From a small town to a big city...
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A Birding Blog
By Jared Conaway
From a small town to a big city...
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So you know; I have 2 more posts relating to Texas upcoming when I finally get around to finishing one, and starting the other, so just hang tight. Hi, it's been a while. I can't say I've been too terribly occupied, I've just had other things on my mind. Birding has mostly been on the backburner, but man that doesn't mean I've been longing to do it again. So, I was given the chance by my Dad to plan a birding trip on my own. Of course the Chiricahuas come to mind right away, because at the time a Berylline Hummingbird was discovered on a trail in those mountains (and come on is there a reason not to go to the Chiris? *no*). On top of that, a family of White-eared Hummingbirds had been found nearby. I haven't ever chased rare hummers before, so I thought it was worth a shot. Except this shot was almost 5 hours away. You know what though- we were going to make it work. Oh, and these hummers were on the southeast side of the Chiris; a new location within a mountain range I love, and it is considered the best by birders. This was the view from the car window; we drove down a dirt road that ran through the Chihuahuan Desert. With the abundance of creosote bushes and flatness of the landscape it reminded me of southwestern AZ. Thankfully, there are forest lathed mountains in this region to differentiate from that... monstrosity. From there it took about 30 minutes for us to have this view of the gorgeous Chiris. I had hopes that we'd find a Elegant Trogon in a canyon shaded with oaks, sycamores, and maples. The lower exposed slopes of this range are dotted with Redberry Junipers, Sotol, Ocotillo, and a few Optunia cacti species. Botteri's Sparrow and Lucifer Hummingbirds utilize this habitat during summer. Arizona Sycamore: Cave Creek Canyon had plenty of these, including some very large mature individuals. Birds are coming soon. But first... A Mexican Carpenter Bee. At this point we were at the Cave Creek Ranch, a known birding hotspot with excellent landscaping. It even has a large Arizona Cypress in the front. It didn't take long for us to get our first excellent bird. The Blue-throated Mountain-gem (BTMG) is more than decent that is for sure. This is an adult female based off the yellowish throat. Back in January I saw my first one ever, which was a young male. I said in that post that is the largest hummingbird in the US, well here's how big it is. The hummer on the left is a Black-chinned Hummingbird (BCHU). It has a personality opposite of Rivoli's- our other massive hummer. The Rivoli's flees from hummingbirds half its size, and doesn't fight back. But you see, the BTMG goes out of its way to attempt to impale other hummers. Trust me, I observed it. I would love to see this beast next to a Calliope Hummingbird. There was also a male BTMG, and I detected them by the unusually loud "seep" that sounds like a Turdus thrush. They were more skittish than I expected. Immature male Anna's Hummingbird (ANHU), but that's a Phoenician bird. The male BTMG yeeting to one of the porch feeders. I promise there will be more pics of this epic species. A decent photo of a juvenile female BCHU. There were also a few Broad-billed Hummingbirds, but I didn't get good photos of them that time around. But keep reading. Pictures only capture the essence of southeast Arizona to a certain degree. They say pictures are worth a thousand words, but I just can't use enough adjectives to describe what it's like to experience this place in person. You should visit this region, if you already have then there's nothing wrong with going again. We walked along a trail for a bit going through oak forest to a beautiful view. There was a family group of Mexican Jays and a flock of Bushtits. You know I have to photograph these hyper gregarious birds. This is a juvenile MEJA by the bicolored bill and dusky gray face. These corvids are just so lovable. Close up of a Emory Oak with pronounced serrates. Thank God for overlooks. The Chiricahuas have more caves & crevices than other sky islands from what I've noticed. Historically Jaguars would've utilized this crevice as a den to raise cubs. After our little hike, we went over to the Southwestern Research Station. This place is awesome: College students spend the summer working there while studying the biodiversity of the Chiricahua Mountains. In the town of Portal most of the residents are actually retired biologists and professors. Juvenile Chihuahuan Spotted Whiptail. This genus of lizards includes a species that is only female: the Desert Grassland Whiptail. It took a while, but I finally did it. I took killer photographs of a Yellow-eyed Junco. There was also this cute Coue's White-tailed Deer in the parking lot. Every time I encounter Acorn Woodpeckers, I always do my best to photograph them, as they are one of my favorite birds. They also are a defining