depending on the then current site conditions and birds. While this trip focuses on water birds, there are usually some lovely surprises with raptors and passerines. We’ll wrap up by noon back on the East Side. Limit 8. Reservations required. Difficulty 1. Meeting place and carpooling logistics will be determined a few days before the trip.Leader: Kathe Anderson (Info & reservations: kathe.coot@cox.net)
Sunday, Jan. 15
Gilbert Water Ranch. This water treatment facility attracts wintering water-fowl, shorebirds and resident and wintering passerines. Limit 10. Reservations required. Difficulty 1
Leader: Cindy West (info & reservations w/Mike, mjplagens@arizonensis.org /602-459-5224).
Saturday, January. 21
Rio Salado. Meet at 8:00 AM by the front doors of the Pulliam Audubon Center, 3131 S. Central, Phoenix (southeast side of Central Bridge over Salt River). We'll bird both banks of the Central Avenue section of Rio Salado, check the ponds and river to 7th Ave. and possibly drive to any other sections of note. Target end time: 10:30 A.M.. Difficulty: 1-2: Easy with a couple of gradual slopes. Closed toed shoes recommended, water and sun protection. No reservations.
Leader: Myron Scott at (480) 968-2179 or gaia_3@netzero.net
Sunday, Jan 22
Chandler Veterans Oasis Park Walk With A Naturalist. The habitats at Veterans Oasis Park are a haven for a variety of wildlife. Enjoy a guided walk that explores the plants and animals of the park’s desert and wetland habitats. Bring water, wear good walking shoes, a hat, and bring close-focus binoculars if you have them. The walks are not fast-paced and the terrain is easy. There is a suggested $5 donation to the Chandler Environmental Education Center.Veterans Oasis Park is on the northeast corner of Lindsay and Chandler Heights Rds. 9 to 11 am starting at the Red-Tailed Hawk Pavilion.
Leader: Laurie Nessel at (480) 968-5614 or laurienessel@gmail.com
Saturday, February 4
Santa Cruz Flats. This Pinal County agricultural land is the winter home to numerous raptors, including Prairie Falcons, Ferruginous Hawks and, occasionally, Golden Eagles and Caracaras. Its irrigated sod farms sometimes have Mountain Plovers and American Pipits, and the hedgerows often produce Lark Buntings and many wintering sparrow species. Bring a spotting scope, if you have one. Limit 8. Reservations required. Difficulty 1.
Leader: Mark Larson at (480) 474-4439 or larsonwarren@gmail.com
Monday, Feb 6
Fountain Hills Lake and Box Bar Ranch. We’ll start about 7:15 in Fountain Hills, check the water birds at the lake, then head to Box Bar Ranch along the Rio Verde with the hope of seeing nesting bald eagles and a variety of desert species. We’ll wrap up about noon in Fountain Hills. Limit 8. Reservations required. Difficulty 1-2. Meeting place and carpooling logistics will be determined a few days before the trip.Leader: Kathe Anderson (Iinfo & reservations: kathe.coot@cox.net)
Saturday, February 18
Buckeye Thrasher Site. Meet 6:30-6:50 A.M. at the Waffle House, 820 N. Dysart Rd., Goodyear (just south of I-10 Exit 129). (Come earlier if you want breakfast, because we will leave for the site promptly at 6:50 AM. Car pool to the site on west side of Baseline Rd. and Salome Hwy. (or join us at the site at approximately 7:15 A.M.): I-10 Exit 112 south 3.5 mi. on SR 85, then west on Baseline (at "Fertizona" tanks) 8.5 mi. Possible species include singing LeConte's and four other thrashers, sage sparrows and raptors. No reservations.
Leader: Myron Scott at (480) 968-2179 or gaia_3@netzero.net
Saturday, February 25
Lower Salt River. Join us for our long-standing and reputable ten-mile drive (with stops) along the Salt River between Granite Reef Dam and Saguaro Lake. This is traditionally a favorite field trip area with sightings of waterfowl like Ruddy Duck, Common Gallinule, and Bufflehead; and raptors, including Bald Eagle, Osprey, and Northern Harrier. Land birds commonly seen are Vermillion Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrike, Phainopepla, and Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. A day’s list of 50 or more species is customary. Parking lots require the Tonto National Forest day-use pass; advance purchase is recommended. Bring a lunch and a scope if available. We will meet at 7:00 AM in the Walgreen’s parking lot on the southeast corner of McKellips and Power Roads. Limit 15. Difficulty 1. Reservations required.
Leader: Richard Kaiser at (602) 276-3312 or Rkaiserinaz@aol.com
Sunday, Feb. 26
Chandler Veterans Oasis Park Walk With A Naturalist. The habitats at Veterans Oasis Park are a haven for a variety of wildlife. Enjoy a guided walk that explores the plants and animals of the park’s desert and wetland habitats. Bring water, wear good walking shoes, a hat, and bring close-focus binoculars if you have them. The walks are not fast-paced and the terrain is easy. There is a suggested $5 donation to the Chandler Environmental Education Center. Veterans Oasis Park is on the northeast corner of Lindsay and Chandler Heights Rds. 9 to 11 am starting at the Red-Tailed Hawk Pavilion.
Leader: Laurie Nessel at (480) 968-5614 or laurienessel@gmail.com
Wednesday, February 29
Pinal Creek and Haunted Canyon. There’s an extra day in 2012 so why not use it to go birding? This rather hidden location is accessed through a vast mining area west of Miami, Arizona. Rare bird sightings are possible or we may just encounter a lot of solitude in this eastern extension of the Superstition Mountains. Meet 6:00 AM for carpooling. Wear sturdy shoes and bring a light lunch. Finish by 3:00 PM. Contact the leader for additional information and reservations. Difficulty 2Leader: Mike Plagens mjplagens@arizonensis.org or 602-459-5224
FIELD TRIP REPORTS
Saturday, Aug 6th , 2011 by Michael Plagens
A handful of Audubon members ascended Mt. Ord in eastern Maricopa County to look for montane bird species that are rare through most of the rest of the county. The monsoon season had been very dispersed up until this date and we found conditions on the mountain mostly dry. Birds were very silent, apparently hanging low until and if the summer rains kicked in. Nonetheless we turned up several of the sought after species including Grace’s Warbler, Painted Redstart, Pygmy Nuthatch, and Greater Pewee. We also reveled in pleasantly cool temperatures amid the pines and firs and almost no one else around. Clem Titzck, past Maricopa Audubon president, hiked the full mile from the gate up to the fire tower, a clear demonstration that bird watching can be a rewarding part of a healthy life style!
Field Trip Chair Mike Plagens mjplagens@arizonensis.org