Pima Canyon: A Visit With a Focus

This past Saturday, October 10th, I volunteered to lead a birding trip for the Maricopa Audubon Society.  I had been contacted a few months ago and I selected this place as it was a place I knew very well and I listed it as a great place for beginners to learn about desert birds and their calls and songs.  What I ended up with was a team of 4 individuals that were excellent birders in their own right.  One of them was from Ohio and in Arizona for the weekend and another was a person new to the Phoenix area and the other 2 were locals that were excellent birders with additional knowledge about the flora and other fauna.  The other 4 members of the team consisted of Virgil Troyer, Laurie Nessel, Joe Chernek, and Joy Bell.  What a great team we had assembled.  It turned out to be an excellent outing.  Doesn't this photo look like a great group?

  

We started early in the morning, with an objective of trying to locate a couple of nocturnal birds.  One was the Common Poorwill that I hear at almost every visit while it is still dark, and the other was maybe an owl.  Well the Common Poorwills definitely made a liar out of me as they did not give one call during the darkness.  However, we had a little bit better luck with the owl.  When we approached the area where I had seen them last, I caught a glimpse of one flying from one tree to another in the dark in front of us.  At that point I felt good, but shortly started to think the one I saw had disappeared since we had 5 people with flashlights.  Slowly and quietly we moved up the wash a bit and I was scanning the trees with my flashlight and I caught a glimpse of one about 15 yards ahead of us. I tuned the flashlight down quickly and made sure the rest of the team was along side of me and I lifted the light and there it sat on a limb of a palo verde tree and everyone got to see it good in the light.  It was fairly cooperative for us and sat there for some time so that the entire team got great views of it.  This was a life bird for a couple of them.  Now I felt better about the early start and I think the rest were pleased as well.

This was not a trip for me to focus on a lot of photos; I was more concerned that when we found a bird, that everyone got good views of it.  And as usual, some of those birds made that a bit of a challenge, but for the most part, I think we succeeded in getting a good look by everyone.  Not a lot of photos of birds in the blog, but some other interesting photos will be included.

Curve-billed Thrashers were abundant as they always are, and as much as I wanted to find a Bendire's Thrasher, I could not turn this one into Bendire's.

Curve-billed Thrasher

We actually found 3 species of woodpeckers; Gila and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers and also great looks at Gilded Flickers.  Three species of woodpecker in a dry desert wash is a very nice count.  The wrens must have not like that idea because we ended up with 4 species of wren, 3 of which I expected; Rock, Cactus, and Canyon.  The 4th species was the Bewick's Wren which is not a rare bird by any means, but just not that common in this type of habitat.  Only the Canyon Wren gave us close up views and it just happens to be my favorite wren in the United States.

 Canyon Wren

We were also blessed to find find a couple of Townsend's Warblers.  Most of the warblers have now passed through on migration, but some such as this one is still showing up.  By now they have escaped the snow and ice of the Pacific Northwest where they breed and they can make a leisurely trip further south for the winter.  So glad they pass through Arizona in the spring and the fall!

 Townsend's Warbler

As we approached the parking lot on our return, a juvenile White-crowned Sparrow was foraging in the damp sand below us in the wash and was not at all stressed by our presence.  This species is a migrant that spends its winter in the lower elevations of Arizona and beyond.

 White-crowned Sparrow (gambelii) - Juvenile

We had now returned to to our starting point and Laurie had pointed out an Elephant Tree on one of the upper slopes, so 4 of us went to investigate while one had to leave and head to work.  At the tree we studied its leaf structure as a male Phainopepla flew over the ridge and as we got ready to head back down into the wash to go to the parking lot on the other side, Virgil, with an eagle eye, spotted a Spotted Towhee down in the wash, which peaked my interest as I do not recall ever seeing this species in this location in the past.  It is not a rare bird for Arizona by any means, but the location really is not the most ideal habitat for it.  The four of us scrambled down and into the wash to check out the shrubs it had disappeared into and by surrounding the shrubs, it finally flew out and it was unmistakable as a Spotted Towhee.  Once I got home, I looked up my records and sure enough this was a new species for my patch, Pima Canyon Wash.  This was my 100th species for this location and quite a milestone for me.  Wonder how many more I will be able to add in the future. Thanks to Virgil for spotting it and thanks to Laurie and Joe, for helping to flush it out of the shrubs.

At this point, Laurie and Virgil headed out and Joe and I decided to make a quick stop to check out the Pima Canyon Wash where it meets up with the golf course.  We found a second Loggerhead Shrike that was a bit more cooperative and allowed better and closer views.

