Arizona Trip ~ February 5, 2008

We awoke early for the mile-and-a-half climb up the Old Baldy Trail to where the warbler and the thrush had been seen. It was only 27 degrees and our footprints were the only ones in the snow on the trail until another hiker passed us on the way up. The view of the snow-covered peaks atop the canyon made the temperatures a lot more bearable.

Snow-covered peaks along Old Baldy Trail in Madera Canyon.

We reached the area and found a flock of Bridled Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creepers, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, but couldn't find the warbler among them. We spent several hours there and eventually headed back down the trail in the early afternoon. Other birds seen or heard while up there included Acorn and Arizona Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, Mexican Jay, Common Raven, Hermit Thrush, numbers of American Robins, Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warbler, and Hepatic Tanager.
After stopping at our room at the lodge and getting something to eat, we headed down to Proctor Road to look for the pair of Black-capped Gnatcatchers that had been reported from there. We saw Gila Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Mexican Jays, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Green-tailed, Spotted, and Canyon Towhees, White-crowned Sparrows, and Northern Cardinals, but no gnatcatchers.

Mexican Jay along Proctor Road.

Canyon Towhee near the Proctor Road parking lot.

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