Species List

Stuart Healy Journal - August, 1999 If you use the contents of my journal for commercial purposes, please acknowledge the source to your clients - thanks.

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This log is in chronological order and the most recent entries are at the bottom of the page.
The last update was on Tuesday, August 31, 1999

Sunday, August 1, 1999
After an unexpected day off due to finding birds in two days instead of a scheduled 3, I was back at it again today with John Getgood of Virginia Beach, VA. John began the day with 596 ABA area birds so our goal was to find at least 4.

Another 4:00am start for California Gulch paid off on the Ruby Rd with a very cooperative and well seen MONTEZUMA QUAIL. I spotted the bird at the side of the road ahead of me and gently came to a halt right next to it. The bird, a handsome male, stayed put and looked at us for almost a minute as we admired him from about 10 feet away. No binoculars necessary! A SCOTT'S ORIOLE sang nearby as we watched. Eventually, the quail just continued feeding in the grass at the side of the road and we drove off and left him in peace. Everybody wins.

FIVE-STRIPED SPARROWS were easy to find and we didn't even have to enter the gulch proper to see them. Great 'scope looks at a perched up and singing bird from close range. Also easy to see were NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET and VARIED BUNTING. Only a few of the regulars were seen (since we didn't enter the main gulch) including COOPER'S HAWK, BLACK PHOEBE, VERMILION FLYCATCHER, BELL'S VIREO, LUCY'S WARBLER and BLUE GROSBEAK. I was also pleased add a new bird to my CA Gulch list, a VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD.

Two down and two to go. To avoid an evening owling session (not so attractive when you have a 4:00am start), we stopped by the Paton's yard to look for "Winky" as Marion Paton calls it. I wasn't hopeful at 10:15am on a cloudy and fairly cool morning, however, a sleepy juvenile looking WESTERN SCREECH-OWL was sitting in its regular spot. Good deal! We didn't stay long but did see 4 species of hummers including VIOLET-CROWNED, and a BRONZED COWBIRD.

Next stop was  Beatty's B&B in Miller Canyon where we spent from 11:30-2:00pm. After watching both upper and lower feeding stations we had still "only" seen BLUE-THROATED, MAGNIFICENT, BLACK-CHINNED, ANNA'S, BROAD-TAILED, RUFOUS and numerous RUFOUS/ALLEN'S (no clear Allen's today). The BirdTreks group reported both female White-eared and Berylline from the cabin so we spent some time there. Although we had two visits from a female WHITE-EARED (John's #600), we only saw the Beryllinesque hybrid Mag. As I mentioned last week in my notes for July 29, it's easy to incorrectly id this bird as a Berylline. However, they may indeed have seen the real thing. Other birds were few in the middle of the day but a large flock of BAND-TAILED PIGEONS were certainly of note.

Monday, August 2, 1999
Day 1 with Will Walker and Chris Schillig from Prairie Village, KS. Another 4:00am start for California Gulch on a much warmer day than of late. After 4 days without any significant rain the temperature in the gulch was already not to my liking when we arrived a little after 7:00am. The going was tough for the early part of the morning but we ended up finding our 5 target birds.

As we walked into the gulch, not a single Five-striped was singing. Simply amazing after all the song of recent visits. To make matters worse, we had missed Montezuma Quail on the way in. At this point I was worried that it was going to be "one of those days". Our first success came with excellent views of several singing VARIED BUNTINGS. We almost added a bonus bird when we heard a BLACK-CAPPED GNATCATCHER call briefly, three times. The bird was near the 6th stream crossing (measured from the north) about halfway up the west slope. Unfortunately, we could not track it down. From this location the bird would only have to move a couple of hundred yards over the ridge and it would be out of the gulch completely, and into the next gulch to the west. This perhaps explains why it has not been relocated.

After walking all the way to the 1st stream crossing before locating a cooperative FIVE-STRIPED SPARROW, singing and dancing on the rocks, we then found 6 more (3 seen, 3 heard) for a total of 7 as we walked back south. Two were even courting on the road just a few feet in front of us. Arghhhh. On the way back to the Ruby Rd. we worked the oak slopes for quail without any success. Other birds in the gulch today included AMERICAN KESTREL (not often seen here), NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET, YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO (rare here), HUTTON'S VIREO, LUCY'S WARBLER, BLUE GROSBEAK and HOODED ORIOLE.

Although it was now pretty warm and a little humid, we paused in suitable habitat on the Ruby Rd. to look for quail. We split up and fairly soon I located a pair of MONTEZUMA QUAIL, on a slope between the road and a wash. By the time Will and Chris got to the location the birds had already skedaddled. I relocated the female that promptly flushed across a wash and, unfortunately, only Chris and I got to see it. A bird for tomorrow!

After a quick lunch break in Nogales we arrived at the Roadside Rest around 12:45pm. Despite the time of day, THICK-BILLED KINGBIRDS were their usual noisy selves and very easy to find. However, at the ROSE-THROATED BECARD nest all was quiet so we started our vigil. We had been there about 25 minutes and I had just mentioned the possibility that the bird could be in the nest and out she flew! About 15 minutes later the bird returned with nesting material, and posed near the nest for about a minute before entering. A good end to our morning.

We did not fare so well during our evening session at Beatty's B&B in Miller Canyon. Monsoon clouds built steadily and we were eventually rained out without seeing our target Berylline. The hybrid Mag "thing", let's call him Mr. Weird, did make several appearances and was called a Berylline by a couple of parties. Just as the time was right for the Berylline to put in an appearance (based on recent sightings, including my own),  the heavens opened and we decided to leave. All the regular common hummers were seen.

Tuesday, August 3, 1999
Out again today with Will Walker and Chris Schillig from Prairie Village, KS. Our primary target bird was Montezuma Quail, not seen well yesterday. Although I see them regularly in several of the canyons in the Huachucas, most sightings there are serendipitous and accidental. Consequently, I decided that a return to the Ruby Rd would offer our best chance of success. Unfortunately, this meant another 4:00am start, my third in a row!

The area near Sycamore Canyon is excellent for Montezuma Quail and that's where we headed. As soon as we arrived and were all "indisposed", I heard one calling a couple of hundred yards away. We headed towards the sound and Will soon spotted a beautiful male MONTEZUMA QUAIL sitting atop a large boulder. We were able to get great 'scope views of the bird from a safe distance as he looked at us and constantly called. After about 10 minutes the bird suddenly decided that he needed to be elsewhere and flew very directly into the trees. BAND-TAILED PIGEONS, YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO and EASTERN BLUEBIRDS were also present.

