Fountain Hills and Rio Verde

On our last day in the Phoenix area, we got lost trying to drive to the Rio Verde.  Fort Mcdowell Road seemed to dead end on the Fort Mcdowell Reserve though it later turned out it became a gravel road that looked like a private driveway.

So instead we visited Fountain Hills city park, located in an upscale residential development.  Fountain Hills has Arizona's largest fountain, according to its tourist info, and like Old Faithful in Yellowstone, it only goes off every hour.

Much of Fountain Hills' population were out on Sunday morning jogging, playing Frisbee golf, or walking their  dogs.  Here we witnessed several of the latest thing in pet accessories, the dog stroller

(I'm fake posing on the left so Leo can take surreptitiously take the picture)

The lake was pretty artificial looking, but it's the desert, and wherever there's water, the birds will find it, so there were a few birds around

Like this eared grebe

In the absence of Canada Geese, the coots are doing their job.

And they did have a very nice demonstration xerophytic garden,
and unlike most of our birding destinations, a lakeside cafe where we could sit and have a second breakfast.

Eventually we did find our way to the Rio Verde, and we drove from Forest Service site to site, checking out the birds. 



The Rio Verde was high and had recently been even higher, the parking lot was newly graded and some picnic tables were still under water.


Leo birding in the midst of cottonwood fluff.

The trees were full of warblers, kinglets, and Bell's vireos.

In the evening we took our last walk around Lost Dutchman in the golden hour trying to call up a Bendire's thrasher.  No luck.

So the bird of the day was the Brewer's sparrow, probably the dullest looking sparrow there is, but nominated today because the bushes were full of them, singing their amusing cricket-like song.

Also our last chance for glamour photos, and possibly for walking about in the evening in shorts since we're headed for the high country!