Southeast Arizona

June 2007

In June 2007, I attended ADAM 2007 at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. This is always a great workshop, so when the meetings broke on 23 June I rode my high down to Sierra Vista in southeastern Arizona, my first visit to this birding Mecca and spent the next four days birding the Huachucas and surrounding environs. The birdlife was remarkable, overwhelming to me, in fact, on this, my first visit. I’m typing up this trip report eight years after the trip itself, so some of the details that would ordinarily inform my color commentary are a bit hazy; hence, I’ll cleave closely to the photographic record. In proper taxonomic order, here is a list of some of the birds I photographed on this trip:

Mexican Duck, San Pedro House, 25 June.

Scaled Quail, San Pedro House, 25 June.

Gambel's Quail, Dave Jasper's yard, Portal, 27 June.

Black Vulture, above Patagonia rest stop, 26 June.

Gray Hawk, Kino Springs, 26 June.

Swainson's Hawk, near Sierra Vista, 24 June.

Greater Roadrunner, 27 June.

Broad-billed Hummingbird, Patagonia, 26 June.

White-eared Hummingbird, Beatty Ranch, Miller Canyon, 25 June.

Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Patton's feeders, Patagonia, 26 June.

Blue-throated Hummingbird, Beatty Ranch, Miller Canyon, 24 June.

Magnificent Hummingbird, Beatty Ranch, Miller Canyon, 24 June.

Lucifer Hummingbird, Ash Canyon, 24 June.

Black-chinned Hummingbird, Patagonia, 26 June.

Anna's Hummingbird, Beatty Ranch, Miller Canyon, 24 June.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Beatty Ranch, Miller Canyon, 24 June.

Elegant Trogon, Garden Canyon, Fort Huachuca, 25 June.

Gila Woodpecker, San Pedro House, 24 June.

Arizona Woodpecker, Carr Canyon, 24 June.

Western Wood-Pewee, Sawmill Canyon Campground, Huachuca Mountains, 25 June.

Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Sawmill Canyon Campground, Huachuca Mountains, 25 June.

Say's Phoebe, San Pedro House, 24 June.

Vermilion Flycatcher, Lake Patagonia, 26 June.

Ash-throated Flycatcher, Dave Jasper's yard, Portal, 27 June.

Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Ramsey Canyon, 24 June.

Hutton's Vireo, Carr Canyon, 24 June.

Western Scrub Jay, Dave Jasper's yard, Portal, 27 June.

Mexican Jay, Ramsey Canyon, 24 June.

Cactus Wren, Dave Jasper's yard, Portal, 27 June.

Curve-billed Thrasher, San Pedro House, 25 June.

Lucy's Warbler, Garden Canyon, Fort Huachuca, 25 June.

Black-throated Gray Warbler, Garden Canyon, Fort Huachuca, 25 June.

Grace's Warbler, Sawmill Canyon Campground, Huachuca Mountains, 25 June.

Painted Redstart, Ramsey Canyon, 24 June.

Canyon Towhee, Dave Jasper's yard, Portal, 27 June.

Abert's Towhee, San Pedro House, 25 June.

Black-throated Sparrow, Dave Jasper's yard, Portal, 27 June.

Summer Tanager, Huachuca Mountains, 26 June.

Pyrrhuloxia, Dave Jasper's yard, Portal, 27 June.

Black-headed Grosbeak, Ramsey Canyon, 24 June.

Bronzed Cowbird, Sawmill Canyon Campground, Huachuca Mountains, 25 June.

Lesser Goldfinch, Patagonia, Arizona, 26 June.

I also photographed a few interesting reptiles:

Sonora Mountain Kingsnake, Huachuca subspecies, Carr Canyon, 24 June.

Yarrow's Spiny Lizard, 24 June.

Sonoran Spotted Whiptail, 24 June.

Finally, here is a link to some photos I made on the drive down (and back) from Albuquerque (included with some photos from the same trip the following year).