A good start to our morning and it was only 6:40am. However, here's where the rot sets in. After a slog through Tucson we began our efforts in Aravaipa Canyon at 9:30am. Even at this time the temperature was already a million degrees. After a fruitless search for Black-Hawk, we left at noon. Among the 23 regular species recorded were GILDED FLICKER, BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER, BLACK-TAILED GNATCATCHER, BELL'S VIREO, PURPLE MARTIN and HOODED ORIOLE.

In the evening we arrived at Beatty's B&B in Miller Canyon to find 5 tour vans in the parking lot. Although the Berylline Hummingbird has been regular over the past few nights, I feared the worst. Sure enough, our 2 1/2 hour vigil at its regular haunt was fruitless, the bird was a no-show. With its brief and infrequent appearances this bird gives the impression of shyness (compared to all the other brazen hummers) and that was certainly borne out tonight. "Mr. Weird" and all the regular common hummers were present.

Wednesday, August 4, 1999
An unexpected day off after finishing a day early with Will and Chris. I made only a brief visit to Sierra Vista sewage ponds where 7 ROCK DOVES were the highlight (seriously). I recorded only 18 species in mid-afternoon including GREEN-WINGED TEAL, SWAINSON'S HAWK, 1-SPOTTED SANDPIPER, at least 4 SORAS calling in the marsh, 6+ BANK SWALLOWS and a few YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS. Still no Lazuli Buntings.

Thursday, August 5, 1999
Out today with Anna and Leonard Helton of Los Altos, CA and Nancy McMahon of Salinas, CA. Yet another 4:00am start for my 11th daytime trip of the season and my 3rd trip of the week to California Gulch. The rain that began last evening persisted throughout much of the night in Sierra Vista making for a nice cool start. The cloud cover continued as we headed west and the gulch was overcast and cool when we started looking for the FIVE-STRIPED SPARROW at 7:15am. No doubt due to the conditions, the birds were not singing initially and it took a little time and patience before we finally got 'scope looks. I saw and heard only 4 birds today.

Since we had to stay in the gulch a little longer than usual I was able to record 42 species, about 10 more than of late. The usual NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULETS called occasionally and numerous VARIED BUNTINGS were in full voice. A fall migrant WESTERN TANAGER was present along with COMMON NIGHTHAWK and WHITE-THROATED SWIFT, the latter two representing my first and second gulch records respectively. Unfortunately, the only Gnatcatcher that I heard today was a BLACK-TAILED.

After returning my clients to Nogales, I made a stop at Patagonia Lake on the way home. This was more to check out conditions for later in the week than it was for birding, and I recorded only 30 species from 12:15-1:30pm. As I feared, the trail at the east end of the lake is still very muddy and heavily waterlogged at the far end. Singing strongly even at midday were BELL'S VIREO, BLUE GROSBEAK, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT and BLACK-THROATED, BOTTERI'S and CASSIN'S SPARROWS. The only waterbirds of note were NEOTROPIC CORMORANT and GREAT EGRET. Also present were several calling TYRANNULETS and a silent but easily seen YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO.

I made a quick check of Sierra Vista sewage ponds seeing most of the same species as yesterday plus PIED-BILLED GREBE, CINNAMON TEAL and TREE SWALLOW. PBGs have become rare at the ponds and are now seen only occasionally as migrants.

Friday, August 6, 1999
The first of 4 days working with Vaughan Ashby and his Birdfinders tour group from England. Next month I'll be working with Birdfinders again, this time in California for a couple of weeks. A change is as good as a rest so they say, but for now it's back to reality with a 3:00am start to meet the group in Nogales for another trip to California Gulch, my 4th this week. Livin' la vida loca.

Our earlier start was designed to pickup a Poorwill and I'm happy to say that the plan worked when we saw 3-COMMON POORWILLS on the Ruby Rd, one of which stayed put for everyone to see. I'm glad my 2:30am wake up was not in vain. Also on the Ruby Rd we had close looks at a GREAT HORNED OWL that had pounced on prey at the side of the road. The bird seemed to look at us with disdain as we stopped to admire him and it eventually walked up the slope away from us. The group had already seen Montezuma Quail so we only made a token effort and were rewarded with a look at a singing SCOTT'S ORIOLE instead.

Our trip to CA Gulch last year was quite eventful with a flat tire on one of the vans. Only one van this year and thankfully, we managed to get in and out without a problem. We soon found a very cooperative singing FIVE-STRIPED SPARROW and had the usual 'scope looks without the difficulty of the last couple of trips. Several others were singing throughout the gulch as we continued birding. The most difficult birds today were VARIED BUNTING (numerous and singing but tough to see) and NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET. A total of 43 species in the gulch including a few signs of the season with a GRAY HAWK (only my 2nd record here), a female HEPATIC TANAGER (perhaps on the move already, I have a handful of other records here), and a small group of  WESTERN TANAGERS.

Although we did see both target species, our visit to the Roadside Rest from 2:00-4:30pm was less than satisfying. As usual, THICK-BILLED KINGBIRDS were very obliging and easy to see (and hear!). However, the female ROSE-THROATED BECARD was most definitely not obliging. She made 4 visits to the nest, alternately spending from 15-30 minutes inside and 15-30 minutes elsewhere. When leaving the nest the bird flew directly away without a pause. When she returned with nesting material, we were able to get only 10-30 second views as the bird perched near the nest. Other species included calling GRAY HAWK, BLACK VULTURE, VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD (I thought that the birds had fledged but there are at least two still in the nest), calling N. BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET and WESTERN TANAGER.

Our final stop of the day was at Paton's where VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD seemed to be permanently at the feeders.

Saturday, August 7, 1999
Day 2 with Birdfinders. We started in the grassland along the approach to Patagonia Lake state park and were successful in seeing our target CASSIN'S SPARROW. Several birds were singing and skylarking from mesquite to mesquite and we were able to get some 'scope looks between flights. Other birds here included ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, BLACK-THROATED, RUFOUS-CROWNED and BOTTERI'S SPARROWS, BLUE GROSBEAK and LILIAN'S MEADOWLARK.

In the state park proper, conditions on the east trail continue very muddy and waterlogged and birding was difficult. We spent much of our time tracking down many YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS. Although these birds call almost constantly and are very close to the observer, it's simply amazing how elusive they can be. Excellent brief glimpses were had by all! During this fiasco we recorded a total of 35 species including PIED-BILLED GREBE, NEOTROPIC CORMORANT, GREAT EGRET, BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK, CINNAMON TEAL, COMMON GROUND-DOVE, VERMILION and DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHERS, BELL'S VIREO, CARDINAL, PYRRHULOXIA and BULLOCK'S ORIOLE.

