Day 8— Saguaro National Park West, Sabino Canyon, Mt Lemmon

Thursday, April 26, 2008

Trying to beat the oppressive heat, we got up early and were in Saguaro NP West by 7:00, wet bandanas around our necks and Tilley hats in place. We birded around the Red Hills Visitor's Center for a bit, marveled at the forest of saguaro cacti marching up the hills, and drove the Scenic Bajada Loop. See map.

At one point on the loop we could see the Avra Valley Wastewater Treatment Facility's vast rectangular settling ponds in the valley. These ponds are listed in our Tucson Audubon's  Finding Birds in Southeast Arizona guide as a birding hotspot and the best places to spot water birds near Tucson. Winter would be the best time to visit the ponds, however, so we passed them up. Several days later, when birding with Jeanine McCabe, we were told that since 2011, entry was restricted and could be difficult. The bird on the cover of our guide, BTW, is a Montezuma Quail. Though we tried, we spotted nary a one. Lots of Gambel's Quail, though.

Even at this early hour, birding was slow, though we saw the usual cactus wrens and woodpeckers. Also several lizards emerged to bask on the
sun-drenched dirt road. But, by this time Cactus Wrens, Gila Woodpeckers, and lizards were old hat. Birding was slow, heat was high, so at 9:38 we decided to drive across the valley to Lower Sabino Canyon Recreation Area and then climb to the coolness of Mt Lemmon again, this time with a sandwich and our bird guide.

At Lower Sabino Canyon we took a tram to Anderson Dam at the ninth and last tram stop. Our tram guide was very knowledgeable. She explained the origins of the rock formations and named the trees, flowers, and cacti we were seeing. Sadly most of these names are lost to my memory. We got off at the last tram stop and walked down several stops, my leg enjoying the downhill and not painful for some reason. Walking along near us was a Hasidic Jewish couple he, a Topol-sized man with hat, payot, beard, and dressed in  traditional black with white shirt. I remember that he was not wearing the traditional black jacket but was in vest and shirtsleeves. His wife was dressed modestly in long sleeves and long dress, her head wrapped turbanlike. I cannot imagine how this couple was enjoying the walk in the searing heat. While we hopped back on the tram at Stop 6 and rode it to Stop 2 at the dam near the Visitor's Center, this couple walked the nearly 4 miles back to the Visitor's Center. When I congratulated the sweaty couple on their feat, he smiled proudly.

Green means water: The green cottonwoods and willow below tell us that there is a stream with water in it

The guide pointed out this Blue Paloverde. Foothill Paloverdes often live for over 100 years and may reach 400 years. In contrast, Blue Paloverdes grow faster and die sooner, rarely reaching the century mark. During their short flowering seasons, both species are clothed with thousands of five-petaled yellow blossoms. They attract numerous pollinators, including beetles, flies and social and solitary bees. The trees can photosynthesize through their green bark, an important adaptation for a tree that drops its leaves during the warm season and in response to fall cooling. Paloverdes also drop stems and branches to combat drought. (Internet explanation)

Water at the dam near the Visitor's Center. Notice the lush green trees in the background.

Prickly Pear cactus blooms along our walk back to the Sabino Canyon Visitor's Center

Obscene saguaro on our walk back to the Visitor's Center

A policeman saguaro waving us on.

One of the few bird photos I took, this one of two Gila
Woodpeckers drinking from saguaro blossoms is backlit unfortunately.

We spent the remainder of our birding day on Mt Lemon, stopping at areas recommended in our guide to try to see birds reported to have been seen at them. This time we drove through Summerhaven and along a small roadside stream to Marshall Gulch, capturing our best sightings of the day: Stellar’s Jay for Deb and Red-faced Warbler for me. Deb had never seen a Stellar's Jay and we had been looking for these normally plentiful and gregarious jays. I had seen many when in the early 70s we lived in Running Springs in California's San Bernardino Mountains. In fact, the Stellar's Jay, a bird that I could not identify at the time, began my years of serious birding. The best sighting for me was the Red-faced Warbler.  I was sitting on a rock watching some finches bathe in the creek when the bird lit on a branch not two feet from my face. I dared not move to take a photo of it but got an excellent look at this small, beautiful  warbler. On the mountain we also saw the Common Raven, Hermit Thrush (Audubonii) and Rock Wren. Deb had been looking for the Rock Wren and got a good photo.

