When my friend, Ken, invited me to join him on a birding trip to Puerto Rico I went out and bought Birds of the West Indies to familiarize myself with the birds there. It seemed like every bird I looked at was on some other island in the Caribbean. Ken said I would be lucky to see 30 new birds and that most people do not see more than 100 total species in a one to two week trip. So my only goal was to see the five hummingbird species found there (and after my arrival I added a goal to see one new species every day of the trip). I asked Ken over and over if we would see all the hummers and he assured me we would. He recommended that I print out and read a trip report by Jennifer Rycenga, a birder we both know from San Mateo County. We both read it and took a copy with us to Puerto Rico. Besides our map of the island, it became our most valuable asset. I would like to thank Jennifer Rycenga for taking the time to create such a thoughtful, well written and thorough report which included a wonderful bird list at the end with locations where each species had been found and its prevalence on the island.
Ken and I met in Atlanta on the morning of December 8 (after I had made a mad scramble to Target to buy a new suitcase after mine split wide open en route from San Francisco) and flew from there to San Juan, the capital. After picking up our tiny rental car we checked into the Villa del Sol on Calle Rosa Carolina and then walked the side streets near the hotel in the hour or so before sunset. I immediately saw four birds that were new to me, the beautiful but ubiquitous Bananaquit, Greater Antillean Grackle, Zenaida Dove, and Red-legged Thrush. It became too dark to film and so we walked over to La Playita for dinner. The meal was marginal so I can't really recommend it but the deck at the hotel is a nice perch for watching birds.
The next morning, December 9, we walked the side streets some more around Villa Del Sol. We saw more Red-legged Thrush in the trees and in the grassy areas two more new species, the pretty but introduced Saffron Finch and the native Black Grassquit. Ken found a female Puerto Rican Stripe-headed Tanager. The male is a gorgeous stripe headed thing but the female is just gray with a prominent sub-mustacial stripe. It was an unsatisfying look at that but nevertheless new bird number seven in less than 24 hours. In the same area we saw White-winged Dove and Common Ground -Dove, the latter very common throughout the island. After breakfast we left San Juan and drove east to Ceiba Country Inn where we would be staying the next three nights. As we pulled into the parking area we saw directly in front of us a Puerto Rican Woodpecker pecking not 10 feet away in a palm tree. We both jumped out and started filming. Michael, the owner came out and asked us if he could help. We said we were staying there but we were early and would just walk around for a while. He told us about the resident screech-owls, the woodpecker, and an oriole on the property. He maintains two short trails on the property which we took advantage of to fantastic results. We walked the short trail directly from the parking lot about 200-300 yards dead ending in a dense forest. Since it was mid-day there was little activity but we did hear a cuckoo cackling. It finally made an appearance but was a Mangrove Cuckoo, a bird I worked hard as hell to find in Florida in 2008, and not the endemic Puerto Rican Lizzard Cuckoo. There were many Zenaida Doves in the trees and a few Scaly-naped Pigeons flew by numerous times but would never land. We waited by some concrete remnants and soon a black and yellow bird flew by-- the Greater Antillean Oriole. Gray Kingbirds were all over the place and indeed were found on every square inch of the island. We studied each one looking for the much more uncommon Loggerhead Kingbird. We found a very accommodating one in the front of the property. After checking in, our walk was cut short by a brief rain but we were able to continue to enjoy the birds from the veranda in front of my room. We watched the Zenaida Doves for a while until the rain stopped and then resumed our walk down the other trail which loops back to the concrete structure. That didn't result in any sightings. However, upon looping back to the back of the property we were shocked to find a Puerto Rican Lizzard-Cuckoo perched in a tree in the wide open for at least ten minutes giving us magnificent views and filming opportunities. When the sun went down we went out on the trail to the concrete remnants and heard four Puerto Rican Screech-owls calling but none would come close so we went back to the side of my room where the Lizzard-cuckoo had been. One of the screech-owls flew from one branch to another and we both got a good look at a stretched wing but that was as much of that species as we could muster. During the night one of the owls came close to my window and I heard it calling most of the night near by.
On the morning of December 10, I could not get Ken to leave Ceiba. He was up bright and early and told me he had found the Oriole nest. On the concrete remnant trail we both got good looks at it. The Scaly-naped Pigeons continued to tantalize but refused to perch. We had a nice breakfast that Michael fixed at Ceiba Country Inn and then I finally tore Ken away and we drove to El Yunque, the Caribbean National Forest. El Yunque is a rain forest in the middle of Puerto Rico and in both of our opinions is the crown jewel of Puerto Rico. Just the drive up Highway 191 to its dead end dazzles the eye with its magnificent ferns, flowers, palms, waterfalls, butterflies, and forested peaks with expansive views of the Caribbean, are worth the visit. Even if I had not seen any birds in El Yunque it would have still been worth the trip to see this fantastic place and no one should visit Puerto Rico without going there. After a few hundred yards up the trail we found our first Puerto Rican Tody, and what a dandy. This gorgeous little emerald green-backed thing with a bright red throat delights the senses. It was not shy at all and we were easily able to film it and enjoyed looking at it. I wanted to proceed up this lovely trail but Ken has trouble lugging his 45 pound camera very far so we turned around after the Tody perched for ten minutes or more on the rear view mirror of somebody's car. We walked around the barrier toward a sign that said, "Tradewinds Trail." I thought it was the way to El Toro Trail but it was not marked as such and was headed downhill. So we turned off instead on an unmarked road. We walked up it and saw many new species of butterflies and beautiful blooming flowers. After no more than 100 yards we came across a perched hummingbird on some yellow flowers. Just as I got my camera on it it flew right toward me flaring its bright green gorget. Later we determined that it was a male Puerto Rican Emerald. Later we learned that this road continues uphill connecting to the Mt. Britton Trail. It was a lovely walk and I would have enjoyed continuing but for the fact that for some reason they decided that trucks needed to use the road that day. Every five minutes a truck came squealing down the hill on this narrow winding road and we were constantly leaping out of the way protecting our tripods, cameras, and bodies. Finally the last straw came when a crazed Puerto Rican truck driver came barrelling down the hill going about 45 MPH. He obviously was not expecting or didn't care that anyone was in the road as he never so much as slowed down as he came around the bend and came within inches of swiping my shoulder. At that point we decided to return to our cars. We stopped in a clearing to have our peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and saw some more Grassquits. On the way back down 191 we heard a bird singing. So we parked and got out to look at a Puerto Rican Bullfinch, which is a black bird with a pretty russet colored throat and undertail coverts. This bird is one of thirteen birds endemic to Puerto Rico. One of Ken's goals was to see all thirteen endemic species and mine was to see all five of Puerto Rico's hummingbirds. It would be nearly impossible to see all of the endemics since of them, the Puerto Rican Parrot, found in El Yunque, is one of the ten most endangered bird species in the world: there are only 44 left in the wild. In fact, E. O. Wilson would say they are de facto extinct. We didn't see one.
We left El Yunque and drove down to the coast hoping to find a Green-throated Carrib, a hummingbird that favors flowers growing on the coast. We searched in vain for Furjado Beach but became lost in a maze of side streets. Ken tried to ask for directions in Spanish, since no one outside of San Juan speaks English. One guy refused to even respond. Ken became more and moer frantic two more people sent us on a wild goose chase. Finally after an hour we found it. There were Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Spotted Sandpiper, Royal Tern, Magnificent Frigatebird, and Brown Pelican. We pulled off an exit of PR 3 looking for a restroom where Ken found a Pearly-eyed Thrasher in some trees lining the street. It was rather marginal habitat, just some trees lining a farmer's field but we also found our first Adelaide's Warbler of the trip. We stopped at the Econo for some food and there was a Common Ground Dove flying around inside.
On December 11, we skipped Michael's breakfast since it started too late for our needs. We got up at 5:30 AM in order to make the gate at El Yunque which was supposed to open at 7:30 AM. We arrived on time but the gate was still locked so we walked around La Coca Falls where we found a number of overwintering Eastern warblers species including Black-and-white Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, and Northern Parula. Finally the gate opened at 7:45 AM and we drove up to one of the pull outs along 191 where we found the beautiful Puerto Rican Stripe-headed Tanager. While admiring it I also found the much duller, Puerto Rican Tanager, just a gray bird with a darker gray head. The striped-headed is exotic by comparison. We also got a fleeting look at the Puerto Rican Emerald, our first confirmed hummingbird sighting of the trip. We drove all the way to the end of 191 and parked and then headed back toward the opening near the Tradewinds sign where we got jaw dropping looks at a perched Green Mango, our second hummer of the trip. It sat perched for about ten minutes while we admired and filmed it. We also some more Todys. We walked down the trailhead for El Toro Trail. A sign said it was closed: it was in bad shape but we continued anyway. After about two miles of hiking Ken found a female Elfin Woods Warbler, another endemic and endangered species. Ken was disappointed we had been unable to film it. The trail was beautiful though tough to negotiate while carrying a camera attached to a tripod particularly given the large washouts, gashes, and fallen trees. After El Toro we left El Yunque and drove southeast to Humacao Reserve. We first started out on a canal on a side street off of PR 3 where we saw numerous Smooth-billed Anis and Yellow-crowned Bishops. There were hundreds of Cattle Egrets and a few Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets. In the canal were Great Blue Heron, Tri-colored Heron, Little Blue Heron, and Ruddy Duck. An Osprey and Merlin flew over. It was pretty hot and so we turned back to check the main portion of the reserve. On the return walk I found a flock of Orange-cheeked Waxbills. We pulled up to the gate just before 4:00 PM. A large sign announced the reserve hours -- 9-5 but the gate was locked and protected by a double barb-wired fence. Our plan to find the two species of hummingbird found only on the eastern side of the island had been foiled. Ken was outraged: I was disappointed. I slipped through the barb-wired fence tearing my leg and hand. I walked up the trail and only saw Pied-billed Grebe, Puerto Rican Woodpecker, and Northern Waterthrush and one iguana. I saw no flowering plants and was skeptical about seeing the hummers. There was no time to do anything else but drive back to Ceiba Country Inn. Along the way we stopped at the marginal habitat off PR 3 and saw Nutmeg Mannikin, another introduced species (Puerto Rico has the most of any Carribean nation). It was new species number 24. We had dinner in Furjado at Todo Coco. The service was excellent and the food was delicious.