species of North America's western mountains. I tried to top my picture I took at Carr Reef earlier this year, but as you can see I didn't. However, a little bit of editing fixed this up well. After spending some time at the SWRS, we went to our main destination: Crystal Cave Trail (we'll call it CCT). This is what the place looks like: It's very oaky. But that's okay. What we have here is typical mid-elevation Madrean Sky Islands evergreen woodland. The first hummer was this juvenile BCHU. The Chiricahua Fox Squirrels added to the Texas vibe. It's an endemic subspecies of Mexican Fox Squirrel in Arizona, and these were my first ones I saw so far. This is not a Berylline Hummingbird. This is another Blue-throated Mountain-gem (female). The largest population of these north of Mexico is in the Chiricahua Mnts. This is one of the dopest pictures I've gotten of this thicc species. You can't not love the BTMG. Oh yeah I almost forgot; there were other birders at the sight. One of them had one of those hefty cameras, the one you have to work out for & save up. Many are surprised by the Chiricahua Fox Squirrel's ability to yeet. ...What's this? Hmm... Looks kinda like a Broad-billed Hummingbird or something. But it looks more like a Berylline Hummer. In any case she flew off after staying in the dark. Minutes went by, and so Guy With Thick Camera walked off. ...After 15 minutes since its first visit (and after an application for car insurance) it showed up again. I felt bad for Guy With Thick Camera; if only he waited... Now you can see the violet tail better. This creature has an emerald green neck that makes it very distinctive. It also has rufous outer tail rectrices, and the underside is tan. Another 15 minutes went by and the BEHU showed up again. This hummer is the only one north of Mexico with iridescent flight feathers, unless you count Blue-throated Mountain-gem, but that species only has iridescence on the upper side of the wing (referring to primaries & secondaries). Also, this individual is a female: the front of the neck has white spotting. This is actually one of the less sexually dimorphic species of hummingbirds. The upperside of the wings have a unique amber & black pattern that recalls Varied Thrush (one of my all time favorite birds). Heck I should do a blog post on the first time I saw one, which would also include waterfowl, shorebirds, and gulls. Anyways something also notable about this bird is the bicolored bill (red lower mandible). She also has little cottonball feets. Out of the 3 visits the BEHU made, I wasn't able to get a picture of it on a natural object, because every time it did land on a branch it was behind other branches. This gives the camera a hard time. And me. However, I'm still satisfied with what I got. Lastly, it did call after flying off the first time (and I think when it flew in the second time). I remember noting to my self it sounded like a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. After enjoying the rare hummingbird we ascended to Rustler Park to look for Mexican Chickadees. To the north some pretty ominous clouds came in. They wanted to yeet some lightning at us. Anyways, going up I observed the classic elevational habitat change. Oaks turned into pines, pines into firs. The view to the east was kinda epic. A Greater Roadrunner (GRRR) was a pleasant surprise at over 8,000 ft. I'm so used to seeing them in lowland desert. The roadrunner is basically a really huge cuckoo that eats thrashers, hummingbirds, lizards, snakes, and fruits. It also has a really dope plumage pattern & colors. Another crazy thing is that their skin is jet black. In the it flares its mantle feathers to revail the black skin, and the rising sun warms it up. It looks like a velociraptor too. I also saw a Azure Bluebird (tropical subspecies of Eastern) perched in a snag on the way up. It was my first time seeing one (remember it was a h/o at Carr Reef Trail earlier this year). Barfoot Park; Arizona Pines, White Firs, and Douglas-Firs, typical habitat for Mexican Chickadees (MECH). Rustler Park was flourishing with White Firs & Douglas-Firs, and even had a cold mountain stream running through it. The park is at almost 9,000 ft. above sea level. It isn't actually a park; there is a meadow right there with burned trees and that's what those open burn areas are called. After a little pishing I brought in a male Wilson's Warbler right in front of me. They're a tiny bright yellow warbler with a black cap. Apparently I've never taken photos of one before. I should do that this upcoming spring. A cactus I almost stepped on. Scarlet Cup Hedgehog Cactus Moss & Lichen in nooks & crannies. If you think about it, it looks like an airiel view of mountains in the Pacific NW. I walked along the stream to search for the endemic Chiricahua Leopard-Frog. It was in a little ravine, so standing above the creek looking to the other side, I saw a small brown bird spiraling the trunk of a Douglas-Fir. It was a Mexican Brown Creeper (BRCR). Remember this subspecies can be identified