Birds Galore

This Northern Cardinal male was the first bird we spotted when we stepped out of our RV for a morning of birding at Phon D. Sutton Recreation Area today. It might of have been a good omen of the hours ahead, and the wide range of birds we would see, 36 different species in all.  Phon D. Sutton is basically a couple of asphalt parking lots located along the Salt River in the Tonto National Forest, East of Scottsdale Arizona. I have to say the name struck me as a bit unusual, but our whole experience was a bit unusual. First off, I found this park by looking at birding Hot Spots on satellite maps.  Seeing a number of RV's parked in the lots clued me into investigating this location for a possible overnight stay. We were in need of a place to stay as we only had a one-night stay in site #38. However when we left the Buckhorn Campground this morning I checked at the Entrance Station and they had evidently had a cancellation, so we took it, site #10, our third sight in three nights. As I rethink our day what strikes me as the most unusual was the trashy condition of the Salt River.  Evidently hordes of people from the greater Phoenix area use this river, my understanding is to tube, and the resulting pop and beer cans make this section look like a trash dump.  Never the less, I tried my best to over look this and concentrate on the great number of birds.  We were able to add twenty new birds to my Maricopa County Bird List. Will we be back?  Well, the cost to camp is three dollars a night with a Tonto Pass and Senior Pass, and there are birds galore.