The Azure Gate: Birding Mount Lemmon

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Birding Mount Lemmon - Part X

Birding is all about being in the right place at the right time. Not approximately, but exactly since you may only get a glance before it's gone.

The key then is to put yourself in the place with the most potential -- your best chance of finding what you are looking for.

Sometimes that's not always possible. For instance, yesterday I couldn't leave until after I served breakfast to our guests. I started with a quick look at the Alder Picnic site. As luck would have it, there was a nice male Olive Warbler waiting for me.

My next stop was a walk from the Cookie Cabin to Marshall Gulch Picnic site. Again, as luck would have it just across from the Cookie Cabin was a Red Faced Warbler sitting on a branch cleaning himself (for at least five minutes). A little further down, another Red Faced Warbler. There were a few other birds but I think as time passes, birding slows down as more people walk, run, or drive up and down the road.

My next stop was Incinerator Ridge. I started at the bottom but not much going on. However, at the top it was so birdie that it was difficult to keep up. I had to decide what to photograph. I started just taking photos not always sure what I was photographing. Case in point, there were lots of Pygmy and White Breasted Nuthatches -- it wasn't until I got home and downloaded photos that I saw a Red Breasted Nuthatch among the photos. Just one, but it was good enough.

In a matter of three minutes or so, photos of Townsend's, Hermit, and Red Faced Warblers. Then there was another bird that appeared to be a fledgling that I have yet to identify. I'll show that as well. And lots of Hermit Thrushes, Mountain Chickadees, a nice Warbling Vireo ...

My next stop was going to be Rose Canyon Lake, but I was having too much fun at Incinerator Ridge so I never got to RCL. "I ended up taking 604 photos."