For the past nine days Molly and I have rented a super condo from Jim, about one mile south of the United States Forest Service Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. This area allows us to easily escape into the desert wilderness, but also utilize Tuscon’s bicycle riding lanes and trails.

After I finished work upon the materials I will soon present to the Minnetonka Birding Club, I took one last bicycle birding trip over to the Canyon. Before I get to this morning’s birds, all are welcome to attend my presentation. There is no admission charge. I will speak about birding northeast Minnesota and the use of super zoom cameras in birding photography.

• Rich’s Presentation to the Minnetonka Birding Club
• Friday, March 2nd from 10:00 to 11:00 am
• Minnetonka Community Center

On to this morning’s birds … one final lifer!

Anna’s Hummingbird (lifer)

Ladder-Back Woodpceker

Phainopepla

Northern Mockingbird

I decided another visit to Madera Canyon was required (previous post). After all, how often do you get to search for the Elegant Trogon? Well, my Minnesota roots told me to arrive by sunrise. Thus, I drove the first car into the Proctor Road parking lot just a few minutes before the sun popped above the mountain ridge to the east.

Apparently I forgot to ask the birds if like Minnesota birds, they get up with the sun. Although this boy from the frozen Northland did not consider an air temperature of 38F cold (sun and no wind), the local birds begged to differ with me. For the next 90 minutes I hiked the mountain trails and saw zippo (or almost). Finally, when the air temperature soared into the mid forties the birds became active. Alas, four hours of hiking did not yield an Elegant Trogon, but I did see and occasionally photograph a lot of neat birds. For those of you who know the canyon, I never visit the Lodge’s bird feeders. I preferred hiking in the woods. It is cool when you reach a certain elevation and the habitat suddenly changes.

My rarest find was a pair of Montezuma Quail (lifer)

The ever present clown bird … the Acorn Woodpecker

It’s bigger cousin … the Red Naped Sapsucker (lifer)

A Painted Redstart (lifer) that would never stand still, let alone show its head.

Everyone said visit Madera Canyon, which is a north facing gorgeous canyon / mountain area about 35 miles north of the Mexican border with Arizona. The fact that it is both north facing and at a higher elevation means the climate is much cooler than in nearby Tucson, and one finds “exotics” in terms of birds which cross over from Mexico. Many of these birds are not found anywhere else in the United States. In addition to the USFS web site previously linked in this post, check out the Friends of Madera Canyon organization web.

Our visit towards the end of February was not idea for birding, as most birds wait till Spring and life giving rains before they return to the canyon, but we still had a great time and saw some neat birds. The hiking was also gorgeous.

Acorn Woodpecker (lifer)

Arizona Woodpecker (lifer)

Bridled Titmouse (lifer)

Hepatic Tanager (lifer)

Mexican Jay

Yellow-Eyed Junco (lifer) (a bird with a serious attitude!)

Here are the details of our seven mile hike starting from the first picnic area … Proctor Road. Our elevation gain during the hike was about 1,600 feet.

Finally I have to include two photos I took this morning when I took a bike ride from Catalina State Park, another great location. Unlike yesterday’s hike, in 90 minutes of cycling this morning I only gained about 70 feet in elevation … definitely down in the flatlands, but with some nice vistas.

Early Morning Great Horned Owl

Bike Ride Vista