Red-faced Warbler

Rock Wren (Internet)

We also drove to the ski area and to the University of Arizona's Mount Lemmon Sky Center Observatory. The observatory is open to the public and puts on shows, but was closed when we arrived. We parked in a lot below it and could see burned trees on the slopes below. Shortly after our arrival a group of hikers emerged from a hillside trail and then left to be replaced by a group of motorcyclists, one with his service dog riding in the side car. See below.

Helmeted motorcyclist and his goggled service dog, Scott

We walked the trails and birded in this blessedly cool haven, and then headed for home.The sciatic nerve in my left leg, or maybe my hip or knee, is acting up, causing me to be very uncomfortable. I think the pain is exacerbated by the driving I have been doing. Deb does not drive so I serve as the driver/navigator, and u-turn maker when we overshoot an area. 

On the way home, we stopped at Sprouts. I bought a salmon quinoa microwave dinner and some tomatoes and a cuke so that I can use them for in my take-along sandwiches. Deb bought a pound of cashews and a pound of gummy bears and more cheese, I think. She definitely has a caste iron stomach. 

Tomorrow we are going birding with a friend of Nate’s. Her name is Jeanine McCabe and she works at Desert Survivors with Nate. Nate and Amanda gave us her number when we first arrived, and Deb texted and phoned Jeanine to arrange the details. Jeanine is taking us to the Huachuca Mountains.She is picking us up at 5:00 tomorrow morning so we can arrive at daybreak. It will be wonderful to have a day of leisure where I don't need to puzzle out the route or pay attention to the traffic and can enjoy the ride.

Day 7—Sweetwater Wetlands, Sonoran Desert Museum

Wednesday,April 25, 2018

Sweetwater Wetlands and Sonoran Desert Museum

This morning we slept in a bit because we didn't have to be at Sweetwater Wetlands until 7:00. Nonetheless, we were two of the first to arrive for this Tucson Audubon weekly bird walk. While we were waiting for all to arrive, I took a couple of photos of some  mallard ducklings and Deb took a photo of a Ruddy Duck in full breeding plumage. 

Eventually a large large crowd of birders gathered, most from Tucson Audubon but others from several other states. The walk really needed two or even three leaders to break up the group size. Luke Safford, our leader, was aided by two “assistants.” There were really too many people, especially for Deb who wanted to take photos.I did not see anything new but a distant Olive-sided Flycatcher. Found myself beside a woman who owns Wander the Earth Expeditions in Africa. She gave me her card and I went to her website when I got home. By my rough calculations one could not wander Africa with her for less than $25,000+.

Below is Luke's email and bird tally for the morning:

Hey all,
     Wow, it was great to see so many of you this morning at our weekly field trip around Sweetwater Wetlands. I enjoyed talking with many of you from out of town, just off memory I know some of you were from California, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Maine, Pennsylvania, and British Columbia. It really is cool to see how we come together from all over the country, from all walks of life, and all ages, to see these beautiful birds (at an old wastewater site!).
     Big thanks to John Sartin for lugging around the scope to give us some great views of the birds and to Larry Norris for helping me keep the list.
     The highlight for me was the Lark Bunting seen around the 3/4 mark of the loop, which was my first ever for Sweetwater--inching me closer to 200 for the location! Lazuli Buntings, Western Tanager, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Snowy Egrets were fantastic to see too.
     Glad that some of you got some lifer birds today like Verdin, Abert's Towhee, and Western Kingbird too; we've got to make sure not to overlook these "common" birds!
     Below is the entire trip list that Larry and I could remember, not counting those seen before or after the main walk.
     Hope you have a good rest of your week and I hope to see you around again soon. Remember next week (first week of May) we will start at 6am.        Take care, Luke Safford

Sweetwater Wetlands, Pima, Arizona, US
Apr 25, 2018 7:00 AM - 9:35 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: Weekly Tucson Audubon field trip
51 species (+2 other taxa)