Loggerhead Shrike

A little more exploring and Joe eyed a flycatcher, and of course it had to be one of those species that belong to the empidonax family that can be difficult to ID.  I remember when I first started birding and found some of these birds; I was at a loss in identifying them and decided there is no way I will ever be able to figure them out.  But guess what?  After a few years of dedicated birding, I have learned to identify many of them.  Still miss a few because of poor looks and other factors, but I had this one pegged while observing it in the field, a Dusky Flycatcher.  The photos do help to confirm the identity, so it goes to show that with a lot of exposure and learning from many of the old time experts, many of these empids can be identified.

 Dusky Flycatcher

Dusky Flycatcher

Having Laurie along was a great benefit as she taught me much about a lot of the plant life out there and she knew to look into rock cracks and crevices because she did locate one of the local Chuckwallas that are found here and with the assistance of a flashlight everyone was able to peer into the crack to view it.  We also had other lizards including the one below, which is a Clark's Spiny Lizard.  The barring on the forelimbs is a key field mark for Clark's Spiny Lizard.

Clark's Spiny Lizard

Another point of interest was some of the petroglyphs that were visible to those not familiar with Arizona.  These can be found at various spots in South Mountain Park.  They were the original artwork of the Hohokam people that lived in this area about 700 years ago.

What an enjoyable hike with great company, and I think all had a great time and lot of knowledge was learned by all.  Our final tally of bird species was 34 which is a very good count for this location.  Can't wait to lead more walks like this.  Thank you Maricopa Audubon for allowing me to take part in your field trips this fall; I hope to do more in the the future.

          

Weekend Meanderings

Finally with the days becoming shorter and the nights a bit longer, the temperatures in and around the metro area of Phoenix have been moderating.  The mornings are actually quite pleasant before the sun starts beating down, so now is the time to start birding some of the local spots once again.  

Saturday morning I decided I needed to do a scouting trip out to my local patch, Pima Canyon Wash.  I will be leading an Audubon trip out there in October, so I wanted to see if anything new was taking place.  Arriving before sunup, allowed me to listen for Common Poorwills and this morning was no exception.  They call from the steep slopes of the canyon before the sun rises but then quickly stop calling as they go to roost for the day.  I have never actually seen one here, but maybe one day I will get lucky.  About the same time the COPO's stopped calling I saw a movement in the dark in the trees and flashed my light up in the trees and was met by 4 eyes from 2 Western Screech-Owls staring back at me.  I made a feeble attempt to mimic one of their hoots and it got their attention enough that one even came a bit closer to check me out.  While they were interested in me, I noted 2 more a bit more distant in the next tree to give me a count of 4 of them.  I attempted to bump up my ISO on the camera and by holding the flashlight next to the lens I was able to get a couple photos.  This one was so close, that I could not focus on the entire bird.  Once I got the photos downloaded on my computer at home, I noticed the red blood on the beak and some feathers around the beak, indicating this one must have just finished its breakfast before going to roost for the day.  What an amazing moment that I got to share with these awesome birds.  When they finally flew away, they were so silent.  It is amazing how their wing beats do not make a sound, even in the trees.

Western Screech-Owl

That little experience was just about the best I could have hoped for, but a few more surprises awaited me before this hike was done.  I was excited a couple of weeks ago when I found a new bird to add to my patch  list for Pima Canyon Wash with a Black-chinned Sparrow.  Well this trip I chalked up 2 more new species for this patch.  I had 3 Barn Swallows fly over the wash as I was there and I also discovered an Olive-sided Flycatcher toward the end of the hike.  These 2 species now puts me at 99 species for this location.  Wonder what number 100 will be???

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Found 2 warblers in the canyon, a Yellow Warbler juvenile and a handsome Black-throated Gray Warbler adult male.  The Yellow Warbler was not cooperative and the BTYW at least allowed one mediocre shot.

Black-throated Gray Warbler

I usually get 3 species of wrens in this location and Cactus and Rock Wrens are almost always assured.  Canyon Wren has only recently become a steady find and on this trip, I thought was going to dip on it until on the return back down the canyon and I heard its single note 'jeep' call and quickly found it hopping around in the rocky canyon walls.  Probably my most favorite wren that can be found in the US.

Canyon Wren

As mentioned in my previous post, I do not hesitate to photograph other creatures and the Harris's Antelope Ground Squirrel is so numerous there that I rarely pay too much attention to them, but every once in a while, one of them poses in just the right spot and with the right light to capture a photo.  I remember when I first started birding several years ago, I chased many of these squirrels thinking it was a bird calling.  Felt like a fool when I discovered it was a squirrel instead!

