As we were getting ready to leave, an Oklahoma birder parked there and told us that his group had heard and briefly seen the Eared Quetzal that morning at first light at the parking area along Herb Martyr Road just below Cabin #4. We left Morse Canyon and started back up into Pinery Canyon. We stopped at Pinery Canyon Campground, hoping to find the Quetzal, which had been photographed there also a few days before. New birds found there included 6 Bushtits and a Steller's Jay. A Cordilleran Flycatcher posed along a wash.
Right along the road, one of the Spotted Owl's roosting spots was given away by a small group of scolding birds.
We topped the mountain at Onion Saddle, and started down the east side. The views from the winding dirt road are super, but you want to make sure that you're watching the road since there are no guardrails keeping you from dropping hundreds of feet over the side.
We continued all the way down to the town of Portal and stopped at the Portal Store & Cafe for some food. This is the only place where you can get something to eat without doing at least an hour's drive in any direction. There's a phone booth at the right side of the store, which is often used since cell phone service is practically non-existent in this area.
While there, we saw White-winged Dove, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Violet-green Swallow, House Finch, Canyon Towhee, Northern Cardinal, and Blue Grosbeak.
We drove back up to Herb Martyr Road and continued our search for the Quetzal. Since the bird had been apparently roosting near the John Hands Campground on a few of the days, we searched there until dark. White-throated Swift and Bridled Titmouse were a couple of the species present while watching. At that time, we set up tents and camped there overnight with Whiskered Screech-Owl calling nearby.
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