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Arizona 2004 An extension to the DVOC New Mexico Field Trip

December 12 - 19, 2004

Trip Report

The DVOC Bosque del Apache Field Trip immediately preceded this trip.

Sunday December 12, 2004
Day One

Bert and most of the other DVOC field trip participants went to the Albuquerque Airport around 11:00 am. While the rest of the group prepared to fly home, Bert picked up the previously arranged SUV rental. He then returned to the Comfort Inn and picked up Bill Murphy, Naomi Murphy, and Colin Campbell who were waiting with our luggage. By 11:50 the vehicle was loaded and we were on our way down Interstate 25. Our destination was the town of Portal in Arizona.

On the way, we drove over Emory Pass in southwest New Mexico. A stop at the pass overlook and a little pishing pulled in a small flock of mountain birds. We had Pygmy Nuthatch, Cassin’s Finch, Mountain Chickadee and Red-naped Sapsucker. Our drive took all the afternoon and early evening. We arriving at the Cave Creek Ranch at 7:30 pm. The distance from Albuquerque to Portal is 335 miles.

Monday, Day Two

A wonderful low stress birding day in the Chiricahuas!
We had two efficiency apartments at Cave Creek Ranch. Bill and Naomi were in one and Bert and Colin were in the other. A fire in the fireplace was a nice way to a cool morning. As our breakfast ended, Bill Stocku arrived from Sierra Vista. Bill, a DVOC member who moved out here several years ago, had volunteered to spend several days birding with us. Bill is one of the top listers in Arizona and spends many weeks each year leading birding groups in southeast Arizona. Bill is the man! After checking out the feeders at Cave Creek Ranch, we drove to Dave Jasper’s feeding station in the suburbs of Portal. Unfortunately, we needed to use two vehicles when Bill S. was with us. Neither vehicle could fit five people comfortably - or even uncomfortably. At Dave’s property, we met Dave and spent about an hour watching Curved-billed Thrashers, Crissal Thrashers, Gambel’s Quail and other desert specialties feeling. A family of Collared Peccary stopped by. A House Wren chattered behind us – a good bird for this area. Dave was eager to join us for a few hours of birding around the area. From his house we drove to downtown Portal and walked the main street. Even though the general birding was quiet, we did have a very cooperative Canyon Wren. Dave and Bill took us to all the local spots plus some private areas. We had study views of Albert’s Towhee at a feeder.

After lunch at Portal Peak Lodge, we said goodbye to Dave and the five of us headed up to the Rustler Park Campground in the Chiricahuas. Our birding yielded several new species including Williamson’s Sapsucker, Band-tailed Pigeon, Pygmy Nuthatch, and Northern Pygmy-Owl (heard only).

We started back down from our highest elevation (8300 ft) at 4:00 pm and were back at our lodging at 5:15 pm. Bill headed back to Sierra Vista – a two hour drive! Colin and Naomi whipped up a spaghetti, salad, and wine meal. We ate at a table in front of the fireplace. A classic day!

Tuesday, Day Three

After gathering for a nice breakfast of eggs and sausage in Bert and Colin’s room, we made a slow drive up to the Southwest Research Station to try to find Montezuma Quail. They once again eluded us. We knew this was going to be a tough species but at this point we did not know how tough it would turn out to be. Returning to the streets of downtown Portal, we walked many of the same areas as the day before. The birding was slow. The best bird was Lesser Goldfinch at a feeder. We ran into Dave Jasper and had a nice chat before we headed to the feeders at his house. We watched for about 15 minutes before we decide to move on. Just as we were leaving, Colin spotted a Magnificent Hummingbird, which made all of us perk up. Any hummingbird in December is a bonus. We started our drive to the Sierra Vista area by working the area around State Line Road and Gin Road. We saw with Barn Owl, Golden Eagle and several sparrow species. Douglas was our quick lunch stop before we stopped at the Southeast Arizona Bird Observatory north of Bisbee. There was no one there but we did see Rufous-capped Sparrow behind the building. By now, it was mid-afternoon and we headed to the closed bridge over the San Pedro River on Hereford Road. Flocks of sparrows were along the road and in the surrounding fields. After a nice chat with a US Border Patrol officer, we walked along the river. A pair of Great Horned Owls hooted above us and eventually flew down the river. Several Lincoln’s Sparrows hopped around on the river bank.

