The Good-bye Chronicles: Chapter 9. Carpe Diem/Greenlee County

Black-throated sparrow in Greenlee county 8-1-10 

Now, here is one of the hazards of my personality. As we blow past Wilcox and head north on route 191 I am starting to see so many birds along the roadway. I am so tempted to stop and when I discover that there are two state parks just south of Safford I want Gus to pull into them so we can count birds. But here is where he saves the day for he insists that we press on to Greenlee County first and then if we have time we can stop on our way back, so, on we go.

Route 191 takes a sharp turn east as we enter the town of Safford before turning north once again to Greenlee County. There are not a lot of towns on the map and this is the only road in this direction. Rolling hills covered in brush give way to distant mountains. I can still see ocotillo and prickly pear cactus scattered among the mountain grasses. The hills are getting steeper and closer together. We come to a junction of three highways. On eBird it is called Three Way. I see a rest area with signs for the Clifton Ranger Station. This looks like a promising place to count birds. As Gus turns the car around to head back to the spot I see my first birds in Greenlee County, a pair of mourning doves perched in a low tree.

The road winds up past the rest area to the ranger station, which is closed. We get out and each of us starts looking for the thing that excites us.

Gus is in pursuit of photos.

I am looking for birds.

He spots an abandoned drive-in theater below and snaps away. I hear birds but where are they? I walk slowly towards the sound and find a black-throated sparrow singing from the top of a bush.

In the distance I see turkey vultures, then a few more mourning doves fly by. That’s it. These are all the birds I see. We are here for half an hour, but this is all I see. As I am walking to the car finally a lone barn swallow flies by. I now have 4 species of birds counted in Greenlee County.

We could have turned back at this point but we press on. I want to count more birds and we both want to see what lies ahead. We follow route 191 north as it winds its way upwards. The road is getting ever steeper, the hills are closing in. We cross deep canyons on high bridges with names like Cougar Canyon and Rattlesnake Canyon. I gaze far below me as we cross the low edged bridges. Suddenly we are climbing a steep hill and as we reach its crest and start down the small “town” of Clifton is revealed in the crevice of the earth.

Low gray houses like blocks sit on perched on the edges of steps or terraces carved into the mountainside. I realize that we are entering a mining town and these must be the company houses. Each one sits check to jowl with the other and under the currently cloudy skies all looks bleak and gloomy. How does anyone live like this? This place is so remote. It is hours from anywhere and crammed in this narrow canyon. Each house looks exactly like the other. There is no variety, no creativity. All is about function and making money.

The road levels out at the bottom of the town where the San Francisco River flows through the town. I do not know if it flows all the time but today it is brimming its banks. Railroad tracks cut though the town running parallel with the main street.

We find a little park tucked into the cleft of the mountain and pull in to park. The river flows by along the street and an iron railroad bridge crosses the river. Once again Gus is out taking photos while I count birds.

The river’s edge is lined thickly with willows and brush. I can hear a few birds but they are difficult to see in all the greenery. A white-winged dove flies into a branch overhead but takes off when it spots me. I think I can hear some kind of flycatcher but I do not see it and I am unsure of its call. I think I hear the “cheer, cheer, cheer” of a cardinal but I want to see it first to count it and it never appears. The sky overhead has grown black with thick clouds, a light shower is starting to fall.

Gus has crossed the bridge on the road to photograph the railroad bridge from the other side.

Suddenly the light shower turns into a downpour and I bolt for the car! Gus has no protection for his camera and I know he will not be able to get back here fast enough.

I can only hope he is seeking shelter near one of the abandoned buildings as I jump in and start the engine and head across the bridge as fast as I can. I see him hunched and walking swiftly towards an old building as I round the bend and beep my horn at him. I pull into the gravel parking lot nearby and he jumps into the car. He grabs some napkins to dry off his camera and then he holds it in front of the blowers.

From here we continue upwards to the town of Morenci. The sun has emerged once again as we park the car in this small town. This town must be older and newer. Homes are carved in to the cliffs. They are of varying styles and in various locations. We find a grocery store, a medical clinic, schools, gas stations and shopping centers. Little parks are tucked in everywhere and we even find a town pool. It feels a bit different here than in Clifton but looming over everything is the ever present copper mine. There are not a lot of birds here, but I find another black-throated sparrow. It seems they are everywhere along with mourning doves, white-winged doves and Eurasian collared doves. These species along with turkey vultures and barn swallows are all the species I find in Greenlee country except for a lone Cassin’s Kingbird. That is it. Oh, and a few house sparrows here at this corner where we have stopped.

