Southern Arizona, Santa Cruz County and parts of I-19 Corridor, Pima County, AZ

October 4, 5 & 6, 2019 [Friday, Saturday & Sunday]

Day #1: Pena Blanca Lake, Nogales, AZ

With a late get-away from the Phoenix area on Friday morning, Hinde Silver and I arrived at Pena Blanca Lake in the early afternoon, 1:30 p.m.

It had been four (4) years since my last visit there when I had joined Susan Fishburn and Barb Meding to see the rare RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLER that was up from Mexico in February of 2015.

RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLER 2/7/15 (from my files)

Susan Fishburn (R) & Barb Meding (L)

Today, I had no agenda other than showing Hinde a new nifty birding place to check out.  And, I wanted to explore more of it than I did four years ago. With stops at both the Upper and Lower Thumb Rock picnic areas, we were impressed with the development of the sites with concrete picnic tables, concrete steps down the rather steep hill to a trail leading to the low end waters of the lake. Birds seen in those areas included SUMMER TANAGER (male), GREAT BLUE HERON perching on a high boulder looking down into the lake; RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW, a couple Kingbirds and a dozen or so AMERICAN COOT.

Only a few cars were at Pena Blanca Lake’s large parking lot where Route 289 ends. It’s not a large lake, but had you asked me that at the end of my bird outing, I might have given you a different answer. Due to an unfortunate miscommunication, Hinde and I birded separately. Mine turned into a physical endurance adventure; hers, a bit different…

As I had headed toward the restroom, Hinde told me she’d meet me at the trail head.  It took me awhile because I started across the parking lot without my water and needed to go back to the car. Well, she wasn’t at the trailhead. Thinking she had wandered along a bit, I set out to catch up with her.  After a while I figured we were not using the same trail. I was seeing birds and expected that she was, too. Texting didn’t work; no service here close to the border. 

And, what can I say?  In the wild protected nature that’s available to us citizens, I’m in my element. Surrounded by trees, rocks, boulders and desert plants, I’m breathing deeply and relaxing. Not a bit lost — I’m more or less at lake’s edge — I keep walking. By the time I come to a stream and  cross it, I know for sure that Hinde would not do that on her own. Yet, I kept going. Now, the path is less clear but others have walked through the area and I find a way that leads to one of the developed picnic sites.  Yay!  

After climbing the concrete stairs past several picnic tables to the flat top area, I try texting again. Nope.

I did it the old-fashioned way. I let loose with my “alley oop” call that is not enunciated words but a sound that just comes out in a rhythm and tone that cuts and carries well through the woods and over water. It worked effectively with my children and my golden retriever. Having never heard it before, will Hinde respond?

Yes! She gives a call back. We yell at one other in sentences that the trees grab hold of before they can reach our ears. Each of us get one word through:  CAR.  Meaning, of course, meet there. From Hinde’s location, I thought she was directly below me on a trail. And, now, she would know that I was okay…some 75 minutes since I left the parking lot.

My plan was to follow the graded road into Thumb Rock back out to Ruby Road (#289) to easily walk back up to the parking lot. Shocker!  I wasn’t at either of the Thumb Rock areas; I was at 39F - whatever that is. The entrance road looked suitable for off-road, but I know I didn’t drive in on it.  And, I wasn’t even sure it went back to the highway. With my sense of direction, I knew I needed to keep the lake beside me. Getting my bearings then from my higher elevation I was about even with the dock. I figured I was about half way round the lake. It looked challenging but doable to go forward; probably shorter than turning back.

Off I went walking the steep rocky bank with some trail (animal/human) and lots of boulders. Time consuming since my hiking stick and shoes were still  in the car (planned trail was easy). I was grabbing on to tall grasses for support in lieu of tall spiky yucca plants and an assortment of thorny bushes.

When scree sent me sliding at one point, I stopped by putting my foot into a root of a yucca. It gave me the idea that if done carefully, this would get me down off the boulders closer to shore and maybe a better trail. So, little by little I slid down (hoping the seat of my pants would hold up). Oops. A bit of a drop off here. Low enough I could stretch my short legs down beyond the overhang to within inches of the drainage….where I walked on. 

Fishermen still fished. The lake was calm. Yet, my vocabulary descended. Drainage spread widely; I needed to take on the boulders again. Up is easier and I went safely step by step….until the lake was hidden but still below me. Later, when I came to a clearing, I was appalled and happy.  Appalled because the dang lake had two arms I hadn’t counted on.  Happy because fishermen were still out there and, if need be, I might need to become a damsel in distress.  Picture that!!

I sat on some nice red rocks taking in the whole of my situation. Drinking water was getting low. Holding onto and walking up or around boulders is not my everyday activity so I was feeling weak and tired. The point of land across from me looked like I could swim it without trouble, fully clothed. How good that would feel on my growing number of chigger bites! Binoculars and camera…that’s another story. Of course no swimming.

It was my way of giving my mind a chance to go with any and every option to wrap up my “birding” right at this moment. When what to my wondering eyes should appear . . .?

A man on a paddle board!  If he comes close enough to shore, I won’t need to scream my lungs out for help.  

