Today was another beautiful day, temps in the low 70’s with gusty 15 mph winds in the AM, less by PM. Our targets today were Montezuma Quail and Rufuous-capped warbler at Hunter Canyon and Plain-capped Starthroat at the Mendoza Alley stakeout in Patagonia. 0-3 on these but had a great day anyway. Hunter Canyon was incredibly quiet re birds. We had far fewer birds than on Sunday despite getting there at the crack of dawn, driving and walking roads for nearly 2 hours looking for MOQU, nothing. As a friend of Bruce’s told him you don’t find Montezuma quail, they find you.
Next we hiked back up the canyon to the areas where Rufous-capped warblers are often found, and not even a suspicious chip. Very few birds overall, but the canyon is definately a place I want to visit in late spring. Seems like it should be hopping with breeding birds.
From there we drove across to Patagonia where on a Mendoza Alley a fellow has bought a lot with a run down building, and appears to be living outdoors, with an outdoor shower, kitchen and is rebuilding the main structure. He has his yard set up with 4 hummingbird feeders and a Plain-capped starthroat nearly every day, just not today. We did get great studies of several other hummers, including at least two Violet-crowned hummingbirds, a female Rufous, a female Magnificent, a male Costa’s, a male Broad-billed, and many Anna’s of various plumages. Curve-billed thrashers sang and one perched in the yard, a Swainson’s hawk made a very fast glide past that I saw but Bruce missed, and we visited again with Steve Tuttle from Anchorage who has been crossing our path daily.
Last stop was at Florida Wash where after an initial flurry of sparrows including Lincoln’s, Chipping, White-crowned and Vesper, as well as several kestrels and verdin.
Tomorrow to Florida Canyon for possible Black-capped gnatcatcher, another try at Rufous-capped warbler, and possible Montezuma quail once again, before a dash to the Phoenix area for Rufous-backed robin and Rosy-faced lovebirds.
Nice Italian dinner near the BW Green Valley Inn where we are staying.