Miller Canyon

After a rough and hot summer, my tires needed changing.  And so they were changed so that we could begin our hike up to Miller Canyon.

The road was rocky and bumpy from the monsoon rains.  I was held back for several weeks as I didn't want to risk blowing a tire out on the road without cell phone or OnStar help.  I do know how to change tires but the unevenly graded road would make it difficult if that event happened.

And so our epic hike would begin up the Miller Canyon in search of the mighty Spotted Owls.  It was eery quiet but incredibly beautiful.  The Beatty's have a wonderful property and I appreciate the fact that they allow birders to explore the hummingbirds, owls and all the other fun wildlife.  5 dollars is needed per person to help with the hummingbird juice. 

Painted Lady Butterfly

The hike was rugged.  The bugs were bad during this time.  The stream was running.  And the wildflowers were in full force.  Absolutely magical.

Checkered White Butterfly

We ascended the creek bed in search of the owls.  It was incredibly awesome as we stumbled over rocks.  By the time we found the solitary owl in the dark and quiet woods, we were exhausted from the heat.

Checkerspot Butterfly-Miller Canyon

Thank goodness for Pat.  The owl was so still that it was difficult to find....until the calm swiveled head  turned towards me. "Chris! Chris!" whispered Pat loudly.  And then I fell on the boulder below and watched the bird for many moments.  What a beautiful owl!  And he was very close to us.

Along the way, we saw some incredible butterflies, hummingbirds, and strange sounding birds:)

House Finch

It was green green green.  Miller, like the other canyons of the Huachucas, is incredibly different from the rest.  In fact, some canyons host certain kinds of birds and animals that can't be found anywhere else in Southern Arizona.  That's how unique each ecosystem is for each of the canyons!

Helmeted Guinea Fowl

We watched rain fall down upon the grasslands surrounding the military city of Sierra Vista.  From above, the city actually looks beautiful:)

Funeral Dusky Wing Butterfly

Our journey to the top was wonderful.  The hike was great and so were the finds.  I had many "lifers" here which made it a great day overall:)  More journeys into Southern Arizona coming.  And they are incredible!  It has been an extremely exciting time of finds. This owl sums up the joy and excitement I get from the journey both in travel, wildlife trekking, and gardening.  That's when I decided to change my headlining picture for Las Aventuras. Stay tuned for so much more:)

Spotted Owl, Miller Canyon

The Chuparosa Challenge-Cool Blue

Hey hey hey!  I'm back with another Chuparosa update.  Soon the hummingbird season will be over.  By mid October, most of our summer migrants will be gone.  But before they do leave us, I thought I'd share with you the Blue Throated Hummingbird.

This hummingbird is a giant in the world of hummers.  When I look at this particular bird, two thoughts come to my mind.  One.  The body is shaped in an awkward fashion. and Two.  When we think of hummingbird flight patterns, this is the species we tradionally think of when a hummingbird flies.  It definitely moves much more differently than its peers. 

During this photo shoot search, I spotted this hummer in all canyons along the running streams of the Huachuca mountains.  If there aren't streams nearby, you may have a difficult time spotting this particular hummer.  Today's photos are from the CAS at Beatty's Orchards in Miller Canyon.

Lots of people will sometimes get excited at seeing a blue throated hummingbird and incorrectly label the juvenile male Broad Bill hummer as a Blue Throat Hummer. 

But the markings are very clear and the bird is rather large compared to its counterparts.  I spotted this bird during the last week of August. I had never been to the CAS at Miller Canyon so it was a real treat to sit there and watch the amazing numbers of hummers fly around us.   There was a running stream nearby the hill as we climbed to the top and sat on the bleachers.  Very cool.

It can be difficult picking out hummers at times with the flight frenzy that goes on, but this hummer is easy to pick out.  But be careful not to confuse the Magnificent hummers with this guy.  They are about the same size.

I love how this one curves to the side as it hovers. The shot below captures that movement as it backs away from the feeders.

This bird had been difficult for me to find.  I knew it was definitely at Beatty's but I had old tires on my car that had to be replaced making it difficult for me to get to the top of the canyon on that rocky dirt road.  Once they were replaced, it was the first place with went. 

On this particular rainy day, we'd find them in Carr, Miller, and Ramsey. I have one more surprise for everyone and then a stat update with each hummingbird found featured.  But on this particular day, a trek up Miller Canyon would also prove exciting thanks to a bird tip from a hiker.  Hint.  It has to do with the header of Las Aventuras. More tomorrow....

The Chuparosa Challenge-Ru-Fee-OH-s!

Greetings all!  Here is another Chuparosa Challenge.  I'm far from done with this series. There's just a lot going on right now with nature and while I've been on the hunt for hummingbirds, other challenges come up as well as you will see.  It's all about the Rufous Hummingbird today.  All of the shots are female except for one.  These are a golden delight.  They also mark the beginning of migration and the end to our hummingbird season.  By mid October, most will be gone.

Male Rufous

The above pic is the male in all of his glory.  There were too many pics to choose from so I put all of them on for you to get a better look.  The hummingbird season was slow to start this year but picked up around the first week of September with the Rufous being the most numerous next to the Anna's, Broad Bill, and Magnificent.  The pics today were taken in Ash Canyon and Miller Canyon in the Huachuca mountains of Sierra Vista.

