Box Canyon, Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona

Although we have the Coronavirus Pandemic around the world, people are still visiting our site. This week we have had visitors from: Romania, Germany, Hong Kong, Canada, France, Czechia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey, and Moldova as well as the United States.

Today, I'll show some photos from Box Canyon which is a dirt road up into the Santa Rita Mountains from Arizona Highwy 83 just north of Sonoita to Florida and Madera Canyon. There are some great views, but also great birding.

Here are some photos I've taken there these past two weeks:

Blue Grosbeak

Northern Mockingbird

Blue Grosbeak on Ocotillo

Canyon Wren

Rock Wren

Cassin's Kingbird Singing

Cassin's Kingbird "Hiding"

Bullock's Oriole on Ocotillo

Not very good photo of a Scott's Oriole

Lesser Goldfinch

Lucifer Hummingbird female Drinking from a Western Coral Bean Plant

Arivaca Cienegas, Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge - Part III

More from Arivaca Cienegas, Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge:

Northern Cardinal

Blue Grosbeak Singing

Bullock's Oriole

Grosbeaks

Continuing now with Grosbeaks:

Black Headed Grosbeak Male

Black Headed Grosbeak Female

Blue Grosbeak Male

Blue Grosbeak Female

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

Las Cienegas National Conservation Area - Part V

Other photos from Empire Gulch:

Anna's Hummingbird on Nest

Anna's Hummingbird putting feathers inside her nest

I love this photo which shows the gulch -- along with a Blue Grosbeak

House Wren

Lucy's Warbler

Pipevine Swallowtail

Sacred Datura

Male and Female Summer Tanagers

Whitewater Draw in Early Morning

Getting an early start at Whitewater Draw can sometimes pick up birds that haven't left for the day yet. Such was the case last week. I arrived at dawn and found 20 or so Yellow Headed Blackbirds which were gone within an hour. I also found several Soras that were feeding in more open areas. An hour later they were back in the weed beds and no longer seen. And there were three Black Bellied Whistling Ducks that left within 15 minutes of my arrival.

Here then some photos from Whitewater Draw:

Anna's Hummingbird

Very poor photo of the three Black Bellied Whistling Ducks

Black Crowned Night Heron

Blue Grosbeak

Cassin's Kingbird

Green Heron

Green Heron

Killdeer

Pied Billed Grebe with little ones

Sora

Swainson's Hawk

Vermillion Flycatcher

Yellow Headed Blackbirds

Birding Fort Huachua

First, let me welcome the 131st Country to visit our blog: Malawi. I must admit that I had to look it up to find out exactly where it was -- and some information about it. It is in East Africa bordered by Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique. It is about the size of Ohio but Lake Malawi takes up about a third of its area. And while the population of Ohio is about 11 million, the population of Malawi is about 16 million.

As for birding Fort Huachuca:

The Huachuca Mountains have become arguably the best birding spot in Southern Arizona, which is often said to be the best birding in the United States. Within the Huachucas there is Miller Canyon, Carr Canyon, and Ramsey Canyon all providing wonderful birding. There is also both Huachuca Canyon and Garden Canyon within the boundaries of Fort Huachuca. So it does require a pass to get on the post.

Christine and I went out birding last week early in the morning to try to beat the monsoon rains which can pummel the mountains rendering birding impossible.

The monsoons did finally arrive but not before get some nice photos on the way up Garden Canyon:

Blue Grosbeak

Hepatic Tanager

Loggerhead Shrike

Mexican Jay

Sulphur Bellied Flycatcher