The Audubon Society has designated Patagonia Lake State Park / Sonoita Creek State Natural Area an Important Bird Area
Guided bird walks at Patagonia Lake State Park were suspended after April 16 until the fall.
You may bird at the State Park during the summer season.
Park entrance is $10 per car with up to four people per car or possession of an Arizona State Park annual pass.
The birding area at the east end of the campground and is the estuary of Sonoita Creek as it enters Patagonia Lake. A network of trails beginning at the birding kiosk provides a walk of approximately 3/4 mile. Terrain is flat except for a few steep steps at the start. Follow the lake shore, checking out the mesquite bosque to your right. The trail opens onto the grazed area with Goodings Willows; the washes to the east are good places to bird. Follow the lake shore until you come to the Creek. The trail goes into the Fremont Cottonwood and willow grove. You can follow the creek for several miles before you reach the Circle Z fence, though this is not usually included as part of the Birding Trail. You must turn around there and return to the Park.
Below you will find the last list of the season. See you in the fall.
RECENT BIRD SIGHTINGS
Patagonia Lake State Park / Sonoita Creek State Natural Area
April 2, 2012 – April 16, 2012
1. Canada Goose
2. Mallard
3. Gadwall
4. Green-winged Teal
5. American Wigeon
6. Northern Pintail
7. Northern Shoveler
8. Cinnamon Teal
9. Redhead
10. Bufflehead
11. Ruddy Duck
12. Pied-billed Grebe
13. Western Grebe
14. Neotropic Cormorant
15. Double-crested Cormorant
16. Black-crowned Night Heron
17. Great Egret
18. Great Blue Heron
19. White-faced Ibis
20. Turkey Vulture
21. Black Vulture
22. Osprey
23. Northern Harrier
24. Cooper’s Hawk
25. Common Black-Hawk
26. Gray Hawk
27. Red-tailed Hawk
28. Swainson’s Hawk
29. American Coot
30. American Avocet
31. Black-necked Stilt
32. Spotted Sandpiper
33. Long-billed Dowitcher
34. Mourning Dove
35. White-winged Dove
36. Common Ground-Dove
37. Inca Dove
38. Great Horned Owl
39. Violet-crowned Hummingbird
40. Broad-billed Hummingbird
41. Black-chinned Hummingbird
42. Anna’s Hummingbird
43. Rufous Hummingbird
44. Belted Kingfisher
45. Gila Woodpecker
46. Ladder-backed Woodpecker
47. Gray Flycatcher
48. N. Beardless-Tyrannulet
49. Black Phoebe
50. Vermillion Flycatcher
51. Ash-throated Flycatcher
52. Cassin’s Kingbird
53. Bell’s Vireo
54. Plumbeous Vireo
55. Common Raven
56. Tree Swallow
57. Violet-green Swallow
58. N. Rough-winged Swallow
59. Barn Swallow
60. Bridled Titmouse
61. Verdin
62. White-breasted Nuthatch
63. House Wren
64. Bewick’s Wren
65. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
66. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
67. Black-capped Gnatcatcher
68. American Robin
69. Northern Mockingbird
70. Curve-billed Thrasher
71. American Pipit
72. Orange-crowned Warbler
73. Lucy’s Warbler
74. Yellow-rumped Warbler
75. Black-throated Gray Warbler
76. Yellow Warbler
77. Wilson’s Warbler
78. Common Yellowthroat
79. Painted Redstart
80. Summer Tanager
81. Green-tailed Towhee
82. Canyon Towhee
83. Abert’s Towhee
84. Chipping Sparrow
85. Brewer’s Sparrow
86. Lark Sparrow
87. Lincoln’s Sparrow
88. Song Sparrow
89. White-crowned Sparrow
90. Black-headed Grosbeak
91. Northern Cardinal
92. Pyrrhuloxia
93. Great-tailed Grackle
94. Red-winged Blackbird
95. Hooded Oriole
96. Bullock’s Oriole
97. Scott’s Oriole
98. Lesser Goldfinch
99. House Finch
100. House Sparrow
RECENT BIRD SIGHTINGS
Patagonia Lake State Park / Sonoita Creek State Natural Area
November 28, 2011 – December 19, 2011
Italicized = Patagonia Lake Bird Walk Regular print = Natural Area
1. Mallard
2. Gadwall
3. Green-winged Teal
4. American Wigeon
5. Northern Shoveler
6. Cinnamon Teal
7. Canvasback
8. Redhead
9. Ring-necked Duck
10. Lesser Scaup
11. Bufflehead
12. Common Merganser
