Once in a great while, you will see a Great Egret or a Great Blue Heron there, and one year, I saw a Great Blue Heron nesting in a tree on the far side. There are also four smaller ponds, with some "side ponds" formed by islands and other features. These are landscaped with trees and other types of vegetation and provide hiding places for the birds. Many ducks will climb up onto the islands in the middle of each pond to rest and hide. In addition to ducks and the occasional shorebird, you will see Pied-billed Grebes, and you will hear Soras. You will occasionally see Soras and Common Yellowthroats, as well as the frequent American Coots and Common Gallinules. In certain seasons, you will observe up to four species of swallows flying overhead, sometimes catching bugs on the wing, and sometimes diving down and dipping in the water for a tiny morsel.
Egrets and Herons are more likely to be found here. A Black-crowned Night Heron often sits in a specific tree near one of these, and I have seen Green Herons, but not this year. In addition, you will observe various raptors, including Harris's Hawks, Cooper's Hawks, and Red-tailed Hawks. Great Horned Owls sometimes raise young in a nest in a tall sycamore across the street. Feeding all of the smaller ponds is a stream known as Hidden Pond. This is close to the entrance. Here is where you are most likely to find various kind of warblers and sparrows, as well as goldfinches and House Finches. You will also see warblers and sparrows elsewhere, but this is where they tend to congregate. Sweetwater Wetlands has a bird list of 298 species! Roger Road ponds are across the street. They have different species from Sweetwater. They are presently closed, but they will be re-opened. This is THE essential resource for those who want to know where the birding hotspots are in southeastern Arizona! They'll tell you everything you need and want to know and more. Periodically they come out with new editions covering yet more spots.
Finding Birds in Southeast Arizona - 8th EditionAn essential reference for me. Gilbert is technically part of the central Arizona birding region, but I am including it because it is close, and it should be discussed alongside Sweetwater Wetlands. It is a very similar place, with similar species. It also has landscaping. A real rarity, a bird thought to be extinct, showed up there a couple of years ago in December. Nobody really knows why the Baikal Teal appeared, and he stayed a couple of weeks. His presence brought birders from all over the United States and elsewhere. Baikal Teals normally summer in Siberia and winter in Viet Nam and other nations close by. Gilbert Water Ranch has a number of ponds, which are larger than the ones at Sweetwater. Like the larger ponds at Sweetwater, these are allowed to dry out to keep algae at the minimum, so where you find the birds may change from one day to the next.
