thebirderspost

After 2 days sorting, making pet-friendly hotel reservations, cleaning, doing laudry, taking care of as much business as we can, we birded our last few days here in AZ.  I just finished the last Charlotte & Thomas Pitt novel by Anne Perry (although her new one is coming our April 9th!).  So now reading Ian Rankin’s latest, the return of Rebus “Standing in Another Man’s Grave”.  Birds and books, ahhh life is good!

March 24:  Off to Ash Canyon.  There was only 1 destination cited in the book which was a B&B in Ash Canyon.  We drove up the Ash Canyon road to find the hillsides all burned up!  Then checked the website & saw the B&B was on the previous road. A wonderful yard filled with birds.  Unfortunately for Bill I saw a pair of Scott’s Orioles in the front yard which he never did see (2nd time he missed them!).  They are 1 of 2 orioles which are yellow, not orange.

We drove down to Coronado National Memorial (just N of the Mexico border) & had lunch there.  Unfortunately nothing new in the bird dept – although Montezuma Quails were mentioned in the book!  Just the usual Mexican Jays trying to mooch our lunch!

We stopped briefly at the very southern end of the San Pedro Riparian area at Hereford Bridge where I spotted a Bell’s Vireo – a new bird – which Bill also saw.

Back to Mary Jo Ballator’s B&B in Ash Canyon where we found 2 kinds of orioles – unfortunately, again, no Scott’s!  Here are a few photos for your enjoyment.  A Hooded Oriole about to pounce on the orange.

Bullocks’s Oriole

A very common warbler – Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s subspecies) – in full spring plumage.

You have seen a photo of a Broad-billed Hummingbird before, but this shot captures the width of its bill near the base, as it heads for nectar:

I’ve included 2 photos of the Magnificent Hummingbird.  The first shows the iridescent turquoise & violet as it faces you – and the second a shot from the side with only a few irridescent glints.

March 25:  Off to Portal again – but this time through the mountains from west to east!  Right up Pinery Canyon (where my friend John did his trail ride on horseback).  It is 20 miles of dirt road & in winter would be nearly impassable (unmaintained). But we were questing for the elusive Mexican Chickadee…& we still are!  Oh well, I guess we need to leave something for next year!

Once in Portal we walked the roadway to the feeder yard, where we saw the usual suspects, but what we thought was a Calliope Hummingbird!  We haven’t heard any reports of it in the area, so asked the woman who lives there, but she said she usually sees it in August.  However, our photo was good enough to confirm it & meantime she checked in her book to say it has been seen at this time before!  This photo is not really very good, but you can see the white stripe across the face & the serrated gorgette (throat marking) – albeit through a cage around the feeder (to keep the birds safe from predators).

Had lunch in town.  How hilarious – Bill ordered the Garden burger (expecting lettuce, tomato, etc. on his burger) – got a vegetarian patty!  He actually liked it, but won’t order it again. LOL

We couldn’t resist this shot of an Acorn Woodpecker, although they are very common & we’ve seen so many – they are very beautiful!

Lastly, and how appropriate we should see this bird on our second last day of birding – because it is the header-photo of my Blog – Inca Dove!  Although the ones on the header are taken in Texas at Bentson State Park.  This little dove is only 8 1/2″ long.

We heard someone ponder the other day why doves are used as birds of peace when, if anyone watched them at a feeding station, they’d see such terrible squabbles!  Mary Jo from the Ash Canyon B&B said she’s fallen in love with Bushtits (perhaps a new nomination for bird of peace?).  They never squabble, often fly in flocks, & she leaves nesting material & had seen then pull out the cotton fluff and fly off as if in a cloud (material several times the size of the bird!) – what a nice sight.  When she lived in California & had an orange tree, after a rain the scooped leaves held water & she’s seen about 30 taking baths, each in a separate leaf.  That made her fall in love with them.  What a nice story!  Here are 2 of the Bushtits from her yard (4 1/2″ little, gray birds):

March 26:  Last day of birding of the trip – off to San Pedro where visitor center it located.  Tried to find the Wilson Warbler, to no avail.  We did see lots of birds though.  We ran across 3 fellows who’d been out since 7 AM & had (when we last ran into them) 53 species!  That’s quite a tally – it being their 1st time here.

We often spot deer along the stream.

In some places the trees are dense.

This Red-tailed Hawk was sitting for the second time in the same place in the top of these trees with twigs up his butt!  This is the most common hawk we’ve seen on the trip.

A Lincoln Sparrow forages along the stream – another common sparrow streaked with gray, black & rust.

Final species tally:  236!

Now we leave the land with street names like Ocotillo Blossom Rd, Barrel Cactus Way, Prickly Pear Lane, Saguaro Hwy, Javelina Junct., Quail Run, etc.  Gone will be mountain ranges called Coronado, Huachuca and Chiricahua.  No longer will we hear the reverberating song of the Cactus Wren nor the long melodic song of a Curve-billed Thrasher.  I think I heard the buzz of my first mosquito today.  (It’s been lovely birding without “OFF”!)  I will wrap up with a short blog to document our arrival home.

Yesterday was work, etc – hot & very, very windy.

March 17:  St. Patrick’s day!  Got up at 3 AM (I was awake at 2, waiting for the alarm to ring) to get all the way down to the Chiricahua Nat. Monument for Bill to take photos of the sunrise on those beautiful rocks!  It wasn’t that cold when we left the campground (11 C).  By the time we reached the top it was 5 C & very windy!  I dozed in the car while Bill went out to face the elements – with some success:

In May 2011 a fire raged through the area for a month.  It has left scars that will take a lifetime to heal, but there is a stark beauty as well.

