More from Huachuca Canyon

Here are a few more photos from Huachuca Canyon:

Dusky Capped Flycatcher

Dusky Flycatcher

Painted Redstart

Wild Turkey

 I did stop by the Gift Shop at San Pedro National Conservation Area and picked up a couple photos there as well:

Western Screech Owl

Blue Grosbeak

Birding the San Pedro River

The San Pedro River offers wonderful year round birding. Springtime brings migrants - the orioles and tanagers are always photographable. Yet it offers a wide variety of other birds as well:

black chinned sparrow singing away at 6:00 am

black headed grosbeak

common ground dove

green tailed towhee

lark sparrow

the seemingly always present western screech owl

white crowned sparrow

and the occasional white tailed deer

Speaking of Owls

I'll get back to the New Year's Babies tomorrow, but for today, and since yesterday was about Owl Babies, I thought I'd mention that we have a Western Screech Owl that's been staying with us for two weeks now. He's a bit shy, and stays in a place that's difficult to get a photograph, but obviously a place where he is well protected. 

Here's the best photo I've gotten so far:

Western Screech Owl

Best Wildlife Photos of 2016: Western Screech Owl

Owls make wonderful photographs. Here is a Western Screech Owl that is so camouflaged that it is almost a "hidden picture." It was taken at San Pedro River in a huge 200 year old cottonwood tree:

Western Screech Owl

Owling in Madera Canyon

A few words about searching for Owls. Looking for Owls is very different than other birds. First, as a general rule Owls are the color of tree trunks, except for Snowy Owls which are the color of ..... well, snow. And then of course there are Barn Owls, which not only aren't the color of barns, they really aren't much of a color of anything.  So, the Western Screech Owls that I was looking for in Madera Canyon are well camouflaged when sitting on a large tree branch, which of course is where they usually are during the day. They sit still so movement doesn't catch the eye. Also as a general rule they are silent during the day. So, you can't find them by movement. Nor can you find them by sound. You have to stop and scour each and every tree hoping to spot one. 

I started out Wednesday morning taking the Bog Spring Trail to the Four Spring Trail, walking the full length of the Four Spring Trail. Why? Well, because it had been reported that four Western Screech Owls had been seen on the Four Spring Trail two days prior. Upon reaching the end of the Four Spring Trail I decided to retrace my path hoping that maybe a different angle would produce a favorable result. (That has happened to me before. Once in Miller Canyon I was looking for Spotted Owls and on my return "spotted" one that I am sure was there when I passed the first time).  Anyway, as I got a quarter mile or so back up the mountain it started to rain  ..... HARD!  By the time I got back to my Jeep I was thoroughly drenched.

Although no luck on the Western Screech Owl Wednesday, the hike was nonetheless invigorating and inspiring. Here is a photo from a couple years ago of what I was looking for:

Western Screech Owl in nest in Sycamore Tree, Ramsey Canyon, Arizona

Nests - Part V

Like the Elegant Trogon, Owls often nest in hollowed out tree trunks. The first photo shows a Western Screech Owl nest in a Sycamore tree just like the Elegant Trogon. The second photo is of two baby Great Horned Owls in a Eucalyptus Tree just across the street from us.

Western Screech Owl in Sycamore Tree

Great Horned Owlets

Western Screech Owl

While we are on the subject of owls, Ramsey Canyon which is two canyons north of Miller Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains, is another favorite birding spot. It is run by The Nature Conservancy and just outside the little visitor's center is a large Sycamore Tree that a Western Screech Owl nests in. Sycamore trees are found alongside creek beds in Southern Arizona so they are an ideal spot for birds. Just as in the photo above they provide a natural nest, requiring very little effort to create. Just a little housecleaning, that's all. So, they are home to many nesting birds. In addition to the Western Screech Owl, Sycamore Trees are a favorite place for the Elegant Trogan (which I have shown you in almost the identical photo -- but in a Sycamore Tree in the Chiricahua Mountains further east). The nests can go down the tree trunk a foot or more so birds nesting are not often seen. It's only when they come up like this owl and "perch" on the opening. I just happened to be in the right spot at the right time -- true of most good photographs. On the other hand a mountain lion could have walked right by that tree two minutes before I arrived (that I missed photographing).