The Trogon Kingdom

male Elegant Trogon at Madera

Nothing.  And I mean NOTHING is more exciting than the discovery of the Arizona Elegant Trogon.  I've worked with these birds over the years doing surveys and attending meetings about their breeding grounds. So when I see one, I get excited just like everyone else does but I forget about what these birds do to people. In a canyon full of rare and exciting birds, these resident birds still win the popularity vote.

British birders spy their first Elegant Trogon and the world is complete

Let me share with you what happened.  I went to Proctor Road to get my Townsend's Solitaire and Gray Flycatcher for the year in Pima County.  And while I was there, birders from all over were looking for the Elegant Trogon.  HOWEVER, there was a "better" bird in the canyon, the ABA AZ first, White-throated Thrush.  This bird should steal the show, but no, the Trogon was more popular.

Several birders from Scotland and Ireland were there while I was birding.  They had tried 3 times over their lifetime to see this bird and when it literally landed in their laps, it was thrilling.  I felt so happy for them.  Their joy was contagious.

In Scotland, Trogons do not exist.  Here in AZ, they do!

The Elegant Trogon can be very difficult to observe in the wild.  If you ask any birder who has chased this bird, you'll hear lots of stories about how they dipped on the bird. During my years as a birder, I can tell you from experience that winter seems to be the best time to observe these birds as they often just sit out in the open and hunt.

The ABA mega rarity, the White-throated Thrush

I nearly had a heart attack when the TRUE gem, the White-throated Thrush landed right next to me. And I had no one around to say, "hey.....pssst....the bird is right here!" So I took my documentation shots and passed the word onto others who were all much more interested in the Elegant Trogon.

Townsend's Solitaire

Last month, I shared my reports of all those birds with you.  But on a quiet stroll after things have somewhat quieted down on Proctor Road in Madera Canyon, I had my best views. It was funny.  I saw those birds before I saw my own target birds, the Townsend's Solitaire and Gray Flycatcher!  But I eventually found them:)

None of them are as "exciting" as the trogon I suppose, but I still like them!

After my hike, I went up to the Santa Rita Lodge and just watched amazing birds.

Painted Redstart

Their feeders were active.  Here in Arizona right now we are experiencing storm system after storm system.  This is not a complaint.  This is wonderful rain that the desert needs. But it requires careful planning.

Arizona Woodpecker

After 2 months of attempts, I was finally able to head to Mt. Lemmon for some important reports.  I went up with friend Hollie and together we saw some amazing birds!  And it was just in time too!  Another storm system came our way while we were on the mountain.  Temps dropped to freezing and snow clouds began to encroach upon the skies. They were dark and heavy.

The frigid cold on Mt. Lemmon!

This is the one time of year that I have an easier time finding Golden-crowned Kinglets in a couple spots.

magical Golden-crowned Kinglets

And like always, I heard them first but what I didn't expect to observe was a male territorial dance!  WOW!  It was like something out of a bird book.  Incredible!

We both watched in awe as they did their display.

Now, the biggest challenge is getting out of work to find an Arizona first(for me), the Varied Thrush! As I near 500 birds for the state, the list gets smaller, especially with the Pima county challenge on!  The 2019 birding adventure is only just beginning. Until next time!