Explorations in Arizona.
The Five-Striped Sparrow is a bird I had longed to meet. For more than a decade I tried, but never managed to be at the right place at the right time. While chatting with the manager at Paton’s, he gave me some directions to follow. So late Thursday afternoon I drove away west on AZ-82 … Read more
My day at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds Thursday was lovely. I came early and stayed late. I spent some quality time with the site manager. He provided me with background information about what the Tucson Audubon Society has planned for this facility. There was a lot of excitement surrounding the Thick-Billed Kingbird, and the … Read more
After coming off the Chiricahua Mountains Monday and getting breakfast in Sunsites, I pushed my way over roads I’d not traveled in a very long time. It carried me through Tombstone and Charleston. I paid a visit to the Charleston Bridge, a place I had spent time twenty years ago. The old steel single-track bridge … Read more
When my time with the Cave Creek birds concluded, I ascended the Chiricahua Mountains. It seemed to me most of the up-slope birds were smart enough to hide from the heat. I stopped to look and listen for birds and sniff the air. I kept hoping I’d find Mexican Chickadees, but it was not to … Read more
Last year, I passed through Portal, but storms were drenching the upper slopes of the Chiricahuas, and I didn’t feel much like lingering. If it feels right this year, I hope to stick around longer. At the top of my list of birds I hoped to meet, was the Mexican Chickadee. I have had eyes … Read more
Saturday, my friend Linda and I drove to visit her good friend Kai, who lives on the Cottonwood Wash south of Pima. I had the pleasure of spending time with birds here once before as I returned from Texas in 2020, and I was eager to spend time once more. Summer birds were showing up, … Read more
I left Tucson Saturday with my heart set on traveling the Redington Road, so I drove to the end of Tanque Verde Road and climbed the steep, winding gravel to the crest of the first grade. The road was tough going. There weren’t a lot of birds to be seen as I drove, but there … Read more
I spent Thursday night on Mount Lemmon. I’d hoped to camp on Incinerator Ridge, where I’ve enjoyed warbler meetings in the past. I knew it was early for many of the birds that will migrate here to breed, but being in the neighborhood, I wanted to poke around. As I drove up the mountain from … Read more
Having enjoyed past visits to Agua Caliente Park in northeast Tucson, I was eager to return during my 2023 Expedition. It did not disappoint! For those folks unfamiliar with this location, it rests on the south side of Agua Caliente Wash at the northeast corner of Tucson, in Pima County, Arizona. The park covers over … Read more
Tuesday I visited the Paton Center for Hummingbirds in Patagonia, a destination I have heard many folks rave about over the years. It was my first visit, but I sure hope it is not the last. Once the home of bird lovers Wally and Marion Paton, it is now operated by the Tucson Audubon Society. … Read more