Blue-winged Teal 2
Cinnamon Teal 5
Mallard 12
Ruddy Duck 3
Gambel's Quail 7
Neotropic Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Snowy Egret 3 All SNEG in far west pond at same time
Green Heron 1
Cooper's Hawk 3
Red-tailed Hawk 4
Sora 5
Common Gallinule 1
American Coot 7
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Eurasian Collared-Dove 2
White-winged Dove 35
Mourning Dove 8
Black-chinned Hummingbird 2
Anna's Hummingbird 4
Gila Woodpecker 3
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2
Olive-sided Flycatcher 1
Black Phoebe 1
Western Kingbird 4
Bell's Vireo 1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5
Cliff Swallow 5
Verdin 10
European Starling 1
Phainopepla 2
Orange-crowned Warbler (Gray-headed) 1
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) 3
Lucy's Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 7
Yellow Warbler 12
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Wilson's Warbler 2
Lark Sparrow 15
Lark Bunting 1
White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel's) 3
Song Sparrow 5
Lincoln's Sparrow 3
Abert's Towhee 7
Western Tanager 1
Black-headed Grosbeak 1
Lazuli Bunting 4
new world oriole sp. 1
Red-winged Blackbird 15
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Great-tailed Grackle 2
House Finch 6
Lesser Goldfinch 6

Luke Safford,Volunteer, Field Trip, and SE Arizona Birding Festival Coordinator,Tucson Audubon Society

Deb and I left the group early and drove from Sweetwater to the Sonoran Desert  Museum. We spent most of the rest of the day at this wonderful place. The only part that tugged at me were the animal enclosures, which were artfully done but held otters, beaver, javelinas, coyotes, mountain sheep, a mountain lion, and a bobcat, etc. The mountain lion was pacing and would walk up to the glass window in its cage and go nose to nose with children looking in. When I was young I used to love to go to zoos and see the animals, but now I cannot bear to see them in cages pacing and circling neurotically.

Deb got pix of a Steller’s Jay and Masked Bobwhite. We both got a pix of a the large iguana that was hanging out under the rim of the mountain sheep enclosure. See below.

Large Iguana

On a brighter note, the desert Museum had a Hummingbird Aviary, Butterfly garden, and an Aviary with many birds, some, such as a Black-crowned Night Heron with a broken wing rehabbed but incapable of being released in the wild. In the aviary were a Western Tanager, Phainopepla, a group of Gambel's Quail, and others, as well as too many White-winged Doves. In order to keep these birds in check, their nests were being torn down and their eggs destroyed. White-winged Doves are pretty sexy birds, however, and I saw several mating pairs in the aviary. 

Black-crowned Night Heron with a shallow tin of water; there was a small "stream" running through the aviary, however.

White-winged dove anting--allowing ants to enter her feathers and make off
with pesty mites and other unwanted hitchhikers.

The cactus and gardens were phenomenal as all of my photos below will attest. I took a gadzillion photos but will not bore you with all of them.

Golden Barrel Cactus (Echinocactus grusonii)

Barberry Fig a species of Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica)

Fishhook Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus wislzeni)

Scarlet Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus coccineus)

Prickly Pear (Opuntia)

Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii)

Tulip Prickly Pear (Opuntia phaeacantha)

A species of Hedgehog Cactus (Echinopsis tubiflora)

Devil's Trumpet a species of Thornapples (Datura metel)

Saguaro National Park West was right down the road so we checked it out, but it was too late in the day, too hot to bird, and too late to pay the $15 entry fee for the short time it would remain open. (Why I did not think to show my National Park pass at these national parks, I do not know. Maybe the heat addled my brain.)

The Desert Museum is pretty close to and a straight shot from our Airbnb. We plan to visit it again. Back at the Airbnb we showered, ate, and recovered . . . me until 10:00 but Deb down for the count by 7:00. 