On the way home we stopped at Whitewater Wash to see if we could find any of the interesting species that have been reported there, but no luck.  We did however, find a flock of female Lark Buntings in a yard before turning into the area – a new bird for the list!  We (Bill) also photographed a few of the birds there.  After spending the winter with a pale head, the Avocet now sports its lovely rust coloured head & neck!  Reminds me of my bathroom at home where we have a carving of an Avocet next to the sink!

Long-billed Dowichers foraged.  Sometimes it is hard to see their bills – their heads are like sewing machines probing the mud at the bottom of the slough, so it is unusual to catch them like this!

I have been hoping for a nice photo of a Loggerhead Shrike with his bandit mask.

March 18:  Since the wind was supposed to pick up again this aft, we just went down the road to try our the upper part of San Pedro Riparian area, which we had not yet visited.  Walked for 3 hours and added 1 new bird – Yellow Warbler.  One of the most common warblers in NA but absolutely beautiful in its spring color – bright lemon yellow with faint red lines streaking its breast.  No photo as Bill’s shoulder is suffering with all the carrying of the big camera & he only had the little one.  Also, just a quick look then it was gone.  Just shows how hard it is to get these shots!  We also saw hundreds of sparrows.  An interesting phenomenon is that Brewer’s Sparrow sing in flocks!  We passed through a flock of what must have been hundreds of them, all singing sweetly at the same time – it was amazing!  We also saw a Barn Owl fly quietly through the woods along the river – and must have seen around 30 species on this walk.

March 19:  2 hours to the east side of the Chiricahuas & Portal once again.  Really a beautiful day for birding – around 70 F & just a slight breeze.  5 new birds for the day, which is pretty good.  I guess the most unusual was a Bobolink, which flew in front of the car – there is no other bird which looks like it – very easy to identify.  We have seen a Lucy’s Warbler before, but not for a very good look.  This one was in one of the people’s yards who encourage birders.  Just a record shot, which Bill did not want me to  insert here – but I couldn’t resist it because he caught it in mid-hop on this flowering fruit tree.

As we walked back to the car we spied a rather large lizard warming itself on the sunny side of a house.

Each time we walk down this road, we spy a Montezuma Quail – atop the gate of the of the houses with feeders.

This is probably the best we’ll do regarding these quail.  Oh well, maybe next year (oh, don’t worry I haven’t given up hope!).

March 20:  This morning we headed down the road to French Joe Canyon – although there were warnings about the road.  As soon as we took the turn, we headed right back out of there – it was horrible!  This will need to wait fort another car than this rental!

Plan B was a walk through San Pedro north area again – just past Fairbank, now a ghost town.  Along the river we found lots of nice birds again.  Here is a Cooper’s Hawk which, unfortunately, didn’t turn to face us (he has a beautiful white front with rust-colored horizontal barring all the way down).

A little later we found an immature Cooper’s – mostly facing us, although he doesn’t look anything like an adult (still a beautiful bird!).

Again we passed through hundreds of sparrows of many kinds.  This time Bill got a photo of a Brewer’s Sparrow (the kind that sings in flocks – like we heard the other day & again today).  It may be about the plainest, ugliest sparrow in NA – but what a beautiful voice!  I guess each of us, no matter our faults, has some redeeming feature!

There were (as has become common) many Vermillion Flycatchers along the river.  I can’t resist another photo of this one because he looks like he’s lit up with a lightbulb against this gray background!

Everywhere we go these beetles (a little over an inch long) are on the pathways.  I try not to step on them, but I know I’ve done it (poor little things – I didn’t mean it!).

Here is a nice group of trees we noticed along the river.

March 21:  Off to San Pedro south for a quick walk. We ran into the guy who knows the birds there who told us where to find the Inca Doves – but we were unsuccessful.  These doves are the ones at the top of my blog!  Hopefully we’ll catch them next time.  Very little sparrow activity, which is different, so we assume they’re starting their spring migration.  More Yellow Warblers around & lots of Vermillion Flycatchers.

On to Ramsey Canyon where we hoped to find some of the 14 species of hummingbirds that can occur there.  Unfortunately, none were at the feeders, although we spied one perched a little too far off to identify.  Too bad.  Our special find was a Black-throated Gray Warbler!  In a flock with several other species.  No photo – too high & no big camera today!  A willow tree’s green feathers blew gently in the breeze.

Spent windy Friday at “home” planning our escape next week.  On the 28th we will pack up & drive into Benson to a storage place to put everything we don’t need into a locker.  Then drive into Tucson to LazyDays RV where we will drop off the “beast”, unhook the Jeep & drive to the hotel we’ll stay at overnight.  Then off to the airport to return the rental car & back to the hotel.  Next day we will finish the paperwork which needs to be done & head off towards Vegas.  Not sure when it will be done nor how long it will take.  But we should get home April 1st or 2nd, depending on how the cats do travelling in the car!  ACK!  Keep fingers crossed.  One more blog to post next week and that’s it!

March 10:  Off to Portal.  A 2 hour drive east & south to the base of the Chiricahua Mtns.  It was a very cold morning -1 in Benson (+2 in Calgary).  We came across some very cold little Gambel’s Quails along the road, trying to warm up in the sun, all poofed up (if you’ll excuse the expression!):

This little town boasts an abundant number of hummingbirds – as well as other species which visit various feeders.  It is so nice that people allow birders in their yards in some places or to wander along the nearby road.  Patience & hard work obviously pay off, as Bill was finally able to get a decent shot of the Painted Redstart.  Another half hour holding his huge 12 lb. camera, watching the darned thing flit about in the trees above us, here it is!

