Day 7: Madera Canyon, Part Deux
Saturday 4 April 2015
84 °F
Today, sadly my last full day in Arizona, my aunt, uncle, and I drove to Madera Canyon again to look for the Elegant Trogon, since I only saw that bird with my dad yesterday.
The day started by seeing this jackrabbit on the property of the hacienda-house we are renting:
We made it to Madera Canyon at about 8:45am. As soon as I stepped out of the car, I found these YELLOW-EYED JUNCOS, which were a life bird for me yesterday:
My aunt, uncle, and I then started hiking up the Carrie Nation Trail, which was where I found the Elegant Trogons yesterday. Warblers along the trail were beautiful and common, evidenced by the photos of three warbler species below.
Male PAINTED REDSTART:
Male BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER:
Male TOWNSEND'S WARBLER:
Vireos and flycatchers were also numerous, including PLUMBEOUS and my life bird heard-only HUTTON'S VIREOS (only lifer of the day), as well as GRAY & BROWN-CAPPED FLYCATCHERS, as well as this ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER:
This male SPOTTED TOWHEE was the most photogenically obliging bird today:
(singing)
(stretching)
Reptiles were also present along the trail, including a tiny scorpion, the first one I have ever seen, as well as this lizard/gecko:
The Carrie Nation Trail climbs throuh a beautiful ravine, complete with a creek with running water, which is rare for Arizona because of the arid climate.
Butterflies were prevalent like numerous Tiger Swallowtails, as well as this unidentified species (if anybody knows the species of this butterfly or the previous reptile, please leave a comment on this post!). UPDATE AS OF APRIL 7: This butterfly is an ARIZONA SISTER, thanks to Christy Schisler for the identification!
After the hike, we drove home, ate lunch, and spent a restful final afternoon and evening at the hacienda-house. It was a wonderful way to conclude an absolutely fantastic trip.
Bird-of-the-day goes to the photogenic SPOTTED TOWHEE, with runners-up to the almost as cooperative two species of warblers: PAINTED REDSTART and TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS. Full species list for the day is found below my signature.
Bird-of-the-week goes to the ELEGANT TROGONS seen yesterday, the most uncommon bird of the trip. Runners-up to the 4 hummingbird life birds: COSTA'S, BROAD-BILLED, BROAD-TAILED, & VIOLET-CROWNED. This has to be one of the greatest birding trips on which I have ever been, and I am thoroughly thankful to my parents for this awesome trip! A big shout-out also goes to my aunt and uncle, who drove me to most of the birding places this week!
Stay tuned on this blog, because as well as posting for the travel day tomorrow, there are some big birding events and trips happening this year for me: Oak Park Bird Walks during spring migration (April-May), a trip with my choir, the Voice of Chicago, to the East Coast (late June), a trip with my school's biology club to Costa Rica (early July), and finally my family's annual trip to Idaho (August).
In the meantime, here is the list of life birds that I gained on this trip, 43 in total:
- rare or uncommon species
Gambel's Quail
White-winged Dove
Inca Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Costa's Hummingbird
Broad-billed Hummingbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
- Violet-crowned Hummingbird
- Elegant Trogon
Gila Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
- Arizona Woodpecker
Gilded Flicker
- Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
Vermillion Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Cassin's Kingbird
Gray Flycatcher
Plumbeous Vireo
Hutton's Vireo
Mexican Jay
Chihuahuan Raven
Bridled Titmouse
Juniper Titmouse
Verdin
Bewick's Wren
Northern Mockingbird
- Phainopepla
Lucy's Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Painted Redstart
Canyon Towhee
Abert's Towhee
Rufous-winged Sparrow
Cassin's Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow
- Baird's Sparrow
- Yellow-eyed Junco
- Pyrrhuloxia
Scott's Oriole
Hepatic Tanager
Lesser Goldfinch
Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 751 Species (1 life bird today: Hutton's Vireo)
41 avian species today:
- life bird
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Gray Hawk
Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Magnificent Hummingbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Broad-billed Hummingbird
Acorn Woodpecker
Gila Woodpecker
Gray Flycatcher
Say's Phoebe
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Plumbeous Vireo
- Hutton's Vireo
Steller's Jay
Mexican Jay
Chihuahuan Raven
Common Raven
Juniper Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
European Starling
Phainopepla
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Painted Redstart
Spotted Towhee
Cassin's Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow
Yellow-eyed Junco
House Sparrow
House Finch
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
Henry: I read your IBET post and Arizona trip blog. I believe your butterfly is an Arizona Sister (Adelpha eulalia), although there is also a separate species of Mexico (Adelpha eulalia). http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Adelpha-eulalia
by Christy Schisler