Day 9— Huachuca Mountains

Saturday, April 28th

Jeanine picked us up at 5:00 and we drove about an hour and forty-five minutes to the San Pedro Riparian National Wildlife Conservation Area. Two HUGE cottonwoods towered over the area, the limb of one resting on a small house. Jeanine was worried about the tree because she'd heard that it had been pruned, but she was relieved when she saw that the pruning was minimal. Jeanine is very protective of the native plants in the area and at the Desert Survivor Nursery. In fact, now that I am writing up our account, I think the Internet photo I used earlier of the immense Freemont Cottonwood is the same tree as this and that the woman to the left may be a younger Jeanine.

In order to get the tree in I had to be pretty far away and a bush hides the enormous trunk, but if you look closely you can see how the limb resting on the rock house is gradually crushing it

Gilded Flicker

Immediately after we exited the car, we spotted a nest cavity in the end of one of the pruned limbs from which was peeking a Gilded Flicker. I think that Deb got a photo of it. There were many other woodpeckers and flickers flitting about in the giant tree. There were also many other bird species in the trees, bushes, and feeders. 

A Guide was getting ready to take a group on a bird walk and asked if we would like to join them, but we declined. Jeanine, a very knowledgeable birder, who confessed that as a teen she slept with a copy of Peterson's Warblers at bedside, would be our guide for the day. We  walked down to the cottonwood lined San Pedros River so that we would not meet the group on the trails. At the river, which still had water in it, we saw an Ash-throated Flycatcher, Mallards, Lark Sparrows, and in the field before the river two Coues Deer. Near the parking lot we saw a Black-throated Gray Warbler, Canyon Towhee,Vermilion Flycatchers, Barn swallows, a Say’s Phoebe’s on a  fence, more Lark Sparrows, Canyon Towhee, Green-tailed Towhee, House Finches, and Gila Woodpeckers. In the field before the river we also saw Gambel's Quail, one sitting atop the tall grass.

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Black-throated Gray Warbler Ash-throated Flycatcher

After some good birding and some excellent shade at the river, we drove to Carr Canyon. Jeanine, managed to drive her 2006 RAV up the canyon's steep, narrow, winding, cliff-hanging dirt road to the top. Beyond the last switchback we entered a Ponderosa Pine forest and a picnic area, We had snaked up the side of the mountain and were 7400 feet above the valley. Looking down, we could see a blimp tethered at the Fort Huachuca Military Reservation and some fields that seemed intentionally burned, leaving large black rectangular scars. 

At the top, I sat at a picnic table, drank some water, and ate one of my tomato sandwiches while Deb and Jeanine went in search of birds. They found a Buff-breasted Flycatcher building a nest. I think Deb got a photo. A guy was up there with his family and reported seeing a Painted Redstart, but we never caught sight of it and, in fact, Deb and I did not come across one during our Arizona visit. While in the picnic area we all ate the lunches we'd brought (I eating my second tomato sandwich). We saw Turkey Vultures, Common Ravens, Yellow-eyed Juncos, an Audubon's Warbler (Yellow rumped) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Robin, Mexican Jays, and White-throated Swifts. There were pretty flowers with red leaves on the banks along the road. I think Jeanine told me they were wild Coral Bells.

According to my Birds of Southeast Arizona guide, White-throated Swifts are "among North America's fastest fliers, easily reaching speeds of 100 miles per hour; nonetheless, in Arizona they are frequently taken by peregrine Falcons."

Next we visited Miller Canyon—We found a Townsend's Warbler (right) and other good birds in the canyon before we dead-ended at Beatty’s Guest Ranch and Orchard, advertised on the net as a "green southeast Arizona nature retreat." Passing a garden of rhubarb, we came upon an artificial wet area near the gate to Beatty's house. In it were several leopard frogs. The sign below told us of how the Beatty's were involved with saving the endangered leopard frog. 

We walked across a bridge over running water and climbed up to some bleachers before several hummingbird feeders. Several other birders and photographers were sitting on the bleachers observing the feeders. Deb was too close to get a good photo and we'd seen each of the species at the feeders, so walked back across the bridge and birded a wooded area near where Jeanine had parked the car. On the way to the car, we stopped to talk for a bit with the owner who told us that he rented cabins. He had several Redbone Coonhounds, one of which had recently had puppies. We watched the puppies frolicking in the orchard.

