Tucson & Mt. Lemmon, Pima County, AZ - for Two Days

Wednesday & Thursday, July 13 & 14

Day #1
Leaving the Phoenix area in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, Marcee Sherrill, Susan Fishburn and I arrived at our first birding destination a little before 6:30 a.m. Formerly known as Coachline Gravel Pit, this Santa Cruz River Open Area has become a birders’ urban dream-location. A couple years ago, the river broke through a dam and flowed into what was then a very well known and highly used Disc Golf Course. The Town of Marana decided it was more cost-effective and environmentally friendly to maintain it as the immediate lake it had become in the flood (thank you, birders) than to repair the dam.

Summertime is not the best time to find water anywhere but there was a remnant survival pond still viable close to the berm where we walked. 

Flycatchers, swallows, sparrows, finches, waterfowl and other desert birds provided us with 20 species in 40 minutes. Winter brings a greater variety of waterfowl and a great supporting cast of riparian songsters.

Vermilion Flycatcher

Only because I wanted to visit with the “BLUE GOOSE” at Christopher Columbus Park did we head that direction not far from our first stop. Back when I birded in Virginia, I always scanned the hundreds upon hundreds of Snow Geese that wintered at Back Bay Wildlife Refuge for the one with a white head but dark body — then known as the “Blue Goose”.  

In today’s world, this goose has been brought into the Snow Goose family as a dark-colored morph. I have no idea how it landed at Silverbell Lake in Christopher Columbus Park nor how long it's been there, but after seeing a recent Facebook post of the bird, I wanted, for old time's sake, to see and photograph it up close. It was in the shade of the middle of the island.


Dark-color morph Snow Goose (formerly "Blue Goose")

Heading out, then, across Tucson, east toward Agua Caliente Park, we would attempt to locate a Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet and a Purple Martin for Susan’s list.  Before reaching the park, we spotted our first Purple Martin and there would be more when we reached our destination. 

Although the tyrannulet eluded us, I was pleasantly surprised to see a male Blue-winged Teal swimming around in the main pond by itself. It’s not the most common wintering duck and generally arrives later in the Phoenix area. Perhaps it caught an early wind.


Same Blue-winged Teal in two photos above; different lighting
Under a hazy sky, the temperature was already 91°F before 10 a.m.  So, we were glad to get started on the drive up to the higher and cooler elevations of Mt. Lemmon to explore the different birding habitat in the Coronado National Forest. 



Did you know that Mt. Lemmon was named after a woman? 

Sarah Plummer Lemmon was the first white woman to scale its peak (9,157’).  She and her husband, John, from Santa Barbara, were botanists who honeymooned in the Catalina Mountains. With the help of a local rancher, E.O. Stratton, they trekked to the top by foot and by horse in 1881.

Taking Marcee's air-conditioned Subaru up the paved Catalina Highway (Mt. Lemmon Road) suited me just fine.  We passed by many of the lower elevation desert birding habitats to reach places we suspected of harboring more variety of birds. 

First stop: The Visitor's Center known as the Palisades Area. I stayed outside to watch the one hummingbird feeder. Broad-tailed Hummingbirds seemed to own the spot until a large Magnificent Hummer arrived when they pulled up and let the big bird in!


There were 5 Broad-tailed Hummers at this feeder at one time. Hard to see the 5th - left)



We spent only 20 minutes there before heading to Bear Wallow where we would park the car and follow a trail into the forest.
Susan Fishburn & Marcee Sherrill


We heard and saw numerous House Wrens but they love to move about in tangles and wood piles so photographs of it are tough and rare for me to get.

House Wren that must have paused for half a second


Summerhaven, as its name implies, is home to many desert dwellers during the hottest months of summer.  We took time to observe the bird feeders at the realtor's office. Male and female Black-headed Grosbeak and a White-breasted Nuthatch were frequent visitors along with many other birds.





Getting hungry, we decided to bird Marshall Gulch at the end of Summerhaven and enjoy the picnic tables in the shade.








The Yellow-eyed Juncos (above) were glad to see us and came close to the picnic table. Note the difference between the top "mature" bird and the juvenile at the bottom that still has dark eyes, striped head and underneath feathers.

