SE Arizona Part III

The sun going down did not mean my day was over. I drove to Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita mountains in the dark, expecting to have an easy drive. Google maps decided it wanted me to take the dirt road option. The road was pretty easy to drive, but it's way more stressful at night than it is during the day. I couldn't see how far down the drops were, and all I could hope for was that a deer didn't run into the road.

The Santa Ritas in the sunset

But I was in the Santa Rita Mountains, quite possibly the most unique mountain range in the United States. There was a wild feeling to it, and I was feeling electric. This was one of the first known haunts of El Jefe, one of the only jaguars to have a home range in the United States, although his whereabouts are unknown to the public. The topic of jaguars in the United States is the most fascinating thing for me, and it's what initially drew me to wanting to visit this area. Another jaguar has been photographed in the Chiricahuas as recently as February, and I suspect it won't be long before they start breeding in the United States, if they haven't already (that's a conspiracy theory for another day). 

Western Tanager

While I did not see a jaguar that night, I did see tons of Lesser Nighthawks and Common Poorwills on the road. The Santa Ritas have mountain lions and bears in addition to jaguars and maybe Ocelots, but they also have spectacular night birding. I stopped at various places to listen, and even got out of my car at a picnic area but something felt off. The sky was illuminated by some of the best stars I've ever seen, but the area seemed pitch black. I really wanted Whiskered Screech-owl, and as I walked stood in the picnic area it felt like something was watching me. I turned on my headlamp to see two eyes, but it was only a Gray Fox. Still, it was spooky enough to send me to the car.

The best phone picture I could hope for

After checking in I went to the Mount Wrightson Picnic Area to try for other night birds with the intention of walking around. The first animal I saw as I drove up there was a White-nosed Coatimundi. Coatis can be found throughout southern Arizona and resemble a weird looking raccoon. Awesome animals. As I neared the parking lot I was stopped in my tracks by a sow Black Bear and two little cubs in the road. Slack jawed, I watched the family mosey up the road before disappearing in the woods. In that moment I decided not to get out of my car. Mexican Whip-poor-wills were calling and peacefully putting me to sleep. After an hour I had to go back and pass out, I had a big day coming up.

Bridled Titmouse

Today was the big day for Elegant Trogon. Charlie Tran, a friend of the blog since the A&M days joined me up the Carrie Nation Trail. First of all, what a hike. You'll gain elevation, but it's not bad at all. Bridled Titmice greeted us on the trail, which was relieving since I did not want to miss that. Painted Redstart and Red-faced Warbler were common, and we had a pair of Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers. 

Varied Bunting

We also heard 3 Elegant Trogons. Their barking call is distinct and we hiked off trail to try to see it, narrowly missing it. We were within feet of it and it undoubtedly saw us. I was crushed to miss it, but the hike and the company more than made up for the miss. I suspect that maybe getting on the trail before sunrise would have netted us the bird. The drought has also been really hard on Madera Canyon, which I think impacted our chances. Hopefully the monsoon season hits the Santa Ritas hard. 

Blue Grosbeak

The afternoon was pretty hot so I knew birding would slow down big time. I looked for Five-striped Sparrow along the road I drove in on without luck. In a perfect world I would have had another morning to stake this out, but it was hot and I am not a big stakeout person. My final place of interest was a corral a wash in lower Florida Canyon. The water tank is an oasis of birds, and there was a smattering of color. Varied Bunting, Western Tanager, Summer Tanager, and Blue Grosbeak were everywhere. I also vanquished a nemesis bird, Hooded Oriole! That felt great to get off my shoulders

Hooded Oriole

.On my final day I went to Saguaro National Park. With just a few hours to kill I didn't have time to go back to Madera Canyon, and I also wanted to tick Saguaro off of my national park list. I did a loop involving Mica View, and found it very pleasant. The park was established to protect the Saguaro "forest", and I could see why. The desert gets way too much hate, and the park was really pretty. The birding wasn't bad either. I cleaned up on some highly desired targets like Rufous-winged Sparrow and Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. A Lesser Nighthawk flew past me on the drive in broad daylight. Unsurprisingly it got sweltering after the sun went up, but it wasn't bad at all in the morning. Mica View was great for walking and birding, and Saguaro overall is a great urban national park. 

Saguaro forest

Rufous-winged Sparrow

Leaving Arizona was depressing because I had such a fantastic time. I wanted to sample the area and I found a lot of places that I like, and hopefully I will be back very soon. When I do I want to try the Chiricahuas or the Peloncillos in New Mexico. My high expectations were exceeded, and I can't wait to take some non-birders here next!

Pyrrhuloxia