After a quick stop in town for much needed food and beverage supplies we drove up Miller Canyon and checked in at Beatty’s Miller Canyon Guest Cabins Here we also had two efficiency apartments. This allowed us to cook our dinner without having to venture out again.

Wednesday, Day Four

After coffee and toast in Colin and Bert’s lodging, we met Bill S. at the base of Miller Canyon Road at 7:30 am. On Monday, Bill had traveled two hours each way to bird with us but today we were lodged only 10 minutes from his house. Today was the day to bird Sulphur Springs Valley. The guidebooks suggest working from north to south but Bill recommended we do south to north. The main goal of the day was Bendire’s Thrasher with the secondary goals of the wintering raptor show in the valley and waterfowl at Wilcox and Whitewater Draw. By noon, Bill had taken us to a reliable spot for the thrasher and we had one perched up right beside our two vehicles. Through out day the birds were all around us. There were sparrows in the brush, raptors over the hayfields, owls in trees, cranes in fields, and ducks on the pond at Wilcox. The small pond at Wilcox held, Virginia Rail, Sora, snipe, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Common Moorhen, Greater White-fronted Goose, Marsh Wren, Common Yellowthroat plus several species of ducks. We ended the day at Whitewater Draw Wildlife Management Area where we watched thousands and thousands of Sandhill Cranes flying in to roost for the night. As dusk fell, we had a male Vermillion Flycatcher sitting in a tree, a Merlin flying by, and numerous Great Horned Owls hooting.

The five us ate a pizza and beer dinner at a restaurant west of Bisbee. After the meal, Bill headed for his house and we headed to our cabins. We were in our lodgings and doing the checklist by 8:00 pm

Thursday, Day Five

After a homemade breakfast, we again met Bill S. at 7:30 am. (Note: Naomi and Colin are very good around the kitchen.) Our first stop was the Sierra Vista Environmental Operations Park (sewage ponds). Here we got our first Cinnamon Teal of the trip. We then drove to the San Pedro House where a Ruddy Ground-Dove has been coming to the feeders. After fifteen minutes of searching, we had success. Not only that, we saw Common Ground-Dove, Gilded Woodpecker, and Gila Woodpecker. Our original plan for the day was to walk along the San Pedro River and then head to French Joe Canyon. Bill S. suggested we head directly to the canyon. Therefore, off we went. Leaving the main road, we continued our search for Montezuma Quail. By 10:30 am we had parked and started the walking up into the canyon. Our goal was the Rufous-capped Warbler but it was a real long shot. It had not been seen since spring but we felt we should try it anyway. Maybe we would get real lucky. French Joe Canyon is a beautiful area and after mostly car birding the previous day, it felt good to do some serious walking. On the way, we saw an Olive Warbler but not much else. We got to the “water seep” at 11:45. The canyon was quiet. The warbler we sought did not appear to be there. After about 45 minutes at the water seep area we started down. By 1:45 we were all back at the cars and on our way out to the main road. We stopped for a late lunch at a Subway and decided the best use of our time was to try an area known for having Montezuma Quail. Bill M., Colin and Bert worked a grassy woodland area for about an hour and a half with no luck. Two of us did get good looks at Arizona Woodpecker during our quail search.

We treated Bill and Joyce Stocku for dinner at a local Mexican place and then we stopped back to see their wonderful house. By 9:30, we were back in our lodgings.

