Photos By Rich DitchLocations and Dates for Peach-faced Lovebird Sightings
As of 7/18/2001
Rich Ditch has provided some photographs of the birds found near 104th and Feinmore in Mesa.
Photos By Rich DitchThe following information provides locations where Lovebirds can be seen and the public is allowed entry - this information was originally requested by Troy Corman from birders in Phoenix, and the birders responded. The information is repeated.
NORTH-CENTRAL PHOENIX
>From Mike Rupp: We have them in our neighborhood regularly.
They are at
our feeder pretty often, and seem to hang around the whole block
mostly
in palm trees and fruit trees in backyards. I would think that
hanging
around our street from about 3:00 pm on would enable someone to
see them.
We're at 10th Street & McClellan, which is north of Maryland,
south of
Glendale Ave., east of 10th St. Directions: Take State Route 51
north to
Bethany Home Road, west for approximately 1 mile to 10th Street.
Take
10th Street north for approximately 0.75 mile to McClellan (between
Ocotillo and Maryland).
NORTHEAST PHOENIX
>From Diana Stuart: One of the most reliable places is in and
around
Sonrisa Park in N/E Phoenix. The park is on 52nd Street north
of Cactus.
We do our counts during the four hours after sunrise, so I don't
know
about the rest of the day. There are a couple of "pods"
in the area, and
residents have said they breed there. There is a large saguaro
cactus at
the N/E corner of 52nd Street and Windrose across the street from
the
park that often has them in the holes. Directions: Take State
Route 51
north to Cactus Road, east to 52nd Street. Take 52 Street north
for 0.5
mile. Sonrisa Park is in the northwest corner of Sweetwater and
52nd
Street. Windrose Drive is at the southern edge of the park.
>From Pat Zupon: We have many of these noisy lovebirds at
the school that
I work at. Larkspur Elementary School is located at 24th St. and
Larkspur
Dr. The school has several large pine trees surrounding it, and
we see
them flying back and forth from these trees, mostly doing so in
the
morning hours between 8:00 and noon. Of course, we always hear
them
first. School lets out for the holidays on Dec. 20, so there
is a two
week period for someone to come out to the school with binoculars
and sit
and watch our noisy little lovebirds.Directions: Take State Route
51
north to Cactus road, west to 24th Street. Take 24th Street north
approximately 0.5 mi. to Larkspur Drive. The school is in the
northeast
corner of this intersection.
NORTHWEST PHOENIX
There is a place near my office were a few pairs roost around
noon every
day. Directions: Take I-17 to Greenway Road exit. Drive east on
Greenway
Road to 19th Ave. Go a short distance north on 19th Ave. and just
past
the strip plaza on your left will be Waltann Lane. Turn west (left)
on
Waltann and park your vehicle. Carefully check out the several
large
mesquite trees that are near the small row of palm trees and in
front of
the first house on your left. You can often locate them by their
screeching calls, but other times they are sitting quietly in
the shade
and foliage of the mesquite trees.
If you are hungry while you are there, I highly recommend going
to the
nearby strip plaza you past and try Chino Banditos Takee Outee.
Now you
may think a mixture of Oriental and Mexican food would not make
a good
combination, but the crowds that are there at noon every day know
differently!
MESA
>From Linda Radke: The birds are year-round residents at
104th Street &
Fenimore in Mesa. There are houses on three corners. The fourth
corner is
undeveloped & has a large Saguaro in it quite near the road.
The
Lovebirds are nesting in the Saguaro. They were very active during
the
hour or so I observed them during mid-morning, on the Saguaro
& in the
bushes around it. From residents' descriptions, the birds are
visible all
day long & frequent neighborhood feeders on & off during
the day. So I
don't think time of day for viewing is critical. Directions: Loop
202
east to McKellips. McKellips east to Crissmon. Crissmon south
to
Fenimore. Fenimore east to 104th Street. You can also take State
Route
260 (Superstition Freeway) east to Crissmon Road north approximately
3.5
mi. to Fenimore Road, then east to 104th Street.