With sustenance, we continued on up the mountain where the temperature at 2 p.m. was a mild 77°F.  Yay!  We walked the trails and roads up beyond Ski Valley toward the observatory but not out to that restricted area.

Of all the birds we saw up there, the most interesting were the Western Bluebirds. The juveniles weren't timid, but the adult male stayed far off.  So far off, I kept wondering if it might be an Eastern Bluebird because I couldn't see its blue throat/neck feathers. The photo confirmed it was Western.





We had one more stop on the mountain we wanted to make before returning to Tucson. Since Marcee used to live in this area and spent a lot of time on Mt. Lemmon, we were lucky to have her showing us some of her favorite spots. 

Mt. Bigelow Road was a place she didn't want to miss. And, I am so glad. It provided a rather interesting, if not hilarious, forest drama for us.  I watched them for at least ten minutes!

Following a commotion, we came upon two adult American Robins attacking a young Red-tailed Hawk who was simply staying on the limb it occupied and watching them.  

This went on for some time with the hawk not moving a feather. Once it noticed us, it moved its head away from the robins who quieted down.






Since it takes almost an hour to get down the mountain, we were ready for dinner by the time we reached E Tanque Verde where we would spend the night before venturing up the hill again in the morning.

Day #2
It was almost 8 a.m. when we reached Incinerator Ridge high up on Anna Lemmon's mountain. But what delightful birds!  We were greeted with a feeding flock and song seemed to be coming from both sides of the road we walked.

Some of the new birds for our trip included Plumbeous Vireo, Anna's Hummingbird, Greater Pewee, Bushtits, Black-throated Gray Warbler and Red-breasted Nuthatch. Red-faced Warblers kept popping up everywhere!  Marcee and Susan spied a Red-tailed Hawk waay out in the forest.



This first walk of the day proved to be the most satisfying for me of our two-day birding trip. When we reached the end of Incinerator Ridge, I took photos out over the mountain/valley








We also managed to get some hawks in flight (Gray Hawk and Zone-tailed) -- one on each day which are reflected in our eBird lists below.

Wrapping up at the Iron Door Restaurant to watch the hummingbird feeders and other birds at the top of the mountain, we drank lots of fluids even though the temp was a cool 71°F.


Yellow-eyed Junco on the railing beside our table out on the deck of Iron Door Restaurant

Marcee and Susan

Common Raven that was using a "caw caw" voice [just beyond the deck]

This adult of the Interior West shows white forehead marks
 not seen on other geographically located Steller's Jays


With close proximity to these birds topping off our morning, we decided that if we wanted to avoid commuter traffic to our respective homes, we should probably head down the mountain. We had not yet visited all of Marcee's favorite spots, but have saved some for the next time.  I was able to get home by 4 p.m. - over 110°F. but with cool memories.

In two days, we logged in a total of 63 species and enjoyed various interactions of and with the birds.

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Birding Cochise, Santa Cruz and Pima Counties, Arizona

JULY 2, 3 & 4 with Muriel Neddermeyer



What better way to spend the July 4th Weekend than to celebrate our FREEDOM.
We were two women free to make the decision to leave our homes to go birding approximately 200 miles away.
We were two women free to execute that decision by driving ourselves to our destination in Sierra Vista and arranging appropriate lodging.
Not every woman in the world can do these things. Freedoms tend to erode when they’re not recognized or used. It seems a small thing, yet I’m grateful.


Day #1  Saturday, July 2nd
After a 200-mile drive to Sierra Vista, Muriel pulled up to our target bird’s known location on Moson Road at 6:45 a.m. and parked immediately because we were looking at this rare Gulf Coast visitor: SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER. 

Male Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Having seen this bird in Texas on several occasions, I was now observing it for the first time in Arizona - what we birders call a “State Bird”. 

It was being harassed by four Western Kingbirds and eventually took off, flying over our heads.  Other birders assured us it would be back within twenty minutes. It’s a beauty, so we waited.

Rising from the grasslands surrounding us were songs of unusual sparrows to us desert birders: Botteri’s and Cassin’s, the latter being the first time I had heard or seen it this year-- - making it a Year Bird. I got totally absorbed with the sparrows until the star of this show returned. Taking Center Stage whether it perches on top of a tree, on a fence, or a weed, this is one magnificent and tantalizing bird.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher catching an insect  [Photo by Muriel Neddermeyer]
It wasn't easy leaving this bird but we had many others to see in this Southeastern part of Arizona, one of the premier birding locations in the world.

