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Jon Dunn on his recently concluded tour, Arizona: Second Spring



August 30: Jon Dunn on his recently concluded tour, Arizona: Second Spring

The summer monsoon rains arrived in earnest during our tour; the creeks and rivers filled from the Santa Cruz in the west to Cave Creek in the east, and almost immediately everything greened up. Happily, and despite the downpours all around, our time in the field wasn’t for the most part compromised.


The afternoon light on Montana Peak in the Pajarito Mountains against the backdrop of a distant thunderstorm

There was much birdsong in the lowlands, particularly from the sparrows with Botteri’s, Cassin’s, Rufous-winged and Five-striped all in song.  There were many early August migrants too with Lark Sparrows seemingly everywhere, often in large flocks and even from small mountain clearings.  Other migrants included single Dusky and Willow Flycatchers, Lazuli Bunting, Chipping Sparrows and small numbers of Hermit Warblers.

We found nearly all of the expected species that occur in southeast Arizona at this time of the year including all of the southwest warblers like Red-faced, Virginia’s, Olive (now in its own family), Lucy’s, and Grace’s, Bendire’s and Crissal (scope views) Thrashers, six species of owls, including roosting Spotted and daytime views of a roosting Whiskered-Screech (in addition Elf Owl was heard), five species of nightjars, including perched visuals with the help of a light of Buff-collared Nightjar, a flock of four Elegant Trogons in the Huachucas, and roadside encounters with three separate pairs of Montezuma Quail.


A curious male Montezuma Quail

Various rarities were present this summer, many of which we managed to locate including a Plain-capped Starthroat, a Tufted Flycatcher (had nested in upper Ramsey Canyon earlier this summer), Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Rufous-capped Warbler, and an adult male Flame-colored Tanager.  An adult Common Black Hawk in California Gulch was out of place; to my knowledge they aren’t known in summer from this part of southeastern Arizona.  


Plain-capped Starthroat makes a visit to a Madera Canyon feeder.

Hummingbirds of eleven species were recorded; they were particularly numerous in the Chiricahua Mountains where at one set of feeders we estimated some dozen southbound Calliopes, many of which were adult males.  A female Lucifer Hummingbird was seen here too although we had seen an adult male Lucifer previously at Mary Jo’s feeders in Ash Canyon (Huachucas).  Blue-throated Hummingbirds were numerous in the Chiricahuas, especially at the feeders of the Southwest Research Station, but we saw none elsewhere.

Non avian highlights included both Greater Short-horned and Regal Horned Lizards, a Black-tailed Rattlesnake a rare Green Ratsnake in Madera Canyon, and the aways memorable Antlope Jackrabbit.


The remarkable Antelope Jackrabbit

Posted: August 30, 2016