Skywatch Friday: Morenci Mine Scenic View

Morenci Mine 8-1-10 by Gusto! w/Nikon D90 18-200mm lens

Skywatch Friday

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

Skywatch Friday: Roosevelt Bridge

Thunderheads building behind the mountains as seen through wires of the Roosevelt Bridge in Arizona 6-6-10 Photo taken by Gus with the Nikon D90 and the 18-200mm lens.

Roosevelt Bridge 6-6-10 by Gus with the Nikon D90, 18-200mm lens.

We stopped by Inspiration Point near the Roosevelt Dam on our way home from our anniversary weekend in Payson, AZ. It was 108 degrees F and very windy when Gus took these pictures. Please click on the pictures to enlarge for the best view.

Skywatch Friday

On the Road to Portal

Roadrunner on my block wall 5-15-10

I took this picture of a Roadrunner as it ran along my garden wall on May 15. The shot was taken through my kitchen window on a sunny Saturday afternoon. We’ve been having lots of sunshine here lately with temperatures ranging from highs in the 90’s down to today’s high in  the 70’s.  I woke up freezing this morning and jumped in my new hot tub first thing just to warm up! It’s suppose to be cool again tonight and tomorrow and then the 90’s return.  We still haven’t hit 100 degrees yet this year, but I know it is coming!

I feel a bit like this Roadrunner lately.  It seems like I am always on the go. By the time most of you will be reading this I will be on my way to Portal, AZ and Cave Creek Canyon where I will meet Donna Simonetti and Bosque Bill for 36 hours of high speed birding.  If all goes well I’ll come home with new friendships, 8-10 lifers and tons of great pictures and, of course, more birding stories. I’ll keep you all posted via this blog or my Facebook page! Until then, have a great day watching birds, ‘cause Birds are Everywhere!

For those of you interested in statistics, my Life List for Cochise County, AZ is currently at 110 species.  It was only 82 at the start of this year. My Year List for Cochise county is 77 species. I have only birded in Cochise County twice so far this year. I will update these statistics when I return! Portal and Cave Creek Canyon are both in Cochise County.

Oklahoma City Memorial Photo Essay by Gusto!

 

  

Survivor Tree 3-19-10

Survivor 3-19-10

(Calvin Mosher was on the 8th floor of the Murrah Building when it exploded.)

Remnants…

The Field above the reflecting pool…

 

Reflections

   

In Remembrance of 4-19-95

My World Tuesday!

On the Road Home

TR and Kathie 3-19-10

It is a sunny morning Friday when TR, Gus and I head over to the Oklahoma City Memorial. Gus has put up with me and all my birding, Now it is his turn to do something that he really wants to do. We have been here once before and found it so moving.  Now we are here once again. I think that I will still be able to count birds here, but the truth is, there aren’t many hanging around.  I hear a killdeer, I see a Northern mockingbird, and, finally, 3 house sparrows on my way out. That’s it.  While TR and I walk around surveying the landscape Gus is off by himself taking pictures.  His photo essay will publish on the 15th anniversary of the bombing later this month.

For now I must say good-bye to TR and Oklahoma where I counted 49 species of birds in various locations, including in TR’s yard!

With the car packed and the dog inside we turn our noses west and head for home.  Our route takes us across I-40 and the panhandle of Texas.  I am full of ideas about where to stop and count bird in Texas since we were driving so quickly through it on our way east.  I find a national grassland not far off the road and wiggle with anticipation in hopes of stopping for a good bird count on our way to Albuquerque where we plan to spent the night.  But as the saying goes, “The best laid plans of mice and men do often go awry,” well…

Route 209 New Mexico 3-20-10

The storm clouds gather, the winds pick up and the temperature drops. A check of the weather channel indicates snow storms ahead. We speed right past the grasslands with snow flurries starting to fly. At some point in this mad dash Gus and I change places. While Gus has done the majority of the driving on this expedition, I do give him a break when he lets me, and he lets me now.  But here is where life takes a little interesting turn on us.

Route 209 New Mexico 3-20-10

We stop to get gas and I want a cup of hot tea, but they don’t have any. So, we get in the car and head west with me driving and Gus dozing beside me.  However, I am craving tea like I have never craved tea before.  As the sky darkens and the snow flies I just want some tea! We cross the state line into New Mexico and I see the signs for Tucumcari ahead with several exits.  I notice that one exit says it has a McDonalds and I know McDonalds sells hot tea.  Though I know Gus wants to forge ahead, I vow to myself that I WILL stop and get a cup of tea, no matters what.  So, when the exit comes up I get off the freeway and drive the short distance into the McDonald's parking lot.  Well, right behind the McDonald's is a La Quinta Inn.  We have been staying at La Quinta’s because they are clean, affordable and pet friendly. After purchasing my tea with both snow and darkness falling, Gus decides to check into the La Quinta. Good thing we did.  We quickly discover that we have rented one of the last rooms of the night!  Not only that, but the highway ahead of us is closed down due to the snow!  If we had pressed on we would have been stuck on the highway all night long! I have never been so thankful for craving a cup of hot tea in my life!

 

Route 209 New Mexico 3-20-10

The next morning we sleep in and listen to weather reports.  None of it is good.  The highway between Tucumcari and Albuquerque is still closed with a foot of snow and more expected.  We have to decide before noontime, do we dare to try to get through, or should we rent our room for another night?  We are so close to home and we just want to get there.  We decide to leave. As Gus goes in to check out he meets a couple coming in.  In a short conversation with them Gus discovers that they just got through after spending 8 hours on the highway! When Gus says he will try to get through, they tell him to look outside.  From the hotel we can see the overpass on I-40.  It is a parking lot! Tractor trailers are packed like pigeons in a coop.  There is no room to budge, but we don’t want to lose another day of travel.  We consult our maps and decide to drive down the east side of New Mexico and then head west farther south. With the decision made Gus hands in our room keys and we head south.  As soon as we pass beneath the highway we feel a burden lift from us.  The road before us is wide open and clear. Though the temperature is only 19 degrees, the sun is shining on the high plains before us. We are travelling at 70 mph with not another car in sight.  We have the whole road to ourselves!

Route 209 New Mexico 3-20-10

I gaze out the windows at the road.  To my utter amazement little birds are flying up form the edges.  I soon discover that they are horned larks! Snow is drifted along the edges like fine powder driven by the wind.  It is so cold but so beautiful.  I cannot believe this flat high land.  It is laid out before us like a flaxen carpet sprinkled with silver. Overhead the soft blue sky dazzles me with puffy clouds ships sailing in a tranquil sea. What started out as a hindrance has proven to be one of the most peaceful and relaxing parts of our journey. We are so glad that we went this way!

In spite of the delays, we decide to stop at Bosque del apache NWR on our way home.  Though it is almost 5 PM by the time we get there, we spend the next 2 1/2 hours birding as we drive the loop road. 

Scenes from Bosque del Apache

Western bluebird

Roadrunner

Great Blue Heron Flashing (sunning)

Bosque del Apache NWR 3-20-10

Though the sandhill cranes are gone there were still plenty of birds to see.  I counted 41 species for the day, including some snow geese that were still hanging around.  Perhaps they too were delayed by the storm.

We leave the Bosque around 7:30 PM and head back down the road as darkness falls.  It is well after midnight when we finally arrive home, but oh how good it feels to sleep in our own bed!

Great Blue heron hiding behind the bank of the canal. 3-20-10