VENT. Alabama: Migration on the Gulf Coast

Now that we had our bearings, we were ready the next day for a longer excursion. We met Lucy and Bob Duncan, Florida birders extraordinaire, in Milton, then followed them to Blackwater State Forest in the extreme western panhandle of that state. It seemed like no time at all before we were getting outstanding views of one of our major objectives, the Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Careful management, including controlled burns in the longleaf pine forests this rare bird requires, has had encouraging results, and some sources claim that the population has doubled since the species was first formally listed as endangered. We had splendid views of woodpeckers at nest cavities and feeding in the surrounding pines.

Kevin with Grandpup Buster © Susan Zimmer

Bobwhite thing © somebody

ITINERARY:

July 15 – attempted afternoon visit to Sweetwater Wetlands (closed due to severe storms the night before, substituted in Christopher Columbus Park (23 species)

July 16 – Desert Meadows Park in Green Valley, Santa Rita Experimental Range, Madera Canyon (Santa Rita Lodge, Amphitheater parking area, Proctor Road, Whitehouse picnic area), La Canada Drive in Sahuarita; evening owling in Florida Canyon (71 species; 83 total)

July 17 – Sahuarita desert areas, Box Canyon, Amado Sewage Pond, Bridge Road in Tubac, Patagonia, Paton Center for Hummingbirds, Harshaw Canyon (78 species; 107 total)

July 18 – Ruby Road to Sycamore Canyon, Patagonia Roadside Rest Area, Sonoita Grasslands (including Las Cienegas), Ash Canyon (73 species; 119 total)

July 19 – Carr Canyon all morning (including Reef Townsite and Ramsey Vista campgrounds), Miller Canyon in afternoon (Beatty’s Guest Ranch), Hereford; evening owling in Brown and Carr Canyons (74 species; 139 total)

July 20 –lower Carr and Miller Canyons, Coronado National Monument, drive to Douglas with roadside birding along Highway 80 and Portal Road; Four Bar Cottages, George Walker House in Paradise, East Turkey Creek, Southwest Research Station, night drive to Rodeo (78 species; 148 total)

July 21 – upper elevations of Chiricahuas including East Turkey Creek, Onion Saddle, Pinery Canyon Rustler Park and Barfoot Park); afternoon to Jasper’s feeders, Four Bar and Portal Road; evening owling to Paradise Road and Cave Creek Canyon. (78 species; 164 total)

July 22 – Foothills Road and Bob Rodriguez’s feeders in early morning, upper elevations of Chiricahuas up through Paradise (including the cemetery), over Onion Saddle, briefly up to near the Barfoot junction and down Pinery Canyon; Cochise Lake and Twin Lakes Golf Course pond in Willcox. (102 species; 182 total)

July 23 – departures for home (182 total species)

KEY:

T = areas in and around Tucson

S = Santa Rita Mountains (Madera, Florida, and Box Canyons, Santa Rita experimental range, Green Valley, Sahuarita, Amado)

P = Nogales, Patagonia, Tubac and Ruby Road

H = Huachuca Mountains, Sierra Vista, Sonoita Grasslands

C = Chiricahua Mountains, Rodeo, Willcox

Underlined species indicate birds of very uncommon occurrence or species of such low density as to be easily missed

Bold-faced species indicate birds of rare, casual or accidental occurrence; also species that are regular in occurrence, but in such low densities as to be easily missed