Puerto Peñasco - November 2006
Bird/Species Trip List
Five participants and Peg Abbott, guide

Birds
Common Loon – seen along rock reef while tide pooling, and also off the Malecon
Pied-billed Grebe – sewage ponds
Horned Grebe – one individual at close range spotted off Bird Islands
Eared Grebe – boat harbor and sewage ponds
Western Grebe – seen at several locations from the boat harbor to the Bird Islands
Clark’s Grebe – two seen well in the scope at the boat harbor
Red-billed Tropicbird – two seen well, flying in and out of the cliffs of the Bird Islands
Brown Pelican – abundant, great to watch fishing
Brown Booby – incredibly numerous on Bird Island (thousands) and also seen off the Las Conchas beach, on and around fishing boats, and on the rocks of the boat harbor
Blue-footed Booby – seen off the point at Cholla Bay, and at sea; absent at this time of year from the islands
Brandt’s Cormorant – present in small numbers on the Bird Islands
Double-crested Cormorant – boat harbor, the estuary and the islands
Brandt’s Cormorant – present in small numbers on the Bird Islands
Magnificent Frigatebird – John spotted the first off the Malecon, then seen off Cholla Bay and on the Bird Islands
Great Blue Heron – near Las Conchas beach, Estero Morua and Cholla Bay
Great Egret – same locations as Great Blue Heron
Snowy Egret – fairly common, especially on Las Conchas Beach
Little Blue Heron – a single bird, Cholla Bay
Green Heron – near Balboa’s Restaurant at the Old Port
Snow Goose – three seen flying over head as we parked to examine tide pools at Station Beach (near Playa Elegante). Great views and quite a surprise, listed as Casual on the checklist…
Mallard – Snyder Hill Ponds
Northern Pintail – nice male at Snyder Hill Ponds
Gadwall – Snyder Hill Ponds.
American Wigeon – Peñasco Sewage Ponds and Snyder Hill Ponds
Northern Shoveler – Peñasco Sewage Ponds, Cholla Bay and Snyder Hill Ponds
Blue-winged Teal – Peñasco Sewage Ponds and Snyder Hill Ponds
Green-winged Teal – Peñasco Sewage Ponds and Snyder Hill Ponds
Lesser Scaup – Snyder Hill Ponds
Ring-necked Duck – numerous at Snyder Hill Ponds
Canvasback – good numbers at Snyder Hill Ponds
Redhead – Snyder Hill Ponds
Bufflehead – several individuals, including a male still in bright plumage at Peñasco Sewage Ponds
Ruddy Duck – Peñasco Sewage Ponds and Snyder Hill Ponds
Turkey Vulture – seen daily
Northern Harrier – a male seen near Saguaro NP, female at sewage lagoons spotted by Rose Marie
Cooper’s Hawk – sewage ponds in Peñasco, Organ Pipe NP
Red-tailed Hawk – seen on most days, our count of 32 en route to Ajo was memorable!
Osprey – very common in Peñasco, seen daily
American Kestrel – route to Ajo and on the osprey platform near CEDO
Prairie Falcon – a bird just south of Sonoyta, perched and then flying gave us long looks and time to study it, another bird near Sells
Peregrine Falcon – seen flying like a missile through a large flock of gulls and shorebirds at Estero Morua
Gambel’s Quail – Ajo, Organ Pipe and Peñasco
Sora – John saw this bird scoot across an opening in the cattails at the Peñasco sewage ponds
American Coot – sewage ponds
Black-bellied Plover – all habitats of Peñasco, not huge numbers but highly regular
Snowy Plover – seen on all sand areas, numbers of 40 plus at Cholla Bay encouraging
Wilson’s Plover – great looks at Estero Morua and Cholla Bay
Semi-palmated Plover – rock reef and sand flats
Killdeer – sewage ponds
American Oystercatcher – beaches at Peñasco and Cholla Bay, Bird Islands
Black-necked Stilt – sewage ponds, a single bird
Willet – very common on beaches, estuary sands and the marsh grass at Cholla Bay
Spotted Sandpiper – sewage ponds, Cholla Bay at the point, Bird Islands
Whimbrel – seen in a mix of sand, marsh and rock habitats
Long-billed Curlew – most abundant at the estuary near the oyster farm, good numbers at Cholla Bay
Marbled Godwit – estuary near the oyster farm
Ruddy Turnstone – Cholla Bay, near the point, estuary
Black Turnstone – seen only on the Bird Islands this year
Surfbird – Sandy beach, near our hotel
Red Knot – estuary and sand flats near Cholla Bay
Sanderling – beaches
Semipalmated Sandpiper – small group in with other shorebirds at high tide roost at Cholla Bay
Least Sandpiper – good views at Cholla Bay
Western Sandpiper – good views at Cholla Bay, distant ones at Estero Morua
Pectoral Sandpiper – two birds in backwater pond Cholla Bay
Dunlin – very numerous at the estuary and Cholla Bay
Stilt Sandpiper – estuary, three individuals
Short-billed Dowitcher – most common of the two dowitchers, good numbers at Cholla Bay
Long-billed Dowitcher – sewage ponds, three individuals near cattails
Bonaparte’s Gull – noisy little flock out at Bird Island, a few individuals roosting at mouth of Estero Morua
Heerman’s Gull – abundant, often begging from the mouths of pelicans!
Ring-billed Gull – very common
California Gull – very common
Herring Gull – very common
Thayer’s Gull – one individual scoped from Oyster farm
Yellow-footed Gull – good numbers seen, in some areas the most common gull
Caspian Tern – a single bird seen, Estero Morua
Royal Tern – still present in good number, and at the islands
Forster’s Tern – common along edge of the rock reef
Rock Pigeon – very common in residential areas
Mourning Dove – common
Eurasian Collared Dove – not on the checklist in 2000, now very common in Peñasco
Inca Dove – streets of town, Peñasco
Greater Roadrunner – side of the highway, leaving Peñasco, another near Why
White-throated Swift – calling and flying above Arch Rock, Organ Pipe
Black-chinned Hummingbird – seen in garden of Guest House, and another in Peñasco, late season birds
Anna’s Hummingbird – one perched up on our walk in Ajo, quite a few in shrubs of residential areas in Peñasco
Costa’s Hummingbird – Ajo and Tucson
Gilded Flicker – first day, one quick flyover on road from Why to Tucson, scarce this year!
Northern Flicker – Organ Pipe and Tucson
Belted Kingfisher – boat harbor and Cholla Bay
Gila Woodpecker – very common, seen daily when around Saguaros
Ladder-backed Woodpecker – heard at trail head for Arch Canyon, Organ Pipe NP, also in Town Park in Ajo
Red-naped Sapsucker – Bud Walker Park and Kitt Peak
Acorn Woodpecker – Kitt Peak
Nuttall’s Woodpecker – Kitt Peak
Black Phoebe – wetlands and beach front areas
Say’s Phoebe – all locations
Vermilion Flycatcher – right at its spot in Bud Walker Park, Ajo
Western Kingbird – calling and flying over the van at Alamo Cyn, Organ Pipe
Loggerhead Shrike – Sonoyta and approaching Sells on phone wires
Cassin’s Vireo – Kitt Peak, one very loud individual
Hutton’s Vireo – several in mixed flock Kitt Peak
Western Scrub Jay – two flying across road low on Kitt Peak road, grassland transition to juniper area
Mexican Jay – good numbers on Kitt Peak, begging at our picnic
Common Raven – common seen daily
Tree Swallow – sewage lagoons
No. Rough-winged Swallow – sewage lagoons
Bridled Titmouse – Kitt Peak
Verdin – first bird of the trip at our Tucson hotel, then in Ajo and Organ Pipe, also residential Peñasco
Common Bushtit – small flock on Kitt Peak
Cactus Wren – all desert habitat, great views
Rock Wren – seen in desert canyons and around some buildings in Peñasco
Canyon Wren – heard in small canyon at Saguaro NP
Marsh Wren – spotted by patient Marlene at sewage ponds
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – one of the more common songbirds
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher – seen very well in Organ Pipe
American Robin – Bud Walker park
Western Bluebird – a single bird on Kitt Peak near Visitor’s Center
Hermit Thrush – two fairly dark birds, likely wintering Peñasco and Cholla Bay
Northern Mockingbird – fairly common seen daily
Curve-billed Thrasher – seen in all desert areas in good number, highly vocal
American Pipit – Peñasco Sewage Lagoons and Las Conchas rock reef area
Phainopepla – seen in plentiful numbers Organ Pipe
Cedar Waxwing – Organ Pipe, Peñasco residential area and Tucson
European Starling – Tucson
Orange-crowned Warbler – residential area of Peñasco
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Peñasco and Bud Walker Park, Snyder Hill Ponds, Peñasco Sewage Ponds
Northern Cardinal – spotted by Rose Marie at the Guest House Inn
Pyrrhuloxia – one individual near well on road from Why to Tucson
Canyon Towhee – Ajo and near a well on road from Why to Tucson
Spotted Towhee – Kitt Peak
Lark Sparrow – Cholla Bay, Snyder Hill Ponds
Black-throated Sparrow – several seen in desert vegetation
Sage Sparrow – scope views at Cholla Bay
Savannah Sparrow, large-billed race – great scope views Cholla Bay
Dark-eyed Junco – Kitt Peak
White-crowned Sparrow – our most regular sparrow, large numbers
Great-tailed Grackle – very common in towns and beach areas
House Finch – very common residential areas
Lesser Goldfinch – residential areas of Peñasco
House Sparrow – abundant residential areas

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