Friday, September 9, 2022
Day One:
Leaving home at 5:25 a.m., the temperature in AJ was 84°F. Arriving at Canoa Ranch Conservation Park south of Madera Cyn at 7:45, the temperature was 76°.
You may wonder why I travel so far just to see birds. But wait until I tell you about a woman I met later.
First, a pit stop at the clean porta-potty at this Conservation Park. Wind gusts had me hanging on! My mind went quickly to an experience at Cape Blanco, the farthest western point on Oregon’s mainland. As a volunteer at its lighthouse and adjacent gift shop, regular high winds were watched to see when to abandon our post. Preparing to leave on one such occasion, I noticed the porta-potty had blown over. Huddling against the wind, I walked up that way and was I surprised! A tiny dark wren was looking around wondering where its shelter had gone. A PACIFIC WREN! - A Life Bird! (probably my most serendipitous such Lifer)
Winds today at Canoa Ranch were far lower than 60 mph, but still tough to find birds perched up for photos. Songbirds flew up and immediately back down into another section of grasses/weeds.
But it felt good to walk there.
The usual Spotted Sandpiper hid successfully in reeds; I neither saw nor heard it. On the rippling pond, several domestic Mallards were swimming together. So, the REDHEAD, below, joined them.
Among the 26 species I located there in a little over an hour were: a pair of VERMILLION FLYCATCHER, WESTERN KINGBIRD, and SHARP-SHINNED HAWK.
Heading down I-19 to Tubac, I pulled into Ron Morris Park to eat a mid-morning sandwich. Watching the sky for potential migrating birds, there were no particular migrants coming through in that short time. So, I drove back a short distance, parked, and set out on the Tubac-deAnza Trail. Usually, there’s a portable bridge (raft-like) to walk over the Santa Cruz River. Well, that river was running high and fast! Someone had pulled the bridge to safety on the east side. I was on the west side!
Thus I walked on the west side trail.
With a quiet GRAY HAWK flying over soon after I moved forward on that trail, I got excited about possible good birding. Later, meeting a gentleman with a dog walking in my direction, I asked if there was any spot where the river narrowed where I might cross to the east side. He suggested I walk to the downed cottonwood tree and use its wide trunk for a crossing.
Good idea until I saw it. I found a walking stick. I looked at my camera and bins around my neck. I looked at the crown on the trunk and decided I’d return the same way I came out—west side.
Luckily, I found a congregation of passerines. They weren’t singing, but were feeding and scooting about. Warblers: NASHVILLE, WILSON’S, ORANGE-CROWNED.
Tanagers: SUMMER & WESTERN.
Also: WARBLING VIREO & DOWNY WOODPECKER.
The sport of identifying these quickly moving birds captured my attention. I missed some, for sure, but to see birds not prevalent in my local ventures was a thrill. Too much vegetation for any good photos.
GRAY HAWK (file photo)
TROPICAL KINGBIRD with a long forked tail
Although I intended to stop at Amado Ponds, winds were still high, and my spotting scope is less stable in winds. No accurate IDs that way.
That put me into Madera Canyon where my first stop was the Picnic Area where a number of good bird sightings had been posted. The area was very wet from the fast-running spring water in the stream and, although I searched, I found no Waterthrush there. Other birds were so quiet, that I didn't even bother with a list. The most surprising sight was the two young women coming down from the higher elevation on horseback.
It was 2:20 p.m. by the time I settled on a bench at the tree-shaded end of the bird-viewing area at Santa Rita Lodge. Good choice. The RIVOLI's HUMMINGBIRD (male, female, and juvie) were hitting that feeder most frequently. The shade provided optimum conditions for its gorget to show well. Adult male only, below.
It was then that I met the young woman who had traveled much farther than I to see these birds. Petra was from Germany!! She's been coming to North America for several years just to see mostly hummingbirds, but other species as well.
At 3:00, I checked in to my Casita after arranging with Petra that we'd ride up to Mt. Wrightson trail parking lot to listen for Owls around 7 p.m. The only one we heard was a good one: the WHISKERED SCREECH OWL, with its series of toots.
Bird Lists for Day One:
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S118471477
DAY TWO: September 10, 2022
Although I had considered driving Box Canyon over to the Grasslands, I changed my mind on my way south when I passed Red Rock from I-10. It occurred to me that I should check to see if any Crested Caracara were back. And, it was closer to AJ.
At the Red Rock Feedlot, the west entrance to the Santa Cruz Flats, I birded from the car spotting nine (9) species total. No photos of the mostly blackbirds and doves.
Then, I drove toward the known birding spot Baumgartner/Wheeler on the east side of the Flats. My posted eBird report covered a 5-mile radius of the exact spot mentioned. One of the best finds along the way was a WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE.
If I had spent more time walking the tree lines beside agricultural fields, I might have been able to ID many more sparrows and HORNED LARK, but it was hot. I was thrilled to see three (3) separate GREATER ROADRUNNER; five (5) RED-TAILED HAWK that included one Intermediate (colored) Adult; five (5) AMERICAN KESTREL and many BARN and CLIFF SWALLOWS.
And, yes! I did spot one CRESTED CARACARA at the far end of an ag field, thus the poor photo.
Below is a closer view of a CRESTED CARACARA, taken in 2021, also at Santa Cruz Flats.
Pleased that my CRV was giving me 30.6 mpg, I had logged 425 miles from start to end, including all the running from one good location to another. Well worth it!!
Bird Lists for Day Two:
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GAMBEL'S QUAIL scratching for breakfast