Once again we get back in the car and head upwards. Now the road runs straight through the heart of the mine. It climbs numerous steep switchbacks through terraces of ochre, red, green and silver streaked earth. The colors of the rocks are amazing, but all is barren desolation around me. I see a turkey vulture searching the steep cliff sides and wonder what he could possible find to eat. This is certainly a place to die but you have to be able to live here first! We reach the crest of the mountain and we are both stuck by a stark contrast. On one side of the road the huge Coppermine drops into a multi- colored and multi-layered pit where trucks larger than a house haul chunks of rock away to be processed and dumped.

    The mine is on the right side of us as we are heading north, but on our left is a spot with unspoiled landscape, rolling hills, mountain peaks, and rocky crags. It all tumbles away into a gorgeous vista.

I cannot help but think to myself, who saw all this beauty and said, let’s dig this up! I know I know, I am not a business man or a miner but really, is this worth it? How long will it take for this land to heal when and if they ever stop extracting these minerals? As if to emphasize the difference in our opinions and what we value we drove just a mile or two farther up the road where a sign is posted for a “Scenic view”.

We drive into the Scenic View parking lot where there is a Ramada for shade and gaze down into the depths of the mine. Behind us the unscathed landscape tumbles away to the horizon.

After leaving the Scenic View we drive a few miles more to the edge of the mine. It is now almost 3 p.m. and we realize we have to turn back. Out of curiosity I reset the car’s trip meter to see how many miles of road are within the boundaries of the mine. It takes us 20 minutes to cover the 12 miles of road from border to border. I have no idea just how wide this mine is, but it sure does take up a big chunk of the landscape.

Birds Seen In Greenlee County 8-1-10

1. Turkey Vulture
2. Eurasian Collared-dove
3. Mourning Dove
4. White-winged dove
5. Cassin’s Kingbird
6. Barn Swallow
7. Black-throated sparrow
8. House sparrow

The Good-bye Chronicles Chapter 8: It’s Never Too Late for Another Life Bird!

Western Screech Owl Life Bird #385

Pam’s Backyard View of the Catalina Mountains 7-23-10

Black-throated sparrow on Ocotillo 7-23-10

Juvenile Abert’s Towhee 7-23-10

My friend and IBA partner has invited me to come to her house near the Catalina Mountains to see the Western Screech Owl that hangs out in her eaves.  I have never seen a Western Screech Owl, so I am eager to visit and see this bird for myself.  But there is another reason for me to go.  Pam will be leaving soon for a three month long trek around the western mountains.  She will leave on August 1st and I will be gone before she returns. This is my last chance to see her before I go. I arrive at her house around 9 a.m. and she shows me where “Olivia,” as she has affectionately named her, hangs out. I peek quietly around the corner at the object of my desire and marvel at the soft gray beauty of her.

Pam and I spend the rest of the morning drinking ice water and chatting in the shade of her back patio.  We talk about the future and our plans and where we have been and where we will go.  It all seems so casual and normal to me and finally the hours have ticked away and it is time to say good-bye.  Another friend has come to visit and Pam introduces us and then we walk to my car. I say a calm good-bye and get inside and close the door.  Pam and friend turn their backs to walk into the house through the garage.  All is well, but then it hits me like a load of limestone!  I will not see her again!

Suddenly I am out the door and chasing Pam into the garage. “Pam!  Pam!”  I call out frantically. I run to her and hug her. I am crying now.  “I will not see you again,”  I say!  “I am going to miss you!” Pam hugs me back as I cry on her shoulder. Now we have said a proper good-bye. I wipe my eyes and turn back to my car.  Now I really know.  Now it has really hit me.  I am really moving and there are more good-byes to say. 

