Jeanne's Birthday

Last Sunday was Jeanne's birthday and in order celebrate, we got in the Durango, and headed out to the back country. We like to drive the in-mapped-small little roads...the Road Less Traveled so to speak. About 30 miles from here is a small little town called San Pedro. We left the main highway and headed northeast out thru the desert. We had about an inch of rain the day before, so things were any where from a bit damp..to full on deep, sucking muddy! Nothing like being 40+ miles from the nearest anything and driving thru huge bogs of mud and water....It just can't get any more fun than that!!

It is always fun to see new country, new bird areas, and just get away from town for a day. We got to see some wide open desert areas, some thick brushy areas, and some very nicely maintained agricultural areas..

Here are a few of the birds we did manage to see, even there were very few stops to shoot photos.

I just love the angle on this American Kestrel.

There was a little bit of a house and yard sort of clawed out of the desert brush, and it seemed to be a real magnet for the local birds. Black-headed Grosbeaks, Northern Cardinals, Northern Mockingbirds, three different sparrows, House

Finches, Gila Woodpeckers and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers. White-winged Doves as well as Common Ground Doves all were flying and pecking their way around the yard.

This female Northern Cardinal was caught sitting on the improvised fence.

A little father out into the desert, we ran across three Harris Hawks. This is a unique bird that they are one of the few Bird of Prey that will hunt cooperatively!

Then when we were in the agricultural areas, there were a lot of the migratory Mourning Doves. They spent the winter here, and then will start heading back north pretty soon.