As we were about to exit the canyon we came upon a man with a shovel beside his pickup. He was digging at the side of the road and Jeanine stopped to ask he what he was doing.
"Just trying to dig up this plant [an agave]," he explained, "It's hard going. The damn thing cut me."  
"You should buy one at a nursery," Jeanine told him. "Agaves have very big, long taproots." 
"Don't get caught," admonished Deb as we pulled away.
Minutes later the guy passed us in his pickup, apparently having second thoughts about digging up roadside cacti.

On way back to the Airbnb, Jeanine drove slowly past a ditch in front of a big Tucson mall. She told us that burrowing owls had built burrows and lived there, but we could not find a one. Deb and I were disappointed. Shortly after, we stopped at a gas station and filled Jeanine's tank as a thank-you for being our guide. We were set to treat her to dinner, too.

Amanda, Deb, and Jeanine

At the Airbnb, Amanda told us of La Cocina Restaurant and Cantina, a good Mexican restaurant downtown, and offered us drinks in the Airbnb courtyard. We were hoping that Nate would get home so that Jeanine could tell him about the guy at Miller Canyon who was trying to dig up the agave, but Nate did not arrive before we famished trio hit out for La Cocina, a courtyard open-air restaurant in downtown Tucson. We were going to treat our "guide" to dinner. 

Susan with Deb and Jeanine

After circling the block a couple of times we found a parking spot. The restaurant was packed but the hostess quickly found us a table. There was a group playing guitars, and a lot of din from fellow diners. We waited an unusually long time for our food to be served, the hostess and waitress apologizing several times. While we waited, we drank through three pitchers of water. I ordered a Mexican roast beef platter. The roast beef was stringy and tough, so I ate mostly the spicy potatoes, carrots, and onions served with it and gave my big roasted green chile pepper to Deb, whose younger caste iron digestive system seems to handle such spicy fare with ease.

Jeanine drove us back to the Airbnb. This time both of us hit the sack at about the same time.

Day 10—Tanque Verde Wash, Burrowing Owls, Tucson Botanical Gardens

Sunday, April 29, 2018 

Gray Hawk taken with my little point and shoot.
 It was a good distance away high in a dead tree

Today we drove to Tanque Verde Wash at Wentworth Road to find the Gray and Red-shouldered Hawks that our Tucson Audubon guide—Finding Birds in Southeast Arizona—said were usually seen there. This wash flows west from creeks that drain from the northern side of the Rincon Mountains, but of course at this time of year the wash was mostly dry and sandy.  The Wash was on the other side of the valley from our Airbnb, so was a pretty long drive. We arrived at 8:00.

Shortly before we arrived, I crossed a low bridge. Near it sat a Gray Hawk in a dead tree. Deb wanted me to stop in the middle of the bridge so that she could get a photo, but I parked off the road at one end and she walked back. By the time she got there the hawk had flown. Though we both later got photos of a Gray Hawk from the wash, I am not sure Deb forgave me for not stopping at the closer one.  

The wash, which is near Agua Caliente Park, another birding hotspot according to our guidebook, was wide and deeply sandy. Walking the wash was a calf builder and tiring, somewhat like walking in deep beach sand. There was some water in one spot and we saw a hummer repeatedly dip down for a drink.

A little water in /Tanque Verde Wash

While at Tanque Verde we walked the wash, which had some water in it in places (see above), and saw Song Sparrows (1), Least Goldfinch (2), the Gray Hawk, and an Oriole that Deb wished was a Striped-back Oriole, but neither of us saw well enough to verify its species. We also saw Lark Sparrows, White winged Doves, many Phenopeplias, two Gambel’s Quail, Vermilion Flycatchers, quite a few Yellow Warblers (3) (throughout our trip, too), a Slate-colored Fox Sparrow(4), Verdins(5), and a Summer Tanager (6). The wash was wide, so we could generally find a place to stand in the shade on one side and observe birds in the trees on the sunny side. Midway along, a couple on horseback came toward us and later returned the other way. Their horses were lovely.

