Greetings from warm and windy Tucson. With three full days of birding from the Utah border to the Mexican border, the only bad news is that this trip ends in seven days. The 2024 list has grown by 51 to bring the 2024 total species count to 358.
I'll start this post with some red birds. I thought I had a great look at a Summer Tanager in Texas a couple of weeks ago (see my April 11 post) but, this look may be even better. You tell me.
My previous post included my first look at a Red-faced Warbler. I got some better looks the next day.
And, after 3 trips to Arizona, I finally got a Pyrrhuloxia photo that I really like. The view and the evening light at Saguaro National Park were just right.
Having picked up the Common Nighthawk in Texas and an Antillean Nighthawk in Key West just before this trip, I completed the "2024 nighthawk trifecta" by picking up the Lesser Nighthawk in Saguaro National Park. Trying to photograph these birds when they are flying 10-20 MPH on wildly erratic flightpaths is certainly a challenge. I got this one just before it soared behind a saguaro cactus.
My #1 target bird for the trip was the Five-striped Sparrow, a species that is found in the U.S. only around the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson. On my way to find the sparrow, I came upon a fellow standing by the road. He waved at me to pass but, I decided to stop and see what he was checking out. He asked if I wanted to see a Gila Monster. I said, "Sure thing as long as I don't have to pet it." It's bite is roughly the equivalent of a rattlesnake's bite. Unfortunately, it had crawled off and the search was abandoned after several minutes of peering through a barbed wire fence.
Shortly after that, I came upon him again waving me down. This time, a Gila Monster was still in the road and I was able to see this species for the first time. He said these are exceptionally difficult to find and he was visibly thrilled to have seen two in one day. In talking with other locals about this, I concluded this sighting was the equivalent of finding a junonia shell on your first trip to Sanibel. On a side note for Judson... the Gila Monster is not a bird.
Another non-bird sighting was this Abert's Squirrel. I'm still looking for the Abert's Towhee on this trip but, did not know there was a squirrel with the same namesake.
And yes, I did find the Five-striped Sparrow although my best photo opportunity was from about 80 yards away. I'll revisit this location at least one more time to try to get a better shot.
Today being Cinco de Mayo, I was looking forward to dinner at Manuel's in Sahuarita, AZ. Manuel's may be my favorite Mexican restaurant. Imagine my surprise when I found it closed. Isn't that like closing an Irish pub on St. Patrick's day?
More soon from Southeast Arizona!
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