From the pond tonight at sunset!

This is a Brown Crested Flycatcher and it is very common in the southern portion of Arizona. I was lucky enough to get this guy to come to the perch near the pond. Notice the Bushy brown crest and the Yellow belly and undertail coverts. Very similar to our own Great Crested Flycatcher here in the east.

Here are a few of our shots from the Canyon

Vermillion Flycatcher

The male has a Red crown, throat and underparts. They frequent streams, and ponds in arid areas. Usually can be found near wooded streams and rivers, bottomlands with mesquite, willow and cottonwood trees, edge of wooded ponds and open and brushy fields.
Bill indicated to us that he and many others have seen this guy, actually the pair, around the place but no one had been able to get a shot of it. He also said that it never is seen near or around the pond.
We actually saw it right outside the door of the casita. It was actually a frequent visitor to that area. I decided to see if I could get him to answer to a call and maybe get a few shots.
You be the judge --- this is the result.




White Breasted Nuthatch

Of course we also have these back home, but he was there for the shooting so I took the shot. In fact it is the same variety in the West as it is in the East. Fun guy to watch come in and take the seed, most of the time he works his way to the prize upside down.



Acorn Woodpecker

This woodpecker is very common in Madera Canyon, in fact there was so many of them we didn't know which one to shoot first. Notice the bright red cap at the top of the head. They are usually found in small noisy colonies. The female has a faint yellow coloring under the bill on her neck.



Arizona Woodpecker

If you want to see one of these you have to go to Madera Canyon, and they are even rare there. We were lucky enough to photograph both the male and the female. Notice that this woodpecker is brown, very uncommon and the male has the red patch on the back of its head, the female does not.