Dead Horse Ranch SP 4.29.20 (Part 1)

- May 06, 2020

As an amateur birder... I've never really had the chance to witness the big boom of spring migration. It's a common thing that most birders want to witness. The bright yellow pop of warblers, the return of breeders, and the goodbye to wintering birds. Well, this is why I decided to head to one of my favorite spots, Dead Horse Ranch State Park. It's not to far from the heart of Arizona, it's about an hour and a half drive from where I live. It's located in Cottonwood, here's the address for any of you wondering: 675 Dead Horse Ranch Rd, Cottonwood, AZ 86326. Anyways this place is special. Why, because it incorporates access to the Verde River. And if you're an arizona birder, you know what that means. The Verde River itself is one of the few remaining rivers in Arizona that has natural willows and riparian areas surrounding it, which means birds galore. In spring migration, it is common to have a 10 warbler day. Lucy's warbler, Wilson's warbler, yellow warbler, yellowthroat, yellow-rumped, and many more. Now that I gave you the backstory, here's my story. I will probably not have enough space to write out the whole trip in this post so expect a part two and three on the lagoons, feeders, and surrounding campsites. I started my day bright and early near the verde river greenway. At first is seemed like a slow day... but things were about to change... rapidly. There were a few SONG SPARROWS pouring their hearts out near the river, but that wasn't what I was looking for. A few more steps led me to a pair of SUMMER TANAGERS, these guys are suited with a bright red body and the females aren't too shabby themselves, with their golden yellow coloration. I headed more on that trail and saw some quick movement in the willow beside me. There was a flock of these cute little YELLOW WARBLERS peering around for insects. They were a little bit easier to spot because those things sure are bright. Anyways as I looked up in the surrounding willow, I saw a little warbler or finch, or I don't even know what it was. I quickly took a few shots hoping it would provide me with something. I didn't pay much attention as I didn't get a good look at the bird. (I'll get back to that bird at the end.) As I walked near the river I was keeping my eyes out for anything pretty much. Any bird would be great. I saw some more tanagers and some more yellow warblers, but out of the blue, a yellow flash flew past me. Now, I thought it was a yellow warbler but it just couldn't be, this guy was bigger than those teeny tiny warblers. As I got a look at it, it was not one but two YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS. Another lifer for me. Not only was it a new bird, but they were cooperative and allowed me to snap a few shots that weren't as bad as the others. More and more on the trail allowed me some looks at a few NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS that were nesting at the nearby cliffs. Some BULLOCK'S ORIOLES were nesting as well up high in the willow trees (which didn't allow me to get good pictures.) I stopped by the river once more and saw a lone LESSER GOLDFINCH bathing with a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER in a nearby shallow puddle. But then, out popped a bird. All I saw was a bobbing tail as I was firing away shots because this bird was just a bit odd. Now, migration can get birds a little out of there path, as seen with this fellow. Bobbing tail + Brown streaking as if it was a thrush, can only point to one thing... a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH. These guys are common on the east coast but they're normal range doesn't get past eastern New Mexico. So this guy was a rarity.. it was actually never even seen at the location so that just makes him even more special. Now on that mystery bird from the beginning... it turned out to be a Wilson's Warbler, so that was a splendid surprise. Anyways from there I headed back to the parking lot so I can take another trail to lead me to the seed and nectar feeders. Check out part two to continue the journey.

Wilson's Warbler