On Sunday, December 12 , we checked out of the Ceiba Country Inn and drove the back roads inland to Camerio where we were hoping to find another endangered species, the Plain Pigeon. The roads were narrow, poorly marked, and winding. Most people go in the evening when the birds are about to roost. We went in the morning but miscalculated the time it would take. Ken panicked when we were almost there and stopped to ask a man directions.The man spoke no English. Ken said "hay un parque de basbol aqui?" The man held his hands up as if to say "stop butchering Spanish!" He was clearly outraged because he said, " no lo hay" when actually the field was less than half a mile past his house. Ken frantically turned around and drove up a winding road where I saw a Black-rumped Waxbills. Finally we decided to turn around and pass the man's house anyway even though he said there was no ball park and there it was. We got out and immediately saw a Plain Pigeon in a tree. I found about four more up a hillside and Ken spotted an immature Broad-winged Hawk, rare in Puerto Rico. We walked through town to get a closer look at the hawk. A lady came out of her house and asked what we were doing. Ken explained in Spanish that there was a bird rare to Puerto Rico up in a tree. The woman looked up in the tree and said "Guaraguao" Spanish for hawk. I was amazed. Most people don't even notice birds much less know what they are. After Ken had filmed it for about 20 minutes we walked back to the car where Ken was waylaid by another woman who was chatting Ken up in Spanish. I could make out part of what she was saying but had to sit down in the car because I just can't stand in one spot for hours. Ken came to the car and asked what ruido meant. I was noise and then he admitted he could not understand a word the woman was saying. It was then I decided to take over the Spanish interpreting. We left Camerio and drove back down out of the winding mountain roads all the way to the southwest coastal town of Guanica to Mary Lee's by the Sea where we stayed the next three nights. Guanica is a great town. Our place at Mary Lee's was a huge three bedroom two bath affair right on the Caribbean looking out at Gilligan's Island. It was a bit funky and dirty. We checked in and then drove to Guinica State Forest on PR 334. I asked the ranger what time it closed and he said 4:30. As we were about to head down a trail a lady walked up. She and her husband were birders from Ohio and they explained they had been hiking for two hours and only saw Caribbean Elaenia. Ken got their number in case they found something unusual. The lady, Darlene, told me we should go to Laguna Cartagena and explained how to get there. She said don't take PR 305 because it is impassible to cars. She also said when we passed the first Kiosk to keep driving even though it appears you cannot go any farther because it would take us to a tower overlooking the lake. She also mentioned the ranger told her Guanica State Forest closed at 4:00 PM (probably because she couldn't speak Spanish).
We walked the Dinamite Trail and heard a Caribbean Elaenia, a few Todys and finally for me a Pearly-eyed Thrasher. Near 4:30 we left and drove to the end of PR 333 where there is a small pond with Yellowlegs, Egrets, Black-necked Stilt, and Little Blue Heron.
After dark we returned to Guanica State Forest and parked outside. We walked up the hill and heard Puerto Rican Nightjar. It stopped calling when the Puerto Rican Screech-Owl showed up.
Monday, December 13, we stopped at a large pond on PR 333. There were some White-cheeked Pintails on the water that flushed when I got out of the car. Ken started screaming at me and telling me I couldn't get out of the car until he was ready. He was freaking out and acting like he would never see a White-cheeked Pintail ever again. I walked around to the back side of the pond and of course the Pintails came back. There was also a large flock of Ruddy Turnstones, one Yellow Warbler, lots of Blue-winged Teals, Pearly-eyed Thrasher, Black-necked Stilts, Glossy Ibis, and some Fulvous Whistling-ducks. I heard a Clapper Rail calling. Next we went back to Guanica State Forest. When I got out of the car the ranger yelled out "Buen dia!" He came right over very animated aoubt a bird with a blue head. Just then a gorgeous male Antillean Euphonia flew into a tree right in front of us at eye level. Gorgeous bird. Ken was outraged and walked away to a tree below. The ranger asked me if Ken was my husband. I thought it was odd that he immediately reverted with the familiar. He told me I spoke Spanish well. Ken marched well ahead of me flushing all the birds. It was a miracle that I was able to refind the Puerto Rican Pewee. Other birds on the trail were the Caribbean Elaenia, Tody, Adelaide's Warbler, and my third hummer of the trip, Antillean Mango. We had lunch at the picnic area after our walk and then left Guanica Forest to drive to Parguera where Darlene and Dan said the Yellow-shouldered Blackbirds were a "gimmie." They said to look in the parking lot of the supermarket next door to the Parguera Hotel. There was no supermarket next door. We drove all over town and saw nothing. We stopped at a reserve that went down to the beach and I saw a Mangrove Cuckoo right before a little punk derelict called me a gringo. Ken pulled down a side street and I glimpsed an Indian Silverbell in a tree. We stopped to have a look and found a flock of Nutmeg Mannikins, Adeliade's Warbler, and a male Antillean Mango. Ken filmed the Antillean Mango for about an hour while I baked in the sun. Finally he finished and we drove past a large parking area where finally we found the flock of Yellow-shouldered Blackbirds, a critically endangered species, in someone's back yard. Ken filmed those for about a half hour before we could finally leave the stinky town of Parguera. We bought some sesame treats at the supermarket and then drove to Laguna Cartagena. We passed Dan and Darlene on the dirt entrance road. They were desperate to find a Green Mango so we told them about our secret spot on the Tradewinds Trail. We stopped at the first kiosk and walked past a gate toward a blind. The lake was full of birds, Purple Gallinule, Sora, Blue-winged Teal, Common Moorhen, Caribbean Coot, and Glossy Ibis. Along the trail were Smooth-billed Ani and Black-faced Grassquit. We heard a Yellow-breasted Crake calling incessantly but it would never reveal itself. That made new species 36. We got in the car and kept driving the dirt road just as Darlene had explained but we came to a fork and didn't know which way to go. We went to the left even though it appeared impassible just as Darla had mentioned but it soon was obvious there was no way we could make it. So where was this mysterious tower?
December 14, I got up and was drinking coffee on the veranda at Mary Lee's by the Sea when a Puerto Rican Nightjar flew up twice. When Ken got up we drove to the PR 333 Pond and the White-cheeked Pintails were back long with some Yellowlegs and Turnstones. From there we continued to Playa Jaboncilla but there was nothing there but a few Common Ground-doves, Grackles, and Pearly-eyed Thrasher. So we left and went to Guanica State Forest. There was a lot of noise from construction of the new bathroom, visitor center, and large forest map. In the parking lot Ken said to "get out and do my own thing" while he ate his disgusting noisome Buger King thing that leads to deforestation of the rain forests because he was too lazy to fix something wholesome with the full kitchen we had at Mary Lee's. So I got out and saw the same Antillean Mango from the other day and started filming it. Ken had filmed one for about an hour in Parguera but when he saw me filming this one he went berserk and started yelling at me and telling me I would have to go back to San Juan and get my own rental car. Then he stormed off and said be back at the car at 11:00 AM. So I left and without him flushing all of the birds in front of me I finally found a Puerto Rican Flycatcher and saw a Carribean Elaenia perched in the open. There were a lot of butterflies to enjoy as well. As I headed down the Ganados Trail I saw my first Puerto Rican Vireo. I also heard another Lizzard-cuckoo and Mangrove Cuckoo. There was also another Puerto Rican Tody. I arrived back at the car right at 11:00 but Ken wasn't there so I sat down on a picnic bench. I smelled paint but thought it was coming from the new visitor center. When I put my binoculars down I felt something sticky. Those crazy Puerto Ricans had painted a picnic table at lunch time and failed to put a sign up! There was green paint on my hand, hat, and shorts. When Ken returned we left Guanica and drove to Boqueron Wildlife Refuge, a Puerto Rican treasure. It is a mangrove swamp with a nice boardwalk for walking through it. We had admiring looks at an accommodating Pearly-eyed Thrasher and a few Northern Waterthrushes, Prairie Warbler, Northern Parula, and Yellow Warbler. Then we took the boardwalk and saw very close Least Bittern, Least Grebe, and Puerto Rican Flycatcher. A Tri-colored Heron was perched on the boardwalk. The boardwalk opened to a path. While Ken was looking at a Kestrel I noticed a dove about 200 yards down the trail. We could not see any spots on it but it had a distinctive pot-bellied look and ruddy brown color. We determined that it was a Ruddy Quail-dove. We tried to get closer but the Kestrel flew at it trying to eat it and scared it away. We saw a rat in a tree that the ranger told us was an introduced pest that they had set traps for. Sadly it was our first mammal sighting not counting the thousands and thousands of cats and dogs on the island. Driving back out on PR 305 Ken thought he saw some Stilt Sandpipers in an agricultural field but traffic was bearing down on us and we couldn't verify it. I kept asking Ken to go to Cabo Rojo or Copamarina to look for Troupial but he said he had not interest in filming a Tropial. Finally after Bouqueron we went to Cabo Rojo but it was the middle of the day and there were zero shorebirds on the salt flats. The road was full of pot holes so we turned around and drove to Laguna Cartagena. We still had not found this alleged observation tower Roy and Dale had mentioned. It was also mentioned in Jennifer Rycenga's report. We stopped at the gate for the blind and Ken wanted to just walk down there but I was determined to find the tower so I just walked the road by myself. Something didn't seem right; the road was incredibly bad with five foot deep gashes in it and I just couldn't imagine Jennifer Rycenga walking it. To the right were private property signs. Something was wrong. My phone rang. I was practically running since it was 5:00 PM and darkness would come at 6:15. Who would call me? It was Ken reporting a West Indian Whistling-Ducks at the blind. I felt ill. I was running as I was committed now to this damn road. After two miles I came to a town! There were cars, pigs the size of a house, cows, and people! Oh my god I had just walked two miles to the town of Mayaguabo. I quickly turned around and started to run back before the sun set. I was sweating and my neck hurt from carrying that big ole camera. My phone rang again. Damn. It was Ken again reporting Masked Ducks. I ran as fast as I could with a 10 pound camera in my hand but I had to relieve myself so I stepped behind the second kiosk and was stunned to see a map on the back side showing a short trail to a tower! It had been there all along behind the kiosk that Dale told us to drive past until we could drive no more. Now I had a dilemma. Should I run to the tower and try to see a Whistling Duck or just go to where Ken was at the blind and try for the Masked Duck? There were only 15 minutes of sunlight left. I decided on the tower. I ran the 200 yards to the tower but it was too late to run up it. so I ran out on the short boardwalk but with so little light I couldn't tell what the ducks were. So I ran back to kiosk one and out on the blind trail where Ken should have been but the car was gone and so was Ken. It was by now dark and impossible to pick out a duck of any kind. My phone rang again (why had I given Ken that phone for Christmas?). Ken had driven past me while I was running to the tower. We both turned around and met on the road. My shirt was soaked. Four miles I had run for nothing. If Dale hadn't told us to drive even though it looks like you can't go any farther we probably would have stopped at the kiosk in the first place. I was so disappointed.
December 15, we got up super early and stopped at Playa Jaboncilla while it was still dark. There were several Puerto Rican Nightjars in the trees but unlike the much more accommodating Common Poorwills at home, these nightjars would not go to the ground and instead stayed in the tree tops. We left and drove to Laguna Cartagena. We decided to just stay on the blind trail and walked out on it carefully. We found a whole family of Masked Ducks with adults feeding chicks. Next we walked up the tower and saw a whole flock of whistling ducks but they were curled up and just looked like brown balls. We had cameras not scopes and couldn't tell if they were West Indian or Fulvous Whistling Ducks. We went back to the first kiosk and walked the blind trail. It seemed hopelessly late in the day (West Indian Whistling-Ducks are nocturnal) but as we walked out two flushed and I just got my bins on one and made out the gray upper wing and black underwing of the endangered West Indian Whistling-Duck. On our way out the dirt road we saw Bronze Mannikin, Orange Bishop, and two Blue Grosbeaks.
