Postcard from Payson, AZ and Beyond

Pine siskin at the Pine Trailhead near Pine, AZ 6-5-10

With temperatures heading into the rang of 105 degrees farenheight this weekend and the fact that is was our 33rd anniversary we decided to head for the hills and celebrate in Payson, AZ just below the Mogollon Rim. We had never been to Payson, which is in Gila County, and I had only counted birds in Gila County once last year when I barely drove into it after a trip to Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Back then I only counted 15 species of birds.  Now I was going to have the chance to up that total as well as escape the heat AND spend quality time with my sweetheart. So, on Saturday morning with our reservation made we jumped in the car and drove the 3 1/2 hours to Payson.

 

Kestrel in a Pine 6-5-20 at the Pine Trailhead

Once we left Phoenix the drive became scenic and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. After checking into the hotel we immediately went out exploring and ended up 14 miles north of Payson at the Pine Trailhead just south of Pine, AZ. Here the trees towered over us and the birds flew around us.

  A kettle of turkey vultures gathers overhead.  I count at least 18 birds in the sky. Ash-throated flycatchers call from a clearing and a red-shafted northern flicker lands on the ground nearby. We spend about 35 minutes here just in the parking area and I count a total of 14 species of birds.

Back at our hotel I hear a bird calling and find a spotted towhee in the trees near the little bridge. The next morning it is there again along with white-breasted nuthatches and a Say’s Phoebe. While Gus sleeps in, I decided to drive down to Green Valley Park at the end of Historic Main Street to see what birds are out and about.

  I drive past the Swiss Village which is across the street from the Payson Inn where we are staying and down the Beeline Highway to Main St.

After turning west I arrive at the park with its lush green lawns and three ponds.  I park by the main pond and start counting birds.

There are people out fishing from the docks already and birds flitting about in the trees.  Lesser goldfinches twitter and squeak, Great-tailed grackles whistle and call.  A great blue heron is busy doing its own fishing in one of the smaller ponds across the street while barn swallows swoop above the blue waters. In the shade of this weeping willow I find two black phoebes hunting insects along the water’s edge.  It is so peaceful here and so lush compared to the Sonoran desert where I now live.

I like the feel of the trees and the mountains. I liked the park with its fountains and green banks. People are emerging from their homes with their dogs.  I swear everyone in this town has a dog.  I don’t think I saw anyone walking or driving without a dog on a leash or in their car!

But I am here to see birds. When Gus and I stopped by here yesterday I saw mallards and they are still here today, but this time a small flock of Canada geese comes swimming towards me.  It would be fanciful of me to imagine they are here to greet me, but the truth is, I think they are looking for a handout.  Well, sorry to disappoint you birds, but you are on your own! I have been here for a half an hour and realize I need to get back to Gus and the hotel so we can eat breakfast and get on the road.

After a continental breakfast at the hotel we check out and head north once again to Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. We tried to visit the night before but arrived just before it closed at 6 p.m. So, we are back today to see what we can see. The temperature is already rising at 10:30 a.m. and it feels so hot!

Tonto Natural Bridge is the largest travertine arch in the world.  At 183 feet high and 150 feet wide at its widest point, it has an international reputation and draws over 100,000 visitors a year. We drive to the far end of the parking lot where you can get a very good view of the arch from above. The best view is from below however, but you have to hike down a half mile very steep trail. Gus decides to stay up top, but I take my chances and scramble down with bins, camera and water.

This is a view looking through the arch.

Though pines, cottonwoods and sycamores rise around me, this prickly pear on the cliff reminds me that I am still in the desert.

I look above me to the cliff edge where water spills in a glistening curtain to the creek below. Above me the sky is filled with White-throated swifts twittering and darting about. They are joined by a few cliff swallows as well and I am surprised when they suddenly break into a fight with cliff swallows diving at the backs of the swifts! Across the creek I hear a brown-crested flycatcher calling, waking up the forest with its raucous cries.

 

The fish in the creek are undisturbed by its calling.  I watch fascinated from the bridge they swim in the cool depths of the water. I would like to linger here.  I wish that Gus could have made it down here with me to see this for himself.  Perhaps we will come back when it is cooler. I start the hike back up, stopping several times along the way to rest with sweat pouring form my body.  My hair is damp and my skin is hot.  My camera and bins grow heavier with each step. I drink the rest of my water just before I reach the top where I find Gus sitting at a picnic table waiting for me in the shade. We get in the car and blast the AC.  From what the locals tell me, it is not normally this hot here.