Also had some good views of Mexican Jay.  Even though we’ve sent one before, we thought this was extra pretty:

We dropped into Dave Jensen’s yard, just outside town – another person who welcomes birders.  Finally got a nice photo of a Black-throated Sparrow.  We think this sparrow is one of the smartest-looking ones in NA – just like he’s dressed up for a fancy costume ball with mask & tux!

Hidden among the bushes was a common bird for us in Calgary – but we don’t see many down here – Spotted Towhee.

Outside town along the NM border we followed our bird finding book advice to Willow Tank – a man-made pond, which didn’t contain much water.  However, we found 2 new birds for our list (which, by the way stands at 210!).  A flock of Chestnut-Collared Longspurs landed at the pond.  Then a Prairie Falcon flew by with something dark in its talons (maybe a longspur?)!  On the way back up the road we found a Sage Sparrow (another very smart-looking sparrow, but no photo this time.

Our last stop was up Cave Creek – touted as aledgedly the best birding spot in America (perhaps we were too early?).  We didn’t see much, and certainly nothing out of the ordinary.  However, the surrounding Chiricahua Mts were very impressive with amazing formations.  I called this the voodoo formation!

March 12:  How hilarious!  We got up to visit San Pedro & were there before 8 AM.  Bill had a conference call scheduled for 1:30 so we thought at least we could get a morning walk in.  Well we did, but luckily we realized that AZ doesn’t go for daylight savings time (thanks to our financial advisor who is setting up another conf call for Bill) – so we called 10 minutes late. No wonder it was still so cold in the morning – we wore our warm jackets & gloves (it really  being 7 AM).  Our AZ car rental gives a warning which says “cold outside temperature” – HA!  That’s when it’s near 32 F!

We did however, have an excellent walk & by the end we were in our t-shirt sleeves.  We finally had a chance to photograph the Vermillion Flycatcher.  Here’s the lovely female with a blush of peach on her belly.

We were a bit worried we may not capture a male, since he was nearly gobbled up by a horrible monster!

He did however, emerge a victor in the end, holding it down by the nose!  Yay!

For some reason, we can’t resist the Black Phoebes which flycatch along the stream.  They are in good numbers and we see them everywhere around here.  So here’s another nice photo of one.

Near the pond are these beautiful trees, which Bill has shot many times, but a hint of green now shows.

In the pond a Great Blue Heron waited patiently for a meal.

On the way back to the visitor centre he photographed one of the numerous sparrows we see here – Chipping – a lovely rufous-capped bird. They are very common at home.

At the centre, we got a photo of some Common Ground Doves – aren’t they pretty?

There are some very large trees at the centre.  These lovely trunks show their lines of age.

March 13:  Arose at 4:45 AM to try to arrive at the Chiricahua National Monument near sunrise (almost a 2 hr drive).  It was impossible (although if we’d left the clocks on DS time, perhaps we would’ve made it?).  Nonetheless, it was a beautiful day and these mountains are definitely awesome!  My friend John recently did a trail ride with his friends here & also declared them awesome!  Here is a very small taste of 3 different areas.  No wonder they declared this a National Monument!

We also found a nesting site for White-throated Swifts & Violet-green Swallows.  Bill tried very hard to get a shot of either but they swoop around high wall faces so fast, it is impossible!  However, we found a male Arizona Woodpecker (photo of female on a previous blog) with a red crescent on his head.

A man at the visitor centre told us about the Whitewater Wash area near Elfrida which we visited on the way home.  The numbers of Sandhill Cranes put Cibola (in CA) to shame!  Here are just a few including a few Snow Geese at the front.

An elegant Great Egret fished in one of the sloughs.

We chatted with some people who were birding there & told us about the Great Horned Owl in the open barn structure at the parking lot – so we have added another owl to our list!  His mate is on a nest on a platform in the rafters.

March 14:  Back to Patagonia, an area we visited from Amado last month.  When we arrived at the Nature Conservancy lands we found a Broad-billed Hummingbird at the feeder.  Isn’t he something?

We didn’t stay too long nor find anything new – headed down the road to the Lake to look once again for the Elegant Trogon. Saw our first spring flowers – not sure what they are, but a fat black bee was enjoying them!

This is the 6th time we’ve walked these lands looking for an Elegant Trogon & luckily ran across an incoming birder on the trail who told us approximately where to find him.  We had to cross the stream, but there are a few good places where logs have been laid across – as the water is higher than earlier due to some rain.  Is he not just gorgeous!  For anyone who doesn’t know, he is just over a foot long with a 16″ wingspan, so a big bird!  He sat for the longest time while about half a dozen of us took photos & stared in awe!

It was the hottest day we’ve had on this trip so far – 32 in the shade!  We really sweated for this bird & as all my friends & family know, I don’t usually complain about the cold – just the heat!  The only time I’m willing to suffer heat is for birds!  It was a wonderful ending to the day.  Home to our air conditioned RV & the kitties!  This blog has had some of our most special photos so far!  Only 2 more weeks before we leave!

Mar 3/4:  Drove into Tucson to rent a car since we’re selling the Jeep & have made an estimate of the mileage (& don’t want to overdo it).  So we now have a little red Nissan 4-door sedan.  We are also investigating storage options, since we have to unload everything out of this RV until our Airstream is ready.  We’re considering a couple of places in Benson where it will likely be easier than driving into Tucson.  Not sure how  the logistics will work yet, but we definitely need a pet-friendly hotel to leave the cats as we negotiate RV & car back & forth.

We got our hair cut at the beauty academy, on the advice of the woman in the office of this RV park.  Bill has not had his cut since we left!  Holy Mackerel it was long & curly (pretty I think).  They did a good job on his.  I asked to have an inch cut off mine, but the girl cut off nearly 3″ & I can no longer get my hair in a ponytail without using barrettes on the sides.  I look like “the funny little Dutch girl”!  These are the chances we take when we leave home – oh how I miss my dear hairdresser Jackie!