We left Guanica and headed up the mountains to Maricao. We had reservations there at Hacienda Juanita for three nights. The road was winding and endless. Finally we arrived and pulled into the drive way but there was no office. In fact, there was no one there. We got out and walked around. The garden was overgrown, the shutters were boarded up, the swimming pool was foul, and the water tower was collapsing. I expected to see Mrs. Habersham in the window. We called the lady who took our reservation but it was incessantly busy. I emailed her. Meanwhile a car load of people pulled up and we thought they were the help but no they were just there for a "visit." A whole family, four generations worth, poured out and walked around. Finally they left. We saw a Puerto Rican Bullfinch and Pearly-eyed Thrasher. The agent emailed me back in broken English "They files bankruptcy. You makes claims at www.condelaw.com." And that was it. No apology or explanation. Those criminals had taken our money and worse we had no where to stay for three nights. We left Maricao and drove all the way back to Guanica where we got a room at the Copamarina for two nights. It turned out to be the best accommodation of the whole trip. We were given two free drink tickets after we told them our sad story which we had along with dinner at the Las Palmas Restaurant.
December 16, we got up at 4:30 AM in order to arrive at Cabo Rojo Lighthouse at dawn. We watched the sun come up over Cabo Rojo and it was spectacular. When light came we saw an American Oystercatcher and several Brown Boobies just off shore. Ken found a Red-legged Booby mixed in. After enjoying the sunrise I walked back down toward the parking area and there, just as Jennifer Rycenga had mentioned in her report, was the beautiful Troupial. What a beautiful bird. They are not sure whether it was introduced or blown off course from South America but either way it's a pretty bird with bright orange and black and a blue eye mask. We walked the Candelaria Trail and got more close up looks at four Troupials plus several species of butterfly. When we had had our fill we left and drove to Boqueron. We saw the same species as before and I heard a cuckoo. From there we went back to Laguna Cartagena where we found more Masked Ducks hiding in the lettuce and a Purple Gallinule chick. We continued to Parguera because I was still looking for a Shiny Cowbird. Ken said we could find one there. He really just wanted to buy more sesame snacks. It started raining so we left. We drov to Guanica State Forest. We found a Caribbean Elaenia on the Dinamite Trail as well as another Bullfinch and Adelaide's Warbler. From there we drove back to Laguna Cartagena. It was near dusk. Along the entrance road we found Yellow-faced Grassquits mentioned by Dale and Roy. The male has a stunning yellow and black face. We also saw another Blue Grosbeak. Out on the blind trail we heard the crake calling again. We walked to the end of the trail and incredibly there was a flock of ten West Indian Whistling-Ducks. This time there was no doubt. We watched them swim out of the water and up onto shore. On our way back to the car Ken spotted something running over the lettuce being chased by a Sora. I just got my bins on it to make out the smaller size and lack of white in the tail-- Yellow-breasted Crake.
December 17 we checked out of the Copamarina and drove up PR 121 into the mountains because Ken wanted to film the Elfin Woods Warbler. It was so cold and windy that I was almost glad Hacienda Juanita had stolen our money and closed. We stopped a couple of times along the road and I saw a Stripe-headed Tanager but it was too windy and cold. Ken was about to turn around when I noticed a sign up ahead. We had stumbled upon Maricao Bosque. We drove in and took one of the trails.. I was picking oranges from a tree when four Elfin Woods Warblers flew in foraging in a tree. I stopped at a restroom before we left and in the toilet was a Coki in it. I was happy to get out of the cold and back to the coast. We drove like mad all the way across the island back to the eastern side to Humacao. We arrived at Humacao Reserve and this time it was open. As soon as we walked in we found a Mangrove Cuckoo right out in the open perched up. We were looking at this very large iguana when this woman walked up. She told me her mother had a house for rent on the beach at Punta Santiago. She wanted to show it to me but I said we were looking for two hummingbirds first. She said the house, Villa Jennice, was right on the beach and had flowers in the garden and might have hummers. I said we would come by later. While looking for a bathroom Ken claimed he saw an Antillean Crested Hummingbird, one of the two hummers I still had not seen. We walked up and down but there were no flowers and it seemed improbable we would see the last remaining hummer, the Green-throated Carib. We waited and waited. My feet began to hurt so I sat down on a stump while Ken went to check on the car. While he was gone a female Antillean Crested Hummingbird flew down to within one foot of my face and hovered for several minutes while I sat there quietly unable to move. I studied it with my naked eye. Wow. Ken finally came back and we watched it disappear into some branches above where I was sitting into a nest! While we were watching her on the nest two large busses pulled up and about 50 people poured out headed right for us. There was no way we were ever going to find the last hummer with all those people. I suggested we try Jennice's mother's house. We drove the short distance from Humacao Reserve to Punta Santiago and parked near the beach. Ken joked a Green-throated Carib was probably nesting at their house. We saw Jennice at he house but we didn't want to barge in so we walked up the beach. There were coconuts all over the beach, Magnificent Frigatebirds flying overhead, Brown Boobies, Brown Pelicans, and lots of Sandwich Terns perched on a concrete slab just off shore. We walked up toward some blooming flowers in their neighbor's yard and found two more skipper species of butterfly but it was very windy and doubtful we would find a hummer. Then Jennice walked out on the beach and invited us in to see the house. As soon as we walked into the back yard there it was-- the Green-throated Carib! It was coming to her flowers just as we had guessed. I now had all five species of hummingbirds found on Puerto Rico fulfilling my meager expectations. After looking at the house Jennice said they were going for a late lunch but we could stay as long as we wanted and leave our car safely inside their gate. We set up our tripods and waited for the Carib to come back. After getting some video of it we left for a restaurant Jennice's mother recommended, La Casa del Mofongo. We had chillo (Red Snapper) and plantain buttons. It was delicious. I would recommend anyone wanting to bird around Humacao to rent Villa Jennice (http://www.flipkey.com/properties/view/251383/beachfront+cottage+punta+santiago+humacao+p+r/. It's right on the beach at Humacao and has its own Green-throated Carib. It's also very cheap. After dinner we left Humacao and drove back to Ceiba Country Inn where we stayed for our last night. The owner, Michael, told us that two other birders had come back. I said I bet they were desperately looking for a Green Mango. Michael said that's right; how'd you know?
December 18 was our last day. We got up before dawn and headed back to El Yunque. Instead of heading right back to the end of 191 I suggested we pull into Rio Grande at the base to look for parrots. After all we were on a tropical island and hadn't seen a single one. We didn't find any but we saw Red-legged Thrush, Scaly-naped Pigeons parked in a tree, Pearly-eyed Thrasher, and Loggerhead Kingbird. Next we headed into the park stopping at Yokihui Tower where we saw a Broad-winged Hawk soaring. We stopped at Las Palmas and walked around but it was so windy and overcast that birds were scarce. There was nothing at our secret spot either so we headed up the Mt. Brittan Trail and after a while a Puerto Rican Emerald came and perched near the flowers where we saw it on the first day. I continued up the trail which had expansive views of the Caribbean and El Yunque. Time was running out so we made a dash for the coast at Fajardo Beach. We only had time to pull in and see a single Indigo Bunting on a fence-- rare for Puerto Rico. It was not a new bird for me but was new for our trip list. Technically it was a travel day and I had added a new bird on every other day of the trip fulfilling my other expectation to see a new bird every day. Although the bird guides say you will be lucky to see 100 birds in a week or even two week trip, we had broken all records and seen an incredible 118 species and I had seen 47 new species (in bold on the list) well past the 30 Ken said I could expect. It had been a grand trip. I was a pirate of the Caribbean.
Least Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Brown Booby
Red-legged Booby
Brown Pelican
Magnificent Frigatebird
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Little Blue Heron
Cattle Egret
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Tricolored Heron
Black-crowned Night-heron
Yellow-crowned Night-heron
Least Bittern
Glossy Ibis
Fulvous Whistling-duck
West Indian Whistling-Duck
Northern Pintail
White-cheeked Pintail
Blue-winged Teal
American Wigeon
Northern Shoveler
Ruddy Duck
Masked Duck
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Osprey
Merlin
American Kestrel
Clapper Rail
Sora
Yellow-breasted Crake
Purple Gallinule
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Caribbean Coot
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Killdeer
Black-bellied Plover
American Oystercatcher
Black-necked Stilt
Ruddy Turnstone
Wilson's Snipe
Spotted Sandpiper
Lesser Yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Least Sandpiper
Forster's Tern
Royal Tern
Sandwich Tern
Scaly-naped Pigeon
Plain Pigeon
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Zenaida Dove
White-winged Dove
Eurasian Collared-dove
Common Ground-Dove
Ruddy Quail-Dove
Parrot sp.
Mangrove Cuckoo
Puerto Rican Lizzard-Cuckoo
Smooth-billed Ani
Puerto Rican Screech-owl
Puerto Rican Nightjar
Puerto Rican Emerald
Antillean Mango
Green Mango
Green-throated Carib
Antillean Crested Hummingbird
Puerto Rican Tody
Belted Kingfisher
Puerto Rican Woodpecker
Gray Kingbird
Loggerhead Kingbird
Puerto Rican Flycatcher
Puerto Rican Pewee
Caribbean Elaenia
Cave Swallow
Red-legged Thrush
Northern Mockingbird
Pearly-eyed Thrasher
Puerto Rican Vireo
Black-and-white Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Adelaide's Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Elfin Woods Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
American Redstart
Bananaquit
Antillean Euphonia
Puerto Rican Stripe-headed Tanager
Puerto Rican Tanager
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Puerto Rican Bullfinch
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Black-faced Grassquit
Saffron Finch
Greater Antillean Grackle
Troupial
Yellow-shouldered Blackbird
House Sparrow
Yellow-crowned Bishop
Red Bishop
Orange-cheeked Waxbill
Black-rumped Waxbill
Indian Silverbell
Bronze Mannikin
Nutmeg Mannikin
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Arizona: August 18-22, 2010
August 18, 2010, I took a 6:00 AM flight to Tucson. After arriving I drove around lost for an hour in 102 heat looking for the grocery store. In Target getting some propane I ran into a lawyer I know whose office is one floor below mine. Finally with everything I needed I headed south on I-19 to Madera Canyon. It was hot and muggy and a few drops fell but there were few birds, just a few Cassin's Kingbirds and Lesser Goldfinches. I hiked a couple of miles up the Old Baldy Trail but didn't feel that great after getting up at 3:45 AM. I set up a camp site in the canyon at Bog Springs Campground and then walked around Proctor Road for a bit until the sun got too low. Saw Blue Grosbeak with a worm in its mouth. The sunset was spectacular. Back at my campsite a racoon came and wouldn't leave but as night fell the Mexican Whip-poor-wills began to sing along with an Elf Owl, Whiskered Screech-Owl, Northern Pygmy Owl, and Common Poorwill.
