Patagonia Lake, AZ

It was nice to find some water in this desert Southwest, and Patagonia Lake State Park was a nice oasis. We hiked, birded and I got the kayoo wet two days in a row!

Peaches and Thistle climb the tall bridge over the boat launch area. I guess it's so tall in case someone wants to launch a sailboat.

View from the top of the bridge. One end of the lake is no-wake. No water skiiing or jet skis allowed anywhere on the lake. Boaters are mostly there for fishing.

The bridge leads from the campground to the day-use area.

These Coots are displaying courtship behaviors.

Bullfrog along the birding trail. We also saw a Virginia Rail here. Got a picture of one later.

Inca Dove

The birding trail shares space with the cows.

Great Egret

I think this was a pair of Gadwalls...

Time for the cows to drink and cool off.

There it is...my first Virginia Rail.

Virginia Rail

After sunset

The kayoo gets wet!

This is a great lake for exploring...calm waters, lots of coves, rock formations, cattails, etc.

Black Phoebe

Patagonia Lake is a manmade lake.

Great-tailed Grackle

Spotted Sandpiper

There are small picnic areas around the lake for boaters.

Coopers Hawk

Cardinal

Roots

Ruddy Duck...male in breeding color

Large group of ducks flying around....not sure what kind.

Female Ruddy Ducks

Male Ruddy Duck...non-breeding

Northern Shovelers taking off.

Cormorants

A pair of Bufflehead...male on the left.

Same pair

Do you see the face in the rock?

Big squirrel...burrows underground.

Birdie took me to the Patons...a birding place in the town of Patagonia.

Lots of feeders set up in the yard, and places to sit in the shade.

Some hummingbirds preferred the flowers to the feeders.

There was some squabbling.

Yellow-rumped Warbler at the suet feeder.

Male Gila Woodpecker

Lazuli Bunting...another new bird for me.

Lazuli Bunting at the feeder.

Green-tailed Towhee

Back in the kayoo the next morning. I paddled the other end of the lake, past the day-use area.

Exploring more inlets and coves. 

Turtle 

I found a favorite spot for fishermen, judging from the number of bobbers hanging in the tree. 

The ol' fishing hole. There's a bobber caught in the reeds on the right too. 

Mallard 

Turkey vultures roosting on the rocks above the lake. 

Exploring another cove.

Lizard

Dragonfly

Pied-billed Grebe

Neotropic Cormorants

Osprey

Ring-billed Gulls

Great Blue Heron

Birdie took me to another birding place...Sonoita Creek Preserve, I think? We saw a Costas Hummingbird

And a Gray Hawk....not a good picture.

The Gray Hawk is nesting in this Sycamore tree.

Now we haved moved a little north where it is cooler. We'll be hiking and sightseeing around the Sedona area for a couple of weeks.