Our Yuma stay was extended due to Emma's marathon dental work. Short birding trips by the restored Colorado wetlands were productive. We saw an Orange -crowned Warbler (133) in Yuma.
When we went up the Colorado to the Imperial Wildlife Refuge, we saw a South-Western Willow Flycatcher (134), Ring-necked Duck (135) and Gilded Flicker (136).
The South-West Willow Flycatcher looks like a dull grey bird. However, it is endangered due to loss of its willow habitat. When the Colorado River was extensively dammed, it no longer flooded the lower estuaries and the willow trees started to die. Efforts are being made to re-establish some of the lost habitat.
Willow Flycatcher
The Ring-necked Duck does have a faint brown collar around its neck but you can only see it close up in the right light. However, you can see the ring around its bill from hundreds of yards away. I always wonder why it wasn't named the Ring-billed Duck.
Ring-necked Duck
Gilded Flicker
The Gilded Flicker is the desert cousin to the Northern Flicker we see in Vancouver. This species of Flicker joins the Gila Woodpecker in creating nesting holes in saguaro cacti. Emma and I met birders Dennis and Jo-Anne with their dog Blizzard at our Yuma RV park.
We went birding up the Colorado River to the Imperial Dam and back. Along the way we saw 25 species including: Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (137), Canvasbacks (138) and Red-shafted Flicker (139).
The difference between Gnatcatchers is most noticeable in the tail.The Blue-Grey has far more white in the tail than the Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. Easy to identify in theory except they are usually deep in a thicket bouncing around with their backs toward you.
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
Vermillion Flycatcher - female
Wild Burro - about to eat a plastic bag by the roadside
Gambel's Quail
Altogether Emma and I made three trips to the Mexican dentist in Algodones. It was easy to walk across the border into Mexico. The merchants' bazaar was colorful and the town was packed with visiting American and Canadian tourists with a large number receiving inexpensive medical and dental care.
The whole Mexican town closes down in the late afternoon. If you cross the border into the USA at 2:00 p.m you have an hour wait in line. One day Emma was in the dental chair till 9:00 p.m. The Mexican streets leading back to the border were dark and deserted. The border crossing was also deserted so we breezed across.
Before leaving Yuma we saw a Common Moorhen (140) swimming in weeds along the back of the Colorado.
By the time we hit the road it was late afternoon and we drove to the small town of Gila Bend.
February 3
We drove south toward Ajo and stopped at the visitors centre to Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife refuge. A Curve-billed Thrasher (141) was scurrying about among the Cacti and Palo Verde trees as we strolled around the short nature trail.
Curve-billed Thrasher
Sonoran Desert
Saguaro cacti became much more numerous as we drove south. In the late afternoon, we arrived at a great campground at Organ Pipe Cactus National Park. There were Organ Pipe and Saguaro Cactus everywhere.
Organ Pipe Cactus
Saguaro Cactus
Cactus Wrens and Gila Woodpeckers were present in significant numbers.
Cactus Wren in a Teddy Bear Cholla
Gila Woodpecker makes holes in Cacti to the benefit of many birds
February 4
Sunrise over the desert is a sight to see so we got up early and watched the sun as it rose over the Ajo Mountains. Organ Pipe and Saguaro Cactii framed the mountains as the sun climbed above the horizon.
We spent the day exploring the walking trails around the campground and enjoyed the flora and fauna of this unique setting. there were many house Finches, Phainopepla, Ravens, Black-throated Sparrows and Desert Cottontails.
Say's Phoebe
Phainopepla
House Finch
Raven
Black-throated Sparrow
Desert Cottontail
At the nearby visitors' centre, we saw a male Costa's Hummingbird (142) and an American Robin beside the artificial pond.
Costa's Hummingbird
The visitors' centre had extensive information about the historic Tohono O'odham or Desert People and their inter-relationship with the flora and fauna. This park is the northern limit of the Organ Pipe Cactus. Its range is limited by the ability of the Lesser Long-Nosed Bats to pollinate its flowers. No bats means no cacti.
Organ Pipe Cactus minus flowers and bats
The bats migrate north in the spring and nightly drink the nectar of the Organ Pipe Cacti flowers.
The flowers only bloom at night and last 24 hours. The bats are essential and they need a migratory route of blooming cacti in Mexico leading up to the USA.
February 5
Another beautiful sunrise and early morning of birding. Emma is really getting into it.
Now that she is slowed down by pain killers and post-surgery lethargy, she is able to stroll along the desert trails and pause to let the birds reveal themselves. She again spotted a new lifer bird for me - Brewer's Sparrow (143). (Note from Emma, I kept telling him to not get too used to this temporary mellowness, as my need for speed will soon return, and it did).
Brewer's Sparrow -You are definitely becoming a birder when you like the LBBs (little brown birds)
We packed up and went toward Tucson. We drove through the Tohono O'odham reservation and saw a Crested Caracara (144) soaring above the highway. The Organ Pipe Cacti disappeared but the Saguaro Cacti continued in large numbers. Despite the season, many wild flowers were blooming in the desert as we drove along on this sunny warm winter.
We stopped at the Desert Trails RV Park on the western outskirts of Tucson.
February 6
We stayed at the RV Park and did trips to the Saguaro National Park. This National Park is divided into a West and East sections on either side of Tucson. We visited the west section first.
The Tucson Desert Museum is a must see attraction just before the entrance to the National Park. This museum features only the local flora and fauna that you can see in the deserts around Tucson. It could be considered a blended zoo and arboretum and is world class in how it is presented.
In addition to the resident animals, we saw a male Cardinal (145).
If only it was this easy to photograph wild animals .... but then there would be no challenge. There would also be a lot fewer photographers. We were three feet away from this Mountain Lion - with a thick pane of glass between us! The Lion gazed at us longingly, like we would make a tasty lunch.
Northern Cardinal -Emma has created a new category of Birds - 80's Birds - because they look like they should be listening to Depeche Mode, wearing black leather and stocking up on hair gel. The Cardinal and Phainopepla are the stars of this group.
There were several interactive and informative displays at the museum.
Emma tries out some bat ears. They looked good but they were a bit heavy.
The Saguaro National Park (west) visitors centre was enjoyable as was the talk by one of the rangers.
Saguaro Cactus National Park Visitors Centre
We continued up the road to take the one-mile nature walk. We spotted Mule Deer and a Canyon Towhee (146).
Canyon Towhee
February 7
We drove through the western section and across Tucson to the eastern section of Saguaro National Park. This was a much longer trip than expected as urban sprawl is alive and well in Tuscon. Few buses, few bikes and even, few sidewalks.
Cactus Wren
The east section of the park leads up a mountainside and into wilder and more temperate growing conditions. As Emma was still on the mend we restricted our outing to a walk around the visitors centre.
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