This one is just the beginning.My World Tuesday 

 

Birds Seen at Pam’s House today:

Location: Pam's backyard
Observation date: 7/23/10
Notes: Watched birds with Pam from her yard. Storm clouds over the Catalinas. Hot and humid. Got pictures of screech owl. My first time ever seeing one!
Number of species: 18
Gambel's Quail 2
Turkey Vulture 4
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
White-winged Dove 15
Mourning Dove 6
Western Screech-Owl 1 ****Lifer! It hangs out on the patio under the roof line on top of a brick ledge.
Costa's Hummingbird 2
Gila Woodpecker 1
Common Raven 1
Purple Martin (Desert) 2 Chasing Cooper's hawk
Verdin 1
Cactus Wren 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
Abert's Towhee 1
Black-throated Sparrow 2
House Finch 12
House Sparrow 4
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

I Will Sip Sweet Wine in the Desert

Sycamore Canyon Sunset 6-14-10

It’s the end of another busy day in Sycamore Canyon. All day I have watched the birds in my yard feeding their young, feeding themselves, and drinking from the water fountain or birdbath. Water is very scarce at this time of year and it will often draw birds into the yard that seeds and suet do not. I saw an ash-throated flycatcher land on the block wall this afternoon but when it saw me it did not venture into the yard. I am still doing battle with ants but I think I have the bees outfoxed for now. The battle with the ants would be a bit easier of the Gila woodpeckers did not hang from the feeders and spill nectar on the ground or the table!

We have had a bit of a break from the heat here in Sycamore Canyon over the weekend and even today the air was comfortable in the shade. I love living here because I can be outdoors at almost any time of the year. The heat rarely drives me inside anymore since I can sit under my covered patio in the shade. I have amazing birds in my yard almost every day and now and then a few surprises to boot. The diversity of wildlife, plants and birds is absolutely amazing. Since moving here I have heard coyotes howl and Sonoran Desert toads sing. In the summer I watch nighthawks and purple martins flutter through the sky, in the winter I see raptors hunt my bird feeders and land within feet of my den window. In 30 seconds I can be out the front door and in the canyon walking amongst cacti, creosote bush, mesquite and Palo Verde. Red cliffs tower above me while deep sand and gravel crunches beneath my feet. I am lost and found in the desert. It is a place to love.

Mt. Fagan 6-14-10 

Tonight I will sit on the patio and sip sweet wine as the sun sets in the west casting its rose-gold glow onto the slopes of Mt. Fagan. I am thinking about my life here and all that it means to me.

Sweet Wine in the Desert 6-14-10

Sweet Wine in the Desert

I will sip sweet wine in the desert

While the nighthawks fly through the sky

And black-throated sparrows sing their silvery song

as the sunlight slips from the sky

‘till purple dusk over takes me

And the stars twinkle into the night

I will sip the sweet wine of the desert

As I slip into this desert life.

~kathiesbirds (6-14-10)

My World: Silver Bells in the Desert

Black-throated sparrow 11-15-09 Saguaro NP

This past summer I modified my bird feeding to discourage the presence of pigeons in my yard. I quit feeding sunflower seeds or any type of mixed seeds. I also quit putting out quail blocks. Instead I kept two thistle or nyjar seed feeders full as well as a peanut feeder, which attracts the woodpeckers and cactus wrens along with a few house finches willing to work that hard to dislodge a seed. While it cut down on the number of birds I was seeing, it also attracted the more desirable birds, such as lesser goldfinches and in the winter, pine siskins. So, it was an utter surprise and delight one day when I noticed a family of black-throated sparrows hanging around beneath the thistle seed feeder.

Black-throated sparrow in my yard 8-7-09

At first the parent bird would grab a tiny black seed in its beak, then it would put it into the mouth of the juvenile. Next I was totally surprised when the black-throated sparrow hopped up on said feeder and proceeded to pull out the seed for itself. I have now seen this behavior several times and it always surprises and delights me.

Juvenile black-throated sparrow escapes the heat in my back yard 8-7-09

These sweet black-throated sparrows are native to AZ and I saw my first one at Picacho Peak over 3 years ago. I always thought of them as wild desert birds singing their silver song in the desert. I had no idea that they would not only come into my yard but that they would eat from my feeders. This is just one more pleasure in my new desert life. Not only do I have Black-throated Sparrows in my yard, but I also have the chicks. You can tell the juvenile from the parent by the lack of the black throat which is replaced by streaks instead. The sexes are identical, so I don’t know who is who in that regard, but it doesn’t matter. These tiny birds are a bit smaller than house finches and house sparrows and I wish you could hear their silvery sounds they make as they bustle about in their daily lives. It sounds like tiny silver bells tinkling. The writer of that Christmas song had it wrong…

Top view of Black-throated sparrow 11-15-09 Saguaro NP

“Silver bells…silver bells…it’s Christmastime in the desert…ting-a-ling, hear them ring…soon it will be Christmas Day!

And that's MY World Tuesday!

