At about 200 meters up the canyon I bumped into another
birder who was visiting from Phoenix. He too was looking for the Rufous-capped
Warbler, so we worked together to improve our odds. Further along the trail we
picked up Black-throated Gray Warbler, Hermit Thrush, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren,
Costa’s Hummingbird and several Lesser Goldfinches. At about 600 meters up the
canyon we arrived at the “dam”, the lower location where the Rufous-capped
Warblers generally occurred...but not today. We continued further up the trail
and scanned the shrubbery and undergrowth intently, but with no luck. We did
however flush-up a male Elegant Trogon, so that was nice to see, being it only
my second sighting. With just a bit more perseverance, but not an ounce more
luck, we finally gave up looking for the Rufous-capped Warbler; neither of us
were terribly disappointed...he had seen them before and just wanted it for his
2014 year list, and I had seen them previously in Panama and just wanted it for
my United States list.
Back at the parking lot we made another effort to find
Black-capped Gnatcatcher, but had no luck. We did pick up Black-headed
Grosbeak, Gray Vireo, Canyon Towhee, and what we thought was a Townsend`s
Solitaire but unfortunately couldn’t get a good look before it disappeared.
After parting our separate ways, I began the long journey
south and east to Sierra Vista via Nogales. The winds were gradually picking up
and the bird activity was slowing. Along the way I decided to check out a bunch
of locations I’ve not previously been to. The first on the list was Tubac, an
artsy town about halfway between Green Valley and Nogales. The best birding
here is in the riparian area, where I immediately added five Gray Hawks to the
list. These were soon followed by Lucy’s Warbler, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Bell’s
Vireo, Barn Swallow, and my second-ever sighting of Rufous-winged Sparrow. At the
Tubac bridge I added Cassin’s Kingbird, Common Yellowthroat, and Cedar Waxwing.
From Tubac I headed to Rio Roco, where I added just one
species to the day-list, Swainson’s Hawk. At Nogales I added another Gray Hawk,
but drove directly through the town and on to Kino Springs. Here I added Say’s
Phoebe, a pair of Swainson’s Hawks, and a pair of Cassin’s Kingbirds. From Kino
Springs I headed to Patagonia Lake where, despite a howling wind, I managed to
add several species for the day, including: Ruddy Duck, Double-crested
Cormorant, Black Phoebe, Great-tailed Grackle, Northern
Beardless-Tyrannulet (second-ever
sighting), Black Vulture, and Cliff Swallow. From Patagonia Lake I drove to the
town of Patagonia, where I immediately headed to the Patons’ House (formerly,
as they have now passed on and the National Audubon Society has purchased the
residence under a joint-venture agreement). At the house were two highlights:
Inca Dove and Violet-crowned Hummingbird.
The day was now getting short, and I had a long drive to
Sierra Vista. Therefore, I decided to call it a day as far as birding was
concerned and make my way to the hotel. The wind was ever-increasing, which was
not likely to bode well for the coming day or two of birding if it keeps up.
Once at Sierra Vista I had a few minutes to check out Ramsay Canyon...well,
sort of. I got to the preserve only to find that it was closed on Tuesdays
(today) and Wednesdays (now scrapped my plan for tomorrow). Back to Sierra
Vista to call it a day.
Total Species for the Day: 72
Total Species for the Trip: 137
Total Lifers for the Day: 0
Total Lifers for the Trip: 2
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