Madera Canyon, Ramsey Canyon, Ash Canyon B&B

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Another good day of target birding in the Santa Rita and Huachuca Mountains, with mixed results on the main birds.

Madera Canyon:

We arrived at the feeders at Santa Rita Lodge at 5:30 to hear that the Berylline Hummingbird had been seen 15 minutes previously. We waited patiently for it, and the Plain-capped Starthroat, for two and a half hours without seeing either. We later heard that the starthroat came in five minutes after we left! Typical. We did enjoy the other hummingbirds, though.

While at the the lodge we did see WILD TURKEY, GRAY HAWK, MAGNIFICENT, BLACK-CHINNED, BROAD-TAILED, and BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRDS, ELEGANT TROGON, ARIZONA WOODPECKER, SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, HEPATIC and WESTERN TANAGERS, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, BLUE GROSBEAK, LAZULI and VARIED BUNTINGS, BRONZED COWBIRD, SCOTT’S ORIOLE, and PINE SISKIN. Thanks Steve, and everyone at Santa Rita Lodge, for your gracious hospitality!

Ramsey Canyon:

We hiked up to the TUFTED FLYCATCHER nest site and saw both the male and the female in the general area. There were only a couple of quick visits to the nest in this time. I assume they are somewhere between completing the nest and laying their first egg.

On the way back down, a pair of MONTEZUMA QUAIL crossed the trail in front of me, but, typically for this species, we couldn’t relocate them. Instead we found a much more cooperative BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER.

Also in the canyon, WILD TURKEY, WHITE-THROATED SWIFT, MAGNIFICENT, BROAD-TAILED, and BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD, ELEGANT TROGON, HAIRY WOODPECKER, OLIVE-SIDED, CORDILLERAN, DUSKY-CAPPED, BROWN-CRESTED, and SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS, GREATER PEWEE, PLUMBEOUS and HUTTON’S VIREOS, BROWN CREEPER, ‘BROWN-THROATED’ HOUSE WREN, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, HERMIT THRUSH, AMERICAN ROBIN, GRACE’S, BLACK-THROATED GRAY, and RED-FACED WARBLERS, PAINTED REDSTART, YELLOW-EYED JUNCO, HEPATIC, SUMMER, and WESTERN TANAGERS, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, and HOODED ORIOLE.

Ash Canyon B&B:

We spent a short while at this special place in the heat of the afternoon and in strong winds, so we weren’t expecting to find much. We did see WILD TURKEY, MAGNIFICENT, ANNA’S, and BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD, CANYON TOWHEE, LARK SPARROW, and BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK. Thanks Mary Jo!