After two hours of strenuous wash walking, Jeanine texted that the Burrowing Owls were back, so we left to see them. We drove about 14 miles  back to the mall where the owls were. It took a moment but we located one well camouflaged Burrowing Owl standing in the shade of some grasses near its burrow . . . right in the middle of heavy traffic and at the edge of the mall parking lot in the drainage ditch. I got two passable photos with my cell phone (see below) and Deb got a couple but we did not want to stay long because we were right next to a busy four-lane road and we were afraid that people would see Deb with her big camera and approach to see what we were taking photos of.

My cell phone shot of one of the  shopping mall burrowing owls

So, we left the Burrowing Owls to the "peace" of the shopping mall and highway and drove to the Tucson Botanical  Gardens. Deb wandered the gardens and the parking lot looking (mostly unsuccessfully) for birds to photograph—we had seen a Verdin in a parking lot tree—but I spent my time wandering the gardens and at the orchid and butterfly house. Most of the butterflies in the house were pretty worn and ragged but I  took pix of a few and of several of the orchid species. I am too lazy to look up their names.

Then took many pix of the cacti in the cactus garden (see above). After walking the cactus garden, I was overheated and entering meltdown, so went immediately to the garden’s café to cool down. I asked the maître de to seat me in the coolest place and he seated me inside. Everyone else eventually left this small room, so I was all by myself. Jess called and I talked to her for fifteen minutes or so. I am now easily distracted so was glad that no one else was in the room and I could talk freely. I had delicious Polenta chips and three types of salsa, two glasses of water, and a glass of cactus iced tea.

I guess I took more pix of birds than I thought because here is one (below) of a sweet White-winged dove nesting in a saguaro.

The Garden's Corpse Flower (below right) had bloomed only the week before..By the time I saw it, it had closed and wilted as in my photo of it. I was almost glad because then I did not need to inhale its stench. This enormous rare flower smells like rotting flesh. Years, or even decades, can pass before a corpse flower blooms. According to the Internet's "Mental Floss," when a corpse flower blooms, "the spadix heats up to temperatures of up to 98°F as the plant unleashes a stench akin to rotting flesh. Those pulses of heat cause the air to rise, like a chimney effect. It gets the stench up in the air to attract pollinating dung beetles and carrion beetles, that are drawn to the scent of rotting flesh." 

After the Botanical Gardens, we drove back to the Airbnb, arriving about 4:30 or 5:00. Deb was in bed and asleep at her usual early hour, but I tried to stay up until 9:00 or 10:00 so that I would not be awake and up before 5:00.

Day 11—Mt Lemmon . . . again

Monday, April 30, 2018

Today we went back to Mt Lemmon, this our third time birding its hotspots.. We managed to see more Red-faced  Warblers, House Wrens, and got our first look at some Pygmy Nuthatches. 

Then we returned to Rose Canyon Lake and paid the $11 day use fee. Despite trying to postpone my bedtime, I had not slept well the night before, so at this stop, I snoozed in the car while Deb hustled birds. Suddenly a helicopter with a water bucket swinging from its cable roared into sight at the ridge line. Having worked for the fire service, I knew that the helicopter was filling its bucket from Rose Canyon Lake to fight a forest fire. The helicopter came and went four times. Deb appeared at the car and said that it was interesting to watch the operation from lake level. This was the second time our birding was interrupted by an overhead helicopter. The first was in the Lower Rio Grand Valley when a Border Patrol helicopter swooped down to check us out when it was searching for illegal immigrants. Note to immigrants who want to enter the States: Wear binoculars, a birding vest, and a Tilley hat.

There is also a ridiculous story about a dead scuba diver found miles from the ocean after a forest fire. How did he get there? The helicopter bucket had scooped him up. Not really. I've heard that one so many times, told as though it actually happened, but Snopes says: FALSE.

Peregrine Falcon (Internet)

I was awake by then so birded the area with Deb. We met a guy named Chris Goger who showed us an area where he had found Pygmy Nuthatches. In this area was a dead tree snag that sported two small nest cavities. We were on a rock outcropping looking nearly eye level with the tree. Here we "Did a Carol" probably for about half an hour, but the nuthatches did not show up.While we were waiting, a Peregrine Falcon flew over. It was too fast for a photo but a thrill to see nonetheless. We told Chris of the Red-faced Warblers in Marshall Gulch beyond Summerhaven. He was eager to find them.