 Second stop: Miller Canyon. Muriel wanted to see the Northern Goshawk that I had visited two weeks ago. Hopefully, it will still be around. 

I led us to a trail in the general area -- not the specific area where the goshawk had zoomed in on me to get out of its territory -- but we neither saw nor heard this infrequently seen bird.

 We lucked out when, back on the road another birder shared his sighting of a Gray Hawk nest we could spot deep in the forest tree. We spotted two young birds in the nest.
Gray Hawk nest with two fledglings [Photo by Muriel Neddermeyer]

We also had a very close look at a Western Wood-Pewee's nest right along the road. 
Nestling Western Wood-Pewee [Photo by Muriel Neddermeyer]


Adult Western Wood-Pewee returned to protect young in nest above [Photo by Muriel Neddermeyer]

 We walked on up to the hummingbird feeder area at Tom Beatty's place where we saw a good number of species EXCEPT the White-eared Hummer that had been reported recently and one I really like. While many people have access to only one hummingbird in their area (Ruby-throated-Eastern USA) and some have no access to them, we saw four species during our brief visit: Broad-billed, Broad-tailed, Black-chinned and Magnificent (males and females of each).

 Tom told us the young goshawk had now fledged so that our best chance of seeing the birds(s) was to walk back and forth along the dirt road. YES!  Muriel got her ZOOM fly-by from the adult bird while the juvenile stayed perched on a limb quite a distance beyond the road.
Adult Northern Goshawk perched not terribly far from where I stood after it buzzed Muriel farther down the road
it's still looking back at her

Juvenile Northern Goshawk deep in the forest
Knowing that Mary Jo's Ash Canyon B&B with its birdy habitat and outstanding number of feeders, jam and peanut butter containers and orange halves was close by, we drove up there. I had not yet seen a Scaled Quail this year so I was hoping to find one in that area that is surrounded with grasslands. We enjoyed watching the action among Mexican Jays, Bullock's Oriole, Hepatic Tanager and the usual White-breasted Nuthatch and other birds. A fly-over Gray Hawk was another feel-good sighting; it's a small gray hawk but beautiful to watch. No Scaled Quail appeared during our visit.

 That left Ramsey Canyon as our next destination. Lack of sufficient sleep last night was beginning to catch up with me so I was glad when Muriel asked if I wanted to walk up Bledsoe Loop. Of course! That will wake me up. And, so it did.

 We spotted a Cooper's hawk nest in a tree above the trail. Although well camouflaged and well above my head, it appeared to have two young birds. The adult came in to feed once while we watched the action.

Two fledgling Cooper's Hawks were visible

Dark clouds were gathering over the mountain; thunder growled in the distance.  We skipped a visit to Brown Ranch to wrap up our day with a bite to eat at a popular local restaurant with good food. Buckets full of rain poured down while we enjoyed a meal that supplemented our fruit, nut and sandwich snacks all day. After filling up, we were more than ready to check into our motel.


Day #2  Sunday, July 3rd
Birding has taken me to many places in Arizona. When I look at the map of SEAZ, though, there was one place I had never visited. Earlier in Springtime, I had called the Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch to inquire about appropriate procedures for visiting and was told if I wanted to see birds, the best time would be during the monsoon season. That time is NOW!
Because of their work, this National Audubon Society project restricts public access and permission is necessary.

 Distracted by nearby wildlife and those rare monsoon sparrows (Botteri's, Grasshopper and Cassin's), we stopped frequently for photos along Upper Elgin Road before reaching the turn-off for the research ranch.
As close as I've ever been to a Pronghorn. Taken from car to side of road.
Habitat of the grasslands includes many yucca, mesquite, live oak and blooming prickly poppy
Prickly Poppy commonly known as "Cowboy Fried Egg"
Me and my little camera - SEAZ grasslands

Pronghorn along Upper Elgin Road

Grasshopper Sparrow

Bottteri's Sparrow
We finally reached our destination and while talking outside her residence with Dr. Linda Kennedy, the director, I spotted several Scaled Quail near her front door. I excused myself and tried for some pics but the birds were too quick. There were two adults and a young right there and two more possible adults at road's edge.  So! I saw my Scaled Quail "Year Birds".  They have a cute little cotton-ball crest but since I missed the photo op, this is from the internet.

