A Birding Odyssey
July 23, 2018
Four Days, 1,400 Miles, and Nine Target Birds. In the summer, residents in the Valley of the Sun look for some distraction from the oppressive heat. They head back to their homes in the Midwest or north to vacation rentals. Birders head out of the valley, as well, to seek out birds in cooler climates.
At the end of June, when birding buddies Susan and Brian came up with the idea of a four-day, 1,400+ mile birding adventure across Arizona targeting nine VSBs (Very Special Birds), I didn't hesitate to say, "Count me in!" Driving across middle America is approximately 2,800 miles – only twice the distance we drove across the region known as the Colorado Plateau.
The route we took consisted of 1,400+ mile over four days to find eight uncommon birds.
Driving across middle America is approximately 2,800 miles - only twice the distance we went on our birding blitz across the region known as the Colorado Plateau. I have been fascinated by the geology of the Colorado Plateau since the late 1960s when my family traveled cross-country in an RV one summer. My young mind saw sailing ships, ladies in billowing dresses, birds and animals in the brightly colored sedimentary rock formations, laid bare in the otherwise flat-lying area by millions of years of erosion. I was dazzled by the dramatic vistas at the Grand Canyon and speechless at the sight of Hoodoo spires in Bryce Canyon and the sheer rock walls of the Mogollon Rim, which defines the southernmost part of the plateau. Where else can one witness such a diverse landscape, from high and low deserts to sandstone cliffs, volcanic ranges and mixed conifer forests?
When he named it Marble Canyon, John Wesley Powell knew there was no marble, but he thought the polished limestone looked like marble. He says, "The limestone of the canyon is often polished and makes a beautiful marble. Sometimes the rocks are of many colors - white, gray, pink, and purple, with saffron tints."
DAY 1. Our first destination was Marble Canyon, 266 miles and just over four hours northwest of Phoenix. The canyon is a section of the Colorado River Canyon from Lee's Ferry – a launching point for river runners – to where it meets the Little Colorado River, which marks the beginning of the Grand Canyon. Our target bird was the California Condor, known to perch on the steel supports of the Navajo Bridge that spans Marble Canyon nearly 500 feet above the river. These magnificent birds have made a remarkable comeback from near-extinction 30 years ago, thanks to a captive breeding program developed in 1983 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The bridge and interpretive center on the west side was worth the stop, but we found no condors.
We pushed on to the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, a 294,000-acre monument managed by the Bureau of Land Management and an international hiking destination. We were particularly interested in the Condor release site, where the public can watch the release of new fledglings back into the wild each September. We could see the cages atop the far-off cliffs and searched through our bins and scope for any sign of the giant birds. Suddenly one soared effortlessly over the top of the cliffs. Then another and another until seven California Condors glided on the thermals above our heads. What a fantastic sight!
Another 75 mile-drive to the northwest took us to Colorado City, a nondescript town at the border between Arizona and Utah. Over the years, its residents have made international news over the years due to their unique living arrangements, but we weren't there to sightsee. We were there to find Black-capped Chickadees, which local birders had spotted nesting in a local park. Typically, their range is in the northern reaches of the U.S. and out to the east coast. After searching for over an hour, we were about to give up when Brian spotted a single bird singing in an Arizona Sycamore.
Black-capped Chickadees typically are found in the northern reaches of the U.S. and out to the east coast, so a report of a pair being seen near the Arizona/Utah border was something we needed to check out.
Feeling flush with success, we headed east, nearly 300 miles and 4.5 hours later, to reach our harbor for the night: Kayenta, a city in the Navajo Nation. We passed through Monument Valley, where years of erosion from wind and rain carved fanciful sailing ships, ladies in billowing dresses, birds and animals into the brightly colored sedimentary rock that loomed out of the otherwise flat-lying area. Since the 1930s, the valley has become the backdrop to many movies, and for decades it was what moviegoers thought of when they imagined the American West.
The high desert of Monument Valley is strewn with fanciful rock formations that have become the backdrop to many movies since the 1930s.
