Birding in Ajo

Gambel's quail

Besides a few neighbors in RV's passing through we have some other interesting residents here at the golf course with us.  I decided to go out one day and see how many I could capture.  Please enjoy this photo album of our resident birds.
Probably the most interesting and numerous are the quail.  This guys will actually let you get quite close, but they will not look at you unless you are very still long enough for them to think you are a tree.  Then they will come in your direction by accident.  If you startle them, most of the flock will fly off with a few left standing and looking around as if to say, "Huh?  What?"  Then they scurry along the ground to wherever the group landed.

Mourning dove

Another large population is the mourning doves.  They spend a fair amount of time in trees in addition to on the ground and their mournful coos can be heard almost anytime of day.  On the day I went out to get pictures, I was motivated because I thought I heard the famous owls of Ajo, but it was actually the doves...Now I know the difference.

I did get this picture of the owl a few days later.  There is a nesting pair and they are rarely seen during the day...more often at dusk.  So far I have not seen them together.  Only one or the other.  Still they are a sight!

How dare you!

We have a lot of smaller birds.  It took me quite a while to identify this critter...The curved bill thrasher.  I love this picture of him though.  Can't you just hear him muttering under his breath, "How dare you take my picture!"

Curved bill thrasher

One of the frequent visitors around the course is the cactus wren.  It took me a long time to figure out his identity as well.  That eyebrow finally gave him away.






I see this Gila woodpecker (Prounounced "HEE-LAH")  frequently outside the coach on a palm tree.  This first time, he was stuffing something down in a crevice where a frond had broken off.  I thought he had a nest and fledglings there.  As I watch, though, he stuffed, what looked like grubs, in several crevices.  I think he was creating a cache for...summer?...or winter?...at least for later.

Last but not least, I got a glimpse of this least flycatcher.  Don't know much about him except he seemed to be quite proud to have his picture taken.






We also have a big roadrunner that I have not yet been able to catch on film....beep...beep....there he goes again!