August 19, I woke up late and only left the canyon at 6:00 AM. It took me one hour to drive south to Ruby Road to Pena Blanca Lake. There was not a single person in any of the campgrounds. I saw a Thick-billed Kingbird at the lake. There were a lot of birds on the road including White-winged Dove, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Varied Bunting, more Cassin's Kingbirds but not the bird I was looking for, a Montezuma Quail. I drove to Sycamore Canyon and parked. The place was overrun with mosquitoes and I had no repellent. There were three guys taking down their tent. They looked like very inexperienced hikers. I hiked the canyon for about a mile or so before turning around. The water was very high and there were few birds. However, there was many butterflies including many Pipevine Swallowtails, Orange Sulphur, Southern Dogface, Sleepy Orange, Dainty Sulphur, Painted Crescent, Gulf Fritillaries, and Two-tailed Swallowtail. While driving back on Ruby Road I saw a Zone-tailed Hawk circling overhead plus Hooded Oriole and Bronzed Cowbird. I drove around in a big circle because Highway 89 to Patagonia was closed. So I had to drive back north on I-19 to Madera Canyon and then across on the dirt road, Greaterville Road. I stopped along the way and saw dozens of American Snouts on an acacia tree. While looking at them many insects bit the back of my knees. There were Cassin's and Botteri's Sparrows singing in the field. I drove past the tiny town of Sonoita south on Highway 82 to Roadside Rest, a famous birding spot. There was a Thick-billed Kingbird, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Gila Woodpecker. From there I drove back north to Las Cienegas Conservation Area where there were lots of Cassin's and Botteri's Sparrows, Eastern Meadowlark, and Lucy's Warbler. There were rolling hills of grasslands to explore but I didn't like that it was a working ranch full of cows, which I dislike intensely. So I decided to drive to the Chiracahuas. It was a long drive with too much time to think. I saw some Red-tailed Hawks and Turkey Vultures along the way. My intent was to camp at Pinery Campground. But as I crested the canyon at 7000 feet and arrived there a man was already set up with his chair and such so I continued up the canyon. I stopped long enough to bathe and then continued all the way to Rustler Park. I set up the tent, put my food in the bear box, and was very content with my book until I read in Birding Southeast Arizona that marauding bears were a serious problem at Rustler Park. I was the only person there ! Forget that. I took down my tent, threw it in the car, and continued to Cave Creek where I found a lovely site at Sunnyside Flat CG where only one other person was camping. I could hear a faint Whiskered Screech-Owl calling during the night . It was hard to hear because the creek was so full of rushing water.
August 20, I woke up early; it was a cool 62 degrees. A Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher was in the campground. The sun was just coming up and illuminating the red canyon walls; it was very beautiful. I drove to the Cave Creek trailhead intending to take this famous Arizona hike but the creek was so high I had a hard time finding a safe place to cross. I finally found a somewhat low point and almost made it across when my right foot went in. I made it across and tried to re-find the trail. While crossing over a log my foot went through some rotten areas and it tore the flesh away from my left leg. It bled and was painful. There were zero birds. So I gave up and went back to the car. I next went to the Southwest Research Station. There were a couple of Say's Phoebes and one lone Blue-throated Hummingbird and that was about it so I left there. Next I went into the tiny town of Portal. Some man was mowing his lawn on Main Street and there were no birds there either. I intended to get gas and head back over Pinery Canyon to Chiracahua National Monument to hike around but there is no gas station in Portal. I had only half a tank so I proceeded slowly up Pinery Pass conserving as much as possible. I drove right past George Walker House and the Paradise Cemetery where Ken later told me Montezuma Quails can be found. Urgh. Melody Kehl, bird guide, who was too busy to help me find a Montezuma Quail, drove right past me when I was down to 1/4 tank and not even to Pinery Summit. I could have gone up to Barfoot Park for the Short-tailed Hawk but couldn't chance wasting precious gas so I drove slowly to the summit and then coasted all the way to the National Monument. Near the entrance I found a Common Poorwill in the road. Someone had run over the poor thing's head and crushed it. I couldn't even drive to the rock formations for which the park is famous for fear of running out of gas so I pulled into the picnic area instead, had lunch, and took a short walk to an old homestead called Faraway Cabin. It was very hot. I drove slowly to the tiny town of Sunizona where I finally found a gas station and filled up. Then I drove the back roads to Tombstone, Arizona where I stopped briefly to film downtown and the courthouse. I was too embarrassed to be filming such a hokey thing and soon left. I found Charleston Road with my iphone's help and drove a dirt road all the way from Tombstone to the Charleston Bridge. I got out and walked along the San Pedro River. There were many birds, Blue Grosbeaks, Summer Tanagers, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Northern Beardless Tyranulet. I couldn't walk very far because the river was so high so I left and drove from there to Ramsey Canyon, one of the most famous birding locations in the US. On the road to the canyon a Roadrunner ran across the road. You can sometimes find up to 14 species of hummingbirds in Ramsey Canyon during migration. On the day of my visit I saw just two or three Black-chinned Hummingbirds, one brief look at a Violet-crowned Hummingbird, and one brief look at a Magnificent Hummingbird. I drove to the next canyon over, Miller Canyon and pulled up to Beatty's Guest Ranch. I was looking around for the upper hummingbird watching station and Tom, Jr. came out. He was so hostile. He said I had to pass through the gate but that I had to pay $5. He stood over me making sure I put the $5 in the basket before entering through the gate. Then the obnoxious guy followed me up to the viewing station with his obnoxious dogs and breathed down my neck for 20 minutes. I had to stay despite the harrassment though because he had hundreds of hummers. Within five minutes a Berryline Hummingbird, a rare vagrant from Central America flew within five feet of me. I got my camera on it but when I got home found the footage blurry. I was so disappointned. There was also one White-eared Hummingbird, many Anna's Hummingbirds, Black-chinned, Rufous, Broad-billed, and Broad-tailed. At 6:00 PM I had to go. I drove all the way around to Sonoita and then from there to Parker Canyon Lake to the Lakeview Campground. During the drive a Common Nighthawk nearly flew into the car. There was only one space left at the CG right across from some man who was pouring lighter fluid on his fire to make it bigger. Someone was playing very loud music. I was concerned but it was too late to drive anywhere else. Also according to my bird finding guide Montezuma Quails can be found here around the lake. I stayed at campsite #2. There were tall weeds growing right next to the picnic table. Around midnight some rednecks arrived in a truck. Actually everyone there was in a truck. They rolled down their windows and began to blare music at about 25 decibels for nearly an hour while they put up their tents. I thought it would never end. I am a very light sleeper but there is no way anybody could sleep through that. Finally they finished and turned off the music when the people in campsite 3 let their stupid ass dog scamper over to my campsite and begin to sniff around my tent. I had just fallen back asleep but had to keep yelling at the dog to get away. What assholes would let their dog loose in a campground late at night? I really don't like Arizona. Why do all the most wretched states have all the good birds? I was furious. The only redeeming thing about that noisy campground was it only cost me $5.00 and during the night I heard a Great horned Owl and Common Poorwill.
August 21 at 5:30 AM the people who poured lighter fluid on their fire got up to go fishing in the lake; they turned on their truck and left it idling loudly for about 30 minutes. I got up dejected. I just wasn't up to walking the five mile trail around the lake with all those rednecks there so I left. On the way out of Parker Canyon I saw a Band-tailed Pigeon and a Cooper's Hawk. I drove the back roads all the way from Canelo Hills to Patagonia but saw zero Montezuma Quails. This was prime quail habitat too. I stopped at Canelo Hills pass at 4500 feet before dropping down into the grasslands and past Vaca Ranch. I stopped again in San Rafael Valley where I heard Grasshopper Sparrows and Eastern Meadowlarks. I went through Hershaw Canyon one of the top quail habitats but no quails. So I returned to Patagonia and went to Patagonia Sonoita Creek Preserve. There was a sign at the sign-in kiosk announcing, "we have chiggers." The guided walk at 9:00 AM was about to start. Two guys were there and one leader. The leader took my $3.00 and asked me if I wanted to join the walk. I said no. So he said "we have chiggers; do you know what those are?" I said yes I already had a couple I must have gotten at Sycamore Canyon. He gave me some insect repellent which I sprayed on my bare legs and headed out. There were more birds than I had seen the whole trip and dozens of species of butterflies I had never seen before. But I could see that the chiggers were going to be a problem as the grass was very high in places. Yellow-breasted Chats were singing all over and Phainopeplas were in droves. I also saw Summer Tanager, Gila Woodpecker, Yellow Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Western Wood peewee, Lazuli Bunting, Black-headed Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak and heard a couple of Yellow-billed Cuckoos. The butterflies I was able to identify were Arizona Skipper, Golden-headed Scallopwing, and Tiny Checkerspot. I left around 11:00 AM and went back to Roadside Rest to put away my tent and pack some of my stuff. The Thick-billed Kingbird was acting like it was tired of being looked at but I got some nice video of the Gila Woodpecker. I looked at my iphone and saw an email from the listserv for Arizona. There was a report of two Black-capped Gnatcatchers at Montosa Canyon. Where in the hell was Montosa Canyon? It was not in my bird finding book or anywhere else. I drove to the tiny town of Patagonia where internet service is pretty good and downloaded the Tucson Audubon Society's web page and found directions to it there. I could either drive south to Nogales on 82 or take Greaterville Road across Madera Canyon to I-19. I decided on Greaterville Road. While driving a little bit too fast on that dirt road I crossed a streambed and bottomed out. I heard a loud clank and hoped I had not punctured the oil pan but continued to drive on to I-19 and then south to Elephant Head Road and then toward the National Geographic Observatory to a concrete lined wash that marked the spot. I walked up and down the canyon. I saw dozens of Phainopeplas, Summer Tanager, Varied Bunting, Canyon Wrens calling, one large brown bird with white spots on its tail that I flushed, and one lone Painted Redstart but no gnatcatchers at all. I was willing to spend the rest of the afternoon if necessary but dark clouds were moving closer and closer and it was incredibly muggy. Soon drops began to fall and worse lightning began to pop too close for comfort. I got in my car and watched it cover up the observatory high on a hill of the Santa Rita Mountains. I was willing to sit it out but realized I was in a flood area so I drove to higher ground. I saw a picnic area and pulled in to wait out the storm. I had the door open waiting and watching the ligthning and the clouds moving toward Madera Canyon. The border patrol drove past on the dirt road that leads up to the observatory and then made a u-turn and pulled up beside me. The passenger took one look at me and realized it was a waste of time. They both looked like teenagers. The driver said "how's it going?" I said, "great. how are you?" But he wouldn't answer like it was his first day on the job and he didn't know what to say or do. He finally said, "what are you doing? Waiting to pick somebody up?" I said I'm waiting for the storm to pass, what are you doing?" He said, "I'm patrolling!" I said well good luck! What a dumb job. Finally the storm passed and I drove back to Montosa Canyon. I walked up and down some more and finally after 30 more minutes two Black-capped Gnatcatchers flew into an acacia tree very nearby. I got a very good look which is good because they were both females or immature-- hard to differentiate from Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. They called which was helpful. I got zero video because it was still raining and I had no cover for my camera! Shoot. Best bird of the trip and no video. All in all it took two hours to get that bird but it was worth it because my trip was essentially over. It was dark quickly due to the rain and clouds. I stopped briefly in Madera just to have a picnic dinner before heading back to Tucson to my hotel. I checked in, took off my socks, and examined my feet. They were covered in chigger bites, hundreds of them. I also had them all over my waist line, buttocks, arm pits, abductors, ankles, and behind my knees. I showered but it was too late. I drank a lot and went to bed. I am still itching as I write this.