We drive back to Payson stopping along the way for me to count birds by a creek while Gus naps in the car. After lunch at the Payson Airport’s Crosswinds Cafe where we have an awesome view of the Mogollon Rim we start on our way home. As we leave Payson I remark to Gus that this is a lot like being in New Hampshire only without the mosquitoes, black flies, humidity or snow! We decide to take the scenic route home instead of going back through Phoenix, so south of Payson we turn off AZ Highway 87 onto AZ highway 188 which takes us past Roosevelt Lake.  The temperature, which was 94 in Payson at 2:00 PM, now rises to 104, then 106, then 108! I have been up since 6:30 a.m. and though I love to look out the windows wherever we travel anywhere, I soon drifted off to sleep. Suddenly Gus wakes me and stops the car in the middle of the road and I am glad he does. Before me the clear blue waters of Roosevelt Lake sparkle in the blazing sunlight…

…and just beyond the road at the edge of the reservoir in a collection of dead trees there are dozens and dozens of cormorants nesting along with a great-blue heron or two.  The sight is simply amazing and I am wide awake now. We are both amazed by the brilliant blue water and in spite of the heat soon hop out to take pictures.

Roosevelt Lake is quite long and we drive mile after mile past the sparkling waters which look so cool and inviting to me.  How I would love to get down there and swim! Ahead of us we see a blue arch rising and we soon realize we will be crossing this beautiful bridge.

 We cross the bridge then take the turn to Inspiration Point where we have a great view of the dam and the bridge.  From reading the informational sign I learn that this is the largest single span arch bridge in he world!  In 1995 is was named one of the Top 12 Outstanding Bridges in America along with the Brooklyn Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge.  It is 108 degrees outside with wind blowing at a speed strong enough to keep a flag unfurled.  Yet we are captured by this beauty and we vow to come back again soon, though hopefully when it is cooler!

North end of the bridge which we had just driven over 6-6-10.

Gus got some amazing photos and he said this was his favorite part of the trip.  I will post his pictures in a separate post. This was definitely the long way home but so pretty.  We had a great time! As for me, I bumped my Gila County Bird List from 15 species to 43! However, I was quite surprised that I did not see any warblers anywhere. I did hear some bird calls that I could not identify, but I never got my eyes on the birds.

Birds seen in Gila County in July 2009:

1. Mourning dove
2. Cactus Wren
3. House finch
4. Great-tailed grackle
5. Gambel’s quail
6. Eurasian-collared dove
7. Northern Cardinal
8. house sparrow
9. white-winged dove
10. turkey vulture
11. common raven
12. lesser goldfinch
13. Verdin
14. rock pigeon
15. red-tailed hawk

Birds seen in Gila County on this trip June 2010:

1. Say’s Phoebe
2. House sparrow
3. turkey vulture
4. House finch
5. common raven
6. spotted towhee
7. Eurasian-collared dove
8. American robin
9. barn swallow
10. western kingbird
11. mallard
12. rock pigeon
13. great-tailed grackle
14. great-blue heron
15. Cassin's kingbird
16. bullock’s oriole
17. acorn woodpecker
18. American crow
19. Pine siskin
20. lesser goldfinch
21. bridled titmouse
22. Violet-green swallow
23. American kestrel
24. Ash-throated flycatcher
25. White-breasted nuthatch
26. pygmy nuthatch
27. Northern flicker
28. mourning dove
29. Canada goose
30. Northern rough-winged swallow
31. Black phoebe
32. white throated swift
33. Cassin’s finch
34. Brown-crested flycatcher
35. Phainopepla
36. Cliff swallow
37. Double-crested cormorant

Catching Up

Since returning from Portal I have been out straight.  I came back that Wednesday night and barely said hello to my husband before falling into bed only to awake at 4:30 and head out the door for our second IBA survey of Sabino Canyon this month.  This time it was a Point Count Survey where we stop at 5 predetermined points along the way and count wherever species of birds we see within a 10 minute time frame.  This gives the scientist different data than when we walk the transect. I got up a bit late and missed the first 2 point counts but was able to participate in the last 3.

After that is was Memorial Day weekend and I spent the weekend watching my grandson while his parents went off to enjoy their birthday celebrations together. Xavier and I had a great time playing with his pool and he is already showing an interest in the birds!  His parents came back on Sunday and Gus and I spent most of Monday relaxing at home. We did take a walk Monday morning in Sycamore Canyon and as usual, I brought along my bins while Gus walked the dog. He and Blossom were soon far ahead of me and as I walked something suddenly fluttered up in front of me and landed spread-winged in the gravel alongside the road.  It’s pattern was cryptic, looking much like old bark or dead leaves.  As I drew cautiously nearer the thing raised its head and acted distressed, as if it had a broken wing.

