Arizona Dreaming Part 2 (06Aug2021)

Knowing it was going to get hot fast, we woke early and began a hike up the canyon road from the hotel basically at first light.  In hindsight we should have drove to the top and started the hike there.  I was already sweating like crazy by the time we made it to the trailhead for the Carrie Nation Trail, but the good news was that the trogons were calling right from the parking lot.

Elegant Trogon - these were actually calling all over the canyon so it seemed strange that anyone would not find them.

Like many of my target birds for the trip, they are a species that are only found in the very southwest part of Arizona but are quite common in Mexico.  It seems silly to spend so much time finding birds that are tricky to find in the USA but easy to find if you just cross the border.  I do plan to eventually explore Mexico more as the waves and birding are excellent.

Likewise for the Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers, they were loud and quite plentiful and only found outside Mexico in SE Arizona.

Greater Pewees apparently do have a bigger range in Arizona and New Mexico but I had only ever seen one previously in Texas of all places.

White-winged Doves are nothing special but if one perches right in front of your face, you have no other recourse but to photograph them.

Mexican Jays are boisterous and raucous much like their Jay cousins.

For lunch we visited Tubac but it was super hot and most shops were closed I guess for siesta.  I continued my strategy of assessing the restaurant by it's Chile Relleno and was pleasantly surprised by the variability of this dish between all the restaurants we visited.  Some had meat, some didn't. Some were smothered in sauces and some were deep fried.  Some light on the cheese and some swimming in it.  Some day I will research this phenomena and write a book on it.

Tubac is famous in the birding world for the De Anza Trail, a really long trail that has a section in SE Arizona.

If your interests include history, you can read up on it here: https://www.nps.gov/juba/planyourvisit/maps.htm

I always think these histories glorifying European accomplishments are a little ridiculous as Native Americans had been living and traveling in these places long before and most times the Europeans only survived because the Native Americans allowed them to and in some cases helped them.

However, the reason birders love the trail is probably the same reason De Anza did, the river passing through the desert is an oasis with trees. We didn't have long as it was hot and Melissa doesn't tolerate my birding for more than 45 minutes but I was able to find a few good birds.

Lucy's Warbler - this little nondescript warbler jumping through the mesquite branches was easily identified when it showed its cinnamon rump.  Apparently it was named after Baird's daughter, so not only do ornithologists get birds named after them but also their family members too.  Cinnamon-rumped Warbler would have been a better name for sure.

One of my targets for this walk was the Thick-billed Kingbird and thankfully a pair showed before my time was up.

In the heat of the afternoon we hunkered down in the hotel for a nice nap.  Luckily some monsoon clouds moved in before sunset and before unleashing a torrent allowed us some time to further explore Box Canyon in relatively cool weather.  It was a little nerve-wracking as we could see that some sudden downpours would have the potential to strand us in our little red Mustang as there were multiple washes across the dirt road that indicated impromptu rivers.  When we arrived at the Five-striped Sparrow stakeout there was already a couple people there looking for it.  So as a group of 4 we looked long and hard through the canyon hoping it would perch on the cholla cactuses which were everywhere. 

These Varied Bunting were a brief consolation.  The light was horrible due to the late hour and increasing clouds.

Eventually the other two birders left and I was able to go behind a bush to relieve myself.  Now most birders know that rare birds tend to show up around public bathrooms or really anytime someone chooses to go to the bathroom.  I don't know if there is a scientific explanation for this phenomenon but it does seem to work for me which is why I always hydrate before a birding expedition.  As I did the deed, I heard the rich song of the Five-Striped Sparrow not 20 feet away and voila, there he was.

Five-striped Sparrow - even with the poor light I was able to get some good pics due to the close proximity and how cooperative the bird was.

Count the white lines on his face and you will eventually get to five.

What a beautiful bird!

Back at the feeders at the Santa Rita Lodge, this Hepatic Tanager came in just before dark.  Unfortunately the Berylline Hummingbird was a no show.  The skies opened up that night and rained down to cool the canyon for our next days adventures. Tune in for Day 3 soon.