After breakfast, our stop at the Roadside Rest this time yielded excellent looks at a perched female ROSE-THROATED BECARD. The bird's behavior was exactly the opposite of yesterday. We observed the bird fly directly into the nest without pausing, something not seen on 3 or 4 nest entries yesterday when she paused each time before entering. After 40 minutes in the nest, the bird emerged and perched next to the nest for about one minute. Yesterday's exits were all direct flights away from the nest. Go figure. We didn't pay attention to much else in the area, but calling were YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, N. BEARDLESS TYRANNULET, and THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD, with a few others seen including BLACK VULTURE and VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD.

In Sierra Vista we stopped at the sewage ponds hoping to see one of the plentiful SORAS, but we only heard them. Present in and around the marsh ponds was a single GREEN-WINGED and several CINNAMON TEAL, many CLIFF, and a few BANK and TREE SWALLOWS, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT and a few YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS. On Pond #4 (the first barren pond that you come to on the way in) we found 2-SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, 13-WILSON'S PHALAROPES and 1-BLACK TERN.

Our visit to Beatty's B&B in Miller Canyon from mid-afternoon to early evening was very productive for hummers, and we saw WHITE-EARED, BLUE-THROATED, MAGNIFICENT, BLACK-CHINNED, ANNA'S, BROAD-TAILED, RUFOUS and many RUFOUS/ALLEN'S. We spent about 1 hour looking unsuccessfully for the current Lucifer which may or may not be the same bird that was here recently. Other birds included a female PEREGRINE FALCON, that came towards us at great speed out of the mountains and then soared over the property, and a few BAND-TAILED PIGEONS.

We spent most of our time at the upper feeders looking in vain for Berylline Hummingbird. We saw the "obvious" Mag sized hybrid that I have seen and mentioned many times. We also saw a bird that I'm sure many (including me) have called a Berylline. This bird is the correct size and could easily be passed off as a full Berylline when not examined closely. However, there are four characters that are "wrong" and indicate to me that the bird is a probable hybrid.

Head and throat color.
Depending on viewing conditions, appears to be either a uniform emerald green or a uniform blue.
Back color.
Shows some "Berylline" brown on the wings and tail, but turns into a bronze color and extends a long way up the back.
Bill.
Even when observed with a 'scope, there is absolutely no sign of red on the basal portion.
Post-ocular spots.
Two small but well defined spots, generally not visible at normal viewing range with binoculars, are visible when observed with a 'scope.

Any one, or even two, of these characters could perhaps be ignored, but taking all four into account, I don't think this bird can be considered a pure Berylline. If anyone can provide evidence that the characters described do not exclude a pure Berylline, I (and I'm sure many others who have ticked it) would be happy to hear it.

The bottom line is that in addition to the large and obvious hybrid, I now believe there are two other "Beryllines" present -- the above described likely hybrid plus a genuine Berylline that shows up much less frequently. At least twice in recent weeks (when I paid attention) I have seen a bird that does have red on the bill (easily observable with binoculars). The message is clear, pay attention to detail.

Our evening concluded very successfully with an owling session that quickly produced ELF OWL. However, we had to work long and hard before seeing a couple of WHISKERED SCREECH-OWLS. There were plenty of them around, probably several recently fledged family groups, but boy were they elusive!

Sunday, August 8, 1999
Day 3 with Birdfinders. We began in Garden Canyon grasslands where our target GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was perched up and singing at the exact spot that we parked. Another lucky guess, anyone would think that I've done this before. Soon they'll stop singing, then it gets tough! Other species here were RED-TAILED HAWK, KESTREL, ROADRUNNER, CACTUS WREN, many VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, BOTTERI'S and CASSIN'S SPARROWS, CANYON TOWHEE and LILIAN'S MEADOWLARK.

We struggled in Sawmill Canyon from 7:00-9:30am and didn't see a single warbler species! Even Strickland's Woodpecker that I normally see 50% of the time, whether I'm looking or not, went unseen today. We did find a few target species among the 20 that we recorded which included ELEGANT TROGON, GREATER PEWEE, BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER, HUTTON'S and PLUMBEOUS VIREOS, PYGMY NUTHATCH and HEPATIC TANAGER.

We had to work hard in Scheelite Canyon before locating a well hidden SPOTTED OWL, the first time that I haven't seen two birds roosting together in the last five visits. Among the 18 species that we saw in the canyon today were STRICKLAND'S WOODPECKER, WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, BROWN CREEPER, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, VIRGINIA'S, BLACK-THROATED GRAY and RED-FACED WARBLERS, PAINTED REDSTART and HEPATIC TANAGER. My favorite Red-faced Warblers were seen well by everybody but, unfortunately, only a couple of participants got a brief look at Strickland's.

In the afternoon we headed up to Carr Canyon to strike out on Strickland's again after much effort. Birds here included HAIRY WOODPECKER, GREATER PEWEE, BUFF-BREASTED and SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS, PYGMY NUTHATCH, PLUMBEOUS VIREO and GRACE'S WARBLER.

After much driving around, our evening concluded successfully on Moson Road just before the rain began, when we saw a beautiful SWAINSON'S HAWK soaring over our heads at close range.

Monday, August 9, 1999
Day 4 with Birdfinders. Still being without Strickland's, we started early in Garden Canyon and worked our way from the lower to upper picnic areas. I toyed with the idea of returning to Sawmill but that road is so bad! Unfortunately, we struck out yet again on the woodpecker. An interesting bird near the lower picnic area was a calling YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO that we couldn't track down (quite rare in the Huachucas and presumably already on the move). Always a good bird, an adult GOLDEN EAGLE soared over the upper picnic area. Other species included COOPER'S HAWK, BAND-TAILED PIGEON, ELEGANT TROGON,  BUFF-BREASTED, DUSKY-CAPPED and SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS.

A mid-morning visit to Beatty's B&B in Miller Canyon was rewarded by killer looks at LUCIFER HUMMINGBIRD after waiting at the feeders for about an hour. This bird has a very full gorget and is not the same individual that was here a few weeks ago. After seeing the hummer we traipsed up the canyon in the heat of the day for another unsuccessful Strickland's search. The only bird of note here was BAND-TAILED PIGEON -- many of them were sitting in the trees.    

