Satellite Road

With generally great success, my trip from Mass, to South Carolina, through THE South, around SE Arizona and up to the Bay Area has come to an end. 

Though this may be the worst time of year to bird the renown Southeast Arizona, it was an amazing trip for me, as it was my first time in the area, giving me a couple dozen new birds (*=life bird) for my viewing pleasure.

My first stop was along Satellite Road, which is the border of New Mexico and Arizona, where my first sighting was a Loggerhead Shrike repeatedly stalking and flushing a large flock of Lark Buntings*. 

Loggerhead Shrike


Lark Buntings







The road was teeming with White-crowned, Brewer's, Vesper, and Black-throated Sparrows, and I found my first Cactus Wrens*, Canyon Towhees*, and Curve-billed Thrashers* there as well.

Black-throated Sparrow


Cactus Wren


Western Meadowlark

Sage

Amanda and I made an afternoon trip over to the Honey Lake Wildlife Area in order to get a peak at some birds we will likely not encounter for most of the summer, as it is sage brush country. Western Meadowlarks were everywhere and the small ponds we found were full of very skittish ducks.





My first (150 or so) White-faced Ibises


Killdeer were kicking around all over the place, nervously bobbing all the way


Loggerhead Shrike, thankfully a safe distance from my hands