Southeast
Arizona
Mar
28-30, 2003
- narrated
by Henry Detwiler
Al & Helga, Jeff & Nancy, Suzanne & I, and two of the girls
saw 11 species of hummers in three days!
127
species total
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized shots.
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Mourning Dove at Sweetwater
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We started out bright and early at Sweetwater Ponds
in Tucson, finding a nice Hooded Oriole, but no Least Grebe.
Helga spotted this dove nesting in a saguaro close to the restrooms.
Accross from the Continental Cafe at Green Valley, we picked up a
beautiful male Pyrrhuloxia and several Rufuous-winged Sparrows.
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Broad-billed Hummingbird,
Santa Rita
After a late picnic lunch
we headed up to Madera Canyon, where the hummingbirds, Scott's
Orioles, titmice, and finches put on a show at the Santa Rita
Lodge. The evening's entertainment was provided by an Elf Owl
that poked its head out of a telephone pole several times just
before dark. |
Magnificent Hummingbird
Santa Rita Lodge
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Violet-crowned Hummingbird
Mrs. Paton's Yard |
The next morning we drove over Box Canyon in a
howling dust storm (where a Golden Eagle was hanging in the wind), and
made our first stop of the day at Mrs. Paton's yard. Cardinals, Bullock's
Oriole, sparrows, finches, and a couple of Violet-crowned Hummingbirds put on a
great show. |
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Patagonia Lake State Park
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At Patagonia
Lake SP we saw Lucy's & Yellow Warblers, a few more duck
species, flycatchers, and the famous Black-capped Flycatcher
(male) sitting upon its nest. Here's the whole crew peering in at
the expectant father. |
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Several Vermilion Flycatchers were displaying over
the meadow--a spectacular sight! From here we drove over to
the Huachucas, and to the B&B run by Mary Jo Cox. She
has set up a fabulous feeding station, and the long list of birds
we saw attests to its success.
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Vermilion Flycatcher
Patagonia Lake State Park
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Acorn Woodpecker at Mary
Jo's |
Acorn & Arizona Woodpeckers, Bridled Titmice,
orioles, cardinals, Pyrrhuloxia, sparrows, finches, siskins, and
an armada of hummingbirds gorged themselves at the myriad
feeders. The best bird of the stop was undoubtedly the
beautiful male Lucifer Hummingbird. Later, at the Beatty's, we added
two more hummers: Blue-throated and Calliope.
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On Sunday we spent about four hours at the wonderful
Arizona-Desert Sonora Museum. The animals were all active,
so we enjoyed their antics. Flowers & cacti were all
blooming, and we spied wild birds from the grounds, too, such as a
Black Vulture floating overhead.
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Mountain Lion at Sonora
Museum
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Northern Caracaras, Sells
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We took the long way home
via Sells, and were rewarded by a group of five Northern Caracaras
congregating around a dead cow east of town. Then we spotted
another two of these scavengers west of Sells. We
didn't get back to Yuma until 10:00p.m.--a long but successful
trip!
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