Verdin

Verdin, Phoenix, AZ;12/25/2009

On an early Christmas morning in Phoenix, a couple of years ago, I was walking back from the neighborhood golf course in Phoenix, a place where I go to check out lots of great water birds in the water hazards, I saw a flock of small birds scatter from the ground and hide into a small tree along the sidewalk. I wasn't sure what they were, so I waited patiently for a few minutes to see if they would eventually show themselves, which they did. One came out from the thick branches and landed on an open branch and stayed put long enough for me to get a couple of good pictures (Above). I still wasn't sure what it was, but knew it waasn't a usual bird that I would see back home in Rockford, IL.

Verdin, Phoenix, AZ;12/25/2009

After reviewing the images on my memory stick later in the day, I had to look up this little guy, which turned out to be a Verdin (Above). Verdins are fairly common in the southwest (Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and into Mexico. They can be usually found in brushy habitats. They are a small (4 1/2" long) gray bird, lighter underneath with a yellow head and a small red wing patch. They are similar to chickadees and bushtits.