Southeast Arizona Trip ~ May 20, 1987

We left Sierra Vista very early in order to reach Patagonia in the morning while most of the birds were still active. Birding early is essential for finding most desert birds. At the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Sanctuary, we saw four Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks fly overhead, and a pair of Gila Woodpeckers were feeding among the large cottonwood trees. Broad-billed Hummingbirds were perched along the road at "Gate 3". The sanctuary was a good spot for flycatchers, which included Vermilion, Dusky-capped, Ash-throated, and Brown-crested Flycatcher, Black and Says' Phoebe, Western and Cassin's Kingbird, and Western Wood-Pewee. Warbler species included Yellow, Common Yellowthroat, and Yellow-breasted Chat. Other birds recorded there were Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Phainopepla, Summer Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, Rufous-sided and Brown Towhee, Bronzed and Brown-headed Cowbird, Lesser Goldfinch, and a 'lost' Indigo Bunting, which was a 'hotline bird' for Arizona birders.

We met some birders there who told us that they had seen the Rose-throated Becard earlier at the famous roadside rest below Patagonia. We headed down there, crossed the road, and joined the other birders already stationed there. After someone pointed out the old Becard nest to us, we waited for them to show up. Apparently, they were taking pieces of the old nest and building a new one somewhere farther back on the "Circle Z" property. While waiting for them, we got to see the Thick-billed Kingbird on its nest above us in the huge sycamore. While Babe and I were watching a Bewick's Wren going in and out of its nest hole, Mark spotted the male Rose-throated Becard and called us over in time to get a look at its bright throat color before it flew off again. We also saw Hooded Oriole back at the rest area. We left Patagonia's rest stop and went back to the sanctuary to look for the Gray Hawk. Although we did hear one in the thick cottonwoods, we weren't able to spot it.

We left Patagonia and headed for Kino Springs where the ponds held Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks and American Coots. Around perimeter of the pond were Brown-crested Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwing, and Western Meadowlark. We were on our way back to the Blazer without our 'target bird' when we heard the "pip-pip-pip" call that directed our attention to a small mesquite tree. There, in that tree, sat a pair of Tropical Kingbirds. We watched them as the rain started and the thunder roared. We got to the Blazer just as it started to pour.

Tropical Kingbird at Kino Springs, Arizona.

We continued down Route 82 towards Nogales in a torrential downpour, pulling off the road one time because I couldn't see. With the rain persisting, we checked in early to our Nogales motel and tried to catch up on some sleep. About an hour later, the skies partly broke. We drove up to the nearby Nogales Sewer Ponds and found more Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks. The rains were on and off, so we decided to go into Mexico. We parked on the U.S. side of the border and walked through customs into Mexico. Personally, after 15 minutes in downtown Nogales I was ready to get out of there. Street vendors were constantly hounding us to buy things while I saw someone digging through a garbage can for who-knows-what. The street intersections had no stoplights or signs, so drivers just pulled out whenever they thought it was their turn. We re-entered the U.S. and went back to our motel to recuperate.

---