Friday, Day Six

After three nights at Beatty’s Miller Canyon Guest Cabins, it was time to move to a new location. We packed up and headed out from Beatty’s 7:30 am. Bill S. was not with us today. He was chasing a Bohemian Waxwing seen locally the previous day. On the way out of Miller Canyon we stopped and refound the Arizona Woodpeckers seen the previous afternoon. We also searched for Montezuma Quail. Our route to the San Raphael grasslands was south of the Huachuca Mountains. This was another one of Bill S’s wonderful suggestions. Besides being a nice ride, it provided us with another opportunity to search for Montezuma Quail. The scenery was spectacular but the weather was not cooperative. The forecast of winds up to 40 miles per hour was right. At the top of Montezuma Pass, it was blowing even harder and it was actually difficult to stand up. However, the ride was enjoyable and gave us a chance to see part of Arizona we never saw before. Once in the San Rafael Grasslands we were rewarded with a length view of a Baird’s Sparrow at close range. We were unable to locate any longspurs. We found out later that none had been reported in the area yet this year. Then it was on to the town of Patagonia where we picked up a quick lunch at the local grocery store. We stopped by the Patton’s house for about ½ hour. We did not see any hummingbirds but we did see a male Lazuli Bunting on a feeder. By now, it was 1:00 pm and it was time to head for Patagonia Lake State Park. Some serious searching at the north end of the lake yielded one of the wintering Black-capped Gnatcatchers, a Gray Flycatcher and a Northern Beardless Tyrannulet. This flycatcher is drab but has a great name. We also picked up a flyby Common Goldeneye.

At 3:30, we headed to the Kino Springs area. At the golf course, a Vermillion Flycatcher and a Black Phoebe chased each other around the pond. A great sight! As the light started to fade, we stopped by the Nogales International Airport and confirmed that there were no sparrows there. As we headed into the town of Nogales for the night we found the expected roost of Black Vultures, our last new bird of the day. We spent the night at the Best Western in Nogales.

Saturday, Day Seven

Today was the day to tackle California Gulch. It is known as the most accessible location in the United States for Five-striped Sparrow. Accessible is a relative term. It is two hours each way along a dirt road that can be rough at times. Then it is a walk down and then back up aptly named “Heart Attack Hill”. We were realistic about our chances. There are very few winter records of the sparrow but we might get luckly. During the drive to a from California Gulch we would continue our unsuccessful search for Montezuma Quail.

We met Bill S. at a truck stop along Interstate 19 north of Nogales at 7:20. He had driven over from Sierra Vista to spend another day with us. After a quick breakfast at Wendy’s we started west on Ruby Road to California Gulch. It was not until 10:15 that we pulled into the parking area above the gulch. Naomi stayed with the cars while Bill S., Bill M., Colin and Bert started down “Heart Attack Hill”. For the next two plus hours, we searched and played the sparrow’s vocalizations with no luck. Finally, we admitted that the bird had beaten us. Either there were no individuals there or they were there and refused to show themselves. Either way, the bird had beaten us this time. At 12:45 pm, we were back at the cars and we started back out. We continually scanned for the elusive Montezuma Quail. This was our last shot in good quail habitat. Shortly before the dirt road turned back to paved road, Bill M. spotted a couple of individuals crossing the road. Moving ahead cautiously, we found several of the quail moving through the tall grass along the side of the road. A great sighting for everyone and a lifer for Bert – YEA!

It was 3:00 before we got back to the major highway. We were losing light and we only had time for a quick lunch snack. In the Continental area, Bill S. knew of a place where the local hotline reported a couple of interesting birds. It was the old Pima County Maintenance Yard. Within 20 minutes of arriving, we added Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Harris’s Sparrow, and Orange-crowned Warbler to our trip list. Then it was off to the Continental Health Care Facility where we coached several Rufous-winged Sparrows from the bushes. We got our views of the sparrows as the sun went down.

Dinner was at a local “steakhouse”. Before we headed up to Santa Rita Lodge in Madera Canyon, we sadly said good-by to Bill Stocku. He birded with us four days. Words cannot express our gratitude to him. A super guy!

Sunday, Day Eight

This was our morning to pack up in preparation for our journey home later in the day. We gathered at 8 am and spent the next hour checking out the feeders in Madera Canyon. Right at our lodge, we had a stunning male Magnificent Hummingbird coming to a feeder. Overall, the rest of the canyon was quiet. By 9:15, we were all packed up, checked out, and headed down the road. We stopped for much needed coffee and then drove up to Tucson. On the northwest side of town there is a relatively recently opened birding area. It is the Sweetwater Wetlands - another sewage pond! Here we had time to bird slowly and added the final three species to our trip list – American Redstart, Blue-winged Teal, and Least Grebe. That made our final count 160 bird species. This sewage pond was a great place end a great trip. A stop for lunch at a Subway and we were sitting at the boarding gate waiting for our plane by 2:30 pm. We arrived in Philadelphia at 12:45 am on Monday morning. Ed Filemyr picked us up at the airport. We were officially home!