Harris's Antelope Ground Squirrel

On the return trip back to parking lot as I was walking down the sandy wash, I heard a slight rustling in some brush off to my left side.  When birding, I always check out any noises like this to check for birds as many birds like to forage in the brush.  Well this time it was not a bird but a rattlesnake that was contemplating crossing the wash.  As I was trying to get photos of it with only its head showing in the edges of the brush, it retreated just a bit to conceal itself.  At this point, I was not 100% sure of the species, so I walked to the back side of the brush and saw the tail and knew then it was another Black-tailed Rattlesnake.  Since I was in the back of the brush pile, this handsome snake then decided that the coast was clear for it to complete its journey to the other side of the wash.  This one was larger than the one that I previously saw; about 3 feet in length and was very fat appearing in the middle of the body which might be a sign that it is well fed, or maybe a female getting close to giving birth.  Not once did this reptile show any aggression or concern with me.  They really do not want to tangle with humans and as long as we show them respect they are most likely going to try and get away from us.

 This was taken when I first discovered it.

 This was taken right after it withdrew a bit into the brush pile.

 This was taken when it decided to complete its crossing of the wash.

And this is the tail that confirms the species identification.

Once again, my patch excelled in giving me than I bargained for it is a good example of why it is always advantageous to re-visit some of those well known and common sites.

Hackberry Springs Loop Trail

A couple of weeks ago I was looking for a new trail to hike and a FB and birder friend suggested I try the Hackberry Springs Loop Trail.  (Thank you Pam Barnhart.)  So I took off after reading a link about this trail and I discovered that it is not marked with any kind of markers and I got to a point that I was not sure which fork I should take and I used my GPS app to direct me back to the trailhead parking lot.  When I researched it again, I discovered where I went wrong and today I decided to go back and give it another shot.  All I can say is WOW!  I missed a lot on the first trip and today I discovered how great this place really is.  It is beautiful and scenic and has a variety of habitats.  And the best part, almost no other hikers.  I never met one person on the first trip, and today I only met 2 other hikers.  Great solitude and lots of time to check out birds and other critters.

 

My hike around this loop was 5.8 miles in length with an accumulative elevation gain of 700' which tells you that it is not the easiest trail to hike on, but definitely not one of the most difficult.  There are some areas of scrambling over some boulders, but nothing too difficult.  I tallied 25 species of birds today which is not earthshattering, but found a really good mix and I am excited to check this place out during spring or fall migration as it appears to maybe be a good migrant trap.  If taking the trail counterclockwise, it starts out in typical desert terrain of canyons and dry washes.  It was along this stretch of trail that I got my first photos of the day and it happens to be a very handsome bird, the Spotted Towhee.  This species at one time, along with the Eastern Towhee, was lumped into one species, the Rufous-sided Towhee.  Some years ago, they were split into 2 distinct species with different ranges. Usually a somewhat shy and elusive bird, they do not always pose for photos, but spend a great deal of time like most towhees, scratching in leaf litter under shrubs and bushes.

 

Spotted Towhee

 

Eventually the trail ascended to a flat plain and along that uphill walk a Black-throated Sparrow posed for me.  This bird was the second most common bird for me on the hike today and I heard their tinkling call notes at many places along the trail and got to see many of them flying from one grassy-shrubby area to another. 

 

Black-throated Sparrow

 

At the top of this climb is a flat grassy plain interspersed with Mesquites, Cholla and Saguaro Cactus.  I was finding a lot of Northern and Gilded Flickers, Gambel's Quail, Curve-billed Thrashers, Cactus Wrens, and the most abundant species today, the White-crowned Sparrow.  Nothing rare, but it is always a delight when one can find Northern and Gilded Flickers in the same habitat. The Cactus Wrens were very vocal throughout the hike, but not too many actually made themselves visible.  Also had a lone Vesper Sparrow kind of hanging out with the White-crowned Sparrows.

 

Cactus Wren

 

Vesper Sparrow

 

This is where the trail can get a bit tricky as the trail to Hackberry Springs is not marked and one has to know where to head west.  This area being flat is very easy walking and eventually one comes to a huge canyon where the trail leads down and around.  The views are outstanding and the trail, which is rocky where you really need to watch your footing, eventually leads down to the bottom of the wash area and into the dry streambed itself.  Here is a photo of the landscape just before descending down into the wash area.  What a view!

 

View looking NE from the top of the flat plateau area just before decending

 

Once in the bottom area, a few old Cottonwood Trees were found which only adds to the great habitat for birds and other critters.  This is also where the trail starts heading south along the bed of the wash and the canyons start closing in to a narrow gorge and channel which is strewn with boulders.

 

 Entering the riparian stream bed area

 

This is the beginning of entering the narrow gorge

 

Walking through this gorge was awesome and upon emerging on the other side I discovered small pools of water in the stream bed which really adds to the flora and fauna of this area amid the dry desert landscape.  Of course water means life for more animals and birds and one of the first birds I found in this area was Rufous-crowned Sparrows.  Guess I was a bit surprised at first as this is a species that I have found only in 2 other locations in Maricopa county and both of those locations are higher altitudes.  But this is another reason that this place appears to be something special with a lot of potential.  Within 10 yards of the Rufous-crowned Sparrows a group of 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglets were also foraging in the trees and just another 20 yards down the wash I came upon the first of 2 Canyon Wrens.  This is perfect habitat for these most colorful of the North American wrens.  And with the narrow walls in this area they were fairly easy to see and photograph. 