Mar. 5:  Finally had the courage to visit Fort Huachuca.  Last year we tried to enter the but when they learned I was not a US citizen, we were turned back.  It was very embarrassing & Bill was really mad.  We knew it was a good birding spot, written up in one of our birding guides to SE AZ, hence the reason we tried to go there.  I called yesterday & was told that as long as I had a form if identification I could go through.  Not sure if the woman really knew what she was talking about, because at the gate, the guard said that as long as Bill is a US citizen & will be with me, we could go through.  Not sure if he was kidding or not (but I don’t think so).  Anyway, we made it.

Drove up Ramsey Canyon as far as our little rental car would take us (not as far as the Jeep).  Walked further up the road & spent about half an hour watching a Painted Redstart flitting high in the trees (got “warbler’s neck” watching it) & it didn’t sit still. Here’s the best photo Bill could get – just shows his red belly glowing.  Not easy to photograph busy little birds high up in trees!

Went on to Huachuca Canyon after getting lost (it’s a big base!) where we saw a pair of Hepatic Tanagers, M & F plus a few other birds.

Mar. 6:  Walked San Pedro Riparian area this morning before the wind came up.  It was very mild & we soon had our windbreakers off & tied around our waists.  What a wonderful day for birding – Wednesday is apparently, the day for guided birding tours (which we didn’t participate in).  Walking towards the stream the tall grass, yellow with dried flowers is as tall as I am.  Isn’t it beautiful!

Looking south across the grass to a small hill, the sky was almost hazy.

FINALLY we saw the Vermillion Flycatcher (actually 5 times, once a male with a female) – a truly spectacular looking bird which brings a smile to our faces every time (sorry, no photos this time).  We found a Gray Hawk sitting on a perch overlooking the pond.  A very pretty hawk found in SE AZ as well as a few places in TX.  Watched a Common Yellowthroat by the stream as it was being pointed out by one of the birding groups.  Had a quick glimpse of a Marsh Wren before it disappeared in the detritus beside the stream – it sang & sang for ages.  There were lots of other sparrows in this area including Vesper, Chipping, Song, Lincoln’s, Rufous-crowned – but no Black-throated today.  On the way out several Canyon Towhees were perched in a bush – here’s one taken with Bill’s big camera.  He only took the small camera with him on our walk. We’ll try again tomorrow to photograph a Vermillion Flycatcher!

March 7:  Another walk at San Pedro did not elicit a Vermillion Flycatcher, however the Gray Hawk was hanging around the pond.  Bill was able to get this shot – isn’t he lovely?

The patterns on an old log are interesting.

Here is one of the most common sparrows we see in the grassland – Vesper Sparrow.  Such distinctive face markings.

Back at the visitor center the usual suspects were hanging around the feeder.  He’s a beautiful bird as well as a singer – Lesser Goldfinch.  If you look closely, you will see a band on his leg.

On the way home I spotted a Zone-tailed Hawk, which we tried desperately to see in TX last year, unsuccessfully.  It is a Lifer & only I saw it, since Bill was driving down the highway!  Maybe it makes up for the Montezuma Quail?

March 8:  David’s birthday!  Happy to find out he got our card in time!  It took Alastair Usher’s card 3 weeks to get there!  Also Rosemary’s BD & she got my card also.  Yay! My dear friend Sandy returns from Hawaii tomorrow & I can hardly wait to hear about her trip & have her return to her blogs!  I’ve missed her!

The weather today is very windy & a few showers, so a day of work.  Tomorrow is supposed to also be windy and the high only 9C!  So 2 days inside.  However, it supposed to get warmer after that with highs in the high 20’s by Friday & sunny.  Should get a few trips in this week then.  We’re also watching the Brier – and hoping Alberta is over its horrible start!  It has now won 4 in a row, so fingers crossed!

Here it is – the last few days before moving to Benson.  Sometimes it seems the month has flown by – sometimes it seems we’ve been here forever!  Whatever we feel & despite the cold mornings & some snow, we’ve really enjoyed the birds of the area & our stay in Amado.

Feb. 25:  At 5:30 AM is was -6 here & in Calgary, +2.  Oh well.  We took our last walk at Arivaca, just up the road 23 miles.  Some lovely sightings, though no photos.  The first bog was still frozen, but when we got to the pond, it was open & we saw lots of great birds, including a new one:  Rufous-capped Sparrow (no photo opportunity).  A very pleasant walk – then on to the other trail nearby where it was quite quiet.  A few woodpeckers and not much else!

There were border guards at the 2nd parking lot – we see them everywhere.  They travel by horse, ATV, plane & 4-wheel drive vehicles.  They pass by us on every road we are ever travelling on – going both ways.  We haven’t found them to be too bad & are always prepared with passports.  We have to go through a checkpoint each time we come back to the RV park from the south (even after dinner in Tubac!)  We usually get waved on, since they are looking for Mexicans (I guess we don’t look the part).  Most times they ask, “both US citizens?” – then I admit to being Canadian, they look at my passport & wave us through.  At the more rural stops, we have even bantered with them about birding!  On the main hwy (19) near us, at the big stop where many, many large trucks pass by, they have canines on duty, usually German Shepherds – very impressive working dogs!

Feb. 26:  Our last walk at Box Canyon in the Madera Valley.  No Rufous-capped Warbler today (nor Montezuma Quail) – but lots & lots of birds.  Must have seen close to 40 species today.  Bill did take a few photos & I insisted he take one of the Coati who frequents the bird feeders near the gift shop.

