Willcox Twin Lakes, Arizona

This is often refereed to as Lake Cochise alongside the Twin Lakes Gold Course in Willcox. We visited this lake twice during our travels. The lake was always covered in duck with plenty of waders along the edges. The best way to view was by driving around but as soon as we stopped, all the birds flushed. There was also the problem that the person in the passenger seat saw very little !  The golf course was next to the lakes and had stacks of birds on it, along with stacks of golfers !  So the second time we visited this area we went on a Monday, as the course was closed that day. Despite arriving at 6am, the staff were already on the course. We did get permission to walk around it but by the time we had walked three holes the permission had been rescinded and we were asked to leave as watering was about to commence ! 

American Avocet - a first for us !  Aren't they gorgeous x 

American Wigeon

Black-crowned Night Heron

White-faced Ibis

A very, very distant Bonepartes Gull. 

This was a local rarity and the local birders had all come twitching !

Cinnamon Teal

A distant Golden Eagle. The only one we saw on our trip.

Western Sandpiper. There were lots of waders around the lake but getting close enough to photograph them was a whole new ball game !

Loggerhead Shrike with tea !

There was a dead end lane up the side of the golf course. This was in the hedge. At the bottom of the lane was a 'green dumping area' where the Willcox locals could bring and dump all their green garden waste. It was well used and not definately not abused. Lots of bird rummaging through it all including our first roadrunner !

Mexican Duck with a White-faced Ibis behind

Mexican Duck

Northern Harrier. A few drifted over during our visit. 

Northern Harrier with the desert and mountains in the distance. Nothing prepares you for the big, wide open space of Arizona. It simply goes on forever. Mindblowing !

Northern Harriers putting the fear of God into the coots

ROADRUNNER !!

Scaled Quail running along the golf course fence

Woohoo !!  Swainson's Hawks getting down and dirty !

White-faced Ibis, another first for us.

Bob Rodrigues Yard, Portal, Arizona

We have just got home from a 3 week birding extravaganza from The Grand Canyon to Mexico in Arizona USA.  We managed 220 species, 110 of those being new to us. I have hundreds of pics to show you from birds, scenery, mammals and lots and lots of aeroplanes ! And no trip to Arizona is complete without visiting Tombstone. So let's get on with the pics.....

We visited Bob Rodrigues feeders many times and they were absolutely fantastic. He is based in Portal, not too far from Tucson. He has hundreds of birds constantly visiting for food and water. Bob was sat at the table every time, naming every bird for everyone, full of info and a genuine nice guy. What a cracking setup he has and his garden is open to the public, everyone welcome. 

Here's a few pics from his garden.

Acorn Woodpecker - these were numerous and we saw them everywhere throughout Arizona

Black-throated Sparrow

Broad-tailed Hummingbird - rung !!

Cactus Wren

Canyon Towhee

Lots of chipmunks

Crissal Thrasher in Bob's garden or yard as they call it.

Curve-billed Thrasher

Gambel's Quail

The feeding station - lots of seed feeders, nectar, jam, fruit and water. A menu to suit everyone !

Hooded Oriole

Mexican Jay

A feeder full of birds - the wire keeps the squirrels and chipmunks out

Northern Cardinal

Scott's Oriole and Verdin at the jam 

Simon and Bob Rodrigues

Western Kingbird

White-crowned Sparrow and Pyrrhuloxia

White-crowned Sparrow

White-winged Dove

and a short video taken whilst relaxing in his garden. 

The birds just never stop visiting and it's fantastic ! Hope you can all visit one day .