Month: August 2018

My apologies for the delay in getting this post out – I’ve had some technical challenges. This is the last installment in relation to the desert wanderings we undertook during our trip to Arizona in August. We saved the last day for our favorite ramble… Ramsey Canyon.  Sierra Vista is located at the base of the Huachuca Mountains in southeast Arizona, and Ramsey Canyon reaches up into those mountains from just  outside Sierra Vista.  The mountains are diverse and unique, the canyon breathtakingly beautiful : the paths are mostly wooded in the lower portion of the canyon, and much of it winds alongside or very near to Ramsey Creek, making it dappled and pleasant.  The high canyon walls are dotted sparsely with vegetation, but your eyes will inevitably be drawn to the imposing cliffs towering periodically over the trails, some of which have been home to Golden Eagle nests.

Ramsey Canyon is owned and maintained by the Nature Conservancy. Parking is free in the small gravel parking lot, but there is a small charge to access the canyon trails. There is a gift shop and bathroom facilities here, as well as maps and information about the canyon.  There are usually a couple of friendly naturalists on hand to answer questions and fill you in on the latest wildlife  sightings along the trails. Behind the building you’ll find several seating areas located within good viewing of multiple hummingbird feeders, which are often quite busy!  This hummingbird was visiting a feeder just off the back of the Nature Conservancy building.

Our day began quite warm, but the shade offered by towering cottonwoods and sycamores kept us fairly comfortable.  We walked slowly, savoring the beauty of the canyon and lazily scanning the trees and trailside for birds, reptiles, mammals… and anything else we considered of beauty or fascination.  I loved the way these leaves stood out in such contrast against the tree trunk (photo to the right) – I know I’ve said it before, but I find textures such as this so intriguing!  In contrast, and more in keeping with the desert flora you might expect to find in Arizona, the Prickly Pear cactus jutting from the top of these rocks was certainly eye-catching as well!  Ramsey Canyon offers an interesting variety of habitats, including meadows and, in the higher reaches of the canyon, more arid and open areas of sparse vegetation and rocky outcroppings.  The Nature Conservancy has built and maintains a series of ponds as well, to help support a population of endangered Chiricahua Leopard Frogs.  The woodland we spent our morning in is dotted with buildings, most of them abandoned, or remnants of buildings that have a rich history, and serve to punctuate the nature trails with a hint of nostalgia.

As we walked along, we did manage to spot a few creatures, such as this stunning  lizard, one foot poised in readiness to respond to danger.  Apparently we kept a distance that he considered quite respectable, as he moved only slowly, with no signs of being alarmed by our presence.  We spotted a couple of additional lizard species further up the path, including a tree lizard that virtually disappeared when standing on tree bark – very aptly named critter!  Mule deer are seen quite often in Ramsey Canyon, and this visit was no exception, we counted about a dozen at various points along the trail.  Hummingbirds could be heard whizzing by, woodpeckers calling, and many species of butterflies, dragonflies, and damselflies kept us company along the way.

We spent several hours wandering up and down the canyon trails, happy to explore and stroll at a leisurely pace.  If you ever find yourself near the Sierra Vista area, I would definitely recommend a visit to Ramsey Canyon!

And now… to wrap up our trip to southeastern Arizona, I will leave you with an image that, to me, has always evoked warm and very happy thoughts of the Grand Canyon state… the majestic Saguaro Cactus.

Until next time!

Our second day in Arizona found us wandering in the desert.  As it was pretty darn hot while we were there, we didn’t linger much, as we are often known to do.  Even so, we were out long enough to spot some pretty cool things…like a Barn Owl flying toward a small stand of nearby trees.  We were also fortunate to spot a Groove-billed Ani (a first for me), but it was buried too deeply in foliage to get a photo.

Our first jaunt was around the area of Whitewater Draw in the Sulphur Springs Valley.  Due to sporadic monsoons this year, there was very little water, but a few small ponds could still be found.  In winter this lake is a favorite watering hole for Sandhill Cranes, by the thousands!  It’s quite a sight – if you ever have the chance to visit in the winter months, I’d highly recommend stopping to see them.  There is a viewing platform with spotting scopes, offering the opportunity of seeing cranes up close for those who haven’t got binoculars. The lake lures in many other birds as well.  We’ve seen herons, rails, harriers, ducks, geese, owls, and mammals such as javelinas (wild pigs), to name a few.  But in August, during a reluctant monsoon, the abundance and variety just weren’t there.  Both the Barn Owl and the Ani were exciting and unexpected sights, but otherwise the only creature I spotted was this wasp.  I believe it’s some type of pepsis wasp, possibly a Tarantula Wasp.  It was very large, I actually heard it moving on the tree before I spotted it, and with the naked eye it looked like a small bird.  But seen through the camera lens, I was astounded to find it was an insect!  I’m working on a definite ID, but whatever it was, I certainly wasn’t in any hurry to get closer to it!  …Yeah, I’m a coward.