13. Ruddy Duck
14. Pied-billed Grebe
15. Eared Grebe
16. Western Grebe
17. Double-crested Cormorant
18. Black-crowned Night Heron
19. Great Egret
20. Great Blue Heron
21. Turkey Vulture
22. Black Vulture
23. Osprey
24. Cooper’s Hawk
25. Northern Harrier
26. Red-tailed Hawk
27. American Coot
28. Sora
29. Common Moorhen
30. Bonaparte’s Gull
31. Mourning Dove
32. Eurasian Collared Dove
33. White-winged Dove
34. Common Ground-Dove
35. Anna’s Hummingbird
36. Elegant Trogan
37. Gila Woodpecker
38. Northern Flicker
39. Ladder-backed Woodpecker
40. Hammond’s Flycatcher
41. Gray Flycatcher
42. Dusky Flycatcher
43. Eastern Phoebe
44. Black Phoebe
45. Say’s Phoebe
46. Ash Throated Flycatcher
47. Cassin’s Kingbird
48. Hutton’s Vireo
49. Cassin’s Vireo
50. Common Raven
51. Barn Swallow
52. Bridled Titmouse
53. Verdin
54. White-breasted Nuthatch
55. Bewick’s Wren
56. Rock Wren
57. Marsh Wren
58. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
59. Western Bluebird
60. Swainson’s Thrush
61. Hermit Thrush
62. Northern Mockingbird
63. American Pipit
64. Orange-crowned Warbler
65. Yellow-rumped Warbler
66. Common Yellowthroat
67. Summer Tanager
68. Green-tailed Towhee
69. Chipping Sparrow
70. Lark Sparrow
71. Black-throated Sparrow
72. Savannah Sparrow
73. Lincoln’s Sparrow
74. Song Sparrow
75. Swamp Sparrow
76. White-crowned Sparrow
77. Northern Cardinal
78. Great-tailed Grackle
79. Red-winged Blackbird
80. Lesser Goldfinch
81. Lawrence’s Goldfinch
82. House Finch
83. House Sparrow
Bird walks begin at the parking lot at the east end of the campground each Monday from November until mid-April at Patagonia Lake State Park. Meet by the birding kiosk at 9:00 a.m. The walks are led by volunteers and are free with the admission to the Park, which is $10 for up to four people per car or an annual State Park Pass.
Species seen at Patagonia Lake State Park on this week’s bird walk. Guided bird walks are offered on Mondays at 9:00am. Meet at the east end of the campground by the kiosk. Terrain is mostly level (except for a few stairs) with some brush and sometimes mud. Walks are free with admission to the park.
RECENT BIRD SIGHTINGS
October 17, 2011 – October 31, 2011
1. Mallard
2. Green-winged Teal
3. Northern Pintail
4. Northern Shoveler
5. Cinnamon Teal
6. Redhead
7. Ring-necked Duck
8. Lesser Scaup
9. Ruddy Duck
10. Pied-billed Grebe
11. Eared Grebe
12. Western Grebe
13. Double-crested Cormorant
14. Great Egret
15. Great Blue Heron
16. Turkey Vulture
17. Virginia Rail
18. Sora
19. American Coot
20. Killdeer
21. Mourning Dove
22. Common Ground-Dove
23. Black-chinned Hummingbird
24. Anna’s Hummingbird
25. Belted Kingfisher
26. Gila Woodpecker
27. Northern Flicker
28. Red-naped Sapsucker
29. Ladder-backed Woodpecker
30. Hammond’s Flycatcher
31. Gray Flycatcher
32. Black Phoebe
33. Say’s Phoebe
34. Vermillion Flycatcher
35. Hutton’s Vireo
36. Plumbeous Vireo
37. Cassin’s Vireo
38. Common Raven
39. Bridled Titmouse
40. Verdin
41. White-breasted Nuthatch
42. House Wren
43. Bewick’s Wren
44. Marsh Wren
45. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
46. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
47. Curve-billed Thrasher
48. Cedar Waxwing
49. Phainopepla
50. Orange-crowned Warbler
51. Nashville Warbler
52. Yellow-rumped Warbler
53. Black-throated Gray Warbler
54. Townsend’s Warbler
55. Common Yellowthroat
56. Green-tailed Towhee
57. Abert’s Towhee
58. Chipping Sparrow
59. Brewer’s Sparrow
60. Black-chinned Sparrow
61. Lincoln’s Sparrow
62. Song Sparrow
63. Swamp Sparrow
64. White-crowned Sparrow
65. Northern Cardinal
66. Great-tailed Grackle
67. Red-winged Blackbird
68. Lesser Goldfinch
69. House Finch
70. House Sparrow
The Elegant Trogon(s) usually appear in the Sonoita Creek area in November. Look about 4′ off the ground, the bird may be peering down for grasshoppers, or looking at you!