![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMNG0MnMdJ_d_IgIcSTUWTIS1B0QPDmga1D3Rj08skeL0zcZj8041KzyQUn8QdAG3KxODqHsrGsTSdl0_Clp2-5XoBRue2-TQC7dV3kkgj2yCez9yxmH-L47XRcXiJ8Ht83wa7d7F-jo/s280/San-Pedro-River-NCA%252C-AZ%252C-12.jpg) |
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 .
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXrxDBUXO26Z1_AcicnZ-hlUtfGmbUkivHwum590MY0xvJrC3gez_xgrtyn6EgrLsykL1kSOYeNTy4ONNuOkkZhYSZk0_mcGvpq-FnetfiG9S3HNbwiI6d87TAgCdlN7NWA0VipkFLAc/s280/Pyrrhuloxia%252C-Hs-Finch%252C-F-RW.jpg) |
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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCpZ0EksdeWp5wd1GVqS3H_iac-O3mfHG9jxHV8T0Js5fGK1mI0afgOR08BPy3gN_vD5ACcNLRQlwXLYQJKqcvtS8cSD6HXEGafNWjWBZ9ASJsl4MrF_GYpU-qnxEuHN3tmPDl7doMdQ/s280/Black-Phoebe%252C-San-Pedro-Riv.jpg) |
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:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6CI-YKMRACZdSPWvWJoOV0dFAah_EzDd6QyFVJm9QHkVMzPRp-eUW8_ZKeSxSIG4gtNHVlpm2pDyHda1fBwjm3b2W6henSy05lUx27wdX_bDHmZRlJkjhqNW-8Gp0nqd2Ytftcmc4Xw/s280/Inca-Dove%252C-San-Pedro-RNCA%252C-.jpg) |
An Inca Dove taking a nap in a tree, San padro Riparian NCA, AZ; 12/20/2011. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bsyQ3AmudwwMLke1R3oi8rPBVyF-45VmVxQGXXsl2AYinnoYfCRA37a95Aygp9aOYJhsCGBXyW9p5hluxyhHryrJCAUCKgw7vRFYqR2FPpydOoEyarFZH1UgV4nOo1meZCYn9T1MPIU/s400/House-Finch%252C-San-Pedro-RipN.jpg) |
A House Finch |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSKYIFpBVj58VinPguJrvFmabl04KSL57CWfYMF7JN_FUoEBgutBSueZiTaTczHltVwuTU8T-knlfiscWBst5kssOdqt8c19ul0gcz4fZteGxo-xMnplpkviQpUDPntg-1lnC8LYp1nw/s280/Lesser-Goldfinch%252C-female%252C-S.jpg) |
A female Lesser Goldfinch (Male in the background) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYDCzx-NNZXnSwuSK62BT2DiXFje04F05jqSmbiTtc6mEfIxwORzjeyDD_qHy9yGoA2ieUxiygXlyPw2ta9YoPiaUufz2sxKmp4BC6bL1P5tHddkncqDvDOU2yZY160yQ2VCGT4nMo5A/s280/RedtailedHawk%252C-San-Pedro-Ri.jpg) |
This Red-tailed Hawk sat in a tree above the Visitor's center for quite some time ... |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JyAvgW80aEZkGNR4r_Kvyg7LS2U4r0Q8EqZw3LR6Bnmkh5sPI4Zt545BfWO-zf4QUFcjEliwIfIrKiVdR5wMWCnaC1dR_qrtQECyoQ_sW98S37gcQD_BwcCMNPS_3BdDHfrN1QZ7lck/s280/Red-tailed-Hawk%252C-San-Pedro-.jpg) |
... then took off and flew directly at me. I hardly had time to get it in focus before it flew over and past me. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYOCx-5q_mLpwzQL7UEeNPnXRERfW4dciitBcRmrm7Hwa4_JxsrUKVOv_h3nt6gVMfgQ4qGLYfVCrhG7c2dVDjE_NpEhy35aaiRiqMBNbXzy3aEH3yI-jPrqyNK2DonZgfc9RF-0SSr0/s280/Ruby-crowned-Kinglet%252C-San-P.jpg) |
A Ruby-crowned Kinglet, which wouldn't get into the clear, but at least I was able to get its "ruby" crown. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5u_gMCyP9fXo1ARit5ue8Qzkeznedc9HSgZIx0mnRc9-1_4cN7x2va1mrr5HjEJec_YNKXHGnxo-QReBdW5v4ojE523CY4yTV6FT_uohtyFEXJKGoOLxCiMkbk3elkocAN-TlqBSYKc/s280/RW-Blackbird%252C-female%252C-San-P.jpg) |
There were many female Red-winged Blackbirds on the premises, but no males were seen. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7VKwaApxGVvcTgOahDk2hbxSvJybRujq8ilq-HQBVClSdWqPjXye5lHZPTBW6RSrGCITZ-gGQQI9O_F2R_-hqd8UfLLpLOISeg_i0zUfSB_0jszZHHf8dyCukb93DWktyZEKOK4J0mk/s280/Says-Phoebe%252C-San-Pedro-Riv-.jpg) |
A Says Phoebe. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrQB-zmeYmjLkJz7N2o-ZSbfXeZBK6rbvwWtg-NdlHLFaN4D7gkKriRcV65WUERwsCPuIJshOXUGZ6_ht1qsjH88BnIh7jOEXfOXcpzvqr9ramalqz_1FPtcx2qVAoZHhSsmu5FHIXAo/s280/Song-Sparrow%252CSan-Pedro-Rive.jpg) |
A Song Sparrow. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4FStnLhGcNArMOATMPx3jaOxqxkFPqHZ_fAO08z7nwyEXQCoGoVVcZBxZuT6ArGGTRup3d3u4OmRcXFCxc8S6UGJjNmvuxuAVGRjTZCC-w59uS5NfT_4iZymC0S31dNjfvjyzEb33vY/s280/Vesper-Sparrow%252C-San-Pedro-R.jpg) |
Vesper Sparrow. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4MDSAwH3fEIsNeOuKjICl5WY8MTDVgt7sYayFlHX0l-qc5mGbI5Kc67UTT2eBtDQkqudyXHvcF2sZYpT-nFgA7NQI8E5xT_g-o6ewHrSfsNKLqZnsa_eoeEg8Ij7FTcY4u5WqQL4Oq8/s280/White-crowned-Sparrow%252C-juv.jpg) |
A juvenile White-crowned Sparrow. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2J9LYDW2hzRdljW2rzSaiv7qk0JWevf3rpQEHRiD4Z2PhyphenhyphenrQ0LVIGcVFQgpUfVahRff2iifpKDKyXJyTt5rOP7b-hiS27TgjzE_MGnHn6J6BDraC8Sqn8nDPDKz9A0KASGOW45OzNlFI/s280/White-crowned-Sparrows%252C-San.jpg) |
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.
Great post. And perfect for me as my son and his family just left Colorado for Mesa. I'll be bringin my binocs down there... that's for sure.
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