 

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

 

 Canyon Wren Number 1

 

Canyon Wren Number 2

 

 Some of the small pools of water

 

This is a view of the narrow gorge looking back from where I walked

 

As I was making my way back to the trailhead a Black-tailed Gnatcatcher made an appearance and since it is one of my favorite birds I could not help trying to capture a couple of photos even though I have dozens of photos of this species already.  And in the process of shooting multiple shots, it decided to take flight.  Usually when that happens I end up with a photo with nothing but a branch or twig.  Well this time that split second captured the take-off flight and the underside of the tail really shows why this bird is called 'Black-tailed' Gnatcatcher.

 

 Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

 

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

 

Of course my avian friends were not the only creatures I saw, so will leave with a few photos of these other wonderful creatures.

 

 Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly (open for corrections)

 

 Dragonfly Nymph, this was new to me, had never seen one before, under about an inch of water in one of the pools of water.

 

Red-spotted Toad

 

 Unknown Butterfly (open for identification)

 

 Orange Sulphur Butterfly

 

Arizona Desert Tarantula

 

This has to have been one of my favorite hikes with the gorgeous scenery and then to top it off all the great avian and other wildlife that I encountered.  I will be visiting this place a bit more often, especially in bird migration season to see what it might hold.  If one is a fairly experienced hiker, it is not too difficult; I would rate it as a moderate hike.  But since it is very isolated and very few people are seen, if you are unsure of yourself or getting lost, then tackle it with a bit of caution.  Now that I know the trail, I am no longer apprehensive of how to get there and get around.  (Would not want to get caught in the narrow gorge during a heavy monsoon downpour of rain!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Pima Canyon Wash - 2 June 2013

Well, today it was back to my usual haunt.  The desert heat has arrived and when that happens, my birding around the Phoenix area greatly subsides.  When the morning temps can be 90° at 5:00 AM, then you might as well stay home or head to higher elevation spots.  Today, I decided to get in a good hike before the sun came up and the heat set in, so I made it a point to arrive at the trail head at 5:00 AM.  Was so early I had to wait for the gate to open and I was the second vehicle in line to enter.  Today when I started my hike, I decided to keep track of birds that I could identify by song or call as I made my way around.  At 5:00 AM, it is still fairly dark and many of the birds are hard to see and are not yet very mobile.  The whole experiment actually turned into an enlightening fact for me.  In my 2 hour hike I counted 16 species of birds and 13 of those birds I identified by song before I actually saw the bird.  The other 3 birds were birds that I found and were silent, so I did not know they were there until I actually saw them.  And those 3 species are also birds that I can easily identify by song or call.  So the reality of this experiment, was that I knew every species today by song or call.  2 years ago I was not even close to identifying that many species audibly.  Guess my knowledge of the avian life is getting better.  I do know that the more a person spends observing birds and their habitats, the easier identification becomes.

Since I was trying to beat the heat, I did not spend long periods of time photographing birds, but I did capture a few images and for the most part they are birds I have photographed many times in the past. One of the most interesting scenes was my photographs of a Canyon Towhee.  It was sitting on a branch in a tree, which is a bit unusual as they prefer being difficult to see and near the ground as most towhees are.  So I was trying to get some decent photos of this one singing and did not notice until I got home and started processing my photos that a Black-tailed Gnatcatcher was photo-bombing my photos in the background.  Guess it was trying to get noticed as well.  Kind of nice to see some birds can be comics!

 Canyon Towhee

 Canyon Towhee;  photo-bombed by a Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

Canyon Towhee;  photo-bombed by a Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

Later down the wash, another Black-tailed Gnatcatcher took front and center stage and left no doubt who I was supposed to be shooting.

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

Very near my turn around spot of the hike, I turned a corner and was surprised to find a Canyon Wren.  This is bird that I normally hear long before I see it and its song is so unique and an easy one to remember.  Here is a link to to the Cornell University site where one can listen to its call:  http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/canyon_wren/sounds

This was a nice find as it stayed fairly close and allowed a couple of decent photos.  Many times this bird is seen from a distance on rocky slopes of canyons.  In my opinion, it is one of the prettiest of all the wrens.

 Canyon Wren

Canyon Wren

Other photos include an Ash-throated Flycatcher, a Cactus Wren and a Mourning Dove.

  

 Ash-throated Flycatcher

 Cactus Wren

Mourning Dove

And just so you know I am not stretching the truth about the early starting time, I took a photo of the moon at 4:30 AM just a few minutes before I left the house to go hiking this morning.  Actually turned out better than I thought it would.

Moon over Mesa, AZ