BIRDING IN A NOT SO FAR LAND

Elegant Trogan

I realize that I have been slow in getting blogs out, and some of you have "complained". It has not been an easy winter, due to complications after my knee surgery in the fall.  But hope is on the horizon and I tomorrow I fly south to find some unusual (and for me) rare birds. Our Oblates who took me to Texas last February for migration, are taking me this time to SE Arizona, and while I have birded in AZ more than a few times, I have never been to the areas to which we are traveling.

First we trek (out of Tucson) to the remote Madera Canyon where we hope to see the gray hawk, which eluded us in Texas. Our guide there is the "Desert Harrier". We also hope to find some warblers, owls and orioles.  From there we go to Ramsey Canyon  and have one of the best guides in the SE area to help us find owls, warblers, flycatchers, hummingbirds and other species.  Then on to Portal  where we will bird in the Chiricahua mountains  looking for many species, especially the famed elegant trogan. Lastly, on the return we have one day in the Buenos Aires Wildlfie Refuge where we hope to pick up any species which we missed along the way.

White-eared Hummingbird

Because we will be in some remote canyons and high mountains, I am not sure what access to "modern" communication will be, so you may not hear from me till Palm Sunday.  I will then report of my finds after Easter.  Today the 4-H birders and I saw the first swallow and many Anna's Hummingbirds.  Spring is truly here!

Lucifer Hummingbird