When we walked up the road we found an Arizona Woodpecker at the feeders near a little house – the only brown woodpecker in NA – almost all the rest are black & white.  She is a female (without the little red head crescent of the male).  Quite pretty I think.

We also found some Yellow-eyed Juncos, which we’d driven miles up to Mt. Lemmon to find previously.  Here’s an even better photo than the last one.

When we got home it was 4:30, so I didn’t have much time to thaw something for dinner – so we went out to Elvira’s again!  Great meal.

Feb. 28:  Yesterday was a “day in” for work.  Today is our last day here & we walked the De Anza trail just south of Tubac.  Here is our surprise bird today – a Peacock!  They are kept by a rancher along the road, but are not fenced in.  I assume they are fed & stay close to home.  There are 3 males & 3 females as far as we could see.

The other great surprise was a Plumbeous Vireo – a LIFER!  It is also the first vireo we have seen, so spring is slowly coming.  No photo, but good enough views to identify it.  Yay!

March 1st & we’re off to Benson!   Our site  is located nexxt to the “natural wash” & our neighbours (from Port Elgin, ON – George & Shirley) have a bird feeder.  We have seen the beautiful Black-throated Sparrow feeding there – certainly one of the smartest looking sparrows in NA!  Still trying to get a decent photo (watch for it!).  They asked what the cardinal-like bird was which wasn’t as red – so we told them it was the Pyrrhuloxia.  What a name, they thought!

We headed off to San Pedro Natural Area for our first walk along a stream & to a pond.  We saw a Yellow-headed Blackbird at the feeder at the visitor centre, which is a new one for our list.  Nothing else new, but a gorgeous day for a walk (I dare not say too hot, although at 25C, a little above where I’m comfortable).  Here is a photo of the beautiful trees in this area:

With the border nearby & Fort Huachuca, there is a dirigible “spy” balloon flying – here it looks like it it tethered to the moon!

We went on to the Nature Conservancy lands nearby to walk Ramsey Canyon, where Bill saw another new bird (but I didn’t) – Hutton’s Vireo.  This place is famous for about 14 species of hummingbirds.  None were visible today at the visitor centre feeders, but we’ll visit again.

March 3:  Bill needs to work today – so laundry & cleaning for me.  We are going to rent a car tomorrow for the rest of the month, since we are selling the Jeep.  Our mileage will be about what Bill estimated – once we drive home.  Plans are starting to take place of how to unpack in the storage place we have found, then leave the RV at Lazy Days (where we bought our airstream & traded in the “monster”).  Still lots to see around here, so stay tuned, as spring advances & with it more new birds!

We have now realized that frost is a reality – and snow!  Here’s what we saw out our window the other day:

We have had to scrape the car most mornings this week.  One of the fellows I talked to here said he just waits until it warms up before going out!  Ha! Not if you’re a birder!

On a rather somber note, the lovely Hepatic Tanager we put in our blog earlier was seen taken by a hawk at the feeder in Madera Canyon the other day.   (…sigh…)  Mother Nature…

Feb. 17:  Visited a new area just west of here – Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge.  The first walking trail borders the small town of Arivaca & is wheelchair accessible, so a lovely smooth walk along creeks & water.  Lots of birds including the very gorgeous Pyrrhuloxia (another great-named bird, like the Phainopepla).  Here are a couple of shots of a male:

Isn’t he lovely?

We also found a beautiful tree (maybe oak?), not yet in leaf:

The day was so beautiful, we decided to go again – and include a drive to Lake Arivaca (which was a disappointment, since it was so low).  But there were beautiful pink & green rock formations in the hills:

Feb. 18:  Drove back to Buenos Aires NWR, took a short walk through the creek area & stopped at another trail by a dry creek – not much activity.  Headed further west & south to the Antelope Driving Loop, where we were looking for 4 types of Quail:  Montezuma, Scaled, Gambel’s & Masked Bobwhite (which was nearly extinct, but is coming back due to the establishment of this wildlife area).  They used to roam a large area of northern Mexico & southern Arizona.  We didn’t see any quail at all, but quite a few other species, including one of the widest ranging birds in NA – Horned Lark:

We’ve now had two “home” days – with laundry, cleaning & Billwork.  Weather sunny yesterday but very windy – rainy & snow today.  Heavy snow at times (photo at the top).  At least there is time for reading.  I’ve been enjoying my “escape” books – this time Anne Perry’s detective novels with Thomas & Charlotte Pitt.  I’ve read over 20 of the nearly 30 in this series.  Bill’s escape is sci-fi.  We’ve also been watching the TV series “Enterprise” (which we purchased before we left)  – the prequel to Star Trek.  What fun!

We did however, head off to Patagonia to look for the elusive (& yes, still elusive) trogon.  Here are a couple of shots of the snow as we headed to the lake:

Once the sun was up for awhile, it melted most of the snow, so it was pleasant to walk at the Nature Conservancy lands where we saw the Javelinas munching on the watercress (yes, I finally found out what the green plant was growing in the stream).

Feb. 22:  Drove into Tucson to visit the Desert Museum at Saguaro National Park – sort of like a zoo.  We don’t have an easy time enjoying animals who are caged, but still were inspired by the beautiful wild cats – Bobcat & Mountain Lion:

The Cactus Wrens (not caged) were out in full force, singing to beat the band & boy can they make noise!  They are the largest & one of the prettiest wrens in NA so I can’t resist including this photo of one poking & poking at this hard seed which always bounced away.  He must’ve tried 10 times until he finally gave up to find something else to eat!

