Arizona Journeys
Explorations in Arizona.
2024
2024-05-12 Aravaipa AZ
My 2024 trip to see the Texas eclipse provided an opportunity to visit some of my favorite people and places in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. After an all-too-brief stay,…
2023
2023-07-14 Five-Stripe Fever in Box Canyon
The Five-Striped Sparrow is a bird I had longed to meet. For more than a decade I tried, but never managed to be at the right place at the right…
2023-07-13 Paton’s In Patagonia
My day at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds Thursday was lovely. I came early and stayed late. I spent some quality time with the site manager. He provided me with…
2023-07-12 Arizona’s Huachuca Canyon
After coming off the Chiricahua Mountains Monday and getting breakfast in Sunsites, I pushed my way over roads I’d not traveled in a very long time. It carried me through…
2023-07-11 Over The Chiricahua Mountains
When my time with the Cave Creek birds concluded, I ascended the Chiricahua Mountains. It seemed to me most of the up-slope birds were smart enough to hide from the…
2023-07-10 Cave Creek, Portal, AZ
Last year, I passed through Portal, but storms were drenching the upper slopes of the Chiricahuas, and I didn’t feel much like lingering. If it feels right this year, I…
2023-04-09 Early April On Cottonwood Wash
Saturday, my friend Linda and I drove to visit her good friend Kai, who lives on the Cottonwood Wash south of Pima. I had the pleasure of spending time with…
2023-04 Early April on the Redington Road
I left Tucson Saturday with my heart set on traveling the Redington Road, so I drove to the end of Tanque Verde Road and climbed the steep, winding gravel to…
2023-03-31 Friday on Mount Lemmon
I spent Thursday night on Mount Lemmon. I’d hoped to camp on Incinerator Ridge, where I’ve enjoyed warbler meetings in the past. I knew it was early for many of…
2023-03-27 Agua Caliente Park – Tucson
Having enjoyed past visits to Agua Caliente Park in northeast Tucson, I was eager to return during my 2023 Expedition. It did not disappoint! For those folks unfamiliar with this…
2023-03-21 in Patagonia
Tuesday I visited the Paton Center for Hummingbirds in Patagonia, a destination I have heard many folks rave about over the years. It was my first visit, but I sure…
2023-03-19 Gardner Canyon Road
Knowing I would be returning to Tucson after exploring some of southeastern Arizona’s birding Meccas, I left without the full tour of most of its local specialty locations for meeting…
2023-03-18 Sweetwater Wetlands-Tucson
I rely on an internet connection while I roam North America in my RV. My most reliable method has been through the use of cell phone service. As I explore…
2020
2020-11-26 & 27 Outside of Pima Arizona
I set Thatcher Arizona as a destination on this expedition because I wanted to upgrade the electrical system at my friend Linda’s house there. It took me several days to…
2020-11-16 Monday at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum
The morning at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum started off slow. I like to hike to the top of the property where there is a pond called Ayers Lake. On the…
2020-11-12 Thursday In Gilbert Arizona
It was a big day for me Thursday in Gilbert. The sun was at its harshest mid-day height when I arrived at the Water Ranch, but I stayed into the…
2020-05-27 Arivaca Cienega
After my visit to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum on Tuesday morning, I drove south 170 miles to Arivaca. The route I chose was not conventional, and I passed through Three…
2020-05-20 Road From ABQ and Mount Graham
Two corrections: Thanks to the astute observations of readers Celestyn Brozek and Lori Conrad, I’ve learned my “Cassin’s Vireo” is the wrong Solitary Vireo. The proper identification is Plumbeous Vireo.…
2020-02-27 – Drive from Thatcher to Las Cruces
Leaving Safford and Thatcher Arizona, I drove east towards New Mexico on the most remote roads I could find on the map. I traveled on roads ripe with twists, turns,…
2020-02-24: Boyce-Thompson Arboretum
Sunday, after spending the day at the Gilbert Water Ranch, I drove the Superstition Highway forty miles east to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum near Superior Arizona. I’d been here only…
2020-02-23 At The Gilbert Water Ranch
I scouted several of the trails at the Riparian Preserve in Gilbert after I arrived late Saturday afternoon, but I did not carry my camera. The light was fading, and…
2019
2019-10-27 Sunday at Arivaca
As I wound up my Autumn 2019 Arizona expedition, I wished I had more time to linger and explore. I’d have liked to of spent more time this south-central region…
2019-10-24 Catalina State Park
After my all-day marathon photo-safari at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum on Wednesday, I was too tired to drive very far south towards Tucson. I stopped in nearby Superior Arizona for…
2019-10-23 At The Boyce Thompson Arboretum
I let myself get behind in my posting. Since leaving the “BTA” I’ve completed two more photo safaris, but it took me longer than expected to organize the photos and…
Catching Up With Old Friends
I met my friend Linda in 1978 while I was living in Missoula Montana. Without going into too many details, it was one of the most interesting periods in my…
2019-10-16 The Arboretum At Flagstaff
Having spent Sunday through Tuesday enjoying the company of my friend in Bullhead City Arizona, I left there and headed east over the mountains along Highway 68 to Kingman Arizona.…
2019-10-13 Cibola NWR
I spent some time at Cibola NWR on my way to Bullhead City. Cibola National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 25 square miles of the Colorado River Valley. The northern boundary starts…
2004-06-23 Redington Road
In 2004, I was just beginning my education about birds and how to capture them in my images. It was an exciting time for me. Many of my meetings with…
2018
2013-08-29 Arizona Trip