“Sure,” he said. Just sit on the nose and I’ll paddle you back to the dock!  Just like that!  

Two LEAST BITTERN gave me a treat by flying in front of the reeds as we approached the dock within five minutes. He returned to his Friday afternoon paddle, as I hauled myself up the boat ramp toward the car. 

Obviously, later that evening, Hinde and I developed a plan for future birding to account for the well being of both of us should we ever get separated again or, better yet, not get separated.  It may be why my daughter-in-law, Kelly, insisted during our visit in Spain, that I should never get out of her sight.

My Bird List for the Lake totaled 20 species. 

Fortunately, the remainder of our trip was less arduous. 

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S60415546

Day #2: Saturday, October 5, 2019

Patagonia Lake State Park Birding Trail

Harshaw Creek Road

San Rafael Grasslands

Patagonia Town Park

Paton Center for Hummingbirds

At 58°F under mostly clear sky, Hinde and I began birding the trail at Patagonia Lake State Park at 7:10 a.m.  Thinking I would have several areas from which to use my spotting scope, I lugged that along. Did use it at the bird feeding station to view the lake more clearly so it got some use but water must have been quite high over the summer leaving the far end less easily accessed. At first, the place seemed quiet as were we. Over time, though, birds began to chirp and zip from tree to tree.  

WESTERN KINGBIRD

Probably having already spent an hour covering various parts of the birding trail, we came upon a feeding flock of many birds in berry bushes along Sonoita Creek -- where they also bathed. No pics, but two YELLOW WARLBLER cleaned up nicely there. We saw, probably, 80% of our species right there!

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S60415950

I took a mid-morning break at the Gathering Grounds in Patagonia for a second breakfast and both of us picked up a large muffin for the next morning when we would be leaving prior to its opening hour.

Our drive, then, along Harshaw Creek Road gave us many Kingbirds to view (mostly the common WESTERN & CASSIN'S) but no Thick-billed (more rare).  A few desert birds, a couple woodpeckers and a single ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER rounded out our sightings on that road.

WESTERN KINGBIRD

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S60430577

Definitely into the worst part of the day for birding, we continued on along the San Raphael Grasslands that were extremely quiet - not even raptors in the sky.

CASSIN'S SPARROW

"LILIAN'S" EASTERN MEADOWLARK  (Southwestern species)

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S60430679

Returning to town, then, we took a break before birding Patagonia Town Park (wide median between McKown Ave and Route 82) and Paton's Center for Hummingbirds.

Paton's claim to the VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD proved itself worthy with not only a brilliant adult but a handsome juvenile.  Sun was low in the sky; trees surrounded us; I didn't even try for a photo.

Another sighting of interest was Chris Rohrer with Michael, Bonnie Lilley and Sherry Cameron! Very pleased to meet Bonnie Lilley with whom I'm friends on Facebook.

Mosquitoes were interested in all us humans! Hinde and I lasted 45 minutes before concluding we had seen everything of interest at this hour. Perhaps pizza was on our mind?!

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S60431017

Day #3: Sunday, October 6, 2019

Returning home by way of the I-19 Corridor, we stopped at Tubac's deAnza Trail to look again for the ROSE-THROATED BECARD. The Mexican birds were quite vocal high in the tree tops and even seemed to come closer to us for a better "human" view -- but didn't reveal themselves. We make up our own rules for what we consider a "Life" bird, so I don't know if Hinde took it this time or will wait for next Spring when, now that she knows where to look, she can go find it at nesting time when both male and female are present and flying about.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S60431775

A quick stop farther north at Amado Ponds gave us a nice list of sightings. My camera seemed to be on the fritz after having banged it against more than one boulder on Friday. Birds were distant anyway so I pulled out the scope to be sure we found everything on the water. The sky was productive, too, with a couple hawks and a TURKEY VULTURE.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S60431935

In the past, Madera Canyon would have been our next stop.  But we've discovered a richness at the still-developing Canoa Ranch Conservation Park, so we stopped there.

Skipping the pond, we headed back to the corner where we might find the DICKCISSEL that eluded us last time, but no luck. It was birdy though and as I stood beside a tree with small birds apparently mobbing a larger bird, out flew - right toward me and over my head - a very white under-winged big bird. Silent, Hinde and I both guessed "Owl"...and were right. 

Brian Nicholas walked up to us to see how we were doing.  He said, "Oh, you've seen our BARN OWL!".  Yay!  That may be my first of the year. 

BARN OWL - my most recent photo taken in an old building at Santa Cruz Flats 1/21/18

Brian is a bird leader there on certain days and was out on his own earlier but wanted to return to the GRASSHOPPER SPARROW location and wondered if we might want to join him.  He allowed as to how one of the DICKCISSELS might be out there, too.  Of course, we joined him...as did another couple.  

GRASSHOPPER SPARROW are small grassland birds.

GRASSHOPPER SPARROW (file photo taken 7/3/16 Upper Elgin Road, Sonoita)

Rarely do I see more than one at a time, but today - they popped up briefly on various shrubs or moved through the grasses to piles of limbs.  One stayed low in such a pile, giving us great looks but through so many sticks I didn't even attempt a photo.  Great day!

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S60432661

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