A mid-afternoon visit to Sierra Vista sewage ponds this time resulted in excellent looks at SORA, walking along the edge of the marsh. Several BANK SWALLOWS continue. Also present were SPOTTED and LEAST SANDPIPERS and a handful of WILSON'S PHALAROPES.

We quickly abandoned our visit to the San Pedro River where the water was running high and muddy. It was hot and humid and the river bank was very muddy and slippery, definitely not good conditions to be birding in. Instead, we headed back to Sawmill Canyon where we spent an hour looking for STRICKLAND'S WOODPECKER before the rain began. Although we did find one at the very top of a pine, it was horribly backlit and hardly a life view for the participants. On a personal note, the highlight here was a small flock of "peenting" COMMON NIGHTHAWKS that flew overhead, Sawmill bird #110 for me. There were approximately 10 birds heading south, presumably migrating.

Our evening concluded at Sierra Vista sewage ponds where we had brief looks at a couple of LESSER NIGHTHAWKS. Normally, many birds are present working the fields at this location. No doubt the weather played a part as the worst storm for a week or so converged on the area. [For those of you that look at my bar-graph data at the sewage ponds, I do not record night sightings of Lesser Nighthawk because it would skew the data.] A spectacular lightning display was soon followed by very heavy rain and we had to abandon our plans to go owling for Western Screech. 

Tuesday, August 10, 1999
Out this morning with Ann Bishop and Penny Potter from Austin, TX. A 5:30am start put us in Garden Canyon grasslands under cool and cloudy skies. As I suspected, bird activity was low in the very damp conditions after last night's heavy rain. However, the swirling clouds and sunbreaks against the backdrop of the Huachucas made for some spectacular scenic views. We worked on sparrows and eventually had 'scope looks (in increasing order of difficulty) of BOTTERI'S, GRASSHOPPER and CASSIN'S SPARROWS, all singing. Other birds in the grassland included SCALED and (calling ) MONTEZUMA QUAIL, a wirespan full of VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS, RUFOUS-CROWNED and LARK SPARROWS, PYRRHULOXIA, BLUE GROSBEAK and LILIAN'S MEADOWLARK.

A brief stop at the upper picnic area yielded a couple of juvenile COOPER'S HAWKS and little else, so we continued on to Sawmill Canyon. Look up quiet in the dictionary and there's a picture of Sawmill dated 8/10/99. The damp canyon had a nice feel to it though, and we did find both our main targets in GREATER PEWEE and BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER, so it wasn't all bad. Other species included a calling ELEGANT TROGON, a small group of recently fledged HOUSE WRENS and a couple of GRACE'S. WARBLERS.

In Scheelite Canyon there was running water for the first time in quite a while. I did not find an owl in the lower area and decided that the slippery conditions in the upper area were too dangerous, so we didn't continue on. Even without being able to see the owls, we were still rewarded with ELEGANT TROGON, STRICKLAND'S WOODPECKER, CORDILLERAN FLYCATCHER and several very close RED-FACED WARBLERS among the 21 species in the canyon. After spending many hours looking unsuccessfully for Strickland's with Birdfinders over the past few days, I just knew we would see one today because we weren't looking for it!

As the rain threatened we made a brief visit to Sierra Vista sewage ponds to look at swallows before calling it a day. The swallows normally perch in the marsh during rain (and they were), but today was even better as they festooned the fences and fed on the ground near the observation area. Excellent looks at CLIFF, TREE and BANK SWALLOWS.

Wednesday, August 11, 1999
A hot and muggy mid-afternoon visit to Sierra Vista sewage ponds yielded a typical list for this time of year -- 1-Ruddy Duck, Mallard, 6-Cinnamon Teal, Turkey Vulture, Sora (1 seen, others heard), American Coot, 1-Spotted Sandpiper, 2-Wilson's Phalaropes, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Say's Phoebe, Western Kingbird, Chihuahuan Raven, 1-Northern Rough-winged Swallow, 6-Bank Swallows, Barn Swallow, scads of Cliff Swallows, House Finch, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-headed and Red-winged Blackbirds and Eastern Meadowlark.

Thursday, August 12, 1999
Day 1 of 2 days with Bill Krueger of Plattsburgh, NY who I've birded with once before. We have 22 potential species (including vagrants), only 13 of which are targetable and likely at this time of year, and I expect that we'll find at least 11 of them.

Déjā vu all over again with another 4:00am start for California Gulch. At least three LESSER NIGHTHAWKS were on the blacktop shortly after turning on to the Ruby Road still in darkness. Our first target, a MONTEZUMA QUAIL, also came on the Ruby Road when we slowed to look intently at a location where I have been seeing them regularly. I mentioned to Bill about their tendency to perch up on rocks and very soon afterwards he spotted a male on a rock down a wash. Other birds in the area included EASTERN BLUEBIRD and SCOTT'S ORIOLE. A surprise bird along the Ruby Road was a GILDED FLICKER, my first here.

We were in and out of the gulch in about the minimum time possible, immediately seeing our target FIVE-STRIPED SPARROW and VARIED BUNTING, both perched up and singing with the latter quite numerous. It was already quite warm so this wasn't entirely a bad thing! Not much time to look at other birds, however, I recorded a total of 27 in the gulch including ZONE-TAILED HAWK, NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET and my first GRAY FLYCATCHER of the fall season.

Amazingly, our quick success rate continued at the Roadside Rest. When we arrived at 10:20am, the female ROSE-THROATED BECARD was preening, perched near the nest, and we had to commit the cardinal sin of walking away. When I think of all the hours spent with Birdfinders just a few days ago to see this bird, I'm reminded of just how finite life is. THICK-BILLED KINGBIRDS were as noisy and visible as ever.

Arriving back in Sierra Vista a little before noon, we finally pushed our luck a little too far. I tried to add one more bird before we took a siesta by looking for Buff-breasted Flycatcher at the upper picnic area in Garden Canyon, but we struck out in the heat of the day. After another brief stop here when we resumed in the late afternoon, we bit the bullet and headed to Sawmill Canyon where we immediately found a very colorful BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER.

Next on the agenda was a trip up Scheelite Canyon on one of those rare occasions when I'm not looking for Spotted Owl. I expected to have to go at least 1/2 mile for our target RED-FACED WARBLER, but we found a friendly individual just above 3/8. We saw very little of note during this quick trip except SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHER.

Our final target bird of the day was SCALED QUAIL in the lower grassland, which we soon heard calling and eventually tracked down. Among the other birds here were numerous singing BOTTERI'S and a few CASSIN'S SPARROWS.

