I don't want time to drift to much before posting this. So I've made the effort to put it together asap. I hope you find it entertaining...if your interested..if your not, you'll have already clicked the x. This will be an unusually long post for me but I feel it's best doing as one for completeness. Believe it or not it's just the highlights, otherwise it would be much longer.
I had certain specific targets, as always. Namely...
I'd already connected (and written about) the RFL. Ditto the PCS. Red Crossbill was a "hopefully come across" bird!
That left my BIG FOUR.
We took the 82 NE from the Nogales area towards Patagonia. The first notable bird of the day being this fairly distant
Gray Hawk calling in the early morning light...
Next stop was the famous Patagonia roadside rest were I'd previously seen Rose-throated Becard on my previous visit in 2005. This time the attraction was a pair of
Thick-billed Kingbirds...
...the bird was at the top of a tall tree.We passed at 6.24am. We also had further luck with a fly-by Yellow-billed Cuckoo.
Onwards passed Sonoita and through
Las Cienegas a simply wonderful restored grassland area. One of those "take your breathe away" moments as you come over the hill!!
Pronghorn are also present here and I was fortunate enough to see one which Richard had pointed out...
This amazing animal is capable of FIFTY THREE mph and can travel for miles at half that speed!!! I scored a bonus point by guessing that they are related to an African animal...the Giraffe! Richard was impressed.
We arrived at
Ramsey Canyon spot on time at 8am. The walk was going to be a tough one due to incline, heat and altitude but I was determined to try and make it, so off we set on the Hamburg trail. A number of strategically placed benches certainly helped. Richard had obviously made the hike before which helped matters and took away the uncertainty of being in the "right spot". We arrived in the area around 10.30 and joined a small group of admirers who appeared to be looking interested.
The next hour was spent enjoying a pair of Code 5
TUFTED FLYCATCHERS...an ABA MEGA!
The canyon was very shaded but I managed this one when the sun caught it. Very rare and very smart. The 8th...and ninth records for the ABA. Initial story of the find
here. Even more remarkable was that a nest was subsequently found! Breeding not proved yet but still possible.
We started to make our decent, birding our way back down the trail. I glimpsed a
Red-faced Warbler through the vegetation...
Further down the trail Richard found a bird I was really hoping to see...a
Mexican Spotted Owl! These birds are not difficult to SEE...just FIND. This was a juvenile, I'd seen adults in 05 so this was a real buzz for me. A couple of pics...
Initial view...
Front on...
What a bird...and cute! We continued down sharing stories of Footy when Richard heard a familiar call...
Elegant Trogon. This is another iconic bird of SE Az and I was very keen to see one. The canyons can be frustrating as they are reasonably "open" BUT it can be very difficult to get "on" the bird. A real challenge. After around 5 minutes we had the bird in view...again in the shadows but conclusive...
Richard commented that we were having a lucky morning...I agreed! The luck ran out when we spent some time around the Bledsoe loop looking for the pair of Flame-coloured Tanagers, a small circular walk around the stream. A pair had been present all summer but we struck out on this one. I wasn't too disappointed as it wasn't a target bird as such as I'd seen the male at Madera Kubo in Madera Canyon in 05.
Painted Redstart was also seen amongst others but my images are poor...very poor!
We lunched at Subway in Sierra Vista (love them!).
We now had a big drive west back to Rio Rico to swap vehicles as Richard was taking his 4x4 down the notorious California Gulch. We had some time to kill before the evening/night session and he asked me if there were any other species I'd like to see. Rufous-capped Warbler and
Black-capped Gnatcatcher were both present in
Pena Blanca Canyon and it was on our way so we decided to give it a go. As we turned off Ruby road we spotted a pair of
Montezuma Quail...yet another iconic species. More luck! They soon disappeared into the undergrowth but I was quick with the trusty panasonic and managed a decent image of the male considering...
Gave me a real thrill to get an image of this elusive species...little did I know what was to follow however. We hiked down the thankfully flat canyon streambed to the spot were Richard had been seeing the birds. He asked me which one I'd rather see...RCW I replied...of course...we saw BCG!!
Well!!