One aim on this trip was to visit family in Northeast Tucson. While there I spent some time at Agua Caliente Park. It had been in my head for several years…
2017
2017-08-12 Driving Up The Colorado River
I’ll be spending the next few days driving north into the Inter Mountain States. I’ll be meeting with a friend in Salt Lake City to spend a few days hunting…
2017-05-05 Best of Arizona
I spent from 2017-04-22 through 2017-05-04 touring some great bird locations in Arizona. The places I managed to visit during this time were Agua Caliente Park, Sabino Canyon, Mount Lemmon,…
2017-05-04 Arivaca Cienega
Thursday morning I got out early to the Cienega at Arivaca, one of my favorite birding locations. Here I found Hermit Warblers, Orange-Crowned Warblers, Lucy’s Warblers, Brewer’s Sparrows, Vermilion Flycatchers,…
2017-05-03 Arivaca’s La Siesta Campground
When you lookup the word “rural” in the dictionary, there should be a picture of Arivaca Arizona shown. I have a friend who’s lived in Arivaca since she was 10…
2017-05-01 2 Days In The Santa Rita Mountains
With instructions to find Florida Canyon, I headed south from Tucson to explore new places. I’ve visited nearby Madera Canyon twice before, but I’d been hearing about Florida Canyon for…
2017-04-26~28 Mount Lemmon: Sky Island Heaven
Early Wednesday morning I set off to visit Mount Lemmon using instructions for locating birds on the mountain from local birder, Liz Harrison. Her instructions were invaluable and gave me…
2017-04-25 Sabino Canyon
I envy Tucson citizenry for this jewel. If I lived here, I’d make it a point to visit Sabino Canyon several days a week. Not only are there amazing birds,…
2017-04-24 Agua Caliente Park
I spent the entire day yesterday at Agua Caliente Park in northeast Tucson. I visited this place in years past and found it to be very productive for getting bird…
Broad-Billed Hummingbird Nest in Tucson
While visiting relatives in northeastern Tucson, my cousin showed me a nest in her backyard bougainvillea. It turned out to be that of a Broad-Billed Hummingbird. What caught my attention…
2016
Favorite March Moments of 2016
As I prepare to depart on my next road trip, I thought a reflection on some of my favorite photographic moments from my most recent trip might be appropriate. My…
The Cienega at Arivaca
2016-03-25 and 26 Friday and Saturday Part of the Buenos Aires NWR, the cienega at Arivaca, has been a favorite birding location of mine for more than a dozen years.…
Cassin’s Sparrow in Arizona
2016-03-25 Friday, On The Road To Arivaca On my drive from New Mexico toward Arivaca Arizona, I made it a mission to find Cassin’s Sparrows. Having stumbled onto them last…
2016-03-13 at Bullhead City and the Tamed Colorado River
On leaving my friend in Yucca Valley (Pioneertown actually), I traversed miles of open desert and reached Interstate 40 near Amboy California. There is a serene beauty to the desert.…
2015
2015-11-12 Arizona Trip Favorites
Mid-October I finally launched my expedition into Southern Arizona. I’d have left sooner but for the ‘fix-it’ jobs at home that delayed my get-away. On my way to Tucson I…
2015-10-30 Highway Hypnosis In Arizona
My friend Barbara cooked a nice breakfast this morning, and I got packed up and headed out early. I made a stop at the Buenos Aires NWR Visitor’s Center on…
2015-10-29 Arivaca Arizona
Arivaca is a small community in south-central Arizona with an estimated population of 900~1000 citizens. There is a watershed of 45 square miles that drains out on Arivaca Creek. The…
2015-10-27 Marana Powered Paragliders
Leaving Madera Canyon, I drove into southern Tucson to beat the high cost of lodging in Green Valley. This road would take me near the shop where Sami got the…
2015-10-27 Madera Canyon
Leaving Tubac Arizona I wanted to visit Madera Canyon. That required a night in Green Valley at an overpriced motel. Hindsight tells me I should have traveled north 26 miles…
2015-10-26 Tubac Arizona
From Sierra Vista I set my sights on the Santa Cruz River Valley. The path most scenic took me through Patagonia, a town well known to birders. I’ve passed this…
2015-10-25 Sierra Vista
When I left Rustler Park I continued down the east side of the mountain to Portal. Hunting season being in place, there were numerous unsavory characters running on the same…
2015-10-23 Rustler Park
Having taken care of the Samurai’s transmission, I was eager to get started on the rest of my adventure. It was less than a two-hour drive to the base of the…
2015-10-22 “Common” Tucson Birds
One positive that came out of having my transportation down was that I could spend quality time with the birds around my cousin’s abode. It’s likely that many locals here…
2015-10-18 Mount Lemmon
Another journal entry: With the Samurai out of commission and waiting for its transmission, I found myself dependent on the kindness of loved ones for excursions. On this morning we…
2015-10-15 Tucson via the Salton Sea
Hello (he said after a long break). This blog entry is more a ‘journal’ than an editorial post. Please keep this in mind when working through the text below. My…
2015-06-18 So Endeth The Journey
April 27, 2015 I departed my home in Poway for an expedition through eight western states, California to Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and back down the coast…
2015-05-03 Silver Creek
While I was visiting my friends in Bullhead City Arizona, my friend Jack Norris wanted to go camping at a place he’d found while volunteering for ‘search and rescue’. He’d…
2015-05-02 Havasu NWR
May 2nd and it’s over 100°F at 8am. There were a few birds out and active, but I didn’t fare so well. I trekked into a cottonwood stand and found…
2015-04-28 Bill Williams NWR
Authorities have acknowledged the Bill Williams NWR as “a birding area of global importance.” There are many birds that breed in the habitats there, some of which are threatened or…
2015-04-28 Cibola
The community of Cibola Arizona, resides along the Colorado River about 25 miles south of Blythe California where the cultivated lands contrast harshly with the surrounding barren desert. Officials designated…