Verdin In Mesquite Tree — Image by kenne
Verdin’s Nest — Image by kenne
Verdin In Mesquite Tree — Image by kenne
Verdin’s Nest — Image by kenne
Verdin In Sabino Canyon Riparian Area — Photo-Artistry by kenne
— kenne
Brittlebush Blooming in Sabino Canyon — Image by kenne
Verdin In A Desert Willow — Image by kenne
Verdins are very common in riparian areas of the Sonoran Desert and can be found along the Sabino Canyon creekbed where there are plenty of willows, cottonwoods, and Arizona sycamores. On New Years Day there were several in the willows near the Sabino Dam foraging for insects on the willow stems.
This small hardy and adaptable bird is not closely related to any other bird in the western hemisphere. Scientists now believe that its closest relatives are several species of small, plain birds found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Verdins have a plain gray color with yellow on the head and throat. In this image, the sunlight really brings out the yellow against the blue desert sky.
— kenne
Ruby-crowned Kinglet — Image by kenne
— kenne
Verdin (Sabino Canyon, January 3, 2017) — Image by kenne
— Jean-Paul Satre
Verdin In Mesquite Tree — Image by kenne
Verdin’s Nest — Image by kenne
Verdin Nest In a Palo Verde Tree, Sonoran Desert — Image by kenne
Tosh Lawrence Conducting a Training Session In Sabino Canyon — Image by kenne
Last week I was videoing and taking photos of one of the Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN), Tosh Lawrence, conducting a nature walk training session for new and experienced naturalists. Tosh shared a lot of her excellent teaching techniques, and one point in the riparian area by the dam, we spotted a small bird jumping around among brush on the ground. At the time, I had the video camera going and the following short clip was what I was able to capture. Note the back and forth as to what kind of bird we were watch. Our expert birder friends have got to love it, but remember, some of us are still learning.
kenne