Things went our way as we looked for 7 birds today (Scaled and Montezuma Quail, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Rose-throated Becard, Red-faced Warbler, Five-striped Sparrow and Varied Bunting), and we saw them all without much effort. One of those days (in a good sense!) when everything went right. I know I will have to pay for this with an opposite kind of day, although perhaps I did so recently with the Birdfinders group. Sorry guys!

Friday, August 13, 1999
Out again today with Bill Krueger of Plattsburgh, NY. Leaving town, a COMMON POORWILL flew up from the blacktop on the Charleston Road. We began on the Pinery Canyon Road at 6:40am and worked our way from the grassland to Onion Saddle in about an hour. Initially we drove slowly and listened, and it didn't take long to locate our target MEXICAN CHICKADEE. The birds were fairly low down the canyon in a very active, mixed species flock containing BRIDLED TITMOUSE, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, PLUMBEOUS and HUTTON'S VIREOS, BLACK-THROATED GRAY, GRACE'S and RED-FACED WARBLERS, PAINTED REDSTART and YELLOW-EYED JUNCO. Other roadside birds included BAND-TAILED PIGEON, HAIRY WOODPECKER, DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, WESTERN TANAGER (several in the grassland) and BLACK-THROATED and CASSIN'S SPARROWS.

On the Rustler Road we soon found our target OLIVE WARBLER, in fact two of them, but unfortunately they were both immature birds. More Chickadees were here along with GREATER PEWEE, HEPATIC TANAGER and EVENING GROSBEAK, always a good bird in SE AZ. We continued on to the split and found a nice adult male OLIVE plus PYGMY NUTHATCH and WESTERN BLUEBIRD.

Although the temperature had risen considerably by the time we reached our next stop on the Paradise Road, we were fortunate to find our target JUNIPER TITMOUSE after only15 minutes of wandering around. Other birds here included WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, and CHIPPING and LARK SPARROWS.

After breakfast at Portal Peak Lodge we soon found our last target bird of the morning, a good looking male LUCIFER HUMMINGBIRD. I had mentioned to Bill that on my last visit it took about 2 minutes for the bird to put in an appearance. I didn't really expect such a break today, but we certainly got it when the bird came in after only 5 minutes!

Back in Sierra Vista I headed out to the sewage ponds during our siesta time. Conditions were almost unbearable around 2:30pm -- sunny, very hot and muggy and lots of flies. I stuck it out for 30 minutes and came up with 22 species including SORA, WHITE-WINGED DOVE (very rare here), 2-GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 2-BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, 11-WILSON'S PHALAROPES and a few BANK SWALLOWS. There were an unusually high number of CHIHUAHUAN RAVENS and I counted at least 66 perched on an irrigation rig.

We spent from 3:45-5:00pm at Beatty's B&B in Miller Canyon before being rained out when a nasty looking storm developed in the canyon. However, our time here was well spent and we saw one of our target hummers -- WHITE-EARED, plus BROAD-BILLED, VIOLET-CROWNED, BLUE-THROATED, MAGNIFICENT, BLACK-CHINNED, ANNA'S, CALLIOPE (my first of the fall season), BROAD-TAILED and RUFOUS. A male Lucifer is still being seen but we did not look for it. Present near the parking area was a singing CASSIN'S VIREO (also my first of the season). I saw two here about the same time last year.

I hadn't realized that it was Friday the 13th. until late in the day. However, it certainly didn't affect our results and I'm happy to say that the remarkable success of yesterday continued today. I wish it were so every day! We looked for 6 birds (White-eared, Berylline and Lucifer Hummingbirds, Mexican Chickadee, Juniper Titmouse and Olive Warbler) and saw all except Berylline due to the rainout. Bill ended up with 12 new birds and a chance to look again for the Berylline tomorrow.

Sunday, August 15, 1999
Out today with Lois and Wally Goldfrank, Amber Hensley and  Scott Edwards of Santa Cruz, CA. Another early one for me as I left home at 3:00am to meet the group in Nogales. Guess where we were going. Where else but California Gulch, my 14th trip of the season.

COMMON POORWILLS were easily found on the Ruby Road and we saw 3 sitting in the road affording good views, with others seen in flight. We arrived in the gulch a little after 6:00am, early enough such that conditions were extremely pleasant. The area was quite birdy today and our stay of two hours was very productive with 35 species.

As is usual at this time of year, FIVE-STRIPED SPARROWS were singing and cooperative and we saw and or heard perhaps 5 birds. VARIED BUNTINGS continue vocal and plentiful and we came across 4-6 of them. Other regulars included COOPER'S and ZONE-TAILED HAWKS, NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET, CANYON WREN, BELL'S VIREO, LUCY'S WARBLER and SUMMER TANAGER. Although COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD is a regular breeder and easily seen here early in the season, today's sighting was my first August record for the gulch. In addition to several WESTERN TANAGERS present for a couple of weeks now, there were more signs of seasonal movement today with THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD, at least 4 NASHVILLE WARBLERS and a distant empid that was too far away to identify.

However, the best was yet to come. While walking south out of the gulch, we heard Gnatcatchers quite low down on the west slope around the 6th stream crossing. We saw three birds and with brief but diagnostic views (and calls), determined that they were a male and female BLACK-CAPPED and a male BLACK-TAILED. Very soon the Black-tailed headed north staying on the west slope, the Black-caps headed south on the east slope. Total serendipity -- another case of  being lucky rather than good. I'll take it!

Although our evening owling session ended successfully, it certainly took us quite a while to get there. We began at 7:30pm and without any effort saw GREAT HORNED OWL starting to hunt and an ELF OWL near a nest site. Several WESTERN SCREECH-OWLS were calling regularly nearby, most likely because we ignored them. Ironically, however, our target WHISKERED SCREECH-OWL was very uncooperative and it wasn't until 9:00pm, after we changed locations, that we were able to see one. 

Monday, August 16, 1999
Out today with Peggy Page of San Ramon, CA. An enjoyable day of "gentle" target birding, a little less intensive than of late. We spent the entire day in the Huachucas with day visits to Carr, Garden, Sawmill and Scheelite Canyons, and finished up back in the mountains for owling.

We began in Garden Canyon grasslands where after a little patience and judicious positioning we able to get 'scope looks at BOTTERI'S and CASSIN'S SPARROWS. The Cassin's was not skylarking and sang mostly while in the grass, and was therefore hard to see well. Eventually, the bird perched up and sang from a mesquite, particularly pleasing for Peggy since it was a significant milestone bird for her.

