Hi, all!
I'm heading home from southeast Arizona, so stopped at Franklin Mountains SP
for an exercise walk. I asked the ranger which trail was the most level, and
he pointed me to the nature trail, so up we went. The parking area is actually
across the street from the trail, and it was pretty full (well, it is Saturday
after all…), but thankfully no one was headed the same direction I was heading!
But when I got down there, I saw a scope sitting by itself, which I thought
was odd, then noticed a bunch of White-winged Doves – they had put up a bird
blind since I was there last! So I poked my head in and was invited it by the
two guys already in there (John Groves and John Kiseda)! Besides the doves,
they had a hummingbird feeder right in your face practically (they told me a
Black-tailed Rattler acted like it wanted to crawl in and join them :-D), and a
brilliant male Rufous Hummingbird was showing off in all his glory! There was
either a young male or female there as well (had a few red feathers on the
gorget), and a couple of Blackchins, but that Rufous stole the show!
I told the guys I was really supposed to be taking an exercise walk (they said
this was more fun :-)), so I took my leave and headed down the trail. Again,
Cactus Wrens were all over, it seemed, and heard a Canyon Wren from the hill,
along with a Gambel’s Quail, but I didn’t get far, as the trail went down into
a wash and then climbed straight up the other side!! So much for being level…
So I backtracked, then noticed the other end of the loop (they’re apparently
building an educational shelter there, so the other end was partially blocked
by metal beams), so I took that, and just before the second wash a very
cooperative Rock Wren popped up to investigate! That was fun, as I had heard
several in Arizona but didn’t see a one.
I really couldn’t afford to take any more time (although I would have loved
to), so I headed back to the car and went up to the top to use the restroom
before continuing on. Up there a Scaled Quail called, so it was fun to get
both! On the way out heard a Black-throated Sparrow, and logged the road
length as almost two miles. I went ahead and recorded data for EBird; I must
say I’ve gotten rather hooked!
Bird List (which includes the whole drive from Deming to Ozona, not just
Franklin Mnts):
Scaled Quail Callipepla squamata
Gambel's Quail Callipepla gambelii
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
Rock Pigeon Columba livia
Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto
White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
Greater Roadrunner
Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri
Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus
Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus
Chihuahuan Raven Corvus cryptoleucus
Cave Swallow
Rock Wren Salpinctes obsoletus
Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus
Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata
Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
21 SPECIES
So far: Still at 180
Mary Beth Stowe
McAllen, TX
www.miriameaglemon.com
Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at
//www.freelists.org/list/texbirds
Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission
from the List Owner
