Arizona Feathers, Scales, Tails, Shells, and More (Part 3)

Introduction to this Post:

It's way late for me to be publishing this post since it is part three of six days spent in Southeast Arizona last July. Click here for Part 1 of that trip and here for Part 2 of that trip if you want to get the full report of the trip. We encountered so many fascinating creatures during the trip.

Anyway...

Day 4 (July 25th)

I started day four on my own. Eric was between rounds of chemotherapy during our trip so he needed to pace himself and recharge appropriately to manage his energy levels. The sunrise was vibrant following the rains that poured through the night before. The phone image doesn't really do justice to what I was able to observe that morning.

I drove around a few locations hoping to find some Scaled Quail and a rare Painted Bunting that had been reported near Portal in recent days. I didn't have luck with either of those species, but I did find quite a few Botteri's Sparrows, another life bird for the trip. A couple of roadrunners were also getting an early start on the day as I headed back to the lodge to pick up Eric.

Shortly after picking up Eric and cruising along Stateline Road we located a small covey of Scaled Quail.

Scaled Quail Cochise County, Arizona, USA

Scaled Quail Cochise County, Arizona, USA

We enjoyed the landscapes that morning as the sun brought them to light. The Chiricahua Mountains were never far away.

After spending a little time with the Scaled Quail we made our way over to Cave Creek Canyon where I captured this panoramic image with my phone before entering the canyon.

A local birder was kind enough to point us toward a Whiskered Screech-owl roost where we had our first daylight views of the species.

Whiskered Screech-Owl Cochise County, Arizona, USA

I got my first views and images of an Elegant Trogon in the canyon as well. I had a terrible vantage point (directly below), rain was falling, and the sky was gray, but I captured what I could for that life bird experience.

Elegant Trogon Cochise County, Arizona, USA

I watched it catch and eat what appeared to be a beetle.

Elegant Trogon Cochise County, Arizona, USA

Here is an image with a brighter exposure to show a little more detail of the beetle for the entomologists who care to identify it to a species level.

Elegant Trogon Cochise County, Arizona, USA

We returned to the lodge for lunch and to allow Eric to rest a little more. I went out for a short look after the rain stopped and turned up a few more images of the Trogon and a Roadrunner.

Elegant Trogon Cochise County, Arizona, USA

Elegant Trogon Cochise County, Arizona, USA

We were invited to a private residence during the afternoon hours where we were treated to both male and female Lucifer Hummingbirds. It was pretty exciting to see both the male and female for a species I was seeing for the first time in my life.

Female Lucifer Hummingbird Cochise County, Arizona, USA

Male Lucifer Hummingbird Cochise County, Arizona, USA

Broad-billed Hummingbirds were also visiting the feeders at the residence.

Broad-billed Hummingbird Cochise County, Arizona, USA

Broad-billed Hummingbird Chochise County, Arizona, USA

We discovered a Desert Box Turtle in the road on our way back to the lodge.

Desert Box Turtle Cochise County, Arizona, USA

Day 5 (July 26th)

The highlight during day five of our trip to Southeast Arizona came while we were standing on a ridge on Mount Lemon. A zone-tailed Hawk put on a show for us. I was getting used to a new lens so I was a little disappointed with the soft results of this fascinating raptor in flight, but here is one image from that unforgettable experience.

Zone-tailed Hawk Mount Lemon, Arizona, USA

We checked into a hotel in Oro Valley that evening. Wind and rain put a damper on our owling plans for the evening so we spent time checking in with our wives by phone.

The Final Morning (July 27th)

We started the morning of our last day at Catalina State Park. The sun was up quickly and the heat began to take a toll on Eric so he asked me to take him back to the hotel. When I returned to the park I put most of my attention toward reptiles and took the birds as they came along the way.

Desert Spiny and Greater Earless were by far the most common species I found that morning.

Desert Spiny Lizard (Orange-headed Subspecies) Oro Valley, Arizona, USA

The female Greater Earless Lizard below appears to be gravid ("pregnant" for lizards).

Female Greater Earless Lizard Oro Valley, Arizona, USA

Male Greater Earless Lizard Oro Valley, Arizona, USA

Male Greater Earless Lizard Oro Valley, Arizona, USA

Male Greater Earless Lizard Oro Valley, Arizona, USA

As I was leaving the park I noticed a long reddish snake crossing the wash about 50 feet ahead. I captured the image below just as it was entering a brushy area. I did this simply for documentation purposes so I could try to identify it later.

