Birding Patagonia
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Southeast Arizona is known for world-class birding. The Patagonia area alone offers more than its share of prime birding spots -- e.g., Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Nature Conservancy, Marian Paton's backyard, Patagonia Lake State Park, the famous Patagonia "rest stop." The nearby San Rafael grasslands are a favorite of birders, too.

We also visited a couple spots that were new to us . . . .

 
FLUX AND HUMBOLDT CANYONS


If you bird in Patagonia, you gotta have a four-wheel-drive vehicle. There are dirt roads and there are ROCK roads. Dawn, Jeff, Judi, Dick and we decided to bird Flux and Humboldt Canyons one day. This is a beautiful place, great for birding, but is treacherous en route.

Dick drove us all in his Jeep, but in some places, the rest of us got out and walked! Not that we didn't trust Dick. We just, uh, wanted to see the birds better.

 
The rocks aren't just on the road
 
Perfect haven for Painted Redstarts, Zone-tailed Hawks, Canyon Wrens and more
 
A shrine along Humboldt Canyon Road
 
Mt. Hopkins (and Whipple Observatory) in the far background
 
Luckily, these roads are not often travelled
 
Mt. Hopkins and Mt. Wrightson in the background
 
This photo doesn't begin to show how rocky the road was, but the sign (and comment) helps
 
 
 
Back on Flux Canyon Road, near Hwy 82, we noticed an old farmstead with a creative fence
 
Geno and Jeff met Frank Poll (sp?), who lives with his dog at the farm and made the fence
 
SONOITA CREEK STATE NATURAL AREA


In November 2006, the State of Arizona opened the new Sonoita Creek State Natural Area. A small part of this SNA encompasses Patagonia Lake State Park, which we've visited often.

With Dawn, Jeff, Judi and Dick, we started off on a short hike and met up with Ranger Bill's organized birding walk. Birding highlights included a male Elegant Trogon (finally), Common Black-Hawks, Hammond's Flycatcher, Yellow Warbler, and plenty of other common desert birds.

 
Hiking amidst ocotillos and yuccas
 
An old railroad bridge abutment remains next to Sonoita Creek
 
Diversity of habitat
 
Newly developed signage and cairns help guide the way
 
A giant barrel cactus
 
Ranger Bill leads the way
 
Fremont Cottonwoods over Sonoita Creek
 
Jeff dashes through the ocotillos and mesquites
 
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