As we walked back to the vehicle, a LESSER NIGHTHAWK flushed and flew only a short distance, landing in the middle of a dirt road about 40 feet from us. We had a fantastic 'scope view of this bird and were able to see every detail of its intricate patterning, something I don't remember seeing before. Other birds in the grassland were RED-TAILED HAWK, AM. KESTREL, SCALED QUAIL, LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER, WESTERN KINGBIRD, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, VERDIN, CACTUS WREN, N. MOCKINGBIRD, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, PYRRHULOXIA, BLUE GROSBEAK, CANYON TOWHEE, RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD and LILIAN'S MEADOWLARK.

As we passed the upper picnic area, several noisy SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS were calling. The noise level at our Sawmill Canyon destination was just a tad less, reflecting a very quiet year here. All regular species are/have been present, albeit in much lower numbers than usual. The only reason I can come up with is that the early dry conditions (caused by a dry winter and spring) prompted many birds to seek alternate locations when they first arrived. We only had a two target birds here and soon found GREATER PEWEE and BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER.

Next stop was Scheelite Canyon where I had a double whammy going against me. First, Peggy had already told me that owls were her "jinx" birds. Second was the fact that when I analyze the days when I do not find an owl (yes, I keep track of such things!), Monday has more than twice as many misses as any other day. I attribute this to the increased traffic in the canyon on weekends by hikers, families with dogs, etc. Sad to say, I became a victim of these circumstances and, despite a thorough search of the lower, middle and upper roosting areas, I couldn't find a Spotted Owl. Disappointing for Peggy I'm sure, but in one way good for me -- a humbling slap-in-the-face reality check because even with all the knowledge and experience gained from over 700 trips in the canyon, I have absolutely no control over the outcome. If the owls want to hide, I am certainly no match for them.

RED-FACED WARBLERS were quite numerous today starting around 3/8 mile and present from there up to around 1 mile in both forks of the canyon. The area above the pools was alive with birds with many BLACK-THROATED GRAYS and my first HERMIT WARBLER of the season.

After a siesta, our next destination was Carr Canyon to look for Virginia's and Olive Warblers. Conditions were excellent during our 4 hours here: initially partially cloudy with some light rain, then becoming sunny and pleasant. Eventually, as the sun dipped below the mountain, a distinct chill could be felt at our 7500 feet location. As always, the views of the sunset and the valley below, as we drove down the switchback road, were worth the price of admission.

We played cat and mouse with VIRGINIA'S WARBLER for quite some time but ended up seeing perhaps 4 or 5. OLIVE WARBLER was even more difficult and Peggy ended up with a very brief look at the only individual that we came across. Other species included a very upset looking RED-TAILED HAWK that didn't seem to like the fact that we stopped to bird next to the very tree that he was resting in, soaring WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS, BROAD-TAILED and RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS, four species of woodpeckers -- ACORN, STRICKLAND'S, HAIRY & N. FLICKER, BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER, STELLER'S, MEXICAN & SCRUB JAYS, PYGMY & WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, BROWN CREEPER, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, GRACE'S WARBLER, HEPATIC TANAGER, SPOTTED TOWHEE YELLOW-EYED JUNCO and LESSER GOLDFINCH.

Later, during our owling session, I'm happy to say that we broke Peggy's owl jinx and had great looks at ELF OWL and WESTERN and WHISKERED-SCREECH OWLS. Elf was ridiculously easy as a family group continues at a nest site. The key to seeing this bird well is to be present as they emerge at dusk -- and we were!  Next came an inquisitive and cooperative Western Screech that sat in the open and called at us for as long as we wanted, and then some (as it continued to call as we walked away). For the second night in a row, Whiskered Screech proved the most difficult and the only bird that we had to expend time and effort on. Ironically, this is the most abundant and normally easiest owl to locate and see well. Nevertheless, it was considerably easier than last night and eventually, quite deep in the woods, we found several birds and one cooperative individual that was willing to talk back to me. A good end to the day.

Wednesday, August 18, 1999
A short morning visit to Sierra Vista sewage ponds yielded most of the regulars and no surprises. Migrant BANK SWALLOWS continue and many SORAS are present in the wet fields and in the marsh ponds. Shorebird habitat and activity is minimal and I found only LEAST SANDPIPER and WILSON'S PHALAROPE. Although migrant Lazuli Buntings have been seen elsewhere since the start of the month, I have yet to see one at the ponds (or anywhere for that matter). They are normally quite numerous here in the weeds in August -- a little puzzling.

Mid-morning I headed up Scheelite Canyon, for once hoping that I would NOT find a Spotted Owl in any of the regular places. I wanted the opportunity to find where the owls go in such cases, something that I can't do when with a client. I got my wish, but that was the end of my success since I didn't find an owl anywhere. I checked many locations that I had previously found (that I thought looked like good roosting spots), and I broke lots of new ground much higher up the canyon than I normally go. However, it was all in vain and all I got for my trouble was lots of exercise. During the search I recorded only 20 species including ELEGANT TROGON,  DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER, VIRGINIA'S and RED-FACED WARBLERS, PAINTED REDSTART and HEPATIC TANAGER. 

Thursday, August 19, 1999
I headed out to spend a couple of days in the underbirded Pinaleņo Mountains, a place that I enjoy very much but don't get many opportunities to visit. On the way I birded at St. David Monastery, where I found nothing of note, and at Willcox.

The water levels at Willcox continue very high and the many temporal ponds all have water. The back roads leading to these ponds are very dangerous to drive on and, although I had plenty of traction, I had very little steering control and almost ended up in several of the ponds. However, in so doing I did find SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER when I flushed a flock of what I thought were all LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, but I heard the calls of both species. At this time of year I wouldn't be very comfortable with the id without hearing the call. Also present were EARED GREBE, GREAT EGRET, 8-CATTLE-EGRETS, 3-BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, many SORAS calling from the wet fields, 8-BLACK-NECKED STILTS, a single SOLITARY SANDPIPER (appropriately enough) and perhaps 100 WILSON'S PHALAROPES from which I couldn't weed out a Red-necked. A flock of migrating BANK SWALLOWS passed through.

In the lower southern section of the Pinaleņos along Hwy 266, I birded at Gillespie Wash and Stockton Pass Campground. I was hoping for migrants in the fairly good riparian area along the wash but I didn't find anything of note. Of all the places that I go, Gillespie Wash is consistently the buggiest! Stockton Pass is heavy oak and juniper habitat and is a good place to find JUNIPER TITMOUSE, and that was the first bird that I encountered. Also present were HUTTON'S VIREO and at least 10-BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS.