After Rose Canyon Lake we continued up the mountain stopping again at birding hotspots along the way. This time I dropped Deb off near the end of Marshall Gulch and told her that I would pick her up in an hour. I then stopped at the Winterhaven General Store and bought myself  some oatmeal cookies, an apple, and a cup of decaf for breakfast. I again saw several Red-faced Warblers working the willows by the stream and caught a few zzz's while waiting. When I picked up Deb, Chris G. was there and delighted to have seen the Red-faced Warblers.

Deb and I stopped at the public restrooms across from a realty company in Summerhaven. When I got back to the car, Deb was still sitting in it. I said, "Aren't your going to get out? There are Pygmy Nuthatches at the Realty Company's feeders." That spurred Deb to action and she climbed up to the company's deck to get some good shots of the nuthatches in the nearby trees. She also got great shots of the rock and ground squirrels working the area. 

When we were both still below, the real estate woman came out, filled the feeders, and threw some peanuts below. I stayed in the car and watched one little ground squirrel. It would find a peanut, stuff the end of the shell into its mouth, and then scamper off to find a spot to bury it, digging frantically with its small paws and carefully camouflaging the area by sweeping pine needles over it. It did this quickly with four peanuts, but the fifth one was too much of a temptation. This one it stopped to eat, cracking the shell and pulling the nut out with its teeth. After all this exhausting work, the little guy spread itself out on its belly and rested on a warm rock, its eyes at half mast. Stellar's Jays, and Rock Squirrels were also carting off peanuts as fast as they could. Deb got several photos.

We could see the smoke of the forest fire as we wound our way down the mountain. Eventually the road was blocked by firefighter and ranger cars. We, and a long line of other vehicles exiting the mountain, were stopped for about fifteen or twenty minutes until it was safe to drive past the firefighting equipment and smoke.

Our last stop of the day was Silverbell Lake in Christopher Columbus Park. We hoped to see some shorebirds, but the summer desert really is not the best time or place to look for shorebirds. We saw little other than mallards and domestic ducks and the usual suspects.The place was heavily used and littered with trash. 

Day 12--Madera Canyon with Bylsmas

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

We drove from Tucson to the Proctor road parking lot at Madera Canyon and met Carol and Dave Bylsma, they of our first day at Patagonia Lake. Before they arrived Deb and I went to the Santa Rita Lodge and Deb managed to capture a Cassin's Finch, Bridled Titmouse, and a Wild Turkey (Western race). We then returned to the parking lot to wait for Dave and Carol. 

I decided to pop back the two miles to the lodge for a cocoa and drove into a fence at the end of the parking lot, injuring the rental car. Tear the hair! The lodge was very nice, giving a shaken me the hot chocolate and snack free.They women in the gift shop called a guy named Steve who came up, assessed the damage . . . and said there was no damage. Steve told me that none of the split rail fence was broken and all he had to do was stand the fence up again. I had created no property damage . . . but I did damage the front left fender of the car. Steve soothingly told me about other similar mishaps in the Lodge parking lot, which ends with a fence and benches above a viewing area. One car drove into one of the viewing benches with two people on it, sending all to the hospital. After that occurrence, the Lodge installed large bollards behind the viewing benches. Another drove into a tree beside the benches. Fortunately, my parking spot contained nothing but a split rail fence, no benches or trees. I was in shock and could think of little else but the nasty man at the Thrifty car rental place and my State Farm insurance for the duration of the day.

The car was drivable so I drove back down to Proctor Trailhead parking lot to meet Carol and Paul. I told them about the rental car accident and Paul said he didn't think body shops gave estimates on rental cars. another thing to worry about. But, following the Dali Lama's philosophy, I tried not to worry about it . . . but did. 

Carol Bylsma, Deb Hirt, Paul Bylsma

We four walked a way on the Proctor Trail but saw little of consequence. Deb and I recognized the trail; we had walked part of it from the other end.

Mexican Blue Oak

Buddies?

