Imagine: you’re immersed in the early-winter splendor of the Chiricahua Mountains. Dawn light on the Chiricahua Mountains (Photos by Narca) The air is brisk and glorious, and, hiking up South Fork, you settle into the depths and subtleties of the season… into the drifts of … Continue readingWinter’s Subtleties
Mexican Chickadee at nest (Digiscoped photo by Narca) Although the glamorous trogons draw most birders to southeastern Arizona and the Chiricahua Mountains, the Mexican Chickadee is actually the Chiricahua’s major avian claim to fame––the only bird which does not reside elsewhere in Arizona. In … Continue readingMexican Chickadee
We’re seeing two races of Hermit Thrushes right now in the Chiricahuas, slipping quietly along the edges of trails. Hermit Thrush taxonomy is complicated and unresolved, with roughly 10 races. Whatever the finer divisions, they do resolve into three basic groups: the bright Eastern forms, … Continue readingHermit Thrushes
At the end of February, Wally, Jo Ann, Jim and Kris joined me for a day afield to Whitewater Draw, a state wildlife area north of Douglas, Arizona. Weather couldn’t have sparkled more! And the birds were feeling both the warmth of the day (after … Continue readingMigration!