Still a VERY rare bird north of Mexico.
On our way back to the car we heard a
Northern-Beardless Tyrannulet (quite a name!) which we found perched some distance away...
I also obtained much better views of the wonderful
Painted Redstart...
We had to move now. I was obviously in the more than capable hands of Richard but I ahd to admit I was getting slightly edgy as there was no guarantee I would connect with my main target...the BCN!
We continued west along Ruby rd enjoying yet more fantastic scenery and fortunately blue skies! We rounded another bend...BOOM (OK I've said it)...but it was a good view...
What can I say about this...not a lot. A great moment in it's own right. Love the clown like features. He just sat there basking in the sunshine, a stonking male Montezuma's Quail. I felt privileged, very privileged.
We turned into California Gulch (great name, one of many) and I left it to Richard to negotiate the track. He told me it had been improved due to the need for access for the Border Patrol...handy for Birders too! As we approached the southern end of the Canyon the light was beginning to fade...
I have to make a confession here.
Five-striped Sparrow is another very rare bird found only in a few canyons in S.E.Arizona. Richard takes many clients here specifically to see this species. I'm afraid I didn't pay it the respect it deserved...for two reasons...
1. I was focussing exclusively on the Nightjar by now...it WAS 7.15pm!
2. I'd had great views of this bird in 2005 on my previous trip. I'd set my camera up to hopefully get an image of the BCN but I still somehow managed a record shot of "the Sparrow" as it popped briefly into view in the fading light...
We arrived at the Nightjar site and took up our positions. A large herd of cattle complete with loud mooing added to the tension! Might be difficult to hear the Nightjar me thinks?! Thankfully they drifted away over the next ten minutes. It was pretty much dark by now and Richard commented that he'd usually seen it by this time (7.50pm). Then we heard it at 7.52!! Only once, then silence again...apart from the mooing of course.
8.15...nothing. It was now VERY dark. At this juncture I was trying to stay positive...but it was hard. My mind drifted back to 05 when I'd tried previously with
Melody Kehl to no avail at the nearby Oro Blanco mine. Was I going to strike out again ten years later? Richard had done his bit but it looked grim. I asked him if he'd ever seen it this late...unfortunately he answered "No". I knew he was waiting for me to make the call to leave, which I appreciated.
8.30...nothing.
This may sound corny but it is how it was I assure you. I made the call to leave at 8.45pm. We turned and shone our torches one last time around the site. We saw this...
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| BUFF-COLLARED NIGHTJAR |
If your into this game (or even if your not) I'm sure you can imagine my elation!!! I didn't kiss Richard...but ti was close! We did do a high five instead of the british handshake. I honestly couldn't believe it. there it was, sat on a branch, totally unconcerned by our presence. One of THE best moments of my Birding. I'll leave it there.
I was on a high now. Exhausted (we'd been at it for 15 plus hours) but extremely happy and with a sudden injection of adrenalin...funnily enough. . I'd have understood if he hadn't fancied trying for the
Whiskered Screech Owl in Madera Canyon but he said it was fine, so we headed back to Rio Rico along Ruby rd.
Note: I wouldn't have liked to have found my own way out of California Gulch in the dark.
As we travelled back east along Ruby rd the fun continued in the form of a
Great Horned Owl...
It kindly hung around while we got it in the car headlights. Not bad with no flash at half-a-second exposure. This next image emphasizes the fact...
Another great bird.
I asked Richard if I could follow him north in my car to Madera, again for two reasons.
1. It would save me heading back south.
2. I was slightly concerned about going through the border control without my passport.
He agreed.
We arrived at Santa Rita lodge around 11.30pm. We soon heard a couple of WSO calling but we couldn't locate them in the dense foliage. It took us around 20 minutes but eventually we spotted one hiding in the branches...
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| WHISKERED SCREECH OWL |
The final bird was
Mexican Whip-poor-Will. Again we got lucky as we clearly heard a bird reasonably close to the car park.
So...what a day! I'm glad I've taken the time to write this monumental day up. I hope you enjoyed it...I certainly did! I think my decision to hire Richard was a good one! Cheers pal.
That takes my ABA total to
675
