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Gay Birding Tours A timely start to our owling adventure meant that we had some time to kill. Our original goal had been Cave Canyon on the southeastern slope of the Santa Rita Mountains, but due to a large wildfire there during the previous week all roads were closed, and the habitat was probably toast in any case. Instead we headed up the closer Santa Catalina Mountains and used the available daylight with a birding stop in Molino Basin. Here we had Rufous-crowned Sparrow and Canyon Wren before bumping into Rick Taylor's group in Bear Canyon, where they already had tooted up a "Mountain" Pygmy-Owl for us. The typically paired notes, given at a rate of about 100/minute classified this as the nominate subspecies which may eventually be split. Higher up the mountains where it had just rained, we had dinner at a gorgeous overlook, hearing only Common Poorwill, and then proceeded to dip on all other high elevation owls, hearing only a "Mexican" Whip-poor-will (also a good split candidate, sounding more like "will-poor-whip"). We deduced that the forest owls must prefer to remain silent after such a drenching monsoon rain. Back at the desert base of the mountain we heard screeching juvenile Great Horned Owls and a few barks from an Elf Owl. Rather than an ungodly early start to get to the western deserts at dawn, we instead had just a godly early start to be at Montosa Canyon at dawn. Here we snagged the pair of Black-capped Gnatcatchers, first discovered here by yours truly on October 1 2003, and the area was in general very birdy. We saw a pair of Black-tailed Gnatcatchers (offering a good comparison with their shorter and thicker bills), a Varied Bunting, a pair of Northern Beardless-Tyrannulets, a pair of Crissal Thrashers and an Arizona Woodpecker (very low in elevation, but there must be just enough oaks in the narrow riparian strip). After pausing on the road for a Coachwhip, we headed north to the Red Rock cattle feed lot where a pair of breeding Ruddy Ground-Doves had been summering (and breeding) since they arrived on the winter invasion of 2002-03. The heat had set in already, and the multitudes of other birds masked their presence. Onward through the Santa Cruz flats to a Bendire's Thrasher (great comparison with a Curve-billed a couple bushes over), a huge migrating flock of Cliff Swallows, and then lunch at the space ship restaurant in Gila Bend. A fruitless search for Le Conte's Thrasher in the searing afternoon heat near Tacna was at least useful for finding this recently discovered locality. After we checked in to our "Calipat" hotel, dinner was in Brawley, where we were served good family Mexican food by the adorable Carlos. The impending heat, humidity and stench of the Salton Sea warranted a predawn departure. We drove under skeins of hundreds of White-faced Ibis and Cattle Egrets off to their favorite alfalfa fields and soon found ourselves looking at the first Yellow-footed Gulls off of Obsidian Butte. Hold your horses, no need to rush back to Tucson quite yet, even though this most local of North American larids has been bagged. We then scoured the entire southeastern shore of the giant lake, quite pleased that the famous odor wasn't as bad as it can be (just the usual mildly offensive sulfurous aroma, no massive fish dieoff). Ruddy Turnstone was a nice find among some extremely territorial Western Sandpipers, and then after a false alarm with a drab Song Sparrow we finally found four "Large-billed" Sparrows, a subspecies of Savannah Sparrow that will almost surely be split soon. After checking a few other lakeshore sites with more gulls, terns, and shorebirds (including the disgraceful ruins of the west-side resort communities, no desire to head back there any time soon), we headed in for lunch and an afternoon break. After dinner at the hotel, we were off again to Fig Lagoon west of El Centro, where the marshes nearby supposedly have Black Rail. We found what must have been the right spot, but we failed to hear any responses. Lesser Nighthawks and a calling Clark's Grebe were there. With such a successful first day and word of new opportunities back in Southeastern Arizona (Madera Canyon finally opened, perhaps making the Flame-colored Tanagers available, and a Streak-backed Oriole had been found farther south) we changed our plan. Instead of another full day and morning here, we would bird this last morning in the area then escape the Salton Sea a day early and spend the last day of the tour back in Arizona. So dawn this morning found us at the Borrego Badlands, and before we could dish up our quick picnic breakfast, Le Conte's Thrashers were calling. We soon found them running on the ground with tails cocked up and then watched one through the spotting scope, perched on a stick. Then Ron innocently asked about possibility of Black-chinned Sparrow, which had us on the road for a 25-minute drive straight uphill into the lowest chaparral zone of the Cuyamaca Mountains. In just 5 minutes we had a Black-chinned Sparrow (probably a male in winter plumage) responding to tape. Another highlight here was the local Granite Spiny Lizard. Back to the hotel, we checked out, then used up the rest of the morning to scour the shore of the Salton Sea one last time for any rarities. Missing Wood Stork and failing to find anything truly fabulous was partly made up by the dizzying numbers of shorebirds, such as several thousand American Avocets, perhaps as many as 10,000 Western Sandpipers, and a deafening swarm of Caspian Terns. The total number of birds we estimated this day was over 42,000. Next was the long and dreary drive back to Tucson, but no lack of interesting conversation (OK, also a quick power nap) kept the driver awake. We made a short stop at the Pinal Air Park Pecan Grove and discovered the return of Burrowing Owls, not reported from here since May 2001. A yummy dinner at P. F. Chang's was followed by a quick checklist and sleep. Desperate need for more sleep doesn't negate the even greater need to be out birding at dawn during the summer months. Unfortunately, the days are long and listlust is a powerful force. Starting our birding at 6:20, we really padded the trip list as we spent over two hours combing the lush riparian habitat of the Santa Cruz River behind the Tumacacori Mission. Bell's Vireos, Summer Tanagers, Yellow-breasted Chats, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Gray Hawk, Brown-crested Flycatcher and Rufous-winged Sparrow were some the additions, but we eventually left here without the elusive Streak-backed Oriole that had been present a couple days earlier. The 13 other birders here also dipped on this megararity. After an absolutely necessary Starbucks stop, we headed up to the cooler Madera Canyon where the highlight was a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak in the place where we had hoped to see Flame-colored Tanager. Missing that rarity along with several other birders wasn't a surprise, but excellent views of the desired Plumbeous Vireo (as well as enjoyable views of Painted Redstart, Hutton's Vireo, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher and Brown Creeper—maybe someday split) made this a worthwhile stop. One could quit now, but the thought of even one lifer within driving distance is a temptation too great to resist, so we milked the rest of daylight, starting with fabulous views of Violet-crowned Hummingbird at Marian Paton's feeders (and a relaxing time just watching all the other birds around). We then scored a major Passerina grand slam while standing in one spot at Kino Springs: several Blue Grosbeaks and all the buntings: Painted, Indigo, Varied, and Lazuli, the latter in dizzying numbers, mostly males. Finally we ended up at Peña Blanca Lake, a well-known spot for Montezuma Quail. We departed there empty handed, just to make one last stop on the roadside, mostly to check the status of a rare Cupped Passionflower plant (Passiflora bryonioides)—but lo, and behold, a Montezuma Quail responds. We act quickly due to the rapidly dwindling daylight, but with much patience one flies over our heads once, then twice, then lands out in the open on a mostly barren hillside. Wow, a great finale to a blitzkrieg tour of the hot deserts, deserving of a nice bottle of wine and a pepperoni and olive pizza. | ||||||
To see the entire bird list from this tour, including lists of all the butterflies, mammals, and herps, click HERE. | ||||||
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