2008 Tour Narrative
This year’s Second Spring tour began with the drive north from Tucson to Aravaipa Canyon, where we found Gray and our only Zone-tailed Hawks of the tour, along with non-avian highlights including Zebra-tailed and the scitulus subspecies of the Greater Earless Lizard, as well as a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake crossing the road. Particularly unusual here were the two rare Bighorn Sheep (male and female) that scrambled up the slope from the road. By range, these belong to the race mexicana (“Mexican” Bighorn) rather than the nelsoni subspecies (“Desert” Bighorn) found to the north and west; the “Mexican” Bighorn has been extirpated over most of its range, and this was the first time we’d encountered this striking mammal on this tour.
Continuing north to Dudleyville we found Mississippi Kite, and farther up the Gila we encountered a cooperative pair of Gray Vireos and a family group of Black-chinned Sparrows. Later in the day we visited Madera Canyon, where we heard the male Flame-colored Tanager and found the male and female Berylline Hummingbirds visiting feeders; this hummingbird is nearly annual in southeast Arizona, but it’s always a matter of good luck to find the species. In lower Madera a young Bobcat crossed the road.
The following morning we found two Burrowing Owls in a yard near San Xavier Mission, while a Rufous-winged Sparrow sang from a telephone line. A stop in Madera Canyon this time gave us excellent views of the adult male Flame-colored Tanager along with many other montane species, including Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. Blue-throated and Magnificent Hummingbirds were at the feeders. Lower in the grasslands we had excellent studies of both Cassin’s and Botteri’s Sparrows. After lunch we stopped briefly at Montosa Canyon, where two of us managed to see a breeding-plumaged male Black-capped Gnatcatcher. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo sounded off briefly.
Our outing to California Gulch started just after midnight. We encountered drenching monsoons for much of the day, and ended up being pulled out of a very deep hole filled with water. The day was nearly a total wash, literally and figuratively, but even so it was brightened by a pair of Montezuma Quail.
The next day began after breakfast at Patagonia Lake State Park. Here we found another Black-capped Gnatcatcher, which all of us managed to see. Also notable were Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet and a female or juvenile Least Bittern. We encountered the very local Thick-billed Kingbird later in the morning at roadside reset south of Patagonia and at Mrs. Paton’s yard in Patagonia; the latter location also gave us splendid views of several stunning Violet-crowned Hummingbirds.
At Ramsey Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains we had studies of a perched Golden Eagle and later saw it in flight. After a very hard rain shower, we studied the numerous hummingbirds at Mary Jo’s in Ash Canyon. Here we had excellent studies of a female Lucifer Hummingbird and a female hummingbird that I believe was a Costa’s. One female or immature Rufous or Allen’s was, strangely, our only encounter with such a bird, normally numerous after the first week of July.
The following day was devoted to the Huachuca Mountains on Fort Huachuca. Here we encountered two male Elegant Trogons, the second eventually settling into a nest cavity. Other highlights included Grace’s and two Red-faced Warblers as well as excellent studies of several Buff-breasted Flycatchers and a pair of Eastern Bluebirds (fulva subspecies) at a nest. I particularly enjoyed the scope studies of the “Mexican” Whip-poor-will, which landed on a branch and stayed for some time.
On our way out of Scheelite Canyon we encountered another pair of Montezuma Quail, always a much-appreciated event. Late in the day we had good studies of a Scaled Quail, and in Ramsey Canyon we saw a recently fledged and still begging juvenile Elf Owl. We also heard Whiskered Screech-Owl and Common Poorwill.
Our hike to Comfort Spring at the top of Carr Canyon produced our only encounter with a Greater Pewee, a species seemingly in decline. Other highlights included several Band-tailed Pigeons and Yellow-eyed Juncos, and we heard a “Mountain” Northern Pygmy-Owl. Later at the Beattys’ feeders in Miller Canyon we had excellent studies of two male White-eared Hummingbirds, one a stunning adult, as well as many Broad-tailed Hummingbirds.
The next morning we departed for the Chiricahuas, stopping along the way at the San Pedro House for Abert’s and Canyon Towhees and at Whitewater Draw in the Sulphur Springs Valley, where we had excellent studies of our only Bendire’s Thrasher of the trip. Also notable were three striking Texas Horned Lizards, one digging a scrape on the side of the road. After lunch in Douglas we moved on to the Chiricahuas and Cave Creek Canyon.
After some early morning birding near Rodeo (mainly in New Mexico), where we had good studies of the always secretive Crissal Thrasher and a family of nearly full-grown Swainson’s Hawks, we spent much of the day high in the Chiricahuas. We had to work to see our two Mexican Chickadees and our only Olive Warbler, a stunning adult male. Cordilleran Flycatchers and many Yellow-eyed Juncos were cooperative at Rustler Park, where we also saw two Pine Satyrs and three Weidemeyer’s Admirals. We had excellent views of several Juniper Titmice at Paradise, and our evening owling produced a Whiskered Screech-Owl; we also got to watch an Elf Owl feeding a youngster in a nest cavity.
On our final day we left early for Red Rock, on the Gila River in New Mexico. Here we eventually found our target species, the Common Black-Hawk. We had views of a perched adult, then saw the pair circling overhead. Even more stunning was the spectacular Gila Monster that crossed the road and remained for photos; this was the eastern subspecies, suspectum. Near Willcox we found an adult Harris’s Hawk before returning to Tucson and an Italian dinner.
- Jon Dunn
Updated: July 2008