It was wonderful to see the jewel-like hummingbirds in the apiary – Costa’s & Anna’s:

Feb. 23:  Freezing overnight again – more scraping of car windows!  But we just drove 10 minutes down the road to Tubac to the De Anza trail where we found quite a few species including a pair (m & f) of Hepatic Tanagers!  At the top of this blog I wrote about my sorrow hearing a hawk had taken one at the feeder in Madera Canyon, HOWEVER, we ran into a man who saw one there just the other day.  So there are more – YAY!  Bill also took this photo of the darling Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (4 1/2″).  They flit about and hardly ever sit long enough to have their photo taken.

We also stopped at Paton’s feeders where this lovely, colorful array of birds was displayed (top l-rL White-crowned Sparrow, Lazuli Bunting – bottom l-r” House Finch, White-cr. sparrow).

So we’ve been having a good time despite the weather.  My Bill is such a great photographer eh?  Only a few more days until we move to Benson!

Maybe I shouldn’t complain, but we didn’t flee Canada to deal with freezing temps nearly at the Mexico border!  I guess last year’s experience in Texas (a bit further south, influenced by the Gulf of Mexico – warm & humid) wasn’t quite a reality for Arizona!  Also, reports say it’s been the coldest winter in 50 years here.

Feb. 9:  Upcoming – 4 nights of temps of -4, -3, -4, -1 then 0!  At the moment I’m creating this blog, it is only 4 deg warmer here than in Calgary (which is experiencing another Chinook)!  It’s also windy, so the rest of the laundry got done & Bill worked on processing his photos (which are 2 years behind the times!).

Feb. 10:  -4 this morning – ACK!  Nonetheless, it was sunny so we drove just a little south of here & walked for a couple of hours on the De Anza Trail.  We didn’t see anything new, but because it is along the river, we found a dozen or so species of birds.  The Rose-throated Becard is a famous sighting in this area (2004), so ever-hopful birders keep returning.  A lovely day for a walk, despite the cold morning.

Feb. 11:  When I checked Calgary weather, it said -4.  When I checked Amado weather (where we are), it said -4.  There is something wrong with this picture!!!  It also rained quite a bit this afternoon – but it is something they can really use.  I keep waiting to see the “blooming in the desert”, but apparently that will happen around the end of Feb/early March – if there is enough moisture.  Fingers crossed!

Feb. 12:  This morning we were planning to do a short walk because Bill has some work to do.  When I checked the weather, Calgary was -2, Amado was -3 with freezing fog!  Last evening the rain turned to snow & I took this photo out our window (because I didn’t want to go outside-hence the blurriness) to show the snow on our neighbor’s black bbq :

We decided not to do a walk, thinking we might even seen dead birds!  High is only supposed to be 11!  So another day “in”.  YUCK!

Feb. 13:  When I checked Calgary weather at 6 AM, it showed +2 in Calgary – here in Amado it was -5.  What-the,,,?  We needed to get out though, so drove down to Patagonia to walk  the Nature Conservancy land there, which was closed last time we visited.  We needed gloves, warm coats & hats to start off, but once the sun got up a bit, it did warm up.  Lots of bird activity along the beautiful little stream, which was covered in something like duckweed (not sure what it it) – very green amongst the tans & brown everywhere else.  Ruby-crowned Kinglets were flashing their ruby crowns at us (well, there were many around, so I guess they were feeling their oats!),  These tiny birds (just over 4″ long) often nest in the tops of fir trees and are very hard to see & hardly ever get to see their ruby crown (sorry, can’t see it here!).  Here’s one for you:

Black & Say’s Phoebes flitted about but perched just above the water for wonderful views in the sunlight.  A large flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers bathed, drank & did some flycatching  also on the stream.  We were on the alert for a Rusty Blackbird which had been sighted & I was lucky to spot it as I was looking at a Gila Woodpecker, being right in the same binocular view – saw its bright yellow eye glowing from irridescent black background!  It is new for the list & we added 2 more:  Brown Creeper & Western Screech Owl!  The owl is a LIFER!  Here he is (he is only 8 1/2″ tall), sunning himself from his nest hole:

Here also is a Brown Creeper – who can walk up & down tree trunks searching for insects (he is only 5 1/4″ long):

Feb. 14:  Went off to Madera Canyon again to find the Rufous-capped Warbler.  Bill found it, although I didn’t see it, as I was following a Winter Wren (which was also unusual for the area & a number of birders were seeking it here).  Unfortunately, the warbler was gone too quickly for a photo.  Next Bill found the elusive Montezuma Quail!!!  A LIFER, but unfortunately I didn’t see it either, being a few feet away looking at something else – ACK!  Since we will likely never get a photo of this very attractive quail, here it is (photo from the web – not Bill’s):

We found 37 species on this walk – an excellent day!

Feb. 16:  Bill had a conference call yesterday morning, so we just took a short walk on De Anza Trail where we only saw 6 species!  We still enjoyed the lovely day for a walk.  Today we headed out early to Patagonia to photograph the Western Screech Owl in the morning when he has sun shining on him (photo is above),  Lots of other photographs today but wanted to add this very cute Bridled Titmouse (only 5 1/4″ long):

We stopped at Patagonia Lake campground where the trogon is seen, but didn’t find him today.  Nor the Ruddy Ground Doves which were reported.  Still had a nice walk there.  We were pretty pooped after 4+ hours walking!  Imagine how Bill felt carrying that humongous 12 lb. camera & lens!  Came home & had a nap!

Went out to Elvira’s in Tubac (the artsy town just 15 minutes south of us) for Mexican food – what a great place!  Amazing atmosphere also with crystal glass teardrops hanging from the ceiling which are lit with different colored lights throughout the evening.

To all of our dear family & friends north of the 49th, this may seem hard to believe,  but the trees are “budding” and the birds are singing!

