Morse Canyon, Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona

Morse Canyon is on the less frequented east side of the Chiricahua Mountains. The "Prize" for the past month has been three Crescent-chested Warblers. For the first week or two they were providing good looks near the end of the Turkey Creek Road where the trailhead starts.  The last couple of weeks they have been seen more often about a half mile up the trail. It appeared from my perspective that they had built a nest high up in a Ponderosa Pine tree -- maybe 60 feet off the ground. The trail gets steep and the tree is in the canyon floor so you could get a better view further up the switchback -- though a bit further away. Occasionally, they would fly down to the trail just to tease birders/photographers. But while I was there they didn't stay close long enough to get a clear and in-focus photo.

There were always people around looking at or looking for this rare bird. And jockeying around on a  steep uphill trail -- especially for someone with balance issues was a bit challenging. 

The Crescent-chested Warbler has been reported in Arizona less than 10 times. So it is quite special in that regard. But like many warblers, they very attractive.

Although you might be at the right place, at the right time (Morse Canyon early morning) --- it might not be exactly the right place or exactly the right time. Early on in my "birding career" I noticed something. Maybe a brilliant grasp of the obvious, but Birds Have Wings. Yes they do. And, they often use them. Of course, this has all been during the Pandemic, so the birds may have simply been practicing "social distancing."

Anyway, while looking for the C-C Warbler, there were a few other birds around:

Crescent-chested Warbler

Dusky-capped Flycatcher

Gilded Flicker

Montezuma Quail

Red-faced Warbler

Western Tanager

Cordilleran Flycatcher

White-tailed Fawn

Ground Birds: Quail

We are working our way through the Ground Birds and coming to the Quail.

Gambel's Quail Male

Gambel's Quail: Female

Montezuma's Quail: Female

Montezuma's Quail: Male

Scaled Quail: Female

More from San Rafael Valley

On this same trip as the Harrier Hawks, I walked away with several other nice photos:

American Kestrel

Montezuma Quail

Montezuma Quail

Phainopepla

Pronghorn

Savannah Sparrow

Eastern Meadowlark

White Tailed Kite

Montezuma Quail

Unlike Gambel's Quail which are abundant here at The Azure Gate, the Montezuma Quail are secretive birds, typically only found in family groups, and only in the mountains of Southeast Arizona, Southwest New Mexico, and extreme Southwest Texas. It is always a delight coming across one while hiking:

Montezuma Quail

Montosa Canyon

There are two good lists of rare -- or uncommon  -- bird sightings. One is the Tucson Audubon's Rare Bird list published weekly. The other is the BirdingOnTheNet Arizona-New Mexico Birding List which is updated daily. Both have been reporting sightings of the Berylline Hummingbird and the Plain Capped Starthroat Hummingbird. Although I have found and photographed both before, they are so infrequent visitors to the US that I wanted to see and photograph them again. So off to Montosa Canyon on the West side of the Santa Rita Mountains in Southern Arizona.

I have said this before, but feel compelled to say it again, "when you go looking for something specific, your chances of finding it are very bad. Because of all the things in the world, you're only looking for one of them. When you go looking for anything at all, your chances of finding it are very good. Because of all the things in the world, you're sure to find some of them."

The area where these two hummingbirds were reported was about 1/2 mile long and 200 yards wide filled with trees and other vegetation. I think if a Moose were in that area I am not sure it would have been easily found. So finding one, let alone both hummingbirds seemed a daunting task. I started at 6:00 am, and after several hours of walking up and down the canyon in 90 degree heat (and getting hotter) I decided to forego the search for the day. However, as I drove further up the mountain (toward the Whipple Observatory) I came across a pair of Montezuma Quail. Montezuma Quail are small secretive ground birds that unlike other quail do not form large groups. They are usually found in pairs or with their off-spring and that's it. Except for the Bobwhite, the Montezuma Quail is the most difficult quail to find in the US. 

My photos weren't great, but worth showing anyway:

Montezuma Quail -- Male

Montezuma Quail -- Female

 On the way back I went through Madera Canyon and found this Bullocks Oriole that looked particularly handsome:

Bullocks Oriole -- Male

Chiricahua Mountains - the last ones for now

DeWitt Jones, a photographer for National Geographic, once said (he may have said it more than once) that occasionally the nature photographer should leave the camera behind and just enjoy being in nature and soaking up all it has to offer. The Chiricahua Mountains are certainly one of those places to enjoy even without a camera.  When I go, even if I don't come home with lots of incredible photos I feel refreshed and alive. So with the exception of the Tiger Swallowtail - Blue Throated Hummingbird - Arizona Thistle episode, the photos weren't as rewarding as the visit itself. With that, here are the last of the photos from my trip to the Chiricahua's:

Curved Bill Thrasher

Mexican Jay

Montezuma Quail

Pipevine Swallowtail

Variegatated Fritillary

Fort Huachuca: Garden Canyon

Tuesday, Christine and I went for a hike in Garden Canyon, which is on the Fort Huachuca military base. (ID and Car registration required for entrance). It is a wonderful drive, although the last three miles require a four wheel drive vehicle. You should be able to get to the first hike, Sheelite Canyon without a four by four. Sheelite is a narrow, relatively steep canyon with water typically running through it. One claim to fame is the pair of nesting Spotted Owls that live in the canyon. Further up Garden Canyon are two petroglyph sites, and finally Sawmill Canyon and trail. You can continue past Sawmill Canyon but the road becomes Jeep "trail rated" only.  

But, lets go back to Sawmill Canyon where we hiked, and the PRIZE of the day. Whenever I go on a photo trip or hike, I go over in my mind what I expect to see and what I hope to see. For Garden Canyon I expect to see White Tailed Deer -- which I did.  For Sawmill Canyon I expect to see (at this time of the year) lots of butterflies. Well, I wasn't disappointed there either. I'll show you those tomorrow. I also hope to see a Black Bear or a Skunk, or an Owl. I wasn't expecting to see what I saw: a family of Montezuma Quail.

The Montezuma Quail is a rare and secretive ground bird that lives in parts of Mexico and the extreme southeastern part of Arizona. There have been rare sightings in the extreme southwestern part of New Mexico and west Texas. In all cases never more than 50 miles from the Mexican border. We did not see the male, but saw the female with six to eight chicks. All went scurrying in every direction. I was fortunate to get a few photos of the female and one chick:

Montezuma Quail

Montezuma Quail

Young Montezuma Quail