Fortunately, I was able to relocate the snake momentarily as it put its head up from a hiding place. I referred to my reptile guide later to confirm it was a Coachwhip.

Another snake I observed in the wash was a California Kingsnake.

One lizard I discovered before leaving the park was a new one for me, a Regal Horned Lizard. These guys are about 4 inches long with a dainty tail included and blend in with their habitat quite well. I found this one only because it moved as I was walking along a trail.

Regal Horned Lizard Oro Valley, Arizona, USA

Regal Horned Lizard Oro Valley, Arizona, USA

Regal Horned Lizard Oro Valley, Arizona, USA

Several Great Horned Owls flushed from a tree and landed on nearby rocks as I made my way along a trail.

Prairie Dogs were common in the grassy areas of Catalina State Park.

I had only a couple of hours in Catalina State Park. I'm sure there was much more to discover, but it was finally time to head back to the hotel to prepare for a drive to the airport and our return flight. It was a fantastic trip that provided unique experiences I will remember for years to come. My curiosity for reptiles was satisfied enough to make me want to learn more. I am eager to explore and learn more about the reptiles of the American Southwest. I can't wait for another adventure in the varied habitats of the Sonoran Desert.

Fireworks, The Moon, Owls, a Snake, And Sunsets

Birding is often slow during July and this year is no exception. When the birding gets slow, however, I turn to other opportunities to explore and enjoy outdoor activities.

The 4th of July is a fun holiday for our family. This year I made my first real attempt at photographing fireworks. The show was free to the public and held at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. I read that I should use a long lens (at least 200mm) for fireworks so I took my 80-400mm lens. Once the fireworks started I realized I needed to back away from the action even with the lens pulled back to 80mm. I moved back as far as I could and I was still unable to fit complete firework blasts inside the camera frame.  I was pleased with the results.

I heard we had a super moon approaching so I set up my camera on a tripod in my driveway the night before the super moon and practiced capturing night images. The moon looked like a pearl cradled in the clouds the night before the peak of the super moon.

The Night Before the July 2014 Super Moon (Seen from Pleasant Grove, UT)

I enjoyed capturing images of the super moon the night it peaked. Again, I was in my driveway so the glow of the city lights impacted the overall results. I learned a bit about photographing the moon and was wishing I was high in the darkness of our local mountains.

Super Moon Seen From Pleasant Grove, UT

The night after the super moon I made my way up into our local mountains via American Fork Canyon. I found a place to park and set up my gear. It was at 8000 ft and near the summit of the Alpine Loop (Hwy 92). The detail of the craters on the moon was better than the night before, but it was a waning, or not-so super, moon.

The Night After the July 2014 Super Moon (The waning, or not-so super, moon)

Before capturing images of the moon that night I spent some time whistling for a Northern Saw-whet Owl. I've learned some tricks for calling these owls in that include taking advantage of a very short window at a certain level of darkness and the type and order of the whistling sounds I make. I was successful at whistling in an owl before the moon rose above the horizon, but I wasn't able to capture an image. It was a skittish little owl. The image below is of an owl I whistled in previously at the same location.

Northern Saw-whet Owl Wasatch County, UT

Flammulated Owls breed in our mountains during the summer months so I called one of those in as well. These owls are much more cooperative with being photographed. These owls will migrate down to Mexico and beyond once they finish breeding and their young have become adept at hunting and flying.

Flammulated Owl in Wasatch County, UT

I've been riding my mountain bike along the Murdock Canal in the early evening hours recently. I watch for birds and other critters, especially, Rattlesnakes as I ride along that trail. It runs along the foothills so snakes often come down to the trail where the asphalt and gravel are warm. The other night a ran across a new species of snake. I'm not sure I've ever seen one before, but I wasn't surprised when I looked in up in my reptile guide and discovered it was a subspecies of Racer. I managed a few images, but once it decided to leave my presence is moved faster than any snake I've ever seen.

Western (Yellow-bellied) Racer in Cedar Hills, UT

Western (Yellow-bellied) Racer in Cedar Hills, UT

Western (Yellow-bellied) Racer in Cedar Hills, UT

Sunsets in July can be quite spectacular. I always enjoy watching a sunset unfold because you never know what to expect. If there are clouds in the sky and on the horizon they can often be painted in a variety of colors by the light from the lowering sun.

Summer Sunset Seen from American Fork, UT