August 19, I woke up late and only left the canyon at 6:00 AM. It took me one hour to drive south to Ruby Road to Pena Blanca Lake. There was not a single person in any of the campgrounds. I saw a Thick-billed Kingbird at the lake. There were a lot of birds on the road including White-winged Dove, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Varied Bunting, more Cassin's Kingbirds but not the bird I was looking for, a Montezuma Quail. I drove to Sycamore Canyon and parked. The place was overrun with mosquitoes and I had no repellent. There were three guys taking down their tent. They looked like very inexperienced hikers. I hiked the canyon for about a mile or so before turning around. The water was very high and there were few birds. However, there was many butterflies including many Pipevine Swallowtails, Orange Sulphur, Southern Dogface, Sleepy Orange, Dainty Sulphur, Painted Crescent, Gulf Fritillaries, and Two-tailed Swallowtail. While driving back on Ruby Road I saw a Zone-tailed Hawk circling overhead plus Hooded Oriole and Bronzed Cowbird. I drove around in a big circle because Highway 89 to Patagonia was closed. So I had to drive back north on I-19 to Madera Canyon and then across on the dirt road, Greaterville Road. I stopped along the way and saw dozens of American Snouts on an acacia tree. While looking at them many insects bit the back of my knees. There were Cassin's and Botteri's Sparrows singing in the field. I drove past the tiny town of Sonoita south on Highway 82 to Roadside Rest, a famous birding spot. There was a Thick-billed Kingbird, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Gila Woodpecker. From there I drove back north to Las Cienegas Conservation Area where there were lots of Cassin's and Botteri's Sparrows, Eastern Meadowlark, and Lucy's Warbler. There were rolling hills of grasslands to explore but I didn't like that it was a working ranch full of cows, which I dislike intensely. So I decided to drive to the Chiracahuas. It was a long drive with too much time to think. I saw some Red-tailed Hawks and Turkey Vultures along the way. My intent was to camp at Pinery Campground. But as I crested the canyon at 7000 feet and arrived there a man was already set up with his chair and such so I continued up the canyon. I stopped long enough to bathe and then continued all the way to Rustler Park. I set up the tent, put my food in the bear box, and was very content with my book until I read in Birding Southeast Arizona that marauding bears were a serious problem at Rustler Park. I was the only person there ! Forget that. I took down my tent, threw it in the car, and continued to Cave Creek where I found a lovely site at Sunnyside Flat CG where only one other person was camping. I could hear a faint Whiskered Screech-Owl calling during the night . It was hard to hear because the creek was so full of rushing water.
August 20, I woke up early; it was a cool 62 degrees. A Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher was in the campground. The sun was just coming up and illuminating the red canyon walls; it was very beautiful. I drove to the Cave Creek trailhead intending to take this famous Arizona hike but the creek was so high I had a hard time finding a safe place to cross. I finally found a somewhat low point and almost made it across when my right foot went in. I made it across and tried to re-find the trail. While crossing over a log my foot went through some rotten areas and it tore the flesh away from my left leg. It bled and was painful. There were zero birds. So I gave up and went back to the car. I next went to the Southwest Research Station. There were a couple of Say's Phoebes and one lone Blue-throated Hummingbird and that was about it so I left there. Next I went into the tiny town of Portal. Some man was mowing his lawn on Main Street and there were no birds there either. I intended to get gas and head back over Pinery Canyon to Chiracahua National Monument to hike around but there is no gas station in Portal. I had only half a tank so I proceeded slowly up Pinery Pass conserving as much as possible. I drove right past George Walker House and the Paradise Cemetery where Ken later told me Montezuma Quails can be found. Urgh. Melody Kehl, bird guide, who was too busy to help me find a Montezuma Quail, drove right past me when I was down to 1/4 tank and not even to Pinery Summit. I could have gone up to Barfoot Park for the Short-tailed Hawk but couldn't chance wasting precious gas so I drove slowly to the summit and then coasted all the way to the National Monument. Near the entrance I found a Common Poorwill in the road. Someone had run over the poor thing's head and crushed it. I couldn't even drive to the rock formations for which the park is famous for fear of running out of gas so I pulled into the picnic area instead, had lunch, and took a short walk to an old homestead called Faraway Cabin. It was very hot. I drove slowly to the tiny town of Sunizona where I finally found a gas station and filled up. Then I drove the back roads to Tombstone, Arizona where I stopped briefly to film downtown and the courthouse. I was too embarrassed to be filming such a hokey thing and soon left. I found Charleston Road with my iphone's help and drove a dirt road all the way from Tombstone to the Charleston Bridge. I got out and walked along the San Pedro River. There were many birds, Blue Grosbeaks, Summer Tanagers, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Northern Beardless Tyranulet. I couldn't walk very far because the river was so high so I left and drove from there to Ramsey Canyon, one of the most famous birding locations in the US. On the road to the canyon a Roadrunner ran across the road. You can sometimes find up to 14 species of hummingbirds in Ramsey Canyon during migration. On the day of my visit I saw just two or three Black-chinned Hummingbirds, one brief look at a Violet-crowned Hummingbird, and one brief look at a Magnificent Hummingbird. I drove to the next canyon over, Miller Canyon and pulled up to Beatty's Guest Ranch. I was looking around for the upper hummingbird watching station and Tom, Jr. came out. He was so hostile. He said I had to pass through the gate but that I had to pay $5. He stood over me making sure I put the $5 in the basket before entering through the gate. Then the obnoxious guy followed me up to the viewing station with his obnoxious dogs and breathed down my neck for 20 minutes. I had to stay despite the harrassment though because he had hundreds of hummers. Within five minutes a Berryline Hummingbird, a rare vagrant from Central America flew within five feet of me. I got my camera on it but when I got home found the footage blurry. I was so disappointned. There was also one White-eared Hummingbird, many Anna's Hummingbirds, Black-chinned, Rufous, Broad-billed, and Broad-tailed. At 6:00 PM I had to go. I drove all the way around to Sonoita and then from there to Parker Canyon Lake to the Lakeview Campground. During the drive a Common Nighthawk nearly flew into the car. There was only one space left at the CG right across from some man who was pouring lighter fluid on his fire to make it bigger. Someone was playing very loud music. I was concerned but it was too late to drive anywhere else. Also according to my bird finding guide Montezuma Quails can be found here around the lake. I stayed at campsite #2. There were tall weeds growing right next to the picnic table. Around midnight some rednecks arrived in a truck. Actually everyone there was in a truck. They rolled down their windows and began to blare music at about 25 decibels for nearly an hour while they put up their tents. I thought it would never end. I am a very light sleeper but there is no way anybody could sleep through that. Finally they finished and turned off the music when the people in campsite 3 let their stupid ass dog scamper over to my campsite and begin to sniff around my tent. I had just fallen back asleep but had to keep yelling at the dog to get away. What assholes would let their dog loose in a campground late at night? I really don't like Arizona. Why do all the most wretched states have all the good birds? I was furious. The only redeeming thing about that noisy campground was it only cost me $5.00 and during the night I heard a Great horned Owl and Common Poorwill.
August 21 at 5:30 AM the people who poured lighter fluid on their fire got up to go fishing in the lake; they turned on their truck and left it idling loudly for about 30 minutes. I got up dejected. I just wasn't up to walking the five mile trail around the lake with all those rednecks there so I left. On the way out of Parker Canyon I saw a Band-tailed Pigeon and a Cooper's Hawk. I drove the back roads all the way from Canelo Hills to Patagonia but saw zero Montezuma Quails. This was prime quail habitat too. I stopped at Canelo Hills pass at 4500 feet before dropping down into the grasslands and past Vaca Ranch. I stopped again in San Rafael Valley where I heard Grasshopper Sparrows and Eastern Meadowlarks. I went through Hershaw Canyon one of the top quail habitats but no quails. So I returned to Patagonia and went to Patagonia Sonoita Creek Preserve. There was a sign at the sign-in kiosk announcing, "we have chiggers." The guided walk at 9:00 AM was about to start. Two guys were there and one leader. The leader took my $3.00 and asked me if I wanted to join the walk. I said no. So he said "we have chiggers; do you know what those are?" I said yes I already had a couple I must have gotten at Sycamore Canyon. He gave me some insect repellent which I sprayed on my bare legs and headed out. There were more birds than I had seen the whole trip and dozens of species of butterflies I had never seen before. But I could see that the chiggers were going to be a problem as the grass was very high in places. Yellow-breasted Chats were singing all over and Phainopeplas were in droves. I also saw Summer Tanager, Gila Woodpecker, Yellow Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Western Wood peewee, Lazuli Bunting, Black-headed Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak and heard a couple of Yellow-billed Cuckoos. The butterflies I was able to identify were Arizona Skipper, Golden-headed Scallopwing, and Tiny Checkerspot. I left around 11:00 AM and went back to Roadside Rest to put away my tent and pack some of my stuff. The Thick-billed Kingbird was acting like it was tired of being looked at but I got some nice video of the Gila Woodpecker. I looked at my iphone and saw an email from the listserv for Arizona. There was a report of two Black-capped Gnatcatchers at Montosa Canyon. Where in the hell was Montosa Canyon? It was not in my bird finding book or anywhere else. I drove to the tiny town of Patagonia where internet service is pretty good and downloaded the Tucson Audubon Society's web page and found directions to it there. I could either drive south to Nogales on 82 or take Greaterville Road across Madera Canyon to I-19. I decided on Greaterville Road. While driving a little bit too fast on that dirt road I crossed a streambed and bottomed out. I heard a loud clank and hoped I had not punctured the oil pan but continued to drive on to I-19 and then south to Elephant Head Road and then toward the National Geographic Observatory to a concrete lined wash that marked the spot. I walked up and down the canyon. I saw dozens of Phainopeplas, Summer Tanager, Varied Bunting, Canyon Wrens calling, one large brown bird with white spots on its tail that I flushed, and one lone Painted Redstart but no gnatcatchers at all. I was willing to spend the rest of the afternoon if necessary but dark clouds were moving closer and closer and it was incredibly muggy. Soon drops began to fall and worse lightning began to pop too close for comfort. I got in my car and watched it cover up the observatory high on a hill of the Santa Rita Mountains. I was willing to sit it out but realized I was in a flood area so I drove to higher ground. I saw a picnic area and pulled in to wait out the storm. I had the door open waiting and watching the ligthning and the clouds moving toward Madera Canyon. The border patrol drove past on the dirt road that leads up to the observatory and then made a u-turn and pulled up beside me. The passenger took one look at me and realized it was a waste of time. They both looked like teenagers. The driver said "how's it going?" I said, "great. how are you?" But he wouldn't answer like it was his first day on the job and he didn't know what to say or do. He finally said, "what are you doing? Waiting to pick somebody up?" I said I'm waiting for the storm to pass, what are you doing?" He said, "I'm patrolling!" I said well good luck! What a dumb job. Finally the storm passed and I drove back to Montosa Canyon. I walked up and down some more and finally after 30 more minutes two Black-capped Gnatcatchers flew into an acacia tree very nearby. I got a very good look which is good because they were both females or immature-- hard to differentiate from Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. They called which was helpful. I got zero video because it was still raining and I had no cover for my camera! Shoot. Best bird of the trip and no video. All in all it took two hours to get that bird but it was worth it because my trip was essentially over. It was dark quickly due to the rain and clouds. I stopped briefly in Madera just to have a picnic dinner before heading back to Tucson to my hotel. I checked in, took off my socks, and examined my feet. They were covered in chigger bites, hundreds of them. I also had them all over my waist line, buttocks, arm pits, abductors, ankles, and behind my knees. I showered but it was too late. I drank a lot and went to bed. I am still itching as I write this.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Anchorage, Barrow, & Kenai Fjords, AK:
June 12-20, 2010
On June 12, 2010, I flew into Anchorage and spent the day looking around there first visiting Kincaid Park. It was windy with more people than birds. I saw only Savannah Sparrow, Common Redpoll, Orange-crowned Warbler, and American Robin. Next I went to Hillside Park but it was devoid of birds entirely. Then I tried Potter Marsh where I saw a Tundra Swan very close to the road, a Muskrat in the marsh and a Moose near the parking lot. There were also Lesser Yellowlegs, Lincoln's Sparro, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, American Wigeon, Arctic Tern, Mew Gull, and Glaucous-winged Gull. My last stop was West Chester Lagoon where there were nesting Red-necked Grebes, Alder Flycatcher, and Hudsonian Godwit.
