Long before daybreak the group met in the McDonald's parking lot in Green Valley. Once everyone arrived, the carpooling was arranged and the ground rules set for the day. There would be no wondering off under any conditions, the entire group must stick together at all times. If you need to pause for a moment behind a tree the group will certainly wait for you.
After an hour or more of driving we finally arrive in the parking area/campground for Sycamore Valley. Our anxious group moved briskly descending into the canyon. The air felt 20 degrees cooler than what I had woken up to in Tucson. I was under prepared, wishing for gloves and a hat. During the first portion of our walk most of the chatter came from fellow Audubon members instead of the birds. The main topic of conversation were the reports of illegal immigration incidents along our route. What incidents actually took place were left to the imagination. Was it just an encounter, robbery, or a brutal attack? Are we looking for a crazy Mexican leader with a machine gun as one person described a friend of a friend of a friend seeing... From what several were saying, it is very rare for Audubon to take trips so dangerously close to the border these days.
Once the warm sun hit the west canyon wall the group's attention shifted to the sudden spring of life. I had been wondering if we would see anything walking so quickly, talking, and making racket in the loose stones. But before long, we found ourselves on the edge of a flock that didn't seem intimidated. The trip leader even made a comment to keep talking because the chatter might grab their curiosity and draw them in. Everyone laughed, and the birds drew closer. I began to loosen up. It started with dozens of Chipping Sparrows and Dark Eye-d Juncos but before long we were looking at Ruby Crowned Kinglets, a flock of Montezuma Quail, Acorn woodpeckers, Red-Naped Sapsuckers, and 3 kinds of Wrens (Rock, Canyon, and House). A belted Kingfisher dashed through just long enough to get everyone excited and talking about the Green Kingfisher. From what i could tell, very few had ever seen the green variety. We had two wonderful looks at the Townsend's Solitaire, followed by the Townsend's Warbler, and Black throated Gray.
We reached our turn-around point near a pool of deep green water with plenty of room to stretch out in the sun. A few people complained about not going further, while others commented on 3 miles from the boarder being plenty close enough. Our walk back was quieter. The group spread out and started shedding layers in the sudden heat. By 10 am most of the birds were silent and attention shifted to the insects, vegetation, and frogs. The onset of what seemed like 20 or more species of Butterflies hovering over wildflowers was mesmerizing. Conversations turned to kaufman's new insect book and past birding trips.By the time we were nearing the end of the canyon I was ready to get out of the hot sun and have some lunch. When we got back to the cars there were two Arizona woodpeckers waiting for us over the picnic table. It was a very peaceful ending until a pack of camo covered ATV's came flying through kicking up dust and receiving mumbles from the group. Most of the drive home was spent talking about places visited and where everyone wants to go next. It ranged from the next canyon over to countries all over the world. It was refreshing to spend the morning with a whole group of people enjoying the outdoors even if there was a mighty generation gap.
Location: Sycamore Canyon, Santa Cruz Co.
Observation date: 10/30/07
Number of species: 31
Montezuma Quail 6
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 2
White-winged Dove 8
Belted Kingfisher 1
Acorn Woodpecker 6
Red-naped Sapsucker 5
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2
Arizona Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 1
Black Phoebe 3
Say's Phoebe 10
Cassin's Kingbird 3
Mexican Jay 12
Chihuahuan Raven 3
Bridled Titmouse 25
Bushtit 15
Rock Wren 2
Canyon Wren 5
House Wren 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 12
Yellow-rumped Warbler 20
Black-throated Gray Warbler 3
Townsend's Warbler 2
Hepatic Tanager 2
Chipping Sparrow 15
Lincoln's Sparrow 3
White-crowned Sparrow 8
Dark-eyed Junco 3
Lesser Goldfinch 16
Townsend's Solitaire 1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