Friday, August 20, 1999
I spent the day in the Pinaleņos working along Swift Trail (Hwy 366) starting at first light at the bottom and working my way up to Riggs Lake, a distance of some 35 miles with an elevation gain of approx. 7000 feet (MT. Graham is 10,700 feet). The day was more notable for scenery and a BOBCAT sighting than it was for birds, and. it ended badly when a little car trouble forced me to spend an extra night in Safford and miss a day with a client.

Not present in most of the SE AZ ranges (except the Catalinas), MOUNTAIN CHICKADEES were absolutely abundant beginning around 7000 feet. Uncommon in most other ranges and absent from some, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS were common in the high elevation spruce-fir habitat. Appropriately enough, I heard WILD TURKEY calling at Turkey Flat. Other species were typical of similar habitats in most other SE AZ mountain ranges and included HAIRY WOODPECKER, STELLER'S JAY, BRIDLED TITMOUSE, all three NUTHATCHES, BROWN CREEPER, WESTERN BLUEBIRD, PLUMBEOUS VIREO, VIRGINIA'S and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and YELLOW-EYED JUNCO.

The most interesting sighting was a "flock" of perhaps 10-12 HERMIT WARBLERS, loosely associating with an OLIVE WARBLER family. It seemed strange that the Hermits were returning from breeding somewhere in the north, while the Olives were still feeding dependant young. 

Sunday, August 22, 1999
Day 1 of a couple of days with David and Trudy Kyler, Mark and Ruth Henry and Gene Zielinski, from PA. Day 2 will be later in the week. We spent several early morning hours birding in the Nogales and Patagonia areas for a few target species.

Shortly after sunrise our target BOTTERI'S SPARROW was singing and easy to find at Patagonia Lake State Park, and we had good 'scope views of a very obliging bird. Also singing in the area were CASSIN'S SPARROW, BLUE GROSBEAK and LILIAN'S MEADOWLARK.

We moved on to Kino Springs were several calling TROPICAL KINGBIRDS were also easy to find. We spent about an hour here mostly observing the kingbirds at the club house pond. Other species present here included COMMON GROUND-DOVE, ROADRUNNER, NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET, VERMILION FLYCATCHER, SUMMER TANAGER and LAZULI BUNTING.

A 1 hour 15 minute stop at the Roadside Rest was all it took to get a decent look at our target ROSE-THROATED BECARD. Sometimes it takes a few minutes and sometimes it takes several hours, so today's wait was perhaps "average". Although we didn't know it when we arrived at 8:15am, the bird was inside the nest. At 9:00am the bird quickly left the nest and immediately disappeared into the thickly leafed Sycamore that houses the nest. A couple of calls told us she was still present and after a 20 minute wait she returned to perch and preen near the nest.

As breeding season winds down, there was very little activity compared to recent weeks and I recorded only 20 species during our time here. Thick-billed Kingbirds were notable by their absence. A calling GRAY HAWK was across the creek.

We cruised Salerno and Blue Heaven Roads seeing ZONE-TAILED and GRAY HAWKS before eventually finding a couple of noisy THICK-BILLED KINGBIRDS just inside the sanctuary. As usual, we had good 'scope view of a perched bird.

Monday, August 23, 1999
With an upcoming two week tour in California that starts on September 11, I have not scheduled much work between now and then to give myself a break. With each passing day I realize that there are more important things than money (always assuming that you have enough, of course). Work is the curse of the birding class. As the monsoon season winds down the weather is once again becoming hot. Other than early mornings, birding will be a little uncomfortable from now until mid-October when the cool down begins.

It was certainly hot and uncomfortable at Sierra Vista sewage ponds this afternoon and I lasted only 30 minutes, seeing a meager 13 species.  The most obvious birds today were many WILSON'S PHALAROPES that I had difficulty counting since they flushed with every passing TV. There were at least 80, perhaps as many as 120.

Tuesday, August 24, 1999
Today I generated the enthusiasm to go look for the Short-tailed Hawks that are most often seen along the crest of the Huachucas, between Miller and Carr peaks. Since they were discovered some time ago, I have made many visits to Beatty's B&B in Miller Canyon without ever seeing them. However, the view from here to the birds is at least 2 miles, so what's that all about? I wouldn't even count a distant flying speck as a state bird, let alone a life bird. Since I didn't find the birds after making a 10 mile round trip hike, the views from the B&B would have been infinitely better!

I got an early start and I drove up Carr Canyon road in darkness, flushing just one COMMON POORWILL along the way. I left Ramsey Vista campground at 5:30am (30 minutes before sunrise) and took my time hiking 5 miles on the Carr Peak and Crest trails, arriving at "Fraggle Rock" (a rocky outcrop about one mile from Miller Peak) at 8:45am. At this time of day, just hiking the trails and being here was worth the price of admission and the Short-tailed Hawks would have been somewhat incidental. At every turn were spectacular views, a wonderful array of stunning wildflowers, many butterflies and a smattering of birds.

Next, I spoiled it all by using up 4 hours of my life sitting on the rock. Apparently, it was important enough for me to see this bird in Arizona to do this, once. The reverse slog in the hot sun was somewhat less enjoyable than the outbound journey and took me about 3 hours. Butterflies were now abundant. To cap it all off, as I drove down Carr Canyon my engine died and the loss of power steering and brakes was certainly a shock to my system. Having hiked 10 miles I now had to walk a further 2 miles before getting a lift to a phone to call a tow truck. What joy to end the day!

Among the birds of note were a couple of OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS working from the snags in the Miller canyon drainage, 2-CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRDS (1 each Carr and Miller), and 4-ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS (2 each in Carr and Miller). In areas of dead wood at the high elevations, EASTERN BLUEBIRDS were very common. Hummingbirds were constantly in view in the wildflowers, particularly BROAD-TAILED and RUFOUS.

35 Species seen on Carr Peak Trail 107 and Crest Trail 103
Turkey Vulture, Zone-tailed & Red-tailed Hawks, Montezuma Quail, Band-tailed Pigeon, Common Poorwill, White-throated Swift, Anna's, 2-Calliope, many Broad-tailed & Rufous Hummingbirds, Acorn & Hairy Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, 2-Olive-sided Flycatchers, Western Wood-Pewee, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Steller's Jay, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Pygmy, Red-breasted & White-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creeper, many House Wrens, Bushtit, Lesser Goldfinch, 3-Olive, 4-Orange-crowned, Virginia's, Yellow-rumped, Hermit, & Grace's Warblers, Yellow-eyed Junco and Spotted Towhee.

