Last Friday, December 5, we went with friends, Linda and Jim Gleason, birding to Sonoita Creek near Patagonia, Arizona. We had been to Patagonia Lake birding before but had never gone to Sonoita Creek. We arrived there about 9 a.m. The sun was shining, but it was cold -- I'm guessing about 43 degrees.

I had on a long sleeved shirt, a sweatshirt and Bob's fleece jacket. Thank goodness Bob's thermostat runs high or he'd have had his jacket on instead of me!

Besides seeing a few birds, it was too cold for them also, I took this picture of a gray squirrel eating berries while perched precariously on the branch of a bush.

These strange looking creatures are the husks of Cicada's. The Cicada lays its eggs on the bark of a tree and then when they hatch they go down into the soil and live there until they are ready to come back up the tree (this is a simplification) where they shed their skin and fly away. Their remaining husks are left hooked to the tree -- it looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. If you have never heard Cicadas when they are in full voice, it is amazing. Some articles say they can be as loud as 120 dB. (That's as loud as a jet taking off)

After lunch in Patagonia, we made a trip by Patagonia Lake to see what was happening there. There were lots of water birds-- a highlight being a Common Moorhen -- plus we saw a Ladderback Woodpecker; Orange Crowned Warbler; Roadrunner; Gamble's Quail, and a Sharpshin Hawk hunting the aforementioned.

In all we saw 39 different birds, and we had a great day. Can't wait to go back.