Trip Reports

Today was slated as just a “relaxed and easy” birding day, but at the last minute decided to do a Big Day, with the itinerary based on places where potential year birds were reported on eBird. Said itinerary included Estero Llano Grande State Park an hour before dawn (which I always do in order to bag the night birds), the Progresso Silos for a crack at the Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Frontera Audubon Thicket for migrants, Delta Lake for Hudsonian Godwits and other shorebirds, Fireman’s Park in McAllen for the lingering Greater White-fronted Goose, Quinta Mazatlan for migrants (the reported Flame-colored Tanager was probably long gone), Old Hidalgo Pumphouse for a reported Groove-billed Ani (and I always get the Monk Parakeets there, whether they’re reported or not), and Santa Ana NWR. It would turn out to be mostly overcast all day, which made for a pleasant day out even though it got up to 91 later in the afternoon. Started the morning with the neighborhood Purple Martins (1) gurgling as I packed the car before heading to Estero. Once at Estero the Pauraques (2) were pretty easy to pick up, and a Chuck-will’s-widow (3) sang from the park host area. Checked the restroom lights in the Tropical Zone for moths, then settled in at the “Picnic Table Feeders” near Pauraque Hall to wait in the dawn. Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (4) flew overhead in the dark, and Black-necked Stilts (5) called from somewhere where there was water! Early-morning songsters included White-winged (6), White-tipped (7), and Mourning Doves (8), a Mockingbird (9), and Cardinals (10), and as it got lighter Chachalacas (11), Golden-fronted Woodpeckers (12), a Clay-colored Thrush (13), Brown-crested Flycatcher (14), Couch’s Kingbirds (15), Kiskadees (16), Green Jays (17), Black-crested Titmice (18), a Long-billed Thrasher (19), Carolina Wrens (20), and Olive Sparrows (21) joined the chorus. A couple of Hooded Orioles (22) “wheeped” on the way out, and a five-minute vigil at the Green Jay Drip didn’t yield the Crimson-collared Grosbeak, but a Yellow-billed Cuckoo (23) sang, which was good for the year!

Headed on to Big Bend the next morning, stopping at Persimmon Gap to use the restroom (I think Black-throated Sparrow and Verdin were the only birds there), and on the way to Panther Junction a family of Phainopeplas flew across the road! (At least that’s what I thought they were at the time; later I realized they could have been Pyrrhuloxias…) Stopped at Panther Junction to get my pass, and found out that, because I’m a senior, I could get an annual National Parks Pass for less than a single Big Bend Pass for the week! Got Cactus Wren and House Finch in the parking lot before heading to Dugout Wells.

Decided to get going around sunrise, and that was a good plan; it was quite birdy around the apartments in Alamo, adding Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Purple Martins, White-winged Doves, and a Tropical Kingbird to the list (as well as other things I probably wasn’t paying attention to). It was a beautiful, sunny day, but really didn’t start seeing many interesting birds until after Alice, where we turned west through Freer and towards the Chaparral WMA. Once on that corridor the Caracaras, Harris’ Hawks, and Chihuahuan Ravens started showing up, and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo flew across the road! But the best stop was at an overpass somewhere out in the boonies where both Cliff and Cave Swallows were nesting! People were so nice: both a state trooper and a local lady stopped to make sure I was okay, and seemed happy that I was filming the swallows!

I actually woke up a lot earlier than planned: it was at least a two hour drive to Bowie, but I didn’t want to be getting up at one-something to get there by sunrise, so I just set the alarm for eight hours after I actually got to bed. Still woke up at five till two, so took off, and got to the dirt portion of Apache Pass Road in good time (started the checklist at 6:20, about a half hour after sunrise). Saw some tiny Chihuahuan Ravens on the way, so I added them to the list (and heard one later to make it legit). The Gambel’s Quail I almost nailed in Bowie got put on as well, as I didn’t see or hear any more on the route, but heard plenty of Scaled Quail. Blue Grosbeaks won the numbers game, followed closely by Eastern Meadowlark and both Rufous-crowned and Black-throated Sparrows. The video prize went to a flycatching male Phainopepla right next to the road! A female Western Tanager showed up close to the trailhead.

Got to the base of Mt. Hopkins road a little before sunrise, so enjoyed the desert dawn chorus: lots of Rufous-winged and Black-throated Sparrows, and a very cooperative Cactus Wren took a peek for video (if it even came out in that low light condition)! Interestingly, I had to do two separate eBird checklists for the lower portion, because part of it is in Pima County and the other is in Santa Cruz, but they don’t tell you on the road when you change counties! So I just kept watching the BirdsEye tracker and started the second one when I was halfway between the two points…

Next day I made a last minute decision to go to the Patagonia Rest Stop first because I figured the Rose-throated Becard would be vocalizing first thing, and therefore easier to bag. Didn’t take long to get there, so I parked by the cliff until sunrise (in case the Five-striped Sparrow decided to show again), and had the usual suspects, along with a beeping Canyon Wren. Then I parked at the north end and just gave it some time; as I wandered across the street I noticed that the trail down into the woodland was overgrown, so maybe people just aren’t using that any more (fine by me, as I always felt creepy down there). Abert’s Towhees were singing away as were chats and Yellow Warblers, but after a while I heard the characteristic wheezy song of the becard, and there they were, right across the street! They kept flying over my head, and one finally perched right overhead; tried to get video, but I think it’ll be good only for the audio (which thankfully came out great). Patagonia State Park was next; the guy at the entrance booth wasn’t there when I wheeled in, so made plans to pay on my way out. The place is always good for odes, but this time almost everything I could zoom in on was a Blue Dasher, except for a couple of Blue-eyed/Arroyo Darners that wouldn’t land (naturally). A quick stop at this big parking area added a very confiding Swainson’s Hawk on a pole, and a Bewick’s Wren that had me fooled into thinking it was a Western Tanager! The cabins were new since I was there last, and that loop landed right at the trailhead. They also had a new feeding area that was set up like a grandstand, but nothing was filled. It gave you a great view of the lake, though!

Decided to stick with the plan and start pre-dawn at the top rather than try for screech owls again at Proctor, and I’m glad I did: the lightning show in the distance was spectacular (and you had a great view from the upper parking lot), and after a while a Mexican Whippoorwill started “whipping” and then launched into his song, followed by another distant one! No owls, but eventually other diurnal birdies woke up, like Black-headed Grosbeak, Mexican Jays, and even the trogon! (A gal pulled in wondering if I was Bill (??) and said she was meeting some hikers, and wanted to see the trogon as she’d heard them a gazillion times…)

[Ed. Note: the “days” in the titles refer to actual birding days; the literal “Day 8 and 9” were spent at Canelo Ranch resting up and doing errands…]

Was seriously thinking about skipping Mount Lemmon and just doing Saguaro, and maybe scouting Madera before heading to Canelo Ranch for the weekend break. As it turns out, I shoulda stuck with that plan, but after reviewing BirdsEye, there were more potential targets along the Mt. Lemmon route than the Saguaro route, so we did that. This was the first time I actually got to do it “BBS style”, and I have to say that the scenery was gorgeous, but the birds were quiet: saw the dawn in at the first pullout, with mainly Black-throated Sparrows. Picked up a nice Blue Grosbeak at Molina Canyon along with a singing Bell’s Vireo, and at the Prison Camp a Raven was making funny noises, and an Arizona Woodpecker came bounding in! The highlight at one of the vistas was a singing Rock Wren that was actually visible, and at another stop a Black-throated Gray Warbler came in for good looks! Windy Point didn’t have any swifts like last time, but it was fun in that there were several rappelers there having a big time!