DAY 2. We rose early to hunt in Teec Nos Pos, another reservation city 75 miles to the east. This city is the closest settlement to the Four Corners Monument, where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah meet. The Navajo name of this community translates as "cottonwoods in a circle," which is the perfect habitat for our target bird, the Black-billed Magpie. This remote spot is the only reliable place in Arizona to find this large, flashy cousin of jays and crows. Usually, one can hear these birds before seeing them, but we came up empty as we searched the tops of the cottonwoods that lined the dry wash. Our efforts were further hampered by strong, gusty winds, so when we did find one lone magpie, the distance and wind made it impossible for me to get a good photo.
I wish I'd taken this photo of the Black-billed Magpie we saw at Teec Nos Pos, but it was too far away and there was too much wind.© Maccaulay Library
We had a long, 250-mile drive ahead of us, so we didn't linger. As we descended the Colorado Plateau, the scenery changed dramatically. Gone were the sandstone and volcanic formations of the high desert, replaced by green forested hills and lush, open fields. It felt good to be in the familiar territory of the White Mountains again as we settled into our rooms at Reeds Lodge in Springerville. This cozy inn was built in 1949 to serve early travelers on U.S. Highway 60 and caters to birders and other outdoor enthusiasts. It's comfortable and clean, and proprietor Roxanne, a fifth-generation rancher, readily shares her knowledge about the area and the birds found there.
DAY 3. We started our day at Wenima Wildlife Area, which Arizona Game and Fish manages. Ten centuries ago, Hopi Native Americans settled alongside the Little Colorado River in what would later be known as Wenima Valley. The word Wenima in the Hopi language means "Coming Home."
This corridor of river riparian habitat stretches over two miles along the Little Colorado River and is protected from the elements by a series of crescent-shaped bluffs. It is the only place you can find California Quail in Arizona. Roxanne's father introduced the species to the area in the early 1930s at their Springerville ranch. Today, shooting quail is prohibited in the Wenima Wildlife Area, except for the kind we do with cameras. We were fortunate to get fleeting glimpses and quick snapshots of these elusive birds. Most people only hear them.
We drove south to Greer, elevation 8,356 feet, and hiked the Butler Canyon trail to locate an American Three-toed Woodpecker (see photo page 19). Ornithologists think the loss of the fourth toe, which other woodpeckers have, may allow them to deliver more vigorous blows but make it more difficult for them to climb. We found two adults and one juvenile foraging insects on fallen and damaged tree trunks just a few hundred feet from where we'd parked the car.
Three-toed Woodpeckers are found in a small range within Arizona.
Further up the trail, we located a Clark's Nutcracker, another target bird. This gray bird with black wings is the size of a jay but shaped like a crow, with a short tail and a long, straight, sharp-tipped bill that it uses to pick out seeds from pine cones. What they don't eat now, they bury for the winter.
Our last stop for the day was Sunrise Lake Campground, located just below the ski slopes at Sunrise Mountain Ski Resort. At 9,000 feet and surrounded by Ponderosa and Aspen trees, this campground is a suitable habitat for the Canada Jay, a curious bird that is always looking for food. They'll eat just about anything, from berries to small animals, and they may try to grab a raisin or a peanut right out of your hand. They hoard food in trees during summer to sustain themselves through long winters. The three we found eagerly took the pieces of Fig Newtons we offered as payment for allowing us to take pictures.
DAY 4. The 20-mile driving loop on unpaved forest roads (FR) 117 and 118 passes through high-elevation grassland and mixed conifer forest. The north slope of Greens Peak is a traditional spot to look for the elusive Dusky Grouse, near the top at an elevation of 10,099 feet, where a fire watch tower stands. Within 30 minutes, we spotted our first Grouse, a hen with two fuzzy chicks in tow.
The north slope of Greens Peak is a traditional spot to look for the elusive Dusky Grouse.
Even though we had found our target bird, we spent another couple of hours birding the area. We saw Mountain Bluebirds, a Downy Woodpecker, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Green-tailed Towhees and an Indigo Bunting, which we were surprised to find at this elevation.
HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN. Heading home, we were quiet, each reflecting on the once-in-a-lifetime experience we had just shared. Occasionally, one of us would bring up what an outstanding trip this had been and the things we had seen, the birds we had found. We saw eight target birds: California Condor, Black-capped Chickadee, Black-billed Magpie, California Quail, Three-toed Woodpecker, Clark's Nutcracker, Gray Jay and Dusky Grouse. Five of those were birds I'd never seen before, known as "lifers" in the birding world. The only bird we could not find on this trip was the Pinyon Jay, which will be for another day, adventure and story.