June 13 my sister and I hiked up Wolverine Peak in Chugach State Park. It was a glorious day for Anchorage reaching 70 degrees and hordes of people were out on the trail with their dogs. It was awful and I will never go back. We didn't see very many species of birds though there were many of each species including Alder Flycatcher, Lincoln's Sparrow, Wilson's Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Hermit Thrush, and Bald Eagle. We also saw two Moose.
After our hike we went back to Hillside Park as I was very interested in finding a White-winged Crossbill but we only saw Golden-crowned Kinglet and Gray Jay. We then returned to West Chester Lagoon and there were several Hudsonian Godwits, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser yellowlegs, Bonaparte's Gull, and Long-billed Dowitcher. There was plenty of light left but we returned to our hotel since we had an early flight the next day.
June 14 we met our group from Wilderness Birding Adventures at the Anchorage Airport and flew from there to the northernmost city in North America, Barrow, AK at 71 degrees lattitude. After landing we checked into the King Eider Inn and then put on all the clothes we owned and headed out in a van to look for birds. The wind was blowing viciously and keeping the temperatures in the low 30s the entire visit. The town itself was hideous, depressing and trash filled and filthy. Barrow is owned by the Inupiat Indians and every visitor must pay the tribe $50 just to land there. The Eskimoes own the gas wells there which supply the entire town with gas heat. Despite the ramshakle surroundings the town has excellent internet service. Other than that I can't recommend it unless you enjoy visiting a trash dump because that's what it is. Once we got out of town things improved when we got out on the open tundra which despite its barrenness in mid-June when the rest of North America was bursting with spring blooms, was full of the many birds that nest in the tundra. There were many sightings of Northern Pintail, Snow Bunting, and Lapland Longspurs. Long-tailed Ducks were everywhere along with numerous Semi-palmated Sandpipers and a few Baird's Sandpipers. We saw a lot of Red Phalaropes and Red-necked Phalaropes and several Snowy Owls. We also came across a few American Golden Plovers looking very dapper in their breeding plumage. Every day we saw dozens of Pectoral Sandpipers many of them males in display flight with their chests bursting forward. Toward dinner time we finally saw what I made such a long trek to see, the endangered and rare, Steller's Eider. I was so excited to see it I nearly cried either from the incessant wind or from the knowledge that this bird may go extinct in my life time. The owner of WBA, Bob, had joined us and asked our driver and bird guide, Dave to pull over and there in a melt pond about as far away from the van as possible was my other target bird, the Spectacled Eider. Dave's scope, a 62 mm Swarovski was small and inferior to Bob's 77 mm Leica. Bob showed me the Spectacled Eider through his scope and I was very happy to see it. I remember the first time years ago I was thumbing through National Geographic's Field Guide to North American Birds and saw a picture of the Spectacled Eider. Oh I wanted to see one but in reviewing the range map determined it would be impossible and I would never see one. Their range is confined to the tundra of far northern Alaska which seemed remote and out of the question at the time. In my mind's eye though as my trip to Barrow approached and the dream became more of a possibility I imagined seeing it as I had seen it in NGFG-- up close and detailed, not this little spec in the spotting scope. On the other hand at least I was able to see it. The most exciting bird for Dave and Bob was an extremely lost Yellow-rumped Warlber of the subspecies, Audubon, a first for Barrow. After a while we stopped and drove into town for dinner which was bizzare. All food in Barrow besides the whales the Inupiat's slaughter is shipped in. We ate at a "Mexican" Restaurant where one guest, John from Florida, ordered a milkshake. I ordered something that was merely a tortilla with a can of refried beans dumped into it and some iceberg lettuce.
After dinner we went back out for a while looking for more birds and I spotted another Steller's Eider, this one much closer and I was even more content.
June 15 we had breakfast in Dave and Bob's room and then met Nathaniel a local Inupiat who for $85 a person drove us out to the northernmost point in North American, Point Barrow to look for polar bears. As we drove out along the beach Nathaniel explained that the Inupiats still enjoyed hunting and shot eiders. He claimed they shot all three species found there but I hope he is wrong and they are not shooting the endangered Steller's Eider which would be a sin in my opinion. The Inupiat are allowed to legally kill whales for subsistence. Nathaniel said that this spring they had killed 14 whales. He drove us to the place on the point where the Indians dump the whale carcasses to look for the bears. We saw fresh polar bear tracks near the carcasses but no bears. The carcasses were only partially decomposed but you couldn't smell anything due to the intense wind. Nathaniel was nice enough but I found the whole concept of living in Barrow off of slaughtered whales insane and offensive. It seemed to me the Indians were clinging to a past way of life that can no longer be sustained. They all had snow mobiles and cars (where were they driving to?) and piped in gas heat from their gas wells and a pricey fully stocked grocery store. (Peaches were $5.49 a pound!) And the way they discarded their broken down cars and snow mobiles and other trash in heaps in their "yards" was grotesque and appalling. At the point we stopped to take photos, touch the Arctic Ocean which was still very frozen, and while there a Sabine's Gull flew by. We had a lengthy discussion about how to pronounce this bird named after Irish Scientist, Sir Edward Sabine. After our trip to Point Barrow we had lunch at the grocery store and then headed back out in our own van to look some more. We found more Snowy Owls and a Long-tailed Jaeger and a King Eider that was preening just feet from the van in a large melt pond. King Eider's have gorgeous powder blue heads and orange bills and it was fantastic to get so close and see all the beautiful colors. After a while it finally swam away and we continued on. We came upon a thrush beside the road that turned out to be a female Varied Thrush, another bird far off course. We had dinner at a nasty restaurant that allegedly was serving Japanese food. I ordered the bento box and it was terrible.
On the last day we drove around until lunch time when we had to catch our flight back to Anchorage. We saw more Snowy Owls, one lonely Brandt, and two out of place Rock Ptarmigans, a male and female. We drove toward the dump and found a Ruff in breeding plumage and we spent a long time at a melt pond that held a nesting Spectacled Eider that let me get very close video, a beautiful breeding American Golden Plover, and a Parasitic Jaeger, all tundra nesters. We didn't get back to Anchorage until very late and even though it was as bright as midday we went to bed.
June 17 we drove first to Connor's Lake in Anchorage where we walked around the lake. We came across a moose with a calf and then an Arctic Tern attacked me because I guess I was too close to her nest. She dive bombed my head and in raising my tripod to protect my head my already fragile viewfinder on my camera became even looser. Toward the back of the lake we got as close as possible to a nesting Pacific Loon. Then we drove the scenic and beautiful Seward highway all the way from Anchorage to Seward 126 miles south. First we drove down Crow Pass Road just outside of Anchorage to the end and hiked the incredibly beautiful Crow Pass Trail. I did not have enough clothes on and nearly died of hypothermia at the pass so I could not thoroughly look for the White-tailed Ptarmigan. But the scenery along the way was outstanding and we were able to walk right up to Raven Glacier at the pass. The pass was so windy we didn't tarry long and returned back the way we came back to the car. Next we stopped at beautiful Tern Lake along the Seward Highway where there was a nesting Common Loon and many terns. Upon arrival at the fishing town of Seward we checked into the very overpriced Marina Hotel and went to bed.
June 18, it was raining and continued to rain all day putting a damper on our planned boat ride to Kenai Fjords National Park. During the trip my viewfinder fell completely off and I was reduced to filming solely through the LCD which was very challenging with so many tourists and with the rain and mist. We travelled on a large boat with two decks both covered with a full restaurant and bar. The boat left from the harbor where a Bald Eagle was perched on a pole nearby and into Resurrection Bay bounded on both sides by gorgeous sitka spruce forested mountains and into the Harding Gateway. There were lots of birds in the water, mostly Common Murres and Thick-billed Murres but an occasional Rhinoceros Auklet and a very accommodating Sea Otter. Not long into our trip we came across a large pod of Orcas which excited our fellow travellers greatly. The boat spent a long time with the Orcas one of which breached in a dramatic fashion. But we had lots more things to see so we eventually moved on. As we sped along we passed one Red-faced Cormorant, one Parakeet Auklet and one Leach's Storm-Petrel. We also found one Humpback Whale. We stopped at the Chiswell Islands to see nesting Stellers Sea Lions many of which are larger than a black bear, a moose, and a carribou combined. There were hordes of Tufted and Horned Puffins nesting on the rocks and in the water near the boat. Next we left the island and approached the Holgate Glacier. The boat turned sideways to give everyone a good view and soon sure enough the glacier calved (part of it broke off and slid into the sea) before our very eyes. Afterwards we were treated to a delicious all you can eat buffet of wild Alaska King Salmon. I went back for seconds, yum. And all you can eat dessert too. After admiring the glacier the boat turned around and headed back but I still had not seen what I came to see. I stood under the eaves of the upper deck scanning and scanning and wiping my binoculars from rain and spray until finally I saw two tiny Kittzlitz's Murrelets one on the water and one flying past the boat. The ranger had no clue; she was too busy reading her script and of course nobody on the boat cared enough for the boat to stop but I had seen my third life bird of the trip. It never stopped raining but after our boat trip we drove out to Exit Glacier and despite the lateness of the hour there were many people hiking with us on the short trail to the glacier. Markers along the road and the trail mark the glaciers incredible retreat from when it was first discovered in 1900. The only birds were a few Hermit Thrushes, Varied thrush, and Orange-crowned Warbler.
