San Pedro Conservation Area

After a slow start we arrived at the San Pedro River.  The first thing we saw was this juvenile red-tailed hawk up a tree right next to the Nature House.

The feeders were busy with cardinals

and their close relatives, the pyrrhulloxias,

lesser goldfinch, gila woodpeckers, and a few lark sparrows.

We walked along the river, but the birds were not very active (due to our inability to get out of bed). 

There must have been a big flood.  Look at this log jam! 

We found nesting herons, which are a new addition since our last visit here. 

Some big Fremont cottonwoods in the riparian zone.

There are two ponds where we saw Mexican ducks,

and a heron fishing.

This grove of cottonwoods grows in an old dried up oxbow of the river.

It was raining over by the mountains but we managed to stay dry.