We stopped for 2 days in Quartzsite again to go to Cibola Wildlife Preserve – where we added a White-tailed Kite to our list!  What a gorgeous bird & one we saw & photographed many times last winter in TX!  Also added Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, though we didn’t get a photo to confirm.  It would be rare for this area, but had a great view & we played its call on the iPhone – a match!  We heard a chorus of meadowlarks singing – what a lovely sound – must be hundreds in the area.  It was such a nice day with low wind & temps around 20C.  There were Snow Geese here this time along with Ross’ & Greater White-Fronted.  Also lots of Sandhill Cranes.  Oh, they are so elegant & sound  wonderful!

The Ranger reported that birds are starting to move – spring is in the air!  Just look at these two:

Maybe it’s an omen because the cats settled in pretty close together the other day (which is unusual) so I photographed them with my iPhone (like my friend Sandy does!).

That’s Sasha on the left & old, blind, Tyrian on the right.  Sometimes even grumpy old Tyrian gets “in the mood” & turns over for a tummy rub (yup, spring!).

Feb. 2:  On to De Anza RV resort, located just south of Green Valley (which is south of Tucson about 45 minutes).  We needed to make a trip into a big city to do some shopping so integrated it with a visit to Saguaro National Park which is just on the west edge of town.  Just to prove we’re back in the land of the Saguaros:

We didn’t imagine we’d see anything different than we have already, but really enjoyed the drive and a few short walks.  Came upon a pair of Curve-billed Thrashers (yes, another of those many types of thrashers!!):

They were considering a nest site in a cholla cactus nearby & sat singing for us!  Oh and they really have a wonderful song – if anyone has the iBirdPro app on their phone, just listen and check it out!  Also saw Pyrrhuloxia,  several types of sparrows including Black-throated & Lark (2 beauties), & Gilded Flicker. Weather was great – what an enjoyable day!

Feb. 4:  After a day “in” for Bill to work & watch the Superbowl, we headed for Patagonia.  First walked the park at the lake where we again missed the trogon – but added many new birds – our favorite was a Canyon Wren, 2nd prettiest wren in NA, next to Cactus.  Then on to the town of Patagonia where we had lunch & visited the local people who have set up bird feeders which attract all types of hummingbirds – as well as others.  We saw all 3 towhees:  Aberta, Canyon & Green-tailed.  Here is the green tailed for your amusement:

Feb. 5:  Headed up to Madera Canyon to see the Rufous-capped Warbler (only place it is seen in NA.  We saw it last year but didn’t have a camera, so Bill lugged his huge 500 lens & camera up the dam & along the stream (several crossings) – but to no avail!  We unfortunately didn’t see it but added Black-chinned Sparrows to our list.  We will go again.  It was a lovely day for a hike anyway, so we certainly enjoyed it & got lots of exercise!

Feb. 6:  Came back to Madera, but went up the right-hand road to walk the entrance area hike & added Swainson’s Thrush.  Also stopped in the townsite to a feeding station where we saw a couple of birds we thought worth showing you.  The first is a Mexican Jay – especially for Veronica (although we sent her one last yr).  We figured everyone is sick of seeing black & brown birds!

Next is a lovely Hepatic Tanager in a green tree:

Also saw some “turkeys in the straw”:

Before heading home, we birded along the road & came upon a very exciting bird – a LIFER!  I have looked with longing at the picture of this bird in the bird book for years – Painted Redstart!  These 2 photos are merely a record – not anything Bill would publish on his DVD’s, but I just had to include them – a front view, showing a cherry red belly – and side view a little of the white flashes which show up even more when they fly.  Their little white under-eye half-ring make them look “bleary-eyed” (which they aren’t when you watch them flit madly about)!

So by now everyone knows how much we love birds.  That does not, however, prevent us from eating one every now & then:

Feb. 7:  Headed up to Mt. Lemmon – which is described as “like driving from Mexico to Canada”!  Sort of like the Palms to Pines Hwy in Calif – but we ascended to 8000 ft this time (Idyllwild is only 6000 ft).  We were assured by some ladies we saw at Madera Canyon that we would fine Yellow-eyed Juncos for sure – & we did!

And here is a scenery shot for your enjoyment.

On our way home, we stopped in east Tucson at the other half of the Saguaro Cactus National Park.  I have been looking for a “crested” saguaro, like my friend John saw & sure enough we found one (it was shown as “cristate saguaro” on the sign post).  To me it looks like a girl with curly hair waving “hi”!

Other beautiful cacti live her as well:  Barrel cactus & Prickly pear.

Feb. 8/9:  Forecast to be extremely windy – so staying in for laundry, cleaning, etc.  Also rain overnight, more wind, so 2 das “in”.  Unfortunately, the forecast is scheduled to be below zero for 4 nights in a row at -3, -3, -3, -1!!  We’re pretty close to Calgary temps – YUCK!  Oh well, we have warm clothes & once the wind dies down, the birds are still out there.