Click on the link to read my Poem,

The Silver Song of the Desert

My World: Saguaro National Park East

Catalina Mountains as seen from the Javalina Picnic area 11-15-09

Driving away from Agua Caliente Park the warm autumn sun bathes my car in sunlight. I drive into town to purchase my lunch then head east to Saguaro National Park’s Rincon unit. Saguaro National Park is divided into 2 separate sections with the Tucson Mountain region on the west and the Rincon Mountain unit on the east. Tucson lies in the great bowl between these two mountain ranges, a hub of activity surrounded by quiet nature.

Though the western section of Saguaro National Park is the most visited the eastern park is larger and more peaceful to me. I drive here now with my lunch and take the turn to the Javalina Picnic Area which is located to the south and west of the 8 mile loop road. I have spent all morning with Celeste and her husband in Agua Caliente Park in Northeast Tucson. It is such a beautiful day that I am not ready yet to go inside. With Gus at home watching football I have his blessing to stay out and enjoy myself.

Antelope ground squirrel 11-15-09

I am no sooner seated at a picnic table before the little creatures start to emerge. First an antelope ground squirrel scurries up. It looks at me inquisitively testing to see if I will offer it a bite to eat, but I do not. Not only is it against park rules, but I do not want this little creature to come to depend on humans for its existence. Shortly after the ground squirrel makes its appearance a cactus wren hops by. It twists and turns and investigates before moving off into the brush once again. Hmmn, I think perhaps these little guys have been fed by someone before me!

Black-throated sparrow 11-15-09

Soon I hear the chatter and calls of some Gambel's quail. They walk so close to me that I can almost reach out and touch them. No one harms the critters here and you can tell they have pretty much lost their fear of man. Oh that the world could always be like this! As golden sunlight bathes the desert in its warm light I hear the silvery sound of a black-throated sparrow as it flits up onto a nearby rock. I love these pretty little birds with their black caps and white eye stripes. I love their bell-like voices that flutter over the desert. This little bird seems to be alone today as it flies to a nearby bush, then disappears into its habitat.

Rufous-winged sparrow 11-15-09

All around me is warmth and sunshine and peaceful solitude. With my lunch finished I pack away the remnants, then wander the hillside searching for birds. Two little rufous-winged sparrows hop out of the brush searching the packed earth for food. I watch their little hops in the dirt. I see their small bodies casting long shadows over gravel. Everything is a bit distorted and over dramatized in this late autumn light.

Before me the rocks glow with autumn-colored lichen forming beadwork on its surface.

Even the sharp spines of teddy bear cholla glisten in this dazzling light.

Western view from the rocks above the Javalina Picnic Area 11-15-09

A gentle breeze riffles my hair blowing stands into my eyes. I search the cliffs and mountains ridges around me. I search the sky for motion, but all is still and quiet. So quiet!

The Javalina Picnic Area sits down in a bit of its own bowl. I find it is a good place to bird because usually you can just sit here and the birds will come to you. It is in this location that I saw my first and only black-chinned sparrow. Here I have seen rocks wrens and kestrels, cardinals and hawks. I am walking the rocky rim of the bowl when I see a flash of red down the slope below me and on the other side of the picnic area. I do not even guess that it is a bird. The patch of red is too large. Since I am walking, I catch the glimpse between bushes and cactus. I stop and look through an opening and I see a woman sitting in a chair facing west. The sinking sun has flooded her face with light and she seems so peaceful there. I do not want to stop and stare. I assume she does not want company, so I change directions and walk on. I feel like I have found some bird in its nest. Her location is a secret that I will not divulge. I leave her to her solitude and walk on.

I have spent the whole day outside by now and it is getting late. From the high rocks on the south I stand and gaze to the western horizon which blazes with a cool white light. Deep shadows fall long and dark across the picnic area. I find my way to the car and drive out of the park. My day in the sun and fresh air has left me feeling so mellow. I do not want to hurry home. I do not want this feeling to fade just yet. I decide to take the long road home and so I turn south on Old Spanish Trail and drive the black asphalt ribbon before me. I can’t help but wonder as I drive if this is the way that other people feel when they are high or they have a buzz on from drinking. I have never understood the need for drinking or for drugs. I have always found that nature alone gives me the only “high” I need. But this high has one benefit beyond the artificially induced state of alcohol or drugs, there are no bad side effects, and no hangover the next day. As I turn south on Pistol Hill road the sun sinks below the horizon and I point my car towards home. It has been a very good day in MY World.