I recognized the bird now as being a Lesser Nighthawk, but I had never seen one behave like this.  The way it was fluttering I was concerned that it had been hit by a car and had broken a wing.  As I ran through my mind who I could call to try to help the bird it suddenly flew up perfectly normal and landed a bit farther away beneath an ocotillo and glared at me.  As I heard faint peeps in the desert behind me it suddenly occurred to me what was going on here. The nighthawk must have a nest on the ground nearby and, like a killdeer, was feigning injury to lure me away form the nest!  I turned and scanned the desert behind me, not daring to step let I step on these well camouflaged babies.  Alas, I was unsuccessful in finding the chicks but thrilled at what I had witnessed!

On Tuesday morning I awoke hoping to do some blogging but  remembered that my grandson needed to come again this day. I hurried about my morning routine of opening the shutters and letting in the daylight.  As I did I peaked out between the slats like I always do to see what birds are at the feeders before they fly off.  Imagine my surprise when I saw this beautiful Blue Grosbeak perched atop the quail block! I could barley believe my eyes, for I have never seen this species in Sycamore Canyon before and I have never had such a good view of the male bird ever!  I turned and grabbed my camera, which had the short lens on.  I poked it gently between the slats and snapped off a couple of shots.

I can not believe the bird just sat there!  I quickly change my lens to the 70-300mm zoom and try once again.  All the time my heart is pounding and I am trying not to shake!

Blue Grosbeak, species 91 for Sycamore Canyon 6-1-10

I manage to get off a few more shots without opening the slats before the bird finally sees me and flies away.  OH MY!  What a way to start my day! You can see more pictures of the Blue Grosbeak at my Sycamore Canyon Birds blog. I cleaned house like a banshee all morning before Xavier arrived for the afternoon. When he took his nap I processed more photos and started my blog post but he woke up before I was finished and it was late Tuesday evening before I finally got it posted.

I took a walk in the desert yesterday morning feeling the need to see what birds are hanging about.  I had not seen many Purple Martins so far this year and feared they had all moved away due to the numerous starlings I have witnessed here in the canyon.  The starlings have already taken over another Saguaro cactus that used to be home to the martins down by the park and the pool.  I hoped they had not taken over the other colony nesting sites I knew of in the Canyon. To my surprise and delighted the martins were there, chirruping and flittering about together in a friendly communal air-borne dance.  I found a community of at least 9 birds in one location, and another colony of 5 in a different saguaro.  This made me feel much better. They are not here for very long each year and I so enjoy their antics!

This weekend Gus and I are celebrating our 33rd anniversary which happened on June 4th.  It has been a long time since we have gone anywhere special together to celebrate but I got a crazy idea about possibly going to the Grand Canyon since I have never been there even though we have lived here for 3 years.  Well, we soon scratched that in favor of something closer.  Inspired by my trip to Portal and Rustler Park, I found myself craving the mountains and towering pine trees. And, with temperatures climbing into the 100’s and beyond this weekend, I want to go someplace cool. So, after a bit of internet research we made reservations for Payson, AZ up on the Mogollon Rim. Who knows what we will see or do. Tonto Natural Bridge is nearby and the Annual Sawdust Loggers Festival is taking place there this weekend.  I am sure we will have stories to tell and pictures to share.  Now that Gus and I both have our own cameras we can each photograph whatever interests us.  No more passing the camera back and forth or me asking Gus to find and photograph the rare bird I am seeing which flies away as soon as I try to point it out to him!

Have a fun weekend.  I will be back soon!

A Short but Sweet Story

It was a cold winter’s day in New England 34 years ago. Bright sunlight bounced off new fallen snow. Ice crystals formed in the air. The young girl gathered her things from her new apartment and headed down to a class she was taking at a local Christian Counseling Center. The old Mansion served as a home for troubled youth. It sat perched high on a hill overlooking the mill town below. The deep waters of the Quinnebaug River flow dark and powerful past the old mill which formally provided employment for the residents of this small town. The tiny homes of the mill workers are dwarfed by the Mansion above, but nowadays the mill workers are gone; the mansion has become a sort of halfway house, with the mill still selling fabric to the locals.

It is in one of the rooms of this mansion that the Christian Counseling class takes place. The young girl of 19 takes a seat near a window. The room is crowded with those who want to learn to apply biblical principles to help those whose lives have been torn apart by drugs, alcohol and abuse. In 1977 this was new concept and halfway houses sprung up all over the place with little regulation and lots of hope. But this story is not about the halfway house or the counseling class. It is about the girl sitting in the sunlight, looking around the room at new faces and old. She is only 19 years old, in her second semester of community college, trying to find her place in the world.

As she looks across the room, she sees a young man about 4 ½ years older than her. She has known him for about a year and formally treated him like a big older brother. Now she looks at him in a new way as she sees him holding her friend’s daughter. He is laughing merrily, his blue eyes sparkling and for the first time a new thought crosses her brain. “Wouldn’t he make a good father?” The thought is so foreign to her and so sudden that she is sure an angel has whispered it into her ear, and perhaps one did, for later on that afternoon the young man calls her up and invites her out for coffee and pie that very night!