Yesterday (Jan. 27) we walked Big Morongo.  It got a bit windy (& cool) so we didn’t stay too long.  No new birds, but some nice views of Nuttall’s Woodpecker & Bewick’s Wren.  Bill took a few bird photos with his small, easy-to-carry camera & also snapped some scenery shots.  Well, those shots turned out so well, we went back again today with his good camera & took more.  Here is a sample, which gives a little idea of some of the scenery around Big Morongo Valley:

We had some great views of the Calif. Thrasher – but as usual, Bill’s camera didn’t work.  Actually the card dropped out of it onto the ground, which we saw as we turned to leave the place we were photographing from.  (I don’t know what it is with him!)  Anyway, the thrasher landed not much farther away – so this is what we got (not the greatest, but a record):

Jan. 29:  We are now leaving the area of famous names.  Where else could you have a lineup like this:  Temptations & Four tops (Jan. 19); Earth, Wind & Fire (Feb. 2); Don Rickles & Tony Orlando (Feb. 8); Bonnie Raitt (Feb. 16); Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (Feb. 24); Willis Nelson (Mar. 1); Stevie Nicks (Mar. 2); & Paul Anka (Mar. 30) !!! (Well, I guess Vegas)  All at one of the local casinos.  And we will no longer be driving the Gene Autry Trail, Dinah Shore Rd., Bob Hope St, Gerald Ford Dr., Frank Sinatra Dr.,  & who remembers Fred Waring Rd?!  We leave the snow-capped peaks of the San Jacinto & San Bernardino Mtns as well as the dimpled hills of soft grey, brown, tan & red.  We hope to leave cold weather & wind behind too!  We enter into the realm of the saguaro cactus – which make me smile a lot (so many need captions)  🙂

We’ve been struggling with a decision about this damned RV – well, a decision has been made!  We will eventually be proud owners of a new 28′ Airstream trailer!  We’ve been deliberating for several days – wondering if we would miss the space in this vehicle – wondering if we would feel more comfortable pulling a trailer – wondering if there would be enough room to live more comfortably, which we didn’t in our 23′.  Would there be enough kitchen counter space?  Certainly the bedroom would be better, since we have adapted twin beds in this motor home but it makes it hard to walk up 2 steps to the rear of the vehicle to retrieve clothes, etc. (due to huge storage compartments underneath the vehicle)!  How do we feel about driving this vehicle now?  I can honestly say that I feel about as tense as Bill does while driving – & hold onto the armrests for dear life until we arrive at our next destination, exhausted!  Last time he drove it, he said he felt more comfortable – but today suggested he was just “talking himself into it”!   We have 2 months’ rent paid to the places in AZ where we plan to stay until the end of March, so will remain in the TRIP until then.  Then we’ll drop it off at the RV place in Tucson & head home.  The Airstream will likely not be ready for awhile after that, so we’ll have to return to pick it up.  We will drive a car to tow it (likely an Infiniti, which we’ll organize when we get home, trading in our Jeep Grand Cherokee).  I do NOT want to drive a truck – nor can we park it in our underground parking – it’s too big! The final details haven’t yet been worked out.  More later!

Jan. 20:  A lovely, calm morning in Desert Hot Springs, though somewhat windier at Big Morongo.  Found out there are 2 scheduled birding walks each week – Saturdays & Wednesdays.  We want to find the quail, so will join one next Wed.  Nonetheless, this morning we went found 2 more lifers:  CALIF. THRASHER (which looks very similar to Crissal Thrasher which we searched for in Las Vegas).  They were singing & courting, so easy to spot – even a decent photo, but really just to identify, not to post here.  Then we had another surprise:  WRENTIT, another lifer!  We didn’t expect this one because its range is slightly west of here, but were able to confirm its identity in a photo as well!  Yay!

Jan. 22:  A beautiful morning to be up early & off to Joshua Tree.  As a matter of fact it couldn’t have been a nicer day with mild temps, sun & hardly any wind!  We walked in our short-sleeved t-shirts!  We have only done this about 3 times since we left Canada!  Not too much to be seen in the birding dept but lots of photo ops.  Here are couple showing a very large Joshua Tree & rocks.  This tree is about 20+ feet high & apparently the largest in the park is 45 feet.  They do not indicate where it is located!

Jan. 23:  A few clouds with sunny breaks – off to Big Morongo group birding walk!  Unfortunately it was a bit of a bust.  There were over 30 people (which makes it impossible for everyone to see & identify birds (especially if you’re short like me!) – plus the leader wasn’t much of a birder, but relied on others to make identifications.  So we split off and did our own walk.  We had found out from the expert (who was obligated to stay home for a conference call) that chances of seeing a Mtn. Quail here is pretty much nil!  We will try elsewhere.  Nothing new, but a very pleasant day for a walk and some nice views of a pair of Calif. Towhees singing & foraging.  Also several Bewick’s Wrens singing.  We ran into 2 SK women who we’d seen before & helped them identify a Nutall’s Woodpecker.  They’re from Sasktoon, so we always have a soft spot for birders from SK.  I think they’re beginners but are very enthusiastic, which we love.

Weather has changed to clouds & rain for a few days, so indoor activities:  Bill working, I’m cleaning – and we catch up on our recordings of the Australian Open tennis matches.  Very sad that Serena Williams lost – but I guess it’s time for the younger generation to take over!

We have finally broken the 150 mark in our species count.  Currently at 154.  Really we have no particular goal for out count, but would love to add a few more lifers!

Jan. 25:  A rainy day which is a rare treat in the desert!  Hoping it’ll bring some flowers in the desert, so may try Joshua Tree Sunday.  Nonetheless, we drove out to Salton Sea just to check out a couple of areas & see if we could spot any new shorebirds.  No luck, just hundreds of gulls feeding on Tilapia, which are prolific in this sea.  Some of those gulls could hardly swallow the fish, they are so big.  Didn’t stop them though – they just persevered until is went down!  I’ve seen them do it with starfish on the west coast – unbelieveable!

We’re still struggling with worry about this motor home – trying to decide if we should get rid of it and buy another Airstream trailer (a bit longer than our 23′ one from last winter).  Many decisions – influenced by more fixes still needing to be done to this beast.  We take it in Jan. 30th for some repairs, then go on from there back to AZ.  We’ve been visiting car dealerships, to see what vehicles are available which could tow a trailer since we don’t have room for a truck in our garage in the condo.  More research necessary!