Dead Horse Ranch SP 4.29.20 (Part 3)

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Well, this is the final part of my recent trip to Dead Horse Ranch SP. Thank you to all of you who has stuck through every post and here's the final one. This is where I conclude my trip with the lagoons and the surrounding campsites and desert area. Be sure to check out the map and the end of this post for any information and help regarding trails and parking. As I finished off the Canopy Trail, I headed towards the front entrance to check out the pine grove nearby the booth. Nothing much.... what was very cool were two lifers. I saw a pair of BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHERS and a pair of WESTERN TANAGERS. These tanagers are famously beautiful... its as if they have a western sunset painted on them, with stunning red, orange, and golden yellow feathers. I birded there for a bit and headed towards the lagoons, but I just had to stop by Raven Loop campground. Near the host's feeders I saw a few COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRDS, LESSER GOLDFINCHES, ASH-THROATED FLYCTACHERS, and another lifer... the LARK SPARROW. There was a flock of these guys foraging for seeds around the campground. Now I know you might be thinking how in the world am I seeing so many lifers... well to explain that, that's because I haven't really 'birded' until 2020 when I got my first camera... so that's why. Putting that aside, I headed to the lagoons. I stopped by the first lagoon and played a common yellowthroat call to recall how they sound. Somehow as if it was pure luck, because I haven't seen the yellowthroat the whole day, out popped an angry male COMMON YELLOWTHROAT out of the nearby cattail marsh. He was furious, I mean who would be intruding into his territory. I snapped a few shots as he was quickly flitting around. But I couldn't travel far as a few RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS were showing off their plumage and .... I spotted a distracting male VERMILLION FLYCATCHER. It flew nearby on a bush and I got my first shots of it with my camera... and they are actually better then I expected. Not only did I capture the male but the nearby female of the pair popped out as well so she had her picture taken as well, and as I was looking away another YELLOW WARBLER flew into the same tree. I also took a few shots of a glistening GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE, these guys are common but beautiful in their own way. Anways, I didn't have much time there as I had other things to do at home, so I only got to partially bird at the first lagoon (there are three lagoons.) In the end, I must say I had a great time at the state park, in total I saw 12 lifers so that basically explains why I'm so stoked. Thanks for reading everything and be sure to check out the other parts if you haven't already. Here's my checklist from the day: eBird Checklist 4.29.20


Vermillion Flycatcher




Common Yellowthroat


Western Tanager


Brown-Crested Flycatcher


Costa's Hummingbird

Lark Sparrow

Great-Tailed Grackle

Red-Winged Blackbird

Yellow Warbler

and here's the map of the whole state park, I reccomend birding along the campgrounds, feeders at the Canopy Trail, Verde River Greenway, and pretty much everywhere as it is diverse and rich in wildlife


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