visually by the dark brown back contrasting with light gray-brown head. Northern birds the back & head are the same color (light brown). Then, my dad pointed out a bird (like he always does). I was thinking it'd be a House Wren or something brown, for whatever reason. But then it flew down to the creek. I felt a rush of adrenaline as soon as I saw it. The bright yellow head combined with a plain whitish underside and blue-gray wings with white wing-bars is characteristic of this warbler. This little cutie is a Hermit Warbler! Basically, I've been to so many places and at the right time of year, yet I hadn't seen one until this moment. Yeah, it was a nemesis bird. it only took me 5 migration seasons! The plump warbler hopped down into the creek, drinking & briefly bathing. He then flew up to a plant that was pretty close to me, and was there for a few seconds. Despite being out in the open at that point, my camera was more interested in what was behind him. But this last picture is satisfying. I was afraid my lifer experience would be one high up in a tree, and I wouldn't have a camera. Here's some life history on this puffball: For one, the alternate-plumaged male is an absolutely stunning bird; the head is striking yellow (no green auriculars like in fall)with a black throat and black nape; the wings are mostly black with bold white wingbars (and white edging on flight feathers), and the back is gray with black streaks. The underside is snowy white for the most part, and the rump is black. They summer in the lush coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest- from mid Washington to northern California (plus populations in central and southern). It migrates through California, southwest Nevada, and throughout Arizona south of the Colorado Plateau. We did get some Mexican Chickadees by the way, but they were heard only every once in a while. I have yet to see them well. Think Mountain Chickadee but no white eyebrow. And there was this tachinid fly. And this is the park. The view from Rustler Park... We had a group of I think 8 Red-tailed Hawks soaring over the ridge. This is an interesting individual. It's a juvenile dark morph. You can tell it's a juvenile by the whitish spotting underneath, but also the pale eye (which is barely noticeable in this picture). Now you might think with this picture it would be extremely difficult or even impossible to distinguish from the similar Harlan's RTHA. That's not the case. For one, the upper breast streaking is barely visible, blending into the dark head. A typical juvenile Harlan's would show white on the face (in front, below, and behind the eye), and the breast streaking would be bright white, appearing to be on top of the black rather than under; the throat would be whitish. The inner wings would have less noticeable of streaking on Harlan's, and the wing coverts would be neatly rather than messily spotted with white. Lastly, the banding on the undertail coverts is more obvious on Harlan's. Adult light morph RTHAs molting flight feathers & rectrices. Adult RTHA we saw on the way down. Some white in throat and tail pattern typical of the southwestern subspecies. The Chiris always provides scenery if you need it. Trust me, SE is way better than northern AZ. We stopped at a breathtaking pullout spot about halfway down the mountain where I had a mixed flock of passerines. Yeah, my HUVI bad photo streak continues. You can still easily identify this thing as such from this photo because of dark feet, vireo bill, the big fat vireo shape, white eyering, and no black carpal bar (stripe after the second wing bar) You know what this lil crapper is? It's a Hermit Warbler (HEWA). I couldn't really tell what it was when I photographed it. The other warblers present were Black-throated Gray. Near the SWRS I saw this Gould's Turkey from the car. It's essentially the Madrean subspecies, and one of the largest. This is also my first picture of a WITU! Even with a little bit of grass the turkey is still great at hiding. "But when the world needed him most, he vanished." The MEJAs at the SWRS were flexing jewelry. It's part of an ongoing population study from 2011. I always take pictures of these weirdo scrub-jays at odd angles. I kinda wish I took photos of the SWRS now that I think about it. I want to say this is a WIFL, if it is, this is my only pic of one. We spent the night in New Mexico at a hotel. The next day we drove back to portal to look for the White-eared Hummingbirds. Early in the morning the next day we drove over this large Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. Fortunately we didn't hit it with the wheels, so we turned around to take pictures. The Western Dback has broader black bands on the tail than Mojave. Funnily enough this was only my second wild rattlesnake ever, and second seen in the Chiricahuas. The mountain ranges in SEAZ are so far away from major cities, so the pollution-free sky is often vibrant blue. I don't know if this sky was bluer than in the Huachucas because, well, y'all have seen how