Sector 5a.
PATAGONIA LAKE STATE PARK – EAST END RIPARIAN AREA
Size: 204 acres
GENERAL: This is the smallest, but
perhaps the most productive sector in the circle. Starting in 2019, it was
officially split off from Sector 5b, which is the campground and back-country
area. The sector starts just east of the East End Birding Trail kiosk, but not
including any of the campsites.
Walking is about 2-3 miles of mostly
flat ground and at a slow pace.
NOTES: It covers all of the riparian
and bottom-land mesquite groves and up the immediate slopes around same. It includes
the lake-shore riparian stuff on the north side of the lake to the last larger
drainage (see map). This north shore area is hard to access. The east circle
edge is along the trail as you follow the creek up-stream east at GPS 31.501508
/ -110.834603. This is about 100 yards after the trail makes a bend left
(northeast) at the east end of a small clearing.
Coordinate in the morning at the
Visitors' Center to see who will count the birds at the East End bird feeders.
An individual, possible one with limited mobility, may be designated to check
the feeders periodically during the day.
Pick up a free Volunteer Pass
between 6:45am to 7:00am, or after 9:00am, at the Visitors Center (or the prior
day) to avoid paying to get in to the park. Your names should also be on record
at the park entrance pay station.
The lake surface and wet edges
present a difficult situation, since the lake boat birders are counting lake
surface and shores, and the land-based birders see parts of the lake surface.
Record all birds seen from your sector, including those on and near the lake
surface The compilers will later take the higher of the two (boat vs land
sightings) of a given species.
TARGET BIRDS: Check eBird reports
for the weeks prior to the count. Check the feeders near the start of the trail
several times during the day, unless the feeder is delegated to another party,
as explained above.
This sector is the place where
trogons, Eastern Phoebe, catbird, Winter & Pacific Wrens show up most
frequently. Cassin's and Plumbeous Vireos are likely. Look for warblers in
mixed winter flocks. Look hard for Swamp Sparrows (often missed on the count
and when "seen" are often misidentified by those not familiar with
our very rufous Song Sparrows). Listen for Sora and Virginia Rail, especially
early in the day. Try clapping your hands to get them to call. Be alert for
Green Kingfishers. All three gnatcatchers are found here.
Black-capped Gnatcatchers are sometimes the most
common of the three, especially at the riparian-mesquite border area and in the
mesquite areas. For those not familiar with the species, it will not have a
black cap. To ID it correctly, a careful look at the relative lengths of the
underside-viewed white tail feathers is needed. (See illustrations in the
"big" Sibley bird guide or see examples starting at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sloalan/40250074545/in/photolist-24jL9Sv-24AZkbo-25C3vsJ-25sWnHk-25sWkcZ-22H5r5o-24BDqZQ-F2m7gX-24BDsbh-24BDsUm-24uVaN6-21JXDUS-HXctpt-22eqLBQ-22hyzWB-21RZZZ6-Zvwvhx-21RZYnt-DBFUd1-21GJNjs
here are a lot of pics there that
show the graduated white tail feathers. Blue-gray has much less graduation.
Compare with https://www.flickr.com/photos/sloalan/7010926233/in/photolist-S5hgh7-Nzm1Rh-KZtU3w-Cm9Rrr-f6uyZE-bxJp9h-f6fk9T-bFUk8B-bsZtBY-bFwJoi-bFwQ7v-bsBXpU-bFwQ2z-bsBRM1-bFwJxF-bvDsne-bvDsCK-bvDsPP-boxowF-f6uz5U/ 
