Tag Archives: Patagonia Lake State Park

On The Road, Photos-Birds

~Two birds from a camping trip to Patagonia Lake State Park, AZ

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I took these photos back in 01/2024 at Patagonia Lake State Park.  I don’t believe I have shared them.

I love Towhees. This Green-tailed Towhee is such a beautiful bird with its white throat, distinct rufous head to its olive green wings, back and tail. It’s one of the smallest Towhees with a huge personality.

They are very secretive, so when this one popped up on this rock I was thrilled. Like most Towhees you find them hidden under scrubs while scratching for food on the ground. They prefer shrubby habitats like sagebrush, mountain mahogany and mixed shrublands. They eat seeds, berries and insects.


This photo shows its rufous colored head.

The Pyrrhuloxia is a red and grayish bird that looks similar to the Northern Cardinal. Sometimes it is referred to as  the “desert cardinal”.  The Pyrrhuloxia has a beauty all its own with its red face, chest and tail. It prefers arid environments like deserts, mesquite thickets and scrublands. They like to eat seeds, fruit and insects. What a fun word to learn how to pronounce!

Pyrrhuloxia- male

Patagonia Lake State Park has a huge variety of birds and is a fun place to camp.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing these two colorful birds!

On The Road, Photos-Birds

~Arizona Birding Series – Say’s Phoebe

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December 2020 – Patagonia Lake State Park

Habitat

Say’s phoebe is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family. A common bird in the western United States, it prefers dry, desolate areas.

 

Behavior

Like other phoebes, Say’s Phoebes bob their tails. They perch on low shrubs or rocks and dart out to grab prey from the air, the foliage, or the ground. They can often be seen hovering low over fields looking for prey.

Diet

Say’s Phoebes’ primary diet is insects. They eat a number of terrestrial insects as well as the typical flying variety.

 

Fun Facts

  • The Say’s Phoebe breeds farther north than any other flycatcher, seemingly limited only by the lack of nest sites.

  • The numbers of this bird are declining, probably due to loss of habitat in its winter range. 😦

  • This bird was named for Thomas Say, the American naturalist.

  • A group of flycatchers has many collective nouns, including an “outfield”, “swatting”, “zapper”, and “zipper” of flycatchers.

I have a great time photographing the Say’s. It is amazing how close they let me get to them. I believe they are so focused on their prey they just ignore everything else.

Happy Birding