Arizona
November 2012
 
Back in Arizona it was great to revisit Gilbert Water Ranch on the 5th of November. It’s just a few miles from where we are staying in Mesa. Here I was able to add a lifer with a Ruddy-ground Dove as well as a Greater Scaup for the year list.
November 11th we visited another favorite at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior, AZ where on a crisp morning a Cassin’s Vireo was “captured” adding to the year list.
On November 16th we made a quick stop at another good, close spot at Tempe Town Lake.
November 26th I met with some local birders at Fountain Hills Lake, AZ. There we got good looks at a number of nice birds including adding Hooded Mergansers to the year list.
Following the AZ List-Serve blog a Winter Wren was spotted close by at Honey Bee Point, Gilbert Water Ranch.  On the 29th of November it was a no brainer to slip over there to try and find this unusual bird for the area.  An hour waiting and almost ready to pack it in, it finally showed deep in the brambles before coming out to show itself with pride.
With this addition the year list stands at 388 with a month to go.
Black Phoebe
Anna's Hummingbird
Ring-necked Duck Adult and adolescent
Cassin's Vireo
Phainopepla
Red-naped Sapsucker
Brown Pelican
Western Grebe
Great-tailed Grackle
Ruddy Duck
Pied-Billed Grebe
Hooded Merganser Male and Females
Least Sandpiper
Great-tailed Grackle
Lesser Scaup
Winter Wren
Eared Grebe