June 19 was our last day. We left Seward and started our drive back to Anchorage. We stopped at Tern Lake and took a short walk. A Bald Eagle was very close on a tree vocalizing. There was also a Northern Waterthrush, Townsend's Warbler, Black-billed Magpie, Adler flycatcher, and some Tree Swallows. On the way to Anchorage we stopped at Chugach National Forest and drove the road to Palmer Creek. It was very snowy and eventually we had to stop. We got out and just started hiking up a very steep slope looking for White-tailed Ptarmigans. It took two hours of struggling up the steep hillside past thick willows and snow patches and finally up moss covered strands til we finally got above tree line. The wind was howling and the summit was wind swept and barren but beautiful. However, it was devoid of birds except a lonely Spotted Sandpiper that flew over. It took only 30 minutes to get down as we slid most of the way over a snow field on our butts. We stopped at Crow Pass Road one last time looking for that doggone White-winged Crossbill with no luck then returned to Anchorage. My flight stopped in Minneapolis where I had a three hour layover. So I rented a car and drove to a nearby park. It was 80 degrees and the sun was out--a great respite from the foul weather of Alaska.
The weather is atrocious in Alaska but if you can tolerate it the rewards are great.
June 13 my sister and I hiked up Wolverine Peak in Chugach State Park. It was a glorious day for Anchorage reaching 70 degrees and hordes of people were out on the trail with their dogs. It was awful and I will never go back. We didn't see very many species of birds though there were many of each species including Alder Flycatcher, Lincoln's Sparrow, Wilson's Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Hermit Thrush, and Bald Eagle. We also saw two Moose.
After our hike we went back to Hillside Park as I was very interested in finding a White-winged Crossbill but we only saw Golden-crowned Kinglet and Gray Jay. We then returned to West Chester Lagoon and there were several Hudsonian Godwits, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser yellowlegs, Bonaparte's Gull, and Long-billed Dowitcher. There was plenty of light left but we returned to our hotel since we had an early flight the next day.
June 14 we met our group from Wilderness Birding Adventures at the Anchorage Airport and flew from there to the northernmost city in North America, Barrow, AK at 71 degrees lattitude. After landing we checked into the King Eider Inn and then put on all the clothes we owned and headed out in a van to look for birds. The wind was blowing viciously and keeping the temperatures in the low 30s the entire visit. The town itself was hideous, depressing and trash filled and filthy. Barrow is owned by the Inupiat Indians and every visitor must pay the tribe $50 just to land there. The Eskimoes own the gas wells there which supply the entire town with gas heat. Despite the ramshakle surroundings the town has excellent internet service. Other than that I can't recommend it unless you enjoy visiting a trash dump because that's what it is. Once we got out of town things improved when we got out on the open tundra which despite its barrenness in mid-June when the rest of North America was bursting with spring blooms, was full of the many birds that nest in the tundra. There were many sightings of Northern Pintail, Snow Bunting, and Lapland Longspurs. Long-tailed Ducks were everywhere along with numerous Semi-palmated Sandpipers and a few Baird's Sandpipers. We saw a lot of Red Phalaropes and Red-necked Phalaropes and several Snowy Owls. We also came across a few American Golden Plovers looking very dapper in their breeding plumage. Every day we saw dozens of Pectoral Sandpipers many of them males in display flight with their chests bursting forward. Toward dinner time we finally saw what I made such a long trek to see, the endangered and rare, Steller's Eider. I was so excited to see it I nearly cried either from the incessant wind or from the knowledge that this bird may go extinct in my life time. The owner of WBA, Bob, had joined us and asked our driver and bird guide, Dave to pull over and there in a melt pond about as far away from the van as possible was my other target bird, the Spectacled Eider. Dave's scope, a 62 mm Swarovski was small and inferior to Bob's 77 mm Leica. Bob showed me the Spectacled Eider through his scope and I was very happy to see it. I remember the first time years ago I was thumbing through National Geographic's Field Guide to North American Birds and saw a picture of the Spectacled Eider. Oh I wanted to see one but in reviewing the range map determined it would be impossible and I would never see one. Their range is confined to the tundra of far northern Alaska which seemed remote and out of the question at the time. In my mind's eye though as my trip to Barrow approached and the dream became more of a possibility I imagined seeing it as I had seen it in NGFG-- up close and detailed, not this little spec in the spotting scope. On the other hand at least I was able to see it. The most exciting bird for Dave and Bob was an extremely lost Yellow-rumped Warlber of the subspecies, Audubon, a first for Barrow. After a while we stopped and drove into town for dinner which was bizzare. All food in Barrow besides the whales the Inupiat's slaughter is shipped in. We ate at a "Mexican" Restaurant where one guest, John from Florida, ordered a milkshake. I ordered something that was merely a tortilla with a can of refried beans dumped into it and some iceberg lettuce.
After dinner we went back out for a while looking for more birds and I spotted another Steller's Eider, this one much closer and I was even more content.
June 15 we had breakfast in Dave and Bob's room and then met Nathaniel a local Inupiat who for $85 a person drove us out to the northernmost point in North American, Point Barrow to look for polar bears. As we drove out along the beach Nathaniel explained that the Inupiats still enjoyed hunting and shot eiders. He claimed they shot all three species found there but I hope he is wrong and they are not shooting the endangered Steller's Eider which would be a sin in my opinion. The Inupiat are allowed to legally kill whales for subsistence. Nathaniel said that this spring they had killed 14 whales. He drove us to the place on the point where the Indians dump the whale carcasses to look for the bears. We saw fresh polar bear tracks near the carcasses but no bears. The carcasses were only partially decomposed but you couldn't smell anything due to the intense wind. Nathaniel was nice enough but I found the whole concept of living in Barrow off of slaughtered whales insane and offensive. It seemed to me the Indians were clinging to a past way of life that can no longer be sustained. They all had snow mobiles and cars (where were they driving to?) and piped in gas heat from their gas wells and a pricey fully stocked grocery store. (Peaches were $5.49 a pound!) And the way they discarded their broken down cars and snow mobiles and other trash in heaps in their "yards" was grotesque and appalling. At the point we stopped to take photos, touch the Arctic Ocean which was still very frozen, and while there a Sabine's Gull flew by. We had a lengthy discussion about how to pronounce this bird named after Irish Scientist, Sir Edward Sabine. After our trip to Point Barrow we had lunch at the grocery store and then headed back out in our own van to look some more. We found more Snowy Owls and a Long-tailed Jaeger and a King Eider that was preening just feet from the van in a large melt pond. King Eider's have gorgeous powder blue heads and orange bills and it was fantastic to get so close and see all the beautiful colors. After a while it finally swam away and we continued on. We came upon a thrush beside the road that turned out to be a female Varied Thrush, another bird far off course. We had dinner at a nasty restaurant that allegedly was serving Japanese food. I ordered the bento box and it was terrible.
On the last day we drove around until lunch time when we had to catch our flight back to Anchorage. We saw more Snowy Owls, one lonely Brandt, and two out of place Rock Ptarmigans, a male and female. We drove toward the dump and found a Ruff in breeding plumage and we spent a long time at a melt pond that held a nesting Spectacled Eider that let me get very close video, a beautiful breeding American Golden Plover, and a Parasitic Jaeger, all tundra nesters. We didn't get back to Anchorage until very late and even though it was as bright as midday we went to bed.
June 17 we drove first to Connor's Lake in Anchorage where we walked around the lake. We came across a moose with a calf and then an Arctic Tern attacked me because I guess I was too close to her nest. She dive bombed my head and in raising my tripod to protect my head my already fragile viewfinder on my camera became even looser. Toward the back of the lake we got as close as possible to a nesting Pacific Loon. Then we drove the scenic and beautiful Seward highway all the way from Anchorage to Seward 126 miles south. First we drove down Crow Pass Road just outside of Anchorage to the end and hiked the incredibly beautiful Crow Pass Trail. I did not have enough clothes on and nearly died of hypothermia at the pass so I could not thoroughly look for the White-tailed Ptarmigan. But the scenery along the way was outstanding and we were able to walk right up to Raven Glacier at the pass. The pass was so windy we didn't tarry long and returned back the way we came back to the car. Next we stopped at beautiful Tern Lake along the Seward Highway where there was a nesting Common Loon and many terns. Upon arrival at the fishing town of Seward we checked into the very overpriced Marina Hotel and went to bed.
June 18, it was raining and continued to rain all day putting a damper on our planned boat ride to Kenai Fjords National Park. During the trip my viewfinder fell completely off and I was reduced to filming solely through the LCD which was very challenging with so many tourists and with the rain and mist. We travelled on a large boat with two decks both covered with a full restaurant and bar. The boat left from the harbor where a Bald Eagle was perched on a pole nearby and into Resurrection Bay bounded on both sides by gorgeous sitka spruce forested mountains and into the Harding Gateway. There were lots of birds in the water, mostly Common Murres and Thick-billed Murres but an occasional Rhinoceros Auklet and a very accommodating Sea Otter. Not long into our trip we came across a large pod of Orcas which excited our fellow travellers greatly. The boat spent a long time with the Orcas one of which breached in a dramatic fashion. But we had lots more things to see so we eventually moved on. As we sped along we passed one Red-faced Cormorant, one Parakeet Auklet and one Leach's Storm-Petrel. We also found one Humpback Whale. We stopped at the Chiswell Islands to see nesting Stellers Sea Lions many of which are larger than a black bear, a moose, and a carribou combined. There were hordes of Tufted and Horned Puffins nesting on the rocks and in the water near the boat. Next we left the island and approached the Holgate Glacier. The boat turned sideways to give everyone a good view and soon sure enough the glacier calved (part of it broke off and slid into the sea) before our very eyes. Afterwards we were treated to a delicious all you can eat buffet of wild Alaska King Salmon. I went back for seconds, yum. And all you can eat dessert too. After admiring the glacier the boat turned around and headed back but I still had not seen what I came to see. I stood under the eaves of the upper deck scanning and scanning and wiping my binoculars from rain and spray until finally I saw two tiny Kittzlitz's Murrelets one on the water and one flying past the boat. The ranger had no clue; she was too busy reading her script and of course nobody on the boat cared enough for the boat to stop but I had seen my third life bird of the trip. It never stopped raining but after our boat trip we drove out to Exit Glacier and despite the lateness of the hour there were many people hiking with us on the short trail to the glacier. Markers along the road and the trail mark the glaciers incredible retreat from when it was first discovered in 1900. The only birds were a few Hermit Thrushes, Varied thrush, and Orange-crowned Warbler.
June 19 was our last day. We left Seward and started our drive back to Anchorage. We stopped at Tern Lake and took a short walk. A Bald Eagle was very close on a tree vocalizing. There was also a Northern Waterthrush, Townsend's Warbler, Black-billed Magpie, Adler flycatcher, and some Tree Swallows. On the way to Anchorage we stopped at Chugach National Forest and drove the road to Palmer Creek. It was very snowy and eventually we had to stop. We got out and just started hiking up a very steep slope looking for White-tailed Ptarmigans. It took two hours of struggling up the steep hillside past thick willows and snow patches and finally up moss covered strands til we finally got above tree line. The wind was howling and the summit was wind swept and barren but beautiful. However, it was devoid of birds except a lonely Spotted Sandpiper that flew over. It took only 30 minutes to get down as we slid most of the way over a snow field on our butts. We stopped at Crow Pass Road one last time looking for that doggone White-winged Crossbill with no luck then returned to Anchorage. My flight stopped in Minneapolis where I had a three hour layover. So I rented a car and drove to a nearby park. It was 80 degrees and the sun was out--a great respite from the foul weather of Alaska.
