Birding From Dawn ‘till Dusk: Day 3 Vail and Tubac

Mourning dove on nest in Vail, AZ 4-9-10

We started our day with coffee and birds at a friend's house in Vail, AZ. Vail sits at the vase of the Rincon Mountains and at the edge of Saguaro National Park.  Because of this it is rich in bird life and my friend Judy has numerous species in her yard…

… including a nesting family of Harris Hawks! This is the nest in a silk oak tree right next to the Judy’s pool! The hawks and humans mostly get along though the hawks did eat the family cat last year.  You can just see the little baby’s fuzzy face just peeking over the top of the nest.

Meanwhile Mamma or papa keep watch from the utility pole at the corner of the front yard while the rest of the family is off searching for dinner!

Harris Hawks live and hunt in family groups.  This nest site was successful last year also and the family is growing.  I do not know how big it will get before they decide to branch off into another breeding pair.

Mexican Poppies and Desert Bluebells 4-9-10 

When we left Judy’s house we drove along a roadside covered with wild flowers.  I just had to get out and photograph this wild beauty.

View of wildflowers with the Rincon Mountains as a backdrop 4-9-10

Townsend’s solitaire on St. Gertrudis lane 4-9-10

Kathryn and I spent the rest of the day down in Tubac where we ate lunch and meandered through the little village viewing art.  As a final stop for the day we visited Santa Gerturdis Lane, a local birding hotspot just down the road from Tubac.  It is a private road with no through traffic but rich in bird life since the Santa Cruz River flows by.  To bird there you must park on the frontage road and walk in. As Kathryn and I searched the hedgerow for birds I caught sight of this plain looking bird.  At first I thought it was a mockingbird, but something wasn’t quite right. The posture was too upright, the beak too short, and there was no white in the wings. Plus, it had a white eye-ring. Suddenly it struck me what I was looking at and I couldn't believe my eyes for this bird has eluded me for 5 years!  It was a Townsend's Solitaire!  This bird is in the thrush family with robins and bluebirds. A bird of open forest and woodland edges, it is called “solitaire” for a reason.  It is never seen in flocks. The bird perched quietly in the dense brush but I was able to zoom in and catch a ray of sunlight on its body illuminating it just enough for this photo!  Life Bird* number 378 for me! However, this is a yard bird for Kathryn, but she still enjoyed seeing it.

*A Life Bird is the first time a birder see a particular species of birds.  Most birders keep a Life List of all the bird species they have seen in their lives.

 

Sycamore Canyon Update: Today is cool here in Sycamore Canyon with a morning low of 40 degrees at 4:30 AM after a cold front moved through late yesterday afternoon and dropped out temps from 80 to 70 in little over and half hour.  With it came a brief but fierce rainstorm and high winds.  Our low temperature for yesterday was reached late last night. It was 46 degrees at 10:30 PM which was the last time I checked. We started the day yesterday at 63 degrees! Don’t worry, sunshine and warmth will return tomorrow!

My World: Tubac

Under the fading light of December skies we drove to Tubac on Saturday, December 6. It is my Mother's first day here and we drive her to Rio Rico to see Hawk Hill before stopping by Tubac for dinner. We had no idea it was Luminaria Nights but as we pass trough the archway that frames the entrance to the Tubac Embarcadero we see the sidewalks lined with paper sacs waiting for their candles to be lighted.

Tubac is a small town south of Tucson that enjoys a growing reputation as an artist colony. The little town is a winter escape for many snowbirds as well as a year-round residence for retirees. Today the sidewalks are guarded by nutcracker soldiers.

My mother poses with them for fun.

Christmas lights stream across courtyards, and wind around pillars and posts.

Mom and I sit on a sculptured bench...

...while Gus is greeted by Santa Claus.

Our growling stomachs call to us. We find a pleasant place to dine at the Tubac Deli and Coffee Company. Pizza is our choice for tonight. We find a table outside under the lighted patio with strains of Christmas carols wafting through the evening air...

...and luminaria lined walkways waiting for flame...

...while fountains sing their own songs...

...and sculptured minstrels play...

...and a head is bowed in peaceful prayer.

Tubac is a wonderful place to visit with many restaurants and art galleries. I have only started to explore this wonderful part of My World.

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(Click on any photo to enlarge for the best view.)