blue that was. Our first birding destination for the day was Cave Creek. Then we came across this Gold-banded Skipper. Most skippers are tiny, but in the south quite a few are larger, with 2 inch wingspans. Cave Creek is such a beautiful area. Along the shore are some of the largest Arizona Cypresses in the state (and possibly world since they're practically endemic to AZ). I can't help myself: AZ Sycamore is a very pretty tree. SEAZ is the goat don't @ me. The best scenery, the best birds, and the best flora. Here's a horrible photo of Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, also known as a very overdue lifer. He was vibing in an Arizona Cypress near a creek bed. The story behind it is; I spotted the bird flying into the tree with my binos, but I forgot where he was when I used my camera so I basically just took photos of the tree in hopes the flycatcher would be in it. I don't have to share this photo, I mean it's not appealing, but I'm a true photographer so if the best photo I got is a bad one, I'm probably gonna share it. I try to get banger photos as often as I can, but the results are determined by how cooperative the bird is. Just thought I'd be real, carry on dear reader! Plumbeous Vireo Plumbeous means: "The color of lead". My boi really is as sketchy as graphite though. Female Hepatic Tanager Meridian Duskywing Yellowspine Thistle Arizona Cypresses, extra thicc. Male Tonto Dancer Arizona Black Walnut Bridled Titmouse - I love these so much, I was glad I could at least get average quality photos. You can still see clearly that it is a floofy lil birb. BRTI is common in Arizona, mostly found in wooded canyons and sometimes lower riparian areas during winter. In the US they are only found in Arizona & southwest New Mexico. Driving on the paved road through the canyon brought us to much more lush riparian forest. Male Black-headed Grosbeak (BHGR) - This bird has drip! Red Rock Skimmers- a lifer dragonfly- were gracefully hawking the creek. It is one of my favorite Odonata. My attempt at an aesthetic photo of a sycamore leaf. Marine Blues were abundant at the creek, mostly just vibing. After birding the creek for a while without turning up any lifers, we went to another area past the Research Station where a family of White-eared Hummingbirds were found. Nesting WEHU has rarely ever been recorded in the US, s this would be a very cool opportunity. We ended up dipping on them, but the scenery was enjoyable nonetheless. I am hopeful that this next summer WEHU will nest again in the Chiris, or even better; the Huachucas. On the way home, I asked my parents to stop at the ranch again for BTMG. The Berylline Hummingbird was exciting, but I consider the nest events the highlight of the excursion. Male Black-chinned Hummer My objective was to get bangers of a male BTMG, which was possible since him and his girl were present. It was slightly impossible because the enormous hummer decided to be skittish. I had to act quick when he would finally come to the feeders, so I ended up with blurry pictures before things started looking up. Female Rivoli's Hummer This photo of him in an AZ Cyp was a step forward, one that actually led to one of my best sketches, but it still doesn't showcase the intense sapphire gorget. Blurry Boi Immature male Anna's Hummingbird with rainbow iridescence. It took a while, but it finally happened: While these aren't the best photos of this species, it captures the namesake characteristic in its entirety. The contrast of the indigo gorget with the soft emerald & gray of the rest of the bird is really stunning, especially in person. I was so happy that this bird came right up to me after an hour of anticipation. It completed the Hummingbird Hour. I really love this everything about this bird: it is the ultimate combination of subtle & conspicuous. Our journey wasn't done just yet. Broad-billed Hummingbird - female, Dave Jasper's yard Just outside of portal is a property owned by Dave Jasper that is open to birders, and it has tons of feeders, oranges, and plants for the birbs, it's great. This is where I had a very unexpected experience. I approached this immature male Broad-billed Hummingbird, which surprisingly let me get pretty close, and he spread his wings wide. Normally I'm too early or late to capture an experience like this, but this time was different. This was so amazing that I honestly don't care it's not an adult (which would be completely blue-green on the underside and the head). This also made up for not seeing Lucifer Hummingbird in Jasper's yard. A very sad Canyon Towhee Oof. Someone else ate the orange. Juvenile male Northern Cardinal on the left, and juvenile female Pyrrhuloxia on the right. Both species were in decent numbers at Jasper's. Looks like they are vibing, like most birds in this post. Notice how different the Pyrr's bill shape is. To finish this lengthy post off, here's a photo of a juv. male Pyrr plus 2 females.
It only took me 6 months to write this post.
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