Whitewater draw with Sheri Williamson and BwBTC

Howdee all,

Friday March 12, a few early arrivals for the Birders who Blog, Tweet and Chirp get together, were invited by Sheri Williamson to join her for a morning of birding at Whitewater draw.

If any of you have ever birded with Sheri, you know her knowledge of birds, and enthusiasm is outstanding. She is a wealth of information, a truly amazing person and birder.

She leads birding groups and walks via Sabo (Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory)

If you need a guide while in Arizona, we all highly recommend her!

Her husband Tom Woods is also excellent.

Thanks so much Sheri!

We all enjoyed birding with you!

Below is Sheris entry to AZ/NM listserve

Date:         Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:50:53 -0700
Reply-To:     Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory   Subject:SE AZ: Whitewater Wetlands Walk
Greetings, neighbors,

Seven birders, including five fellow members of the Facebook group Birders who
Blog, Tweet and Chirp, joined me at Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area this lovely
morning for SABO's regular Friday walk. Highlights included:

* a ROCK WREN in its usual spot around the old corral south of the barn
* CRISSAL, BENDIRE'S, and CURVE-BILLED THRASHERS
* TREE, CLIFF, NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED, and BANK SWALLOWS (but only one or two of
each - need a few more to make a summer, I think)
* a flyover by three male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS
* the pair of GREAT HORNED OWLS in the barn, the female on her nest
* a cheeky pair of HOUSE FINCHES harassing the male Great Horned Owl
* an adult GOLDEN EAGLE soaring over the west side of the lake
* 15 species of waterfowl, including the drake GREATER SCAUP, flock of 180+ SNOW
and ROSS'S GEESE, and a pair of BLUE-WINGED TEAL
* AMERICAN AVOCETS in full breeding plumage
* close views of SORA and VIRGINIA RAIL
* several handsome but furtive WILSON'S SNIPE
* the continuing GREAT EGRET eating small (nonnative) catfish
* howling COYOTES
* close to a thousand SANDHILL CRANES.

Our final tally was 62 species. No sign of last week's adult Bald Eagle and not
quite as much rail activity as in recent weeks, but the weather was so perfect
and the company so enjoyable that we didn't want the morning to end. Thanks to
my companions for their enthusiasm, spotting skills, and teamwork.

Hope to see some of you at the Tucson Festival of Books this weekend.

Good birding,

Sheri Williamson
Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory
Bisbee, Arizona
http://www.sabo.org

We started off our morning looking for Thrashers….Jeff and I saw for the first time a BENDIRE'S thrasher!

Many of our New Mexican birders were racking up the Lifers.

  Then onto the water

One of my favorites..this little cutie Pied billed grebe Great Blue Heron, Northern pintail Lots of ducks, Great Egret Great Egret having breakfast Snow and Ross Geese Coot and Greater Yellowlegs Sandhill Cranes coming in

check out the Sandhill Crane videos…and behind the scenes talking..

 

We had a fantastic morning, and almost forgot about eating lunch.

Luckily, there were picnic tables at Whitewater, and we had our lunch there, underneath the nesting Great horned owl.

I was whining about missing my morning coffee…so, everyone obliged and let me fuel up at the Starbucks outside of Bisbee.

We then headed to Mary Jo’s, Ash Canyon B&B

For some restful armchair birding Mexican Jay and what bird is flying in the background?

Yellow-rumped warbler..aka butterbutt, for the little tab of butter yellow in its behind.

Rufous hummingbird Annas hummingbird

This fella likes seed too..Mexican jayOne of Mary Jo’s Gray Parrots, who joined us for some birding.We had a great day of birding… 

That evening Linda had BBQ everything for us..and my all time favorite German Chocolate Cake! Thanks Linda!

A perfect way to end the day..

More posts about our weekend to come…