Babs' Birding Experiences : Madera Canyon area in Santa Rita Mountains, Pima & Santa Cruz Counties, AZ

Sunday, March 1, 2020
On this week's outing with our community birders, we had our best luck at Madera Canyon's Santa Rita Lodge and Kubo B&B.

With overcast sky and a breezy temperature of mid-50's, birds were scarce at 9 a.m. as we searched the Madera Picnic Area and trail for the Elegant Trogon. Other birders were saying the same thing: "Where are the birds?"

L-R: Roxy, Gloria, Glenda, Judy, Karen

Obviously, birds came to the feeding stations, so after an hour of pursuing our "target" Elegant Trogon to no avail, we drove up to Santa Rita Lodge (in the Santa Rita Mountains). There we could finally do our thing: BIRD (as a VERB).

Along with me, Gloria, Glenda, Roxy, Judy and Karen couldn't call out the many bird sightings fast enough! Roxy stuck with the hummingbirds for her joy!

RIVOLI'S (formerly MAGNIFICENT) HUMMINGBIRD (above and below)

BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD

A superb find was the HEPATIC TANAGER showing brightly in a large green-leafed tree.

One of my favorite woodpeckers, the ARIZONA, showed up for us.

ARIZONA WOODPECKER

Seemingly always present at this feeding area, the ACORN WOODPECKERs were chasing one another or noisily calling out.

While WILD TURKEY are often present, I'd never seen as many as we counted today. Because they would leave and return, there may have been as many as 35.

Two Tom Wild Turkey (Gould's)

During most of our time at Santa Rita Lodge, we kept an eye on a critter resting on a cabin roof. Finally, someone went into the gift shop and inquired as to what it might be.

Giving us little to go on in its curled sleeping posture, it was easily identified when it awoke and stretched.

White-nosed Coatimundi

Later, at Madera Kubo Cabins we saw some more good birds.
Below, a YELLOW-EYED JUNCO appears to be watching Karen watch a ground-level bird!

Two BRIDLED TITMOUSE at feeding trough.

One of many ACORN WOODPECKER throughout the canyon, this one was preparing for takeoff.

The WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH is one of those birds that will run both up and down a tree - or, in this case, a squirrel-protected feeding canister.

We topped off our day with a venture into Florida Canyon looking for the Black-capped Gnatcatcher - another bust. But it felt good to find a few birds out in the fields.

The long day was really fun since the birds were very different from our desert habitat ones.