Tricolored Heron at the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert, September 10, 2016

I went to the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch (RPWR) to see the Tricolored Heron. This Heron is a rare visitor to Arizona (and the Western U.S.). Its normal range in North America is the South Eastern U.S.

Before going to RPWR, I went to Riverview Park in Tempe to see a Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel. This is a very rare bird for North America. It breeds in the Galapagos Islands and the coast of Peru. It is a pelagic bird, meaning it lives at sea. It was pushed north by Tropical Storm Newton in the Gulf of California. Its presence in this small lake in Tempe caused quite a stir among the local ‘bird-nerds’! Unfortunately, I got there two days late, and it had already left, presumably headed back to the ocean. There were three birders there also looking for the Storm-Petrel. One (Barret Pierce) came from Amarillo, Texas. He is an avid birder with a list of over 600. He followed me to RPWR to see the Heron.

The Tricolored Heron was a juvenile actively feeding in the ponds (Pond 7 when I was there). While I was there I snapped a few shots of some of the ‘regulars’, but I didn’t spend much time, and was home by around 9:00.

Here are some photos: