Tuesday, September 15, 2015

When The Heart Calls

The road into Portal.  The "V" of the mountain is where we are going.
Over the next several weeks, there will be many magical moments to share from the road.  For now, I am enjoying Arizona and celebrating its last monsoon hurrah!


The temps begin to fade.  And hummingbirds and warblers make their last push back into their wintering grounds.  While I hate to see them go, I am thankful for the much cooler temps that will follow in their wake. 

Horse Lubber
How does one properly say good-bye to these incredibly beautiful birds?  

Mexican Sulphur on Salvia
After this labor day weekend of exploration, a sleeping dragon awoke.  The birding energy begins to grow again. It's September. The year begins to wane.  And the cooler temps will be arriving soon.

At Willow Tank, AZ
I really love all my birding buds.  They are the best.  We motivate each other to do better and keep going.  Had it just been myself at this place, I would have sat down in the middle of the forest in my tent up at Rustler Park and considered hiking:) The park itself is a great place to watch birds.  No need to hike far. But with the buds, we pushed each other to keep it moving.  

Mexican Fox Squirrel
It's easy to get lost in the moment and so before we all knew it, it was time for us to go back home. But what a show!

Green Stink Bug
It had been over two years since my last visit to Portal which has been waaaaaay too long.  I don't know a person who does not love this place. There are two reactions from people when the word "Portal" is mentioned. "Where?" and "I love that place."  That's how remote this little town is. It should be a top 10 must see in the US.  The Chiricahua Mountain range is a sky island that is home to several unique species of reptiles, insects, birds and mammals in the US. No where else in the US can you find these critters. 


I would also mention that the wildlife here outnumbers the human populations.  The residents of Portal love the isolation from the rest of the world.  There is barely any WIFI in the tiny town.  In fact, in most of the places there isn't any connection at all!


Red-tailed Hawk takes flight from the canyon wall
It is easily one of my favorite places in Arizona.  There are comfy lodges and one restaurant:)  Bring a cooler full of goodies just in case:) Also make sure you have enough gas in your car because the nearest station is 19 miles away:)  If you love nature, you'll love Portal.  Until next time friends.....

Blue-throated Hummingbird


11 comments:

  1. Portal sounds good to me. Peaceful, no wifi, sounds like the place were my old caravan is! No shop there but cows and birds for company. Love all your phtos especialy the 2nd one Chris.

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  2. HELLO Kreesh, i am back to blog again. If i were in the US i would have been walking, hiking, photographing and all that. And i also love to see what you see in those hikes and travels. I might not be fascinated fully by the birds, but insects and other creatures i love too. God bless.

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  3. That area looks so magical to my eyes. I love what your camera sees.

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  4. Portal sounds a superb place to visit :) Such beautiful photos and I've fallen in love with the butterfly :)

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  5. Wonderful journey through Portal - Loved all your gorgeous photos.

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  6. Everything goes better with friends I think - especially ones with a similar state of mind - which is what birding is!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  7. Wow! That Red Tail Hawk pictures is pretty amazing. I just love it!
    Glad the shooter didn't get you. It's a shame we even have to think about stuff like that.

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  8. such beauty! love the squirrel and that lovely hummer!

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  9. Great shots! Looks like a wonderful place!

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  10. Hi Chris, Portal sounds like a great place for birding. Love the hawk shot and the beautiful hummer. Having nice birding friends is wonderful too. I hope you have some cooler weather soon. Enjoy your week ahead, happy birding.

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Thanks for stopping by!