The Birds of Lakeside Park

 Vermillion Flycatcher 10-9-12 Lakeside Park

When Chris of Las Adventuras and I pulled into the parking lot at Lakeside Park in Tucson last Tuesday we were seeing birds before we even got out of the car.  Blackbirds of all kinds were everywhere. Ducks and coots were in the pond, and a sweet little Vermillion Flycatcher greeted us from one of the signs at the edge of the grass. It was 7 a.m., clear and calm with the temperature at 66F.

Lakeside Park is an urban oasis on the east side of Tucson. A small lake that is stocked with fish for urban fishing, it draws people and birds alike. I have seen osprey and a juvenile brown pelican here before. It is one of my favorite places to see spotted sandpipers in the winter and vermilion flycatchers year round. The park itself is over 30 acres with 14 acres of water. There is a one mile walking trail around the lake. Beside being a nice park, it is also an eBird Hotspot!

Because of the fish in the lake the park is also a great place to see egrets and herons. Today we saw Black-crowned Night Herons as they took flight as well as a Great Blue heron, and, later on, we saw a Great Egret gliding like a white angel over the water.

Vermillion Flycatchers seemed to be everywhere!

I saw my first widgeons of the year!

Lakeside Park is a reliable place to find coots!

Vermillion Flycatcher in mesquite tree by the dam.

Vermillion Flycatchers will use anything for a perch!

Mallards flying overhead.

Red-tailed Hawk in tree.

As Chris and I rounded the curve of the lake we were surprised to find this pair of Yellow-headed blackbirds grazing on the lawn!

High in the branches of another tree a kestrel blends into the branches.

Mourning Doves were seen all over the park.

Chris and I crossed the bridge to the far side of the lake.

Here in the mesquite we found White-crowned Sparrows,

Verdin,

and a Western Kingbird! It looked so pretty against the bright blue sky!

We watched it fly down to the water several times.

On this side of the lake we also found a few warblers, finches, and hummingbirds. for a brief instant some little shorebird flew in and landed along the water’s edge. Chris and I tried to creep up on it and photograph it or identify it but it flew off too fast. To me it looked like a possible pipit, but I could not be sure, so I did not count it.

Yellow-rumped Warbler 10-9-2012 at Lakeside Park in Tucson.

Lakeside Park is located at the junction of Stella Road and Sarnoff Drive on Tucson's eastside. It is south of Golf Links and east of Kolb. For a small park it is a treasure trove of birds and a quick and easy spot to stop when you don’t have much time, though we were here for 2 1/2 hours! I know I will be back to visit it again soon, because you never know what will show up!

A word of caution: Lakeside Park is an urban park so please use caution and be aware of your surroundings at all times while birding this park!

Birds seen at Lakeside Park on October 9, 2012:

1. Mallard
2. American Widgeon
3. Great Blue Heron
4. Black-crowned Night heron
5. Coot
6. Red-tailed Hawk
7. Cooper’s Hawk
8. American Kestrel
9. Killdeer
10. Anna's Hummingbird
11. Costa’s Hummingbird
12. Say’s Phoebe
13. Western Kingbird
14. Vermilion Flycatcher
15. Gila Woodpecker
16. Common Raven
17. Verdin
18. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
19. Northern Mockingbird
20. Cure-billed thrasher
21. Barn Swallow
22. Cliff Swallow
23. European Starling
24. Yellow-rumped Warbler
25. Yellow-headed Blackbird
26. Brewer’s Blackbird
27. Great-tailed grackle
28. Bronzed Cowbird
29. Brown-headed Cowbird
30. White-crowned Sparrow
31. Lesser Goldfinch
32. House Finch

Come back tomorrow to see the Battle of the Blackbirds at Lakeside Park!