I hope this helps anyone interested in viewing these screeching
little
green birds.
Troy Corman
Phoenix, AZ
*****************************
Other sites recorded:
Shea and Scottsdale Rd. (Daily sightings for past two years, Scottsdale)
Moon Valley (Large flock, daily sightings for several years, Phoenix)
McKellips and Power Rd. (Birds can be seen going into attice of house, Mesa)
7th St. and Greenway (Phoenix)
15th St. and Paradise Ln. (Phoenix)
Guadalupe and Price Rd. (Tempe)
Dunlap and 17th St. (Latest sighting, 1 bird, June 18, 1999, Phoenix)
Greenway and 22nd Ave (Daily sightings, 3-5 birds, Phoenix)
Collage and Del Rio (Weekly sightings during Urban Bird Survey in 1999, Tempe)
42nd St and Shea (3 birds, daily sightings during most of June,1999, Scottsdale)
McDowell and Lindsay (2 birds, observed stopping briefly and calling nearby for longer periods while out of sight, early July, 1999, Mesa)
Power Rd. and Broadway, Mesa - 11May98 - 3 birds
54th and Main, Mesa - 11 May98 - tree-full
42nd St. and Shea, Phoenix - 4 May98 - 10-12 birds
Cave Creek Rd. and Sharon, Phx. - 4 May98 - 16 birds
15th St. and Maryland, Phx. - 28 April98 - 3 birds
70th St. s. of Cactus, Scottsdale - 12 May98 - Nestling brought
to Liberty Wildlife
Near AZ Canal on 12th St. (s. of Northern), Phx. - 3 May98 - 12
birds
68th St. s. of Sweetwater, Phx.
3rd Ave. and Greenway Rd., Phx. - 10 May98 - 5-7 birds
Rural and Broadway, Tempe - 10 May98 - fledglings observed, birds
all over neighborhood, also near Broadway and Terrace 9/99.
N. 104th Street, Apache Junction
Palmcroft Dr./ Bishop Dr., Tempe
60th St. and Sweetwater, Phx.
14th/15th St., Tempe
Cedar, Oak, Elm Streets, Tempe
735 E. McDowell, Mesa (near Higley) - 2 birds
N.E. corner of Val Vista and Main, Mesa
Signal Butte (University and Apache Trail), Apache Junction -
20 birds
6145 E. Cochise Rd., (s. of Shea), Scottsdale
54th St./University, Phx.
6802 E. Paradise Dr. (s. of Cactus), Scottsdale - nesting birds
in saguaro.
Hermosa Vista and 64th St., Mesa, Painted Mountain Golf Course, 15th Hole on left side of hole. Flock of 40 birds, some entering and leaving Saguaro cavities. 8/7/99.
52nd Street and Cactus
Near Priest and Elliott, where the canal intersects Grove Parkway, Tempe, 9/99. The birds were observed on cars in a parking lot and scratching in crevices near windows in an industrial complex.
A large palm tree was removed somewhere in Mesa in June,1999. Approximately 100 eggs and chicks were dislodged from a single colony by the event.
Reported 12 DEC 1999, by "Kellie", Recker and Mckellips, Mesa, 10 birds with young (unknown nesting date). Birds spend the night in palm tree and leave to feed during the day. Another flock at Greenfield and 40th Street, Mesa. This flock is reported to have also produced young (unknown date).
2/20/2000 - four Lovebirds have been to a feeder on a regular basis near 71Ave and Greenway (near Peoria) since the summer of 1998.
4/15/2001 - Two birds, possible nesting under the eves of house, Northeast Mesa near Recker and Thomas Road.
Mar 24, 2001 - 104th and Feinmore in Mesa (see photos by Rich Ditch at top of this page).
update 2012
