Sunset at Rusty’s
We chased some interesting birds on our trip back through Arizona, adding 26 species in 7 days. Just over the NM line near Portal Arizona, we camped in an oasis called Rusty’s RV Park. We typically prefer public parks since the private RV parks seem geared to the big rig RV retirement home life style of “snow birds”. Not so here. We enjoyed dinner in a flower garden, with paths winding over Koi filled ponds, all while surrounded by desert. As I write this post we are at a campsite on I-10 in Texas, with a view of semi’s passing, and their noise competing with the obnoxious Great-tailed Grackles.
Frazzled
Clearly, not all of our evenings are spent as pleasantly as at Rusty’s. This White-eyed Vireo looks as frazzled as I feel after a night of sleeping on I-10!
Magnificent Hummingbird
Hummingbirds were migrating into AZ and we got to see hundreds including some new species for us- the Calliope, Costa’s, Violet-crowned, Broad-tailed, Blue-throated, and this magnificent Magnificent Hummingbird, (a magnificent photo too!) though we were sorry to miss a Lucifer Hummingbird. I would bet that half of the hummingbird feeders sold in United States are sold in Arizona. In Tallahassee Florida, no self-respecting yard is without a dogwood and the same can be said of clean stocked hummingbird feeders in Arizona.
Chiricahua National Monument
Chuck at Chiricahua National Monument
Carrie at Chiricahua National Monument
On our first pass through the state, we failed to visit the Chiricahua Mountains, and I am very glad that we corrected our error in judgment. We drove from the Portal area, over the infamous dirt Pinery Canyon Road through the Chiricahua Mountains, on the way to the Chiricahua National Monument. The road itself was a journey; virtually a one lane road with hair pin turns having speed limits of 10 mph and mind blowing views (and drops). Thank goodness for the nimbleness of the Sprinter Van and Chuck’s excellent driving skills. While negotiating all of that, he still noticed one of our target birds, a pair of Williamson’s Sapsuckers on a tree just an arm’s length from my window. As our reward at the end of this drive we got to see the remote Chiricahua National Monument which boasts amazing vertical pinnacles of rock. The vistas and beauty are quite impressive.
In Patagonia and the Huachuca Mountains we found 13 of our 26 new species, including two new Vireos, four new Flycatchers, and a Lucy’s Warbler. We missed the Elegant Trogon and Sinaloa Wren (again), but it was here that we noticed our skills at discriminating various bird calls was improving and making a noticeable difference in locating target birds.
By far our happiest find was the elusive Elegant Trogon. It had been on our target list for many stops on both trips through Arizona, and we were finally able to see it on the Carrie Nation Trail (gotta love the name) in Madera Canyon. Starting up this trail, we were discussing how it is a good thing we didn’t wait to do our “Big Year”, since we were panting before we saw the first bird- and it was a Robin! Walking just a bit further up the trail we heard the dog like barking call of a Trogon. Exhaustion giving way to excitement, we sprinted further up the trail and got good looks, but not so good pictures. No birder forgets the first time they see a Trogon, and those who have not seen one pine for it. The male’s juxtaposition of iridescent green, black, white, and red all set off by a yellow beak is in a word… elegant.
After such good fortune in seeing the Magnificent Hummingbird and the Elegant Trogon, we left Arizona hopeful to have similar luck finding the Colima and Golden Cheeked Warblers in Texas, our way home for a brief visit.