Birding Juan Bautista de Anza Trail

"Now, a few words on looking for things. 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." Daryl Zero, the Zero Effect

Yesterday, I arrived early at Montosa Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains in hopes of finding the Black Capped Gnatcatchers. Very, very quiet, though. No Black Capped Gnatcatchers. So I headed further south to the Juan Bautista de Anza Trail just south of Santa Gertrudis Lane. There I was hoping to find either or both the Louisiana and Northern Waterthrushes. Although I saw many Lark Sparrows, a few Lucy's and Wilson's Warblers, I didn't find the specific birds I was looking for. 

So what was I to do? I didn't want to come home empty handed so I found a couple of non-bird photos that turned out quite nicely:

Montosa Canyon and the Rare Plain Capped Starthroat

Yesterday, I decided to do something I had never done before. People have been reporting the presence of one or two Plain Capped Starthroat Hummingbirds in Montosa Canyon for over a month. I had gone three previous times looking and only once gotten a glimpse -- including marginal photo taken from quite a distance as he sat on a tree branch.  This last time when I arrived at the culvert on Mt. Hopkins Road in Montosa Canyon I found two gentlemen who had set up a hummingbird feeder. These birders were from Montana and excited about birding in Southern Arizona. I asked one of them who was kind enough to write down his answer (because as you might know I have become essentially deaf). He said there have been two Starthroats hanging around the feeder. So, I was excited and stood by. After a few minutes a hummingbird came to the feeder. The gentlemen said that was one of the Starthroats. He had been so nice I couldn't bare to tell him that it was not a Starthroat, but a female Black Chinned Hummingbird. I knew this because I have gotten close and gotten very good photographs of the Plain Capped Starthroat before.

So, yesterday, I headed out to Montosa Canyon once again, this time with my own Hummingbird Feeder. I put it in the same place as his was, and within 30 seconds there was a male Broad Billed Hummingbird using the feeder. I also took a fold chair, my lunch, water, and of course my camera --- oh, and of course, some insect repellent. It's Monsoon Season here in Southern Arizona which means bugs. Unlike Alaska, whose mosquitos are the size of Texas, the ones here are microscopic, so you don't know that you've been eaten alive until you start getting welts all over your body. Anyway, I sat patiently by for a little over two hours, but no Plain Capped Starthroats. The Broad Billed and his partner, plus one or more female Black Chinned Hummingbirds frequented my feeder. As I said to begin with, I have never done that before, i.e. put up a feeder or use any kind of food to attract birds or animals in the wild. While I didn't get what I went after, it was very peaceful sitting in the wilderness along a stream of running water, enjoying not only the hummingbirds but the many butterflies that show up after rains. That alone was worth the trip.

I did see a nice pair of Western Tanagers although not very close. I'll include a photo of them as well. So, here the's best (?).

Male Broad Billed at my Hummingbird Feeder

Female Broad Billed Hummingbird

I should look this bug up.

What I like about this photo is you get a nice look at the plumage on his back.

A Wildflower I should probably look up as well.

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