Winter Birding in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, AZ

A flock of birds fly along this beautiful vista from the San Pedro River Trail in the San Pedro Riparian NCA, AZ; 12/20/2011.

One of my favorite places I visited in my week in Arizona last December was the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (Above). A link to a website from the Bureau of Land Management dedicated to this area is  http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/blm_special_areas/ncarea/sprnca.html .

A feeder serving its purpose, San Pedro Riparian NCA, AZ; 12/20/2011.

Upon pulling up in the San Pedro Riparian NCA parking lot, the first thing I noticed were several bird feeders outside the small visitor's center. The feeders (Above) were packed full with White-crowned Sparrows, female Red-winged Blackbirds, House Finches, Lesser Goldfinches, and Pyrrhuloxias.

A Black Phoebe, one of the many birds I saw in the San Pedro Riparian NCA; AZ, 12-20-11

During my visit to this magnificent Natural Area I saw more than 30 different tyopes of birds including: Pyrrhuloxias, American Goldfinches, Lesser Goldfinches, House Finches, Common Ravens, Northern Red-Shafted Flickers, Acorn Woodpeckers, Ladder-backed Woodpecker (unconfirmed), Gila Woodpeckers, Black Phoebe, Says Phoebe (I also was sure that I saw an Eastern Phoebe, although they would be uncommon in this part of the country), Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Red-tailed Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Red-winged Blackbird (female only), Curved-billed Thrasher, Inca Dove, Green-tailed Towhee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Lazuli Bunting, Yellow-rumped Audubon's Warbler, Mallard Ducks, and many sparrows (Clay-colored, Song, Chipping, Baird's, Brewer's, Savannah, Vesper, White-crowned, and probably others I couldn't ID).
Some of my photos below:

An Inca Dove taking a nap in a tree, San padro Riparian NCA, AZ; 12/20/2011.

A House Finch

A female Lesser Goldfinch (Male in the background)

This Red-tailed Hawk sat in a tree above the Visitor's center for quite some time ...

... then took off and flew directly at me. I hardly had time to get it in focus before it flew over and past me.

A Ruby-crowned Kinglet, which wouldn't get into the clear, but at least I was able to get its "ruby" crown.

There were many female Red-winged Blackbirds on the premises, but no males were seen.

A Says Phoebe.

A Song Sparrow.

Vesper Sparrow.

A juvenile White-crowned Sparrow.

Adult White-crowned Sparrows.

Tomorrow I will feature more photos of the Pyrrhuloxia , and next weekend the Curved-billed Thrasher and the difference between Brewer's amd Clay-colored Sparrows.