Southeast Arizona Trip ~ May 16, 1987

Early Saturday morning, Babe and George Webster, Mark Blauer, and I left the A.B.E. Airport for Tucson, Arizona by way of Pittsburgh and Phoenix. After landing in Tucson in the early afternoon, we piled our things into the mini-Blazer we rented for use on some of Arizona's "interesting" roads. Next, we stopped for groceries to tie us over during our two-night stay at the Cave Creek Ranch in the Chiricahua Mountains. On our way out of Tucson, I saw my first White-winged Dove fly across the highway.

Heading east on I-10, we stopped at a rest area surrounded by huge boulder formations. We saw Chihuahuan Ravens feeding on food scraps near the vending machines. Farther east at Willcox Lake, we found Mexican Duck (now a Mallard subspecies) along with Eared Grebe, White-faced Ibis, Cinnamon Teal, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Baird's Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, Western Kingbird, Loggerhead Shrike, and other more common species. Nearby on the Willcox Golf Course, we found a covey of Scaled Quail.

A Scaled Quail on the Willcox Golf Course near Willcox, Arizona.

Back on I-10, a pair of adult Harris's Hawks sat on a telephone pole at the Route 666 North exit.

A Harris's Hawk along I-10 east of Raso, Arizona.

At San Simon, a male Great-tailed Grackle flew across the road in front of us. Along Portal Road, we sighted a light-phase Swainson's Hawk, Gambel's Quail, Lesser Nighthawk, Barn Owl, Black-throated Sparrow, and a Crissal Thrasher that cooperated by coming out onto the open roadway.

We check into the Cave Creek Ranch, unpacked, and made dinner. While eating in our apartment, we were entertained by a mouse going in and out of the heater vent next to Mark's bed looking for scraps. After dark, we heard some Poorwills near Portal but couldn't get a look at one. Farther up the mountain, a Whip-poor-will called, but we didn't hear any owls.

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