Now the girl is nervous and jittery. What should she do? What should she wear? How should she behave? What does this mean? Darkness falls early in New England at this time of year and with it the evening temperatures. The night feels like black crystal ice, the air is hard to breathe. A knock at the door and she is ready, she follows the man to the waiting car, a old station wagon owned by the Mansion he works at as a volunteer counselor and now, co-director. But what is this? There is another woman in the car! Her name is Kathie also and the young girl knows her. This Kathie is older than her and also works as a counselor at the Mansion. Could it be that the young girl has misinterpreted this as a date?

Cautiously she climbs into the car on the passenger side with the other woman in the middle and the young man driving. They drive the short distance to Burris’s Restaurant and walk briskly inside to escape the cold. The warmth of the establishment brushes her face. The young man leads the way to a booth where he sits with the other woman. The young girl sits across from them feeling puzzled and bewildered. Perhaps it wasn’t an angel whispering in her ear after all. As they order their coffee and pie, the young man starts to explain the situation.

Apparently as he drove north in the cold winter’s night he stopped at the local gas station to fill up with gasoline. Back in those days many gas stations also repaired cars. As he was filling the car with gas, he noticed his co-worker standing there shivering and waiting for repairs to be finished on her car. With temperatures falling below zero he couldn’t see having her wait in the cold, so good-hearted man that he was, he invited her along.

The tension in the room relaxed. She hadn’t misunderstood. Now the three friends talked and laughed as they drank their coffee and ate their pie. When they were finished and the bill was paid, they drove the other Kathie back to the garage where her car was ready and waiting for her. Then Gus drove me back to my apartment where we said good-bye at the door. Yes, this is the story of our first date on February 1, 1977.

In the course of the next three weeks, we went out on a few more dates. I turned 20 years old on February 22nd and on February 26th Gus asked me to marry him. We were married on June 4th of 1977 that same year on the grounds of that old mansion. Over 200 people attended. My birding mentor was there. Our wedding cake was 3 tiers high held up by angel pillars with morning glory vines cascading down the sides. And since my love of birds and nature goes back beyond this date in time, I chose a pair of white doves to sit on the top tier nestled in a bed of moring glory blossoms, instead of the traditional plastic bride and groom. 34 years ago today was the day it all started. Perhaps an angel really did whisper in my ear.

Happy Anniversary of our first date honey! I’m glad you asked me out.

Note: Big January wrap-up to follow!

Where It All Began

Happy 31st Anniversary Gusto!

Yes, this is us, 31 years ago today with my mother and Gus's parents. Being the nature girl that I was, we were married outside under the trees at an old Mansion in New England that has since burned down. I made my wedding gown and veil, picked wildflowers for my bouquet, and wore ballerina slippers for shoes since I always wanted to be a ballerina but didn't have the training or the body for it. Otherwise, I would have gone barefoot!


Our wedding was the first wedding Gus had ever been too. It was raining that day in New England except for a sunny ribbon right across the upper half of Connecticut, where our wedding took place. When the reception was over we picked up all the loose envelopes from our gifts, got into Gus' VW bug, and drove north. I opened the envelopes while Gus drove to see how far we could go for our honeymoon. We had over $500, which was a ton of money in 1977, so we headed to Bar Harbor, Maine after stopping in Massachusetts and Freeport, Maine along the way. There, we spent two nights in Hinckly's Dreamwood Motor Court, which amazingly is still there today. Perhaps someday we will go back and retrace our honeymoon trip which lasted 5 days before we returned to our new life.


On the day we returned from our honeymoon we stopped by that old mansion to see some friends. One of my "friends" was a big old maple tree that grew at the edge of the property. I named the tree Methuselah, since he was so old. His huge tree arms use to reach down towards the ground where I would swing up onto his branches and clamber into the center of the tree, which was like a little room. In the summer his leafy branches provided shade that cooled me, in the autumn he was ablaze with color. Methuselah was my solace and refuge whenever I was sad, angry, lonely, or even happy. I would sit up in the center of his arms and scan the Connecticut country side, or watch chipmunks scampering about on the stonewall beneath. The day of my wedding I thought of going to say good-bye to Methuselah and climb him one last time, for I knew I was changing from a child to an adult. However, I didn't go see my old pal. Now, as I stood on the Mansion property I looked in horror at Methuselah and I new I would never be able to climb him again. While we were gone on our honeymoon a strong storm blew through, knocking old Methuselah to the ground. He lay in pieces across the wide expanse of the lawn and already work had begun to saw him up into firewood. The winds of nature may have knocked him down, but I always thought Methuselah died of a broken heart.