With high summer temperatures lingering into the final week of September, I checked the weather in the White Mountains. With an unusual two sunny days in a row forecast up there, I decided to throw my gear together and go!!
Thursday, September 27th:
Ah! Just the drive through open space where aspen leaves were turning a hint of yellow, seeing pronghorn in the fields and a NORTHERN HARRIER flying low along grasses beside Route 260 East, made me feel very glad to have sought out the higher elevation.
What shocked and surprised me were:
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| I had slowed because of the young one aiming for the highway and stopped immediately. Then I realized it was a large herd of BIGHORN SHEEP. |
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| Large ram was one of another group of six on both sides of this fence |
Couldn’t resist taking time for photos. They were across the highway from that big reddish cinder cone along 260E (toward Eager).
As if that wasn’t sufficent indicaton of my having a good day up there, as I pulled into the entrance road for my first birding stop at the South Fork of the Little Colorado River, a very white hawk (as seen from below) came flying toward me. Jumping out of the car, I got my binoculars on it and confirmed what I suspected: SHORT-TAILED HAWK! What is that bird doing up here?? It’s usual and rare location is SE Arizona. I knew I had to get a photo but by now, the bird had flown into the rising sun and I lost it temporarily. By the time, I refound it, the SHORT-TAILED HAWK was way off in the distance. The sun was interfering and I never got an identifiable photo of the STHA. The Broad-winged Hawk (also short tailed) is much darker and its head color wraps around its neck and throat. This bird was so white below, I’m thinking it may have been a juvenile. It showed black fingers on the wings; a black band at the end of its short spread white tail and its “white panels” toward the end of its wings were brilliantly white in that early sun. Quite a rush!!
After crossing the bridge and walking up the paved road to the corner, I heard a GRAY CATBIRD off to the left. That was new spot to hear that bird but I entered it into my field notebook.
Returning to the bridge, I heard and then saw a BELTED KINGFISHER at the east end of the pasture/grasslands and found a GREAT BLUE HERON perched on the usual snag by the bridge - often a good spot to find woodpeckers.
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| GREAT BLUE HERON
Back at the bridge, as I followed a path along the stream to the east, I heard a beautiful song between two birds. It wasn't a robin song; who is that??
Finally, I located two of them: TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE - in that same thrush family as robins.
The TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE were in the pines and other tall trees singing away. (I counted at least four.) I stood and listened for some time before walking on. They were still singing when I wrapped up later. Not far from the Solitaires was a good-sized beaver dam that I chose to use for a standing spot. Good choice.
No photos, but soon a GRAY CATBIRD flew out from the shrubs across the stream and landed a bit downstream. It called back to another still in the shrubs.
AMERICAN ROBINS were present, too.
And, as I walked back to the car, LESSER GOLDFINCH were calling its descending whistle sound.
Continuing on, then, to the South Fork Campground, I continued to hear good birds:
PGYMY NUTHATCH, MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, NORTHERN FLICKER, AMERICAN KESTREL, and a WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH among other expected species.
Morning was fast disappearing; it was noontime when I reached Butler Canyon Trailhead in Greer. The absolute worse time for birding! Birds seem to lie low between noon and 2 p.m.! After eating a sandwich I had carried, I began the walk up 8600-9000' to search for two elusive birds (for me this year): WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER and AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER. It was cool among the fire-scarred but still live very tall pine trees, aspen and undergrowth. The American Three-toed Woodpecker favors burned bark so I took my time looking up and down each trunk on each side of the trail. In no hurry, especially at high elevation, I moseyed up and around, taking two hours to cover the one-mile loop trail.
Four woodpeckers but not the one I was seeking! HAIRY, DOWNY, RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER and NORTHERN FLICKER gave me good but quick looks.
It had been an early-morning start and I was slowing down. Driving to the end of the Greer Road, I checked out the trees and stream there but found a family swimming/splashing around in it so I left.
Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area was the last spot for the day. While my hopes had dimmed for finding a Calliope Hummingbird there, I was still startled to hear that a cold spell two days previous had sent all the hummingbirds away! Still, Sipe is a nice place to stroll and I spotted twelve species in an hour. Among them was this Red-shafted NORTHERN FLICKER.
Friday, September 28th:
Beginning my journey homeward with two major birding stops along the way, I reached Pole Knoll at 7:10 a.m. where I was able to find a pair of WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER.
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WESTERN BLUEBIRDs were flitting all over the place.
Spending over an hour there was delightful! There were other birds, it was a comfortable 55°F, and I was breathing fresh air. And, I had found one of my nemesis birds for this year, the WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER.
But that meant, I needed to hike the Mt. Baldy #94 Trail at Sheep's Crossing. That was my next stop and that hike, too, was pleasant.
A RED-TAILED HAWK cut through the trees like an accipiter! Was amazed to see its red tail!
It wasn't terribly long up the trail before I saw a woodpecker fly into a tree, maybe three back from the trail. Not knowing specifically which one I saw, I guessed it was the rare one I was searching for. When I stopped and listened, I heard pieces of bark hitting the ground...and smiled. That's my bird! The AMERICAN THREE-TOED doesn't always drum like other woodpeckers, but will flick the bark aside to get a grub or two. I found it high up! Then, with the speed of a hummingbird, the male flew in and passed the female, landing on another nearby tree. Wow!
There were other birds around so I continued up the trail. At an opening I heard GRAY JAYs now known as CANADA JAY. (Its name was "Canada Jay" from 1772 until 1957 when the American Ornithological Society changed it to "Gray Jay". After debate this year, the committee restored the species' official common name (9-1).
The CANADA JAY'S habits remain the same as ever. It can be loud and noisy, but among people it appears curious and unafraid. Several worked their way forward from the forest to the opening, coming closer and closer.
To me, the CANADA JAY is a handsome intelligent social bird; I like the bird, by whatever name it's known!
Also present were the typical forest birds. After getting the CLARK'S NUTCRACKER, I found a path down to Sheep's Crossing and birded that area prior to heading home.
The highlight down Sheep's Crossing was the SWAINSON'S HAWK that flew in. Immediately, the RED-TAILED HAWK, deeper in the forest came flying out to send the Swainson's away from its territory. I chuckled but then realized I had a heck of a walk in front of me all the way back to the car at the Mt. Baldy #94 trailhead!
Til next time.
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I love it up there. I would have been so excited to see those bighorn sheep. What a lovely surprise!
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