Kofa
Queen Canyon
22-23
& 26 Apr 2005
Narrated by
Henry Detwiler
Suzanne, Gaby, Adriana, Veronica, and I took a camping trip to the Kofa
NWR to see birds & beautiful spring flowers. Then I went back
on 26 April to get some additional flower, bird, and landscape photos.
45
species -- bird list is at the bottom of the page
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized shots.
| Friday after work we drove north from Yuma for just over an hour
to reach the Palm Canyon exit on Hwy 95--just a few miles south of
Quartzsite.
|
Adrian, Veronica, Gaby, &
Henry
|
After driving 3.5 miles towards Palm Canyon, we took a left turn
towards Kofa Queen Canyon. As the sun was setting, we started to
see good Yuma County birds such as Curve-billed Thrasher and Canyon
Towhee.
|
We were visiting the refuge to look for a few bird
species that are rare or non-existent elsewhere in Yuma
County. That night after setting up camp and eating a late
dinner, we watched the moon rise among hundreds of sparkling stars.
|
Black-throated Sparrow
juvenile in flowering Ocotillo
|
|
Rock Wren
|
Early the next morning, starting just after 5:00am, I listened to
the dawn chorus as I
laid in our tent: Canyon Towhee,
Western Kingbird, Scott's Oriole, Northern Mockingbird, Ash-throated
Flycatcher, Canyon Wren, Rock Wren, Gambel's Quail, Black-tailed
Gnatcatcher, and finally Latter-backed Woodpecker. It was an
amazing symphony! |
By 6:00am the show was drawing to a close, and I emerged from
the tent to see the sun shining on the surrounding peaks.
Birds continued to call intermittently: Costa's Hummingbird, House
Finch, Cactus Wren, and Black-tailed Gnatcatcher.
|
Canyon Wren in Kofa Queen
Canyon |
|
Black-chinned Sparrow in
the shade of Ten Ewe Peak--these sparrows are not found anywhere
else in Yuma County.
|
Variable Checkerspot near the
first saddle on the way up Indian Canyon.
|
|
| Once the girls had arisen, and everyone had
breakfast, we started up the trail to Signal Peak, the highest
point in Yuma County at 4877'. During the next several hours
we climbed & scrambled higher & higher, first through an
awesome array of lupine, poppies, larkspurs, cacti, and mariposa
lilies, and then through scrub oak and agaves. |
Mariposa Lilies
|
|
Gilded Flicker on a
Saguaro
|
Additions to our bird list list as we went up the trail
were: Gilded Flicker, Anna's Hummingbird, Common Raven,
Black-throated Sparrow, and about eight Black-chinned Sparrows
(one of our goals).
|
| We topped
out at this saddle (about 3800 feet), and after talking it over
with Suzanne and the girls, decided to call it a day.
|
Looking north down
Indian Canyon, with Kofa
Queen Canyon in the distance
|
|
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow
(in Crucifixion Thorn)
|
Ladybug impaled on a
Prickly Pear cactus spine
From
this beautiful vantage point we added Wilson's Warbler,
Pacific-sloped Flycatcher, an American Kestrel chasing a
Red-tailed Hawk, and our only Rufous-crowned Sparrow.
|
| As we tumbled and
hiked our way
back down the slope, the birds continued to call and fly by us:
Lesser Goldfinch, White-throated Swift, and Townsend's
Warbler. One of the swifts buzzed Gaby & Suzanne so
closely that they had to duck.
|
Black-throated Sparrow
|
|
Side-blotched Lizard
Western Diamondback
Rattlesnake
Cereus Wash - off Kofa Queen Canyon
|
Later in the afternoon, after lunch and a nap, Gaby and I took a
walk up-canyon and located Green-tailed Towhee, Crissal Thrasher,
and Song Sparrow--and several of these colorful Side-blotched
Lizards. We were going to spend Saturday night in the
canyon, too, but lightning, thunder, and rain convinced us to break
camp and head home!
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