We spent two hours driving the roads and birding the grasslands of the research ranch and were delighted to have the opportunity for such access. I've never posted 19 Botteri's Sparrows on one list before and that is a conservative count for the ranch. 
Eastern Meadowlark





One of the researchers told us that most of the meadowlarks are Eastern, not Western; and that the majority of the Eastern are the "Lilian's" southwest subspecies.

 After wrapping up there, Muriel drove into the south entrance of Las Cienegas grasslands, a route I had never taken. We stopped at the:


During her springtime visit, the place was dripping with birds.  Today, not so much. . . but we collected ten species including the brilliant and active male Vermilion Flycatcher.

 In an effort to see another difficult Target Bird, we drove over to St. David where we birded  Golden Bell Road without finding the Mississippi Kite that's been reported there. Trouble is, the bird is usually seen flying over Route 80 through town and traffic was thick today. So, we went into the bird-friendly Holy Trinity Monastery around 2:12 p.m. with the temperature 95°. Was surprised to see other "crazy" birders arrive at this time of day to enjoy the pond area where we had the Tropical Kingbird and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. They, too, were really after the Kite.

 When we left there, we drove up toward Golden Bell Road once more and BINGO! - there is no mistaking a Mississippi Kite - we saw our bird fly over the highway and into the top of a tree where it landed. Yay! Another State Bird.

 Since we hadn't yet birded the San Pedro House and River, we headed south again. But our long day was catching up with us and we didn't stay long.

 Muriel had never visited the EOP (Environmental Operations Project), so after a quick stop along Moson Road where we picked up another State Bird, Common Nighthawk, we stopped and visited the deck at EOP where birds were scant but loud.  

After a ten-hour birding day, we got a bite to eat, tallied up our lists and submitted them to eBird before crashing for another night.

 Day #3 Monday, July 4th
Up early again, we had eaten breakfast and checked out by 6 a.m. Today was a big day for Muriel. If we could find the Black-capped Gnatcatcher at Florida Canyon, she would reach her 500th Life Bird.

 So, I was pleasantly surprised at how often she stopped to bird along our short-cut on Greaterville/Box Canyon Road. Birds were everywhere along the dirt road that we had to ourselves so I was glad she was taking it all in. It took us an hour and forty minutes to drive the 11 miles over to Florida Canyon from Route 90. For wooded, semi-grassy habitat we saw 36 species that we knew.

 Then, we arrived at Florida Canyon.  When we heard birds, we stopped and Muriel almost immediately said, "It's them!"  I got out slowly, brought up my bins and stared. Dang!  She's good! 
Black-capped Gnatcatcher; mostly white under tail; long beak [Photo by Muriel Neddermeyer]
Yay for Muriel!  LIFE BIRD #500.

 From Florida, we drove over to Madera Canyon to Santa Rita Lodge and the hummingbirds. We were hoping to see the rare Berylline Hummingbird that had been seen there recently. Instead, Muriel landed a Plain-capped Starthroat -- a bird I had waited to see for four hours (without success) about a month ago.
Plain-capped Starthroat; Santa Rita Lodge Hummingbird Garden [Photo by Muriel Neddermeyer]
Another Year Bird for each of us.




 By this time, we knew there had been a sighting of a Purple Gallinule at Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson, so we decided to stop there on the way home to see if we could find it as a State Bird.

 Over 100°F when we arrived, it was a hot trek over to the southern deck of Keyhole Pond where, again, Muriel found our target bird while I was looking at two Common Gallinule. The Purple "chicken" was very close to us.
If you can get past the amazing colors of this bird, take a good look at its feet! [Photo by Muriel Neddermeyer]
We were more than ready to get back to the car and head home after such a rewarding and intensive bird outing. Muriel was great company and we each added to our sightings for this year.

We saw a total of 107 species.  I saw 8 Year Birds of which 4 were State Birds.
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