Wednesday, August 25, 1999
My car woes of yesterday were caused by a blown ignition circuit fuse. Something as simple as that resulted in so much hassle. Thankfully, I wasn't in California Gulch! Hopefully it was a one shot deal and not a disaster waiting to happen. Needless to say, now I carry a spare fuse.

Not wishing to tempt fate (and to rest my weary legs), I stayed close to home today and made only a mid-afternoon visit to Sierra Vista sewage ponds. A total of 20 species and a little more activity than of late with my first AMERICAN WIGEON of the season, a soaring (and later stooping) PEREGRINE FALCON, a young SWAINSON'S HAWK sitting on an irrigation rig (perhaps looking for prey as the grass was being cut), many calling SORAS, 1-SPOTTED and 4 juvenile LEAST SANDPIPERS, and at least 110-WILSON'S PHALAROPES.

Thursday, August 26, 1999
Out again today with David and Trudy Kyler, Mark and Ruth Henry and Gene Zielinski, from PA. In the morning we visited Sawmill Canyon where silence continues to be the keyword. Our only target bird was BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER but even this proved quite difficult. We came across three infrequently calling individuals and after 90 minutes of tracking and stalking we were finally able to see one. Although I have seen them as late as September 27, Buff-breasteds start to thin out at the end of August. Based on today's events, I wouldn't fancy my chances on 9/27 this year!

There was precious little activity in the canyon and I recorded only 14 species, the most interesting of which were a couple of flycatching BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS. In Garden Canyon, about 0.5 mile below Sawmill, we saw a pair of ELEGANT TROGONS. However, the best sighting of the morning was a medium sized BLACK BEAR on the blacktop just above the middle picnic area around 7:00am.

Topping the bear, the best news of the day was that, for the first time that I can remember since moving to AZ in 1993, the dirt section of Garden Canyon Road has been graded. Yeah! Thank you to whoever is responsible. Ironically, the former badly eroded area, about 1.4 miles beyond the upper picnic area, is now the best part of the road. Silky smooth, at least for a while! Traction is no longer a big issue but there are still a number of rocky sections. Nevertheless, with care, all vehicles should now be able to make it to Sawmill Canyon with oilpans and occupant's nerves intact.

During our siesta I drove up Carr Canyon to Ramsey Vista and up to Montezuma Pass at the southern extreme of the Huachucas to give my vehicle a workout. Thankfully, no problems.

In the late afternoon I met the group at Beatty's B&B in Miller Canyon where they are staying. After seeing most of the regular hummers we headed down canyon to search in vain for Montezuma Quail. Some saw a Fox and I heard an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER.

Our evening owling session was an exercise in frustration. We had some initial success with good but brief looks at ELF OWL (for some) and at this point we had Elf, Western and Whiskered Screech and Common Poorwill all calling at once. Unfortunately, the evening went downhill from there. Our primary target bird was WESTERN SCREECH-OWL and although we located quite a few, we never did see one. They responded to my whistles and approached to within about 150 feet, but any attempt to approach them would cause them to fly off and stop calling. This behavior was repeated on multiple occasions and at two locations with different birds. I've seen this before, post breeding, and it's very frustrating. Our problems were made even greater with six people tramping around in the woods! During the breeding season it's usually easy to see them from the road, whereas now you have to go to them. A pair of WHISKERED SCREECH-OWLS were seen well by all, quite ironic since it wasn't a target bird and had been difficult for me on recent owling expeditions. Although the group decided to quit after about 90 minutes, I think we would have seen our quarry with time -- but it has to be fun.

I want to use an example from tonight's owling to highlight a problem that I often encounter. There was a moment when we had a Western Screech about 20 feet away and directly in front of us in an open area, and four of the group were right behind me. I held off turning on the light until the last member arrived, but it didn't happen soon enough and the owl was gone and with it our best chance of the night. I later learned that this particular member didn't need the owl as a lifer. I know how I felt at missing this chance, but can't really imagine how the others felt.

Now to my point. I've lost count of the number of times that I have been given pertinent information about objectives while in the field. If you want to get the best value out of my services, it should go without saying that the more I know in advance, the better I can plan and execute. This is especially true if we're target birding. I need to know all your potential candidates (no matter how remote you think the chances are) and all your BVDs. Many times I have heard while driving along "by the way, if we come across a such and such bird, I'd like to see it" and if I'd known ahead of time it may well have been easy to do without going out of the way. Just one example. I like to plan ahead and make a logistically sound itinerary that will optimize results and minimize driving and backtracking. I can't do that without good input. OK, getting off my soap box now.

Monday, August 30, 1999
After a few days R&R I ventured out to Sierra Vista sewage ponds this afternoon during a light but refreshing rainstorm. I recorded 22 species in about one hour including 1-PIED-BILLED GREBE, my first 4-NORTHERN SHOVELERS of the season, continuing CINNAMON TEAL starting to acquire their bright plumage again, many WILSON'S PHALAROPES, 2-BLACK TERNS, at least 2-SORAS calling in the marsh, and the usual assortment of blackbirds including the ever increasing YELLOW-HEADED.

Somewhat of a surprise was CASSIN'S SPARROW, a species that I have recorded here in only two previous years (from a possible 7 that I been keeping records). No doubt encouraged by the rain, at least two were singing somewhere along the western fenceline.

Tuesday, August 31, 1999
As August comes to an end, there were a few more signs of the season today at Sierra Vista sewage ponds. On a cloudy and relatively cool afternoon, NORTHERN SHOVELER numbers increased from 4 to 10, a lone GREEN-WINGED TEAL mingled with the CINNAMON TEAL, and my season first 2-NORTHERN PINTAIL were present along with a SOLITARY SANDPIPER.

My list for about 90 minutes of effort was: Pied-billed Grebe, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Turkey Vulture, Swainson's Hawk, Sora, American Coot, Solitary Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, Mourning Dove, Western Kingbird, Chihuahuan Raven, Loggerhead Shrike, European Starling, N. Rough-winged, Bank, Barn and Cliff Swallows, Common Yellowthroat, Lark and Cassin's Sparrows, Blue Grosbeak, Yellow-headed and Red-winged Blackbirds, Eastern Meadowlark and Brown-headed Cowbird.

This log is in chronological order and the most recent entries are at the bottom of the page.
The last update was on Tuesday, August 31, 1999

Species List

Stuart Healy Journal - August, 1999 If you use the contents of my journal for commercial purposes, please acknowledge the source to your clients - thanks.

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