From Whitewater Draw we ventured west to a piece of land we bought some years ago.  It’s in an area of open range that had been overgrazed for decades, so there wasn’t much left  but red dirt and scrub.  There are a few cacti that have taken hold, such as cholla and an occasional prickly pear, but it’s pretty bare otherwise, with patches of mesquite shade only large enough for a lizard.  Our local friends have tried to slow down the water that flashes through during rains, in order to plant some native grasses, and in one area they’ve been fairly successful.  Tom had also placed a couple of motion sensitive cameras near the draws (where water was most likely to be found), to see what wildlife might be moving through.  We didn’t expect much, to be honest, so we were quite surprised and more than a little pleased when he sent us photo after photo…I think we stopped counting at around 40 different species! Javelina, skunk, roadrunners, owls, kangaroo rats, bobcats, and many more.  It was thrilling to see so many creatures making use of our land, even if it was only using the arroyos as critter highways.  We continued to keep track of these visitors until someone stole the cameras…can you believe that? Sheesh!  This time around we noticed a few footprints (one we thought might have been a fox), but mostly I found a number of intriguing patterns in the rusty red dirt, left by rapidly moving water brought by rains that fell before we arrived.  Usually these patterns are trampled, windblown, and faint when we stop by in the winter or early spring.  But look closely… even dirt has beauty to show us and stories to tell.

After wandering around our land, watching vultures and hawks circling overhead, we turned in another direction.  This time we visited a residential area in the foothills where a family of Harris’s Hawks had recently been reported.  Sure enough, we found three young hawks calling incessantly to their parents for food.  Mostly hidden in a large evergreen, the fledglings were tough to spot, but the adults came and went several times.  These hawks are strikingly handsome, and distinctive in that they will hunt cooperatively, in groups, which is not typical in the raptor world.  Although I’d handled Harris’s Hawks in the past, either birds that were permanently disabled or used in falconry, I’d never seen them in the wild until this day.  The sight of them drove all thoughts of my recently melted sandals (which I’d stupidly left in the hot car) from my mind!  What majestic birds!

As I mentioned last post, Mark and I are currently on vacation.  We enjoy traveling to Arizona for a few days each year, and this time we chose the Southwest’s monsoon season for our visit (don’t ask me why…talk about hot!)  The main reason we vacation in Arizona so consistently is to spend time with good friends who live there, but the birding in southeastern Arizona is pretty spectacular as well!  Our friends Tom and Sheri, of Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory (check out their website at https://sabo.org/), were facilitating a hummingbird banding program when we arrived, so we headed right over to join them.  We have seen SABO banding hummingbirds many times before, but it never fails to amaze me every time I watch.  Tom captures the tiny birds, and Sheri does the banding – and such delicate work it is!  Below are some photos of hummingbird releases.  The birds are merely (though gently) placed into the open palm of a willing and eager helper (such as Mark and myself), and it is allowed to rest there until it’s ready to fly off on its own.  The species are, from top photo to bottom:  a female Rufous Hummingbird, a female Black-chinned Hummingbird, and a male Anna’s Hummingbird:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a perfect way to start a vacation!

Our first walk during this trip was along the San Pedro River, just outside of Sierra Vista.  There are a number of areas along the river that can be hiked, and all of the trails I’ve taken to date have been lovely.  (I’ve included a link to the BLM’s map of walking trails along the San Pedro River on my Trail Markers tab, under the Trail Maps section, for reference.)  This time we chose to begin from the San Pedro House, a familiar location to both Mark and me.  Unfortunately, the monsoons have been sporadic this year, so although the landscape is greener than at other times of the year, the river we walked along was little more than a trickle.  Even so, the trails in this area of the river bottom are quite beautiful, and very peaceful.  The Friends of the San Pedro River work alongside the BLM to advocate conservation and restoration of this heavily used river.  FSPR also operates the San Pedro House gift shop and facilitates educational programs and walks (PDF of their brochure here).  We generally walk on our own, however, looking and listening for birds, watching for lizards skittering across the path, and generally breathing in the tranquility.  If you should find yourself in the Sierra Vista vicinity, I would highly recommend visiting the San Pedro House and taking a walk along the river.

This year, most likely because of the time of year, high heat, and lack of rainfall, the river was fairly quiet.  We could hear hawks, woodpeckers, and doves through the trees, but the only bird we actually spotted was a Lesser Goldfinch.  The lizards were quite active, however, moving quickly away from us on both sides of the trail – and almost always moving too fast to be photographed!  Butterflies could also be seen from time to time, most of them new to me (if I find out what the butterfly in the photo is, I’ll let you know.)  Near the building that houses the gift shop, there is usually more activity, since there are feeders around the gardens.  We settled in on a bench after our walk to watch White-winged Doves, Blue Grosbeak, Gila Woodpeckers, Inca Doves, and more Lesser Goldfinches, as well as several species of hummingbird.

Of course we are in desert country here, so the trails are usually dusty and/or rocky, and there are a wealth of cacti and other fascinating desert plants  wherever you look.  I do love the desert – as arid and sometimes barren-looking as it might seem, it has an intricate beauty all its own.  Along with my family, I used to travel to Arizona nearly every spring break when I was young, and I have many fond memories of identifying different types of cactus, scanning the roadsides for Roadrunners, and generally enjoying the warmth of the sun!  I don’t recall doing much wandering in my youth, however, and as an adult I find great pleasure in exploring this unique countryside in more depth.  To be honest, I probably knew the names of desert plants much better when I was growing up, but I’ll re-learn them eventually, I’m sure!

For now, I’ll leave you with these last few photos.  We have several more days to spend wandering in this area…we will be walking in the Sulphur Springs Valley and into the canyons of the Huachuca mountains, so there’s definitely more to come.

 

The photos below:

Trees along the river, with the Mule Mountains in the  background;

A lone, exquisite hummingbird feather to finish the day.

See you soon!