Arizona - From Social to Solo

May 17 

Up before the sun. We packed up camp and walked around in search of Red-faced Warbler - we were on a huge time crunch as Charlie had a flight out of Tucson he needed to make before noon. We had about an hour to bird in addition to making our way down off the mountain and back to Portal. After about 30 minutes of looking, we started piling into the SUV, having run out of time. Literally as most of us were in the vehicle, one lone Red-faced Warbler perched in the tree above us. No way! Epic timing at its finest. We piled out, spent a few minutes with the bird, and then moved on. 

Further down the mountain, a squeaky Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher was perched on a branch at eye level on the side of the road. Another quick five minute stop, and Charlie and I had bagged another year bird, with just minutes of extra time to spare for he and Alex to make sure to get on the road to Tucson in time to make the flight. 

Back in Portal, after Charlie and Alex left for the airport, a Blue-throated Mountain-gem was coming to a feeder. I relaxed for the afternoon, completed some Swarovski paperwork, and slept soundly that night. 

Year List: 603 

May 18

After a laid back morning, Raymond and I went birding in the Chiricahuas in search of Mexican Chickadee. I'd basically only heard this bird previously, with incredibly distant views, so it was a real treat when one came down out of the treetops and landed in a bush nearby. 

And then there was one. In the afternoon, I parted ways with Raymond and started on my own solo adventures to cleanup birds still missing from my year list. Back to the Huachucas I went! First stop was for Montezuma Quail at a private residence near the base of Miller Canyon Road. I  waited in the car for about 45 minutes until a pair of tiny quail wandered across the road and into the yard. They buried themselves deeply in the long grass, but I  was able to get an identifiable digiscope shot of the male. Chris, the homeowner, walked around through his neighbor's yard to meet me to ensure I'd seen the bird. 
Later, I  found both an email and an Instagram message from Mari, who I had met the day before and spoken with and given my card to. They had both been trying desperately to make sure I was seeing the bird that was in their yard! Big Years really do take a village, and I'm feeling the love of the dozens and dozens of people who have reached out to try to help me find birds throughout these last few months! 

Having just spent more time with other humans than I had since prior to covid, the loneliness of solo traveling and birding felt overwhelming. I cried as I left Portal, and cried throughout my two hour drive to the Huachucas. It was so difficult to leave after so many amazing experiences the last few days. My social needs have definitely not been met over the last year. 

I camped nearby in the Miller Canyon parking lot. Soup for dinner, along with the last bit of wine from the California Gulch trip. I crawled into my sleeping bag shortly after sunset and slept for a solid nine hours. 

Year List: 605 

May 19

Having gotten my intended target for the morning - Montezuma Quail - last night instead, I headed to look for the Common Black Hawk that had been seen near Casa de San Pedro. I walked the trail along the creek at San Pedro House and just up the river a ways as well. Then, I tried for Rufous-winged Sparrow at San Pedro House. There was road construction with a fifteen minute wait in either direction on the way to and from. Ugh. It was a morning of dips. Streaks of luck followed by streaks of dips. Par for the course I  suppose. 

I then made the drive over to Florida Canyon, in the Santa Ritas, to try for Black-capped Gnatcatcher. It was hot as heck, I was tired, and Black-capped Gnatcatchers are hard, on a good year. This year, the drought has seemed to have been very difficult for the many species that just barely make it into the United States, including the gnatcatcher. 

I first went the wrong direction on the trail - heading up and up the left side of the creek, and thinking I   didn't remember it being this long of a walk to the water tanks. Finally realizing my mistake, I  backtracked and found my way across the dry creek bed, to the narrow trail on the other side. I walked the short distance to the tanks, and spent a good amount of time around them, finding a few Blue-gray Gnatcatchers but not much else. I wandered down the trail towards the parking lot, past the iron trail gate, having mostly given up. To my surprise, the wooded area not far from the trailhead was pretty birdy! I  near instantly realized the quiet chips of the Black-capped Gnatcatcher, which gave me good but fleeting looks before disappearing into a more distant part of the canopy. It was a good enough look to tell it was female, and that the tail feathers were very obviously graduated. 

I'd intended to stay in Florida Canyon that night (disperse camping at the spot I felt too vulnerable to camp at in February), but earlier in the day, a report of a Rufous-capped Warbler in the Huachucas came in, so back to camping in the Miller Canyon parking lot I went. 

Awful. I don't even have words beyond that. The wind was silent as I was erecting my tent in exactly the same place I'd slept the night before. As the sun set, the wind picked up a bit, and by 10 pm, the wind was howling down the mountainside, across the parking lot, and straight under the three inch gap under my wind fly. I  felt some fine debris fall from the ceiling, figuring the wind had probably knocked off whatever dirt I'd accidentally packed in my tent the My tent was near-collapsing on occasion. I'm not sure how I slept, but eventually became so tired that I was able to do so. I awoke before dawn with a horrendous sore throat, my sleeping bag and my tent covered in a fine layer of parking lot dust. 

Year List: 606 

May 20  

I got up before sunrise and began the two mile one way trek up the mountain to the spot where a Rufous-capped Warbler had been seen the day before, reported as "continuing" (though I couldn't find information on earlier reports, and a request on the Arizona Birding page turned up no additional information, either). The location seemed pretty clear: Hike 3.2 km up the Miller Canyon Trail to where it intersects with the Holenstein Mine Trail. I hiked the 3.2 km (finding a male Hermit Warbler along the way!), and came to a trail intersection - one marked and one unmarked. There was nothing about a mine trail. No cell reception to be able to check, either. wandered up about 1/4 mile, back down, and spent more more than three hours in that area. As I descended the mountain a bit, I  received cell reception, and had a message from Arizona birder Steve, that they are often around the "split rock" area, a bit downslope from where I was. Hours later, it was confirmed that I had indeed been in the right place, and that the Holenstein Mine Trail was unmarked. Despite spending a good bit more time in the area, I was unable to locate a Rufous-capped Warbler. 

On the way down, I ran into a birding couple I had met in High Island last month. Bettina and Bob were making their way up the trail as I was heading down. They'd been following my year and we were shocked to happen upon one another! We chatted a bit, and they invited me to spend a night in the guest bedroom at their place. I thanked them but declined, as it wasn't going to work out with my travel logistics, but told them a shower would certainly be amazing. I headed to a nearby coffee shop, did some computer work, and waited for them to finish their birding before heading over to their place just at the base of Hunter Canyon. 

I walked in their house with a pile of dirty clothes (they'd also invited me to do laundry, which I graciously accepted), and heard Bob say excitedly "I found an extinction!" These folk are my people. They were getting started on a 1000 piece evolution puzzle. We talked birds until my laundry was finished, and I hugged them goodbye, heading towards Madera for the night. 

Year List: 607