A species of cholla

It was not until I saw these "mammary" boulders that I realized that we were on a Madera Canyon trail Deb and I had walked previously in the other direction; I would love to see Arizona when the washes and streams are roaring

Beautiful ocotillo cactus, beloved by hummingbirds and many others; ocotillos were their brightest in Madera Canyon while those farther north around Tucson were dropping yellow leaves and had faded blooms

It was VERY windy and only 60 degrees. We came off Proctor trail and then I followed the Bylsma's yellow jeep back up to the Santa Rita Lodge where we watched the birds at the feeders for a bit and all looked at the place where I had hit the fence. Steve already had the post-hole digger out. I took some photos of the area and the damaged car. Before we left, the fence was back in place and no one would suspect that Miss Daisy had knocked it down.

We left the Santa Rita Lodge feeders to go back down the road a bit to a picnic/parking area. Here we left the cars and headed up a trail into the canyon in hopes of seeing an Elegant Trogon that had been spotted in the canyon only the day before.(Always the day before?) Just below the parking lot was a sycamore with two nest cavities in it belonging to a pair of Northern Pygmy Owls. Here we left Paul to keep watch while we three women trekked up the canyon. Not too far from the pygmy owl site, we heard the trogon and were immediately on alert. Carol saw it but just as she did, a woman with her camera on the bird yelled TROGON! at the top of her lungs. The bird fled, flying up the canyon before Deb could get a look at it or a photo. We understood that there were only a pair of Trogons in the area.

Northern Pygmy Owl (Internet)

Carol and Deb wandered farther up the canyon in hopes of catching sight of the pair of Trogons, but I returned to Paul and the pygmy owl owl tree. Paul had gotten several photos of the pygmy owls, but we three women did not see it or the trogon. Bummer! Deb and Carol decided that the woman who yelled had used a recording to call the trogon in, and it was that recording that we had heard. Recordings to attract birds are prohibited in most of the birding locales we visited.

Paul had taken several photos of the pygmy owls. Carol explained that the pygmy owl's favorite food is songbirds such as chickadees and cedar waxwings. The owl bites the head off the bird and eats its brains. Such ghoulish behavior from a plump ball of a bird seems contradictory but I have seen Pygmy Owls in South America also. Their call brings mixed flocks of anxious birds--even hummingbirds to keep an eye on the villain. 

After the canyon trail and pygmy owls, we returned to our cars and Deb and I followed Paul and Carol to Tubac—about half an hour away— in search of the Rose-throated Becard that had been reported on e-bird to be near the Tubac bridge. Before getting to the bridge, we stopped at a grocery store and I fixed myself a big green salad—my first greens of the trip—and Paul and Carol bought themselves something for lunch. Deb had eaten her usual candy bar and coffee for breakfast and was not hungry, 

Next we went to the Tubac Bridge, which had been fixed up with orange netting, orange barrels, and signs to keep birders off the road. We searched and searched for the Rose-throated Becard, which was supposedly building a football-sized nest near the bridge. This may have been one of those times when too many birders scared the bird off its nest because we found no nest and no signs of the becard. When a rare bird is spotted in southeast Arizona, birders flock to it in droves. When a Sinaloa Wren was spotted on the de Anza trail near where we were, so many birders arrived on the scene that they cut new trails, and trampled the area. One must be careful with e-bird sightings not to list the GPS location of a rare bird sighting.

Paul and Carol and I went to the picnic tables at a nearby park and ate our dunch. Deb was not hungry and continued to search the area. When  the three of us returned, we spent another half hour searching . . . to no avail. 

After our bootless search, Deb and I said our goodbyes to Paul and Carol and drove back to Madera Canyon and the Santa Rita Lodge. We wanted to see the Elf Owls living in a telephone pole across the road from the lodge.For seven years the Elf Owls have lived in this telephone pole near a private house there. We waited until 7:00, and sure enough, an Elf appeared at its hole which was about the size of a flicker's hole. I think it was too dark by that time for Deb's camera, but the woman standing next to me got a super photo.

Elf Owl (Internet)

Deb and I got back to our Tucson Airbnb about 8:30. It had been a long day. I plan on calling my State Farm Rep tomorrow morning and hopefully getting an estimate for the claim.