Hike results: 1.5 miles, 40 bird species.

We met at 9:00 AM at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch for a beautiful morning of birding. Handouts were supplied that had a map of the park on one side and a bird list on the reverse. The bird list included information about season and abundance by species, and served as an excellent checklist for the types that we spotted.

This 110 acre park is a multi-use area but is mainly for numerous water recharge ponds that double as an excellent riparian preserve for wildlife, especially birds. During the winter months, it is an excellent area to spot migratory and wintering species as well as year-round residents.

Our walk began by crossing the floating bridge across the permanent lake which is stocked with fish for those who enjoy that sport. We saw numerous waterfowl before proceeding to the first recharge pond and then to a desert portion.

Beyond simply finding and identifying birds is identifying bird behaviors. In this bird walk, we found a Gila Woodpecker carving out a hollow at the top of a tall saguaro cactus. Ducks were in an “amorous mood” in a couple of the ponds, maybe they were just trying to stay warm as it was a chilly morning.

A flock of some 20 American white pelicans were spotted. They are an uncommon winter visitor.

The Roseate Spoonbill we spotted here in December was still around and a real treat. This bird is in migration and is considered to be less than a rare sighting at this location.

As the recharge ponds are sometimes full and sometimes empty, even the ponds empty of water provide a different habitat. In one of the emptier ponds we spotted shorebirds including the Least Sandpiper and Killdeer.

Overall, we identified 40 species of birds today during our 1.5 mile nature walk.