troach@netcom.COM (Tom Roach) (05/30/91)
5-28-91
I'm back from a bird trip to Arizona and here, and as I promised when I
asked for some advise on where to visit, here are the results of the
trip:
Places visited:
Ramsey Canyon Rd
Mile Hi Ranch (and Box canyon)
Carr Canyon
Miller Canyon
San Pedro riparian area (two separate spots about 10 miles apart)
Coronado National Monument
Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Sanctuary
Cave Canyon Creek (Chiracahua Mts.)
and a thousand miles of open desert.
==================================
Stopped off Ramsey Canyon Rd. to look for Pyrrhuloxia, orioles, and
Vermillion flycatchers. Didn't see anything except some White-winged
doves, starlings, Turkey vultures, and an unidentified flycatcher.
I did see a few deer and a jackrabbit. As I went down the road I came
across a clumb of birders at the base of a telephone pole. It was
about 7:30 PM and they had wandered down from Mile Hi to see the Elf
owl living in the pole. At 7:42 PM it made its nightly appearance and
was hassled by an Acorn woodpecker sharing the same pole for nesting.
This was my first evening here in Arizona (Wednesday, 22 May). I had
flown from San Francisco to Phoenix, driven to Tucson and stopped at
the Desert Museum. Here I saw a Curve-billed thrasher, Gila
woodpecker, Northern cardinal, and several other birds. The trip to
the museum ended somewhat abruptly when I was trying to photograph
something and backed into a cactus with what seemed like hundreds of
very sharp needles that came off and lodged in my shirt and clothes.
Even after a change of clothes in the rest room I felt foolish and
left for Sierra Vista, where I stayed at the Ramada Inn, an excellent
place to operate from if you are birding Southeastern Arizona.
After throwing my things in the room I headed for Ramsey Canyon Rd.
which is about five miles directly down the road from the Ramada. If
you can't stay at Mile Hi (it is already booked for Memorial Day
weekend a year from now), then this is a good alternative.
Next morning I went up to the Mile Hi which opens its gates at EXACTLY
8 AM. They can become quite unpleasant if you get there even a minute
early! In their parking lot you can expect to see numerous hummers.
Immediately on hand were the Magnificent, Blue-throated, Broad-billed, and
Black-chinned species. There was a White-eared around, but I never
saw it. Painted Redstarts were also noted. I went up the trail and
spent 45 minutes using the scope on a species of frog that is now
believed to be unique to Ramsey canyon. I saw 13 of these croakers
around the edge of a concrete lined "pond". This species of leopard
frog apparently croaks underwater. A herpetologist with a Ph.D. is
due in shortly to document this creature which is almost as large as a
bullfrog. There is a garter snake that feed on these fellows that I
saw. I thoroughly enjoyed the water bugs, mosquito larvae, and
water-striders I saw in this pond teeming with life.
The next day I managed to be fortunate enough to be allowed to sign-up
for a guided trip into the Box Canyon area of Mile Hi. About 30
seconds after my new camera, auto-focus and all, went dead on me, a
family of three javelinas wandered into our sight about thirty feet
away. Our guide, who lives in a cabin right next to where we saw the
javelina said she hadn't seen them for a year there in the canyon!
Time was spent at various points in the trip driving into Carr and
Miller canyon, but I saw nothing of any unusual nature. This could go
on forever, so I will summarize with the list of birds I KNOW I saw.
There were many others, mostly flycatchers, whose species I would not
testify to. So I won't keep you in suspense I did NOT see the Trogon,
though about 50 percent of those I ran into along the trail at Cave
Creek, did see the Elegant Trogon(s) that same day. At Patagonia I
also was blessed by a second even closer appearance of the
javelina(s), who crossed a creek while I sat in admiration on a dead
log some twenty feet away.
The "rarest" bird I saw was a black vulture circling overhead at Cave
Creek. A lady who had seen the Trogon was envious as she hadn't seen
a single black vulture in a week of looking. Oh well, everything is
relative.
My greatest joys were in seeing:
Blue Grosbeak
Mexican Duck (shuddr, these are just lowly mallards)
Hepatic, Western and Summer tanagers
Vermillion flycatchers (thick as horseflies near San Pedro)
and, the javelinas!
Also seen and enjoyed (in addition to species already noted):
Mockingbird
Dusty-capped flycatcher
Hooded oriole
Bridled Titmouse
Western flycatcher
Great Blue heron
Mexican (Grey-breasted) Jays
Hermit thrush
Blue-grey gnatcatcher
Bewick's wren
Kestrel
Scott's oriole
Sulphur-bellied flycatcher
Chiracahuan Raven (presumed)
Bronze-headed cowbirds
Swainson's hawk
Red-tailed hawks
Common yellow-throat
American Goldfinch
Broad-tailed hummingbird
Merlin
Black-headed Grosbeak
Greater Roadrunner (on the entrance marker at the Ramada with a snake
in its beak!)
Song sparrow
Hermit thrush
Brown creeper
Black phoebe
Yellow-breasted Chat
Gamble's quail
Western Kingbird
and I am sure there are a few I have forgotten.
Tom Roach
San Jose, CA