Day #1-Sierra Vista, Cochise County, AZ
With a 5 a.m. departure from AJ, Hinde Silver and I arrived and were birding by 8:30 at San Pedro House and Trails in Sierra Vista. It seems amazing that the drive was that quick by taking back roads at 45-50 mph before picking up I-10 at Picacho.
We headed for the trail along the San Pedro River, a northward-flowing stream originating in Sonora Mexico. Wind was mild compared to what it would become later.
Sotol Palm
Hawks were in the air, most relatively high overhead. The only photo I managed was of a juvenile dark-morph RED-TAILED HAWK.
Hinde on a side trail
After a nice long walk in the desert habitat, we returned to trails around the house located on the property. Sparrows and goldfinch were feeding on the ground and at feeders. Always a treat, a PYRRHULOXIA (female) was also present.
A Red-shafted NORTHERN FLICKER also provided a photo op, showing off its red under tail.
After two hours and 1.7 miles of casual birding, we were ready for some lunch. At Mimosa Restaurant, we devoured a 12-inch pizza, before heading to Miller Canyon that we discovered was closed until next spring. That was a partial clue as to why we saw so few birds, perhaps.
Ash Canyon B&B is still a haven for birds so we spent over an hour there mostly sitting on benches at various places throughout the re-designed location. Hinde and I birded separately so as to not miss much of anything. The bird-inviting layout lends itself to good photo opportunities.
Male Pyrrhuloxia
ACORN WOODPECKER
CURVE-BILLED THRASHER
MEXICAN JAY at the water feature beside a bench
Day One Checklists:
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S121744590
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S121757569
Day #2 - Patagonia Lake State Park, Harshaw Creek Road, and Paton Center for Hummingbirds
Patagonia Lake State Park Birding Trail
Here is the list of bird species we found at Patagonia Lake State Park. Winds were on the rise and birds were hunkering down. We walked the trails for about two miles and came up with the following species. No photos. With the wind high, I had my camera with me but closed.
21 species
Mallard 6
Ruddy Duck 4 Photo
Pied-billed Grebe 1 Photo
Mourning Dove 1
Anna's Hummingbird 1
American Coot 3
Double-crested Cormorant 2 Photo
Gila Woodpecker 1
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4
White-breasted Nuthatch 3
European Starling 1
House Sparrow 3
House Finch 7
White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel's) 22
Great-tailed Grackle 10
Common Yellowthroat 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 8
Black-throated Gray Warbler 4
Northern Cardinal 1
Pyrrhuloxia 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S121795087
Unfortunately, my closed camera is something I'm still regretting. Our best and most memorable sighting was a group of RING-TAILED CATS. Hinde spotted them first. I thought maybe Coatis, but these were smaller and much closer to the ground. They exhibited some similar behaviors such as curling around as if to hide. But the first dozen we counted shocked me so much I hadn't opened the camera. Then there were more. Located in lush green ground cover, the body of this second group of Ring-tailed Cats was barely visible above the grass. But its plain brown tail, as long as its body, was carried high in the air as with the others but without the clear dark and light rings. I'm still ecstatic about seeing them. Not yet having taken the time to research this, I'll check it out more thoroughly. There is no doubt that the first dozen were Ring-tailed Cats, even though they are described as nocturnal. We may have awakened them.
Internet photo of Ring-tailed Cat below:
Paton Center for Hummingbirds (Patons' Yard), Santa Cruz, Arizona, US
Surrounded by mature trees on every side, this location has an amazing number of birds that come to various feeders of seeds, suet, and hummingbird fluid.
Female Northern Cardinal (with juvenile White-crowned Sparrow below)
Male Northern Cardinal
Orange-crowned Warbler
Inca Dove
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
White-breasted Nuthatch - above and below
Tall leafy trees were swaying in the wind, bending first in one direction and then the other creating a wave effect. The yard itself was quite protected.
After we drove out Harshaw Creek Road for several miles with no birds in sight, we drove north to Sonoita where we would spend the night. Air was already chilling.
Through a picture window on the second floor of our Inn, I was able to take a few distant photos of Pronghorn (antelope) in the grasslands on the south side of Rt. 82.
Below is the eBird list for the Paton Center birds:
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S121804695
Day #3: - Las Cienegas NCA South Entrance and Santa Cruz Flats: Baumgartner/Wheeler
Knowing that the temperature had dropped considerably overnight, we didn't head out to the car until after 7:00 a.m. I found the car covered in a thin layer of ice where condensation had frozen. It wasn't so thick I couldn't jerk the car doors open, so we packed for home, then headed to the south entrance of Las Cienegas Grasslands.
Many RED-TAILED HAWKs were perched up as if they planned territories for feeding.
One here; one there; one farther over, etc., etc. Counting fifteen (total) was a remarkable count for me.
Juvenile Southwestern Red-Tailed Hawks
The most unusual sighting in the grasslands was a pair of Dowitchers at a cattle pond. As a passenger, Hinde spotted them out her window so I stopped slowly and quietly. I couldn't discern precisely but entered them into eBird as Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher. They flushed before I could get a photo, of course.
HORNED LARK were foraging in the road.
CHIHUAHUAN MEADOWLARK were abundant, below.
After two and a half hours of driving slowly through the grasslands, we turned toward home, leaving sufficient time prior to commuter traffic to explore the east side of Santa Cruz Flats on our way up the highway.
Santa Cruz Flats-Baumgartner/Wheeler hot spot (within a 5-mile radius)
Skipping the cattle farm at Red Rock, we did bird across the street from it picking up a number of Brewer's Blackbirds and lots of White-crowned Sparrow.
We saw eight more Red-tailed Hawk at this location as well as two American Kestrel.
American Kestrel
It's always a thrill to catch sight of a CRESTED CARACARA. We spotted two but no good photo, but if you don't know the bird, below is one from my files.
Crested Caracara
Closer to the residence on Wheeler, GILA WOODPECKERs were having a picnic in the olive trees and later, the pecan trees.
Including all the driving we do at and around birding spots, we covered a total of 540 miles.
See eBird lists below for Day #3
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S12184049
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S121849694
* * *
