Birds of Lost Dutchman State Park

Leo spotted this Harris's hawk sitting on a picnic shelter.  I'd never seen one before except as part of the raptor demonstration at the Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson.  These hawks are unique because they hunt cooperatively in groups of up to seven and all members contribute to feed young.

We had Anna's hummingbirds come to our feeder.

Female Anna's Hummingbird

We had cactus wrens and curve-billed thrashers nesting next to our campsite.

Curve-billed thrasher

Both species nest in cholla cactus.

Mark admires a cholla cactus (centre of photo)

The cactus wren builds a nest of grasses deep inside the cholla. The cactus prickles and small entrance make it hard for predators to gain access.

The thrasher builds a nest of thorny twigs then weaves a fine lining of hay and down.

This nest had two chicks inside.

Here the thrasher protects its territory from the top of a saguaro.