To see more amazing places in the world click on the link above.

On a personal note: I am so sorry I have been absent for so long. As many of you know, I have a son in the military who recently moved to a new base. He and his wife are expecting a new baby any day and I just found out yesterday that they absolutley NOthing for the new baby. Nothing! and I mean Nothing! Diane was able to go to a thrift shop and buy some used baby clothes yesterday. They have a crib on order, but they are so new to this base. They have no friends and no family and no one to do a baby shower for them. I spent the last 2 days shopping and sending off boxes. The baby will be here soon. I will let you know when she arrives. It is very hard to be this far away right now. I would go there, but I have my other son and grandchildren flying in from Maine for 3 weeks. Much as I would like to, I cannot be everywhere at once. So send up a small prayer for a soilder and his wife and a new baby about to enter this troubled world. And in case you haven't noticed, I am not very good at keeping up on Facebook! I am not shunning anyone, I just would rather blog first and Facebook later if I have time!

My World: Sycamore Canyon

My World is Sycamore Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains of Southern Arizona. I have only to step out my door on a chill January morning with my new friends Carolyn and Daniel. We hike up the mountainside trying to find the path down into the canyon. Steep cliffs and cactus greet us everywhere. A stiff wind blows through our bones. A pair of Red-tail hawks fly up from below the cliff as I search for the path we need to take. Finally I find it and we head down, down, down into the gravelly wash.

Daniel and Carolyn have recently completed their training to be volunteer naturalists at Sabino Canyon. Down in the wash Daniel points out to me this twig of a mesquite tree that's been girdled by an insect. Though it looks like someone has neatly cut it, an insect actually did this. It lays its eggs in the cut on top where the sap no longer runs. Soon the larvae will hatch and eat their way through until the thin branch drops to the ground as if cut with pruning shears.

Though we are looking for birds there are signs of insect life all around us. A preying mantis egg case glows golden in the early morning light. Though it appears dry, it is really a promise of spring time, with new life growing inside.

Above us we hear the croaking of ravens and crane our heads to watch their powerful flight.

They perform a black ballet in a sea of blue and fly off over the rim and out of sight.

Another egg case hangs on a twig peppered with holes from a wasp. She has laid her eggs on this food source for her young. No preying mantises will emerge from this egg case in the spring. I do not know when the wasps will appear. All is life, death and beauty out here in the desert.

We turn north down the wash with silver sand beneath our feet. Down here in the Canyon we are somewhat protected from the biting wind. The sun has risen higher now and finally starts to warm us. It has coaxed the birds out also and the verdins sing from the trees. Sparrows flit about furtively and dive out of sight before we can identify them. We find a few Brewer's sparrows, and I hear the black-throats sing. A pair of canyon towhees pops up on a bush for one brief moment, then ducks for cover again. Beyond them a Pyrrhuloxia appears back-lit by the rising sun. When it flies to a different bush the sunlight bathes its feathers in light revealing the red eye mask and stubby beak.

I am amazed how tree-like some cactus seem. This prickly pear is so old and heavy its trunk looks like it has bark.

And in a silver teddy bear cholla two cactus wren nests wait for springtime warmth and romance.

Daniel and Carolyn ask me if I know how to tell a Teddy Bear cholla from the other varieties. Daniel demonstrates by removing the sheath from a cactus spine. "Doesn't that hurt," I ask? But Daniel says no. Then he explains that the silvery spines of the cholla cactus are really modified leaves. They help to shade and cool the plant as well as protect it from damage. You can actually grasp the pointed end and slip it off the spine as easily as removing a satin glove. The hard inner spine is left behind, but the sheath is soft as silk. Their flaxen color reflects the sun's harsh rays away from the tender flesh, thus cooling the cactus. So, if you see a silvery cactus shining like silken fuzz in the desert you know it is a Teddy bear cholla.

Farther down the wash the remnants of last summers Monsoon are piled up against the base of this small tree. How it withstood the onslaught of water and debris I'll never know. It stands here now a silent witness to the nature's former fury.

As we near the end of our hike a Black-throated sparrow finally flies up to sing in the sunlight atop yet another Teddybear cholla. I have never figured out how they can stand on one of these cacti and not come away with bleeding feet, but many of the birds do it and many use this species of cactus as a safe nesting place. For now the desert waits as I do, for the healing warmth and renewing rains of spring.

Today's photography comes to you courtesy of Kathie Brown with the 70 -300mm lens. Click on any photo to enlarge.