A Western Excursion

"Go west young man, go west and grow up with the country", was a phrase popularized by Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune during the mid-1800s. During this time period, there was a rush to head west seeking adventure and a new life. Much of the more inhabitable west was eventually tamed this way, while other parts still remain untamed and as rough as they always have been, save for villages and towns speckling the landscape. I think this idea of a western adventure is instilled in the minds of us all, whether you are escaping a cold northern winter, passing through out of curiosity, or crazy nature-nerds seeking what's left of our wilder lands. It's just so...American. In the case of a good friend and I, this March, it was the latter. Who would want to sit on a chilly Gulf Coast beach somewhere when you could be baking in the deserts of Arizona, fighting for shade behind a cactus? I know what my answer would be every time (and that's why I might be a little crazy).

As a birder (me) and entomologist (my friend) who had never been to this part of the country, I knew we would be in for a treat. Giddy is how I would explain the feeling, all outdoor lovers will understand. Day one found us en route to the Grand Canyon via Albuquerque, NM and the Painted Desert. It was a long day, but rewarding, as any long day outdoors is.

Cinnamon Teal, a stunner to say the least, in Albuquerque, NM.

As with nearly everything we saw in Arizona, there are not words fit to describe it, though I will try to come close. Our first stop, Petrified Forest National Park in the Painted Desert (double whammy), had some of the most majestic vistas and scenery I've ever seen; in a kind of open-mouthed, Mars-like way. The ribbons of color crossing the formations, with ancient wood turned agate is something you must see to believe.

While gazing at innumerable Native American rock carvings, a buzzy trill came from the sagebrush marking the arrival of a Black-throated Sparrow. This prized life bird turned out to be a trip commoner, but a wonderful reprieve from our LBJ (little brown job) sparrows back home. 

Black-throated Sparrow

With ravens wheeling and "KRAAK"ing overhead, we left the Painted Desert, and its ancient wood. The next morning, we awoke to find ourselves among the masses at Grand Canyon National Park. I'm not all about the crowds when I'm trying to be inspired by nature, but I must say, the Grand Canyon is worth it. The cool morning quickly turned hot as the sun rose and the crowds came; most of which stayed "up top" thank goodness. The master craftsmanship that went into forming the canyon is something else. When you're overlooking it from the rim, it doesn't seem real, but when you step over that rim and begin the descent, it becomes very real and that much more incredible. A mile and a half and 2 hours later, legs covered in red dust, we stop yet again to take it all in. Looking out across the unbroken landscape, I could almost see John Wesley Powell's 1869 expedition below. This was our turnaround point and we realized that after all the descending, we weren't even 1/4 of the way to the bottom. It was great going down, but my eyes rolled back into my head when I looked up and saw the switchbacks that marked our way out...where was a burro when you needed one?! 

View from Cedar Ridge, South Kaibab Trail.

Reluctantly leaving the Grand Canyon, we headed south to Flagstaff, past the snow-covered Humphrey's Peak (the highest point in AZ), straight DOWN to Sedona. As with everything in Arizona, this drive went above and beyond my expectations. Starting in a Rocky Mountain-type environment with towering ponderosa pines and a thundering stream, the ravine eventually opened into a valley oasis with red rock cliffs unlike anything imaginable. There's a saying: "God created the Grand Canyon, but he lives in Sedona". This is the kind of thing that makes your heart flutter; heavenly is what came to mind.

The Red Rock Cliffs of Sedona

After a relaxing Sunday morning, we were off even further south. A detour west of Tucson landed us in the middle of the Sonora Desert near Saguaro National Park. Here the towering saguaro cactus dominates the landscape, providing refuge for Gilded Flicker, Gila Woodpecker, and the occasional Cactus Wren. The largest of them, taller than 40' and older than a century, stand sentry over the rest. Among the cacti are stands of mesquite, cholla, fish-hook cactus, ocotillo, and other hardy desert dwellers.

Photos don't do these beasts justice. The cactus on the right side of the frame was over 20' tall.

Somehow, among all this, other creatures manage to survive. Many species of lizards can be seen darting from brush pile to brush pile and birds are constantly singing (or scolding in the case of the Black-tailed Gnatcatcher). Verdins and Lesser Goldfinch are colorful ornaments for the shrubs, along with the tiny Anna's Hummingbird who is the first to come see you when you set foot in its territory.

Anna's Hummingbird--male

Formidable looking, but no more than 5.5" tall.

Despite the heat of the afternoon, it was hard pulling away from Saguaroland. We just couldn't fathom that Arizona would get even better further south. Later, and exhausted, we arrived at Madera Canyon. For those who have never heard of it, Madera Canyon is a birder mecca. A trip here is a right-of-passage for the true North American birder. We arrived at dusk and began cooking dinner, which was soon interrupted by the calling of two Elf Owls. If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm an owl fanatic and this bird is one of the poster children for SE Arizona. Forgetting my hunger for the time-being, I readied my camera for night photography and was off. It didn't take long before I found the pint-sized owl calling from a telephone wire. I was eventually able to photograph it in a nearby tree. Score! After dinner, we had yet another Elf Owl come through our campsite. It wasn't long before a Western Screech-Owl called from down the canyon, Whiskered Screech-Owl from up-canyon, and a Spotted Owl that was never located. After a hike for scorpions and more owls, we called it a night. 

