A local day today around Madera Canyon, not a bad place to spend some time. I stopped off around milepost 9 for a while before it got toasty. I managed to find a Broad-billed Hummingbird resting on a snag. It's amazing how the colour of these birds can change depending on the light and the angle of view...
Always nice to find them away from feeders. Can't see any green on this one at all? Also in the area was this Rufous-winged Sparrow...
Both species are Arizona specialties.
A commoner but very smart bird comes in the form of the dapper Black-throated Sparrow. The typical Sparrow of the desert...
Getting warm now, even the Ravens were panting...
I tried the famous Proctor Road at mile 11. Not for long though as the cover was minimal. I heard an Elegant Trogon and I saw a flash of Orange through the vegetation. I walked a short distance and tried various spots to look up through the foliage, then there it was! A male Hooded Oriole freshly bathed and preening. I could only see it through a small gap...
There was a plus side though, it couldn't see me and was happily sorting it's feathers out at about 30 yards. I fiddled with the camera settings and produced this...
Love this picture and bird. WHAT A CRACKER!!!
We continued to climb the canyon (in the air conditioned car of course!) until we reached the Santa Rita Lodge were we intended to grab a drink. As we got out of the car I noticed something rather large in the feeding area...
Very large, totally wild and not to be messed with...Wild Turkey! The Arizona sub-species is called Gould's and it's rather smart. A nice surprise. After our spell at the feeders we slowly made our way down again as I wanted to do a recky for tomorrow at the adjacent Florida Canyon. I couldn't believe it when I spotted yet another Gray Hawk around mile 9...
Common bird!?
By the time we reached Florida Canyon the light was fading...and so was the heat! The Varied Bunting was in exactly the same tree...
A couple more of a truly special bird...one of my all time favourites...
That was our day. We drove back to the Motel enjoying yet another spectacular Arizona sunset...
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