One of the questions I asked during this research was, "How do you know if the hummingbird  is Rufous or Allens?"  It's all in the tail feathers and sometimes it's extremely hard for the professionals to distinguish.  Mary Jo, of Ash Canyon B & B, was kind enough to take her time and show me pictures between the two species.   It also comes down to the green on the back. 

But for now let's look at the difference between the female and male Rufous.  The shot on the left is a clear view of the female.  Look at the gorget(throat area).  There is striping there.  The male has a full pink/orangish color along the gorget and if overall very golden. The male tail feathers are also more pointy. In a surprise post coming up, you'll have a two punch pic shot. But needless to say, the male Rufous made a strong appearance with another "Star".

They do make it into Tucson for brief appearances near the end of our summer.  I had one visit some flowers in our garden but most prefer the higher elevations.

Most winter in wooded areas in the Mexico state of Guerrero, traveling over 2,000 miles by an overland route from its nearest summer home.  This is of some concern to hummingbird specialists.  While hummingbirds are quite smart finding new areas to call home, it has been increasingly difficult to find areas where they can settle down.  With habitat loss in Mexico and our forest fires here, it's no surprise that hummingbirds have been challenged.

One of the things that keeps these birds alive and well is their ability to search out new places to nest and breed.  In their early years, juvenile hummers take a kind of "walkabout" and explore new places before returning to the group.  This has given them an edge in the bird world and in fact, some populations of the hummers have been growing!

Here's a new term for hummer lovers....or maybe not.  "Traplining"  Hummers feed by sight and will generally check out anything to see if it is a source of food. Many birds follow a regular route through their territory checking out the food sources several times daily. This behavior is called traplining.  So if you place hummingbird flowers in your garden, this will ensure they come to visit regularly:)

So there you have it.  More updates coming up on these amazing birds.  Below I have a pic demonstrating the differences between Allen's and Rufous hummingbirds courtesy of Sheri Williamson. 

Again, finding hummingbirds isn't difficult here as you just go to places with feeders.  What's difficult about this particular birding challenge is to keep your eye and lens on the target....especially when there are so many flying around.  But the conversations with people around the feeders has been truly a highlight as well.  There are older people who can't bird like they used to but still keep doing it from their chairs. These couples are in their 80's who take out their binoculars and share their experiences with us.  And for that I am grateful.

Female Rufous

Fall has officially begun after this weekends Greek Festival.  Bring on the cooler temps!

High Humidity

Blue Mud Dauber.  Look carefully and you'll see that this wasp has captured dinner:)  It ran quickly into its nest under the trunk of a tree.  Very cool find!

Antsy.  Sick of getting stuck inside my home.  I escaped to Miller Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains where it rained.  Bear had been busy knocking down hummingbird feeders.  I searched for bear and hummingbirds and didn't find any of them.  Well hummingbirds I did:)  But I did discover so much more.....

A Queen Butterfly on a dead branch

Miller Canyon was severely burned by last years fires and isn't as green as the other canyons of the Huachuca Mountains, BUT there is plenty of growth coming back.  Many of the Mesquite trees that were burned have new growth near their trunks.   But again, I was thrilled to find a lot of insect life. These little critters grabbed my attention on our walk.

In the gray and very humid atmosphere, we could see shots of color.   Remember that plants with long tubular flowers are attractive to hummingbirds....especially ones with orange and red color.:) Perhaps this is why Miller Canyon is renown for all the hummingbird sightings. 

The Firecracker Bush

To get here, we went up a well graded dirt road and stopped along the way looking for hiding birds or coati:)  Eventually the road ends at Beatty's Guest Ranch. We parked there at the trailhead.  But a great place to spot one of a kind hummers is at this ranch.  They don't mind if you want to look for hummingbirds BUT you need to call ahead and DO NOT trespass without their permission.  Go to their website first and read:)  We didn't go here on this day because there was a lot to see around the canyon area.  We parked near their property and took the trail to hike up the mountain.  

Black Chinned Hummingbird

There was a lot that was burned but look at the base of the trees to find the bright new green growth.

During rain storm events, I find it better to hike and relax than trying to endure 100+ temps.  Ridiculous!   I am hoping we continue with the rain because it always means I get to go out and explore.

Yarrow's Spiny Lizard

But of course the humidity and heat, bring out all the colorful bugs and lizards in Southern Arizona. 

Willow Flycatcher

We also stopped back by Ramsey Canyon on the way home to do some more hummingbird/bear search but no luck.  It was a gorgeous evening here.

And of course the views aren't bad either:)

As the sun set, we walked the trails alone surrounded by butterflies, deer and lots of birds.

Best time to go hiking is after a gentle rain event.  Always keep an eye open at the washes.  NEVER cross them during a rainstorm.  If there is a lot of lightening, do not hike.  But when things have calmed down, it's really a great time to get out and enjoy the rain cooled air. And the answer to my favorite bird home.  Option 13.  The Muy Mexicano or blue and white tile home.  Thanks everyone for chirping in your comments.  That was fun:) More tomorrow....