Before the sun was up, the canyon's alarm clock (a flock of Mexican Jays) went off. This soon started a slew of other singing from Bridled Titmouse, Painted Redstart, Hutton's Vireo, Virginia's Warbler, Acorn Woodpeckers, and more. All of these were new to me. As I said, my friend is not a birder (though he keeps a list), so I was pretty proud when he pointed out a "brown woodpecker". I knew immediately it had to be an Arizona Woodpecker, whose range barely stretches north into SE AZ. This wasn't the only time he handed me a lifer on the trip. 

Arizona Woodpecker--male

On our way to the mouth of the canyon, we stopped for a sit in front of the feeders at the Santa Rita Lodge. Here we saw many of the same species, plus a magnificent Magnificent Hummingbird AND a flock of 12 Wild Turkeys, of the lighter Merriam's subspecies, complete with its own displaying tom. 

Turkey time concluded and we headed to the bottom, where it was already HOT by 9:30am. Along the famed Proctor Road trail, we followed a noisy canyon stream that acted as a beacon for all sorts of wildlife. Above the noise could be heard the burbling of Bell's Vireos and a pair of Black-capped Gnatcatchers, a Mexican rarity that has established itself in the region. Several hours, many birds, bugs, and lizards later, it was time for food and a nap. It's funny how the outdoor life goes. You're so excited to be out and about that you eat just enough to make it to some unknown snack in the future. That's exactly what we did, which is WAY out of character because I love to eat and normally suffer from severe hanger; a dangerous condition where hunger makes you testy. Something changes when you're out in the wild world though. Nature is a curiosity that must be fueled but can never be satiated. Later on, we found ourselves bushwhacking up Florida Canyon, Madera's smaller neighbor. There is technically a trail here, but a technicality is all it is; we definitely weren't in Arkansas anymore! Cactus Wrens were about the only birds left calling in the heat of the day, save for a small flock of Bushtits nearer the water.

After a much needed nap, we headed back out before dinner. Things had slowed down a bit, like us, but an evening out in southeast Arizona's canyonlands can never be bad (especially when an entomologist finds a desert centipede). By the time we finished dinner, the sun had gone down...prime time for another owl show and it wasn't long before it began. This time, I was after the Whiskered Screech-Owl and boy did we get it! Fuel for an owl fanatic.

Whiskered Screech-Owl

A little while later, we were back down on the desert searching for night crawlers like scorpions and vinegaroons. We found several of the former, easy to spot under a blacklight with their greenish fluorescence. Nature never ceases to amaze!

Bark Scorpion sp. under a blacklight.

The next day we headed out early for Tubac, a small village in the Green Valley that hosts several rare birds and some large, liquid-squirting darkling beetles. Nothing too unusual in the bird department, but I was able to pick up Abert's Towhee and a Dusky-capped Flycatcher for my North American list! From there we made an interesting stop at Walmart in Nogales (Walmart at THE wall) and then on to Patagonia. In Patagonia, we stopped at the famed Paton House, where butterflies and hummingbirds abounded, including the rare Violet-crowned Hummer. We finished our day's stops in Tombstone, complete with Boothill Cemetery, cowboys, and saloon girls. 

Later in the afternoon, we made it to the Chiricahua Mountains. Here you can get a really good feel for rugged beauty and how things were and should be. These mountains were once home to the Chiricahua Apache, who rose to fame because of Geronimo, Cochise, and their extreme resilience to the U.S. cavalry. In my opinion, the Chiricahuas provide some of the most breathtaking scenery in SE AZ. There's something about sitting on a boulder overlooking valleys filled with rock towers, all with desert and more mountains miles in the distance, yet with no human artifacts marring your view. Times like these are rejuvenating to outdoorsmen and naturalists, both mentally and spiritually. It's humbling to have your breath taken away and get to feel so small and insignificant in a world where humans normally feel so large. Our time in the Chiricahuas was short, but maybe my favorite part of the trip. The higher elevation and rocks in the park provide habitat to a suite of birds a little different than surrounding areas. One of the higher-elevation specialties that's a real knockout is the Yellow-eyed Junco, VERY different looking than our "slate-colored" Dark-eyed Junco. 

Yellow-eyed Junco. I wonder where the name comes from?

A short hike and enjoying the Chiricahua overlooks once more marked the end of our time in Arizona. On the way back east, we stopped in Carlsbad, New Mexico where we had a cool hike through Carlsbad Caverns. This cave wasn't formed like our Ozark caves back in Arkansas, which came about because of water dissolving limestone. Carlsbad was formed from dissolution by sulfuric acid...WAY more extreme. Hydrogen sulfide seeped up from petroleum deposits, mixing with the water and forming the acid. The size of the caverns and its formations are amazing. It's easy to feel small on the surface, but to feel small in a hole in the ground is saying something!

Our stop at Carlsbad Caverns, in the picturesque Guadalupe Mountains, was a great end to our week-long western extravaganza. I already can't wait to go back!

The Great Travelers

For more photos from this trip, visit: http://www.pbase.com/mpruitt/arizona_2015
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