Reprinted by permission of the Tucson Audubon Society
Winter birding is in a holding pattern at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds, with the same notable birds being seen regularly. A flock of Inca Doves shows up at the brush piles at some point each day, sometimes accompanied by a Common Ground-Dove. A female Pyrrhuloxia and a male Lazuli Bunting are being seen daily, most often at the hanging seed feeder in the front yard.
Inca Dove by Frank Retes
Some birders have been able to see three sapsucker species in a day by lucking into the Yellow-bellied that’s been seen off and on in the Cuckoo Corridor, finding the cooperative male Williamson’s that’s been attached to the large pine tree between the two buildings across from the Stage Stop Inn, and rounding up a Red-naped Sapsucker somewhere.
Williamson’s Sapsucker by Alan Schmierer
A juvenile Cooper’s Hawk has been hunting the yard pretty regularly, sometimes landing on or even diving into the brush piles as it hones its hunting skills. Its attempt at chasing an Arizona Gray Squirrel around the yard did not prove successful.
Anna’s Hummingbird males have begun singing and even engaging in courtship displays. Violet-crowned Hummingbirds are often seen chasing the Anna’s Hummingbirds around and standing guard near their favorite feeder for the day. Broad-billed Hummingbirds remain scarce though both adult and immature males have been seen during the last week.
Violet-crowned Hummingbird by Matthew Studebaker