The weather is atrocious in Alaska but if you can tolerate it the rewards are great.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Southeast Arizona: May 28-31, 2010
I would have preferred to camp but was too afraid to do so by myself that close to the border. So I stayed at a hotel in Green Valley, AZ. I drove first to Florida Canyon but as it was midday I only saw Hooded Oriole and Bell's Vireo. I next went to Madera Canyon and hiked up the trail quite a ways where I found Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher and Plumbeous Vireo. Around Madera Kubo there was a Hepatic Tanager, Berryline Hummingbird, Magnificent Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Cassins's Kingbird. I parked at the picnic area and saw a Painted Redstart in the trees, Acorn Woodpecker, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and Black-headed Grosbeak. White-throated Swifts flew overhead. That night at Santa Rita Lodge the Elf Owl came just after dark and at the upper parking area I heard Whip-poor-wills and Whiskered Screech-Owl.
The next day I got up extra early and drove to Ruby Road. I stopped at Pena Blanca Lake and saw Vermillion Flycatcher, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Northern Cardinal, Summer Tanager, Phainopepla, Blue Grosbeak, and one Thick-billed Kingbird. Along the road there was a Cooper's Hawk, White-winged Dove, and Rufous-crowned Sparrow.
I pulled off to go to California Gulch and not long after heading down the trail found a Five-striped Sparrow. A Varied Bunting came very close. It was an excellent day for a hike very pleasant, no people, lots of butterflies and a life bird. What more can you ask for? I hiked along the stream for quite a ways and saw hundreds of Marine Blue Butterflies as well as Emperor Snouts. There was a Bell's Vireo with chicks, Canyon Wren, and Canyon Towhee. My friend, Ken, told me to get out before noon so that's what I did although I could have easily stayed longer. Next I stopped at Patagonia Lake State Park but as it was a holiday they had jacked up the price to $10 and it was packed with picnickers and boaters. I only saw Bell's Vireo, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Bewick's Wren, and Great-tailed Grackle. Then I headed back to Madera Canyon. It was getting late but I found a singing Northern Beardless Tyranulet, Painted Redstart, Hepatic Tanager, Whip-poor-will, and Whiskered Screech-owl. There were too many people at the Elf Owl home.
The next day, May 30, I returned to Florida Canyon but saw only White-winged Dove, Varied Bunting, Blue Grosbeak, and Cooper's Hawk. Then I went back to Madera Canyon. At the first parking lot there were perched Rufous-winged Sparrows singing. I found an Elegant Trogon behind Santa Rita Lodge along with more Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers. There was a Bronzed Cowbird at Madera Kubo and a nesting Plumbeous Vireo. After some redneck Mexicans in a white truck tried to run over me as I was filming the vireo nest I decided to leave and drove all the way to Ramsey Canyon. The Blue-throated Hummingbird nest I was hoping to film was empty. I saw only black-chinned Hummers, more Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers and one hepatic Tanager. I stopped at Roadside Rest and found the nesting Thick-billed kingbird and a Gila Woodpecker nest. A Gray Hawk flew by and there were also some Bridled Titmouses and one singing Yellow-breasted Chat.
On the last day I hiked a long way into Florida Canyon and saw an Arizona Woodpecker and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. There was some kind of immature flycatcher with a band. At Proctor Road I found Brown-crested Flycatcher nesting in a telephone pole. There was a Black-tailed Gnatcatcher and a Cooper's Hawk along the trail and a Buff-breasted Flycatcher. Before heading back to the hotel for the night I drove all the way up Mt. Lemmon outside of Tucson. I saw Grace's Warbler, Olive Warbler, Pygmy Nuthatch, Yellow-eyed Junco, Hairy Woodpecker, and Broad-billed Hummer. After sunset I tried for another Flammulated Owl but only heard Northern Saw-whet Owl calling.
The next day I got up extra early and drove to Ruby Road. I stopped at Pena Blanca Lake and saw Vermillion Flycatcher, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Northern Cardinal, Summer Tanager, Phainopepla, Blue Grosbeak, and one Thick-billed Kingbird. Along the road there was a Cooper's Hawk, White-winged Dove, and Rufous-crowned Sparrow.
I pulled off to go to California Gulch and not long after heading down the trail found a Five-striped Sparrow. A Varied Bunting came very close. It was an excellent day for a hike very pleasant, no people, lots of butterflies and a life bird. What more can you ask for? I hiked along the stream for quite a ways and saw hundreds of Marine Blue Butterflies as well as Emperor Snouts. There was a Bell's Vireo with chicks, Canyon Wren, and Canyon Towhee. My friend, Ken, told me to get out before noon so that's what I did although I could have easily stayed longer. Next I stopped at Patagonia Lake State Park but as it was a holiday they had jacked up the price to $10 and it was packed with picnickers and boaters. I only saw Bell's Vireo, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Bewick's Wren, and Great-tailed Grackle. Then I headed back to Madera Canyon. It was getting late but I found a singing Northern Beardless Tyranulet, Painted Redstart, Hepatic Tanager, Whip-poor-will, and Whiskered Screech-owl. There were too many people at the Elf Owl home.
The next day, May 30, I returned to Florida Canyon but saw only White-winged Dove, Varied Bunting, Blue Grosbeak, and Cooper's Hawk. Then I went back to Madera Canyon. At the first parking lot there were perched Rufous-winged Sparrows singing. I found an Elegant Trogon behind Santa Rita Lodge along with more Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers. There was a Bronzed Cowbird at Madera Kubo and a nesting Plumbeous Vireo. After some redneck Mexicans in a white truck tried to run over me as I was filming the vireo nest I decided to leave and drove all the way to Ramsey Canyon. The Blue-throated Hummingbird nest I was hoping to film was empty. I saw only black-chinned Hummers, more Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers and one hepatic Tanager. I stopped at Roadside Rest and found the nesting Thick-billed kingbird and a Gila Woodpecker nest. A Gray Hawk flew by and there were also some Bridled Titmouses and one singing Yellow-breasted Chat.
On the last day I hiked a long way into Florida Canyon and saw an Arizona Woodpecker and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. There was some kind of immature flycatcher with a band. At Proctor Road I found Brown-crested Flycatcher nesting in a telephone pole. There was a Black-tailed Gnatcatcher and a Cooper's Hawk along the trail and a Buff-breasted Flycatcher. Before heading back to the hotel for the night I drove all the way up Mt. Lemmon outside of Tucson. I saw Grace's Warbler, Olive Warbler, Pygmy Nuthatch, Yellow-eyed Junco, Hairy Woodpecker, and Broad-billed Hummer. After sunset I tried for another Flammulated Owl but only heard Northern Saw-whet Owl calling.
New Mexico: May 19-21, 2010
Albuquerque is a city with no soul-- a slightly dangerous and depressing place. Even the Whole Foods was small and inadequate, though it appeared to be the hang out for the local alternative people. I only went there to drive up to Sandia Crest to look for Flammulated Owls but was so tired by the time the sun set that I left before hearing one. Before the sun went down I drove to the summit and saw many Broad-billed Hummingbirds at the feeders. I lost the muff to my camera's microphone which was annoying because it was extremely windy the entire trip. Around the trees there were lots of Plumbeous Vireos, Warbling Vireos, Black-headed Grosbeaks, and some Western Tanagers. I camped at a noisy campground where there was only a White-winged Dove to look at and left early in the morning driving four and a half hours to the Gila National Forest. I found a nice camping place at Cherry Creek Campground and looked around there the rest of the day. There were plenty of birds to look at--Cordilleran Flycatchers, Plumbeous Vireo, Greater Pewee, Red-faced Warbler, Swainson's Thrush, Acorn Woodpecker, Pine Siskin, Grace's Warbler, White-throated Swift. Two weird people in a white van pulled up and ruined my solitude so I left and drove to the Mangas Creek area on Highway 180. There I found a Summer Tanager, Yellow Warbler, Red-winged Blackbird, Bullock's Oriole, and Western Wood Pewee. Next I drove to Bill Evans Road that goes along the Gila River looking for a Common Black-hawk but decided it needed to come back early in the morning. However, I decided to park for a while under a large sycamore tree where a lot of bird activity was going on. Cassin's Kingbirds were going back and forth and there was a Willow Flycatcher on a nest, a Broad-tailed Hummingbird stopped by and a Bridled Titmouse. There was another Summer Tanager, Vermillion Flycatcher, Tree Swallows and a Spotted Sandpiper. Before I left I made one more stop and found a family of Scaled Quails. I had given up on the hawk but as I was about to turn off Bill Evans back onto Highway 180 there perched up in a tree was a Common Black-hawk! I tried to call in an owl before falling asleep but was unsuccessful. However, as I dozed off I heard many Whip-poor-wills calling all around the CG. I awoke at 2:00 AM to the mournful call of the Flammulated Owl!
In the morning I drove the short distance to McMillen CG and found another Red-faced Warbler and Grace's Warbler. Back at Cherry Creek there was a Painted Redstart. It was hot and windy. I left Gila NF and drove to New Mexico's most famous birding spot, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. I took a walk on a desert trail and saw only one Black-throated Sparrow. On the refuge I saw American White Pelican, Ladder-backed Woodpecker feeding chicks in a nest hole, Green Heron, Summer Tanager, Vermillion Flycatcher, Neotropic Cormorant, and Gambel's Quail. From the refuge I drove west to Water Canyon. I passed a herd of antelopes on my way up to the campground. As I set up my tent a Gray Flycatcher came and perched in a tree above the picnic table. During the night I heard another Flammulated Owl way off in the distance.
I looked in Box Canyon the next day but it was way too windy and before heading back to Albuquerque I stopped again at Bosque del Apache but due to high winds saw only some Black-chinned Hummingbirds at the visitor center. Then I went home.
In the morning I drove the short distance to McMillen CG and found another Red-faced Warbler and Grace's Warbler. Back at Cherry Creek there was a Painted Redstart. It was hot and windy. I left Gila NF and drove to New Mexico's most famous birding spot, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. I took a walk on a desert trail and saw only one Black-throated Sparrow. On the refuge I saw American White Pelican, Ladder-backed Woodpecker feeding chicks in a nest hole, Green Heron, Summer Tanager, Vermillion Flycatcher, Neotropic Cormorant, and Gambel's Quail. From the refuge I drove west to Water Canyon. I passed a herd of antelopes on my way up to the campground. As I set up my tent a Gray Flycatcher came and perched in a tree above the picnic table. During the night I heard another Flammulated Owl way off in the distance.
I looked in Box Canyon the next day but it was way too windy and before heading back to Albuquerque I stopped again at Bosque del Apache but due to high winds saw only some Black-chinned Hummingbirds at the visitor center. Then I went home.
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