Wednesday. We gave up our morning view at Kartchner Caverns
for the evening view at Catalina State Park.
We’re on the move again. A one-night stop at Catalina State Park northeast of Tucson.
Found a Horned Lizard.
Tuesday. Up at 5am. We’re adjusting to the new time, but it’s supposed to be going the other way!
After all the times we’ve visited this campground, we finally took a trip into the cave today. It’s a pristine cavern, discovered on private land in the 1980s, kept secret until a deal could be worked out with the State to preserve it as a park. Opened to the public after 10 years of careful development. Available only by tour, it has air locks to go through so the interior environment is not disturbed. 70 degrees and 99% humidity. There are dim lights inside. The formations are highlighted with a special flashlight by the tour guide.
Work is going well, as well.
Meanwhile, outside the cavern:
Black-throated Sparrow.
Cactus flower.
Lizard.
Monday. Our last real birding outing of the trip before we leave the prime birding area. A Ramsey Canyon walk; a Nature Conservancy property. An Arizona Sycamore, Oak, and Maple Tree desert canyon with a stream.
1
Wild Turkey
2
Gambel’s Quail
3
Great Blue Heron
4
Turkey Vulture
5
Cooper’s Hawk
6
Gray Hawk
7
Swainson’s Hawk
8
Red-tailed Hawk
9
American Coot
10
White-winged Dove
11
Inca Dove
12
Lesser Nighthawk
13
Broad-billed Hummingbird
14
Berylline Hummingbird
15
Violet-crowned Hummingbird
16
Blue-throated Hummingbird
17
Magnificent Hummingbird
18
Black-chinned Hummingbird
19
Anna’s Hummingbird
20
Costa’s Hummingbird
21
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
22
Acorn Woodpecker
23
Gila Woodpecker
24
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
25
Olive-sided Flycatcher
26
Western Wood-Pewee
27
Say’s Phoebe
28
Vermilion Flycatcher
29
Ash-throated Flycatcher
30
Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher
31
Cassin’s Kingbird
32
Western Kingbird
33
Bell’s Vireo
34
Western Scrub-Jay
35
Chihuahuan Raven
36
Common Raven
37
Barn Swallow
38
Bridled Titmouse
39
Cactus Wren
40
American Robin
41
Curve-billed Thrasher
42
Phainopepla
43
Lucy’s Warbler
44
Painted Redstart
45
Yellow-breasted Chat
46
Hepatic Tanager
47
Summer Tanager
48
Black-throated Sparrow
49
Northern Cardinal
50
Pyrrhuloxia
51
Blue Grosbeak
52
Great-tailed Grackle
53
Brown-headed Cowbird
54
Bullock’s Oriole
55
House Finch
56
Lesser Goldfinch
57
House Sparrow
Sunday. Took a walk. Saw some good desert birds.
The patio around the Visitor Center. This is as lush as it gets in the desert. An oasis for birds and butterflies. Zooming with hummers.
On to Karchner Caverns State Park. A hot desert Park, but we’ve got some altitude; about 4,000 feet, so it’s in the low 90s instead of triple digits. It cools off at night. Verizon cellphone and internet works here. It’s birdy. Life is good.
Time-zone issues. We’re still in the same time-zone as yesterday, but Arizona doesn’t recognize daylight savings time, so we fell back another hour. Two hours in two days. Can’t stay up past nine. Slept in as long as we could. Up at 5:45.
Our view:
